Oh. It turned out the knight wasn't going to save Herlewin after all. Somewhat disappointed (but admittedly relieved at the thought of not having to ride a wyvern). The tossed vial was met with a "Thanks bud, catch ya later" before swiftly having two-thirds of its contents chugged and the remaining portion capped and on its way out of the smoke by means of Herlewin's newly pain-relieved legs.

It took all of the archer's willpower not to wrench the vial's cap back open and further quell the remaining fire in his wounds, but he soldiered on. Feeling guilty about putting a village in danger was what had gotten him into this mess, and if he couldn't do his part by holding his own against the bandits, he could at least play medic. Hopefully, unlike himself, Jahan had stayed put and hadn't yet managed to fall out of a tree.

OOC: I’m going to stick with this battle system, but for the time being, please refrain from using skills lol >.>
Some mood music:

Click to expand thumbnail

Amelia paused as the shadow of the golden-scaled wyvern flew over the marketplace. Her eyes widened, for she knew that only one such wyvern was in the ranks of the imperial guard. If Captain Alborz was here, then surely her brother would be near. Relieved, but also still well aware they were in the midst of a battle, Amelia returned her attention to the boy who sat in the tree. Looking for something to help the boy down, Amelia heard the approach of Jax before he spoke.

“Thank you, Jax,” she said sincerely as he got into position. Carefully, Amelia pulled herself onto the shield, bracing her footing by holding onto Jax’s armoured shoulder. She stood on one foot as she extended her reach for the boy to grab her hand and cautiously Jahad scooted along the length of the branch until their hands met. Immediately she clasped his hand tightly bracing his arm as he jumped down. Quickly the two stepped down from the shield to relieve Jax of their combined weight.

“Run along, boy,” commanded Amelia softly “It’s not safe for you to be on the battlefield.”

“Thank you, lady,” replied Jahad with a grateful smile. He turned and ran safely back into the inn.

“Alright, Sir Jax,” said Amelia, turning to her compatriot once more. “Let’s finish this battle and find my brother.” She didn’t bother to ask about Mitra, knowing well that she could hold her own in battle.

Amelia – Parley
Jahan – Parley
Jax – Parley

GM: Jahad has left the battle



“Who do you think you are, Qulmari whore!” replied the bandit spitting blood on the ground in front of him. “Yer no better than the Torbican scum you came to protect!”

Before Mitra could respond, the archer quickly notched and arrow and boldly loosed it in a matter of seconds. The arrow whistled through the air and struck Mitra. So quick was the bandit’s action, Mitra was not able to counter the enemy’s strike.

Mitra: 38/42
-----------------------------
Enemy Archer: 4/41

Mitra – Parley - Unsuccessful
Enemy Archer – Hit! 4 damage



Herlewin's muscles briefly tensed before relaxing as a warm sensation washed over his body once the tonic took effect. The worse scrapes and bruises he had received immediately began to fade before his eyes while cuts were knit back together by the restorative potion.

“If you’re asking whether more imperial guards will be arriving, I am sorry to let you down. As far as I know, I am the only knight here,” replied Captain Alborz in response to Helle’s inquiry.

Nestled above in the tree that Barrett had climbed, he could roughly make out where everyone stood in the smoke below. The wyvern and its imperial knight were speaking to a Torbican woman in the thick of the wyvern smoke that was quickly dissipating around them.

The archer was slipping away from the group, trying to distance herself from the voices she heard in the smoke.

Herlewin: 29/41
Helle: 32/42
Alborz: 53/62
Barrett: 40/40
-------------------------------
Enemy Archer: 33/41

Herlewin – Drink 2/3 tonic +7 health
Helle – Dialogue
Alborz – Skill: Wyvern Breath Turn 2 of 2 > Smoke Cleared
Barrett – Skip turn
Enemy Archer - Move

Much like the wyvern smoke surrounding the area, the pain thumping through Herlewin’s burning limbs fell away as the tonic took effect. Feeling much better, though still bloodied, he turned around in a circle once outside the fading haze, attempting to find his bearings. Nothing looked familiar, so he circled around again before finally spotting the inn a ways off. It appeared he’d run in the wrong direction.

A short treeward jaunt later, the acrobat’s heart sank. The branch on which he’d formed an impromptu clinic and left his patient was empty! Shade and darkness! Herlewin finally had the means to help the boy properly, and the youngster had somehow managed to go and get himself lost. Thankfully, a properly armored knight and his squire had joined the fray near the base of the tree, so they may have seen him run off.

He sprinted up to the squire. She was a taller girl, not much older than himself, with fiery auburn hair and piercing pearly eyes, holding the knight’s spare sword. Had Herlewin not just nearly died, he probably would have found her intimidating. Still, she was far less imposing than the bastion of a man that was her knight, so he addressed her rather than try his luck with the soldier.

“ ‘Scusme miss, ye havern’t seen a boy limpin’ off with an injured leg, have ye? Right colorfully dressed lad.” He brandished the half-empty flask of tonic. “He’d need this.”

Mitra exhaled sharply as steel sank into her flesh.

"Bana kör vur!" She cursed as she doubled over, a hand reaching for where the marauder's arrow had pierced her side. It took her but a moment to evaluate the extent of the damage. The blood seeping from the cut was but a trickle, and the projectile had scarcely buried itself past the head. It seemed her opponent had underdrawn the bow in his haste. Mitra's response had been reflexive, and perhaps a bit overly pronounced given the wound's gravity. She'd suffered many worse in the past.

Nevertheless, it had been sufficient to earn a gnarled, self-satisfied grin from the brigand. Mitra's eyes cut the air between the two combatants, bright red creeping into the corners of her vision as the rush of battle congealed into seething anger. What had she been thinking? She was one of the Empress's chosen. She didn't leave tasks half-finished, and this subhuman filth merited no quarter. The reaver moved like a blur, gripping the arrow embedded in her skin and used her thumb to snap the shaft in two, just below the point. Simultaneously, she lashed out with her other arm, sending a hatchet whirling end-over-end directly toward her aggressor's neck.

"Yes my lady. If I may, miss Mitra is at the east of the square but most of the battle as we arrived seemed to be at the west, I suggest we check there first and-" The knight cut himself off quick as another archer approached from the very direction he was recommending. Though it appeared this one knew the young boy they'd just pulled out of the tree. They did seem to be the right age to be friends. More importantly he didn't shoot at them or start slurring insults so he was probably a denizen of the light, not that it stopped Jax from shifting back into wary stance. Enemies could take advantage of a casual talk on a battlefield. He'd take care of the vigil and let the princess handle the info gathering.

So, it seemed Helle couldn't count on any more actual soldiers appearing to help defeat these bandits. Very well. The wyvern rider was only one man, but he was a wyvern rider, and with his help Helle was confident the ragtag fighting force that had assembled would be able to repel this attack.

"Well, even if no one else is coming to help, I'd be thankful for your aid..." As the smoke cleared, Helle was able to see that the man's armor declared him a captain. "...sir." What was a captain doing out here without any other soldiers? She raised an eyebrow, but there were more pressing concerns.

Now that her vision was clear, Helle could see the archer was trying to slip away. Raising her weapon, she charged after the girl. "You're not getting away that easily!"

Amelia instinctively placed her hand on the hilt of her sword as she heard the approaching footfalls of the young acrobat, as Jax cut himself short. Quickly realizing that he was no threat, she relaxed slightly, though kept her arm at the ready casually. She looked over at Jax, as if wordlessly indicating to stay on guard before responding to the archer’s query.

“Ah yes, the boy who had hidden himself in the tree,” she said recalling the lad they had rescued only moments before “I sent him back into the inn for his own safety,” nodding in the direction of the building where Jahan had fled. Once again, she eyed the acrobat, it was clear that he was no bandit. He had some slight bruising, and bore a quiver and some arrows, it was clear that he had joined the fight as well. He looked young, around her brother’s age, she couldn’t imagine Toby fighting so young.

“Perhaps, you should find safety as well,” she suggested “It is not safe to be about while the bandits pillage the town. The Imperial Guard will drive out the bandits.”

As if on cue, Captain Alborz and Ignavus took flight, the amber scales of the wyvern glistening in the air as it flapped its wings through the last bits of wispy smoke. The wyvern landed directly beside the bandit archer that had attempted to flee to a more strategic location. Blocking off an escape route, he jabbed downwards from the back of his wyvern with his glaive to strike the archer. The archer attempted to dodge but was unsuccessful in her manoeuvre.

In the meantime, Helle had likewise caught up to the archer, blocking yet another escape route. Without anywhere to run, the archer was now cornered between the wyvern and the swordswoman. In such close quarters, the archer would be unable to draw her bow in retaliation.

This all had taken place within sight of the acrobat, the guard, and the princess.


Amelia: 42/42
Jax: 30/42
Herlewin: 29/41
Alborz: 53/62
Helle: 32/44
Barrett: 40/40
--------------------------------
Enemy Archer: 22/41

Amelia – Parley
Jax - Parley
Herlewin – Parley
Alborz – Hit! 11 damage
Helle – Move
Barrett – Pass
Enemy Archer – Interrupted



In her anger, Mitra’s senses were momentarily clouded. As the hatchet whirled violently through the air, it merely grazed the neck of her opponent. That, however, was all that was needed, for although it was only a glancing blow, it had struck a vital artery causing blood to spurt out. Immediately the bandit coughed as he fell to the ground. His death was quick.

Mitra: 38/42
--------------------
Enemy Archer: Dead

Mitra – Graze 5 damage

As her hatchet came spinning back around, Mitra unceremoniously reached up and plucked it out of the air. With her opponent collapsed helplessly before her, she took that moment to reach into the wound he had inflicted and pull out the arrowhead, careful to rotate it such that the barbs wouldn't open the cut even wider. Once she had successfully removed the shard, she looked it over briefly before casually flicking it onto the ground in front of her fallen opponent.

"Hope that was worth dying over." The young woman exhaled as blood rapidly pooled below the brigand's body. Part of her hoped he had retained consciousness long enough to hear that, though the other part knew it had been a futile gesture and had contributed nothing to her present circumstances, tactically speaking. Unless making her feel better counted.

Mitra swung wide with the hatchet she had just thrown, clearing it of some excess bandit fluids, before sheathing it with a protracted sigh. She didn't feel better. Not at all. In spite of her recent bout of anger, she found herself wishing the man had fled. Normally, she would slice through scores of ne'er-do-wells like a ray of sun through a gap in the clouds, sparing them not a second thought. Things had always been so clear cut. Recently, though, that dynamic seemed to have shifted. Ever since Jax had joined her and Amelia.

The reaver shook her head, stepping over the fallen bandit. This wasn't the time for idle ponderings. She would scout ahead a bit further, then report back to the others. As she approached the end of the row of buildings lining the street east of the town square, she slowed. Ahead, she could faintly make out the sound of conversation. Civilians? She pressed her back against the stone base of one of the buildings and gently inched her way up to the edge. Time was of the essence, but acting without knowing what might lay ahead would be dangerous. Cautiously, she peeked around the corner.

“Thank th’ radiance...” Herlewin wiped his brow in relief at the squire’s words. Jahan hadn’t gone and fallen out of the tree, and would likely be safe unless the inn itself fell ablaze. This knight and his squire were already doing good work! The girl herself spoke strangely, however, and Herlewin c*** his head to side as she did. The acrobat was personally familiar with the dangers of bandits; he’d enjoyed a front-row seat and still had the bruises to show for it, after all. There was certainly no need for her to patronizingly elucidate any more than the pain had.

Her offer to simply run away was tempting nonetheless. Herlewin had seen the Imperial Guard in action but a few moments before, and the bandits were no match for that sort of expertise. He turned his gaze to the inn… a haven beckoning him to ignore the events of the morning, to escape... then looked back at the now-pinned archer. Running away was what had gotten him, no, the whole town into this mess. It wasn’t a question of being cheated out of an imperial or two; villagers’ lives were on the line. These thugs were directly antagonizing the public, his public, and he’d be darkened before he let his inaction be the death of any more.

“Nay, ‘fraid I’ve a score to settle.” the acrobat said, giving a quick tilt of his head in the archer girl’s direction. “The bandits’re nine heads strong by me count, though I’ven’t seen how many’ve fell since, nor any in me jaunt Westerward. Light’speed to ye!”

With that, Herlewin tucked the remaining tonic into his pocket and took off sprinting again. Harvesting a few of the arrowplants that had sprouted up during the battle along the way, he set one to his bowstring and let loose on the pinned bandit.

The boy was brave, Jax would give him that, despite clearly wanting to take any reprieve from the situation he was is, he choose to stay and fight. Shame it sounded as though he did it for revenge. Still the boy had given them a sound tactical lead. He'd counted a number of bandits and not to the west. They had just come from the south and the only thing north was the inn nearby. So the east then.

"Strike my last comment. If that boy is right Mitra is headed straight for the rest of the bandit's rabble. Please allow me to excuse myself to back her up." The bulk of metal said after the boy was out of earshot. "Once you've gotten the young lord's location from Captain Alborz you can send the captain our way."

He gave Amelia the time she needed to reply and started matching back the way he'd came.

Amelia watched with a sense of genuine admiration as the young man ran off to return to the battle. His bravery reminded her of her own mother, or at least, many of the stories she had heard about her mother. Even though she was gone, Amelia aspired to live up to her mother’s name; Empress Ingrid, Warrior Queen of Alvaris.

“I concur, Sir Jax” replied the princess “Lightspeed, my friend” she said while turning to the direction the young archer had just run. Unsheathing her own sword, Amelia followed his path. She noted the convenience of arrowplants that grew like weeds throughout these lands; it was quite an interesting flora indeed, for the archer quickly knocked his arrow and loosed a shot at the enemy archer.

The arrow flew through the air and struck the enemy archer in her side. In desperation, the archer shot an arrow in retaliation from her bow. The distance allowed her to fire, but her aim was not true. The arrow flew through the air, landing in the ground. Taking this as an opportunity, Herlewin was able to loose another arrow that struck her once more.

Captain Alborz from the back of his wyvern raised his glaive to strike the archer. The appearance of the princess however, caused his aim to falter. He had not expected Princess Amelia to be in Imeldia, no less in a battle with bandits pillaging a small village. Thus, his weapon only managed to graze the young archer. Still, she remained pinned as she was surrounded by Helle, and Alborz, while Herlewin maintained his distance and Princes Amelia got into position.

Amelia: 42/42
Herlewin: 29/41
Alborz: 53/62
Helle: 32/44
Barrett: 40/40
--------------------------------
Enemy Archer: 8/41


Amelia – Move
Herlewin – Move
Herlewin – Hit! 4 damage
Enemy Archer – Miss
Herlewin – Counter, Hit! 4 damage
Alborz – Hit! 11 damage
Helle – Move
Barrett – Pass
Helle – Pass



From Mitra’s location she could see two bandits standing atop a small hill upon which a house stood. It was quite clear that the leader of the bandits had taken up temporary residence in the house while the two remained stationed outside. From the looks of their armour and weaponry, it seemed that one was a swordsman and the other was a fighter.

“It’s me in-law’s birfday on the morrow” spoke the swordsman as he casually spat on the ground.

“Oh? Ye find sumfin yet fer the ol’ bat?” replied the fighter as he casually scraped the bottom of his boot with the handle of his ax.

“’Ate her guts, I do! But got to keep me lady happy” smirked the swordsman.

“Aye” nodded the fighter “’appy wife, ‘appy life they say”

“Ye fink we can find something here?”

“Aye, we can loot ‘em when we’re done. Shouldn’t be much longa. Seems like the prince ain’t ‘ere after all.”

“Oh good. Can’t stand this forest. Give me the heebie-jeebies, it do”

“Aye”

As Mitra listened to their idle conversation, Jax, in the meantime had been making his approach. Considering the weight and sound from his armour, Mitra’s hiding spot would be revealed once Jax caught up.

Mitra: 38/42
Jax: 30/42
--------------------
Enemy Swordsman: 42/42
Enemy Fighter: 42/42

Mitra – Scout
Jax – Move

This archer girl’s aim was just getting worse by the minute. The recent drop in accuracy was understandable, given that she had a wyvern sitting on top of her and all, but still. Nevertheless, Herlewin saw the opening and took it, surprising himself in his own lack of hesitation when he immediately reloaded his weapon and let it loose. After seeing his own attacks succeed, the acrobat recoiled a little when the mounted knight struck the woman; even a glancing blow from his weapon was brutal to watch. Where the boy had felt genuine bravado moments before, there was more than a little queasiness at the thought of ending someone’s life himself.
…he’d let wyvern rider handle it.

Herlewin hoped the little bit of tonic he held would quell some of the nausea he felt, so he chugged the bottle’s remaining contents as he walked away. Returning the empty vial to his pocket (he’d never owned anything so nicely crafted in his life; there was no sense in throwing it away) the boy marched Eastward, following the bastion of a knight at a distance and keeping an eye out for danger along the way.

((Team Tech: Deci/Shrap))

Mitra ground her teeth as she listened to the guards she had spotted. That they would speak of this sort of destruction so nonchalantly made her sick to her stomach. Nevertheless, she managed to stay her blade. Carefully, the reaver took in as many details as was reasonable in the short time she had. She had been away from the group for too long, and much could have happened since her departure. It would be prudent to-

CLANK

The young woman whirled around, her eyes wide. Under normal circumstances, the presence of an unfamiliar sound in the midst of battle would have earned its source an immediate and indiscriminate axe to the face, or equivalent. However, Mitra's surprise was not at a percieved threat, and the clank in question was hardly unfamiliar. As she turned to view the origin point of the offending sound, the young woman's suspicions were confirmed. The culprit was none other than Jax. Another CLANK shook the ground as his approach continued. Wary of allowing him to continue, Mitra quickly threw out an open hand toward her ally and pressed the index finger of her other hand firmly to her lips, begging the shine that he would receive the message.

---

No less on guard now than he'd been since arriving, the armored knight noticed that Mitra no longer stood where he'd left her. Upon reaching the spot he could tell why. The dark blood from her fresh kill still pooled and an arrow lay snapped nearby. The fool had apparently had time before he was slain and wasted it by proverbially poking a tiger. Still it meant she couldn't be far if she had been delayed in a scrape, so he stepped over the corpse as though it had already been reclaimed by the ground and kept moving. Listening.

The rows of building grew tighter, houses becoming a tomb for some they used to care for. The silence was not benefiting of such a place. Even on the cold nights when he'd patrol places like this the silence was only a suggestion, some drunk, ne'er do well, or lazy servant would be about. This was the silence of war, of Reavers stalking prey. Then he saw her and froze. Then he saw her giving the signal to do so. She was lurking at the end of the lane and clearly was aware of something he wasn't. If he listened from the distance he could finally hear the ones breaking the silence, though the walls in turn broke the words. He started to lift his arm to signal her back but the creak clearly reminded him of the silence that surrounded him and that though he was accustom to it, he was noise incarnate. He became a statue.

As Jax froze in place, Mitra gave an soundless sigh of relief, her comrade in arms appearing to be one step ahead of her. However, any thought of celebration was cut short.

"Oy, wot was that, then?"
"I din' 'ear anyfin."
"Yer dun hear nuffin', ya twit. I were always better at listnin any'ow. I'm gunna check it out."
"Suit yerself then, ye nutter."

Damn. It was too late. Any chance at attempting to stealthily regroup had just been dashed. Mitra delicately loped up to Jax so as not to alert the brigands further, but shortly found herself face to face with his breastplate. This wasn't going to work. Thankfully, The knight was on the ball once again, bending forward to lower his head with as little motion as possible. The reaver grimaced as the plates of his armor noisily slid past each other, but it couldn't be helped. She stood on the balls of her feet to reach the approximate location of his ear, and spoke as quietly as she thought she could get away with while still being heard through the man's helmet.

"Trouble ahead. Two hostiles, one with a sword, one with a throwing axe. They're guarding a building that appears to be serving as a makeshift armory. There are likely more inside. How are things by the plaza?" She spoke quickly. They didn't have long.

"Understood," at a whisper the was no reverb to Jax's words and they were surprisingly soft. "The princess and I spotted Captain Alborz finishing off the bandits that had taken up in the west. I left her to find what she needed and send him our way when she was through and returned to back you up. What appeared to be couple of locals seemed to be helping him, a Torbician woman with a sword and a young boy with a bow." He'd added the last part so the Reaver wouldn't think she had been flanked if they appeared in a few moments to further defend their town.
"Do you have an ambush spot in mind?" He asked, aware they'd have trouble with the swordsman if they weren't careful. "I've always made good bait."

Mitra stroked her chin, taking a moment to think. She eyed the buildings to her right, and the beginnings of a plan started to form.
"What do you say we switch roles just this once? I'll get their attention and lure them to a vulnerable position, then you can catch them out. All I'd need is for you to give me a lift. You up for it?" She asked. Though she tried to hide it, the reaver feared she'd be unable to stifle the evidence of her excitement.

First Amelia and now Mitra. So he was to be a ladder to success today? So be it. As young as she was, Mitra had been specifically trained in tactics such as this and he'd defer to her judgement. "I'll follow your lead. Tell me what to do."

Don't smile, don't smile. Dead serious. Mitra slowly backed away from the knight, until she was about as far from him as he was from the wall of the adjacent building. From there, she gestured toward his shield, then crouched and raised her forearm above her head.

Jax caught the young woman's meaning instantly. While the heavy shield moved into place the knight's armor let Mitra know that after this maneuver the silence was guaranteed to be broken. Jax also heard the warning and knew that it was unlikely he'd actually end up ambushing anyone, but giving the girl with range the high ground would still be worth it. His stance shifted, preparing to receive and lift the youngster's lithe body. Light guide her upwards.

No sooner had Jax finished lifting his shield than Mitra bolted forward. She would have just one shot at this. Hopefully, she'd be able to reach the roof and draw the attention of their enemies before they could home in on the very loud noise this trick was definitely going to result in. As she approached the knight's ducking form, the young woman used one leg to press off the ground with all her might, planting the other firmly on the center of the shield that was to be her launch pad. As her weight forced the plate downward, Jax took his cue and stood to his full height, lifting his cargo as far and as quickly as he could. Even given the reaver's short stature, tossing the weight of an entire person was no mean feat. With the loudest clang so far, Mitra leapt again at just the right moment, her and her ally's combined effort hurtling her toward the nearby wall. As she soared toward her destination, she hastily whipped out a single axe and raised her legs in front of her. Her feet met the side of the building first, rapidly absorbing her momentum to prevent a very embarrassing and painful and potentially noisy collision. At the same time, she snapped her arm upward, allowing the crook of her hatchet to snag on one of the beams protruding from the wall of the structure. From there, she kicked off and hung from the axe's handle, then swung herself backward. At the peak of her arc, Mitra tucked her legs into her chest and threw her weight forward. This time, as she reached the apex of the swing, she kicked her legs out skyward and unfurled her torso. As her hatchet became dislodged, her momentum carried her higher, narrowly allowing her to slide through the gap between the beam she had been swinging from and the next one over. The speed she had accumulated was just enough to let her twist her body in mid-air, pulling her legs back below her body before she landed on the building's roof.

Having safely arrived on top of the building, Mitra brushed some errant strands of hair from her face and quickly got her bearings. She would have to commend her comrade's performance later. In the meantime, she ran to the edge of the roof nearest the enemies' armory. From there, she could see that the axe wielding bandit was closing in on Jax's position, mere meters away from being able to see him. Quietly thanking the light that she had made it in time, Mitra placed both pinkies into her mouth and let out the most obnoxious whistle she could muster. Truly, a sound to surpass metal clanks. This served two purposes. The first, an attempt to draw the attention of the encroaching bandit away from Jax's location. The second, a message to Amelia. Her highness would recognize the reaver's, if not distinct, then distinctly loud signal. The axe-wielding gentleman took the bait, glaring up at her.

"Hey there, curds-for-brains! I've got a gift for your wife's ma right here!" She barked, leveling the head of her hatchet in the bandit's direction. Light damn it, I shouldn't have thought about the fact that he's married.

---

The old knight had managed to get the girl where she wanted to be, though he wasn't used to such feats. Once she had set forth on her display he let his legs give in, wounded from the earlier jabbing of the lancer. There would be no way to properly hide in time but he wasn't inclined to be a sitting duck either and pulled out a tonic he'd been keeping safe in case Amelia would have needed it in their journeys. Taking only a small swing to ease the burden he stood to face the coming threat.

There was a small, perhaps cruel satisfaction in knowing the archer that had been annoying Helle for so long was now pinned without anywhere left to go. In these close quarters, it would be short work for her and the wyvern rider to finish the bandit off.

To Helle's surprise, grappling hook boy reappeared, getting in two good shots while the archer girl failed to retaliate. She'd known the boy was in the area, but she'd expected him to run off back to safety instead of returning to the fight. Perhaps he wasn't as helpless as his earlier accidents had led Helle to believe--though, as soon as the thought crossed her mind, the boy turned and left, drinking a tonic. Was his hesitation practicality or cowardice? It was true his help wasn't needed with the archer girl near death, and there were no doubt other bandits still in the village, but it was strange of him to just dart off so suddenly.

As Helle looked back at the grappling hook boy, she took notice of two other strangers in the direction he'd come from. ...Was that a Guardian Knight? Judging from the heavy armor, he was clearly another soldier. Helle frowned, watching the man head east with confusion. The captain had said there were no other soldiers in the town, which was confusing enough, but what would a Guardian Knight be doing out here if he wasn't travelling with the captain?

The red-headed young woman who'd been standing next to the Guardian Knight was approaching, clearly intent on joining the battle. From the way she held herself, Helle got the impression she knew what she was doing. Her help may not be necessary, though, as Helle closed in and brought her sword down upon the archer girl.

There was not a doubt that Helle’s blade would miss as it flew through the air. The cold longsword met flesh and the archer was no more. The archer bandit collapsed to the ground, succumbing to her wounds at last.

Almost parallel, Herlewin had recovered more health. The potion did its job, as the last dregs of the old bottle slipped down the archer’s throat, releasing a much briefer wave of healing warmth in his body. So long as he didn’t get himself into a similar scrape, he would be fit for fighting any other bandits that came his way.

For a moment, there was silence amongst the fighters as they realized that they had defeated all of the enemy bandits in the vicinity. Captain Alborz was the first to come to his senses, he slid off the back of his wyvern and approached Amelia in haste. Stopping before her, he kneeled with his glaive respectfully presented before himself on his knees and the stood up while raising a closed fist to his chest.

“Captain, there is no need of formalities,” spoke Amelia with a sense of urgency “I only ask, is my brother here? Is he unharmed?”

“He is safe, my princess,” responded Captain Alborz, though it was quite apparent that he was confused as to why the princess was here of all places. “The locals have taken his imperial highness under their protection”

Amelia could not help but exhale deeply, as if a great burden on her chest had been released. Finally, her brother had been found; her journey had not been in vain.

“The archer and the Torbican have valiantly fought alongside me as we repelled the invading bandits,” he said while indicating to Herlewin and Helle respectively.

“As Imperial Princess Amelia Gunhilda Vigdis of Alvaris, I thank you on behalf of the Imperial Household,” said Amelia sincerely. Although they were a small team, they had managed to defeat a number of the bandits and bought Amelia and her cohorts enough time to arrive and help. Surely, if it had been Captain Alborz alone defending the village, the bandits would have overcome him and taken her brother – or worse.

A clear whistle rang out from the silence that had fallen on the group, grabbing the princess’ attention. Amelia eyes clouded as she recognized Mitra’s call. Knowing that her brother was safe, she could continue her fight with renewed vigor.

“That was Mitra!” exclaimed Amelia, though only the Captain would know of Lady Mitra, being well aware of the individuals who inhabited the inner imperial court. Once again taking her sword in her hand, Amelia prepared to run in the direction from where the whistle had likely come. “Let us together rout the remainder of these darkened bandits, and I shall thank you accordingly for your bravery!” said the princess before running toward the battle.

Amelia: 42/42
Herlewin: 32/41
Alborz: 53/62
Helle: 32/44
Barrett: 40/40
--------------------------------
Enemy Archer: Dead

Herlewin – Drink tonic 1/3 +3 health
Helle – Hit! 11 damage
Alborz – Parley
Amelia - Parley



The enemy fighter took great offence to Mitra’s insult and in a rage he through his ax in retaliation. No one talked about his wife like that, except him. The francisca flew through the air, but his aim was not true. Mitra was able to gracefully dodge the weapon’s path and returned her own attack in turn. As her ax flew through the air, it struck its mark cleanly, Mitra’s precision a force to be reckoned with. However, the attack and the whistle did not go unnoticed by the enemy swordsman, who was drawn to Mitra’s location.

“Come down ‘ere and let me slice ye up a lil’,” chuckled the swordsman menacingly.

Mitra: 38/42
Jax: 30/42
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Enemy Swordsman: 42/42
Enemy Fighter: 36/42


Jax – Action
Mitra – Action
Enemy Fighter – Miss!
Mitra – Counter! Hit! 6 damage
Enemy Swordsman – Move