The scene inside Lorik's southern gate had turned to chaos
The sounds of bloody screams echoed through the air as scores of arrows claimed the bandits lives. In the midst of their desperation Ethan could see that some had even resorted to using their comrades as human shields.
As he claimed the life of yet another bandit who had charged him, he noticed that although wounded, the villagers had held their ground.
Several invaders had been slain or wounded by the blades, spears, and pitchforks of these common people.
Suddenly, Ethan felt a chill run down his spine as the Bandit Leader charged straight at him. Although he had an arrow sticking from his shoulder, it did not deter him. He was hell bent on taking this kids head, even if it was the last thing he did.
"Die for me!" the bandit leader screamed, his voice heavy and his eyes filled with bloodlust
Ethan who had just dispatched his third opponent just barely managed to bring his Gladius up to block the incoming sword strike.
The Leaders blow was heavy as the cry of metal on metal sang out
"Kid! I don't know who you are, but you're goin' to wish you were never born!"
They exchanged a few blows, and one wild swing managed to slip past Ethan's guard but was deflected by his armour
Gritting his teeth from surprise as much as pain, Ethan used his superior size to push the bandit back
It was at this time that he felt the ground tremble slightly and a grin spread across his face
"What are you smiling at?! Are you that excited to see the underworld?!" The Bandit leader sneered
"10..9..8.." Ethan counted down
"Hey kiddo, you go cra-"
"5..4..3.."
'What the hell? did this kid lose it...?' thought the leader.
"wait..it can't be..." he said when felt the ground shake. His eyes went wide with horror when he realized what was going on. A trap within a trap!
"Retreat!" he yelled, but it was too late.
A dozen men on horseback crashed into the rear of the bandits, trampling many who were caught unawares.
This was what Ethan had been waiting for
"Attack!" he shouted loudly, spurring the villagers to push forward.
All of a sudden the bandits were trapped. Cavalry on one side, infantry on the other and a rain of deadly arrows turned their siege into a route.
Unable to advance or retreat, only one option remained
Swallowing his pride the bandit leader threw down his sword
"Surrender! We surrender!" he shouted.
While he usually would have normally tried to fight his way out, that would be impossible in this situation. All they could do was take their chances. Better to give up now rather than lose their lives pointlessly.
Many bandits who heard their leader followed suit and threw down their weapons, while others who were still caught up in battle were slain.
A cheer rose up amongst the villagers as they finally understood that they had not just escaped with their lives but had also been victorious.
It was nearly sunrise by the time the bandits had all been tied up and the bodies of the dead removed
"Thank you."
"You're a hero, young man."
The gathered defenders swarmed around Ethan as they showered him with gratitude and praise
"There's no need for thanks, I was just doing what I should." He replied with an embarrassed smile. He wasn't used to this kind of attention, and it was already going overboard. One elderly man had even offered his granddaughters hand in marriage.
"Congratulations Sir Ethan, you're the saviour of Lorik. As a Kingdom Magistrate, you have my gratitude." said Virgil with a beaming smile
"Not you too! I'm not a saviour, I just helped out a little." Ethan said exasperated
"Don't be so humble! without your strategy it's uncertain if anyone would have survived the attack." Virgil stated
"You should be proud of your accomplishments!"
Ethan had learned to give up in these situations. It was already past the point of him being able to refuse the credit for the victory over the bandits.
"What's the plan for dealing with the remaining bandits?" he decided to ask in order to change the subject.
"Ah, that's simple enough to handle." said Virgil
"All I have to do is bind them with my Blessing and then the Captain and his men can escort them to Mizrann City."
"Wait, you have a Blessing?" Ethan asked curiously
"Indeed. All Magistrates have some kind of blessing. Mine is called the Unbreakable Seal, it allows me to brand a persons soul, rendering them unable to resist for a designated period of time."
"Wow, that's...impressive." Ethan said nervously
"Haha, no need to be like that. While it may sound all powerful, it only works on those who have committed misdeeds." Virgil explained
"I see, I guess it makes sense that something so strong would have conditions." Ethan said somewhat relieved
They two continued speaking for a while longer until the sun began to breakthrough the darkness.
Saying their farewells Virgil returned to his soldiers and began to seal the bandits while Ethan made his way back to the Blue Moon Inn
He opened the room door slowly in the hopes of not disturbing Amira, However what he saw when he got inside the room left him stunned momentarily
Laying on the bed was Ms. B and Amira, The former holding the latter like a mother would.
'They really get along well don't they?' He said to himself with a smile
Ethan began to take off his armour when a voice caught his attention
"Ethan?"
it was Ms. B who had woken up
"Shh, don't wake Amira." he said in a quiet tone.
It was no use however. As soon as the words left his mouth the sleeping beauty was up and out of bed, launching herself at him.
"You came back!" Amira cried
"I know you said not to worry but when you didn't come back, even after sunrise, I got so scared!"
"It's okay, I'm here now aren't I?" Ethan assured while patting her head gently
"You're terrible, you know." Ms. B said from the side "Making such an innocent girl worry over you like that."
"You're right. I'm sorry." he said
"It's fine, as long as you're okay that's all that matters." Amira stated
She then began to search his body all over looking for injuries. When she found none she gave a relieved sigh.
"So what happened?" Asked Ms. B
"Did any of the bandits get away?"
Ethan recounted the events of the battle to the two ladies
Both women were awestruck as they listened to the story about how Ethan had devised a strategy to allow the bandits to enter the village only to surround them on all sides.
Not only did Loriks people not suffer any casualties, but they had even managed to capture about a third of the attackers.
"You really are incredible." said Ms. B said with sincerity
"You! How could you fight at the front? what if you died?!" Amira said while hitting him in the chest
"Hey easy now. you're going to do more damage than the bandits if you keep that up." Ethan said wryly
"Good! You deserve it!" she retorted with a pouting expression
"Haha, I guess that's my cue to leave." Said Ms. B
"Take care and get some rest. You've earned it."
Silence filled the room for a moment until Amira said something
"Do you need help?"
"Hmm, help with what?" Ethan asked
"Your armour. Do you need help taking it off?"
He was silent for a moment before saying
"Yes. If you don't mind." He said thankfully
Ethan did indeed need help removing his armour. He had noticed when he tried earlier that his arms felt like they were full of lead. So having some assistance would be very appreciated.
After Helping him remove his chainmail, helmet and armguards, Amira placed them on the table with his sword.
Ethan then made his way to the bed followed by Amira, and He quickly fell into a deep slumber while she watched his sleeping face.