GAMBIT 36 036| Slain

A pack of hyena is on the hunt, brutally murdering anyone who dares to come across their path. It is said they're location is in the Valley of Veils, a place known for its foulness. Not a single patch of green can be found, only bones of creatures and animals. Oozing mud, brown filthy soil, and murky water. It is referred as a graveyard by some. After hearing about this conflict the king decided to make urgent responses.

The four pillars alongside with a few men have been sent to investigate this further in hopes of stopping the conflict before it becomes a grave issue. Hyenas, why would they be there in the first place? What kind of agendas do they have this time?

The four pillars travel through forests and links only to reach the Valley of Veils. It is said anyone who comes to the valley could die because of such a foul redolence that shrouds this place. It is home to many microscopic creatures, wherein some may start plagues once they enter a wound or bruise of a creature.

These however, are also useful for the breaking down dead bodies. Their obligation is to turn bones into flakes of dust, giving nutrients to the floras. It is the key element to the birth of plant life.

Upon arrival, the foulness of the place touches their nose. At first glance, it seems tranquil and quiet. Nothing is in sight except for bones of old, animal sc.r.a.ps, and boiling mud.

"My G.o.d. It has been years since I've smelled this aroma." Admiral Brook exclaims while covering his nose.

"I'm a.s.suming you've missed this place." Ms.Charlotte teases as she lets off a soft chuckle.

"Sigh, let us finish this task. Once we're done we can leave this place." Efron interrupts their conversation and steps inwards, going further to the valley. The three pillars on the other hand follow from behind with the escort of two skilled Elite Officers.

They scour the whole valley, rummaging around like ants to find the said hyenas. Despite all of these however, not a single one was found and they were on the verge of giving up for good. That is until something peculiar happens in front of their eyes. From the skies, the thick fogs come in, giving them nearly zero-visibility. The violet fills in with silence and the only thing they could hear is their echoes.

Because of the fog, the four couldn't identify each other's location thus leaving them with no choice but to rely on their senses. Their hearts throbbed, pounding louder than usual. They bite their lips as they cling their fists to their swords.

"Ah!" A shriek blares in the distance, raising the awareness of the four pillars. They continue to walk in the midst of the fog and was immediately put to a halt after seeing the body of an Elite troop. He was murdered viciously with claw marks running from the head to the torso of the body.

Another shriek blares in the distance and moments later the body of the second Elite troop was found dead as well. The four pillars were frightened, their bodies s.h.i.+ver violently. From there, the howls of hyenas take over. They could all sense something approaching them. A herd of malicious creatures who dwells somewhere in the fog.

"The Pillars of Pureheart is here." A deep voice echoes.

"I crave for them." Another voice, a feminine one, echoes as well.

Slowly, the fog starts to disperse only revealing the locations of the four pillars surrounded by the herd of hyenas. Their face enters a shock expression as they dismount from their horse to fight with courage and bravery.

"You have been outnumbered. What could a group of four possibly do to us?" A hyena mocks confidently, making the other hyenas chuckle and grin hysterically. Slowly the move forth, further putting tension and pressure to the pillars.

"Enough!" A superior voice echoes, catching the attention of the hyenas. It approaches from behind. The other hyenas move aside to make way for the alpha, one of Witherheart's pillar leaders, Wulfric Frost.

"I have been waiting for the four of you. Using travelers as bait, victims as lure. Now tell me, where is the young man? The one with the parrot." Wulfric growls, finis.h.i.+ng his words with a question.

"Quartz?! What do you want with him?" The princess asks back, pointing her mother's sword to the alpha.

"You got it all wrong. I have to likeness to the young man madame, the king of Witherheart has. Answer my question or your bodies will be part of this valley."

"I won't answer unless you answer mine first. What does the king want with Quartz?"

"That is none of your business."

"And Quartz is none of yours too."

"Don't test my patience you filthy sc.u.m! After them!" Wulfric's patience runs dry. He makes the decision to attack the four pillars, commanding his herd to fight.

The pillars fought back, trying to outmatch the enemy. Hyenas are known to be fast, therefore slaying one will be hard, that's if, you've mastered the art of archery. Charlotte is a woman whose arrow never miss. Speed is not an exception. With her bow and arrow, she pierces the eye of the hyenas one by one.

Meanwhile, Efron fights with a sword. His eyes are sharper than those of an eagle. His moves are precise, and just like Charlotte, he never misses. They're not called the Pillar Leaders for nothing. Each has a specialty when it comes to handling weaponry. As for Brook, he is at his best when using a revolver. His bullets are like arrows but more painful when struck to the mind of the enemy. He usually targets the head, for once the brain is damaged the body fails to salute.

As for the princess, she is fond of using spears. She usually trains how to handle one with her mother but that all changed after her mother's death. She wanted to try something new, using her mother's sword instead of her iron spear. When it comes to fighting, strategies exceed quant.i.ty for a group can always be outsmarted.

Team work is present as they fight. They help, coordinating and cooperating with one another. One by one they slay the hyena until only one was left, Wulfric Frost, the alpha of his herd.

"You're alone now, leave this place immediately and we shall spare you. Dare to attack, and we shall too. One Pillar is no match against four." Jupiter warns, pointing her sword towards the hyena. Wulfric then emits sounds of a scared puppy as it slowly steps back.

"Pfft." Admiral Brook giggles softly and pulls the trigger of his revolver. It travels through the sky and into the head of the alpha. The bullet damages the brain, and slowly the body begins to fail as Wulfric drops dead. The other pillars were in shock of his sudden actions.

"Why ya'll looking at me? He deserved that. Anyway, I'm starving, let's head back." Admiral Brook says as he mounts to his stallion.

With the conflict done, they return to the kingdom of Pureheart. It took them roughly two hours to return. Upon their arrival, they were only greeted by a surprise. The news has spread quickly to Witherheart and the kingdom chooses to retaliate thus declaring another siege. The king told them about this.

Stressed they are for they have just stopped conflict from the south, now alongside with an army and the king they must head eastward once more. Like they say, once a conflict closes another one opens! The strange thing however, is that the young man was nowhere to be found.

The princess tried to knock on his room in order to alert him about the siege but she was met with terrible news. After hearing not a single response from her violent knocks, Jupiter made the decision to break down the doors. At first, she was worried and concerned for Quartz, especially when the enemy is ought to capture him.

Upon entering, Quartz and his falcon could not be seen anywhere, making the princess wonder if he was captured by an enemy. Where could the young man be in the first place? Was he truly captured by an enemy, or is there something suspicious happening around?