Chapter 5

The following day, Draviel received a new mission.

Draviel: “Boys, we have a request from the Vanguard.”

Norkai: “What request? A new mission?”

Draviel: “We need to check what happened to a Vanguard team. They should have been back already.”

Nireh: “What if they are still working on that mission?”

Draviel: “That would be ideal. However... the mission should have been completed by now.”

Nireh: “Do we know anything about them?”

Draviel: “Actually, no. The Vanguard didn't give me much information.”

Nireh: “That's odd.”

Norkai: “How are we supposed to recognize them?”

Draviel: “We know the area. There shouldn't be many teams there. In fact, I would be surprised if others showed up.”

Norkai: “Fine. Let's go find them.”

Draviel: “Go get your packs. We leave in fifteen minutes.”

Once ready, the team headed towards the given location. It was a forested area where vision was obstructed by abundant vegetation. A safe haven for all kinds of animals.

Draviel: “This is the area.”

Norkai: “With so much green... I doubt we will find something.”

Draviel: “We have to. Everybody leaves traces.”

Nireh: “I'll search this area over here.”

Norkai: “I'll go towards those trees.”

Draviel: “Very well. Just don't go too far.”

They searched for half an hour but had no luck.

Norkai: “Are you sure this is the right location? I didn't find anything.”

Nireh: “Me neither.”

Draviel: “I am sure. It's strange though... for them to not leave any trail. We should take it as a clue.”

Nireh: “A clue for what?”

Draviel: “Nireh, do you think a group of people would just pass by without leaving any tracks? Someone must have cleaned up after them.”

Norkai: “But why would they do that?”

Draviel: “I guess we need to find out. Let's extend the searching area.”

Nireh: “I think we should stay together.”

Norkai: “Why? There's nobody here.”

Draviel: “Nireh's right. We don't know this area well enough to split.”

Norkai: “Fine. Let's go together... if you guys are so scared.”

Nireh: “After you. Brave one.”

Norkai: “Follow me.”

After twenty minutes of walking, they spotted something in the grass.

Norkai: “What is that?”

He said while launching towards a worn shoe.

Draviel: “Wait.”

A bear trap was hidden nearby. Draviel pulled Norkai back just in time.

Draviel: “I told you to be careful.”

Draviel: *That was too close.*

Draviel: “This is not a joke Norkai. You could have gotten yourself injured.”

Norkai: “I'm sorry. I was just excited that I finally found something.”

Nireh: “Aaahhh...”

Draviel: “What happened?”

Nireh: “I think a snake bit me. And it hurts like hell.”

Draviel: “A snake so close to a bear trap? Let me give you the anti-venom.”

Nireh: “Please hurry up.”

While he was treating Nireh's wound, Draviel's worries began to amplify. Someone wanted people to stay away from this area and he was well aware of that. That bear trap was not made by an amateur. And the bait... like someone knew people would search for things like that.

Draviel: “Guys listen up. This mission might be harder than we thought.”

Nireh: “I know. My leg still hurts.”

Draviel: “Your pain will go away shortly. The trap being so close to the snake tells us someone put them there on purpose.”

Norkai: “When I catch them... they will feel my wrath.”

Draviel: “Let's scout the area, slowly. No one is rushing anymore.”

Nireh: “I hope there are no more snakes here.”

Nireh: *Why did it have to bite me? I'm always the unlucky one.*

Norkai: “I hate snakes.”

The search resumed, as they continued towards the northeast. Draviel had some concerns about the boys not being experienced in the field, but at the same time, he wanted them to see how the real world feels like, in order to adapt and not fall for beginner's tricks in the future. 
After a while, they reached an open area, where trees started to lessen.

Draviel: “Have you noticed something?”

Norkai: “What is it this time?”

Nireh: “It's quiet. Maybe too quiet.”

Draviel: “Exactly. The birds have disappeared. We are being watched.”

After a few seconds, five masked men appeared behind them. Draviel noticed them immediately.

Draviel: “Oi. I was wondering when you would show up.”

Masked man: “Is that so?”

Draviel: “Are you the leader?”

Masked man: “Yes. Any last words?”

Draviel: “What happened to the other team?”

Masked man: “They got lost. It's a big forest, you know.”

Draviel: “Yeah... I know. Why don't you tell us where they are? There's no need for bloodshed.”

Masked man: “Sure. After I kill you.”

The fight began with Draviel facing three of them while the boys fought one each. Although the masked man seemed overly confident, they were clearly not real fighters. Just some hired guns sent to slow down anyone who came. In a matter of seconds, they were all defeated.

Masked man: “Wait. Spare us and I will tell you which way did they go.”

Draviel: “Why should I believe you?”

Draviel: *These kinds of guys are so predictable.*

Masked man: “We were just hired to camp that area. We had nothing to do with your men.”

Draviel: “Who hired you?”

Masked man: “A blonde rich guy wearing a weird mask. He was well spoken but very cold.”

Draviel: “What else did he tell you?”

Masked man: “Nothing. He just paid us big money and we didn't ask many questions.”

Draviel: “I see. Anything else?”

Masked man: “He went north. With a couple of bodyguards. That's all we know. I swear.”

Norkai: “Well... at least we know a direction.”

Nireh: “Are you going to let them walk away?”

Draviel: “Yeah. We don't have time to hand them over.”

Masked man: “Thank you, sir. You will not see us again.”

Draviel: “I hope so. Otherwise it will not end well for you.”

Hearing that, the masked man and his gang ran away. With a possible lead, the team continued north. After an hour of walking, they arrived at a small village.

Draviel: “Let's get some information from the people. Maybe they saw something.”

Norkai: “I'm going north.”

Nireh: “I'll go west.”

Draviel: “Very well. I will take east then. Meet me here in ten minutes.”

After ten minutes.

Norkai: “Nothing.”

Nireh: “How come nobody saw anything?”

Draviel: “Maybe they're afraid. Which is understandable. Let's see if someone has a free room. It's getting late.”

The next morning, they continued heading north towards Thoros. Draviel had a feeling that the mysterious blonde man was not from around. At the same time, now he felt pressured by time. If they crossed the border, the mission would have to end.

Draviel: “Guys, I have a hunch.”

Norkai: “What is it?”

Draviel: “I think they're going towards the border.”

Nireh: “Why would you say that?”

Draviel: “A cold, rich guy would not have taken an interest in a small team unless there was something big to gain. This means holding a captive team in Yllera is a huge risk to have.”

Nireh: “But they could still be from Yllera, right? And want to get out... so people don't start asking too many questions.”

Draviel: “Correct.”

Norkai: “Which border then?”

Draviel: “Thoros. And we have to hurry. Or we might lose that team forever.”

Nireh: “Lead the way.”

They immediately started sprinting. Since fighters have much higher physical stats compared to a normal human, they could travel long distances at high speed without tiring much, which means they were covering ground very fast. After a couple of hours, they finally reached them. Draviel's intuition was right. It was a big convoy heading towards the border. They took cover in the grass, keeping a safe distance.

Nireh: “It seems we are lucky. What now?”

Draviel: “We need a plan.”

Norkai: “I'm not playing the bait again.”

Draviel: “We need something better this time. And also the night.”

Nireh: “Can we really do this?”

Draviel: “Yes. But it's risky. We need chaos on our side.”

Norkai: “What do you have in mind?”

Draviel: “First, we need to get some clothes from the guards. Second, we need to take out the lights. And then... we start a brawl.”

Norkai: “A brawl? That sounds smart.”

Nireh: “If they spot us too fast, we are screwed. We need to be very careful.”

Draviel: “Exactly. We can't afford any mistakes.”

The night arrived and everyone was ready. Moving as a silent unit, they easily took down the first guard, who was keeping watch. The second one was caught while peeing. And the third one was lured away with some strange noises. It was clean and efficient. Then the boys went after the lights, while Draviel placed himself strategically to start the brawl. As soon as the lights were off, Draviel began to punch left and right. Everything happened quickly, making the enemy very confused. Soon after, the boys followed. In the mix of the battle a couple of convoy carts were lit on fire. Using the distraction as cover, they began searching for Vanguard team. It didn't take long before they found them. They were locked in a cell, in the front side of the convoy. Draviel had kept a few keys from the guards and was ready to free them. Already awakened by the brawl, they didn't expect someone to come after them.

Rovan: “Draviel, is that you?”

Draviel: “Yes. I'm getting you out in a second.”

Kaelen: “I've never been more happy to see you.”

Draviel: “Haha... I believe you.”

The Vanguard team was freed. While the brawl was still going, they all moved slowly on the side. As they were trying to sneak away, a guard saw them and raised the alarm.

Guard 1: “The prisoners are escaping, the prisoners are escaping.”

Everyone stopped and looked in their direction. The team started running. Among the guards were two layer 2 fighters, the personal guard of the mysterious blonde man. They began to chase them immediately. Even with the head start, the two fighters were closing distance fast. They had no choice but to stop and fight them. Once they reached a clean open field, Draviel signaled to stop.

Draviel: “I'll take the one in the right. You guys take the other one.”

Nireh: “Can we really beat a layer 2 fighter?”

Draviel: “I believe you can do this. The two of you with the backup from the other Vanguard team, should at least be able to stall him until I finish my opponent. Don't take any unnecessary risks.”

Norkai: “Understood.”

Kaelen: “We are weakened but we'll assist how we can.”

The battle between Draviel and his opponent begins. The enemy starts with a heavy water attack, but Draviel dodges to the right and counters with his Palm Blow, which throws him off his feet. Then Draviel rushes him with a jump attack, but the guard protects himself with a defensive water shield. The fight continues with hand-to-hand combat. Draviel tries to punch him but misses, then his opponent goes for his legs. Draviel jumps back. Now he is on defense. His opponent tries to overwhelm him with water techniques. Draviel gets hit, but most of the attacks are dispersed by his wind. Neither can really hold an advantage over the other. It's a psychological battle, with both of them waiting to see the other's layer 2 power. Since Draviel doesn't have much time and the opponent is not reckless, he decides to end the fight by any means necessary, thinking that the boys might need him. So, he starts to fake different layer 2 powers. His opponent notices but doesn't take the bait. It isn't easy to mimic such powers. However, Draviel's plan is different. Since the opponent doesn't counter with another strategy, he unwillingly surrenders the control of the fight to Draviel. The opponent doesn't realize this and waits for a clean opening during Draviel's fake attempts. Eventually, he gets one. Overconfident, the opponent goes for it, but Draviel quickly switches to his real power and trades a direct hit with the guard. With his Wind's Fist, he pierces the bodyguard's chest and finishes him before he has the chance to use his layer 2 power.

Personal Guard: “Bastard... you tricked me.”

Were his last words before falling dead to the ground.

Draviel: “A win is a win.”

On the other side of the battlefield, Nireh's team, all at layer 1, was starting to figure out their opponent. Luckily, the guard had the wind affinity and was able to disperse most of their attacks. Since nobody had fire against him, there was no affinity advantage in the fight. The four-member team tried different attack combinations, but the guard was too experienced to get caught. The pressure was real though, since the attacks came from four different directions. At some point, he had no choice but to reveal his layer 2 power, Increased Resistance. Revealing away that information gave him the advantage in the fight. The boys' team was slowly running out of stamina, and their hits were becoming less effective against him. After some time, they figured out what the guard was trying to do. So, they countered with a new style of fighting. Rovan and Kaelen gave the signal. Everyone starts to fight chaotically while keeping their distance, basically stalling the fight. They gave up on the expectation that the enemy would leave an opening for a clean strike. Landing one wouldn't mean much anyway with their current level of power. Standard techniques like these were taught in the academy. A team needs to be prepared for stronger enemies.

Personal Guard 2: “What the hell are you guys doing?”

Norkai: “Nothing. Just try and hit us.”

They are deliberately making him waste his stamina so that when Draviel arrives, he won't have enough resources to fight him.

Personal Guard 2: “Acting like monkeys won't make you win the fight.”

Nireh: “Don't be so sure.”

It doesn't take long before the guard gets annoyed and starts acting more aggressive. Fortunately, it was too late. Draviel is already there. So when the guard launches toward Norkai to land a fatal strike, Draviel appears behind him and knocks him out with one hit to the back of his head.

Draviel: “We are taking this one with us. The Vanguard will want answers.”

Norkai: “Finally... you beat that guy.”

Draviel: “Yeah. You guys did a good job. I'm very proud of you.”

Nireh: “We tried our best. But we are still quite weak.”

Norkai: “Yeah... I think we need our layer 2 powers.”

Draviel: “Can you guys handle a new training phase?”

Nireh: “If it's not gonna kill us... then yes.”

Norkai: “There is only one way to find out.”

Draviel: “Very well then. When we get home, we'll begin a new training phase.”

Draviel: *These guys are relentless. I'm really starting to like them.*

Rovan: “I wanna go home. I am exhausted.”

Draviel: “Let's go. There's no reason to linger here.”

Kaelen: “Draviel... I think you deserve to know this. These enemies wanted to provoke a conflict between Yllera and Averon.”

Draviel: “Interesting. Who are they?”

Rovan: “Sadly, we don't know that. We had a secret meeting with Averon's men. But they ambushed us and killed them.”

Nireh: “How did they know about the meeting?”

Rovan: “We don't know.”

Kaelen: “Someone leaked it to the enemies.”

Draviel: “Do you think it was one of ours?”

Rovan: “It's possible. Although who would benefit from Yllera if it goes to war?”

Draviel: “I know a few people.”

Rovan: “Nevertheless, the unconscious guard will give us some answers. One way or another.”

Exhausted, beaten and hungry, the Vanguard team was rescued. Norkai and Nireh felt a weird sense of accomplishment, which they tried to hide by acting cool. The vibe on the way home was pleasant and everyone was happy that the mission was a success. As night approached, they finally returned to the village. Draviel let the boys and the Vanguard team go home, while he went to give the report and hand over the prisoner. The Vanguard deeply thanked him for resolving the situation. Since their men were killed, it was decided to hand over the prisoner to Averon. Cooperation between the two villages was important in these moments.