Earth's Doom

The Serpent's Lair Raid (4)

'Bonk!'

"No, we're not going to rush in!" I bonked general Zhang's head with a dead alligator's leg.

"Ow, little cub, calm down! Don't resort to violence!" He rubbed his head and waved his other arm in front of him.

"Said the man who killed this guy." I pointed to the dead alligator's leg in my hand.

"I agree. We shouldn't be careless. It's better to regroup first, and think about our next move." Jeanne chimed in.

"All soldiers, gather around!" Owen commanded right on time.

Everyone except for those watching the perimeter gathered around Owen, including us.

"Give me a report."

"Yes, sir! Out of 57 people, 14 are confirmed dead, around 28 people are badly hurt. The 15 remaining are able to walk." The soldier reported. He himself was bleeding from his head and legs, but was still able to stand up straight and salute.

"How many healers do we have left?" Owen asked.

"Only 5 left out of 12 healers, sir. Two of them are badly injured." He replied.

"Alright. What about the horses and our supply?" Owen inquired again.

"Unfortunately, lots of our horses and donkeys got caught up in the fight, sir. We only have a few left, and our supply carts are in a bad state..." He reported.

"Understood. For now, distribute the supplies from the badly-destroyed cart to our soldiers. Gather the remainder and load everything into one cart with the best condition, and wait for further command. Dismissed." Owen concluded.

"Understood, sir!" The man saluted and left to carry out what he was tasked to do.

I sat down on the ground with Jeanne and general Zhang while we listened to Owen. Honestly, I was glad that someone as reliable as Owen was here with us. He took care to check on everything, even the supplies, and the animals.

"General Zhang." Owen's voice startled us.

"Yes~?" He tilted his head.

"I'm afraid there's been a change of plan. It's too dangerous for you three to go inside the lair while being injured." Owen crossed his arms.

"Oh? But I love challenges~"

"I'll be direct. I need you to head into the serpent's lair and stall some time for us," Owen started explaining, "our soldiers are not in a condition to continue the mission. They also can't go back without my watch. It's too dangerous."

"Wait, can't we just rest here and wait for you guys?" I asked.

"No. You must stall for time, and prevent the soul from being stolen." Owen straight up denied my request.

"I'm going to escort them back, and then return with another army for backup. Can I trust you for that?" Owen sharply glared at general Zhang.

Instead of answering, a chuckle came out from general Zhang's lips.

"Are you kidding me?" General Zhang grinned, "of course you can! You don't even have to come back!"

Suddenly, the air around me got heavier and I got chills.

"I'll finish that serpent off before you even reach Alistair," his eyes widened, "and I'll bring you its head. I'll even bring you its guts if you want me to."

He burst out laughing eerily, and for a second there I genuinely feared for my life.

"...Just do what you're told. Don't do reckless things," general Owen's gaze shifted towards us, "this time you're not raiding alone."