Murim Recurve

The scouts stopped within a cluster of trees situated in the meadow. The moment they reached the place, all of them collectively heaved a sigh of relief, pulling out their masks while their Pranic Avatars disappeared.

The disciple was the first to speak, "We made it back just when they were about to disappear. We are cutting it quite close."

"We still have the horses though." Another scout retorted, though his tone was similar to the disciple's in that they had made it back safe.

"It is nerve-wracking indeed to complete a mission surrounded by the Kalhas. But that's our job. Whether we live or die doesn't matter if we fail to finish this task. Lady Re'Kya is placing a lot of importance on this." The leader sighed, relaxing as he looked around, keeping note that nothing tiny flew anywhere in the range of his vision.

"Master," The disciple frowned, "Doesn't this situation seem strange? How can Burkurel Re'Kha survive in such a situation? Moreover, how did she end up in that place in the first place?"

"Yeah, it is weird that her tracks disappeared abruptly once she left the Kuhera Forest." Another scout said.

"The fact that she left the Kuhera Forest alive itself is strange, even if she only trailed around the edges." The scout standing behind the leader complained, glancing at the leader, "Nothing adds up."

The leader glanced around, noticing the faces of every scout, finding their thoughts were more or less the same as the scout behind him. He sighed, gazing at his disciple as he posed a question, "How many of our past missions never made any sense?"

"Quite a few," The disciple recalled everything he had been through in the past couple of years, nodding his head.

"And, what was the common point among all of them?" Upon the leader's trailing question, all the scouts inhaled a sharp breath of air, their faces morphing into one of fear. A thought collectively echoed in their minds, recalling a certain existence that never conformed to common sense.

A Sha!

"Right," The leader nodded, "Nothing ever adds up or makes sense when a Sha comes into the picture. Each one of them is as bizarre and mysterious as they come. There is a fair chance Burkurel Re'Kha got involved with a Sha. Considering her history with the Blinded Ghost and how it robbed her eyes recently, we can say it must have done something."

"But," The leader's voice firmed, "All we have to concentrate on is capturing Burkurel Re'Kha and leaving her in the custody of Lady Re'Kya. We'll leave all the worries to her."

He then noticed that it started to rain once again, commanding, "Wear your masks and other items. We have to capture Burkurel Re'Kha in this round. Chances of risks might increase if we delay any longer."

They mounted their horses and raced towards the settlement once again, dismounting at the entrance as the leader took the lead, entering through the west gate as they communicated using the ripples.

They soon arrived near the broken-down kitchen walls of the house Re'Kha hid within. Using their spoons, they spilled water into the kitchen. Using the lead, one of them found the tap, opening it as he placed a plate beneath, inclining it.

The water fell over the plate and slid over, eventually falling to the floor. The kitchen floor was quickly covered by the water, proceeding towards the living room. Just to be on the safer side, the scouts used their spoons to scoop water from outside and sprinkle it everywhere on the house's ground floor.

Unless the Kalha wanted to die, it wouldn't remain on the second floor. And, suppose it still remained behind, it meant it was trapped thanks to the dripping water. Before the dripping water could stop, the rain started pouring down once again. So, it meant the Kalha didn't have any hope of making out for the time being.

After some time had passed, the scouts were assured that no Kalhas were remaining within the house's ground floor, for they had splashed the water everywhere, leaving no object unaffected. Once they were done, the leader used the ripples to communicate, focusing on one scout.

The scout took in a deep breath, mentally firming himself before opening his eyes, quickly gazing around to notice that he was unaffected. Two scouts trailed right behind him, intending to grab his hands the moment something turned amiss. Another two scouts held the spoon-shaped instrument, filled with water, intending to pour it on the scout's eyes in the off-chance he saw a Kalha.

They hoped to restrain him and drag him to the open while treating him if he ever spotted a Kalha. Finally, after the scout looked everywhere, he heaved a sigh of relief. Unwilling to take any chances, he locked all the doors. Unfortunately, there was no door to the kitchen, otherwise, they would have saved themselves the trouble of all the previous effort and risk.

Now, the only open entrance to the house was the walls of the kitchen they had smashed down. When they were done with all matters of caution, the scouts heaved a sigh of relief, opening their eyes and adjusting the blockage to their ears to hear once again.

They didn't wholly remove it, intending to adjust them back to position in an instant. A scout muttered in the leader's ears, "Shall I summon my Nerou?"

The leader thought for a moment, muttering, "Only four of us now have enough Water Qi to summon them again. As for the rest, they would be rendered useless the moment they summon one. It is better to be safe."

Caution was what he exercised the most; it was the sole reason he had lived to this day. When he was young, his teammates died because they were less cautious. A scout's job was always investigating things in dangerous, life-threatening environments. So, they would die the moment they failed to pay heed to caution.

The leader gazed at the shelf, beyond which he had sensed the presence of Re'Kha before, looking at the individual that whispered in his ears, "Summon your Nerou. While you're at it, inspect the entirety of the inside."