Chapter 25 - One of the worst sins
Team two
Eldrin, Kael, and Phia were one of two teams that arrived at their place on the map first. The three elves looked at the gear around them and after a brief discussion and vote Eldrin had lost. They took as many packs as they could and turned to make their way into the trees to find a good place to set up camp for the night and go over their spoils.
Shame filled Eldrin's heart as he knew they had their pack. "This is a great hall especially since the other team took the remaining packs and didn't try us." Kael said who seemed to step up as their would-be team leader. Phia always did as she was told by Kael due to their relationship leaving the vote always 2-1 should he disagree with something. He was a brute that didn't take kindly to refusal and Eldrin was not near strong enough to stand his own against them.
Before they took ten more steps fox beast kin faster than they would have thought possible from the tier 2 without aid flashed in front of them. Kael kept moving forward not stopping until the man pulled twin dagger. "You all know what you are doing is wrong. It's nothing but pure greed. Set down the others and just take your own bag." he said.
"Get out of our way rat before we skin you with your little knives." Kael said with nothing but smug arrogance. "You won't make it two seconds if you were to try twig walker." Came a cold confident reply. They three elves froze at the name. They all turned and looked at a human with two drawn short swords blazing with white hot fire.
"What did you just call me?" Kael asked with nothing but fury in his gaze. The human shrugged. In the lore on my world calling an elf a twig walker implies the elf is weak and lacks any sort of substance. Based on the fact you are not only threatening my teammate for confronting you for cowardly stealing other team's supplies I figured it's a good description of your lot. I don't see why you get to insult my friend and not get an insult back." he said.
Kael put down his packs and pulled his bastard sword and shield off his back. "There are two of you... and three of us. I'm guessing you weaklings already lost one to the little pets in the trees most of us elves have been hunting our whole lives." he said as Phia drew a thin short sword resembling a wakizashi. Eldrin set the bags down, but didn't draw his hook blade, instead he stepped forward. "Kael, lets settle down. This is not beyond de-escalation. We just admit we were wrong and walk off. We are of an elder race and can admit when we were wrong unlike the fresh born." he implored.
Kael turned a scathing look on Eldrin and snapped "You are a coward that would allow these mud dwellers to insult us and do nothing about it when the instructors are not around to save them. We have the advantage and can do as we like."
The human sighed and spoke. "Might only makes right when in fact you actually have it. If you engage now...one if not two of you will die if not be crippled even if you win. Is that a loss you are willing to accept? The books at home always write about long lived elves being wise, but I do not see wisdom in you three choosing this hill to die on. Drop all the packs but your own and we part ways."
The human increased the energy running to his blades where the air around them began to shimmer. The sand near the tips began to scorch and sparks began to appear as the flammable elements began to catch.
Phia seeing the sparks looked up at Kael and over to Eldrich in concern. "Kael...maybe he is right. We don't need this, and it would be better to withdraw and not risk this when it is not needed." she said, but Kael wouldn't hear it. His pride and a sense of outrage would not let him walk away. "I don't fear you human. You two stay here. I'll deal with him." Kael launched himself forward as the human drifted backwards and kept going. Eldrin knew there was an obvious trap, but Kael was so blind. He and Phia turned to hold off the beast man, but he was already gone. They turned in and, in their horror, they saw a third step out from the trees and dart forward toward Kael's sword side as the Fox darted toward his back as the human defended the sword strike.
It was so fast Eldrin and Phia had time enough to take two steps before it was over. The bastard sword was sheered through, and an elbow slammed into his jaw. The fox beast man slashed his Achilles tendons just through his boots and just under his armorweave suit and the last that appeared to be a vampire slashed the tendons in his elbow causing his arm to go limp before his whole body followed suit in the most beautifully morbid synchronized attack.
Once Kael was on the ground Phia attacked the Fox beast man who giggled at the sloppy technique of the out-of-control woman. Eldrich moved quickly and struck her in the back of her head putting her down unconscious.
Eldrin knew they were out matched the moment Kael initiated the attack, and the human just casually drifted back. "I seek no further quarrel with you. I just ask you not strike them down." he said them.
"Finally! We got ourselves a reasonable one." The Fox said. "It would seem to be the case." the off looking vampire said. The human sheathed one sword and then the other then walked up the elf. "I'm Sorin. This is Linx and Cain." Pointing to the fox beast man then the other. "We are quite reasonable. We just wanted our stuff and for your team to do the right thing."
"You probably won't believe me, nor would it matter at this point, but I was against them doing it." Eldrin said. The other team looked at each other with an amused smirk. "Yeah, it doesn't really matter, because you still did it. On my world, as I've told you about already, there are countless cases of people "Just following orders" or doing something wrong because of a bully or brute. However, you did the right thing in the end and none of my team are injured so I say we part ways, and we do not fight again?" Sorin said.
"I find your terms acceptable." Eldrin replied.
"Good! Fellas let's get our supplies and find us a good camp site. Sorin said. "Yeah, it's a good idea, by my guess we have only a few more hours of sunlight anyway." Linx chipped in.
They stepped around Eldrin grabbed their bag and walked off in the woods.
Eldrin looked at this team and then around and saw multiple other teams coming toward him all probably looking for an explanation of what happened and where their bags are.