TF Chapter 89 The Wait

The sun bared its wrath upon my back as we crept within the tall grass that was as dry as wheat that was about to be harvested. The soil and gravel below was hard enough that if it wasn't for the sound of the grass, our footsteps would have been heard by anyone. Having been located in a literal swamp for over a year, this was heavenly to me. 

The mud and the icky rot that festered on the forest floor were both things that no one wanted to stay with for a long time.

We were all crouching and I was taking point since my intent had the most destructive power in the group. The other's intents, except Danny's, were also destructive, but they were less than subtle about it, not to mention the fact that they had severe restrictions placed upon them. When they had awakened, I had been amazed by the bizarre intents. But, that also made me very very scared of fighting against an unknown intent, as I was sure there was a chance that an intent could exist that could simply erase me from existence. 

Even though I could burn the grass around me, allowing us to move forwards faster, I didn't. We had agreed not to activate our spiritual powers if necessary. Bora and Alistair had speculated that there was chance that wide spiritual pulse from the village would read us as normal creatures if we didn't release any spirit and intent powers.

I was scared even as I led the group, with the thought that any moment now, something would jump out of the bushes and attack us, giving us little time to react. 

During our time in the forest, we had been ambushed by all manner of bizarre creatures, with some even almost succeeding because of how truly weird their ambushing methods were. I still had a scar on my thigh from when a creature had bitten me, with I only managing to detect it the moment its teeth had sunk into me! And I had even had my intent out, surrounding me!

That had made me feel that I couldn't underestimate this planet just because I had a strong destructive intent.

"Do you hear something?" 

While I was lost in my thoughts, someone's question brought me back to reality. It had been that short haired woman, whose name we now knew to be Carol.

Her question made me signal the others to stop and stay quiet, after which, I strained my ears to catch the faint whispers in the wind. At first, I heard nothing, then they made their presence known, snarls, roars, the clashing of metal and the explosion of things. Someone was fighting! I looked towards the others and saw that they had all reached the same conclusion as me.

"One of us should stand up and try to see into the distance." Danny suggested. 

I didn't waste anytime in nominating myself, which the entire group agreed to. When I stood up and looked into the direction where the sounds were originating from, I was taken aback at the sight. Flames were furiously burning the wood of a tall fortified wall, while many small beings clashed. They were still far away from us and that was why they were small, but I knew that they were natives.

"It looks like the natives didn't pursue us before because they had been preparing for war." I gestured for the others to stand up too, as there was minimal danger in doing so.

"Oh my God! Are they under siege?" Bora clasped a hand over her mouth in shock. And I knew why. It was because this was a scene that couldn't be seen on our planet now days as wars had changed. This primitive way of fighting was...epic, if I was being honest with myself.

Though, I was far away from the battlefield, I could feel the fighting spirit of the natives, as if I was fighting with them, or against them.

"So, what's the plan? Clearly, this siege started way before we even came here." Carol started the conversation while we sat around a clearing I had created within the tall grass. 

This had just become a troublesome situation. The city was clearly closed off. The natives were strewn around surrounding it. And we couldn't even blend in with them as we would be discovered instantly!

"Actually, this could be our chance. The village city is under siege by another tribe of natives, giving us the perfect cover to slip under their radar. There is no way they would even entertain the thought that we might take this chance to I filtrate their village..."

"Alistair, we can get the gist of all that. Could you please get to the part where, how we are going to appear in the village, bypassing the hundreds or thousands of native warriors seiging the city?" Danny interrupted rudely causing a scowl to appear on Alistair's face. He glared at Danny with murder in his eyes, before taking a deep breath and gaining a stoic calm look.

Danny had toned down his dislike for Bora considerably, but he was still the same pain in the ass guy that most of us would really have loved to murder in the next second.

"Those natives must have a time when the battle takes its toll and rest is needed I believe...so we will take advantage of that window. Though, I would prefer that we move after dusk as that would be the most ideal. What does everyone think of this plan?"

"Alistair, what about those tall walls. I am pretty sure that they are also very thick. I do believe your plan hinges on them as the gates of the city are surely heavily under surveillance." 

"We have intent, Bora. We will figure it out. And no, Nathaniel, your intent isn't exactly subtle, so we will go with Bora's."

"So...we are going to wait until nighfall, what a pain!" Carol complained even as she simply collapsed on her back and blocked the sun with her arm. She was an unpredictable person, that much I knew.

How I missed the virtual world! It looks like I was going to have to stare at the grass until dusk, a thing-

"Tell me you two, how long are you going to keep procrastinating? Sleep together! Have babies! Discover the joys of sex! What the hell are you waiting for?" 

Carol interrupted my thoughts, with her words making a full grown man like myself blush. How good it was for her to be bold.

"Carol!" Bora threatened. A blush was coloring her cheeks and her eyes were looking everywhere but me. 

"Now now, don't look at me like that. I can see the way that guy looks at you. He clearly wants it. Why don't you give it to him?"

"Carol, take my advice and keep quiet. Death comes to those who poke the hornet's nest." Danny spoke in lazy voice as a leaf shielded his face from the sun.

"I concur with Danny. Drop the topic." Alistair spoke with a finality in his voice and the glare in his eyes, did the trick.

Honestly, was it that bad that the both of us were inexperienced here? These guys were embarrassing us...and if it wasn't for the fact that we needed to say as a team, I was 100% sure Bora would have walked away from us.

And I could see that everything they had talked about had upset her. I also picked up on the fact that she didn't want to talk to me, so I simply sighed and lay down, taking a leaf from my small pack and imitating Danny.

We were going to wait for night to fall, and yet, here we were, having to endure the awkwardness Carol had caused. Maybe that was why she had awakened that particular intent. She wasn't one who loved order or calm.