The group hurriedly walked. With each step, Haze held Allison tighter, preventing her from making a single sound or doing something reckless.

"Am I a hostage now?" Allison growled slowly, trying to break free from Haze's tight grip.

Haze merely grinned, tightening his grip slightly and replied sarcastically, "No idea. But I am sure that you might do something reckless if I release you."

Allison glared at him angrily with narrowed eyes before sighing deeply, defeated.

"Haze, do you know something?" Dryad asked while following him behind.

"Know what?" Haze replied.

"About Sir Alvard's plan.. and why he did everything he's doing now, like... taking this lady to somewhere far away. And you just obeyed him without question?" Dryad stated curiously. "You must know something."

"No," Haze shrugged. "I don't know anything and never will understand his head. He's always like that, unpredictable. I won't lie to you, Dryad, he has many secrets. But I trust him. You should know that. I fully trust his judgment. Whatever he's planning or doing right now, then it must be for a good reason. So, if he asked me to take this lady away, then I would do it. If he said that he must go wherever it might be and told me to wait for his news, then I would let him go and just wait. That simple, Dry." Haze replied in a serious tone, without wavering.

A long silence hung in the air after that. Only the sound of their footsteps and every sound and singing of the night animals could be heard.

Allison looked very tired and frustrated after almost 30 minutes they walked through the woods,

"Where will you take me?" Allison muttered, glaring to Haze "Ouch! Please, slow down!" she protested as she nearly tripped over her dress, but Haze quickly pulled her back up.

"Oops. Careful, princess," Haze said, but rather than a praise, the nickname sounded like a mockery. "We're heading to the train station."

"Train station?! But whe-"

"Don't worry!" Haze snapped. "We'll accompany you."

"The station, huh? And then?" Dryad asked too.

"Dunno'. Maybe to Durea or as far as Silverald," Haze shrugged, thinking of the best place he could suggest right now.

But before they could decide, suddenly someone emerged from the bushes ahead and came rushing towards them fast and hard. Before they realized, a dozen men dressed all in black cloak jumped into the clearing, surrounding the three of them immediately. Those people were the sect members. They managed to catch them up after escaping from the fire. Their guns drawn threateningly which caused Haze, Dryad and Allison to stop dead in their tracks, their eyes wide open.

"What is it now?!" Haze gritted, trying to hold back his emotion.

"Surprised to see us?" one man sneered.
"Lady Allison, You were supposed to stay where we left you, but instead you ran away! You made Ashmedai very angry! You started the chaos!"

Without further warning, they tried to take Allison back. Maybe with bringing her back to the altar, Ashmedai would forgive them, at least that's what they thought.

One man snatched Allison and dragged her behind  him.
"Wait!" she cried out. "Let go of me!"

Haze was about to step forward but another man pointed a gun to his  chest to prevent any attempt against them,
"Stay where you are! Raise your hands!" The man yelled sternly in command.

"Damn..." Haze cursed under his breath.
He and Dryad raised their hands slowly in surrender.

Out of nowhere, a firefly automaton flew again around, above their head. Haze immediately recognized it but the other men seemed didn't notice it.

Suddenly, there was the sound of wind breaking. Someone unknown fired bullet out of nowhere.
One of the men got his leg shot! As he screamed in agony, in a matter of the next second, more bullet landed in other man's thigh.

"Who?! Who was it?! Who's firing us?!!" One of them shouted.
Those men were confused, trying to point the shooter's location but failed.

Taking advantage of that chaos, Haze quickly grabbed Dryad and Allison to hide behind a nearby tree. He told the ladies to duck down and cover their head.

"W..what happened?!" Allison cried.

Through the gap between bushes, Haze looked at the scene.
"I know...," he muttered to himself. "I know this tactic!" He quickly turned to Dryad, "Dry, we both snatch their weapons when I give you a signal, okay?!"

Dryad was slightly surprised by his sudden orders but agreed nonetheless, nodding quickly.

Cries of pain filled  the air.
Allison whimpered loudly. She closed her eyes and covered her ears tightly to block the horrible noises. It was not the first time that she had seen such a brutal sight, but she always hated it so much!

The firefly automaton circled them, as if looking quite pleased with the scene.

Soon enough, all dozen of men fell with their legs injured. Blood began pouring freely out of their wounds. They couldn't even move anymore.

"Now!!" Haze gave Dryad the signal and dashed towards those men.

Dryad stood up as well and  rushed towards the nearest man. The man noticed her and aimed the gun at Dryad. But Haze quickly jumped between him and Dryad, grabbed the gunman's arm, pinning it behind his back. He pulled the man backward and kicked him away, sending him flying and hitting his head against the ground with force.

"Quick! Collect all of the guns!" Haze  shouted.
Dryad picked up several handguns.

"Good! Hide now!" Haze told her.

They swiftly hide with all the weapons in their hands.

"Haze, we must get out of here," Dryad whispered.

"Ssh... not yet. wait," Haze whispered back. He seemed to know very well what to do.

Nearly 10 minutes later, more sect members ran towards them. They must have been drawn by the sound of the commotion. The injured people became bait to draw more of their members out.

In his hiding place, Haze smirked at the sight. Knew that those fools would get caught into the unknown sniper's trap.

"What the hell is happening here?!" one of the men questioned as they arrived. But before he got an answer from the injured, another shot was fired. The sound was so smooth that it was almost like a sharp breeze.

All of a sudden, one of the men fell with a wound on his thigh. Another two followed. Not even a minute later, the fifth man down, too. Soon they all laid in the grass. The sniper, whoever he was, must be very skilled.

None of those people died, but they were badly injured whether in leg or thigh. Causing them couldn't move freely but only whimpered in a painful groan.

Dryad saw the scene with widened eyes.
"W... what is going on?? Who shoot them all?”