Online In Another World

There was certainly a lot he was curious about when it came to the cat woman who he had found as a new companion, especially in regards to the style that very closely resembled the ruthless 'Godless Style' that Vandread wielded.

Yet, he knew asking directly would hardly get him anywhere close past that stone-cold exterior of Yuna's.

If I'm nosy, I might find that dagger pressed against my neck…I've had enough of that for a lifetime, he thought.

"So, what now?" Everett asked after successfully shoveling down a large portion of the stew, "I mean, you guys were talking about there being some bad guys lurking 'round here, right? I say we find 'em and take 'em out."

"That's easier said than done, though," Melisande responded.

"Yeah, you're right about that," Everett breathed out.

There was merit to taking the initiative, at least that's what Emilio thought, as it was tangible how on edge they all were with the looming threat of murderous recruits around. Still, he found it might be better to avoid Amon altogether.

"...This valley is huge and somebody like Amon seems to be experienced in moving quietly and unseen," Emilio said, "I think tracking him down before he finds us would be difficult, unless…"

"Unless?" Everett looked at him.

The young mage looked over at Yuna, who was still wiping down her dagger before glancing back at him.

"Unless we had somebody who was just as capable as Amon–somebody great at stealthiness themselves," Emilio said in regards to the demi-human.

Yuna pulled her hood down as her cat ears flicked, "That's what you're getting at, then? What do you have in mind, exactly?"

Emilio grabbed a stick, beginning to draw figures to represent the group in the dirt, "Well, when it comes to stealth and reconnaissance, I think I can safely say we would just slow you down, Yuna. So, we'll move in two separate groups, with you staying hidden and on our flank."

Drawing the representation of this into the dirt, it was made clear for Everett, who wasn't particularly the best at grasping the words leaving Emilio's mouth.

"I see. So, you want me to get the drop on Amon when he gets the drop on you?" Yuna asked, "How does that help us find him?"

Answering the pragmatic rogue's question, Emilio raised his hand, uttering a soft incantation of "Salamander. Undyne. Gnome. Sylph."

Above his hand, the four elemental lesser spirits manifested, bouncing in the air slightly as they blinked.

"Spirits?" Yuna raised an eyebrow.

The young mage nodded, "They can cover a large amount of ground. Once they spot Amon, two will return to our group, and two will go to you–both will alert us."

Melisande watched, leaning closer, "...I've got a question."

"Yeah?" Emilio looked over at her, stopping his inscriptions on the dirt.

"How is Amon going to be lured over once the spirits see him?" Melisande asked.

A smile crept on Emilio's lips as he found the question leading to the core of his impromptu plan, chuckling to himself as if he were some sort of mad scientist.

"Once the spirits find Amon, they'll attack him and immediately flee. We want Amon to be wary, make him explore–that way, he'll surely find us, however…" Emilio led his words.

"However?" Yuna squinted at him.

Emilio was looking straight at her, "Earlier you showed some proficiency at creating traps. I'm sure Everett can attest to that."

The bumpkin shielder scratched his head out of shame, "Yeah, yeah. I guess that was pretty crafty–I won't fall for that again, though!"

It was starting to come together as Melisande and Yuna both scooted in closer to the drawing that Emilio made in the dirt, though Everett seemed to be a step behind.

"Traps laid around the campsite? I can do that. I was already planning on setting up new traps, seeing as how easily you all infiltrated," Yuna said, folding her arms over her chest.

"So, we lure him towards the camp then get him trapped, then we…?" Melisande lingered her question.

They all knew what she was implying, and there were clear differences in opinion right off the bat between the shielder and the rogue.

"We give him a good poundin' then tie him up," Everett said.

"We eliminate him," Yuna said.

The difference in approaches caused the two to immediately look at each other as Everett's tone shifted, "Killin' ain't the solution."

"We're dealing with somebody who has killed by the dozen," Yuna told him, "It's us or him. I think you know the obvious answer to that."

Emilio already knew going in that there would be a similar reaction from Everett. After all, there was no doubt that the shielder had a heart of gold and a kind soul, though in this environment and path, the young Dragonheart knew that such things could only lead to pain.

"I ain't a killer," Everett adamantly said.

"That's fine," Yuna replied, "I'll handle that part."

"That's…!" Everett stood up.

Immediately getting up to step between the two before anything escalated, Emilio found the intensity to be tangible with the large-built man clenching his fist and the swift rogue holding her dagger.

"Let's calm down…We don't need to decide yet. This plan relies on one, big prerequisite, anyway," Emilio said.

"That is?" Yuna looked at him.

"We need to actually know where Amon is before starting any of this," Emilio told them, "How do we know he's still in this section of the valley, anyway?"

This realization stuned the group for a moment before eyes befell on Yuna, who looked back at them in confusion as to why they were looking at her before she figured it out.

"...Right, I guess this is the part where I tell you that I bumped into Amon just a couple hours before you all arrived," Yuna told them, "If you're wondering why you almost got a dagger through your heart, well, there's your answer."

Melisande glanced around, "Just a couple hours back?...That means he could still be closeby."

"That's what we want, right?" Yuna asked.

Everett squinted, still sticking close to his resolve, "Is it? Are you going to cut his throat? Who's to say you'll stop there?"

"What're you implying?" Yuna asked.

"I'm implying that who knows when you'll think one of us is a threat and take us out without any regrets on that cold heart of yours," Everett pointed out.

Again, tension rose as Emilio found himself having to stand between the two to prevent any infighting from manifesting.

"...Come on already, this isn't the time," Emilio said.

Everett looked down at him, "What's your stance on this? It's your plan, ya know."

"Well…" Emilio glanced around, finding their eyes on him.

There was a large part of him that felt the same as Everett; the taking of life was a heavy action. It was something he didn't think of lightly, however, through his experiences, he realized it was a necessary action to take, when the time called for it.

When there were those he wanted to protect, goals ahead of him, and a ruthless killer obscuring that resolve, he found the choice to be clear.

"Which is it, Emilio?...I think you're a pretty stand-up guy," Everett pressed.

He finally answered, "...I don't want to kill, Amon."

Yuna immediately let out a sigh while Everett smiled, though it was immediately interrupted as the young Dragonheart clarified his position:

"...But, that's only if he listens to reason. If, and only if we can manage to capture him, we can decide from there if we can trust that by sparing him, we won't be endangering ourselves or anybody else," Emilio looked straight at the shielder, "It's not just ourselves we're putting in harm's way if we spare Amon–there are innocents that will be caught in his path. Can you accept that?"

Everett was silent for a moment at this compromise but finally nodded, "I…I get it, alright? I ain't stupid," he scratched his head, "Just the idea of killin' another person ain't my style, ya know?"

Being silent throughout the intense conversation, Melisande added in, "I'd like to avoid it if possible too, but…Amon is incredibly dangerous. He's a monster…"

Hearing that and seeing the fear that clearly stemmed from a potent experience, Everett seemed to regret his stance slightly, seeing as how much of a problem the man in question was as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"...I won't have any part in murder, but I'll make sure he doesn't lay a finger on any of you," Everett said.

The rogue demi-human pulled her scarf over her mouth, "Thanks, but I won't need it."

"Hey! Just accept my–urgh," Everett sighed, folding his arms over his chest.

Though it was a rocky understanding, Emilio found himself relieved that they managed to come together for this plan, leaving the only thing left to be setting it up and preparing for the encounter.

As planned, he summoned the four lesser spirits and sent them out in various directions to scout for the recruit hunter, who should still be in the area. In the meantime, Yuna got to work on establishing traps around the perimeter of the camp; this included rope traps and pitfalls.

Alright…it's all coming together, he thought.