The morning came quietly, and the sun's first rays fell on the messy camp.
There was a slight chill in the air, but it wouldn't last long after the sun rose higher.
Akhil stood at the edge of the clearing, looking out at the horizon where the forest seemed to swallow the light.
Behind him, the camp stirred to life. The orcs were still weak, some barely conscious. Aria was busy tending to them as best she could.
Today, they were going to complete the deal.
The blonde haired hostage was already outside, with a bruised face and wrists bound tightly — he sat against a log, watching them with bitter defiance.
His clothes were torn, and dried blood marked the side of his temple, but his eyes held something sharp and mocking.
Akhil approached with Nibo close behind. Gon stood nearby, his small frame cloaked in his usual dusty tunic, the faint smell of dried herbs clinging to him.
"Ready?" Akhil asked flatly, adjusting the strap on his blade.
Gon nodded. "We'll head out soon. The meeting place isn't far. I spoke with their leader; they agreed to move closer to our borders. Less risk for everyone."
Akhil gave a small grunt. "Convenient."
Just then, Gon turned to Aria. "You should come with us," he said. "It'll be safer if we all go together."
Aria looked up from wrapping an orc's arm, her expression unreadable. "Safer?" she asked, standing to her feet. "For who? The orcs are still recovering. Someone needs to stay behind."
Her gaze flickered toward Akhil, who gave a faint nod.
"She's right," he said. "You stay here. We don't know what we're walking into."
Gon hesitated, his lips twitching. It wasn't that he cared about Aria's presence — what he really wanted was another shield between himself and danger. But with both Akhil and Nibo going, he could afford to pretend otherwise.
"Well," Gon muttered, forcing a small smile, "I suppose that makes sense. The three of us will manage fine."
Inside, though, his thoughts were far from calm.
'Well, it doesn't matter. At least I'm still safe with you two.'
Akhil turned to the hostage. "On your feet."
The man shot him a defiant look but complied. As they began to walk, he spoke with a mocking edge. "You know, you should treat me better. Once I'm back with my people, things will change. If you make things harder for me, you'll regret it."
Akhil didn't even spare him a glance. "You talk too much."
The man frowned. "I'm serious. The humans don't forgive—"
"Then maybe they should've sent someone smarter," Akhil cut in with a smirk.
Nibo gave a low, rumbling laugh from behind them. "If he keeps running his mouth, I could shut it for him," he said darkly, cracking his knuckles.
The hostage flinched, his voice dying in his throat. His pride burned, but he stayed quiet, choosing to glare at Akhil instead.
'Let's see who will be begging later,' he thought bitterly, ignoring the dryness in his throat.
The forest swallowed their footsteps as they walked on, and the leaves whispered above them. Hours went by, and the only noise was the sound of birds chirping.
Then, the trees began to thin.
Ahead, a clearing stretched wide, sunlight spilling through the canopy. There…at the far end, stood a group of men.
They were armed but calm, their posture casual yet guarded. In the center stood Samxon — tall, broad, and wearing a clean tactical vest with patches of dust. His hair was slicked back, and his expression held a faint smile, like a man who already knew how things would end.
Akhil stopped a few feet from the edge of the clearing. His instincts prickled. Something wasn't right.
Gon gestured to the group. "That's them," he said, forcing confidence into his tone. "Let's finish this quickly."
The hostage brightened immediately. "Finally," he muttered under his breath.
He walked forward a few steps, but Akhil's gaze wasn't on him. It was sweeping through the trees …the shadows, the faint rustle of movement behind trunks.
With a slow exhale, Akhil let his vision shift. His eyes glowed faintly, tracing the outlines of body heat through the foliage. There were too many.
His hand slid to his weapon. "So," he said aloud, his tone steady, "when do you plan on coming out?"
For a second, silence ruled the clearing.
Then, figures began to emerge from behind the trees…some with rifles in hand, faces masked. One, two, five, ten… more followed until they surrounded the group completely.
Samxon gave a small clap, smiling. "Impressive. Most wouldn't have noticed until it was too late. Sharp eyes."
He took a few steps forward, his gaze landing on Akhil. "It's a shame to waste someone like you. We could've used that awareness on our side."
Akhil didn't move. "You talk too much for someone hiding behind guns."
Samxon's grin widened slightly. "You rejected our offer. That hurt my pride."
The hostage — now unbound — grinned too as he stepped behind Samxon, rubbing his wrists. "Told you," he said to Akhil mockingly. "You should've been nicer."
Nibo's muscles tensed, and Gon looked between them all, uncertainty flickering in his eyes.
"Before we start throwing threats," Akhil said suddenly, his tone calm but cold, "how about you hold up your end of the bargain first?"
Samxon raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what bargain would that be?"
"The serum," Akhil replied. "You promised to give it to my people. Or…" his gaze hardened, "…don't you think it's about time you told them it doesn't exist?"
The words struck like a blade.
Gon froze, his mouth half open. "What—what are you saying?"
Samxon didn't answer immediately. He just smiled faintly.
"You told them," Akhil continued, eyes narrowing, "that the humans had a cure. That they could stabilize the mutation. But from the looks of things, Samxon here doesn't seem to have any serum with him."
He took a step forward, the air around him growing heavier. "So tell me, Gon… where exactly did you hear about your miracle serum?"
The silence that followed was suffocating.
"Sir Samxon.. w-where is the s-serum" Gon stuttered, unsure.
Samxon chuckled quietly, a cruel sound that rippled through the clearing. "Well," he said, his voice smooth, "Our dear friend wasn't wrong, the serum doesn't exist. I just needed something to get you do as I said, thanks for the help so far, we wouldn't have done it without you. But on the bright side though, we won't harm you, I'm more interested in him."his dark gaze rested on Akhil and the group came forward.
Akhil's grip tightened on his blade. A small confident smile cutting across his face.
"That should be enough proof"