The dust settled.
Bodies of unconscious cultists littered the clearing. Smoke from Rex's fire hammer spiraled upward.
Vessra panted, tentacles twitching slightly as she stared at Rex. There was fear in her eyes. And maybe… awe?
Rex crouched low in front of the man, hammer resting casually on the ground. A grin stretched across his face like a predator enjoying a particularly amusing meal.
"So," Rex said, tilting his head, "you wanna talk now?"
The man, face pale and slick with sweat, raised a trembling hand. "What could I possibly say? What, you cultist already don't know?"
Rex blinked once. "I dunno. Like… that we aren't cultists?"
The man's jaw twitched. "Yeah… you can drop that. You already beat us up."
"Do you see us doing dark magic?" Rex asked, slowly gesturing to Vessra in the back and to Lilee wearing her glowing lightning gloves. "Wearing their robes? Currently sacrificing you?"
The man opened his mouth. Closed it. Then sighed. "Okay… now that you say that…"
"Please tell me," Rex leaned in, voice mock serious, "you didn't get your entire squad beaten up for nothing."
"I—uh—hey! I didn't know!" the man stammered.
"Alright," Rex said, standing and dusting off his gauntlet. "Get your men up. I tried not to kill them."
Lilee froze. "…Tried?"
Rex didn't answer. Instead, he walked casually over to inspect the banners, whistling softly.
A few minutes later, the man had all of his troops on their feet, rubbing sore limbs and bandaging wounds. He turned to his men. "Apologies for the ambush. I misjudged them."
They nodded cautiously, glancing at Rex as if he might explode spontaneously.
The man—Sebastian, as he finally introduced himself—explained, "We're part of a group hunting the Crimson Cult. We try to stop their… insane plots before they can do anything catastrophic."
Rex leaned against a tree, hammer slung over his shoulder. "Why'd you guys come here then? This seems… kinda close to the water, not exactly strategic."
"Our mages sensed a crimson portal open," Sebastian said.
Lilee perked up. "Red portal?"
"Yes."
"Dammit," Lilee muttered, looking skyward. "I missed it."
Vessra, sitting slightly apart from the group, observed everything quietly. Her eyes followed Rex as he casually inspected the camp, occasionally twirling his hammer. He's more dangerous than I thought, she noted. And he's enjoying it.
Sebastian gestured to his men. "I'm Sebastian. Scout team. Most of the main force is stationed at a tower a bit of a travel from here."
Lilee blinked. "Wait… that's the scout team? That's a lot for a scout team."
Rex shrugged. "Guess I'm kinda sorry… for almost making you guys lose your free subscription to life—even if you did attack us first."
Sebastian rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah… thanks… uh… I don't even know how to respond anymore."
"Don't worry," Rex said, grinning. "I accept silence as a valid answer."
Lilee's eyes narrowed slightly. She remembered Vessra explaining the strange feeling underwater from yesterday. Rex's casual destruction might have masked something far more dangerous. She asked, cautiously, "Wait… could this have anything to do with what Vessra sensed underwater?"
Rex paused. "Hmm… maybe?"
Caught off guard, Vessra stammered, "Uh, I sensed it yesterday, not today—so it's… uh…"
Lilee tilted her head. "Did your mages sense it today?"
"No," Sebastian said. "A few days ago. We've been traveling to reach this tower where most of our main forces are. As I already stated this is just the scout team."
Rex's grin stretched. "Yeah… so basically, we just mowed down a highly trained group with a combined force of me, Lilee, and Vessra. Oops?"