User blog:Carol of the bells/Days of Ruin --- Zen's exile, part 40

Days of Ruin --- Zen's exile, part 40
Wow, part 40! I want to thank everyone who reads my stories and supports me--I really appreciate it~! Thanks~!



After hearing the news that there might be a chance encounter with her elder brother, Zen set out from the tavern immediately, hoping to enter and leave the swap before they got there. Or perhaps they had already got there. Maybe they were already gone? There were too many possibilities, and she was anxious to avoid a confrontation.

"Your brother...he's the one who nearly killed you. When you were alseep for two years, yes?" Galant inquired. He had heard about it from Aem.

Zen nodded stiffly. "Yes. While I have honed my ability, I do not wish to make the same mistake of over-estimating him. He will come after me if he know's I am near by, no doubt."

They had considered going around west instead of straight through the swap by going south, but Tillith had warned them that it would take too long, and Maxwell might strike first. They reached the swamp line within the hour, and the summoner paused to look up at the forest, heavy with vines and creatures of the night that stared back at them with beady eyes.

Lancia shuddered, inching away from the treeline. "That's gross...and there might be a dangerous beast inside, waiting to kill us all....not to mention the native monsters."

"I'm sure we can avoid Ko," Zen reassured her, "So long as we keep east, I think."

"Still," Sergio placed his hand on the hilt of his ice sword, narrowing his eyes at the darkness of the swamp, "It's best to be prepared. Perhaps we should split up?"

She turned to her unit, her curiosity piqued. "How do you mean?"

He shifted, forming the plan in his mind. "If we all go in one group, it would prove fatal, should we encounter Ko. We would have no chance of escape. However, if we split up, each group could come to the other's aide, if they are attacked, giving us the element of surprise and a chance to escape."

Zen placed a hand on her chin, pondering his strategy. "It's risky, but it make sense."

"How shall we split up?" Selena inquired.

"Mifune, Lira, and Selena with me," The summoner instructed, "We'll continue south-east while the rest of you try to move west."

"If the worst happens," Aems says, "What signal should we use?"

"Ice pillars," Zen said, "Sergio can make an ice pillar, as well as Selena. It will be a discrete way of sending a signal, should either of us be attacked."

"Agreed," Galant says. "We'll see you on the other side, then."

They nodded gravely, splitting up and entering the swamp.



"It's no good," Riku sighed, "We're still lost." He smashed a mosquito that had bit his arm before flicking it off.

Night had fallen, and it had become difficult to navigate with the poor moonlight. The brothers had stopped for the night, taking shelter in a large hollow tree. It used to be whole, but Ko's shadows had quickly carved it out. He had gone out into the swamp, searching for something to bring back for dinner.

Kaine was leaning against the wall of the tree, opposite of his older brother. "Do you sense it?" He asked lowly, wary that Ko might be near enough to hear.

Riku nodded, also cautious. "Yes. I wonder if he knows..."

"It's hard to say. He might be to focused on getting the mission done as soon as possible--perhaps he's so fixated on finding her, he doesn't realize she's in the swamp."

"Unlikely, but I hope so," He furrowed his brow in concern. "No boubt Zen knows about it."

Upon speaking the name, Ko abruptly appeared outside of the tree. "What are you speaking about?" He demanded.

Riku let out a squeak of surprise, falling over onto his side. "Gah! B-brother...! Your back..." He let out a strained chuckle, "Did the hunt go well?"

He replied by dropping a canvas sack into the hollow and ducking in himself. Kaine opened the sack and looked inside, quickly drawing back from it as a pungent odor assaulted his nose.

"It smellls..." He winkled his nose, letting go of the sack, "....unappealing..."

"There's not much wildlife," Ko said, "I killed what I found. Whether or not you eat is your buisness."

"Ah, let's not be like that," Riku encouraged, "I'll start a fire, and cook it. It'll smell better soon....probably..."

Ko ignored him, taking a seat by the entrance of the hollow, gaze fixed on the darkness beyond the swamp, eyes narrowed.

Noticing this, Riku laughed loudly. "Haha, brother, are you tired? Kaine and I will take the night watch, so get some sleep."

Again, Ko ignored him, simply focusing on the sliver of energy that he sensed to the east.

Funny. It felt like his sister's.



So, we have Group A, which is Zen, Selena, Mifune, and Lira. And Group B is Aem, Sergio, Zeln, Lancia, and Galant.

So what will happen? Which group will encounter Ko? Will Kaine get over his sensitive sense of smell? More importantly, what are they having for dinner?!?

Thanks for reading~!