A Journey through Kingdoms

CHAPTER 9- TAG TEAM

"Knock it off with the guns! You're going to give me tinnitus!" Tetsuga screamed as he was pushed back into hiding again as the bullets ripped through the air again. "Keep firing, boys! Don't let him go anywhere!" One of them screamed as they all kept on with the onslaught of lead and gunpowder. "Great Cerion, I really hope the kid is having better luck than me!" Tetsuga yells as he tries his best to hold out longer to buy Derrick some time to find what he needs for the plan.

As the skirmish raged on, Derrick ran through the village in search of his things. His hands were still tied together. "Storage house! It should be right around this corner!" He says to himself as he rounds the corner, only to be met by some familiar faces. "Are we really going to steal the stuff from the storage house while everyone else is fighting!? You guys definitely don't have your heads straight!!" Craig exclaimed in worry as the two were taking everything they could out of the storage house. After having their little drink earlier, they heard the sound of the commotion brought on by Tetsuga and Derrick. Finding this an opportune chance to make it big, they took the chance to rob their own men blind.

"What do you mean? It's the perfect time. They're busy fighting, and we have a chance to take all this for ourselves! Besides, the boss doesn't even remember us. He won't even know we're gone." The lazy one makes a point as he drags out a crate. "Now help us with this!" He yells as he urges Craig to help them. "You three are stealing... from your own allies?" Then, while they were preoccupied, Derrick had now asserted himself in their conversation. Perplexed as to why they would. This appearance, however, did not bode well for one of them.

"Oh god! Not you again! You stay from my ears, you blabber mouth!!" Craig screamed as he covered his ears from being assaulted with facts and logic. "What are you doing, idiot? Go apprehend him before he does something!" The leader of the three spoke as he came out with a sack over his shoulder. The sack had gotten Derrick's attention as all of the contents within it were filled with ores and vials. All of it being his. "Ha! Ha! My stuff!" Derrick exclaimed as he pointed over at the sack. "Could you hand over that sack to me, please? I really need it right now!" Derrick asked all politely as he raised his hands as if expecting to receive it.

.....

"Go go go! Into the woods!" The chieftains daughter says as she leads the people out of the village and into the woods, where they can lay low from the bandits and possibly free themselves from captivity. They all entered the woods one by one as they descended into the very dark woods, which the night had lit with its lunar glow. "Fat chance! We're not giving you anything!" She then hears the voices of the bandits. Causing her to instinctively hide so she can't be seen. "But I need it! My friend is going to get hurt if I don't get what I need!" Derrick tries to barter with them, which proves ineffective.

"Derrick?" She looked through the trees. She felt the need to help, and she tried to cut in to help but was pulled back by one of the villagers. "What are you doing!? Trying to get yourself killed!?" They whispered as they grabbed her arm. Preventing her from butting in to help Derrick. "I'm trying to help! Let me go!" She says as she tries to forcefully free herself from their grasp. "All the villagers are safe! We have to hide!" They tried to reason with her, but she responded with determination in her eyes, "I stood there and watched my father die in the hands of filthy bandits! I am not going to sit back and watch another like it!"

And with her resolve, she frees herself from their grasp and runs back into the village while picking up a thick branch on the way as protection. "Wait!" The villagers yelled for her to come back, but she was already off to save Derrick. Meanwhile, Derrick was still trying to persuade them to give him his stuff. To the point where they decided to sic Craig on him. "Craig! Deal with him! The commotion will die down any moment!" The leader of the three commands him as he holds onto the sack. "What!? Why me!?" Craig yells as he is yet again made to deal with the unbearable alchemist before him. "Cause he said so, now do it!" The lazy one emphasized as he continued to move the large and heavy crates as he figuratively and physically pulled his weight.