An Unexpected Clash

Gorstag wanted to vomit at the unnatural acting of his leader.

"I'm Hars, and this is Erwan," while pointing at the skinny man beside him then he pointed at the big man next to Erwan.

"The big one is Dapo."Theo bowed his head, then introduced himself, "Theo and the stupid man next to me is Gorstag and the quiet man is Uldor."

"If we may know, which guild mission did you take?" asked Hars who was sitting across from Theo.

"From the Alku Guild in Alku Village. Well, you must have heard, for mercenaries who haven't taken a mission in a while. This assignment is the easiest while restoring our lost touch," Theo replied reassuringly.

"Have you not taken a mission in a while?" asked Erwan probingly.

Theo let out a long sigh, then made a sad face. "To be more precise I... It's been almost 5 years since I took any mission, I took a long break." Theo paused his story for a moment and then continued, "That's because I got a really bad stomach wound during my first mission against the bandits in the city of Turlaiv. I was 17 at the time, and my logic was clouded by the burning spirit of youth."

Uldor who had been observing the three people was amazed at Theo, as they listened to Theo's nonsense intently.

"I apologize for reminding you of the bad things that happened to you brother," said Dapo the big man. Theo replied with a small smile.

"How long have you been in this camp?" asked Gorstag in a typical barbarian tone. Making the three people glare. Theo who saw that immediately straightened up. "Forgive our friend, he's a barbarian. He didn't mean anything by it. His tone just sounded harsh." Then Gorstag stroked his head. "Ah, forgive me if I scared you, I was just asking." 

Then the men in red robes calmed down. Dapo answered Gorstag's question, "We have been living in this camp for over a month."

Theo noticed the symbol on their robes that had intrigued him. "Judging from your clothes, are you missionaries?"

Hars smiled and then excitedly answered. "That's right. We are missionaries." 

"What teachings do you carry?" Theo asked again.

"We carry the Eye and Key teachings," replied Hars.

"Eye and Key?" asked Theo curiously.

"It's an old teaching," replied Hars.

"I just heard the name of that teaching?" this time it was Gorstag who was curious.

"Hm...That's because our followers are dwindling by the day. There are only a few followers left now, so we as descendants of the previous missionaries are trying to spread the teachings again," Hars explained.

"Then why are you hiding in this forest?"

Erwan spoke, "This forest is one of our sacred places, where we worship a higher entity."

"From what I know, the emperor only allows a few faiths to be spread in this Anthares continent. So, have you received permission from the emperor to be here and worship that entity?" asked Gorstag without thinking, making Theo stutter at Gorstag's stupid question.

Dapo growled. "We don't need permission from the emperor! The Emperor is a weak and misguided man!" Then Erwan chimed in. "That's right! We don't need the emperor's permission. The emperor is an oppressor who must be stopped."

They spoke with great fervor, and Theo was grateful to see the men's response. He tried to dig deeper.

Theo pretended to agree. "I don't like the current emperor's rule either."

Dapo enthused. "We are trying to free the people from the slavery of the mind. We bring light to them."

Uldor grabbed Gorstag's knee as he knew the barbarian looked like he was about to attack.

Theo took a risk. "But did you get the approval of the temple priest?"

This time it was Erwan who seemed to growl. "The priest is part of the system that must be destroyed!"

Suddenly, the atmosphere became tense. They realized that Theo suspected them. They began to glare as 

Gorstag instantly stood up brandishing his two axes and he sternly shouted. "Then I can conclude that you don't have permission to be here!" 

Erwan shouted in disapproval. "This is an insult! We will fight back!"

A battle erupted in the camp. The Eye and Key followers pulled out their weapons and attacked Theo, Uldor, and Gorstag. Between the smoldering light of the campfire and the dark shadows of the forest trees, a fierce battle began.

Uldor stood in the center of the fight with his sword shining in the moonlight. He faced Erwan, moving nimbly to dodge his attacks and counter with sharp sword blows.

Gorstag, who was a huge warrior, created a hail of powerful blows. He swung his two huge axes against Bapo.

Meanwhile Theo, with his trusty sword, tried to herd Hars out of the camp. He lured him to a more open area outside the camp.

Hars was an expert in using arrows. He stood in the distance, trying to target Theo. When his arrow was released, Theo quickly dodged it, letting it glide past his body.

Erwan, another follower, was an accomplished swordsman. He launched a flurry of attacks at Uldor, trying to surprise the warrior with quick and sudden strikes.

Battle cries and the sound of weapons clashing filled the air. The campfires that once provided light in the camp were now the backdrop to the fierce war.

As the battle continued, Bapo and Erwan looked cornered. Uldor and Gorstag had more fighting experience, and they began to dominate the battle.

Erwan shouted. "Save the Host!" The shout made Theo realize that they had to end this battle immediately.

With a powerful final attack, Uldor, and Gorstag managed to defeat their opponents. 

Hars, who had been targeting Theo with his arrow, entered one of the tents, and soon he was seen running from behind.

"After him!" shouted Theo after realizing Hars' movement.

Theo, Uldor, and Gorstag tried to catch up with Hars who managed to escape the battle with the precious host bottle. They chased deeper and deeper into the dark and hidden Okren forest.

The sound of their rapid steps made noise among the dense trees. They followed in the footsteps of the followers, who tried to escape quickly. Faint moonlight illuminated the path ahead of them, but the dense Okren forest kept it dark and eerie.

Theo shouted. "Don't let him escape!"

They continued to run through the forest, their hearts pounding. They could hear the swish of leaves and twigs under the follower's feet, which were getting closer and closer.

*****