Cathy picked up a sword from a dead bandit and tossed it towards me. “Better have this in case you screw something up again. I won’t be there to save your butt.”
“As always, your confidence in me is inspiring,” I said deadpan.
Chapter 17
Natalie tied her head wrap and I pulled up my bandana to cover my nose and mouth. I had found the least damaged and blood soaked armour I could on the battlefield and suited up for this mission. Natalie and I were going to use our skills to infiltrate and blend in with the bandits. The others would attack as the sun disappeared over the horizon.
We had to move quickly.
The camp was circled in by a wooden wall but lacked gates in the openings. This was either to ensure a quicker retreat should the place fall under attack, or they didn’t have enough time to build them. Either way, both openings were guarded by watchtowers and heavily armed bandits.
There were six watchtowers surrounding the camp. These were simple wooden structures topped with leaves to block the sun and keep the archers cool. They would burn very easily with a well-placed Fireball.
Our scouting revealed no other special defences of any kind. Diamondback Joe was going for brute strength in his war against the two knights. This made Natalie’s job of disabling stuff pointless. I suggested to her to find either Joe or his top lieutenants and assassinate them after the battle starts. She saw it as a better option than joining the main battle and agreed.
I stretched out with my mind to plant the Illusion spell that would make us invisible. As I searched the closest watchtowers I noticed that there were two guards in each. This made the Illusion spell a little more difficult to maintain but would be beneficial in the upcoming battle. Eliminating the watchtowers would bring the bandits down by twelve men. If Markus’ guess of forty was accurate, that’s a lot of troops to lose in the first minute of battle.
I took a deep breath and focused on the spell. Closing my eyes to focus better, I boldly walked out of the forest towards the camp wall with Natalie as my guide. We were going to stay as far away from the openings as possible until we reached the wall. Still, I moved quicker than I normally would in hopes of saving time and nearly tripped over a rock. I held my breath and refocused on the spell.
“I thought you were watching out for me,” I whispered to Natalie.
“That was for putting me on my butt the other day,” she whispered back.
“Bad timing for revenge,” I hissed. “But well played.”
Natalie dragged me forward and I stumbled to match her speed. As part of her instructions, she informed me when certain watchtowers could no longer see us and I dropped the spell from those guards’ minds. After dropping half of the towers, I was able to open my eyes and focus on other stuff without fear of the spell wavering. We had just about reached the wall and I took off in a full sprint to beat Natalie.
She arrived at the wall and I mouthed, ‘I win’ to her. She mouthed something back, but I didn’t make it out. I was quite sure, however, that it was inappropriate.
I looked up at the closest watchtower. I was confident the bandits inside wouldn’t see us so I dropped the Illusion spell completely and rubbed my head as the tired feeling kicked in. I pushed the feeling out of my mind and continued along the wall towards the opening.
When I spotted the heavily armoured guard, I slipped into his mind to plant the Illusion spell. He stared out in the forest with a scary alertness like he couldn’t wait for someone to cause trouble. The desire to run up and pull his pants down rose in me and I had to push it from my mind.
I peeked into the camp through the opening. ‘Camp’ no longer seemed an appropriate name for it. The place was a freaking town. After years and years of being settled by different gangs, the camp had continuously been upgraded and now rivalled the likes of Riverside and Davalin, at least architecturally.
Foot traffic was light and I slipped through the opening and stayed low to the ground to hide behind some crates. I saw Natalie’s head poke out before she repeated my movements and joined me. We waited for a group to pass by before circling around the crates and entering the walkways. Natalie nodded in farewell before strolling confidently towards the buildings.
I dropped the Illusion on the heavily armoured guard and focused on the bandits close to me. From a distance I could blend in but if anyone was close to me, they would spot I wasn’t one of them. By tricking the bandits closest to me, everyone would just ignore me and let me carry about my business.
Trying to put a little more confidence in my steps, I headed towards the nearest watchtower. Despite the number of times I had done something like this, both in the Tower and out, my heart still hammered against my chest. I wished Cathy was there to say something funny to help me calm down.
A gnawing feeling filled my chest for a second and I had to stop until it passed. It was such a weird and sudden feeling. I didn’t know what to make of it. Everything returned to normal and I waited a second before continuing.
At the base of the watchtower I scanned the area to see if anyone was focused on me. The bandit presence was heavy, but they were busy within their groups or sharing dinner. I dropped most of the spells and focused on the two in the tower, climbing the steps slowly.
The top was a cramped circle with a table of spare arrows and jugs of alcoholic drinks. The two guards were close to the edge facing in opposite directions, watching the forest. With them so close to the edge, I was worried that they would fall out when I killed them.
I stopped at the top of the stairs to think out my next move and when I shifted my weight from one foot to another, the stair creaked quietly. My eyes shot open wide as I notice one of the guards twitch in response. I lowered myself to the ground slowly as the guard turned his head back to check the watchtower. Because of the spell, I was safe as long as he didn’t move. I still held my breath in anticipation.
“Did you hear something?” the guard asked.
“I’m not falling for that again, Ian,” his friend replied.
“No, I’m serious this time,” ‘Ian’ said.
“Yeah, and when I turn around, your balls will be out,” the other guard said. “You’re not tricking me again.”
“But...” Ian started.
“No,” the other guard said.
Ian scanned the area one more time before returning his attention to the forest. I took an extra moment to let the exchange sink into my head and stared blankly at nothing, wondering what type of games bandits played in watchtowers when alone.
I made a mental note to wear gloves before touching anything and slowly worked my way in between the two guards. I gathered my power and aimed my hands at the back of their knees. I launched a small Pulse at them which made their knees buckle. The other guard cried out in shock and after they both hit the ground, I sent them each an Ice Bolt to the chest. The bandits lay dead, but I didn’t move as I waited to hear if any footsteps came up the steps.
“Oy!” a voice called up. “Is everything okay up there?”
My mind raced as I headed for the edge. “Yeah, uh, Ian just tricked me into seeing his balls,” I answered, trying to imitate the other guard.
Laughter broke out amongst the bandits below. “Again, Freddy?” one called out. “You’re an idiot.”
I peeked over the edge and watched the bandits leave. I hoped that Natalie hadn’t heard that whole display wherever she was. I really didn’t want to hear about it for the rest of my life.
With the watchtower under my control, I needed to move quickly to set up for the battle. With the arrows and the alcohol, I would be able to disable the other watchtowers by sending a flaming arrow into each. I checked the leaf roof and was pleased to discover that the leaves had dried out from sitting in the sun all day. The conditions were perfect.
I picked up a bottle of the alcohol drink and sniffed it. It smelt sweet and I took a swig, gagging as the alcohol burnt the back of my throat. I grabbed five arrows and poured the drink over the tip.
I wished I knew what the drink was called but my knowledge was limited. Last time I had anything with alcohol in it I woke up naked in a bathtub in someone else’s room. I’ve never been in a hurry for a repeat.
I enchanted the arrows with my power and they levitated out of my hands. I guided each one to face a watchtower and ensured they were lined up accurately. I double and triple checked each one as I paced nervously around the watchtower, checking the sky periodically. The sun was slowly disappearing over the horizon.
I heard a bandit call out and looked into his direction. He was pointing out to the forest as a group of bandits headed for the opening. The others were alerted and started to make their way to the front of the line. There were definitely more than forty down there. Taking out the towers wasn’t going to be enough.
I turned to the forest and saw the knights and Cathy heading across the field. The march was slow as they waited to see if they could draw out the overly excited bandits. The bandits held their positions as one paced behind them barking orders. My gut told me it wasn’t Diamondback Joe and I hoped Natalie would find him alone.
The knights were closing in and I decided it was time to launch my arrows. I gathered my energy and sent little Fireballs to the arrowheads to light them. When the last was lit, I launched them out of my tower. Each arrow struck its mark and immediately started burning the leaf canopies. I grabbed the remaining alcohol from the table and poured it onto the floor. I set it on fire, and ran down the stairs.
The cries of surprise rang out through the evening as the fire spread through each watchtower quickly. I reached the bottom and three bandits were already closing in on my position. Without hesitation, I raised my arm and a stream of fire shot out of my hands. I swept it across the bandits and all three screamed as the flames engulfed them. I drew my short sword and headed for the main battle.
The fighting had broken out in full force as Cathy and the knights used the watchtower distraction to charge the group. The bossy bandit was still shouting out orders as I approached him from behind. Power charged in my left hand and I unleashed a stream of ice on the bandit. He quickly froze into an ice block and I launched a Pulse to send him flying into the group.
Bandits unaffected by a flying, frozen boss turned to face me. I started backing up and when someone shouted “Get him”, I took off like a shot away from the battle. I looked back and saw seven bandits break off the main group to chase me. It wasn’t much, but it would help.
When I was a good distance away from the battle, I turned around, summoned my power into my foot and stomped the ground. A ripple of magic exploded around me and knocked four of the bandits off their feet. The other three approached me cautiously and I covered my left forearm in thick ice.
The three bandits spread out to form a semicircle around me. The one on the right struck first. I parried the blow expertly and slashed him across the chest. He dropped and the two other charged. The one on the left swung his sword and I blocked it with my ice covered forearm. I launched an Ice Bolt with the same hand to kill the middle bandit and plunged my sword into the chest of the one on the left.
Three bandits were down by the time it took the first four to get back to their feet. They studied me with a new respect and I drew power into myself. My skin began tingling as my body temperature rose. The bandits decided to charge me at the same time and I unleashed the power. Electricity exploded from my body and the four bandits started jerking violently. They fell to the ground and I rubbed my forehead to ease the pain.
“Been a while since I’ve done that,” I muttered to myself.
“Run, run, run, run,” a voice chanted.
When I turned towards it, Natalie shot past me at full speed. Not too far behind her was an angry giant with a cleaver that could chop a barn in half. I immediately started running after Natalie.
“What the Void is that?” I asked.
“Diamondback Joe,” she answered.
“I thought you were going to kill him,” I said.
“I tried!” she exclaimed. “Can’t you see the sword sticking through him?”
We arrived back at the main battle site which was looking a little corpsier than before. I stopped to turn back to Diamondback Joe and noticed a sword blade sticking out through his stomach. It didn’t seem to faze the giant at all as he swung that mighty cleaver at me. Too stunned by his strength, all I did was throw up a barrier which was shattered by the impact of the strike. I was launched back and landed hard on my back and head.
I groaned and pushed to get up into a sitting position. Ser Scott and Cathy charged at Diamondback Joe, but Joe’s strength shattered Cathy’s shield and cleaved Ser Scott in two. Cathy regained her footing and charged. I could hear Markus call out to his friend and mentor and I forced myself onto my feet.
Markus was slashing his way through the remaining bandits and I pushed myself to help clear out a path for him. Natalie was thinking the same thing and her blade was a dazzling flash of iron as she slashed a path for him. I reached up my arms and launched Ice Bolts to help.
Cathy fought valiantly against Joe but he was slowly gaining the upper hand. Even with Cathy starting to glow blue, he was still pounding her back. Markus saw an opportunity and charged Joe from behind. He leapt into the air and drove his sword through Joe’s back. The giant fell to his knees and the young heir drove his sword in again and again. The remaining bandits fled from the camp towards the forest. With their leadership destroyed, they wouldn’t be a problem anymore.
Markus ran over to where his mentor lay. Cathy grabbed my head and squeezed it into her chest.
“You’re okay!” she exclaimed. “I was so worried when I saw your barrier break.”
I groaned as my head pressed harder against her armour.
She pulled me away from her chest. “I don’t know if I’m doing this right this time either.”
“Try a little lower and a lot softer,” I said. “You’ll get the hang of it.”
She lowered her hands to my shoulders and brought me closer, wrapping her arms around me. “Like this?”
“Yes, much better,” I said, returning the hug. “Why are you hugging me again?”
“Because I was worried and you are okay,” she answered. “It made sense to me.”
“Fair enough,” I said, ending the hug. “We should see to Markus though.”
I turned to him and saw he had his eyes closed in silent prayer. Cathy and I walked over to him and he opened his eyes again.
“He told me to prepare for this day, but how could I?” he asked. We stood in silence with him unsure how to answer. “Before we go back to the capital, I want to give him a proper send off.”
“Of course,” Cathy said.
Natalie cheered and we turned towards her. She ran over to us with her headdress off, holding a big sack. “I found the gold,” she smiled.
I chuckled and shook my head.
“What?” she asked.
Chapter 18
We spent the night at the bandit camp. Markus gave Ser Scott a proper funeral pyre and we had a feast in his honour. I couldn’t help but feel guilty about his death and wished I could have been more helpful. Markus brushed it off when I told him and said we had already achieved the impossible and he couldn’t expect more from us.
After everything I had seen, ‘impossible’ wasn’t a word I’d use to describe our battle.
Cathy stayed close to me the entire night. She would follow me around everywhere ensuring that I didn’t leave her sight. It made me chuckle, but I was glad she did it because I wanted her to be close. We spent the rest of the evening swapping stories with Markus.
When it was time to call it a night, I could not find sleep. My mind wandered through thoughts of all the people who had died today. It was the first time I had stopped to think about my actions and I was sure it had something to do with Cathy no longer sharing my head. My conscious was making a roaring comeback in her absence.
At first I was worried by these thoughts, bu
t slowly I accepted them for what they were; a reminder. Killing for the greater good is never easy. Whether you are a knight or a vigilante Mage trying to put the world back together, being the cause of another’s death still weighs heavy in your mind. Our conscience reminds us that killing is wrong, no matter how you justify it. Without it, the lines between good and evil can become blurred.
My mini revelation had been enough to silence my mind for a few hours. My dreamless sleep was interrupted by the rising sun and I rolled away from the window in the hope of another hour or two’s slumber. I felt a presence at the door and slowly turned towards it, dreading the sight of Natalie and her boot. Luckily for me it was a half asleep Cathy.
“It’s not time to go yet, is it?” I groaned.
“Not yet,” she answered.
“Good,” I started, moving the blanket aside. “Hop in and let’s get another hour or two of sleep.”
Cathy chuckled nervously. “I-I don’t know. We should get up and be ready for when it is time to go.”
I groaned again and sat up. “I was worried you’d say that.”
Cathy shut the door and crossed the room. She did her best to not trip over any of the bottles scattered across the floor, and sat down on the bed beside me. “We have to talk about this drinking problem of yours,” she joked.
I chuckled. The room I chose for the night had been the cleanest I could find, but must have belonged to a hard core alcoholic. What he lacked in possessions he made up for in empty, to half empty bottles.
“Rough night’s sleep?” Cathy asked.
I yawned and rubbed my eyes. “I was up half the night battling my conscience. Without you in my head it has decided to come back and make me feel guilty about everything.”
“Want me to go back in there and beat it up again?” Cathy asked.
I laughed. “We came to an agreement and should be okay.”
“That’s good,” she said, scooting closer to me and throwing her arm over my shoulder. “We should be back at the castle by the end of the day and finally get a good night’s rest.”
The Vacant Throne: The Legend Of Kairu Vol 3 Page 14