"He said-- Zehr said... he was going to protect me from-- from getting ravaged by the goblins~" Rena sniffled, an ugly trail of snot running from her b.u.t.ton nose.

"You mean... the kobolds, I think?" Gia smiled, pulling Rena into her sword arm's embrace. She shot a guilting look at Justus over Rena's shoulder.

Justus grit his teeth. Rena's bawling would attract the attention of every kobold within 5 or 10 miles-- and probably some goblins, too. He had to do something...

...But why was it always him that had to do something about it?

"Hey, Rena, listen..."

The archer left Gia's embrace, turning to Justus with reddened eyes, "Nope! No way!"

Justus furrowed his brows, "W-what do you mean, 'no way'?"

"You're terrible at making me feel better! You're just gonna make fun of my b.o.o.bs or tell me I'm dumb!!"

"What? No, I'm better than that," Justus bit his lower lip. That was exactly what he was going to do-- just not in that order.

Gianna's blue, icy-cold eyes continued to glare at him.

Flame take this archer girl! She was making him look horrible in front of his crus.h.!.+ Arrrghh!

"Rena, listen up. Deca.n.u.s Zehr gave me orders for you, too," Justus lied.

He figured he wouldn't get into too much trouble, speaking for the Deca.n.u.s. Zehr seemed more-or-less okay with Rena's flirting... He didn't respond back positively... but he wasn't negative, either? Seven h.e.l.ls, the man was hard to read.

"R-really?" Rena's lips trembled as she pouted, achieving an extra pathetic and pitiful look.

Gianna wrapped an arm around Rena, nuzzling her face, as they began to walk again, "Ohh, you're soooo cute, Miss Rena~!!"

Rena struggled out of Gia's grasp enough to question Justus again, "What'd he say? Huh? Huhhh?"

"You're one of the best scouts we have, Rena." Justus smiled, "The Deca.n.u.s is counting on you (and me) to lead us out without any casualties."

It was a combination of half-truths that sounded believable. Even if Deca.n.u.s Zehr found out, there wasn't really anything incorrect with the statement. But still, he hoped it would convince--

"OKAY!!" Rena pumped one of her arms in victory, "I'm on it!!"

Raising her crossbow in both arms over her head, she quickened her pace to scout ahead.

Gianna smiled with furrowed eyebrows, tilting her head, "Is... is she going to be okay?"

Justus grimaced, sucking air through his teeth, "I... I think so. Rena doesn't usually get upset for very long."

"Aha... Yes." Gianna chuckled, "It's a rather endearing trait, I think."

It was true. Rena was a rare light of optimism that always managed to s.h.i.+ne through the dark clouds of his own brooding and worries-- and that of the others in the tent group, of course.

Justus absentmindedly looked up as he walked, reminiscing about older, simpler days. Even then, giving up... surrendering to his insecurities was a common thought of his.

He trained in Leopardon with his father. He practiced with wooden swords and training dummies. He trained his body. He did hard labor throughout the village. It was hard. It was always hard.

He got rejected by the adventurer's guild more than once. And he was rejected by the local militia, too... He was too young. He was too weak. He wasn't made of the 'right stuff.'

He liked to think he always had a strong will. But Rena's cheering him on certainly helped.

And after all that, he somehow became -

The unmistakable tw.a.n.gs of a crossbow bolt fired in the distance. Birds chirped and fluttered away from further into the forest.

The traveling forward group stopped in their tracks.

Justus and Gianna shared a silent look.

A series of other crossbows echoed the initial firing.

Shortly, the sounds of running men and women grew closer, with Rena appearing with some of Deca.n.u.s Constantina's scouts.

Rena bent over, gasping for breath. There was no bolt loaded in her crossbow, "Guys... guys..."

Gianna hurried over, offering her waterskin, "Miss Rena? What's wrong!"

One of the other scouts grimaced, "Kobold patrol-- at least a dozen, maybe 20."

"Get down!!" Gianna pushed the scout out of the way.

With a loud bang, a crossbow bolt glanced off of her heavy s.h.i.+eld.

"To arms, brothers and sisters! We are under attack!!" Justus drew his sword and raised it up, "Honorable warriors ⌈Never Fall!!⌋"

Light shone through the treetop canopy and onto his sword, suffusing the blade with a warm golden aura that spread out through the nearby Rhodoks.

Ferrutius whistled, "Whoa ho hohhhh~! Deca.n.u.s Justus, you've been holding out on us!"

"I... I dunno what came over me," Justus stared at his glowing blade. "I just said what... felt right?"

Gianna beamed from behind her s.h.i.+eld, "It feels good, Deca.n.u.s Justus, like you're keeping me safe."

Ferrutius banged the flat of his blade against Justus' Deca.n.u.s armor, "Best buckle that helm of yours."

Justus frowned, but hastily began to fumble at his helmet strap, "Or what?"

"Or I'll get more kills than you, haha!" Ferrutius bounded off, s.h.i.+eld and spear in hand.

Justus squinted his eyes in thought. As much as Ferrutius loved to brag, sometimes he made no sense.

"He's... really excitable, isn't he?" Gianna offered. Another crossbow bolt dinged against her heavy s.h.i.+eld as she smiled.

Another team of scouts ran towards them-- the lead woman raised a hand signal for them to stop. She lifted her hood slightly, revealing a scarred, smirking face, pale-green hair peeking out at the top, "s.h.i.+elds. Perfect."

"We'll hold them off, Constantina. Will you support us?" Justus asked.

The hooded Scoutmaster glared, "Who the-- Oh, it's you. That was my plan, regardless of your request."

She turned to her scouts, "Climb."

"At once, Deca.n.u.s!" The various scouts ran to many-branched trees and began to climb.

Constantina turned to point at Rena, "And you."

Rena had caught her breath and stood up at attention, "Yes, sir! --I mean ma'am!!"

The Scoutmaster shook her head, "You have good eyes. Survive this and I'll transfer you to one of my tent groups..."

Constantina narrowed her eyes, "--I thought I told you to CLIMB!!"

"Y-y-y-y-es, ma'am!!!" Rena babbled as she scrambled up a tree like a monkey.

"Deca.n.u.s Constantina," Justus nodded.

The hooded Scoutmaster warily looked him up and down. "Deca.n.u.s Justus," She nodded slightly, before ascending towards the treetops, up after Rena.

...

Justus crept around a tree, hearing the soft padded movements of the enemy. Peeking over, he counted nine... Five were armed with spears and melee weaponry, three with ranged. A single kobold carried a net on a pole... an insidious looking clay pot was cradled inside of it.

It would be just like earlier. The kobolds were an enemy that needed to be defeated... especially the crossbowmen. The bolts would bounce off their s.h.i.+elds and armor, but a deep bolt to an arm or leg would cripple their small group's fighting strength.

Suddenly, one of the kobolds' ears perked up.

The three archers' ears went up almost instantaneously and they turned their bows up to one of the trees.

Deca.n.u.s Ferrutius grinned from the branch he was crouched upon.

"Tyrion steel!!" He shouted.