Chapter 6: Chapter 06: Lurking In The Shadows
Slowly the two of them descended downwards, Hikari struggled to jump in between roots.
Geo thought this was funny, but decided not to react as she was already irritated.
Eventually, they reached the end of the pathway. Although they weren't anywhere near the ground yet. Geo knew he had to at least create the same amount of roots twice more.
As he calculated this he realized they had passed the point of no return.
He sat down to meditate, as he did, roots began to grow from behind the waterfall.
This time the pathway was different than the last,
having a straight path downwards with roots on the side for support.
Geo did his best to lower the roots as much as possible.
Because he hoped they could jump into the water to speed up their decent.
"Hikari, well be sliding down to gain momentum, I think jumping into the river from there would be our best option, if... you let me go first, I'll be able to catch you. Depending on a possible slip-up this should be our best option."
Hikari got startled, realizing she had to jump down.
In turn, she slipped and went down before Geo.
In response to this Geo jumped after her, hoping he could still catch her.
But all seemed in vain.
Geo began gaining momentum and almost caught up with Hikari,
and just before they hit the surface of the river, Geo reached out to her.
Not being able to prepare to make them collide with the water, with a heavy impact.
Hikari lay motionless in the water when Geo grabbed her and quickly pulled her out.
On the shore, he listened to her lungs, but... No movement...
Quickly he began to perform CPR, pushing 13 times on her chest.
Several attempts had been made, but no reaction...
Finally, Geo knew he had to resort to contracting with their mouths.
Feeling kind of awkward, he knew he was doing the right thing.
Again he pushed on her chest in sequence, when suddenly she began to cough.
Coughing up a large amount of water she had survived!
Geo collapsed onto the ground, as relief came over him. Able to save his friend,
he realized this was only the start... would it be better to keep on traveling together,
or would he be better off alone?
No one could know for sure, but one thing was certain. Their challenges had only just begun.
Geo felt eyes on him. A feeling he knew all too well...
They were being watched. Just to be safe, he covered both of them with roots and leaves making them blend with the surrounding dirt and plant life within the area. It appeared Geo's intuition was right on point.
And not a moment too late as a group of people arrived at the area shortly after the roots had sheltered and covered their present form the outside world.
Hooded like those he had seen during the tournament of beginnings. Not knowing why they were here Geo felt the urge of knowing what they were doing in the area slowly eat away at him.
He knew it was best to not be found by people like them,
still... his curiosity began to take over.
The hooded figures were whispering. Unable to hear Geo's curiosity only grew stronger.
He counted without making a noise. One... two... three... four... five!
The both of them were outnumbered but Geo knew that taking them by surprise could work to their advantage.
Before revealing its position Geo quickly lowered Hikari into the ground, making sure they wouldn't find her. But just before Geo wanted to strike one of the hooded figures spoke in a loud and high pitched shrieking voice.
"We were tailing them for days!!! Aaarrrggghhh!
The opportunity to strike was now...
How did we lose them?! You... tell me, what was it we were supposed to do?!"
Another bowed down and began to apologize.
"I'm sorry sir! Lazos doesn't know how this could happen!"
The frustrated one lowered his hood revealing something unexpected. The hooded figure was smaller than most, had a thin and fragile-looking body. Toned and camouflaged by mud, dirt, and leaves. Geo looked right through it.
As its dark green, crooked skin and pointy ears gave away its nature.
"GOBLINS!!!"
The five of them shot up in surprise as Geo shot out of the rooted shelter. Lashing out against the five of them, quickly one of them got pierced by a thick and sharp wooden log. The second one got slammed into the ground by what looked like a two-handed pole, but instead was sent flying.
The three remaining figures quickly dodged and prepared an attack from the front,
left, and right.
But before they could strike Geo slammed its foot into the ground making roots shoot out of the ground and catching the assassins in their act.
Caught off guard they tried to break free, but were unable to...
Frustrated the three of them began throwing a tantrum.
Even if it was a futile attempt they still had to try.
Because getting caught would mean imminent death.
While all of them struggled to get free Geo slowly approached the one in the middle.
Cracking his knuckles and neck as he tried to think of an act to look through.
The goblins knew that when Geo would be close enough it would mean the end of them.
"Now then... who is going to tell me what is happening?"
He said while staring intensely at the three of them.
None of them reacted to his threats, so Geo initiated violence. He thought getting the answers could be challenging so he was prepared to torture it out of them.
Now close enough Geo slammed his fists together and repeated his question.
"Who sent you here?! I finished the job didn't I?"
The two on the outside looked at the one in the middle as if they knew what Geo was talking about. But before they could react, Geo sucker-punched the one in the middle.
A heavy thud could be heard. As Geo's fist buried its way through the middle one's stomach,
it began coughing up blood.
The two on the outside began to cower in fear, but the one in the middle wouldn't budge.
Not letting up any information Geo knew he had to break them all.
Slamming left and right, the goblins teeth fell out one by one, by now its face couldn't even be recognized by its allies as they knew, the same faith could be awaiting them.
Geo stopped his flurry allowing a small window of opportunity for the green bastard to answer, but instead, he spits its blood towards Geo.
Enraged by the creature's impudence, Geo lowered himself, readying to strike upward. Without the smallest glimmer of mercy, he knocked the little creature's head clean off.
A fountain of what looked like mud shot out of the place where once his head was.
Lifeless the torso fell to the ground.
The others knew that the same faith was awaiting them and begged for their lives.
But before they could answer Geo had lost himself in his bloodlust.
The feeling of slaughtering those unworthy of life, this man didn't have any speck of compassion for them.
"Next!"
Geo screamed while slowly making his way to the left. As he got closer he knew they were too scared to run away so he lowered the roots restraining the one on the left.
Just enough... To provide an opening to its chest.
The bloodlust and killing intent seeped from Geo's body? Disgusted by their attempts to struggle. And do whatever they could to survive. He lowered himself on equal ground and faced the one on the left.
"Well? Are you going to tell me? It seems your leader was a fool, but... are you too?"
The goblin cowered in fear, refusing to speak it turned its head.
"Fine then... I gave you a chance... It seems you are rather loyal to your clients."
Geo opened his hand and straight through the creature's chest, swiftly ripping out its ever beating heart. The one on the right couldn't believe what was happening and tried to break free with all its might.
As Geo held the still-beating heart in its hand, he smiled.
And slowly turned to the last remaining goblin.
"Say... you don't want to end up like your friends, do you?
Tell you what, inform me of what I want to know, and I'll let you go."
Geo said nonchalantly as an innocent smile showed on his face.
Squatting down in front of the ugly creature suddenly it began to tear up,
as it knew it had nowhere to go. Geo calmed his bloodlust, keeping the creature at ease.
"But if you don't..."
Geo grabbed its face as bloodlust spiked from its essence.
"Okay, okay... Baath values his life more than loyalty!"
Geo lowered his hand.
"Speak..."
He said, waiting for the creature to reply. Hesitant at first the creature whimpered, making it difficult to speak.
"W-we... t-t-the d-deceitful five were told to retrieve a precious cargo of the king."
"Cargo? You don't mean..."
"Y-you guessed correct, we were told to bring the young girl to the capital, for various reasons I cannot tell you who send us, but what Baath can tell is that they love exquisite creatures, such as herself."
Baath looked around nervously as if afraid to continue, but did so anyway.
"The other mission was to see what you were up to and inform back to the group..."
Before Baath could finish his sentence an arrow shot straight through both ends of the creature's temple, making it collapse like a bag of meat.
Quickly Geo looked at the trajectory of the arrow, hoping to spot whoever shot at the creature.
But... nothing... Geo pulled upon its shoulders.
"Better dead than sorry."
Looking around, he knew he wasn't alone anymore... But where... where could they be?
One thing was certain, they were lurking in the shadows...
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
RaijinInu
RaijinInu Geo & Hikari have found themselves in quite a predicament, and who or what might be lurking in the shadows... watching their every move?!
Find out, in the next chapter of;
Arganthes: The World Tree
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone