Bandit King

"Bryanna and I ran through the forest for about fifteen minutes before we were close enough to the bandit camp to do recon. To call it a camp was an understatement; it was as big as the 5th Knight Legion's training facility. No permanent structures existed, but plenty of tents were big enough for a circus performance.

"Alex, we cannot attack these guys alone; we should wait for the knights."

"I'm not sure they are coming. A base this big is a few kilometers from Lydon, and we didn't see any evidence of this place in the castle."

Bryanna sighed. "If I don't go with you, you'll do it anyway, won't you?"

"I can't force you to do something like this with me."

Bryanna grabbed my arm and forced me to look me in her eyes. "You aren't going without me; we are in this together."

"Okay, then we should make a plan. I don't sense any more bandits outside of the camp. You go left, and I'll go right. We will meet on the far side."

Bryanna gave me another kiss and headed to the left of the camp. I hadn't had time to think about our relationship now. Were we more than friends? Was this just an elf thing before battle? I guess I would have to ask later; I needed to stay focused for now.

I went to the right and took mental notes of everything I saw: Every tent, guard, and infiltration point. I wondered about making another fire like the last camp. Still, without thoroughly investigating every tent and figuring out the exact locations of any prisoners, I couldn't guarantee that I could prevent collateral losses. Finally, I reached the far side of the camp and met up with Bryanna.

"This was your idea, World Healer, so what now?"

I sigh and look up to the moon. "I have no idea."

We sit beside each other in the tree and silently watch the bandits for a few minutes. My mind, however, was constantly running. I was thinking about all the spells and skills I could use, where I would enter from, and how to ensure civilians weren't caught up in the battle. Bryanna stood up quickly and pointed to the road near Lydon.

"I can hear a knight army approaching."

"They came?"

A loud voice echoed into the night sky. "Self-proclaimed Bandit King. Surrender at once or be destroyed."

Bryanna gasped, "I know that voice, that's Quinn!"

She was correct; the leader of this squadron was the head of the 5th Knight Legion. "That must be why we couldn't find anything in Lydon. The capital was planning to send an army, but why the training legion? I am worried they underestimated this Bandit King."

Bryanna sighed and hung her head down. She was reverently murmuring a prayer.

I looked at the bandit camp and watched a man and ten heavily armored guards exit an enormous tent. He laughed and gave a signal by launching a fireball into the air. Suddenly, cannons from the forest fired, and the road was bombarded with cannonballs. The knights returned fire on the camp, indiscriminately destroying tents and killing unlucky people. 

"We need to move now. If we can prevent the bandits from firing again, the knights shouldn't either."

"Okay, be careful."

Bryanna hadn't finished her sentence before I started moving. The bandits concealed their magic well. I had no idea they had cannons in the forest, but now they were exposed—ten cannons, thirty men. I swiftly advanced to the first artillery team, making three heads roll and not breaking stride. I moved to the next group. They were struggling to get the gunpowder into the barrel; being too close together was dangerous for their health. One swing was all I needed to cut each bandit in two. 

Ice magic rained down from the sky on the other side of the camp; it seemed that Bryanna was hard at work, too. I needed to keep going. The following two cannon teams were dispatched quickly as well. However, the final squad fired their cannon before I got there.

I focused my magic on my legs, and time slowed. I could see the projectile unhurriedly spinning. I pushed hard off the ground and caught up to it. I spun and kicked it hard, using magic to reinforce my leg muscles and protect my foot. Time advanced again, and the cannonball created a crater where the final team used to be. 

I wasted no time, and as soon as I hit the ground, I took off toward the bandit camp. Most of the bandits were facing the direction the knights-in-training were advancing. I quickly cut a few down while going to the Bandit King. He was still standing in the center of ten armored guards in formation. I decided it was time to try another spell. 

"Fire Magic: Neverending Inferno!"

I slash my swords against each other, and that tiny spark is enough to create the flame needed for my inferno. An enormous stream of fire erupts from the sparks and devours the Bandit King and his bodyguards. The smell of the earth burning fills the air, but I stand firm and ready. There were no screams, no scent of melted armor or singed flesh. Although I called it neverending, the flames did disperse after a minute. The ten men faced me with the Bandit King behind them.

"An attack from behind that isn't very chivalrous." The Bandit King spoke firmly and loudly. There was not a hint of fear in his voice or his stance.

"I am no knight; I am the World Healer." 

The ground underneath the bandits was still smoldering, but it didn't bother the men standing on it. If I could rapidly cool the ground down, maybe I would break their formation. Bryanna launched an ice attack at that moment.

"Ice Magic: Icicle Spears!"

The ice spikes crashed into the burning ground and instantly exploded into shards of ice, steam, and rocks. All eleven men standing were knocked off their feet, but some recovered quickly. I couldn't spare a single moment. I leaped forward and beheaded one of the men falling backward; another took a swing at me, but I stepped out of the way before using the gap in his armor to separate his sword arm from his torso.

I kept running straight for the Bandit King. I was out of range with my swords when I ran head-first into an invisible barrier. I hit the ground hard but quickly rolled onto my feet. Six of the remaining guards circled me. The Bandit King stared at me and laughed.

"Did you think you could kill me that easily? I intend to make myself King of Lydon soon. Some boy with some speed and magic won't stop me." The Bandit King turned toward the tent from which Bryanna was perched. He lifted his hand and summoned his magic. "Lightning Magic: Electric Annihilation."

Storm clouds formed instantly, and the entire structure exploded with one crack of thunder. Luckily, the magic was slow, and I could teleport to Bryanna. I teleported back outside of the circled bodyguards. They looked around in confusion before seeing us standing beyond their defensive formation. 

The Bandit King scoffed but sounded unimpressed. "You're fast but weak. You can't dodge my attacks forever." He lifts his hands and points his fingers toward us.

"Run, Bryanna, help Quinn; I got this."

I could tell she was about to protest, but then "Lightning Magic: Arcing Blast."

I grabbed her hand and threw her to the tent next to us before teleporting away from the Bandit King's attack. I had carefully placed small amounts of magic all over the clearing we were fighting in. As the lightning magic chased me, I kept teleporting until I teleported behind one of the guards. The magic hit him and instantly incinerated the man. In the proper form of the name of his spell, the magic arced at the other guards, and soon, all of Bandit King's armored guardians were ash, and their armor fell lifelessly to the ground. 

"You cannot defeat me. My shield is too strong for any magic or weapon to destroy."

"How do you breathe in there?"

The Bandit King looked confused. "Air reaches my lungs just fine, plus I can survive without food or water for days."

I smirked at his response, not that he could see my face under my disguise. Coming from a world with much more advanced knowledge of chemistry, I was aware that if air could pass through his shield, gases of similar size and weight should also. This world was void of potions and chemists, or alchemists like many fantasy worlds called them. The Bandit King would not be prepared for the spell I prepared for such situations. I drew a potion from my bag and broke its seal.

"Wind Style: Death Cloud." I blew hard at the top of the bottle, and a green mist formed around the Bandit King's barrier.

"What is this smoke? What have you done?" Finally, panic was plastered on the man's face as the poisonous cloud seeped into the barrier. It engulfed the shield as it filled, ensuring no escape. Coughing and choking came from inside the cloud, but after just a few seconds, the sounds stopped. The poison's half-life was short, and a minute later, it dispersed, leaving only a dead man and his dead guards behind.