After gathering the loot of our skirmish with the Carrion Owl Gunners, we hunt a few creatures of minced meat, mining frozen vegetables from the ground.
Later, we leave the passage, and Farllette's Charcoal Summon reappears.
She has the same thought as me, both sending our recon force high into the sky, having a peripheral vision of our route to prevent a possible ambush from the Farioth.
The cloudless sky provides an excellent shared view, observing the scorched pastures that function as border, where the Summons of the Saintess, Nissi and Ines should be hovering around to maintain a constant surveillance over the Chased Group.
{The terrain is empty}.
The Summons and people are absent from the border, paths of ashes trail into the perimeter of exclusion, reaching a stone mansion that is located several kilometers away from the Umbral's building.
Corpses of people and Farioth are scattered around a robust pot bellied Butcher, his red tattoos glowing with Vitality, protecting his fat frame with a powerful Bodsh. His defense is strong enough to ignore the Plasma Bolts fired by the Farioth, along the occasional «Blast» from Verseika and Esdrana.
{Are they Cooperating?. Why?. Didn't they say Nifflers and Farioth were enemies of all?}.
The Butcher tears off the arm of a Farioth's corpse, peeling it from the exoskeleton, and chomping a bite of the bluish flesh with his foul fanged mouth, not different than if he were chewing a chicken leg.
"«Grogger»". Angrily grunts Farllette, ordering her Summon to rain the creature with golden fire.
The Butcher's Bodsh is resilient, deflecting all strikes, incinerating the corpses.
This angers him, his knife cutting the air, sending a crescent red slash, parting and dispelling the Charcoal Summon.
{No wonder there are no Summons fighting}.
Despite the bad odds, we accelerate our stroll. Meanwhile, i empower my Summon with the red Halo, striking repeatedly the Butcher.
He brandishes his blade, the curved red energy is too fast for My Summon to dodge, so i gamble for her defensive prowess, using the True Wine Halo, what allows her to erect a Traingular Reuleaux Barrier, sending back the slash, injuring the Butcher.
{The same happened with the Carrion Owl Gunner's lightning. Then. Employing solely a base Stat to attack, must render the user vulnerable to the same type of aggression, hence, a Bodsh functioning with one Stat, cannot protect the user effectively}.
Confident on my insight, the Summon doesn't need an order, discharging an enhanced lightning bolt of Vitality over the Butcher.
His energetic protection bloats and bursts like a soap bubble, stunned momentarily, but quickly awakened by the burning pain delivered from the Plasma Bolts fired by the Farioth, who focus on injuring the Grogger, their sadistic side on full display, not letting the Butcher escape, or die.
I keep tabs on the situation. The Farioth constantly entering and exiting the building, and in their rounds, they torture the Grogger, flagellating the thick rough skin, impeding the creature from regaining his Bodsh, or regenerate the burned flesh.
At our arrival, the Farioth spot us, docilely helping us to carry and unpack the supplies we brought for our Box Of Boxes.
The interior of the construction has been cleared of debris, repaired and cleaned, showing how efficient are the Farioth.
{Seriously. What is going on?}.
I'm not the only one puzzled, though Brenna, Cadrissa and Farllette remain wary, and with good reason, the Farioth are not precisely friendly, and their tendencies are brutal to say the least.
"Lieutenant?".
Calls one of the Farioth with a decent Zaggrioth.
"«The Nightmare» is waiting for you".
{Nightmare?. Who?. Not many know i'm a Lieutenant}.
The Farioth guide us to a chamber where most of the present are injured, and or unconscious, including Ines and Seinnissia, both faithfully attended by Balalaika's short green perimeter, extended with the assistance of the slightly more mature alternative version of the Saintess.
{What the fuck happened?, Are the Saintesses Synchronized?}.
"They are here Nightmare. We will prepare the ingredients for your stay in Naiyag'Kort".
"Proceed". Acknowledges Bayron, who could be altered, if not for the natural nonchalant expression of his unaltered face.
"Care to explain, Soldier?".
"I'm not sure how to do it, Lieutenant". Admits Bayron, speaking with concealed calm. "I don't understand why. But the Farioth call me Nightmare. I already explained to them that i'm not this Nightmare. But they say it's better to confuse the Nightmare than anger the Nightmare. I. I don't know the meaning of that word".
I almost laugh, it sounds proper from Bayron to lack what others could consider basic knowledge. Which only gives another wild insight of how strict his world must be. "When you sleep. Good thoughts are Dreams, Bad thoughts are Nightmares".
"I don't «Think» when i am sleeping".
{That is kinda sad}.
"Understandable, Soldier. In fact, someone once said, «Closing and opening our eyes is how sleep should be». And personally, i believe is the undeniable proof of a good rest".
"I agree". Brenna comments, activating his green perimeter, visibly easing the physical pain and mental burden affecting the unconscious people. "What happened to them?…". He asks, getting dizzy after his emerald irises are ignited with Emts. "They are not in danger, but their minds are a complete mess".
The Saintess sighs. "Brenna Berezovsky. Ines Iscandaris and Seinnissia Sunderzen withstood the backlash of their Summons being dispelled by the Grogger, and weakened, they couldn't react when the Monstrous Brain appear, bypassing everyone's Bodsh, knocking down many with an omnidirectional Mental Attack".
"Where is this Brain Creature?". I ask, recalling the floating brains inside the Errant Enclosed Amalgam.
"Undetermined. It's very fast, and strong for something so scrawny". Growls the Holy Knightess, infuriated with having a bruised broken arm. "That beast took the Thova and a female Farioth. The last we know is Natvasha, your «Alt'Ver» and mine chase the Brain towards the quarry mountains".
I immediately send my Summon to monitor the area, because something doesn't add up in this story.
I'm unaware of the Farioth's capabilities, but they seem really good Trackers, and their overall attitude is ruthless and vindictive. Is not plausible they blatantly decided to not go after a prey. Which means they knew about the Monstrous Brain, or in the quarry, there is something worse than this kidnapping creature…