"Halt," Ikbal's authoritative voice rang out, slicing through the conversation like a sharp blade. The intensity of his command reverberated through the carts, causing a shiver to run down the spines of those who heard it.
As Ikbal firmly tugged on the reins of his horse, the animal let out a startled squeal, bringing the entire convoy to an abrupt stop. Confusion painted the faces of everyone present, their brows furrowing in bewilderment.
Spotting Kyle slowly approaching on a separate horse, Ikbal's gaze locked onto him with a mixture of recognition and concern. His words spilled out urgently, the weight of the situation evident in his tone,
"Stop.... halt! halt!"
Kyle, caught off guard by the sudden halt, arched an eyebrow in confusion. His puzzled expression prompted him to ask,
"What happened?"
Placing his fingers against his forehead, Ikbal mulled over his response for a moment before replying, his voice tinged with a touch of uncertainty,
"My wind magic is picking up on something ahead. It feels like a living presence."
Seeking clarification, Kyle pressed further, his eyes narrowing inquisitively,
"Is it human?" Ikbal shook his head, a hint of doubt lingering in his voice,
"Not quite sure."
Accepting the seriousness of the situation, Kyle dismounted his horse, his actions reflecting a silent understanding. With a sense of authority, he brought two fingers to his mouth and blew a sharp whistle, a sound that cut through the air and instantly grabbed everyone's attention. Reacting swiftly to the signal, everyone disembarked from their carts and carriages, congregating in front of Kyle. An amalgam of confusion and readiness danced in their eyes as they stood together, prepared for whatever lay ahead. While trust in Kyle may have wavered since their earlier days, it was undeniable that his leadership had guided them through that cursed forest, ensuring their escape from its nightmarish grasp. As they banded together once again, their collective experiences had solidified their teamwork and coordination, ingraining a habit of preparedness that became second nature.
Kyle's voice rang out, calling the names of his chosen comrades,
"Elkdrack, Conrad, Thor Gild, Patrick, come here."
The four of them stepped forward, each carrying their own doubts and enquiries.
As Conrad took a step closer, a flicker of frustration played across his mind.
It was no secret that despite their shared journey these 10 days, Conrad still hated Kyle and harbored an ingrained mistrust towards Kyle as a person, an outlook unlikely to change.
However, deep within Conrad's consciousness, there existed a steadfast faith in Kyle's leadership, an unwavering belief that he could assess any situation and provide the most optimal and efficient solutions.
Kyle's problem-solving prowess was not to be underestimated, and Conrad recognized that fact. Paradoxically, it was precisely this recognition that fueled Conrad's internal conflict.
His mind echoed with conflicted thoughts,
"I don't like it but I have to do this ... my luck!"
Yet, despite his reservations, Conrad knew, deep down, that following Kyle was the right course of action. For the sake of Regina, he understood that he had no other viable choice.
Elkdrack, sensing the tension, directed his question to Kyle, curiosity lacing his words,
"What happened?"
Patrick, eager to gather more information, chimed in, reinforcing Elkdrack's inquiry,
"Yeah... what's the matter, Kyle?".
Kyle, with a sense of duty, responded to their questions, relaying what Ikbal had shared,
"Ikbal says we might have some company up ahead."
Gazing towards Patrick and Thor Gild, Kyle's expression signaled a suggestion forming in his mind,
"Need to scout things out?"
Conrad, without hesitation , responded with a single word, showing his willingness ,
"Sure."
However, Regina, her care and worry for Conrad evident, voiced her doubt,
"What if it's a monster?"
In that moment, Regina tapped into her magical abilities, channeling her ice powers. A small cube of ice materialized above her palm, emanating freezing vapors. Slowly spinning, the ice chunk gradually transformed, taking the shape of a small beak, ultimately forming into a functional blow whistle.
Carrying the weight of her concern, Regina walked purposefully towards Kyle, extending the magical creation to him, her intentions conveyed in her words,
"Take this, call us if needed."
Expressing gratitude, Kyle acknowledged Regina's offering, his voice filled with appreciation,
"Thanks, I will."
Now, down the snowy road, a carriage had abruptly come to a halt. Five armed men, distinctly different from the residents of the City of Ustrax, stood menacingly in front of a defenseless woman.
With black hair and dressed in a leather coat, she held an object close to her chest, her grip tight and desperate.
The men had encircled her, creating a menacing trap. Two of them had forcefully pinned down a child in the snow, while the remaining two callously unloaded items from the woman's carriage.
Their leader, a man exuding authority, stood before the woman, his outstretched hand demanding something from her.
With contempt and impatience, the leader sneered,
"Bitch, we don't have much patience. Either you give us what we want, or we'll kill you and take it anyway."
The young and helpless woman, Matilda Rockbell, recognized as a skilled prosthetist, stood in the face of danger with unwavering courage.
The child pinned to the ground was none other than her apprentice, Roger Williams. Enraged by the dire situation, Roger couldn't contain his frustration and yelled,
"Shut up! You aren't taking shit from us!"
The guard restraining Roger swiftly twisted his arm behind his back, asserting his dominance. In a sinister tone, he uttered,
"You stay down, sniveling little shit... the grown-ups are talking."
Determined to defend himself, Roger, despite the pain, attempted to kick his captor.
"Don't treat me like a kid".
With a firm grip, the restraining individual pressed harder on his back, tauntingly remarking,
"You miscreant."
Agony surged through Roger's body as he cried out,
"Ahhh... It hurts... it hurts!"
Mocking his weakened state, the captor responded,
"Not so strong now, are ya?"
Witnessing the distressing scene unfold before her eyes, Matilda couldn't bear to see her young apprentice suffer. Desperate to protect him, she pleaded, her voice filled with anguish,
"Leave him alone... he's just a kid."
The leader's voice dripped with a sinister edge as he responded, his tone commanding,
"So do what I'm telling you, give us that gold chain of yours, and we'll be on our merry way."
Matilda's heart raced with fear, her grip on the precious gold chain tightening against her chest. She cautiously replied, her voice trembling,
"You guys took all of our cargo. Can't you be satisfied with that?"
The leader sneered, his words laced with disdain,
"Satisfaction? Is that what you're talking about?"
A wicked laughter escaped his lips.
"Do you think we would be bandits if we were satisfied with our meager wages? The thirst for gold and riches is never to be satiated. You will never have plenty. You want more, more, more, then some, and more, and fucking more."
His voice haunted the air, echoing with greed.
"It never ends".
Matilda's fear intensified, her knuckles turning white as she clutched her gold chain even tighter against her chest.
Witnessing Matilda's visible terror, the leader slowly and sadistically taunts her, his tone dripping with malice,
"Now give us that damn necklace, missy."
Matilda, although gripped with fear, musters her resolve and replies, her voice quivering,
"I'm sorry, but I can't hand it to you."
Growing increasingly frustrated, the leader pinches his forehead with his fingers and points to Roger, his voice dripping with impatience,
"Don't you see here? You don't have any choice."
As the guard tightens his grip on Roger and menacingly places a blade near his neck, Matilda's eyes widen in sheer terror. Yet, despite the imminent danger, she clings tightly to her gold chain, unwilling to let it go.
The leader, now a mix of frustration and anger, takes a step closer to Matilda.
His eyes roam her body, filled with lust, as he says, his words oozing with a lewd undertone,
"You know what? Keep that damn thing. We don't want it."
Confused by the sudden change of heart, Matilda's mind races with uncertainty. Meanwhile, Roger, realizing the disturbing implications, struggles and shouts in vain, his muffled protests stifled by the guard's firm grip.
A perverse expression spreads across the leader's face, his tongue poking out suggestively.
"It's been some time since my boys had a fill of the opposite sex," he sneers.
"I, being a nice leader, should take care of my lads' daily needs. Gold and silver come and go, but a woman like you... well, that's rare. If you catch my drift."
Roger, his voice strained from the struggle, manages to free himself from the captor's grip and defiantly speaks his mind,
"I will poke your fucking eyes out."
The leader, a sly smile playing on his lips, acknowledges Roger's boldness with a subtle hint,
"Ah, the boy is clever... he understands."
The leader, his voice dripping with audacity, poses a question to Matilda as if he's extending an enticing offer,
"What say you, missy?"
"Give us a night to remember," he says, his tongue cheekily poking out.
"And we will let go of that boy and your damn necklace,"
adds the leader, a sinister undertone amplifying his words.
Terrified yet refusing to back down, Matilda clings to her precious necklace, holding it tightly against her chest. Her voice quivers with trepidation as she questions,
"What if I decline?"
Without a moment's hesitation, the leader brandishes his blade, pointing it menacingly towards Matilda, a malicious grin plastered on his face.
"Snow keeps the body fresh," he hisses, his words veiled in a chilling threat.
"Fresh enough to..."
But before he can finish his sentence, Matilda's eyes widen in astonishment as she catches sight of a shadow lurking behind the leader. Suddenly, like a forceful gust of wind, an unknown figure swiftly strikes, sending the leader twirling in mid-air. Standing there, a mix of shock and relief washing over her, Matilda locks eyes with a familiar face before her.
Moments earlier, concealed among the foliage near the carriage, they silently observed the scene unfolding before them. Kyle, his finger extended to the group of mercenaries, assesses the situation and offers his observation,
"Looks like bandits."
Elkdrack, diligently observing their attire, adds his own deduction,
"Look at their clothes, they are not from around here."
Conrad, a flicker of recognition lighting up his expression, unintentionally blurts out a name,
"Matilda."
Patrick, catching Conrad's reaction, inquires with curiosity,
"Do you know them?"
Conrad, gesturing towards the figures, clarifies their identity,
"They are merchants."
Simultaneously, Conrad's attention is drawn to the child pinned down by the two bandits. He provides insight into the child's name, stating,
"And that is Roger."
Elkdrack, noticing their leader among the group, comments on his imposing physique,
"That's a bulky fella."
Misunderstanding Elkdrack's remark, Conrad quickly interjects, seeking to correct him,
"No, not him... the kid over there."
Elkdrack simply acknowledges with a nod, understanding Conrad's clarification.
Ikbal, seeking guidance, turns to Kyle and poses the question,
"So what do we do?"
"Avoid them, keep a safe distance."
Ikbal expresses the challenges they already face, stating,
"We have wounded... we have got much on our plate already."
Kyle, acknowledging the validity of Ikbal's point, replies,
"Yeah! You might be right."
Thor Gild, in opposition to the idea of avoidance, interjects with concern,
"We can't just leave them here?"
Thor Gild's attention is drawn to that girl standing near the bandits helplessly,
"Look at the girl, she is helpless."
"We can't just leave her, that would be irresponsible."
Elkdrack, in support of Thor Gild's sentiment, reassures,
"I am in this one with Thor Gild."
"We fought monsters, what are some bandits to us?"
Ikbal, acknowledging Elkdrack's point, concedes,
"If you say so."
Kyle, turning to Conrad, seeks his opinion with a direct question,
"What about you?"
Conrad, expressing indifference, responds,
"I don't care!"
However, Conrad acknowledges ,
"But Elkdrack has a fair point."
"I think."
Patrick, offering his support, expresses confidence that the situation can be quickly resolved, saying,
"This will be over in a jiffy."
Patrick puts forward a plan,
"There are five of them and six of us. If we each take one without letting the others notice, I don't think there is any cause for concern."
Kyle, as the leader, addresses everyone,
"So it is decided."
In unison, everyone responds with a collective affirmation,
"Yes."
Kyle, taking charge of the situation, delegates the specific targets for the takedown, stating,
"I and Elkdrack will take the two by the boy. Thor Gild and Patrick will take the two by the carriage."
Kyle then turns to Conrad, acknowledging his familiarity with the women involved, and assigns him a task with a word of caution, saying,
"Since you know the women already, you take him out. But be cautious of harming the women."
Kyle turns to Ikbal and instructs him,
"And Ikbal, be sure to cover us."
Ikbal, demonstrating confidence and agreement, replies,
"You got it, man."
Kyle once again directs his attention to Conrad, emphasizing the role he needs to play, saying,
"I am counting on you to break the ice."
Conrad acknowledges the instruction and responds,
"Understood."
As the group reaches a consensus and agrees on the plan, they each assume suitable positions and stances, preparing to charge forward upon Kyle's signal.
With Kyle's signal, without a moment of hesitance, everyone splurges into action, driven by a shared determination to successfully carry out their mission.
With a combination of swiftness and caution, Thor Gild and Patrick advance discreetly towards the guards responsible for protecting the cargo.
Without alerting their adversaries, they swiftly close the distance.
Patrick takes the guard from behind, muffles his mouth, and delivers a quick blow to render him unconscious.
In parallel, Thor Gild seizes control of the other guard, using the back of his sword to strike a heavy blow to his head.
Meanwhile, Elkdrack, also swift in his movements, approaches the guard standing beside the one restraining Roger.
With agility and strength, he jumps behind the guard and pins him to the ground, using his own weight to overpower him.
Immediately recognizing the threat, the guard holding Roger turns to face them, placing his blade dangerously close to Roger's neck.
Ikbal, observing the dire situation unfold, quietly assures his comrades, whispering,
"I have got it."
He skillfully shoots an arrow infused with wind magic. The arrow travels with such speed that it strikes the guard restraining Roger at his neck, causing him to choke on his own blood.
Kyle, seizing the opportunity, swiftly apprehends the other guard who had been attempting to flee, hiding behind the carriage.
Kyle dispatches him by forcefully impaling his head with his sword, leaving him to fall lifeless into the snow.
Simultaneously, Conrad makes his move, swiftly closing the distance between himself and the leader of the bandits.
His right hand firmly gripping the hilt of his blade, he prepares to confront the formidable adversary. In this intense moment, Conrad hears a haunting voice echoing in his mind, tempting him to succumb to the thirst for violence.
"Cut him... slice him... let the sky paint crimson with blood.
Give in to the lust... become that thing."
However, objecting to being controlled or manipulated, Conrad instinctively defies the voice by drawing both his blade and scabbard together, creating a powerful arc as he slashes through the air. The force behind his strike is tremendous, causing the leader to spin in mid-air before landing in the snow.
Matilda, noticing Conrad's presence, recognizes him and exclaims,
"It's you!"
As, they engage in a conversation, listening to her and calming her down, making way to introduce her to Kyle and the others, who had successfully restrained the remaining bandits and secured them to a nearby tree.
Matilda, with attentiveness, notices the absence of Conrad's left hand and curiously inquires,
"Ohh dear! What happened to your arm?"
Conrad, adopting a nonchalant demeanor, casually replies,
"Lost it in a battle. It's a long story."
In the meantime, Kyle utilizes Regina's whistle to signal and summon their convoy.
Within moments, the entire line of carts comes rushing down the road, with Regina positioned on the first cart, guiding the horse.
As the convoy draws near, Regina takes hold of the reins, causing the horse to let out a high-pitched sound and come to a halt near Conrad.
Immediately, without wasting a moment or acknowledging anyone else, Regina rushes towards Conrad, expressing her concern,
"You're not hurt ... are you?"
Conrad dismissively brushes off Regina's worry, responding indifferently,
"No...it was nothing."
Interrupting their exchange, Matilda calls out to Regina, capturing her attention,
"Regina!"
Regina turns towards the voice and her eyes widen as she recognizes Matilda, exclaiming with surprise,
"It's you, Matilda."
Recognizing Conrad, Roger approaches him to express gratitude, calling out,
"Conrad."
Sensing a hint of disrespect in Roger's tone, Conrad, wanting to correct him, asserts his authority,
"It's Master Conrad... Respect, kid... respect."
Roger, abandoning his original intention to thank Conrad, makes a sarcastic comment, implying,
"As stingy as ever I see."
While Regina and Matilda engage in a conversation, Thor Gild approaches them and directs a question to Regina, inquiring,
"Are you going to introduce us?"
Regina replies affirmatively, saying,
"Sure!"
She proceeds with the introductions, indicating,
"This is Matilda Rockbell, and that's her assistant, Roger Williams. She is a prosthetist."
Turning towards Matilda, Regina introduces each member of the group, stating,
"And this is Thor Gild, Patrick, Kyle, Ikbal, Brandon, Sheela, Yuna, and that one over there, looting that corpse, is Elkdrack."
Matilda, responding with etiquette and respect, swiftly bows her head and greets everyone by saying,
"Greetings, everyone."
Concerned about Regina's well-being, Matilda turns to her and expresses,
"Regina, are you not eating much? You look pale, girl. And your clothes are torn, and your armors are dented. Not just you, everyone. Where have you guys been?"
Responding calmly, Regina places her hand on Matilda's shoulder and suggests,
"Let's get moving... I will tell you all about it on the way home. We have much to share."
Meanwhile, as they prepare to leave, Conrad stands in front of the bandits who are securely tied to a tree.
One of the bandit, in a desperate attempt to appeal for mercy, pleads,
"Don't just leave us here. We won't last a single day."
Casually, Conrad tosses an apple towards them and remarks,
"Survival of the fittest."
Leaving the scene with the rest of the group, Conrad leaves the bandits behind without a second thought.