Overwhelming Firepower

”They suddenly came a few weeks ago. It wasn’t the first time bandits had come and tried to attack the village. Usually, the high walls would be enough to thwart a few bandits. If that wasn’t enough, Uncle Jeffrey and Aunt Helena used to be mercenaries, and with bow and arrows at the ready, would scare them off. That usually worked, but this time it was different.”

Milos spoke, remembering the past few weeks when everything was still normal.

”At first, they came in small numbers, we thought it was the same usual, and they got scared, but later we learned that they were just scouting the area. Uncle Jeffrey noticed that something was wrong, so he sent a letter for aid.”

Milos spoke while making some hand gestures, and then he stopped as he bit his lips again.

”As if they timed it with that, a few days after they came back with numbers. Uncle Jeffrey and Aunt Helena could only hold them back for a while before they were able to break down the walls. Both of them were able to kill a few while telling us to run, but it did not last long. I did not see what happened to Uncle Jeffrey and Aunt Helena, but I saw them kill a few men and most of the elders while taking the others. I hid with some of the kids, and then a few hours later, you came.”

”So, it has just been a few hours? Did you see where they went?” Lucen asked.

Milos nodded his head.

”They moved fast. I saw some on horses, most on foot. I guess they were heading south... toward the old forest trail. The one traders used before the bridge was made. They took almost everyone and killed a few.”

”Is there any place in the old forest trail where they could be hiding?”

Hearing Lucen’s question, Milos was quiet for a few seconds, deep in thought, and then an answer came to him.

”Yes, I think I know where they might be hiding.”

”Can you guide us to that place?”

”Of course, but what about the children?”

”Some of my men will stay here to fortify the area just in case. They’ll protect the children.”

Lucen signalled Renz and a few others.

”You five stay behind. Try to fix some of the barricades and protect the children. If anything happens, try to hold out for as long as you can, and if possible, escape with the children.”

Renz and the other four responded almost in sync. ”Yes, little leader.”

Lucen turned back to Milos, his expression steady.

”Lead us there.”

***

A recently constructed makeshift base had been set up near a cave nestled deep within the old forest trail. Crude wooden planks formed watchposts at the entrance, and half-buried spike traps surrounded the slope that led into the narrow clearing. Smoke drifted from a fire pit just outside the cave. Rough shacks and tents were scattered around the clearing, where the bandits slept, drank, and rotted.

This was the newly built bandits’ lair.

Men moved about with loose discipline, some sharpening rusted blades, others eating from old tin bowls. Most of them looked like the usual kind of scum, runaway soldiers, failed mercenaries, and desperate lowlives with nothing left to lose.

Just outside the cave, behind crude iron cages barely covered by a tarp, muffled voices whispered in fear. The villagers were alive, but it was unclear for how long.

Sitting on a log was a giant of a man. His size and build made him quite an intimidating figure. Beside the man was a giant axe that was bigger than the other men present. This was Rugar Skell, the leader of the bandits.

”Boss, are you sure we shouldn’t follow that noble prick’s orders?” One of the bandits asked.

Rugar, who was eating, stopped and looked at his subordinate and grasped the handle of his giant axe.

”Are you questioning my decision?”

The bandit started panicking while backing away. ”Of course not, boss, I would never question you.”

”Hmph, that’s what I thought. Still, since some of you might have the same stupid question, I might as well answer.”

Rugar grunted, let go of the handle of his axe, and tore another bite from the smoked meat in his hand before continuing.

”The fool noble already paid us good coin to do this job. Wanted us to scare the village rats. Well, I think we did more than that.”

He smirked, chewing.

”Didn’t say we couldn’t take a little extra. These villagers? Worth a bit of silver on the market. Strong backs, clean faces, some of them were even quite alluring. We could get good coin from the slavers from the west.”

A few of the bandits chuckled, nodding in agreement. One spat into the dirt near the cages. The villagers who were listening in on their fates huddled together in fear.

”Would’ve been a waste to just leave ’em.”

Rugar stood, towering over the fire pit, the flickering flames casting deep shadows across his face. His voice dropped to a growl.

”So does anyone else want to question my decision?”

No one moved when they heard Rugar, and they all shook their heads.

”Of course, no one would ever dare question you, boss.”

Rugar snorted at the silence and cracked his neck.

”Good. Then keep your mouths shut and just follow me, I’ll make sure that you will always have a good time. The slave traders will be coming here tomorrow at first light. We’d better get ready before then.”

”Sure, boss... Before the slave traders come, can we rough up the merchandise a bit?” One of the bandits asked with a twisted grin.

Rugar gave him a glare but shrugged.

”Do what you want with the older ones, just don’t damage the younger stock. They’re worth more if they look untouched.”

”Got it, boss. You really are the best!”

As Rugar was about to enter his makeshift house made of wood, his instincts kicked in. He stopped cold.

In a smooth motion, he lifted his axe and cloaked himself and his weapon in a mantle of aura. His muscles tensed. A flicker of light caught his eye.

Then **BOOM.**

A thunderous crack split the air.

Then another.

And another.

With his enhanced vision, sharpened by aura, he caught a blur in the trees, but it was too fast, too distant.

Screams had erupted around him. It was then that Rugar saw some of his men fall to the ground with holes in their bodies. The remaining men had some of their flesh torn, chunks of meat burst from their limbs.

Smoke filled the air. Panic spread through the camp like wildfire.

”Mages! It’s a f*cking ambush!” Rugar roared, his voice drowned by the next sound of thunder.

The bandits took cover behind the make-shift wooden houses, or behind the trees, some headed into the cave. It was a good thing that some of the mages weren’t accurate in using their spells, which lowered the chances of getting hit while running. That was one of the reasons more weren’t already dead.

Rugar, who was barking orders, felt something hit him. He saw that his flesh, covered in his aura mantle, was pierced, but it was not too deep. His thick flesh helped stop whatever it was that hit him.

Rugar pulled out the thing that was stuck in his flesh and saw that it was a lead ball.

’What kind of spell fires a lead ball?’

Rugar, who had been to quite a few battlefields when he was still a mercenary, had not seen a spell like this before. It was, of course, not as devastating as those four circle spells that could decimate a large group with one shot, but this small lead ball that was moving at high speeds and was hard to see was also quite good.

Rugar looked at his men, who had been scared sh*tless by the sudden attack, and noticed something. Even though many of his men had been hurt, he saw that those who were near the cages were the villagers who had not taken any damage.

A sinister smile appeared on Rugar’s face as he had a guess of who was attacking them. He approached the cages, and as he expected, the unknown spells were no longer aimed at him.

”Iron Duke’s dogs, I know you’re watching. Stop hiding in the trees, or I’ll start splitting villagers open. First swing takes a head!”

Rugar, who was standing behind the cage, lifted his axe up high, seemingly about to strike at the cage.

The thunderous roar of gunfire stopped, which made Rugar’s smile even deeper. ”Come on then, show yourselves!” Rugar shouted, and after a while, some people came out of the trees. There were fewer than he expected.

’Are all these people mages? I heard that the North of Norvaegard was filled with aura user knights, that was never ever rumors about them having a squad just made up of mages.’

Rugar frowned as he looked at the people coming out of the trees. He then spotted a child who was wearing armor with the insignia of the Thornehart family. The child had a weird-looking longsword at his back and was holding another weird-looking staff-like object.

”Heh, it seems that the Iron Duke has underestimated me and my men. To think he would send a bunch of mages with a child at that. I think I’m offended.”

Despite saying that, Rugar felt a little uncomfortable looking at the child who was standing in front of the others.