Considering his options Benzhi could only come up with three plausible strategies, as he crept up the hillock.
One; he could sneak into the village and attempt to remain undetected for as long as possible whilst waiting for an opportunity to present itself such as being able to take out a leader or identifying some sort of mischief. Which might cause a lot of damage. The downside. If he was discovered, by the ferals, the element of surprise would basically be lost. The ferals were small, and if Benzhi's assumptions were correct, if they were anything like goblins from game-lore, they would be cunning, crafty and exceedingly hard to infiltrate.
Two; Benzhi could attempt a surprise attack and proceed to leave immediately after. This would possibly involve them putting together a warband to chase him, he could lead the warband away and then turn on them. Other possibilities exist depending on the ferals reaction to an attack. However, too much hinged on the ferals chasing him. If they did not, then he would have played his hand, he would be better off leaving now without giving the ferals a heads up of an impending attack.
Three; Intimidation. Feral number two became very scared of Benzhi. Shitting itself basically. It had now returned to the village and was probably delivering animated tales about Benzhi the monster. It had run from him, so it was possible it would exaggerate the encounter so it didn't look so cowardly. All fair assumptions. Even if the assumptions were incorrect this tactic could still work. By the time Benzhi had crept up most of the hill his mind was made up. Strategy three was the go.
Apart from the huts, the only structure the ferals had was a very small wooden tower. It was only ten feet tall with a token palisade. There was a feral manning it with a bow. The feral on duty did not seem too interested in the hillside, Benzhi was crawling up. It was leaning against a post with its head down, probably napping. Rising to a crouch, Benzhi started to angle towards the tower. He spied another feral approaching the tower, perhaps feral number two's message meant the sentry would be woken and told to be alert for the Benzhi monster.
Benzhi decided now was the time to act. He stood, drew his sword and launched into a full tilt sprint towards the tower. Last time Benzhi lined his ears with qi he damaged his eardrums. Throwing caution to wind Benzhi tried, for the first time, layering his mouth with qi and roared as he charged the tower.
The ensuing roar was so loud it not only startled the ferals it also shocked Benzhi himself. The noise was that immense the tower rattled. The ferals gaped slack-jawed with eyes wide. They didn't run scared, they stood frozen. Benzhi dipped his shoulder, recalling his football days, decided on a good ol' shoulder charge. He directed a tiny layer of qi to his shoulder, hopefully, it would reinforce his shoulder or assist in pushing the tower as it did with his sword to the feral in the forest. He charged one of the wooden supports, there were only three. The tower crumpled, throwing the feral and wood forward and, due to gravity, down.
Only one problem, Benzhi brought the tower down on himself as he ran under it as it crumpled. His momentum carried him through and he was unable to stop at the tower's support. Benzhi was never one for half measures. Charging feral towers whilst roaring included. He gave it his all, now he lost sight of the feral sentry and its visitor, as wood from the tower obscured his vision. It was too late now, but it occurred to Benzhi, as he was becoming buried, that he could have perhaps avoided going underneath the tower and instead side swept the support or hit one while running out from underneath the tower.
Benzhi received a large bruise on his head for his effort amongst a variety of cuts and bruises, all over his body, from the falling structure. There wasn't a great amount of wood in the tower, however, it seemed most of it landed on Benzhi. He was brought to his knees for a few moments. Standing back up, Benzhi pushed off a few wooden planks, which were more like driftwood than the well-crafted product of a carpenter. Fortunately, none of the sharpened sticks of the palisade, which circumferenced the tower's platform, stabbed him when falling. 'Oh gawd, that's going to be a cracker of a headache,' Benzhi thought rubbing his bruised skull.
'Time for another rawr,' Benzhi thought, layered his mouth with qi and let one out as he emerged from the tower. If he was going to scare the ferals into fleeing he needed to put on a good show. Plus he was feeling it. This body, that was not his, now felt like home. Despite his hairless and changed state, he was starting to forget what was real and what was a simulation. In his, now manically pumping, heart this felt real. Benzhi's gazes swept his surroundings, surprisingly, no feral was in his immediate area. Well, none that he could see. It was a tiny village despite the twenty huts and single tower. He could not see behind the huts in his immediate vicinity so Benzhi strode, with the most menacing gait he could summon, to the centre of the village.
Just as Benzhi directed qi to his blade, in an artless fashion, a feral jumped out at him with a spear. A scream left its mouth as it attempted to stab Benzhi with its spear. Benzhi swept the spear aside with his sword and proceeded to bring his left hand to bear, pushing qi out his palm without thinking. Although it was only a couple of weeks his intense training had ingrained a small amount of muscle, and apparently qi, memory. Benzhi's palm connected with the ferals face knocking it to the ground in a heap. In the moment Benzhi watched it before he strode onwards, he could see some blood oozing from its head. Benzhi decided to swipe any structure he could see with his sword as he strode onwards.The huts were mostly thatch upon large sticks. Nothing that could damage his wooden sword, although he wasn't sure how strong the sword was or what it could take on head to head. He brought down the sides of a few huts, or caused gaping holes, before arriving at what looked like the centre of the village.
The ferals had a welcoming party. 'How nice,' Benzhi smiled. The centre of the village consisted of what looked like a gathering place, it was clear with plenty of room for a few dozen ferals to sit with what looked like a totem pole in the centre. In the clearing Benzhi could see seven ferals with spears glaring at him and one which looked like a voodoo priest. Or possibly feral shaman, with its headdress, feathers, bone through its nose and a crooked staff.
Benzhi screamed at the ferals, "time to die pipsqueaks!" He proceeded to walk up to the totem pole, as the ferals eyed him cautiously, and kicked it with all his might. It wasn't anything fancy, just a big flat foot to its centre, designed to knock over the totem pole and scare the ferals as much as possible. If Gisael was his nemesis, he was fairly certain he would be the ferals after today. As the totem pole left its foundations and flew through the air, there was a unanimous outcry from the ferals. Its foundations must have been weak, Benzhi was hoping to snap the totem. It had the courtesy to fly through the air and smash the shaman in the head. Both the feral shaman and the totem lay upon the ground unmoving. As the seven spear wielding ferals screamed and charged.
It was all Benzhi could do to push away the spears with sword and hand, spinning as if practising a form, he danced through the throng. Despite his quick movements, he was unable to dodge all the thrusts. He was stabbed once in the leg and a second time in the thigh. Pushing qi out his palm he was able to smash one of the spears to smithereens, however, there were still six spears stabbing at him in anger. Benzhi walloped another feral in the head as he turned, slowly turning the table on the ferals. But another attack got past his swirling defence a spear caught him in his lower back, his kidney, not good, pain shot through Benzhi and he shrank to his knees. Desperate Benzhi poured qi into the would, it didn't close the wound nor make any difference that he could recognise. Despite the pain, he felt he could continue or at least attempt to escape before it was too late. Benzhi shook his head to clear it and something caught his eye. In the hole where the totem pole was placed, he could see a large green gemstone shining brightly.
Benzhi stood, growling menacingly at the ferals. "No mercy," he spat at them. The first one to come near Benzhi had its spear grabbed and he pulled it in to close quarters. Benzhi used the butt of his sword to smash its face. A second came and he kicked it in the shoulder sending it flying backwards. Benzhi swooped towards the hole where the totem used to be planted. 'No wonder they were fighting with all their might they must be protecting their treasure,' Benzhi comprehended. Sheathing his sword he grabbed the gemstone and carrying it like a football began to run at his fastest speed. One feral tried to block his path and Benzhi stiff-armed it as he ran past.
Benzhi picked up his pace, it was his turn to be chased. He was bleeding from his back had wounds to his leg and thigh, he wondered how long he could last. If he could just make the forest he would be able to crudely treat his wounds with the small amount of knowledge he had from training with Gisael. As he reached the perimeter of huts, at the edge of the village, he could see Gisael standing there, bow in hand with an arrow nocked, she was gaping at him. Not only had he managed to stun a few ferals with his antics, he had managed to leave Gisael baffled as well. Benzhi smiled to himself.
He ran past her, down the hill. She stood staring after him and looking back at the village. Her mouth open and closed. Benzhi could not see what happened next, he just kept running back to the forest as fast as he could. After a minute of full tilt running Gisael ran up beside Benzhi catching him with ease.
"What...you..," she stammered, "....idiot!" She turned, stopped for a moment and fired off a shot which was rewarded with a few squeals.
"Idiot, stupid, idiot." she informed Benzhi of her opinion.
"Look," Benzhi said and showed her the gemstone. Gisael emitted a small, high pitched, yelp.
"Yeah, who's the forest guardian now," Benzhi said enjoying the moment.
"You are stupid, and I am guardian of the stupid," Gisael retorted. "What will you do with that?" She said indicating the gemstone.
"The ferals seem to miss it. We will use it to draw them to our battlefield and take them out." Benzhi had an inspiration the moment he picked up the gemstone and ran with it.
"Um, can you help with this?" Benzhi indicated the wound on his lower back.
"I should let stupid die, my life would be simple again," Gisael replied. Yet she attended his wound with some herbs from her pouch as soon as they put enough distance between themselves and the ferals.
It was dark, there was some moonlight, enough to make out shapes and Gisael seemed unaffected by the lack of light. Gisael and Benzhi made their way back to the glade in silence apart for the word stupid muttered at regular intervals.
Chapter end
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