Ben held the steering wheel, staring down the road leading to the Chateau. It was the only one that wasn't uneven and riddled with potholes, which would allow him to gain some momentum when running the hounds over. He was parked near the fingerpost, waiting for the soldiers to emerge with the creatures in tow.
Ben glanced through his mirror and noticed the knight and his remaining soldiers standing in a defensive formation at the checkpoint. The knight had initially been skeptical about the plan and outright rejected it. Only after Ben explained the concept of running them over did he become curious and wanted to see how it was done.
Ben’s eyes caught a glimpse of the rustling branches beside the road. The soldiers were sprinting for their lives like Olympic athletes and gave Ben dirty frowns as they passed. One of them stopped near the driver's side window and started shouting. “There’s too many of them. This plan of yours is going to get us all killed.” The guy shook his head and continued towards the bridge.
Just wait and see what I do.
The thought of more enemies shifted Ben’s adrenaline into overdrive. It meant there was more experience to gain, which would help him to level up. He was desperately waiting for his class to upgrade and unlock more abilities. Taking more damage didn't bother him, as he could always fall back on the potions if things didn't go his way. Gulping a deep breath, he shifted into gear.
Dark, furry bodies hopped through the bushes. Their heads shot everywhere as if they were looking for the soldiers who had disturbed them moments before. Their noses sniffed when Ben pressed the horn to catch their attention. When their gaze met the van, they began to growl as if they could already taste his blood. The first few started single-tracking ahead, and a dozen more poured out.
Ben took a breath and resisted the urge to hit the gas until they were lined up like bowling pins for him to knock down. When the time came, his tires screeched on the cobbles before contacting the ones at the forefront.
The hounds at the back flinched as their comrade's bones were crushed to smithereens. It was enough for Ben to catch them before they had tried to move out of the way. With every thud, the cobbles below became more crimson. The ones at the back let out whimpered howls as they turned tail and started running back into the forest.
Ben steered towards the road's edge and heard the bushes swipe his fender. He managed to get a few of them before returning to the center of the road. He slowed down before turning and made his way back around.
[+112XP, +16MP]
Some of the hounds lying on the ground were still wriggling like worms and looked as if they were about to get back up. Ben knew that if he let them escape, they could still pose a danger to the people of the village later on. Steering the van so its tires lined up with their bodies, he ran them over on the way back to the fingerpost.
[+42XP, +6MP]
Ben positioned the van to face the road again and reversed back along the length of the bridge until he reached the other side. He figured that if more of them decided to show up randomly, he could dispose of them quickly.
When he got out, the knight stared at him with his mouth open as wide as a whale’s before saying, “I can't believe you just did that.”
Ben grinned. “Now, do you see what a man in a van can do?” He scratched his head.
That sounded less cheesy in my head.
“You slaughtered an entire pack of them without even breaking a sweat. Now I understand why Le’Vieux sent you here alone.”
“You should have seen the look on his face when I showed him. Anyway, with that done, can you assure us that we have a deal?"
The knight nodded. “Of course. The remaining hounds won't be a problem. I will order my men to return to their den and burn it to ashes. That should hopefully get rid of the problem altogether. Don’t worry. I am a man of my word and will run regular daily patrols to the village and back.”
Har nodded. “We appreciate what you’re doing for us. Hopefully, this will get things in order at the village, and life can return to normal.” He then faced Ben. “We should return and give them the good news they’ve been waiting months for.”
Ben squinted his eyes.
What the heck!
They were halfway through their journey when the figure of a young lad running down the road caught his eye. He looked no older than twelve years old and appeared to be in distress. When he neared, terror glinted in his eyes.
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Ben recognized him from the inn when his heart sank deep into his guts, and he huffed in frustration. He figured those stupid hounds that escaped his slaughter must have made their way there for some revenge.
Har had already stopped near the boy when Ben hit the brakes, edged towards them, and dropped his window.
“What’s happened?” Ben asked.
Har leaped off the horse, grabbed the boy by the shoulders, and shook him before bombarding him with questions. “Finnan, tell me what’s going on? Is everyone in the village alright? Was it the damn bloodhounds? Is Kerstin alright?”
Ben couldn't tell if he was shaking his head or if it was all that shaking Har was subjecting him to.
“They attacked the village and took everyone.” Finnan whimpered before starting to cry again.
“Who did it?” Har pressed.
Finnan choked on his words before they escaped his lips, and it looked like he was about to pass out.
“Har! Ben yelled. “I doubt he’ll be able to talk with you, shaking him like that. Calm down and make sure he’s alright. I can get there quicker and see what’s happened there.” He didn't wait for a response and instead pressed the gas pedal to the floor.
When Ben turned to face the inn, anger swept across his body.
The inn’s door had been smashed through, and there appeared to be random things scattered around the entrance as if they had been ransacked. There didn't appear to be anyone in sight except for the bodies of the two guards who had been butchered and left for dead in puddles of their blood.
He scanned the surrounding area to see if anyone was around. At that point, he wasn't sure if getting out of the van was a good idea in case an ambush awaited him. He crept towards the entrance and saw a complete mess.
Where could they have gone?
He blared the horn a few times before poking his head through the window and shouting at the top of his lungs. “Hey! Is anyone still alive in there?” Surely, someone must have heard him, and when there was no response, he slammed his hand on the steering wheel.
Damn! Just when I thought things were getting better.
He sighed and growled in annoyance as the faces of the little children flashed through his head. He had let them all down. His breaths became short as a wave of anxiety swept across him like a tidal wave. Putting his head down in shame, he grabbed his hair and pulled. “It’s all my fault.”
Ben had almost lost all hope when a labored coughing sound emerged. He glanced at the older guard, who let out another cough, which splattered blood across his face. Seeing that the guard was barely alive, Ben’s hand shot to one of the healing potions before swinging the door open and running towards him like the wind.
Ben wasn't sure if the potion would work on someone barely alive, but having one less potion for himself was worth the risk of saving someone's life. He grabbed the guard, lifted him, and turned him around before pounding his back. It took a moment before the trapped blood joined the crimson-colored mud below.
When the guard started croaking some breaths, Ben turned him over while ripping the cork off the potion and forced it down his throat. “It’s a healing potion,” he muttered. And once life started returning to the guard's face, Ben asked, “Tell me what happened here?”
The guard sat upright and frantically checked his wounds. His mouth dropped wide open as if he couldn't believe what had occurred before sucking in a lungful of air. “I thought I was a dead man for sure.” He held his head in shame and appeared to hold his tears back. “Those damn bandits launched a surprise attack the moment you and Har left. They disposed of us first, then took the village folk as prisoners. From the looks of things, they ransacked all our supplies before returning to the old mine.”
“The old mine?”
“It’s been disused since the entrance collapsed a while back, killing the miners along with it. They set up a camp there since it was no longer guarded.”
Ben took a deep breath as anger caused him to tremble for revenge. He wanted nothing more than to dispose of those disgusting excuses for human beings who preyed on innocent people barely getting by. He would bring the people of Robynhill back no matter the cost. “I need you to tell me where they are.”
The guard stared at him in confusion. “Have you gone mad? There are over a dozen of them; you’ll be overwhelmed.”
It was like a red filter had been placed over Ben’s vision. There was nothing that was going to stop him. “Only a dozen? I’m going to make them wish they were never born.”
The plopping of horse hooves was followed by a set of creaky wheels bouncing on uneven dirt. Ben turned to see Har leap off the horse and dart towards the inn’s entrance. His face looked pale as snow, and he trembled with each step as he kicked the rubble out of the way, crying Kerstin's name repeatedly.
Finnan had run past him and hurried to the decrepit buildings in the distance before the guard could stop him. He entered one of the buildings and slammed the door shut.
The old guard stopped near Ben. “That used to be his old folks home before they passed away. They were working the mines when it collapsed.”
Har emerged from the entrance and dropped his butt on the planks below. Ben could tell he was trying to hold back the tears when they exploded like rivers running down his cheeks. “She’s all I have left,” He sobbed, almost choking on the words.
Ben blew a deep breath, walked up to him, and held his shoulder. “I need you to take me to their camp. We have to get them back.”
The sound of something metallic scraping through the dirt emerged from the direction of the other buildings. When everyone turned, they found Finnan dragging a pickaxe in tow. How he stopped and started leaning on it made him look like a prospector from the American gold rush. “I’m coming with you.” He sniffed.
Ben crossed his arms. “It’s going to be dangerous out there, and I don't want you to get hurt.”
Har had calmed down by then and wiped his tears away. His eyes were wide open and glistening for revenge as he turned to Finnan. “I know you want to go there for your sisters and see if we can clear that rubble while there. I promise you, we’ll get to that. You and Otker must stay here and keep an eye on things. Is that good?”
Otker? It must be the guard's name.
Finnan looked like he was about to object but stopped short of just nodding after seeing the look on Har’s face.
Otkar also nodded. “Just bring our people back in one piece.”
“We will.” Were the only words that escaped Har’s mouth.