8

After finishing up a bit of environmental cleaning, mainly cremating the bodies to ash, the four started their return journey down the mountain.

Whilst trekking down the mountain they were met with no retaliation from the hidden, and after walking for four fairly silent hours, the small group met up with Rex and the others.

The location they met in was more horrendous and stomach turning than the mountain battle. Guts, limbs, bones, bloodied silver fur and all sorts of miscellaneous oddities like eyes, ears and tails could be seen scattered and strewn about, some even floating in pools of blood and gore. And talking about the blood… The knee high snow was fully drenched in the viscous and dense substance, to the point where small ponds and streams had formed, going further down the mountain bringing eyes, ears and a dense about of fur with them. The smell of rusted iron corrupted the air like poisonous mustard gas, causing slight pain to the lungs and eyes. 

Rex, Nathan, Diamond and Garnet were covered in fleshy red chunks, which made them look very much like demonic Asuras. Whilst Sid almost had an angelic aura by standing next to these Asuras without a drop of blood sticking to him.

The temperature of this bloody hell was incredibly high, causing snow to melt and a sickening wave of disgust to flood over, which could cause any army recruit to hurl their hardtack and water lunch to the side. 

Lily, Sid and Snake made a massive bath for the bloody individuals to stand in. Although this was only the start.

This mess had to be cleaned up. This location was not a magic spot, so to avoid a full scale investigation into why this mountain was red, it is better to burn every last droplet or face exposure.

Snake was on cremation duty along with Sid and Rex. Elizabeth would gather the mess, and they would burn it.

This repeated for a day, until the group made camp to rest and continued cleaning the next day.

After finishing up, Rex shot a black flare like tool into the sky, causing a flying sinister skull to appear. With a great whoosh, a giant owl appeared minutes afterwards and the Sky snow and a piece of parchment was given to it, to deliver.

Once out of sight, Rex stretched a bit, broke the flare, tossing it aside and announced that the squad were heading back to England. Specifically to Norfolk, near Norwich.

The main reason for this was the open space and the second reason being that the real HQ for the squad was there.

After checking the hell on Earth was removed, Snake handed out the brooms and the squad headed back. Unfortunately their return journey wasn't as pleasant as their parting one and they had to stop more frequently due to storms and high tides.

Finally getting back to London, they took off north and landed in Norwich and veered off slightly towards the squads base. The return to England had removed some of the building tension and everyone conversed like usual, with some pointed comments towards Lily due to grudges held over the auntie incident.