THE LAST KEEPER

Chapter 253: 253. FIRST WATCH

The squads had scouted the land and patrolled for an entire night until it was almost dawn. Just four hours until daybreak, but still, there was no sight of Tatani. Even if they wanted to go on, they had to stop. They had been thinking something was wrong, but now it was clear that something was completely wrong.

”Something is definitely wrong,” Tavora said. It had taken him the whole night being salty for him to admit that something was seriously wrong finally.

”Could it be that this land is only inhabited by ghosts?” Ulekai shuddered with fear. They should have been able to mock him and call his suggestion madness, but at the moment, it was almost as if they were chasing a ghost.

”Perhaps we should fire a flare and call in the others,” Tavora said.

”Absolutely not. A flare will definitely make our whereabouts known not only to the squad outside but to the anki tribe and who knows who. This mission is top secret. No war objects should be used.” Yoka refuted immediately. ”We should eat and rest in two-hour shifts. We will mix our squads for this watch so everyone is comfortable,” Yoka added, and everyone nodded. Exhaustion was starting to seep into everyone’s bones, and they needed to eat and rest.

”I agree. We can resume the search early in the morning.” Kiuga agreed. As much as Sagiri wanted to refute that, he knew that it was futile now to keep searching. They were missing something entirely. They were chasing ghosts just like Ulekai had said.

People don’t just disappear, however. Sagiri already knew that.

They had to be somewhere.

Lighting a fire in enemy territory, even if you could not see them, was out of the question. They just had to eat the dried meat they carried, water, and rest.

”I will take the first watch. You all can sleep,” Sagiri said. He really did not need anyone to watch the area with him.

”So you can kill me in my sleep? Not a chance,” Tavora said under his breath.

”If I wanted to kill you, why would I wait till you are asleep. What is stopping me now?” Sagiri was starting to lose his calmness. It was hard to stay calm when he knew that the ladies could at the moment be going through something that no one could reverse. He had to remind himself to stay calm, even so. He needed to be calmer now more than ever if he wanted to have any chance of finding the ladies. ”Suit yourself. You can stay awake.” Sagiri said after a moment. Tavora could do whatever he wanted for all he cared.

”I am going to sleep. With blind boy taking the watch, I can sleep peacefully even in enemy territory.” Kiuga said, stretching widely and yawning before he rested his back on a tree trunk and closed his eyes. He must have been tired with his mind running all day because soon he was completely passed out, and a small snore could be heard coming from him.

Most of the squad, including Kaka, started pulling closer to Kiuga. The warmer the better, after all. Even Kaka passed out soon after he ate the dried meat he carried. It was not the potion he always ate, but he had made sure to carry quite an amount. The boy couldn’t function without food anyway.

Only N’varu and Banga were still awake. Banga was a bit odd most of the time, but he had come when Sagiri called. He could still be considered a friend.

”You should eat too,” N’varu said, handing Sagiri a stick of dried meat. While everyone had been eating, Sagiri could not help but stay deep in thought. He could not help but think he had entirely missed something. If he could not find the tatani even with his heightened senses, then he was sure no one could.

”If this keeps on, we might never find them,” Sagiri said.

”We will,” N’varu said. ”I believe in you,” He added, patting Sagiri’s shoulder.

”I don’t know anymore. I can not feel anyone for hundreds of vaara.” Sagiri said as he grabbed the stick of dried meat from N’varu. He took a bite of the hard piece of meat and chewed away.

”Perhaps your senses are your undoing this time,” N’varu said. Sagiri could not, as usual, understand what N’varu meant by that. ”Perhaps you should also rest for a while, and I will take the watch for you. Yoka and Tavora were taking the watch too, but Sagiri could not help but feel skeptical about letting N’varu take a watch. After what had happened last time, he was not going to allow him to sacrifice himself for him again.

”No. You rest now so you can watch me when I rest in the second watch,” Sagiri said. He could tell that N’varu was against the idea, but if he did not sleep now, then it meant that he wouldn’t be able to watch him when he slept in the second watch.

”Take care. Wake me if anything changes,” N’varu said finally, yawning with tiredness.

Soon, the place was filled with slow snores. Somehow, the peaceful, relaxed breaths made him feel relaxed. Even Banga fell asleep at some point, and Tavora too. He was hurt badly when Sagiri had hit him, and even with the medicinal pill he took, he perhaps needed the most rest. He was stubborn and salty, but his body was suffering, and there was no denying that.

Yoka found a raised platform and stood on it. He indeed had the qualities of a captain, and he had managed to keep the two squads in check even with the tensions. How did a man like him even choose such a childish vice captain?

Sagiri, even without thinking, found himself walking towards Yoka. The two stood side by side, staring into the darkness. There was no need for words to be exchanged between the two of them.

”You should go easy on Tavora. He might act like a grown child, but that’s only because he is. He is only twenty, and even with his talents, he is stubborn.” Yoka said after a while. It seemed he cared for Tavora just like Captain Salka cared for Lotaga. Just thinking of the two brought a small smile to sagiri’s face.

”I understand,” Sagiri answered. If only Lotaga were around, the man was good at tracking, and perhaps he could have been able to find the ladies. His senses might have been heightened, but Lotaga was something else. Even without sharp senses, he did not miss any detail.

What detail could he have missed?