B.L.A.Q

Chapter 7

Under cover of the night, the team had reached the base of the mountain. From there they studied the surroundings. Qin spotted a worn trail that looked as if it were used frequently. As the sun was starting to rise, Bai instructed they stay off the path to avoid being seen. They crept through the trees quickly but silently, although they didn't come across any guards. The bandits security was pretty relaxed. Once they got to the end of the path, they all hopped into the same tree and began climbing. Once they were at the top, they spotted the Blood Eclipse hideout. There were a few dozen tents big enough to house a few bandits each, a flagpole directly in the center of the camp that had the same insignia that Hugo had described to Bai, an old storehouse had been rigged where they were probably keeping their supplies and a bigger tent in the back where, Bai guessed, the leader of the gang probably slept. A couple of yards away from the camp was a stable where they could hear horses inside. A few of the bandits were already up and moving around as the day would begin shortly. BLAQ sat in the tree quietly and watched the bandits for at least an hour after the sun had risen in the sky. Bai didn't want to make a move until they had a better idea of how many bandits they were dealing with. So far, they saw no sign of Hina or anyone who looked like the bandit leader. However, Ace saw something that got his heart racing. A big fellow was strutting around the camp barking out orders to everyone else. He had a shaved head and carried a giant club in his hand and a big red number two on the back of his sleeveless black shirt. Ace guessed he was probably second in command and silently said to the others "That big guy is mine." Qin gave him a disapproving look and he quickly added "Just in case we have to fight." Qin shook her head and looked at Bai who was sitting on the branch above her. He had a frown on his face and was looking in his pack of cigarettes. She guessed he was either out or running low. She had always hated that her brother smoked those things and wondered how he could even stand the smell since he was a fauness. "Over there." Len whispered, pointing to a smaller tent just behind the bandit leaders. There were two guards posted out front and Ace said "I think we found our princess." Qin smiled and was glad that the girl was still okay. Bai however had spotted something else. He had rarely taken his eyes off of the biggest tent as he was sure that's where the leader was. Sure enough, as soon as they had figured out where the girl was, he emerged. He was a tall, grizzled man with scars all over his face. He was missing his left hand up to his elbow and it had been replaced with a metal prosthetic to replace it. He had a red number on on the chest of his jacket and a giant two handed sword strapped to his back. He stretched and looked around his camp taking in the sunrise. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one. Ace, Len, and Qin could practically feel Bai's muscles tense up and a low growl escaped his throat "He's mine." was all he said and Qin and Len just shook their heads as Ace chuckled. After another few hours of sitting in silence, Ace reached into his pack and pulled out more dry rations and began passing them around. As the day wore on, they started to get more bored and angsty. Small groups of bandits came and went throughout the day. They took care of the horses, had lunch and even cleaned up the camp a bit, but there was still no sign of Hina. "My back is getting stiff sitting in this tree all day. I need to stretch." Ace complained. Bai shushed him and told him to wait a little bit longer until it was dark. He had to admit that his back was getting a little stiff to and he really wanted a cigarette. He looked towards the sun, which was sinking lower into the sky by the minute and soon it would be time to make a move. He looked at the others, still watching the bandit camp. "Qin," he said, "We need to find out what's in that tent. You're the fastest and most stealthy. Once the sun goes down you're up. Can you handle it?" She looked at him and scoffed "Of course I can." Bai looked at her for a second then said, "On second thought, I'll come with you to back you up. If anything goes wrong, I don't want you in there by yourself. Len, find a perch where you have the best angle on the whole camp. We'll need your eyes and your bow to back us up." Ace looked at him "What about me?" Bai looked at him and smiled "In case things go wrong, we'll need someone to draw them away. You've been itching for a fight right?" Ace pounded his fists together, "Damn right I have." Bai looked at his team as the sun slowly sunk behind the horizon "Alright everyone. It's almost go time." He reached into his pack and pulled out a small box and showed it to them, "Remember the mission with the nevermore last week? This is why I was late." He opened the box and showed them. Inside the box were four small circles. Bai took one out and put it in his ear "These are communication devices. They work for up to 5 miles. We can talk to each other during missions and relay info easier. Take one." The others each took a piece and put them in an ear. Once everyone had one in, they tested them out. "These work pretty good." Len said, and they all heard him inside their heads. "These are pretty cool," said Qin. Bai looked at each of them "Alright everyone. Let's get out of this tree and stretch out our legs before we get going. Everyone be careful and stay in touch with each other. We'll meet up back here shortly, hopefully with the princess." Then suddenly he was gone hurrying out of the tree with Qin right behind him. Len looked at Ace then darted out onto the branch he was on and jumped into the next tree, vanishing from sight. Ace chuckled to himself. He had been waiting for this all day.