I glanced around my room and looked out the window. There was no sign of any strange activity or people lurking outside.
Maybe he really did send me the coordinates. After all, the message said, 'now!' Not 'sometime soon'.
Then again, I remembered how much he loved messing with people's heads.
I sighed and headed towards the door, deciding I should probably find out what the deal was. If he was calling me about something serious, then maybe it wasn't such a good idea to ignore him.
–––––––––––
5 minutes later,
Ha!
Ha!
I crouched over, panting heavily.
The adrenaline rush was wearing off, leaving me drained and exhausted. I leaned against the wall and tried to catch my breath.
Ravus! You've done it this time!
Of all locations, it's the one that's not motorable! Ha ha ha!
A quick glance revealed that trees surrounded the entire area.
I pushed some branches off the path ahead, then moved forward.
And there she was.
Wyn had her teeth bared in anger and her clothes stained with blood. Her face twisted into a snarl, and she growled loudly. She'd been fighting against a group of armed men who were surrounding her, trying to get her to stop.
One.
Two.
Three...
...
Fifty two...
I got tired of counting the numerous fallen perpetrators that lay on the ground like insects.
With only five armed people left, the odds didn't seem that fair anymore.
Then I glanced back at Wyn, then again at the bodies.
They did all this in an attempt to capture Wyn?
Damn! What a mistake.
They should have called the medics before the attack, not for her but for the beating they were forced to be a part of.
"You sick little bitch, how dare you fight back?!" One man yelled, holding his arm. He had a clearly dislocated shoulder and was bleeding profusely.
A grin spread out on Wyn's face.
"Maybe if you hadn't disturbed my peaceful hunt, you wouldn't be bleeding right now!" she spat.
"You have nowhere to run!" The leader shouted as he raised his rifle. "You'll come quietly to our boss's quarters! Or else, we'll shoot you like the hot bitch you are."
It was clear what Ravus meant when he called, and most especially why he refused to tag along.
These guys weren't acting like normal soldiers. They also showed no signs of external control. In fact, they looked more like...
Bandits!
They must be bandits!
Uncertain about my role in this situation, I chose to observe first. I knew Wyn could take care of herself, so I figured I'd keep an eye out while she did her thing.
"As I had made a promise to my beloved to stay away from any form of extreme violence or bloodshed," Wyn said coolly. "I can only hope that you do the same, or else your life might end sooner rather than later."
"Tch-" one of them turned away from her to address the rest of his comrades. "She's bluffing! Those she defeated were weak and only handled sticks, not big guns like ours. We're not afraid of her!"
One of the men laughed, stepping forward.
"Yeah, that's right! Because you know we can kill you anytime we want! It's a shame the boss wants a piece of your juicy flesh..." He smirked.
The last one nodded, raising his rifle.
"Let's teach her a lesson, boys!"
Yawn!
"Boring!"
I yawned, stretching lazily.
"So boring."
The bandits seemed to notice me now, and their eyes widened.
Shit!
It was at that moment that I realized I had said those words a little more loudly than intended.
Wyn's eyes also lit up, and she grinned viciously.
This was turning into a real fight!
Oh well. Maybe I'd go for a nap after all.
I turned around casually, ready to head back to our lodging quarters. But just before I got to the edge of the clearing, a shot rang out.
Bang!
"Who would have imagined that the great Dream Master Dare would grace us with his presence today?"
The bandit leader grinned widely, stepping forward with his rifle aimed at me now.
Sigh!
What is wrong with these people?
Didn't they realize I wasn't here to help any of them? Did they think I actually cared if they survived or not?
"That's right. You're in a whole lot of trouble now, Mr. Dare! So, I suggest you surrender now before it gets messy." The bandit sneered. "Because trust me when I say, I won't hesitate to blow your head off those broad shoulders!"
I blinked. Was he serious?!
I looked over his shoulder and at Wyn behind him, ready to pounce at my command.
Well, it looks like she doesn't mind killing them all, so...
But still. That sounded like way too much of a clean up job for people of our status. And I didn't feel like getting involved in any scandal.
Besides, this guy seemed really confident that he could beat me easily.
The scene, the mood—everything felt like something straight out of a soap opera.
"You did well, Wyn," I said calmly, taking another step toward him.
He looked at me, confused. "Huh?"
I smiled. "No one died this time. The only injuries sustained were a few bruises and a broken arm. Now, if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you let me leave peacefully. It's the lovely lady you're after, right?"
The leader's eyes widened.
"Are you crazy?" he growled. "Do you know who you're messing with?! Do you know who I am?! Who I represent?!"
I chuckled. "Is there anything you haven't told me already? Besides, I've been doing some research myself. What makes you think you can win against someone like me?"
"Hah!" He scoffed. "There is no such thing as a 'someone' like you! Even if there were such a person, I wouldn't lose to someone whose sole source of happiness, like a spoiled brat who seeks validation from others, is by hosting pitiful and sick sh—"
Zip!
His eyes bulged in horror at the absence of what were once his lips. His face grew red as blood trickled down from the corner of his eyes.
A smile that I had kept at bay for a while as he blabbered, slowly crept across my face as I watched his companions look on in shock at their leader crouching in pain.
I guess I'm more powerful than I thought!
They weren't expecting this kind of unsanctioned ability from someone like me.
"Magic?!"
"No, that can't be magic!"
I shook my head and rubbed my temples as they whispered amongst themselves.
And judging by the fact that I hadn't killed anyone yet, I suppose they never expected someone with a rare ability like mine to show up in the first place!
I heard Wyn laugh.
"Hahahaha! You shouldn't have talked shit about my beloved show! He's very sensitive about that." she cackled.
"No, I'm not!" I countered.
"Yes, you are!" Wyn called out.
"No I'm..."
I let out a sigh.
What am I doing?
This wasn't how I wanted things to turn out.
I mean, I had hoped they'd get the message when the majority of their comrades were defeated. But maybe I should have tried harder to make it clear what I meant.
Still, at least they were scared enough to listen to reason.
"Alright," I sighed, looking at the bandit leader. "Let's cut the bullshit here. We both want the same thing. To live happily ever after."
The rest of the bandits had their guns pointed at me, but none of them made any moves to attack.
The fear of the unknown, perhaps.
"Now, why don't you put your weapon away and let's talk about a peaceful solution instead?"