Reaper's Crown

Ch. 146

Bunmo was soon out of breath, stopping, and Tabus strolled by, sighing and rolling his eyes.

"We gotta catch the human, Tabus!" Bunmo pointed.

"Yer talking like a goblin if they had a voice."

"So you don't like them in the end?"

"Their leadership is better, but that's about it," Tabus uttered, pointing his pike at the ground, as it slid back into a spear and tapped the cobbled pavement. In silence, they could hear the commotion outside of the district. It was never as loud as the fires of Magna, but more calculated, as if the people were ready. However, in the face of such a sudden attack, were Saphrith's defences only good because they knew what to expect, or was it just the task of protecting the King and the people inside that fueled them?

"No Demonears in sight," Tabus added. "Not even a challenge there."

"You think that guy there was one?"

"Maybe. Although, I reckon a real Demonear would attack a weak horde like us." he searched around his teeth with his finger. "It's quiet again, damn it."

At that very moment, something moved through the nearby bushes. Tabus' sharp ear quickly caught the sound, and Bunmo turned too, with an open, shocked mouth. Tabus glanced at him for a second, mockingly copying his expression, before throwing the pike out of its sheath and moving into a more forested area.

"How many did you get?!" Sandy quickly asked, turning to Katha, who kept jumping towards the bigger trees and ripping the few dry leaves hanging from the crown.

They quickly transformed into vines, which slid across her shoulder and wrapped around her belt.

"Here...!" she uttered, as Sandy quickly pulled, with the greenery taking shape and transforming into a spear, which he placed atop another, forcing the two together with a bunch of thin rope Ronpi found earlier. He put the tip on the bow string, as its end weighed heavily, and turned to the same tree, shooting.

"Tsk." Sandy turned. "It's still a little light, and we need more impact."

"Got it!" Katha quickly nodded, turning to the other trees, while Sandy put the bow down, treading towards the edges of the Soma Lake, with the empty benches left and right. He reached his hand out just as Ronpi dove out, raising his palm and revealing a bunch of strangely coloured stones.

"Ha!" Sandy smiled, taking them from him and quickly running towards the bow. Ronpi seemed a little confused, but Sandy pulled him out of the water. "Sorry!"

He shook his hair around, trying to dry it all off, and Katha threw another chunk of leaves, formed into a spear towards the workshop master.

"Ronpi, glue the stones with the soma algae to the sides!" he quickly instructed. "Katha, get a few more leaves ready just in case!"

Both nodded, running back and forth before Sandy's requests were met. He pointed at the tree again, the string now almost snapping in half from the pressure, before he let go, as the spear drifted forward and found itself stuck halfway through the bark.

"Tsssk..." Sandy let out a strange sound. "We're almost there, damn it!"

"Do I have to dive in again?" Ronpi pointed, putting his shirt back on.

"Nah!" Sandy shook his head. "I can handle it from now on. I just need Judy's advice on the placements of these marbles." he grinned. "Did ya know, Ronpi? What you just found was part of a witchtale I heard of when younger!"

"Huh?" Ronpi tilted his head.

"About a few-"

"Oi." Katha slapped her brother's shoulder. "No time for chit-chatting!"