Cinnamon Bun Chapter Fifty-Three - Buntimidation

Chapter Fifty-Three - Buntimidation

I crested a hill to find all four remaining mbers of the cervid group set in a loose formation on an opposite hill. A little rivulet ran across the ground between us, the water flowing along and masking the tense atmosphere with gentle murmurs.

They had set Amaryllis aside, the Lancer holding his spear close to her neck in an obvious sign that they could hurt her at any mont.

Level check, the leader said.

One of the cervids glared my way. He wasnt one of the two that had attacked at the bridge, which ant he had to be Three. Shes... level seven. Cinnamon Bun class. Disposition: dreary and resolute, he said.

He must have had a skill similar to my Insight. Since he had used it on ...

An anxious Cervid Lancer, level ?.

An angry Cervid Plains Speaker, level ?.

Those were the two that I had fought on the bridge.

A calculating Cervid Slip Spear, level ??.

A rational Cervid Wind Warrior, level ??.

The leader, and then the one that had just used sothing like Insight on . I was expecting a mage of so sort, not a warrior, but maybe that didnt matter.

I just want to talk, I called out. The distance between us wasnt that great, but it was enough that I thought I could dodge any attacks that they flung my way.

Amaryllis glared at her captors, then her eyes softened as she looked towards . She shook her head minutely, only stilling when the Lancer shifted his spear.

What happened to Two and Four? the leader asked.

I... I swallowed down the bile rising in my throat. Im sorry about Titan and Rex, I said. They didnt... Im sorry.

The leader shifted a little, his hand straying to his hip where a long, curved sword was hung. The others reacted a little too, but the Plains Speaker reacted most of all. Theres no way. Theres no way soone like you got to them,

Stop it, Six, the leader said. It was low, but it still carried over to where I stood.

Shes just a human, Six hissed.

Nows not the ti, the leader said and it was the final word on the matter. He turned back towards , his eyes set and I had the impression he was weighing . What do you want? he asked.

I want my friend back, I said.

You idiot! Amaryllis finally shouted. Keeping quiet for a whole minute was obviously too much for her. You should have just run. Go tell the oth--

She collapsed to the side and the Lancer pulled the butt of his spear away from her as she coughed and spat and tried to sit back up despite her arms being tied up behind her back.

Im afraid we cant just return the target to you. It would go against the paraters of our mission.

I could pay you? I tried, but the cervid shook his head. My few asly gold pieces wouldnt be enough for that anyway. M-maybe you could take instead?

Im afraid not, the leader said.

Please? I asked, begged really. I didnt want to have to take the next step.

Five, Six, flanks, Three, youre with the target, the leader said.

I shook my head. Please? I dont want to fight.

Gutting you is going to be a pleasure, The Plains Speaker said. If you killed Titan, then theres no need for to hold back.

I closed my eyes and tried to think of sothing else, but I was tired and weary and nothing ca to mind.

So I whistled.

Throat Ripper landed atop the hill just behind , then jumped forwards so that he was next to , his huge body blocking most of my view of the other hill, but I could still see the widening of the Cervids eyes behind their helts and the way Amaryllis began to grin, sharp and vindictive.

The dog began to growl, the noise almost enough to drown out the rivulet below. Armour clunked as every skeletal cervid Gunther had sent with lined up atop the hill.

Three, level check, the leader barked.

The dogs... a Bone Hound of the Long Slumber, level in the upper twenties, secondary class is Skeleton Lord and its third class is Good Boy. The skeletons. Three scanned the hill, eyes jerking from walking corpse to walking corpse. Theyre all first tier, below ten.

The leaders confidence was gone now. He didnt seem ready to charge in a fight, especially not when Throat Ripper placed a paw on a rock jutting from the hill and it burst apart with little more than a flex of his toes.

I stepped up around Throat Ripper, one hand still hanging onto his side to keep him back, not that I had any doubt that if the doggy wanted to jump across the hill he would. Um, I would really, really rather not fight, I said.

You didnt tell she was a necromancer, the leader hissed.

She isnt. I thought her class was baking based, Three said.

Its actually a nature support class, I said, defending my class, even if it wasnt the best. I dont know if I could learn baking. But it was a great idea. If Baking was anything like Cleaning it might be my path towards fireballs.

The leader shifted. I could tell that he wasnt actually paying attention, a skill I had honed with much practice while prattling at friends. Still, that was okay because he took a small step back and shook his head. Five, Six, prepare to pull back. Three, get the smoke ready.

Youre not going to try and run, are you? I asked.

Smoke! the leader scread.

Throat Ripper tensed.

Three tossed sothing on the ground.

I was expecting so smoke from that, but not the amount that burst out and filled the air as if we were suddenly in a thick fogbank. At least it didnt seem to have any effect on my breathing.

Without being able to see, there was no way to know if they were right before or to learn if they were running away.

I aid a hand away from Throat Ripper and fired a small burst of Cleaning magic. The fog around my hand faded away, then returned as the air shifted. So, it was sothing dirty, sothing that I could clean away.

Stay, please, I said to Throat Ripper as I took a few steps before him, planted my spear into the ground next to , and raised both arms in front of . When casting a spell, there was a sort of... prompt in the back of my mind that asked how much? It was the sa for Jumping and Cleaning, though both took resources from different pools.

When Cleaning I had an idea of how much mana I would need, exactly, to clean sothing, it was a sense that had been growing keener over ti. Now I aid the largest and widest Cleaning spell I could before , and when my mind, or the system, or the world asked how much? my answer was just yes.

The burst of magic fired out of with a kick, shoving back half a step.

The effects before were a whole lot more impressive.

The magic travelled in a wave, expanding and bursting forwards across the grassy hill, past the rivulette and burst against the opposite hill.

The cervid stared at .

Between us, the smoke bomb let out a pitiful puff and went inert.

Throat Ripper growled.

Last chance, I said. I yanked my spear out of the ground and turned it so that the point was hovering between us.

They hadnt even gotten Amaryllis onto the Plain Speakers back yet, probably because she was fighting them the entire ti.

Please? I begged past the wash of tiredness. My mana was spent, I didnt have another chance like this one if they had another smoke bomb.

Push her down the hill, the leader said.

The Plains Speaker grumbled, but he shoved Amaryllis back toward .

My friend screeched as she tumbled down the grassy hill, hair flying every which way as she flopped downhill. She stopped in the steam with a splash.

This operations cost has passed what we were being offered. Were leaving, the leader said across the emptiness between us.

I.... I hope we never et again, I said. It was the anest thing I could think to say.

He nodded and backed away. When he and his n were a little ways off, they started to gallop away with surprising deftness.

I waited just a mont before racing down the hill. I almost tripped as my shoes skidded over wet grass and mud, and my spear slipped out of my grasp, but I didnt care. Amaryllis was right on the shore of the little stream at the bottom, coughing and sputtering out a facefull of muck.

I landed next to her and fell to my knees. Dont move, dont move, I said as I pulled a knife from my bandoleer. A few careful tugs undid the ropes holding her in place.

About ti. I can hardly feel my oomph!

I grabbed the harpy and crushed her to my chest, then held her at arms' length to inspect her up and down. Youre okay? I asked. She didnt have ti to answer. You look okay. Oh, thank you. I hugged her closer, arms around her waist to hold her close as I buried my head in her neck.

Dont hug , she said. Youre a ss.

Im sorry, I said. I didnt stop hugging.

She paused, then sighed and started rubbing my back. What are you sorry over? You saved , sohow. That was probably the single stupidest plan I have ever had the misfortune of being part of, but it succeeded, sohow.

I opened my mouth to speak but the words caught in my throat. I took a deep breath, and then it ca spilling out in a rush, words tumbling over words and I dont think my story was linear, exactly, but it didnt matter. I told her of looking for her, of going to Gunther and of making a deal and then I paused.

And then what? Amaryllis asked. Or did you finally realise that being knee-deep in mud isnt the place for this kind of conversation?

I killed people, I said.

Amaryllis shifted and I slowly pulled away. I didnt want to. The hug was nice. I missed hugs. But I didnt deserve them.

I looked up and into Amaryllis eyes, only to see her staring back, confused. Youre talking of those ruffians, arent you? she asked.

The, the cervid rcenaries, yeah, I said in a whisper.

Okay, and?

I blinked. Eh?

Amaryllis shifted, then pushed herself up so that she was standing above . From where I knelt on the ground she practically towered above , especially with her talons on her hips and her muddy wings flared out around her. Dont be an idiot. They were rcenaries. rcenaries that tried to kidnap for the world knows what reason. This was targeted. What you did was just taking out weeds. You even got a level from it.

I was breathing deeply, almost panting now. I swallowed and tried to control the beating of my heart. No. No it doesnt matter that they were doing a bad thing. No one should die, ever. Killing people is wrong.

Amaryllis knelt back down and t my eyes for a long mont. Idiot, she said before hugging back. Youre just one big idiot, Broccoli Bunch. To think that youd compromise yourself for soone like . Youre the dumbest person that has ever been. She tightened her grip a little, and I think that she might have sobbed, just a little.

I didnt know what to feel, so I just fell into the hug and held my friend close.

Amaryllis shook her head and the hug ended, but I did feel a little better. Not that I wouldnt have a proper cry later, but now wasnt the ti for it. We need to get back to Green Hold, Amaryllis said.

I promised Gunther wed go back to see him, I said.

And thats wise? Amaryllis asked.

Is going back to Green Hold wise? I asked right back.

The harpy tilted her head to the side like a curious bird. Maybe not that big an idiot. Lets go then. Ive had a long morning and could use so of that tea of yours.

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