The Broken Kingdom

Chapter 16

'One step, nice and easy Connor, come on you can do this. Its just a pack of 24 breadin. With 4 people Connor you can do this. Just one foot in front of the other.'

Connor took step towards the end of the bushes, where he was supposed to run across and get to the other side as soon as Peter, or as he had learned to call him Goat, started the distraction. Connor steadied himself, and prepared to run to the other side. He looked at the bushes where Goat was stationed, as soon as Goat would jump out, the attack would begin. They met eyes, and Connor gave a slight nod, telling him to hurry up and get this bullshit over. Goat gave a little smile, and 'fell' forwards out from the bushes. All the Breadin stopped guarding their posts, and rushed to see what the commotion was. As soon as no Breatin was near or looking Connor ran as fast as he had ever in his entire life. Adrenaline pumped in his viens, giving him the extra little burst of speed, he made it safely, and unseen. Though one had picked up Goat and placed him in the center, talking in their language debating what to do with him. Connor met eyes with Alex, across from his bush and a little to the right. She smiled and gave the nod to attack. Connor, Alex, Chance, and Goat were able to hit from all sides, taking out at least 1 breadin each before the surprise sunk in and the beasts knew what was happening. Connor met steel with his new blade against a breadin who had already grabbed his gold metal blade, since Connor had joined the troop, he'd learned the metal was called Shoresone meatal, and learnt the lore and back story of Breadin. According to the many books the local library owned, Breadin were and ancient species of people, who died out due to an incredible sickness. According to the lore, the sickness had made them pale and skinny, unable to fatten up.

"SNAP OUT OF THOUGHT CONNOR WE NEED YOU IN BATTLE!!" Alex's voice rang through his head, bringing him back from his thoughts.

Connor raised his blade in a defending stance against the breadin that was charging towards him. He downwards slashed Connor, which to Connor's ease was easy to block, just by his normal stance. After blocking the attack Connor swung his blade around and his the Breadin's side. Making him grab the wound and fall. Conner kicked the beast down and stabbed him ne last time before advancing to the next. The fight ended quick, but not without injury, Chance had taken a slice to the lower leg, and Goat had sprained his ankle from a beast. They limped back to the camp they'd set up, and treated the wounds. Goat had to have multiple salves applied to his leg, along with it constantly having to be tied in a cast like fabric. Chance had to get a salve applied onto her leg, and have to clean it everyday for around 2 weeks, but other than that they'd came out successful. The breadin camp had originally had 32 members, but with sneaky kills and 'accidents' they'd managed to take out 8 out. Then they planned the attack, and made it out alive. Now they had around 3 weeks to dilly dally and wait until their next mission arrived. Connor was wrong about Alex, her soft face and violet eyes may have put the impression that she was submissive, but she was a work driven, needy, expectant kind of person. She basically ran the group, though Connor didn't like to think of it that way. Goat was a honorable man, he liked everyone and saw no wrong in the world. Chance was the definition of nervous, though brave at times she never liked it when the spotlight was on her, or too much was put on her move. Connor thought of himself of a mix of all of his new friends, though he was his own person.

"Connor again, out of your thoughts! Grab a bucket of water, make it two, we need to set the fire. Goat that ones on you, and Chance use this coin to get 5 pieces of steak, or some pork which ever's cheaper," Alex's voice, yet again snapped him from his thought chain.

Connor grabbed the two large, heavy buckets that contained no water and marched down to the stream near their camp. He filled the first bucket and hauled it back to the camp, than returned to the stream to fill and bring the second. When he returned with the second bucket Goat had already hauled a dead wood branch back to camp, and Alex had her hatchet chopping it. Connor set his water bucket down and found Alex's flint inside her tent, and grabbed his dagger. Connor grabbed some of the wood that Alex had already chopped and lined it up in the firepit so the sparks would sprinkle onto a clunk of dead grass and light up onto a twig. He struck the flint a couple of times, and sure enough the dead grass clunk lit up, catching fire to the twig. He had a god blaze going by the time Goat returned, and Alex had finished her work on the first dead wood piece. Connor sat by the fire dressed in his new, warm fur coat. He'd been gifted steel armour, with fur tucked inside, and a set of fur clothing by the Bardainian Venturers. His whole team had been gifted the sets, Connor, Alex, and Chance usually stuck to their fur clothing or normal clothing when they weren't on missions, but according to Goat he was to lazy to change into is normal clothes so he always wore his steel armor. It made him look 50% more intimidating than he already was, though his nature was the opposite. Connor snapped from his thoughts on his own this time, now Chance and Alex had finished their jobs and now Goat was cooking the third piece of meat on the spit. Chance and Alex were munching away, already around half done the chunks of meat. Goat finished the next piece of meat and handed it to Connor. He happily munched away as his friends ate their share and drank mugs of beer. They had connected closer than Conner had originally thought when he met the other 2. They got along like old time friends, though it had only been 1 week since they'd been working together, 2 in total. Connor almost choked on his beer as Alex recalled an especially funny moment she and Goat had shared on the road, he felt he could just sit by the fire drinking beer and laughing with his friends forever.