Reath sat at the table in the room designated for eating, and stared wistfully at one of the tunnels that led outside, to freedom!
Before all of this he was a somebody, a somebody who was going places!
Sure that incident with lord Keryth Ronelis' bodyguards would've been hard to escape from, but he would've made it out just fine!
Good looking people always make it out.
He couldn't count the times he talked his way out of an accusation that the baby was his.
After all, if he tricked the girl into sleeping with him, who is to say someone else didn't take advantage too?
But no, he got stuck with that bitch who makes him do menial labor, like a commoner!
He comes from noble blood, a bastard maybe, but noble blood nonetheless!
He was fifty-third in his class! A very commendable spot in his opinion.
So what about those losers and malcontents comments about how there were only sixty mages to a class, they didn't know what they were talking about.
He could've placed higher, he just had to do more important things.
Those 'ladies' weren't going to bed themselves, and it'd be a crime to deprive them of him.
Besides, the 'prize' you get for scoring highly is being conscripted into the army.
If he wanted to fight, he would've focused on earth attack spells.
After all, why should he risk his life?
Those who risk their lives for others are fools, you can't enjoy life if you aren't living.
The one thing going for those who fight is that women shower them with affection, but that doesn't even matter.
There is always some naive and gullible lady, princess, maid, or commoner that will bend over at the slightest flowery lie.
He remembered his last conquest.
Kylantha Ronelis was a young lady who dreamed of adventure, so he gave it to her.
He told her he was on a quest to avenge the murder of his lover, who was brutally murdered by a villainous cur that enslaves young maidens against their will.
It was easy enough to pretend to be a broken man who just needed her to put back together, one who just needed the love of a pure maiden.
And her coin.
After a month of playing around she conceived.
Knowing she'd want him to care for the brat, he decided to leave.
He pretended that even though he'd miss her, his honor would not allow him to spare a monster such as the cur he was chasing.
He told her that he was sure to return for the new love of his life and the confirmation of that love, even though it would be hard without abundant funds.
The dumb strumpet gave him more than he expected, enough to live off in opulence for months!
He was in the clear too, until those brutes caught up to him in that whore house!
And to make things worse he lowered himself to beg a beast lower than an animal to help him, and she enslaved him!
If only he could...
Whamp!
His face bounced off the stone table, when someone smacked the back of his head.
He looked up, blood dripping from his nose.
It was Cait, a half elf who joined not even two months ago!
"Why the hell did you hit me!"
She shrugged.
"Bryx said to whack you if you started staring wistfully.
I didn't know what that meant, so I had to go ask before hitting you."
He looked at her like the dunce she is.
"I'm surrounded by buffoons."
Instead of slapping him again, she punched him in his already bloody nose.
"Aaah! Why did you punch me?! You don't even know what that meant!"
"I don't need to. If it sounds like an insult, it is an insult."
Learning from his mistake, he kept the words he thought next to himself.
"Reath!"
A enormous man that easily topped ten feet strode into the room.
He had an ugly face, green eyes, brown hair so dark it was almost black, and only nine fingers.
No one is brave enough to ask, but they all assume Lynne cut it off.
Reath didn't know which was more miraculous.
The fact that a human conceived with a giant and lived, or that someone as strong as him willingly obeys a dumb beast like Lynne.
"What do want?! Don't you see that I'm injured?"
Arn kept walking towards him, and lightly pressed on the stone-slab table Reath was leaning on when he got to him.
The table broke in half, and Reath tumbled to the ground.
"The boss wants you."
"Why do you listen to her?! She's not even the true boss! You could mutiny, and I'd even help you if you let me go afterwards."
Arn poked him.
"Aaah!"
He screamed as the poke felt like a full-blown punch.
"You're stronger than her! Why are you so loyal?"
Arn touched the scar on the back of his head, from where Bryx snuck up and bashed him over the head with a mace.
Most people would seek revenge for such a cheap shot, but Arn was anything but normal.
He respected her strength.
Strong people don't wait until the weak are ready, the strong act!
"The. Boss. Wants. You!"
He picked him up with one hand.
Bryx was waiting for them in her room.
Looking at a map.
She looked up when they came in. She cocked her head at Arn, he nodded back at her.
"You can drop him there, then leave us."
Arn threw him down on the ground, and walked away.
Reath stood up while dusting off his clothes.
It would take him hours to get all of the grim out, especially in this fetid environment he's forced to live in.
"What do you want?"
She placed the map down.
"You'll be joining us tomorrow. I need you to make your pitfall trap."
"Who'll I be trapping?"
"Mercenaries. They'll be guarding a convoy, according to the intel I got."
"That sounds too dangerous for me!"
Mercenaries are paid bad asses! Most are warriors who're at least Mid-ranked, and possibly highly ranked mages as well.
One mistake and I am dead!
"I'm sorry, did it sound like I was asking? You're going."
"Are you trying to punish me for something I did that I know nothing about?"
"You mean other than trying to mutiny against me?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
She walked up to him, and started patting his cheek.
"Save it, Arn already told me."
"What! How?! You two didn't even talk!"
"Didn't need to. First off I know you, and secondly you've been trying to get people to mutiny against me since Lynne left."
"They told you?!"
"Yeah, but I didn't need to worry because you lack two essential things for a mutiny to work."
"What two things?"
She held up two fingers.
"A) you need the mutineers to love you, or at least have them like you, no one here does.
B) mutinies are risky by their nature, and gutless fish who runs at the first instance of danger will never succeeded."
"It's natural to run from danger! It's called having a brain, unlike all of you here."
He stiffened as he realized he may have gone too far.
"Do you know how I lost my ear?"
She was pointing at the nub left on her head where her ear was supposed to be.
"Um... no."
"It was to punish me for trying to escape for the hundredth time.
For months they'd isolate me, whip me, starve me, torture me with no reason or rhyme, and more just to break me and show me that I should accept my fate.
If I were coward, afraid of pain like you, I'd still be there.
We leave before first light tomorrow."
"What am I to you? A tool you can pick up and use whenever you feel like it?!"
"Yes, but,"
She went and sat on her bed, spreading her legs, exposing her lack of underwear.
"Also a dildo. Drop trou."
He started unfastening his clothes.
"A dildo is still a tool, so it wouldn't be also, it would just have been yes."
"I don't care, stay down there longer this time."
"I know what I'm doing! This isn't how this was supposed to go."
He finished undressing, knelt down between her thighs, he slowly kissed each thigh making his way to her mound.
"You mean how you thought I'd lose my mind, and do whatever you wanted, just because you're goooo... Oh, gods!"
He made his way to her flower, he slowly licked up it, getting to her hood he curled his tongue to tease it, he then used his thumb to circle and rub it until blood flowed into her bud, once it poked out he took it into his mouth, sucking and gently nipping it, he then moved further South letting his thumb take over her clit.
His tongue explored her depths, probing for the spot he knew all to well.
"Yes, yes... Oh...my... Aaah...shit!"
She grabbed his hair and pulled him closer.
Knowing she is close, he sped up, slowed down, and sped up again.
Bringing her to the edge... just to let up, and start again.
She crossed her legs over his back, and started pushing with the rhythm of his tongue lashes.
Just as she couldn't take it anymore, he gave one more final push, sending her careening over the edge.
Fireworks exploded in her groin, her juices gushed out, soaking his face.
She fell back onto her back on the bed, out of breath in the good way.
"... Huh...ha...huh...great..., just because you're great at sex."
"Ew! You soaked me! You should get that under control."
She rolled her eyes.
"Your bedside manners are horrible though."
"My manners are superb, if I want them to be. You're forcing me to do this!"
"Are you telling me that you haven't fucked dozens of women before?"
She scoffed at him.
"No, I've bedded hundreds, but I never forced them to do anything against their will. If they rebuked my gracious offer to make their life, I moved on. After all, it was their loss, I mean just look at me."
He motioned at his face.
"You went away? The person who we found easily every time he managed to escape because he was on top of a harlot."
"Harlots that I paid. Real men don't need to coerce or rape to get sex, they lie.
Even if while we're fucking they decide they don't want to continue, I stop and tell them that they're free to leave.
Mostly because they aren't the only woman in town, there will always be a gullible slut... ow!"
She hit him on the head.
"Just shut up, and get to work! I want a good night's sleep, we got an early morning."
He got on top of her, unfastening the hook and eye closures on her leather armor.
He started kissing her belly, making his way up.
When he got to her pert breasts, he started licking and sucking the right nipple, while tweaking the left.
She was already on another high, ready to...
"I'm just saying men aren't just walking dildos! We have feelings as well... ouch!"
When he stopped to talk again, she punched him.
"Stop ruining this! I swear if we didn't need you to be able to talk to chant magic, I'd rip out your tongue!"
He smirked a knowing smirk, a smug smirk.
"No, you wouldn't, my tongue has given you more orgasms then you've had in your life."
"You're right, I'd probably just shove a huge rock up your ass."
Seeing the abject horror on his face, she felt the threat was felt.
She nudged him with her knee.
"Now, get back to it!"
This going to be a long night he thought to himself as he got back to work.
__________________
"Yawn... ow!"
"Stop yawning, and get to work!"
They were out on the road, as they had been for hours.
"You kept me up all night!"
Reath snapped.
"And who's the one who kept interrupting? Get back to work."
Reath grumbled, but got back to work.
He placed his hands back onto the ground.
Feeling the hard earth between his fingers as he dug them into the ground.
"{Earth transmutation}."
He felt the earth below the road turn into mana, and seep up out of the ground into the air.
Normally it would be easier and quicker to do this, but he has to concentrate to only transmute the earth under the road - hollowing it out.
After another excruciating hour of this, he finally finished.
"Done!"
He fell back onto his back, sweaty and ready to bed.
Bryx came to inspect it.
"Is it done to my expectations?"
She asked while jumping up and down on the road.
"Yes, twenty feet down, thirty feet across, and the top thick enough to not break under the weight of a few people, but,"
She smiled, and finished what he was about to say.
"But when a caravan of people come along they'll break it, and fall into the pit."
"I'm glad you like it, can I go now?"
"No."
He quickly stood up, pissed off an understatement.
"What?!"
She wrapped her arm around his shoulders.
"Me and the guys can't leave, they could show up at any time. As for you leaving by yourself, I don't trust you.
You'd probably lose your way, and we'd have to waste time finding you under another whore."
He smiled.
"Would that be such a bad thing? I could use a good palette cleanse, after I've been with a troglodyte... Umph!"
She gut punched him.
"How... ugh... do y'all... keep knowing I'm insulting you?"
"As I've said countless times, we know you.
Take him over there, and if he resists, tie him up.
The rest of you, I want archers there, there and there. The rest of us will charge in from the sides, once the bulk of the mercenaries fall into the pit."
They all nodded in agreement, and left to their designated posts.
Only thing left to do is wait.
___________________
"Tweet, tweet."
The signal from the bandit scouts rang through the trees, signifying that the caravan is almost upon them.
That didn't take too long, just five whole hours in the blistering heat!
Reath thought bitterly.
He struggled against his bonds.
He couldn't believe they tied him up this tightly!
It wasn't his fault that he tried to run, he heard something moving in the forest!
They can say whatever they want about him, his tried and true method of run away fast and first has kept him alive for all of his thirty-two years.
Gods! He wished he had learned some offensive earth magic, so that he could escape from this deceptively resilient rope!
He knew a party trick that might free him, but he'd need them to not be looking at him for some time.
He looked up at his guard, Arn was watching the road intently.
Reath experimentally kicked a rock, no one moved.
Realizing this was his shot, Reath leaned forward closer to the ground, and whispered.
"{Earth mould}."
This simple spell shapes the earth into any shape you want, perfect for making an earth flower to impress a stupid farm-girl.
But for right now, he just needed a knife-like shape.
Which it took on.
He checked again to see if any were checking on him, they weren't.
"{Earth transmutation}."
This time instead of turning it into mana, the earth hardened into metal.
It took more out of him, but it was worth it.
He started sawing the ropes off, he didn't know what was going to go down, but if he had to run, he'd be able to.
As Reath was busy working hard to escape, the first of the mercenaries came into view, followed by dozens more.
All of the mercenaries wore armor dyed red and gold, with a trim of green, and a crest of a roaring boar on the chestplate.
This told Bryx that these were not a ragtag group of ex-soldiers thrown together from a conflict or other, instead it was a professional outfit that hired members.
That means the risk had just shot up.
Professionals not only train and equip their warriors, but they also have back-up and other contingency plans in place.
But along with the risk, the reward grows all that more tempting.
Professionals are hired for a lot of coin, spending that much coin on guards means that the payoff is worth ten times that!
She stuck out a small piece of metal she uses to communicate with the rest of the bandits.
Three consecutive flashes in the sun, too quick for those not paying attention to notice.
Tag, a new recruit, stepped out in front of the caravan.
The whole caravan came to a halt, and all the mercenaries pulled out their weapons.
The mercenaries' heads were on swivels, looking at both sides of the road trying to spot anymore bandits.
One mercenary walked up to Tag.
"Who are you? And what do you want?"
These questions were just formalities, everyone knew what he was and what he was about to do.
The mercenary still had his sword out after all.
"I'm but a simple business man, a business man here to tell you about the road toll.
So, re... ugh... relin... reliq... just hand over your shit!"
Instead of responding, the head mercenary sliced of Tag's head.
That fool! He was supposed to keep some distance between them!
Bryx angrily thought.
The mercenaries started towards either side of the road, ready to kill.
She took out a whistle and blew it.
The bandits leapt into action, the archers fired arrow after arrow.
"Shields!"
The lead mercenary yelled.
All mercenaries that had shields raised them, halting their movement as they tried shielding those without.
The enchanted armor piercing arrows sometimes made it into their armor, but mostly got deflected by their own heavily enchanted armor.
Bryx was glad she used the expensive arrows, if they had used the cheaper regular arrows, the mercenaries would've easily charged up here and them all.
The caravan was smart, or at least the mercenaries were.
Instead of charging forward down the road - towards the pit - to escape, the halted all movement.
Looks like she'd have to go with the back-up plan.
She blew the whistle once more.
All non-archer bandits charged onto the road in a vee formation, coming out of the forest behind the caravan.
The mercenaries in the back formed up, but one swing from Arn's wood axe broke their line.
Their enchanted armor didn't protect them from his brute strength.
"Giant! They have a giant!"
A voice rang out.
"He's too small to be a giant."
"Tell that to him idiot!"
"We're routed! We have to run!"
"No, don't break formation!"
"Aaaaaah! My arm!"
It was complete chaos as the bandits pressed their attack.
Just as Bryx wanted it.
Oh, sure bandits died, but the mercenaries were breaking apart.
There are a few rules for attacking as a bandit.
Firstly, never bite more than you can chew.
Second, attack fast and hard.
Thirdly, break their formation.
There are other rules, but those three are the most important.
And all three are connected, you pick targets you can beat, you attack hard and fast to scare them, and you break their formation so you actually have a chance to beat them.
Bryx was in the thick of it as well with her sickle.
It isn't the best weapon, but it's the first one she had killed anyone with.
Over the years she's had it strengthened and enchanted, plus she's been using it for so long that she's more proficient at using it then most people are with forks.
So far the caravan has done good at keeping their cool for the most part, but as any bandit can tell you there is always someone ready to break if they get scared.
She made her way to caravan wagons.
Once there she started wriggling the knobs, and banging on the wagon with the butt of her weapon.
She didn't try slashing the wagon because she knew she couldn't cut the high-end material, but she didn't need to get inside.
After all, it didn't matter what they saw, so much as what they heard.
Bang!
Bang!
"Prepare to be raped bitches! And if you think the men will be spared, think again! A hole is a hole. When we're done with you, you won't be able to hold your shit anymore!"
Shuffling was heard inside as they shifted to the front of the wagon in a hurry.
"Get us the hell out of here, now!"
"Randall told us if we're attacked to stay put, the wagon will protect us."
"Shut up! Don't you hear them outside? Fuck Randall, we got to go!"
Merchant wagons are fully enchanted metal encased rolling fortresses.
Tiny slits so small not even a dagger could fit let the air in, wheels made of the hardest ores, even the driver is covered!
It wouldn't be a lie to say that they are more protected than some noble escorts, but they all have the same weakness, those inside.
The driver whipped the cerotines - massive beasts that look like rhinos with six legs, thick skin filled with keratin bumps, a horn filled head, and a tail with a hard layer of bone protruding from it - urging them forward.
The rest of the wagons, seeing themselves being left behind, started moving as well.
"Fuck! What are they doing?!"
"It doesn't matter, break formation! Follow the wagons! We need to protect them."
The mercenaries broke off fighting and followed the wagons.
They gave chase, but at a visibly slow pace.
The caravan pulled ahead, only for the ground to give way underneath them.
The bulk of the caravan fell into the hole, those on top trying in vain to reach the edge to climb back out.
The rest were trapped between arrows, bandits charging, and the pit.
Less than fifteen minutes later they were all defeated.
All survivors were stripped of everything of value, before being allowed to run along.
It is a general rule not to kill your golden goose.
Alive merchants while recoup their loses, and try again.
Dead merchants give you nothing.
Some bandits do the whole ransom them back to their families, but Lynne's bandits don't.
Lynne always says it's more hassle then it's worth.
"If y'all cooperate, y'all get to see your homes again."
Bryx yelled down there.
They pulled out ropes, and threw them down.
Before she could climb down, a woman bandit ran over to her.
"Reath escaped while we were fighting."
She shrugged unperturbed.
As long as he did fix his addiction to sex, they'd always catch him.
"Don't worry, just go to the nearest whore, you'll find him."
The bandit ran along, and Bryx slide down the rope.
The still living mercenaries were stripping off their armor.
"Get the pry-bar, just in case they don't feel like opening up."
One of the bandits ran and got one.
He then started to try prying one of the wagons open.
"That one's got initiative, what's his name?"
Bryx asked Tulip - a bear beastman.
"Yes, that he is. His name is..."
Bang!
Crunch!
The door of the wagon flew off and crushed him flat.
"Ironically, also Tag."
Out of the wagon stepped an elf that had white fur over her entire body except her face, chest, and belly.
She is wearing a dress that left little if anything to the imagination.
"Damn frost elf."
Bryx spit on the ground disrespectfully.
Ice coated the frost elf's arms, readying herself for a battle.
"Do you know who you are trying to steal from? Of course not, lesser races aren't that smart."
"Hahaha! Do you really think I'm scared of you? Everyone knows you ice savages are no better than demons, it's why you are so ugly."
The rage in the air between those two could be cut with a knife. Tulip and Arn shared a look of understanding.
The temperature dropped as the frost elf powered up, ice crystals were forming in the air above her.
Bryx whistled.
Whooosh!
Bwhooosh!
An armor piercing arrow flew at the elf, she put up an ice shield, only for it to break past it, and so she had to jump out of the way.
"Did you think I'd fight you one on one, or something? I got literally dozens of people right behind me. Idiot."
The frost elf stalked forward.
"Hahaha! You really think that is all I'm capable of?! The great thing about us elves is our longevity, we have the time to master other magic! And short cuts for that magic."
She waved her hands, and magic runes started glowing on all of the merchants and mercenaries, dead and alive.
"Hey! What's going on?! Answer me... guh!"
"Help m... aaaah!"
No, no, no... Ack!"
The mercenaries and merchants started spewing blood out of... everywhere.
(You don't want to know)
They died slowly and painfully, then they all started to slowly rise.
"It's a short-cut necromancer spell, once I chant the short incantation I... Guh!"
Arn popped her on the head, knocking her out.
While she was monologuing, he had walked up behind her.
The newly risen fell back down, and stayed dead.
What a waste! Bryx thought. Now they couldn't re-rob those merchants.
"Did she really think we'd sit around wait for her to finish?"
Tulip said mostly to herself.
"What did I say? Those inferior elves are too stupid to shave, never mind actually fight a superior elf!"
"Are all elves this racist when talking about other elves?"
Another bandit asked.
"It's not racist, other elves are just basically animals when compared to superior dark elves!"
"Hey! Us regular elves came first!"
An irate elf bandit yelled.
"Exactly, y'all came first and sucked, so we dark elves evolved."
"Your element is darkness, just darkness!"
"Yeah, the best element! We can naturally see in the dark, and blend into the night. It's why all other elf races are jealous of us."
"Jealous? Jealous?! Yeah, you dark elves may be great in darkness, but what about in the light? Y'all stick out like a sore thumb! You dumb so..."
"Hey, I think we're good to go."
Tulip stepped between them before anyone said something that led to blood being spilt.
She didn't even understand where all the hate comes from, they all look the same to her.
"Why don't we check out the loot?"
Giving the other elf a final dirty look Bryx headed over to the already open wagon.
"Holy shit!"
Inside were tons of contraband items: drugs, banned weapons, and more.
"Looks like we hit the jackpot! We got to get everything transported fast!"
Arn walked towards her, then walked right past her.
"We're you going? The loot is here!"
She yelled at him.
"Yeah, but the meat is here, boss. That can be carried back to base at anytime, the meat will spoil if we wait.
I'm thinking about slowly marinating some of it overnight, then searing it over an open Maplewood flame with onions and turnips.
Served with a side of grilled bread and honey."
Arn was gazing at the cerotines.
"That sounds... fucking delicious. Ya heard him! Get to cutting!"
Tulip grabbed Bryx's arm and pointed at the frost elf.
"What about her?"
"Bind her, and take her with us. We'll need as much information as she can give us. Whoever we just stole from ain't normal, we need to be ready if they come knocking."
As a sidenote they found and dragged Reath back to base after he paid a hooker, but before he got to do anything with her.