Online In Another World

"It's the last day," he said, speaking his mind.

The words were somewhat blurted on, though it seemed to be vocalizing exactly what the others were thinking as well.

"Yeah, it is," Everett said, "Can't believe it's only been less than a week since I met all of ya'. If–no, when we make it through this, we're comrades for life, got that?"

Everett's words were as genuine as could be as the country-born youth put his fist over his own chest with a big smile.

"Of course," Emilio said with a smile.

"Yeah, this was a team effort…I doubt any of us could make it alone through what's happened," Melisande said.

Taking a moment to respond, Yuna was as quiet as she normally was, though the looks from the others prompted the silent rogue to speak as she averted her gaze, "...I suppose you're all capable enough. It's nice not having to watch my own back throughout every hour of the day."

What sounded like nothing more than a neutral comment at best normally was a dazzling compliment from the stone-faced demi-human, bringing delighted smiles on the faces of those in the group.

Seeing their reaction, a small tinge of pink came to Yuna's cheeks in a slight fluster, finding herself averting her gaze again, "...What's with those looks? I didn't say anything weird."

"No, you didn't," Everett laughed.

"Thanks, Yuna. You're pretty reliable, too," Emilio said.

After they finished their hearty breakfast of lizard meat, the group sat around the camp during the morning hours, finding no reason to venture out on the last day as it would only further the risk of failure.

However, this plan wouldn't last forever–or hardly past dawn, for that matter.

Catching some rest with his back against a bulky bedding of leaves and grass, Emilio napped whilst Melisande practiced magecraft and Yuna found herself sitting on Everett's back at request of the shielder, providing weight for his pushups.

"Twenty-one…twenty-two…!" Everett grunted.

"I'm not that heavy. Stop struggling," Yuna said coldly.

It was a surprising moment of peace, though it only stood as the calm before the storm while Emilio napped, finding himself in a blissful dream: surrounded by his family, at home with a warm meal, laughing alongside his father and mother.

"Aaaaah—!"

A bloodcurdling scream that filled the area caused the young Dragonheart's eyes to shoot open as he jumped up, looking around.

"What was…?" He mumbled.

The others were looking around as well, taken aback by the sudden scream that came from none there.

Whatever it was, the scream was masculine and of sheer terror, prompting the group to get up and look towards the trees around them.

"…What do ya think that was?" Everett asked.

"Nothing good," Yuna replied.

"I hate to have to agree with that…" Emilio added.

He already drew his staff, holding it up as he glanced to the side, looking where Melisande was watching.

Being proactive, he whispered the name of a lesser elemental spirit: "Salamander."

The fiery red spirit manifested above his hand, awaiting his command as it hovered in the air.

"Look around the area for anybody—right around the tree line," Emilio told the spirit.

It wordlessly listened before floating off quickly to scout the area at his command. Though it wasn't much needed as not even a moment later, a figure rushed through the bushes to the north, where Everett and Emilio faced, into the camp, frantic and stumbling over.

"--A recruit?" Emilio muttered.

A young man with spiky, hazel hair and equipped with a mixture of leather armor, steel plates, and a red cloak rushed in, huffing and breathing heavily.

"Help!...Ya' gotta help me!" The recruit spat out, coughing up blood as he fell down.

The first to approach him were Melisande and Everett, kneeling beside the injured recruit as he groaned in pain. There were clear injuries on his body, all of which were sharp cuts, varying in size from scratches on his cheek to a full gash on his stomach and thigh.

Yuna was wary, keeping an eye out with her daggers raised, not keeping her back to any direction for a moment.

It wasn't far off for Emilio either, who while not believing that this was an ambush, was cautious of whatever did this to the spiky-haired recruit.

"Uugnh…" The man gritted his teeth.

Everett stayed by his side, looking at him worriedly, "Are ya' alright, man?! What did this to you?!"

"Emilio! He needs aid," Melisande said, "--It's not good."

After looking around with his guard raised for a moment, the young Dragonheart realized his assistance was direly needed when seeing a heaping amount of blood leak from the stranger's wounds, rushing over.

He dropped down and began invoking "Healing" on the figure's wounds, doing his best to use his highest output to help the man recover quickly.

"How did this happen?" Melisande asked.

"What's your name?" Everett added in.

The bandana-wearing recruit seemed overwhelmed as he stammered out, watching Emilio tend to his wounds, "I-I…I…"

Yuna stayed on her feet, keeping an eye out and remaining calm, "Take a breath. You're alright now–so long as you aren't an enemy."

"Yuna!..." Melisande looked up at the demi-human rogue.

The half-feline woman seemed to recognize her approach might've been a bit too jaded, adjusting her scarf as she looked down at the man, "Alright. Can you tell us your name?"

"I-It's…Johannes," the young man answered, seeming to be no older than his late teens, "...It happened so quickly–I…they're all dead!"

The panic and fear turned partly to anger as Johannes slammed his fist down, interrupting the healing magic invoked as the others backed away.

"Hey–calm it down, I'm not done healing your wounds–" Emilio said.

Though the wounded man hardly seemed steady of mind as tears trailed down his blood-stained face, keeping his knuckles pressed against the soil while the group watched.

"I couldn't do a damn thing! That freak did this! It wasn't a monster, but he wasn't human either…! No human could do that!" Johannes spit out in a rage, "He was a demon–no, a dev–!"

Just as the injured man went on his rage-filled tirade that left them perplexed and hardly gaining any valuable information, Johanne's words were cut off as a chain shot through the woods, coming in with frightening precision as it latched around his ankle.

"Wha–" Johannes looked back at his leg.

It was such an inexplicable action that for a pivotal few seconds, the group found themselves stunned at what just happened.

"I-It's him…!" Johannes' expression returned to sheer horror.

"Hey! I've got you–!"

Lunging forward, Emilio called out with his hand outstretched, prompting Johannes to reach out towards him as well with the others following behind, however–it was a moment too late.

A powerful tug came from deep within the forest, to which Yuna threw a throwing knife in the direction of the chain, only prompting it to be pulled with further vigor.

"----Aaaaagh!"

Johannes was flung back, being pulled across the dirt and withdrawn past the bushes and trees in an instant with his blood-curdling screams trailing off.

"What the hell was that–?!" Emilio asked.

"We have to follow him!" Everett said.

"Yeah!" Melisande added.

Though there was some hesitance deep in his heart, Emilio knew it was the right thing to do, especially when his comrades were already moving, calling the fiery red spirit back to his side as they raced through the woods.

"Yuna! Did you see something?!" Emilio asked.

While they were sprinting through the woods in the direction where the recruit was pulled away into, Yuna was hopping from tree-to-tree.

"I didn't," Yuna said, narrowing her gaze forward, "Whoever is doing this is slippery."

Just as the rogue answered, Emilio found himself questioning the nature of the lurking enemy, questioning it in his mind before being interrupted by a sudden shift–

Could it be Amon? No, this isn't like–he thought.

The interruption to his thoughts came from a sudden yelp of pain from Melisande, causing him to come to a screeching halt in his chase as he glanced back.

"Melisande?!" He called out.

It was a bear trap, though unrefined and rusty, clamping down on the silver-haired girl's left leg.

"Nngh…!" Melisande winced sharply, falling down.

The chase was suspended in that moment as the other two stopped as well, though Emilio was the first over by a long shot, driven by desperation at the girl's injury as he moved with a burst of reinforcement.

A trap?!...Right here of all places?! He questioned.

"Damn!" Everett ran over, dropping to a knee, "Here, let me! I'll–"

As the burly shielder was about to offer his assistance, Everett and Yuna realized there was no need as they witnessed the internal strength buried within Emilio's relatively average frame.

Without any hesitation, Emilio grasped onto the teeth of the trap, letting it stab into his hands as he began pulling it apart with sheer strength.

"Emilio…?!" Melisande said his name through pained groans, worried for his own safety.

It didn't take more than a few seconds for him to pull the trap apart, freeing Melisande's leg as a rush of blood left the newly-formed wounds in her calf and chin.

"You two, keep an eye out," Emilio said without any room for discussion.

"Alright, you've got it," Everett nodded.