Alligators 2
Garick came to half a day later.
“I really did die, didn’t I? I’m seeing someone I shouldn’t be able to see.”
“Then maybe it was a goddess you were seeing, not me.”
“Is that really you, Lawrence?”
“It is. I’m glad you’re safe, Garick.”
“I never thought you’d come to rescue us. Damn, I’m so happy I could die, you bastard! Ouch, ouch!”
Garick, still trying to express his delight, cried out in pain instead. Groaning as if every bone in his body ached, he lay back down.
“I would’ve been happier if this weren’t such a mess. For now, getting your body back in shape comes first. We can talk after that.”
He had only just regained consciousness. They had gotten past the worst of it, but there was no mistaking that Garick was in bad shape.
Still, perhaps because he had opened his eyes, by the time the sun had set and risen again, the two of them had recovered enough to manage a meal.
The problem was that they no longer had time to spare.
“This is the last of the Lamael we have.”
“Neil.”
“Same for us. And there’s an even bigger problem than that.”
“Food?”
“Water is what we need most urgently.”
They were trapped inside a cave, which meant there was no way to obtain either food or drinking water. Worse still, the two men running fevers were drinking far more water than usual.
Balic wasn’t exactly in good condition either. He was better off than Garick or Morus, yes, but anyone could tell his body was far from fine.
Once Lawrence had taken stock of the situation, he gathered everyone together.
“We’ll be getting out of this cave by this afternoon at the latest.”
“Music to my ears. Finally, we’re getting out of this damned swamp.”
“What about the Alligators? The ones chasing us are probably still waiting outside.”
“Astin is keeping an eye on the situation outside. We’ll leave at the first opportunity, when their guard has weakened as much as possible. I can lure away a group of them if I have to, so if the worst comes to pass, I’d appreciate it if you all followed my instructions carefully.”
Lawrence showed them Shadow Light. When he explained that he had actually used it to lure an Alligator he’d encountered face-to-face, the mercenaries’ expressions brightened.
“That’s a relief. As expected, mages really are something else.”
“This is nothing. One good hit from our Lawrence’s magic and even that bugbear would go down in a single shot. What’s an Alligator compared to that? Even if one shows up, there’s no need to worry.”
“No. That would be a bad idea, Garick.”
Balic cut in, sounding apologetic for spoiling the mood.
“While you were asleep, the number of Alligators around us increased massively. If Lawrence uses that magic of his, the ones nearby will notice. If that happens, it’s over. We won’t be able to take down that many of them.”
At the look of disbelief, Lawrence nodded.
“This isn’t a situation where we can afford to target just one. We have to get out quietly. And that means without being noticed by them.”
Fighting the Alligators would be their last resort. If battle broke out, the others would surely notice as well, and once the commotion drew them in, no one would survive.
“Neil will take the front. Garick and Morus, who are injured, will stay in the middle of the formation. Balic will watch behind them. Astin and I will cover the rear.”
Once that plan was decided, they did not have long to wait before setting out. There was little to prepare, since they had already used up almost everything they carried and had nothing else to pack.
And then there was an unexpected gain.
“Neil.”
“I’m busy. Don’t call me.”
Neil, busy preparing to leave the cave, frowned.
“Sorry. If you have a moment, could you look at this?”
“I said I’m busy.”
“I found an herb. I don’t know its name, but I thought you might know what it’s used for.”
“Herb, my ass. It’s probably a poisonous weed.”
Even as he grumbled, Neil came over when called. Lawrence held out the plant he had found inside the cave.
At a glance, it looked no different from any ordinary weed.
“…Where did you find this?”
“It was growing on the cave ceiling. It was standing apart from the other plants, so it was easy to spot.”
Even so, it was clear this wasn’t an ordinary blade of grass. He wasn’t so knowledgeable about herbs that he could claim expertise, but as a boy he had gathered Orel before, and more recently he had been working alongside herb gatherers. He had an eye sharp enough to tell weeds from medicinal plants.
“Too much of a coincidence to be random. Could this be the will of the spirits….”
A low groan, almost a sigh, escaped Neil’s lips.
“This is Thylray.”
“Pardon?”
“The legendary herb that only grows in the depths of the swamp.”
Could that rootless scrap of grass really be Thylray?
“What you plan to do with it is your….”
“That’s a relief. This should be able to cure Doris’s illness too.”
Lawrence handed the Thylray to Neil.
“It’d be better for you to keep it than for me. It can’t be used like this anyway, can it? Once it’s turned into medicine, I’d appreciate it if you could take it to the chief priest.”
“…….”
For some reason, Neil just stared blankly at the Thylray held out before him.
“Neil?”
“…No. I’ve just been reminded how stupid you are.”
“That’s a little harsh. I think you’re a decent person, Neil.”
From the start, Neil had guided them along this difficult route without asking for a single coin in return. If they found the Thylray, Lawrence had planned to give it to him from the beginning.
He had no idea how much Isolde would charge for it, of course, but based on the man’s character, he was certain it would be a fair price.
Besides, Ignatius already knew about this whole matter. Lawrence didn’t think there was much chance of any sudden change of heart now.
“Fine. I’ll take responsibility for this and deliver it to Doris.”
Neil gave a faint snort of laughter, took the Thylray, and tucked it into his herb bag. The smile on his face looked oddly gentle, and Lawrence suspected it wasn’t just his imagination.
* * *
“You want me to rub this on my clothes? Have you lost your mind?”
The three men stared at the filthy leather garments with dubious expressions.
“Then die, I guess. But if you’re going to die, die alone. Don’t drag the rest of the group down with you.”
“This is a bit much. Ugh, damn. It’s like rubbing shit and piss all over yourself.”
“You think it’s only shit and piss? If we don’t do this, we won’t fool their noses. Especially those two over there—they’ve been sweating so much that if they go out like that, the bastards will catch them immediately.”
Lawrence’s own expression turned sour as well. No wonder the stench had been so terrible; the leather clothes must have been stained with the droppings of wild animals or monsters.
An unpleasant truth. Frankly, it was not something he had wanted to know.
Still grumbling, the two men began rubbing the leather clothes over their own gear, as if they had no desire to die after all.
Lawrence, standing a little apart from them, looked over at Balic.
“That shield. Will it be all right?”
The shield that had withstood a bugbear’s blow was now deeply gouged at the center. Depending on the situation, it would not be strange if it cracked apart without warning.
“It should hold for one more hit.”
“Understood. I’ll leave it to you if the time comes.”
“Don’t worry.”
Personally, Lawrence hoped Balic would never have to step forward at all. Still, if you wanted to respond quickly in a crisis, you had to prepare for the worst.
Once they were ready, the group gathered at the mouth of the cave.
“Watch your footing, and don’t make a sound until I give the word. Alligators aren’t as keen-nosed as bugbears, but they’re very sensitive to sound.”
After Neil had given the mercenaries a nod, he stepped out of the cave.
“Lawrence.”
After Garick and Morus followed him out, Balic spoke.
“Remember what I told you last time.”
It wasn’t the kind of remark that expected an answer.
Astin, watching their backs as he joined the others, asked, “What was that supposed to mean, young mage?”
“Nothing at all.”
Lawrence smiled wryly.
There were six of them in total. That was not, to put it kindly, a number well suited to hiding their bodies.
Even though they had chosen a time when fewer Alligators were around, if they listened closely, they could hear tails scraping across the ground. One mistake, and their position would be exposed.
Worse still, the formation stretched long from head to tail. In those circumstances, it was important to keep finding places to hide from the Alligators along the way.
That was where Neil came in. He surveyed the surrounding terrain and gave them individual instructions on where to stop and where to move.
“…….”
No one spoke. They used glances and hand signals to indicate the places they could hide, while Neil himself deceived the Alligators’ eyes with camouflage cloth.
The dangerous march continued.
Unlike the three whose condition was tolerable, the mercenaries were not in perfect shape. After about thirty minutes of that tension—like walking across a sheet of thin ice—their pace began to slow.
Still, no one suggested they take a break.
The mercenaries understood. If they stopped here, they would die.
And the places where they could hide were not safe forever either. They only bought a moment to deceive the Alligators’ eyes, and the creatures’ movements made it obvious that within minutes those spots would become dangerous.
Of course, they could not handle every situation.
Sometimes they were too slow finding cover. Sometimes they ran into the beasts where there was nowhere to hide at all.
Each time, Lawrence’s magic shone.
Shadow Light.
The orb of light drew the approaching Alligator’s attention away. The creature eyed the glowing sphere suspiciously, then changed course and followed it instead.
It still worked.
And yet, judging by how slowly the beast had reacted, even deceiving them with Shadow Light was beginning to reach its limit.
Fortunately, they never encountered the worst-case scenario.
By the time the sun that had been hanging above the treetops was no longer visible, the group had managed to escape the Alligators’ pursuit.
“You’ve all done well. It looks like we’re out of the dangerous area now.”
At Neil’s words, Garick finally let his tension go and collapsed onto the ground.
“Whoa, shit. We made it?”
“Keep your voice down. I said we’re out of the dangerous area. That doesn’t mean we’re safe.”
“You could’ve said that first….”
Startled, he looked around. There was no sign of an Alligator suddenly appearing from behind a tree at this very moment.
“If we’ve made it this far, we should be fine. From here on out, we can afford a little breathing room. I’d like to rest a bit and secure some water first.”
At last able to breathe, Astin leaned against a tree. Twirling a rope around one hand, he spoke.
“Young mage. That river I mentioned that drains the swamp is right above us. It shouldn’t be hard to find. Just keep heading up and you’ll come to a river with no visible end. You’ll know it by the several boats nearby. Since they’re all ones we made, just take whichever one you like.”
Right above them.
Lawrence looked in the direction Astin had pointed. If the river that drained the swamp was up there, then this was where they should part ways. They had at least gotten past the major obstacle; from here on, Astin could handle things on his own.
“Once we’re in the boat, which direction do we go?”
“Hmm…. If I remember right, we kept heading north. Ah, and even if I’m a little off, you’ll know once night falls.”
A small smile formed at the corner of his mouth.
“That’s something you’ll be hard-pressed to see anywhere in this swamp….”
A sharp cracking sound rang out.
Astin’s voice, cut off before it could finish, scattered into the sky.
Along with a spray of blood, splinters of wood flew through the air.
Instant death.
Astin, whom they had just been speaking with moments earlier, was dead.
“Alligator!”
“Take cover!”
Screams rang out.
Lawrence reflexively ducked behind a tree and looked around.
He couldn’t see the Alligator.
No—there it was.
Far away, near the shallows, something that looked like a black dot was growing larger by the second.
It threw that from all the way over there?
“Don’t hide! Run!”
Neil’s voice snapped everyone back to their senses.
That was right. This was not the time to hide. With the distance between them still this wide, they needed to run now, before it was too late.
As Lawrence scrambled to his feet, he caught sight of Morus and Garick.
“Garick! Morus!”
“Damn it! I know that much!”
“…….”
Even when he shouted, they didn’t move. No—more precisely, they couldn’t move.
Garick was too exhausted to get up, and Morus could only stare blankly at Astin’s corpse.
What should he do?
Shadow Spear!
There was no time to think.
He only needed to buy even a moment.
Without hesitation, Lawrence cast the spell and hurled it toward the approaching black dot.
“Damn it. Hell. Just go! At this rate, we’ll all die!”
“Lawrence!”
“Balic! Garick and Morus!”
“You idiot!”
As if he had expected this all along, Balic spat out a curse. But even as he swore, he hurriedly hauled Garick onto his back.
“If you want to live, hold that shield properly.”
“I know that!”
The problem was Morus.
Balic could not take care of both of them.
“Neil!”
“I’m going now!”
The desperate cry was swallowed by the sound of wood cracking.
“Ghk!”
He thought the black blur had passed by him.
But the enormous tree that came flying at such terrible speed pierced straight through Morus.
That wasn’t all. Like a piece of trash, Morus’s body was sent tumbling across the ground without mercy.
He was flung so badly that he landed beside Lawrence.
“Morus!”
“…S-save….”
The words never finished forming.
After vomiting a clot of blood, Morus went limp.
The lower half of his body, twisted into something grotesque, would never return to its original shape.
“Damn it all!”
The surroundings were in chaos.
There was no doubt the Alligators had noticed the commotion.
They had to move fast.
If they stayed here, he would end up the same as the other two.
“Lawrence!”
Now Neil was sprinting toward him, shouting his name.
Balic, running with desperate urgency while still looking back over his shoulder. Garick, barely managing to keep his shield raised. Their faces flashed through Lawrence’s mind.
“Neil! I’ll see you in town!”
“What?”
After casting Shadow Spear, Lawrence broke into a run.
But he wasn’t headed in the same direction as the other three. He was running toward the direction Astin had managed to tell them before he died.
Toward the river that drained the swamp.
“Let’s all survive and meet again!”
“Damn it! Don’t worry about us!”
Neil seemed to grasp Lawrence’s intention at once. He quickly changed course and fled in the opposite direction.
“If you die, I’m coming back to kill you myself! You hear me, Lawrence?!”
He had no time to answer.
What remained in the boy’s mouth was the specialty of the hour: Shadow Spear.
He would tie their feet up, even for a moment. That was the best thing Lawrence could do—for himself, and for the others fleeing in the opposite direction.
He ran, and ran again, and when he thought he could make out something shining beyond the darkness, Lawrence came face-to-face with a river that seemed to have no end.
The river that drained the swamp.
Recognizing that this was the place Astin had spoken of, he looked around. Boats. Boats. Boats….
There. Just as the man had said, several small boats were moored near the water’s edge.
Of course, none of them were already floating in the river.
Lawrence looked back.
He still couldn’t see the Alligators.
But the sound of the earth trembling beneath their weight was drawing closer by the second.
Then black light streaked toward him.
He failed to react in time.
The tree that brushed past the boy by a hair’s breadth slammed straight into a boat.
Crack.
With a horrifying sound, the boat shattered and sank.
Not just one of them—the boats lined up behind it were dragged into the same disaster.
A vicious gale swept through the area.
Now he could see them. The Alligators. Every time their tails lashed, the trees around them were sent flying into the sky one after another.
There was no time left.
If he stayed where he was, he’d be skewered by a tree like a wooden spit.
Ducking through the rain of flying timber, Lawrence shoved a boat into the river.