Chapter 44 A reoccurring problem
"Shhh, you are so loud for someone who is about to die," Elder Bainard said with a chilling smile.
He had visited this exact spot every day, hoping for his chance to ambush Vandal. Today his patience had finally paid off. He had almost decided not to come.
"Who are you? You had better keep your distance and stay away from us. We are from the Unseeing Faith Sect," Sunrao said loudly, puffing out his chest.
"Oh, I was counting on it," Bainard replied. He drew out a sharp serrated dagger that had a green handle.
The birds chirping on the nearby tree branches suddenly flew off in shock at the screams that followed. Loud cries of pain echoed through the forest for the next four hours before silence finally fell. Only the sounds of squirrels remained.
"Please... please do not kill me," Sheena sobbed. Tears streamed down her swollen face as she struggled against the ropes binding her to the tree. Shallow cuts covered her arms and torso.
"Hmm... I will tell you what will help me decide not to kill you," Bainard said.
"Tell me, tell me please!"
"Tell me how to gain access into that tree," Bainard said as he pointed at the tree. "And I will let you go. After all, you are single now, so you might as well go out and mingle." Bainard cackled dryly.
"It is... it is... 'Faith sees what the eyes cannot,'" Sheena said. "Now please let me go. I will never come back to this forest again and I will not tell anyone what happened."
Bainard gently lifted her chin and stroked her hair with surprising tenderness. Leaning close, he whispered..."I believe you. You have been very cooperative and helpful, unlike your arrogant ex."
"I will let you go. Just do not tell anyone about what happened here, okay?" Bainard said as he untied her and motioned for her to leave.
"Now go, and may God be with you," Bainard said, his tone filled with sincerity.
"Thank you sir, thank you for sparing me." Sheena bolted into the forest, running as fast as she could.
"I do not even need to go back to the Unseeing Faith Sect. If this is what I might face when I am sent out to preach, then I am glad I found out sooner rather than later," she muttered to herself as she ran.
When she had put enough distance... relief washed over her. "Sunrao... I am sorry you died."
She shook her head bitterly. "I really loved you. We should never have left the sect. This is all your fault."
Fooom!
A thin red line formed around Sheena's neck. Confusion appeared on her face, then her head fell off promptly after. Blood sprayed violently from the stump.
"Ah... it has been far too long since I felt this free," Bainard said, stepping out from the shadows as if he had been there the whole time.
"Well, I think it is time I planned properly now that I have the password to that tree," Bainard said to himself. He turned around and walked away whistling like a psychopath.
\---
Meanwhile back at the tomb ruins, the group of eight pushed on until they arrived at the collapsed portion of the passage where Lydia had died. Not far from that collapsed part lay the now dead body of Kieran. Their expressions all turned solemn at the memory. Mael muttered a small prayer over Kieran's body as they passed it.
Jaden trudged painfully forward. Jaclynn had given him some medicine to help with the pain but the group now ignored him, and with good reason. A few hours ago he had betrayed them all. If Vandal had not stepped up to organise the group and spearhead an attack, his decision would have led to all their deaths.
Even Hutrar did not want to walk near him.
"I wish we could carry his body back at least," Mael said.
"Well we cannot. It will slow us down, so let us focus on leaving this place first," Vandal replied. Without realising it, Vandal had become the clear leader of the group. The others now listened to him with respect and fell silent whenever he spoke.
They had all finally arrived at the place where the passage was sealed with Jaclynn's earth echo.
"Jaclynn, can you?" Mael started to say but Jaclynn quickly shook her head.
"I do not have enough resonance to just break it down. Unless somehow Hutrar or you with your light echo could blast a hole through it. But then what about the..." Jaclynn struggled to remember what to call them until Yazmeen aided her by saying it.
"Harbinger Corpse Eaters."
"What she said," Jaclynn reiterated.
"I am also not sure if I can generate enough energy to bust it open, but maybe me and Hutrar combined could do something," Mael said, glancing at Hutrar who looked like he had seen better days.
"I can... I can try," Hutrar managed to say, his throat still raw from nearly being strangled to death some hours back.
"I have a suggestion," Vandal spoke out just as Mael and Hutrar were focusing their echoes to blast at the blockade.
He hesitated. Using the left eye again so soon might weaken the seal. Still, a small use for analysis should be safe.
His expression hardened with resolve.
A few minor uses should not weaken the seal on that thing in my eye significantly. I just want to use it for analysing. His expression became resolute. Closing his left eye with his palm, he looked at the blockade with his right eye, making it look like he was just rubbing his temple with his back turned away from them.
"I can show you where to strike. That would be the weakest point and hopefully no monsters will be there."
BOOM.
A loud sound suddenly ricocheted from behind them from the exact direction they had just fled.
"What is that sound?" Chan asked no one in particular.
"I think it is that monster lady," Yazmeen said, her voice filled with fright. "She is breaking out."