Hell's Bane (COMPLETED)

Chapter Nine: Those Who Seek The Power

            The Trident was scoured that night, as Davis had said, and no more Scavenger-men were found. The bodies that practically added a new layer to the main deck were soon disposed of, all tossed into the sea below them.

Night fell. The explorers took as much advantage of the sailboat as they could, overturning pantries and gathering ammunition. To Hugo's advice, Joss shaved – at last removing the nest of hair that nearly covered his face. Though the stink and flies still remained, the hermit appeared more ordinary that he had before, and Joss' mutilated hair and beard was much less likely to notice.

Davis would be on patrol that night, partially because he hadn't in a while, but also because he was the only one who knew how to steer the ship. The tide and wind were with them that night, and they were moving fast enough to catch up to the Scavenger, or at least not be far behind. Under the deck in the cabins, Hugo, Joss, and even Susan slowly drifted to sleep, weary from the action that had come down that day. With the stars twinkling outside in the night sky, casting a whimsical setting around them, they rested...

...And were woken the next day, feeling completely refreshed, save Davis, who had not had a good night's sleep for days now.

"We've arrived," the leader said, beckoning for them to come up the stairs. "We'll dock at the Aulin Grasslands, where rarely anybody stops at. Hopefully, it'll take a while for the Scavenger's leader to notice something's wrong with the ship, so we shouldn't be bothered. Yet."

As they disembarked, with their bags now full of food, coins, and enough bullet ammunition to sweep the Scavenger whole, they abandoned the ship. Drea, still unconscious, was carried on Susan's back, given that the spy had the least to carry otherwise.

They couldn't go any faster than a simple walk, with all the weight on their backs. If they were attacked, Davis thought, they would have no choice to abandon everything they carried. But under their current circumstances, they could've had a feast and still not be any less short on food.

The lake slowly disappeared out of view, and they were left with the company of endless rolling hills with massive, rocky boulders jutting out here and there. Deer and squirrel and bird and ferrets scurried about, and even through all their turmoil and troubles, Hugo had to admit that the place gave them a sense of... peace. As if nothing was horrible enough to erase the beauty of the world around them.

That was when he was reminded of the fire that the Scavenger set on another grassland days ago... and the smile was instantly wiped off his face. From there on, Hugo couldn't help but look behind him now and then, with his hand firmly held into his sword hilt.

They had lunch early that day, likely an hour after they disembarked the Trident, though it was close to noon anyway. Desperate to lift some weight off their backs, they devoured two cans each, making up for their past days when starvation seemed frighteningly close to them.

"How far are we still from the Dustwillow Mountains?" Hugo asked as they went on their journey again.

Davis reached for his map, but before he could, Joss suddenly answered: "We'll likely reach the Siorthurn Desert by tomorrow or the day after that. Once we reach the Siorthurn, though, the Dustwillow Mountains will be close, so I estimate about a few hours once we actually get into the desert."

The explorers stared. Joss shrugged. "What? I have a photographic memory."

Susan continued staring. "I don't believe you."