บท 35: The Chase in the Memory
"Team leader, the Blinded Ghost went north-west. It will enter the Kuhera Forest at this rate!" Re'Kha shouted, riding a horse. Strung to her back was a quiver while held in her left hand was a bow. Her right hand held the reins of the horse as she controlled it. Strapped to her waist was a Magic Artifact, shaped into a sword.
They were a team of seven, led by a lady in her thirties. All were Harmonisers, an elite team in charge of a part of their city's defence. Moving at the front was the team leader, and moving half a pace back, to her right was Re'Kha, displaying her position in the group. She was the second in charge.
"We'll try pursuing it until halfway. If we are still unable to catch up to it, then retreat is our only option. We cannot risk getting near the Kuhera Forest." The team leader said.
"But, if it heads there, it would become even stronger than now. We would no longer be able to face it in the future." A Harmoniser at the back said, sneaking a glance at Re'Kha.
"Yes, what she said is the truth," Another Harmoniser supported her opinion, "Judging by the Blinded Ghost's behaviour over the past month, it definitely has some agenda to fulfil in our city. So, it would definitely return and wreak havoc."
"The Kalhas cannot directly harm it, but the beasts they control can attack it. So, it would bring it more harm than good if the Blinded Ghost heads into the Kuhera Forest." The team leader said in calm, "Besides, we can lie in wait to ambush it once it gets weakened by the Kalhas."
The Harmoniser running at the back, seventh in the position, the lady that had spoken before let go of the reins as she nocked an arrow into her bow. The team of seven were sprinting through a forest where large boulders lay amidst. One such boulder was shaped into a perfect sphere. The moment she spotted it, the Harmoniser gazed at the team leader's back.
In a fluid motion, she pulled the arrow to the back and released it. The team leader sensed the killing intent, turning around as she blocked with her left hand. Blue radiance covered her hand and stopped the arrow.
She had created her hand projection. The team leader craned her hand to her hip and punched forth, aiming at the Harmoniser that had attacked her. Her hand projection flew rapidly towards the target, about to punch her head.
The Harmoniser condensed a hand projection of her own, slamming it into the team leader's hand projection. The two projections collided with each other, splashing some water in the process. The water contained the Water Qi they had infused in it, the expenditure weakening the projections accordingly.
Seeing the change in events, Re'Kha reflexively nocked an arrow in her bow and launched it towards the attacker. Another Harmoniser too did the same, intending to attack the betrayer. But, all of a sudden, she directed the arrow towards Re'Kha, releasing it.
Even in her hurry, Re'Kha didn't condense a hand projection. She kept note of her total Qi, unwilling to waste a hand projection that consumed half her reserves. Instead, she sent a palm projection flying towards the arrow, blocking it.
The arrow lodged partway in the palm projection that continued without losing its momentum, slamming into the horse of the Harmoniser that had attacked her. It was chaos, two of their team members had turned on them for reasons unknown.
There were no warnings or foreseeable motives. And, the situation made the team members unable to trust their backs to the others. After all, they didn't know if there still existed another among them with the motive of betrayal.
Followed by swishing sounds, a hail of arrows flew towards them, hitting their horses. In the previous exchange, since the two betrayers had been positioned at the back and had been charging relentlessly, they were unable to stop their horses, for the reduction in mobility might very well cost their lives.
But now, it was used against them. The hail of arrows hit the horses, causing them to stumble. The Harmonisers barely managed to jump off them and roll on the forest floor to negate their momentum.
The team leader swiftly got up and punched again with her hand projection. A hand projection would exist for three breaths in time before dissipating, so she planned to kill an enemy before that.
…
Re'Kha tossed and turned, experiencing a nightmare. She muttered under her breath, her words a jumble. In the silent room, her mumbles echoed, creating a scenery of distraught. The cloth banner acted like the blanket that covered her, using the opportunity to absorb the formless energy emanating from her.
Soon, it noticed that the energy intensity was decreasing, a sign that Re'Kha was about to wake up. Without any abrupt movements, it retracted itself and slid to the floor, rolling in the process.
It then slithered on the floor, opening the manhole before jumping into it. It landed on the ground with a soft thud as it had unfurled itself during the descent, using its form as a parachute of sorts. It then slithered through the narrow pathway before coiling around the roots of the Aeki.
As it was the only mode of travel to the floor above, Re'Kha hadn't closed the manhole and left it as is. That's why she closed the manhole on her side, in the off chance the Kalha make their way into the granary.
The cloth banner arrived on the floor above, slithering as it arrived at the corner where some goods had been piled. They were what Re'Kha had brought with her from the house. Among them was a blanket within which it had been wound before.
The cloth banner placed its rolled self on the blanket and rolled, wrapping the blanket around it. It then rolled itself neatly, folding the extra ends on the breadth. A part of it slithered through the gap before picking up a thread, tying up the blanket, returning it to the same position and makeup Re'Kha left it as.
As it was made from silk, it was thin, able to move through the gaps. After tying it up, the part of the cloth banner slid back into the fold, making it seem as if it had never moved.
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