End of Eden II

Quest:

"Hehehe... You think you've won? The Black Spiders always get our prey." The assassin said as he set fire to the tent. Hohotaro wanted to come after him but he heard a coughing sound on the butcher table. Hohotaro didn't get enough time to examine the table while the torturer was in front of him. But now he can see there is a person there. And he's still alive, barely. The face is almost unrecognizable but Hohotaro clearly remembers him as part of the party that saved the children.

"Hohotaro... is... that you?" The man is tied firmly on the butcher table. His arms and hands even his neck and chest are firmly secured. The man is already blind as his eyes is already missing from their socket. His hands are raw and Hohotaro noticed that they are all missing their fingernails. The arms is skinned and he can see the muscle underneath along with some yellowish substance. Hohotaro then looked over to the man's midsection. It's cut open, rather cleanly, the one that did this knew where to cut so that the victim would not die instantly.

Hohotaro choked up as he sees the scene. The fire is starting to engulf the tent and he can hear crackling around him.

The man on the table began spouting words. It's as if he's choking on his words like he's crying, but there is no tear coming out of his eye socket only blood. "We're sorry... we've no choice... they'll take everyone... the children... the women... slavers... they've come... revenge... we've made a deal... the caravan... We're sorry..." By this time the man is mumbling probably delirious from pain and infections that seems to be reaching his brain. "I'm sorry... Elder... please... Kill... me... please..."

Hohotaro have to make a decision and fast. The fire is quickly consuming the tent and will fall any second. Hohotaro see the condition of the man before him and he regrets lacking the power of the shamans to help him. If only he had the power of healing he could save the man. But right now, all the power he have is meant to kill. He decided to end the man's suffering, it's the best he can do... He chops his head off with all his might in a single swing. The mans head bounces off the table and Hohotaro immediately exits the burning tent. As soon as Hohotaro was outside the tent collapses.

409/1500

Hohotaro wanted to do something for the dead tribesmen, for the elder. At least burying them and not let them rot outside and become food for the animals. But the last words of the man inside the hunter's lodge haunts him. He's talking about the children, slavers, revenge and the caravan. Only two things comes into Hohotaro's mind, Kheema and Khaleel. Hohotaro have no time to be respectful of the dead, right now his priority is to the living. He just hopes that his fears are just baseless and will not come into fruition.

Hohotaro runs back to his horse fortunately it was not killed by the assassin. He mounts it and starts to sprint towards the location he last remembers the caravan was. Hohotaro feels that he's pushing his horse by making it sprint just minutes ago, but he had no choice. He have to return to the caravan as soon as possible. Even if he was mistaken, he needs to make sure for the sake of his sanity.

It is one thing to witness the destruction of the village, he liked most of the people there but he didn't make a strong connection with them like he did with his caravan companions. Ahmed, Kheema and Khaleel immediately comes to his mind, but he also made a bond with all the mercenary guards when he served as a guard himself. Even the callous mercenary leader and the timid Simon who he also spent a lot of time while he is training with his sling. And the white haired Caravan Leader, he remembered that he is with the caravan. Suddenly Hohotaro calmed down, with all those strong people protecting the caravan even if they are attacked they would be able to fight back.

Hohotaro rides towards the caravan full of optimism. He's looking at the bright side of things, he always does. He is a glass half full kind of guy, actually he'll just say. "Oh! Water! Thanks!"

733/1500

Hohotaro saw a smoke at the horizon, his fears returned, his memory of the village on fire is still fresh inside his mind. He pushed his already tired horse to run faster. "Hiya! Hiya!" Hohotaro shouts as he whips the reins and his leg tightly squeezed the sides of the horse. Hohotaro can now see the caravan, it is in a circle position, perfect for defense. But it was surrounded by uncountable attackers.

Hohotaro grits his teeth and tries to make his Horse sprint faster, but the horse started panting and just buckled from exhaustion. Hohotaro was thrown off the horse but he managed to break the fall by rolling and he continue the run forward. He didn't have time to care about what happened to his horse, he feels sympathy for the animal but his mind is still filled with the horror those attackers are capable. He runs as fast as he could towards the caravan.

He reached the vicinity of the caravan, it was chaos everywhere but the caravan guards are holding their ground. Hohotaro sees an enemy on a horse, he looks like someone in a higher position than the assassin he fought in the village. The mounted man is draped with a black garb and he is holding a fine looking sword on his right hand and a gun like weapon on his left hand, Hohotaro noticed that the gun is giving of sparks of electricity. The mounted slaver saw Hohotaro and charges straight for him.

He raised his sword and slash at Hohotaro as he ride his horse next to him. Hohotaro managed to block the attack by crossing his hook sword in front of him. The rider turns around whistles and motions his sword towards Hohotaro. Four assassins flash steps in front of the rider and started charging towards Hohotaro.

The rider raise his gun and aim it at Hohotaro, he fires it as the other four assassin turns and tries to flank Hohotaro with two assassins on his either side. The four assassins timed their attacks that as soon as the lightning shot is about to hit Hohotaro the four assassins to flash steps towards Hohotaro and they are prepared to use a slash attack.

Hohotaro saw this attack coming because of the fight he had in the farming village. Hohotaro jumps 3 meters upward to dodge the attacks that are coming from 5 direction. Hohotaro then drops to the ground with a shockwave with both his feet in two quick succession. The ground cracked and two shockwaves goes out on all sides of Hohotaro making the four assassins that are attacking him fall down in one go.

During this attack the rider is also charging towards Hohotaro with his sword aloft ready for another slash attack towards him. Hohotaro again jumps up towards the rider and he deflected the rider's sword and counter with a knee on the rider's face. Hohotaro and the rider both falls down on the ground, the rider on his back and Hohotaro's knee cracking the rider's face. Hohotaro then rolls forward away from the rider and runs towards the inside of the caravan's circle formation.

1260/1500
100/200

Ability:

Hohotaro runs toward the caravan after killing the rider and the four assassins. An arrow coming from the caravan whizzed past him. Hohotaro looks back and he saw an assassin with an arrow stuck in his head right behind him. The archer from the caravan was Simon. Hohotaro waves at Simon but the latter is busy shooting arrows at the attacking assassins. Hohotaro kept running towards the caravan until he felt a strong force hitting his shoulder from the back. Hohotaro was hit with an arrow and he stumbled to the ground. Two mercenary guards that was with Simon rushed forward and dragged Hohotaro inside the caravan's formation.

The combination of his fatigue and stress he is just ready to fall down and sleep. Hohotaro is getting groggy, he opened his eyes and Simon is right in front of him. Simon took the arrow from Hohotaro's back and smells it. "Tranquilizer oil..." Simon mumbles as he lay Hohotaro down on a pile of cloth. "Rest...Y-you'll be fine... W-We'll protect you." Simon reassures Hohotaro as he goes back to his position and continue showering the enemies with arrows.

Hohotaro is trying to fight the grogginess. "No... I can still fight..." Hohotaro tries to get up but his limbs feels numb and his eyes feels really heavy. Hohotaro looks at Simon for the last time and stretched his hand towards him. 

Simon pats Hohotaro's hand and smiles. "Just rest. Y-You'll be fine..." Hohotaro have a very bad feeling about this. He feels something ominous, like it's the last time he'll see Simon and the other caravan members. Hohotaro tries hard to stay awake... but after a while Hohotaro's hands fall to the ground and was knocked out cold.

1500+/1500
100/200