The lowest of the low

The troupe packed up their things and mounted up. While they had initially been travelling northwards, they now changed their direction to move to the east. But it wasn't long before Master barked a second order.

" You want us to slow down? You were the one who wanted to get to the catacombs!" Mr Mauvelai blustered. He let loose the reins and rounded on Master Isadora. Meanwhile, the giant Mayaka continued moving like nothing had happened, unconcerned with the petty strifes of its riders.

" If we don't, then there won't be time for it to find us." Master replied calmly. " We're moving too fast to lure it in."

Mr Mauvelai's face was turning a deeper shade of red the longer the conversation continued. Rumius was half afraid that he might just explode for real.

" Isadora." He said her name very slowly." We brought fresh meat along for a reason. Yet you want to use US, as bait?"

" Yes." Master replied simply. " The meat as bait wouldn't work. Especially not for what I think we're actually dealing with." 

The man, already exasperated, threw up his hands with a yell." You think? You really, REALLY, don't get it do you? You don't get what we're dealing with! You don't deal in the desert. You don't understand just how absolute the power of this creature is! If I wasn't requested personally by the guild AND the bureau, I wouldn't be risking my life against this thing!" He shouted, wide eyed and arms flying.

Rumius had never seen a man so terrified. Even though he hadn't thought much of the sandworm, Mr Mauvelai's genuine fear was contagious and even he began to feel unsettled. 

That was when Glia spoke. 

" If we're going to do this, then we should do it soon. The sandworm won't approach us if we're so noisy. " 

The big man rounded on her. " DO THIS? Do what? I'm going back! This is EXACTLY why I wouldn't have taken you, Isadora. You're going to get us all-arrghh!!" Mr Mauvelai was suddenly grappled from behind by three of the other demons and forced to the ground. There was a 'POP' and the big man went silent. One demon, a lady that Rumius recognised as Ari, looked up and gave Glia a curt nod.

 In the few seconds in which he had stood in anxiety, a coup had occurred…and succeeded. Rumius's eyes found Mr Mauvelai's bulging biceps that looked large enough to throw hands with enough force to crack rocks. Such a big man? So quickly? A mixture of apprehension and shock came over him. 

Glia stepped past him and stood alongside Master, who had just finished petting the neck of their mount and giving it instructions. The creature seemed to nod. Side by side, the two exchanged glances. The type that Rumius knew all too well. These two knew something that Mr Mauvelai, and he, didn't. 

" Looks like my company this time is rather capable." Master noted. " When did you realise?" 

" Only just now," Glia lamented. " And here I thought that I had nothing left to learn when it came to being an adventurer." She laughed. 

 Master offered a polite smile.

" Better late than never and-Oh? They're here." She said. Rumius noticed a tingling feeling as something broke into the range of his Mana world. It appeared as a white, small mass surrounded by a large, dispersed skeleton of mana. 

Rumius didn't have the time to ponder what it was. The ground rumbled and off their port side, a mountain of sand exploded forth from the earth like a geyser. Rumius shielded his eyes just as his ears were assaulted by a terrible roar that sounded like a wail from the desert itself.

From within the sand emerged layer upon layer of teeth, bared and arranged in row after uneven row like a circular chainsaw. A long body uncoiled to reveal length after length of flaky skin, in the colour of wet sand.

Doing his best to steady his beating heart, Rumius braced himself and readied his mana, when he noticed that aside from him and several demon members of Glia's crew, no one else was preparing any spells. Neither Master nor Glia had flinched when the beast appeared. They simply stared at the beast with eyes filled with disgust.

" So…this was how you clowns did it. I figured." Rumius heard master mutter under her breath. He watched as she raised a hand and within a split second, a brutal ray of lighting tore through the air where the beast stood, right through the cavity that was its bottomless mouth. 

" KRRRSSSHH-Arghhhh!" 

Even though the attack had hit, there was no spraying blood, or even a hole left behind in the creature'a body. Rumius watched in confusion as the massive body of the sandworm seemed to ripple and slowly fade away like a mirage. In the eyes of his Mana world, Rumius vaguely registered the cloud of mana covering the small mass of mana which he had seen earlier disappearing. It was like a fog had been lifted and finally, Rumius could see what was on the other side.

There were demons. Rumius barely registered their obsidian horns sticking from their sandy robes as they ran like routed ants. A there were only nine of them left. One lay lifeless in pooling crimson sand. There were shouts and screams. The demons were armed.

' The sandworm was an illusion.' Rumius realised. ' There was no sandworm. Just…' 

" Bandits." He turned his head as he heard Glia growl. " The lowest of the low."

She raised her head and sucked in a deep breath. Then she shouted." Gang! It looks like we've found our sandworm!" She roared. " SEIZE THEM AND MAKE THEM KNOW THAT THERE IS HELL TO PAY FOR THEIR ACTIONS!!!" 

Black shadows shot from the back of the Mayaka and clashed with the disorganised mob on the ground. For every member of Glia's crew that landed on the ground, one of the remaining nine bandits was instantly knocked out. Struck down by a blow from above that could have cleaved them from shoulder to waist, if the flat of the falling blades weren't used. The last three, upon seeing their comrades drop like flies, surrendered instantly. 

Master floated down to the ground just as Glia and her team were about to finish tying up their captives. Glia stood above a man who was dressed a little more fancy than his henchmen. Rumius could see the gold glittering in his teeth and fingers.

Glia saw them approach and yanked the man hard by the ear. The man cried out in pain as he was forced to his feet in a staggering half-crawl before crying out again as he was thrown at Master's feet. 

" Cough…cough...my life…my life at least." He croaked. 

" That depends." Came master's icy voice." Where are the rest of your troupe?" 

Her question came as a shock to both Rumius and Glia who looked up in surprise. There were more of them? Their prisoner's silence gave them their unspoken answer and Glia's face quickly darkened in anger. 

" WHERE ARE THEY?" She roared as she planted her foot in the man's gut with a vicious kick. The demon let out a strangled croak as he crumpled, holding his stomach with one hand and another up in a quivering gesture of surrender.

" Cough..please. Alright. Cough…please. I'll tell you. I'll tell you." He begged. 

" Where are they?" Glia demanded again. 

" Over the hills." He pointed. " Cough…near the ruins. …Main camp…there." 

" Your numbers?" 

" Close…to twenty. Please. We were all hired by the same person. I don't know much else, please." 

" Why are you attacking the cara-" Glia stopped mid-sentence as Master held out a hand to stop her. 

" We can always ask that later. In the meantime, we have to strike first while they still don't know that we're here." She urged.

" ….You're right. OI! Gang! We're moving ou-" 

" No. It'll only be us. I need you to stay here and guard Mauvelai and the prisoners. 

Glia turned back to face master with a dissatisfied look. " Just you?" 

" We will get there faster. The sooner we do that, the better." Master insisted. 

"…There are twenty of them. You are outnumbered ten to one." She said.

" The numbers wouldn't matter. We only intend to stall them long enough until you guys can catch up. I will fire a flare once we see them. 

Glia held her uncertain look for a while longer before her tense muscles relaxed. 

" Fine. Be careful." 

Master nodded. " Rumius. Come." She held out her hand. 

Rumius pressed his hand into hers, and the scenery began to swim and change. They were atop a hill of sand when his eyes managed to re-focus, and at the bottom was a militant camp sitting not so quietly at the bottom. People bustled in and out of the erected wooden walls that fenced three large tents in. A peculiar flag flew at the top of the largest one. 

Master stepped forward and Rumius sensed her mana adopt an electrifying property.

" Master? Weren't we going to fire off a flare first?" He asked. 

" Even if we were to fire off a flare now, it wouldn't make a difference." Hmph." She smiled. " It would be all over by the time they arrive, anyway." 

She looked back at him with expectant eyes. " Take the main offense. I'll support you." 

" M-me?" 

" …." 

Rumius hesitantly stepped forward. 

" Now. Let's get started, shall we?" He heard his master say.