AN: Whew, managed to get this chapter done somehow :'D Truth be told, I had this chapter near complete a few days ago and was going to update it earlier, but nooooo I had to get sick and had to go to hospital. Typical. Anyway, hope you enjoy reading!

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Chapter 16:

It was just on dusk as Drayce was mercilessly dragged into the labyrinth. Completely against his will. By none other than Keane himself. The other dragoon kept a firm grip on his arm, finding some kind of sick pleasure in keeping him close to his side. To ensure that Drayce wouldn't attempt to wrangle himself free.

With Tokala under Bronson's grip, Drayce wasn't about to abandon him to escape on his own.

The use of the covered wagon and waiting until dusk was likely an attempt to prevent others from witnessing the scene. But as Drayce was dragged through the tall stone gates that led into the labyrinth, someone else appeared before them. A lone guard.

And a few scattered chickens.

Drayce felt a spike of panic. No, Virgil...

"What's going on here?" Virgil questioned, utterly confused and concerned.

Keane abruptly raised his cannon toward Virgil. Panicking, Drayce threw himself toward the dragoon, to shove Keane's arm to the side. Just as he took a shot at Virgil. Thankfully, the shot went wild to the side, away from Virgil, who winced from the sound nevertheless.

"Virgil, run!" Drayce called out desperately as Keane tightened his grip on his arm and harshly pulled him back toward him.

Virgil, thankfully, understood the seriousness of the situation and slipped away into a narrow path of the labyrinth. And his chickens promptly followed. He probably knew the first floor better than anyone.

"Tch," Keane uttered in sheer annoyance. "No matter. Our destination is the second floor anyway. That lowly chicken farmer won't bother us."

Drayce stumbled as Keane continued to drag him along with him. He had no choice but to follow, but he did throw a desperate glance over his shoulder, hoping that Tomlin and Bronson wouldn't attempt to go after Virgil also.

Thankfully, the two seemed content in following Keane as he led the way to the second-floor stairs. Which...was an odd route to take. Did he not know about the stair-jump crystals? Or...was he not able to use them for some reason?

The fact that they had ascended the stairs and not encountered anyone else was a small act of mercy in an increasingly worrying situation.

Keane barely paused as they reached the top step and proceeded to roughly drag Drayce further into the labyrinth. Drayce tried his best to make note of his surroundings in hope of learning where they were heading. And they seemed to be heading north-west. Where most of the toxipedes were found.

And that was a little concerning. Keane wasn't going to drag him pass a toxipede, was he?

Thankfully, Keane led the group to a small clearing where two figures could be seen within the shadows. One perched in a tree nonchalantly. The other...half hidden in the shadows of the foliage.

"Hah, you got both of them," Keita greeted cheerfully. "No surprise."

"Of course, it isn't," Keane retorted.

Drayce didn't give Keita too much attention. His focus was on the figure that was slumped against the base of the tree. "That's..."

It was Runihura. Smears of blood seen in patches across his pale skin. The previous pure white bandages were dirty and torn.

He...

"Hm?" Keane murmured. When he noticed that Drayce was blatantly surprised by Runihura's appearance a smirk made its way to his lips. "Ah, yes. Useless brat."

An anger that Drayce had never felt before made its way into the centre of his chest and he roughly tugged his arm from Keane's grip. Just so he could spin around to face him and glare at him. "What did you do?"

Infuriatingly, Keane looked amused by his reaction. "What makes you think I did anything?"

"No one is in such a state without outside interference."

"You're so right," Keane returned and that smirk of his turned somewhat...menacing as he paced over toward Runihura. "This worthless piece of shit is withholding information. Aren't you? Now be a good boy and spill your guts. Or that will happen literally."

Runihura didn't even lift his head to regard the other earthlain as he continued to sit as still as possible against the truck of the tree. He made no attempt to respond either. Just sat there, limply. He...didn't look as though he was in pain, though the injuries he had; he must have been in immense pain.

But he didn't want to show it? Or had he just...given up?

From where Drayce stood, he couldn't see Keane's face. But he knew, somehow, that the smirk he wore had dissipated into an angry expression. Whatever expression he wore, it was obvious that he was angry.

"Where's the little shit?" Keane demanded as he harshly kicked Runihura in the ribs, causing the harbinger to make a strange sound that was a mix of a gasp and a harsh cough. "You better tell me."

Runihura still made no attempt to verbally respond. He stayed slumped forward, cradling his ribs with his arms and coughed harshly.

Keane made the motion to kick Runihura in the ribs again, but Drayce managed to quickly summon a decoy bunker directly in front of the far too injured harbinger. And Keane ended up kicking that instead. Honestly, Drayce hadn't summoned a Decoy Shield so quickly before. He didn't even remember making the conscious decision to summon one.

The supposed leader of the bandits, however, must be wearing steel-cap boots. As he heard a loud metal clang sound when he struck the shield.

Keane was genuinely surprised by the shield and he immediately turned around to throw an irritated glance in Drayce's direction. "What are you trying to do now?" he snapped.

Drayce glared back at him. "Stop it! He's been through enough already!"

"Coming to his aid, are you?" Keane mockingly asked as he turned around and stalked his way toward him.

"Typical bandit, kicking someone when they're down," Drayce stated before he had the chance to re-think his words.

Keane waved a dismissive hand. "I'm simply disciplining him," he returned, far too nonchalantly as he stood directly in front of Drayce.

While he had the need to take a step back, Drayce held his ground. "Discipline doesn't involve beating someone half to death."

Shockingly, Keane barked out a laugh before he slid am arm around Drayce's back and waist, and unexpectedly tugged him toward him. Drayce uttered a sound of surprise as he crashed into Keane's chest. He automatically tried to pull away, but Keane's grip on him was impossibly strong.

"Oh, it is adorable how innocent you are," Keane all but cooed at him as he held Drayce firmer against him and moved his face closer to his. "Coming to the aid of the less fortunate. It's just...adorable."

A wave of nausea immediately washed over Drayce and he desperately leaned back in a desperate attempt to but some distance between them. "L-let go of me!"

With his other hand, Keane grasped Drayce's chin tightly, forcing him to become still. "Even when restrained, you're feisty." He rubbed his thumb roughly over Drayce's bottom lip, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut as another feeling of nausea appeared in his stomach.

"...But I'll have to have fun with you later," Keane said as he abruptly released his hold on him.

Drayce promptly took a few staggering steps backwards. He breathed in a shaky breath in an attempt to calm himself. His heart raced, but it was the painful kind. He...didn't know what Keane would have done if he didn't suddenly pull away like that. His touch alone made him feel sick to his stomach.

If he...

"I've got work to do," Keane said and clicked his fingers. "Tomlin."

"Sure," Tomlin quickly responded. A wicked grin soon appeared on his lips as he turned in Drayce's direction. "Can't have them attempting to wander off."

A second after the necromancer uttered those words, Drayce felt that unnervingly bitter cold again. Directly behind him once more. He didn't need to look over his shoulder to know that a tree wraith was there. Ready to restrain him once again.

Drayce gritted his teeth when he felt a rough, cold, and callous hand grab his wrists and held him still. "Stop your smirking," Drayce snapped when Tomlin appeared wholly satisfied with his work. "You just enjoy sicking your pet wraith on others, don't you?"

"One of life's little pleasures," Tomlin promptly returned. Though his eyes were pitch black, Drayce felt that he had run them up and down over him. "It's...fun watching as others squirm."

"Hardly my idea of heaven," Drayce murmured when Tokala was dragged by the wraith tree to stand next to him, ensuring that the two of them stayed still and together.

"Oh, I don't believe in heaven," Tomlin replied. Somehow, his eyes seemed to become darker. And the smile that crept onto his lips was nothing short of maniac. "But I promise you, there is a hell. Hell is most definitely real."

Drayce wasn't entirely sure how he could respond to that, or even if he should. What Tomlin said was rather...dramatic. Maybe over the top. And yet, that deranged smirk stated otherwise. There was more to him than being part of a comedy duo with Bronson.

However, there was something else brothering him. He probably shouldn't ask...

"Hey, quick question; since you can, you know, detect mana and all," Drayce found himself speaking before he could reconsider. "Why didn't you go hunting for the tokens yourself? Why leave all the hard work to others?"

A scowl flickered upon Tomlin's face. It was soon replaced with a look of dismissiveness. "As you said; unnecessary hard work," he said as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and turned to walk away.

No, that wasn't it at all.

"Or...your mana detect isn't as refined as other celestians."

Tomlin immediately spun back around. His dark eyes were wider than before, and his lips were pulled back, exposing sharp white teeth. "What did you just say?!"

Drayce subconsciously took a half step back. He was surprised by the reaction. And by how the temperature around them suddenly dropped.

"Can it," Keane abruptly snapped, purposely walked through Tomlin's line of sight. "He's observant. And right. The only thing you're good for is restraining captives. Which is fun in of itself."

Tomlin growled lowly at Drayce, and glared hatefully at him for daring to point out a fault. Yet, he had winced and stopped summoning a wraith immediately when Keane snapped at him. Which meant...Keane either had some hold over Tomlin, and likely Bronson, too. Or was far more powerful than the two.

The latter was more...unsettling.

Tomlin continued to glare at him, so Drayce turned to look away. To look at something else.

He looked over at Tokala, only to find the therian still silently terrified. And there was little Drayce could do to comfort him. He was likely frightened by what happened with Runihura and how Keane acted toward Drayce himself. And then Tomlin...perhaps it would be best if Drayce kept future comments to himself.

He couldn't help it, though. The need to know more information was something that treasure hunters were widely known for. Also, more information helped him get a hold of the situation unfolding around them.

It seemed as though Runihura had managed to take that person he cared for to the Crescentia before Keane found out, and that infuriated him. And Tomlin's mana detect skills were lacking, but his wraith summoning skills were pretty on point.

And Bronson...

"Hey, Muscle-Man," Drayce called out to the green haired pugilist when he noted that he had a few bandages of his own. Especially around his head. "How'd you get those injuries?"

Despite his intimidating appearance, Bronson regarded Drayce with a confused look. There was a reason why he was with the bandits, but Drayce couldn't quite figure out what that was. He just felt so...out of place, honestly.

Then again, so did Runihura and Keita.

"Huh? Oh, that?" he asked before he surprisingly and openly began to explain. "Some guy with green hair punched me. Punched me right in the face. I mean, rude. Said I was trespassing or something."

Drayce blinked. Green hair? Did he mean Salim?

"Enough," Keane snapped again. "Bronson, Tomlin; come with me. Keita, keep an eye on them while I do some reconnaissance."

"You got it, Bossman," Keita immediately replied, going as far as to give the dragoon a salute.

The wraith stayed in place, grip firm on both Drayce's and Tokala's restrained wrists. Tomlin shot him another sharp glare as he moved to follow Keane and Bronson. A part of Drayce felt bad for pointing out a flaw, something he was obviously sore about. However, the majority of him felt justified. With him being held prisoner and all.

When Keane and his little band of bandits were out of sight, Drayce turned to Tokala. "Stay close to me," he softly ordered, only to get a meek nod from the therian.

He idly tugged at his restraints as he then turned his attention toward Runihura, who somewhat managed to find the energy to sit himself upright against the base of the tree once more.

"H-hey, are you...ok?" Drayce asked. "I mean, despite circumstances?"

Runihura didn't respond at first until he uttered a soft sigh. "...Yeah."

At least...at least he was alive. But he needed medical treatment. And he needed it soon.

Ok, so he needed to find a way to not only escape with Tokala, but he needed to find a way to take Runihura with them. There was no way he was going to leave him behind. Not with him so injured.

If he stayed...Keane could kill him.

Keita suddenly let out a loud whistled. He then began to pace the clearing casually, his arms folded behind his head in a far-too relaxed manner. "Getting a hold of you was easier than expected," he commented. "I'd figure you'd put up some kind of a fight. After all, we're searching for that Cursed Blade. Isn't that more important than someone's life?"

Drayce spent a second to glance over at Tokala before he turned his gaze back to Keita. "...No treasure is more important than someone's life."

That was what his father believed. And what his grandfather believed. And what his many ancestors before him believed. It was the Pendragon credo.

A near inaudible groan from Runihura's direction caused Drayce to feel a sudden bout of anger. "You're partners, aren't you? Why aren't you helping him?" he demanded more so than asked.

"Oh, that? That happens all the time," Keita replied, frivolously. "No big deal. If you do as you're told, you don't get a beating. Simple."

Drayce wasn't entirely sure how to respond to that. He had never encountered anything so...harsh in his life. "That's..."

"I don't get what the big deal is," Keita continued, idly pacing back and forth. "Why are you so worried for Runi? You don't even know him."

"It doesn't matter if I know him or not; no one deserves this kind of treatment!"

Keita seemed honestly surprised by his anger. Not to mention confused. He sent Drayce a purely puzzled look before he went back to his pacing. Far less relaxed than previously.

"You know..." he said after a minute of silence. "I wasn't the one to tell him what happened."

Drayce still felt anger about the terrible treatment and at Keita's blasé reaction to said treatment. But at those words, he felt a sense of pity for the young man, too. "You get the same treatment, too, huh?"

Keita paused in his movements, his back toward him. His lowered his arms to his sides and appeared to tilt his head back ever so slightly so that he could gaze up at the canopy above them. "...Only if you fuck up. It's normal. Just...normal."

No, it wasn't normal. Not normal at all! And to think that it was...was...heartbreaking.

"I...never wanted any of this."

Runihura's soft voice caused Drayce to immediately turn in his direction once more. The harbinger was still propped up against the tree, but he had tilted to the side slightly. His hair covered his left eye, but allowed his right eye to be seen. And the once piercing pink was now a dull, lifeless colour.

He was in so much pain...and yet so lifeless.

"You were forced into this guild, weren't you?" Drayce asked softly.

"Being a thief...to make ends meet for Palash," Runihura explained slowly, not blinking the entire time. "I just wanted to protect him. He's...the only family I have."

"Where is he now?"

"...Safe like you said."

So, that brounii who told him not to go was the one. "Good."

And, hopefully, he had made his way inside the Crescentia. And told everyone what had happened. He just hoped that they weren't recklessly rushing in, and that he hadn't unwittingly pulled them all into danger along with him.

The sound of footsteps pulled Drayce from his thoughts. And when he felt Tokala suddenly huddle against him, he realised that Keane must have returned.

"That worthless FOE has been taken care of," he exclaimed arrogantly as he strolled casually into the clearing.

Drayce, however, couldn't help but be sceptical. "You challenged it?"

Keane stopped in front of Drayce and faced him directly. "What if I did?"

"You're lying..."

Keane snorted. "Maybe I am. Maybe I directed it toward a stupid rookie guild with more bravado than sense."

He...had absolutely no humanity, did he? Pulling more lives in danger just for the hell of it. Bandits truly had no morals.

"Oh no," Keane mockingly cooed at him. "Are you still angry at me for what I did to that useless harbinger?"

Of course he was!

"How could you do something like that to your own guildmate?" That wasn't exactly a question.

Keane was callously dismissive once again. "Please. He's just a weapon."

Even if that was true. It wasn't, but even if it was, weapons needed to be looked after and well maintained. And...

"A weapon is only as good as the person wielding it," Drayce retorted.

Keane's expression suddenly turned stoic. "What was that?"

"You heard me," Drayce continued, combative in response to the callousness and the fear he felt from the entire situation. "With someone like you in charge, it's no wonder he doesn't live up to your expectations."

Without any warning, Keane lashed out and grasped Drayce by the throat. The pressure of his grip immediately pulled a strangled gasp from Drayce and he squeezed his eyes shut in pure reflex. "Say that again."

Although his throat began to burn, Drayce struggled to peel open one eye and defiantly looked at Keane. "The truth hurts, doesn't it?" he managed to utter.

A flash of anger appeared across Keane's face and his hand tightened just a fraction on Drayce's throat. "...Heh," he unexpectedly uttered. And equally surprisingly, released his hold on Drayce's throat. "Interesting."

Drayce immediately buckled forward as he coughed harshly. His throat burned at his gasping of air, yet it felt amazing to get air back into his lungs. He quickly realised that he had pushed the other man too far. And it was obvious that violence was his only reaction and response.

And yet, his defiance seemed to...amuse Keane somehow.

"Let's go," Keane barked out his order as he turned his back on Drayce to regard everyone else in their unconventional and unwilling party.

Over his own loud breathing and racing heart, Drayce thought he heard Keane mutter something under his breath.

"...That stupid bastard is getting restless..."

Huh? Was he...referring to someone else?

He didn't have time to ponder that thought, however, as Keane abruptly turned back around to face him, only to snatch him by the arm and promptly dragged him to his side once more. And then, he led everyone from that small clearing. Moving with determined purpose.

Keane seemed to know where they were going. But...where they heading to the Shining Lotus? Or the Cursed Blade?