Previously
The bandits laughed. "You're outnumbered and outmatched, boys," another bandit said. "You should just hand over the goods and save yourselves the trouble."
The guards exchanged a quick glance, then raised their hands. The air around them shimmered, and suddenly the trees around them started to bend and twist. The bandits looked on in amazement as the branches reached out and entangled them, trapping them in place.
But the bandits were not so easily defeated. They drew their swords and hacked at the branches, trying to free themselves. The guards' magic was not strong enough to hold them for long.
That's when Willow arrived on the scene. He leaped into the air and landed in the midst of the bandits. "What's going on here?" he shouted.
The bandits turned to face him, their swords at the ready. "Who the hell are you?" one of them asked.
"I'm the guy who's going to kick your sorry asses," Willow said, a fierce grin on his face.
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The bandits charged at him, but Willow was ready for them. He dodged their swords, his body moving with lightning-fast speed.
Without hesitation, he lunged at the nearest bandit, his fists crackling with energy. The bandit turned, startled, and then attacked. Willow dodged his sword, moving with lightning speed. He felt the chi flowing through him, making him faster and stronger than he had ever been before. He lashed out with his fists and feet, striking the bandits with lightning-fast blows.
As Willow jumped in to help the guards, he exchanged a quick nod with them before they resumed fighting. They worked well together, their skills complementing each other as they fought off the bandits.
"Nice moves, kid," said one of the guards as he deflected a sword strike with a wooden shield.
"Thanks," Willow replied, his breath coming in short gasps. "You're not bad yourself."
The other guard used his wood-manipulating ability to create vines that wrapped around a bandit's legs, causing him to trip and fall. "That's the way we do it!" he yelled, grinning at Willow.
They fought on, exchanging blows with the bandits. Willow could feel his muscles straining with the effort, but he refused to give up.
The battle was fierce, and the bandits were no match for Willow's enhanced abilities. He fought with all his might, his chi pulsing through him like a raging river. The bandits fell one by one until only a few remained, and Willow knew he was close to victory. With a burst of energy, Willow charged at the bandits, his chi enveloping him in a fiery aura. He struck them with a flurry of blows, each one more powerful than the last.
As they fought, the bandits began to retreat, sensing that they were outnumbered. Willow and the guards pursued them, driving them back into the forest. The bandits scattered, fleeing into the trees.
As the dust settled, Willow caught his breath, feeling relieved. Willow and the guards regrouped, panting and sweating from the exertion. "That was close," said one of the guards, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Yeah," said Willow, nodding in agreement. "But we did it. We stopped them."
"Thanks for the help," one of the guards said, panting. "We couldn't have held them off for much longer."
"No problem," Willow replied, delivering a swift kick to a bandit's chest. "But why were they attacking you? What's in the wagon?"
The guards exchanged a look, and Willow could tell that something was wrong. "It's nothing worth fighting over," one of them said.
But Willow could sense their unease and knew there was more to the story. "Come on, guys. I'm not going to judge you. Just tell me what's going on."
The guards sighed, exchanging another look before nodding in agreement. "Fine. It's full of slaves," one of them said, gesturing to the covered wagon. He lifted the blanket covering the wagon, and saw it was full of slaves, both dead and alive.
"Elven slaves," the other added. "The bandits must have known it was coming through this area and were trying to intercept it."
Willow's face contorted in anger. "So you're selling slaves?"
The two guards looked at each other, clearly taken aback by Willow's accusation. "No, no," the first guard said quickly. "These slaves are headed to the kingdom. We're trying to get them to safety."
Willow relaxed slightly, but he was still angry. "But they're still slaves," he said. "You can't just treat them like cargo."
The second guard sighed. "We know that," he said. "But we're doing the best we can. It's a long journey to the kingdom, and until we get there, they're still in danger."
Willow nodded, understanding the dilemma the guards were facing. He looked at the slaves, feeling a pang of sympathy for them. They were in a terrible situation, and there was little anyone could do to help them. He vowed to himself that he would do whatever he could to make their journey to freedom as safe as possible.
He turned to the guards. "We need to get them out of here," he said. "The bandits might come back."
Willow's heart sank as he looked at the pitiful figures huddled together in the wagon. He could feel their despair and hopelessness radiating off them in waves. He closed his eyes and focused his chi, trying to feel their life-force, their chi, and their emotions. As he moved down the line of slaves, he found that most of them had a normal and steady life-force, but one felt exceptionally strong, almost blinding him with its brightness.
He opened his eyes and approached the slave that had caught his attention. It was a young elven woman, her eyes downcast, her body trembling with fear. Willow could feel her chi pulsing through her body, bright and powerful. He reached out a hand to touch her, and she flinched away.
"It's okay," Willow said gently. "I'm here to help you."
Willow approached Amelia slowly and crouched down beside her. He saw the fear in her eyes and the way she recoiled from his touch. "Hey, it's okay," he said softly, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. "I won't hurt you. My name is Willow, and I'm here to help."
Amelia looked at him with confusion, unsure of what to make of his words. She had never met someone who had spoken so kindly to her before. She looked around at the other slaves, wondering if they had heard him too. She didn't want to give herself false hope that this stranger was going to do something for her.
Meanwhile, the guards were securing the wagon and checking to see if any of the other slaves had been injured. One of the guards turned to Willow and said, "We'll need to take these slaves to the next town to make sure they're taken care of properly. It's not safe to stay here."
Willow nodded and then turned his attention back to Amelia. "Do you know where you're being taken?" he asked gently.
Amelia shook her head, still not trusting that he was trying to help her. "No," she replied quietly, barely audible.
Willow looked at the guards and asked, "Do you know anything about her? Who she is or where she's from?"
The guards looked at each other before shrugging their shoulders. "We don't know much about any of them," one of the guards replied. "We just know they were being transported to the kingdom to be freed."
Willow looked back at Amelia and sighed. He could see the fear in her eyes and he knew that he had to do something to help her. He stood up and turned to the guards. "I need to take her with me," he said firmly.