The Demoner Series: The Trails

Chapter Twenty - First Attack

"Sure," I says. No more need for him to stay and disturb my thoughts.

Click, goes the door as Ransdail left the door.

A throb expanding on my shoulder muscles. A stretch should do me good. I take a glance at the clock hanging above the door and heave a sigh. "Finally, the end of first day this year." Time for a good night sleep.

-------------------------------------------------

Joel

  Second day of school. "We are having... Manart and Sports." Yuri looks up from his folded timetable which he had produced from his pocket.

  "Any idea what's for Sports?" I ask, looking at the speaker.

  He shakes his head in the negative, which gets me thinking. What sports are there here? I can't wait till noon to find out.

  After stuffing our faces with breakfast, we head to the fields. Zack is nowhere to be found.

  "Where's Zack?" I ask.

Yuri looks down on his watch. "We are a minute early," he says. "A minute twenty two seconds, to be exact."

"That's very specific," Chloe says, looking towards him.

  Yuri gives out a short laugh. "That's what my village friends says too," he laughs. Then he turns serious, "It's just a habit, to be honest. My parents say that it never hurts to be exact, even a small detail might help one day."

  "The teacher's here!" A deep voice booms out. It takes no genius to realise that it was Lucas, the giant with an oversized chest.

  "Why is he holding a stack of papers? Notes? Homeworks?" Terrance asks, gazing at the possessions of the arriving figure.

  "Don't jinx, I hate those," Jason mutters.

"Today, we will be doing a test on your ability to plan an attack of an orc camp," Zack announces, giving out identical sets of papers to me and the other leaders of their respective teams.

  "You may make multiple plans and ideas but you may choose only one to sent to me. Reasons are recommended," Zack continues. "You have the time until the end of the lesson. You may begin now."

  I glance down to the papers in my hand. It contains a map, informations of the camp and an instructions.

  "It's a mock attack planning test for us," Yuri says, pointing to the instructions. "According to this, we are to plan out an attack using the team members."

  "Anyway, what is it for?" Lucas asks with a thickening curiosity in his voice.

  "Bah. Who cares, we've got to do the test," Jason says.

  "Guys, shouldn't we let Joel make our plan?" Chloe suggests, catching me by surprise. It is true that I, as the leader, should make the plan in challenges and situations.

  I take a look at the map, analysing the structures and informations.

  The camp is situated in a small clearing between a river and a jungle. Two orcs are irregularly camped in the jungle, possibly hunters. An orc has build a tent next to the river with the possibility of having the job of a fisherman. Six of the orcs makes out a regular hexagon, centring the last orc whom is assumed as the leader. Finally, there is a hostage held in between the leader and the fisherman.

"Considering a ten orc camp, an all out raid is extremely risky against the seven of us but a stealthy attack allows us to reduce the number of orcs without getting caught," I say. Remembering the hostage, I turn to the thief. "Jason, are you good at picking locks."

  "I'm a thief, of course I pick locks!" Jason replies, somewhat sounding insulted. He gives me a hurt look, seemingly to be expecting an apology. But having Jason as an expert actor, you wouldn't know.

  I exchange the look with a stare before turning back to the map in my hands. "We can try attract the orcs into the jungle and kill them two or three at a time. A diversion. That way, the fight will be our seven against two or three orcs, plus an element of surprise if we lay conceal in the jungle."

  "I don't know, how am I going to do that?" Lucas adds jokingly, earning a laugh from the team. I give him a smile.

  "We'll try something else, but this is the best way we can think of so far," I say. With that, I write down the idea down on a blank page. "After all the fighting, Jason can pick the locks on the hostage." I begin to repeat the plan in my mind, writing down the movements of the group and reasons.

  I look up at my team members before me. "Any other ideas?" Everyone shakes their head negatively.

  "It's about time to hand up the plan." Yuri is looking down on his watch as he make that remark.

  I stand up from my crosslegged position with the battle plan in my hands. Walking up to the waiting figure of Zack, I feel a sparking cold generating on my arm and an irresistible temptation to make a second plan. My brisk walk slows to an unevenly patterned shuffling as I go deep into my thoughts, searching deep for inspirations or ways to improve my idea.

  What if there is a better way? What if there is too much assumptions into the plan? What if the orcs are stronger and we underestimate them? What if even the seven of us cannot battle against two or three orcs at a time? What if someone is injured?

  An endless flow of what ifs cloud in my mind. It is accumulating so rapidly that it becomes a difficulty to keep track like a broken tap leaking profusely into a small and size limited pail.

  I begin attempts to recall tricks and tactics that I had read from military books back in the orphanage's library, fixing the puzzles into the plan. One of which being leading the larger enemy force into a narrow path to limit their number. That might come in handy.

  "It's about time you're done," a voice calls from miles away. My ears perk up in the statement and realise I have closed my eyes. A pair of green eyes stares back at me.

I pass the papers to Zack and look expectantly at him. Zack just give a nod and says, "Your team is dismissed. It's about for sports." He gives a dismissive gesture. Obediently, I return to the members of Protectors.

"What did he say about it?" Yuri quickly asks. He leans forward to reinforce his curiosity towards Zack's comments.

I shrug. "He didn't say anything, just told me that we're dismissed and it's time for sports." I gesture towards Zack, telling Yuri to ask if he wants to know.

Yuri nods his head and glances away, as if understanding the fact, if not disappointed. "Sure, I'll check with him later."

  I look at him, understanding his feelings. I, too, also want to find out what Zack thinks of our plan, but I understand the fact that the idea has to be studied carefully.

  "Let's look at the sports while we wait," I say, changing the subjects.