Watching Senior Francesca don a bizarre mask and hop around with the Gajalaka, Altaïr and the others struggled to keep straight faces for a moment.
They all knew that although Francesca was eccentric and sometimes did strange things for amusement, she was always exceptionally reliable when serious matters arose.
So even though she currently looked as if she had lost her mind, she was probably... genuinely... doing her utmost to communicate with the Gajalaka, right?
After dancing in circles with the Gajalaka for a while, Francesca bent down and touched masks with the leader.
Immediately afterward, she began speaking fluent Gajalaka in the excitable cadence characteristic of the tribe.
As she spoke, she took off her backpack and emptied it with a crash, piling everything in front of the Gajalaka leader.
Altaïr took a closer look. The pile consisted mostly of rations, along with a few gleaming metal and glass ornaments.
Then Francesca drew a lavishly decorated hand axe and thrust it into the Gajalaka leader's hands.
The leader stared at her blankly for several seconds, then looked down at the sharp, imposing axe, seemingly stunned by Francesca's extravagance.
Without hesitation, the Gajalaka discarded the battered dagger it had once treasured, leaped onto Francesca's shoulder, and raised the axe high with a mighty shout.
"Gaga-ya!"
The surrounding Gajalaka waved their arms and legs, cheering in response. "Gaga-ya! Gaga-ya!"
"Looks like they've become friends," Isis whispered beside Altaïr. "Francesca once told me that dealing with Gajalaka can't be purely transactional. You have to show loyalty. Once they accept you as a friend, everything afterward becomes easy."
"I see..." Altaïr murmured thoughtfully.
Only Morgan looked utterly baffled. This young woman came from one of the wealthiest merchant families around. How had she become so skilled at befriending Gajalaka?
Nearby, Francesca continued her loud exchange with the Gajalaka. Suddenly, one of them sprang forward, waving its arms and legs as it chattered about something.
Francesca's eyes lit up when she heard it. She turned back to the Hunters and called, "We've got a lead. Follow me!"
Then she disappeared into the woods with the group of Gajalaka.
Altaïr and the others exchanged glances and hurried after her.
Although Francesca now worked behind a desk, her agility and footwork remained exceptional. She moved through the dense vegetation and difficult terrain of the deep forest as though crossing level ground, never falling behind the local inhabitants.
According to Francesca, she had honed those skills during countless escapes from mortal danger.
—--
After running for about ten minutes, the Gajalaka guide led them to a short, massive tree. It pointed toward the treetop, and everyone followed the gesture.
Two people lay on the thick, sprawling branches. One was a stranger; the other was Brandley, one of the Vanguard Hunting Party members the group had been searching for.
Altaïr and the others hurried up and carefully carried both victims down from the tree.
Fortunately, although both had suffered severe injuries, lost consciousness, and developed fevers, their vital signs remained relatively stable.
Nearby, Francesca obtained a rough account of what had happened from the Gajalaka guide.
She looked up and told the group, "It says that the night before, someone very broad, probably Buck, carried these two here. After getting them into the tree, that person ran off."
Altaïr noticed that both casualties had been stripped of almost everything they carried. He did not need to guess who was responsible.
Still, that was nothing compared with losing their lives. At least the Gajalaka had not stabbed the two unconscious, badly wounded survivors to death...
Hunters suffered injuries often enough that most knew basic first aid. After quickly examining both casualties, Altaïr said, "Someone crudely treated their wounds. Buck probably gave them medicine, then rushed away for some reason."
Francesca walked over, took out her waterskin, and splashed a little water onto Brandley's face.
Forcibly waking a badly wounded person was hardly ideal, but with two people still missing, the rescuers could not afford to worry about that.
Brandley jolted sharply and opened his eyes.
His pupils were slightly dilated, and he was clearly only half-conscious.
"Francesca... Boss?"
"What happened? Where are Serl and Buck?" Francesca asked, keeping her questions as short and clear as possible.
At the sound of his companions' names, Brandley's thoughts seemed to clear slightly. In a hoarse voice, he said, "We... were attacked.
"Red... light. The Airship crashed... Boss and the others... where are they?"
Clearly, Brandley could not answer Francesca's second question either.
"Get some rest..." Francesca frowned deeply, gave Brandley a little more Potion, and pressed him back down.
Neither casualty was in life-threatening condition, so there was little cause for immediate concern.
The problem now was finding the missing Serl and Buck.
Francesca continued pressing the Gajalaka for more information, but unfortunately learned nothing else of use.
Altaïr focused on the tracks around the base of the great tree. The soil in the Jungle was soft, and a fully armed Hunter could easily leave footprints behind.
Fortunately, no rain appeared to have fallen nearby over the past two days, so the tracks remained relatively clear.
"Senior Buck came from the direction of the coast. After leaving the wounded here, he ran back toward the coast." Altaïr crouched beside the trail and touched the prints of uneven depth. "Senior Buck was clearly in bad shape too. That, combined with his strange decision to leave the wounded and run back...
"Unless I'm mistaken, Senior Serl stayed behind to cover their retreat. Senior Buck carried the wounded to a place that was at least somewhat safe, then ran back to support him.
"There's no point in staying here. Call Nymera and the others back. We'll head toward the coast as well. Be ready for a fight."
Isis and Morgan nodded and quickly checked their weapons. Altaïr left Francesca behind with the Gajalaka to watch over the wounded.
This time, Francesca did not object. She knew perfectly well when she could help and when she would become a burden.
—--
Not long after the Hunters set out again, an SOS Flare rose from the direction of the coast.
The SOS Flare was not red, which would signal danger and request emergency support, or green, which would mean the search was complete and everyone should withdraw. It was yellow, used to mark a position and indicate that something had been found.
Altaïr and the others immediately quickened their pace and hurried toward the signal.
Before long, they reached the coastline strewn with rubble and massive boulders and found Olivia and Dylan, who had fired the flare.
Dylan waved to them from a distance while Olivia crouched on the ground, busy with something.
Only when Altaïr and the others drew closer did they realize that Olivia was administering emergency treatment.
Buck lay on the ground covered in wounds. Buck's injuries were far more severe than Brandley's or the Airship pilot's.
His face was pale, one arm was broken, and a vast, horrific wound crossed his chest and abdomen as though a rotary blade had torn through him. If not for the faint rise and fall of his chest, he could have been mistaken for a corpse.
"How is... Senior Buck?" Isis asked nervously.
"We've already given him a Max Potion. His injuries are too severe, and his body temperature is very low. He must be sent back to the Knowledge Seeker immediately for treatment by a professional physician."
"Did you find Serl?" Altaïr crouched beside Buck, took out some Lifepowder, and scattered it over the wound across Buck's abdomen. "We found Brandley and the Airship pilot. Senior Serl must have stayed behind to cover the retreat, and Senior Buck should have been with him."
Olivia remained silent for several seconds. "We didn't find him, nor did we see his body."