Chapter 18: Into the bandit camp

Back in the bandit camp, Hughes returned with his 2 fellow bandits to report to their leader, Gunther about how the plots were almost fully healed and that they should hurry up with their attack as time was running out for them, they didn't wanna end up like Lenny.

As they got to Gunther's tent, Hughes stopped and instructed the other 2 to go to the others and prepare them since he was gonna attempt convince their leader about raiding the village tomorrow night. He was certain that his magic and his boss would be able to take care of a teenager and his babysitter.

"Boss are you awake?" Hughes asked nervously, he was scared of Gunther's power, his magic allowed him to manipulate his muscles freely, to the point he could shift the mass of his muscles throughout his entire body, which allowed him to focus his muscles into certain areas in order to increase his offensive or defensive powers on specific body parts. He could also compress them for similar results. That along with his giant spiked club, that others struggled to pick up, Hughes believed that Gunther was the ultimate warrior.

Yeah, get in here," Gunther grunted.

"Yes boss, thank you." Said Gunther as he entered Gunther's tent he saw Gunther reading a book and smoking a cigar.

Gunther put his book down and look at Hughes with a stern glare. "These howls are getting worse. If this ain't good news, Hughes, you might just end up like Lenny."

Hughes felt a pressure over him, he knelt before composing himself as he said, "Boss, at least one of the two mages that arrived is either an earth or plant attribute wizard, since the howls are getting stronger and angrier with each passing day and because this farce has been dragging on far too long, I believe that we should reap the fruits of our patience, if you approve."

Gunther exhaled a cloud of smoke, the dim light of his lantern flickering against his scarred face. He tapped the cigar against the edge of an old wooden tray, eyes narrowing as he considered Hughes' words.

"An earth or plant mage, huh?" Gunther muttered, rolling the cigar between his fingers. A cruel grin tugged at his lips. "Tch. Figures. That explains why the land ain't rottin' like it should." He leaned forward, resting his massive arms on his knees. "And you're sayin' we hit 'em tomorrow night?"

"Yes, boss." Hughes nodded quickly. "If we wait any longer, that brat and his babysitter might restore the land completely, and then-"

Gunther raised a hand, cutting him off. His grin widened, yellowed teeth showing. "You sound nervous, Hughes."

Hughes stiffened. "No, boss. I just-"

"Cause you sound nervous as hell" Gunther drawled, exhaling a slow puff of smoke. His muscles shifted beneath his skin, thickening just slightly. "Lenny sounded like that too. Right before he got himself torn apart by whatever's lurkin' around."

Hughes swallowed hard, lowering his head. "I ain't scared, boss. I just know an opportunity when I see one."

Gunther leaned back, taking another long drag. The tent was quiet, except for the faint crackle of burning tobacco. Then, with a slow exhale, he flicked the cigar aside and crushed it under his palm without a flinch.

"Alright." His voice carried a lazy kind of amusement. "We move tomorrow night. Round up the boys, make sure they're ready." He paused, then fixed Hughes with a sharp look. "And Hughes?"

Hughes tensed. "Yeah, boss?"

Gunther's grin turned wicked. "If those brats gets in my way, I'll crush 'em. Slowly." His muscles bulged, shifting unnaturally, thickening his arms just enough to make the threat real. "And if you screw this up… well, let's just say you'll wish you were good ol' Lenny ."

Hughes bowed quickly, his palms sweating. "Understood, boss. I won't fail."

"Good." Gunther picked up his book again, flipping it open with a bored expression. "Now scram."

Hughes didn't need to be told twice. He hurried out of the tent, sucking in a breath only when he was safely away.

Tomorrow night, the village would burn.

...

A sharp knock rattled the door, cutting through the quiet morning.

Kael groaned, burying his face deeper into his pillow. "Five more minutes..." he mumbled, pulling the blanket over his head. The small blue fairy stirred at the noise, blinking sleepily before deciding it wasn't worth the effort. With a tiny sigh, she nestled back into the folds of the blanket, her glow dimming as she drifted off again.

Abel, on the other hand, was already awake-barely. He sat up, running a hand through his tangled hair before pausing. No, absolutely not. He would not be seen in such an unkempt state. A prideful man such as himself had standards. He quickly attempted to smooth his bedhead, fingers combing through the mess with practiced precision, before letting out a measured sigh. Only then did he move to answer the door.

As he swung it open, he was greeted by the sight of James, the ever-composed butler standing with his hands clasped neatly before him.

"Good morning, young master Abel," James said with his usual polite efficiency. "I hope I am not disturbing you so early, but Lord Arves summons you and young master Kael."

"Understood," Abel said, his voice steady despite the lingering haze of sleep. He glanced over his shoulder at Kael, who remained motionless, wrapped in a cocoon of blankets. With an annoyed huff, Abel strode over and gave him a firm shake.

"Wake up," he ordered.

Kael only groaned in response. "I refuse."

Abel's eyebrow twitched. He glanced at the fairy, who-despite everything-had somehow managed to snuggle in even deeper. Quite the pair Kael and that Fairy.

With a sharp tug, Abel yanked the blanket away.

Kael instantly curled up tighter, arms folding over his head. "I said five more minutes!"

"And I said get up." Abel dropped the blanket onto the floor. "Lord Arves is waiting."

Kael cracked open one eye. "Already? Can't he go one morning without complaining?" He groaned louder this time, dragging a hand down his face. "Can I just stay here? I find him unbearable."

Abel sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Unfortunately, I doubt that's an option. Now get up before he decides to send someone less patient."

Kael grumbled under his breath but finally sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He then realized that the fairy was slightly visible so he panicakly covered her with the blanket.

The fairy let out a small, disgruntled chirp as the movement disturbed her.

James, who had been watching the exchange with an expression of perfect neutrality, gave a slight nod. "I shall inform Lord Arves that you will be there shortly."

Abel inclined his head in acknowledgment. "We won't keep him waiting."

As James departed, Abel turned back to Kael, who was still slouching on the bed.

"If you don't want to hear him complain about you being sluggish, you might want to do something about that appearance of yours," Abel said, arms crossed.

Kael squinted at him. "Says the guy who spent a full minute fixing his before answering the door."

Abel stiffened. "That is called presentability, you'll understand when you get older."

Kael murmured. "Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that."

With another sigh, Abel shook his head and stepped toward the door. "Come. We have scraps to eat, maybe some jerky if we're lucky."

Kael stretched with a yawn before following, muttering under his breath, "Sweet."

With that, the two headed downstairs, bracing themselves for whatever mood Lord Arves was in today.

...

Kael and Abel stood outside the large walnut-colored wooden door of Mr. Arves's study. Kael quickly ensured the fairy was safely nestled in his pocket before exhaling sharply.

"Ready?" Abel muttered.

Kael scoffed. "Not really, but let's get this over with."

Abel knocked, and after a brief pause, James opened the door. "Lord Arves will see you now."

Inside, the dimly lit study was just as cluttered as before, papers scattered across the desk. Mr. Arves, hunched over a book, barely acknowledged their presence. James stepped aside, quietly taking his usual place in the corner.

"I assume you're here about the bandits?" Mr. Arves asked impatiently, flipping a page. "I take it you've made your move?" He didn't bother with a greeting.

Kael crossed his arms. "Not even a greeting. Every passing moment I wanna be more like Liana and leave this place." he monologed in his head.

A sharp pinch on his thigh made him twitch slightly. "Not even our fairy friend likes you." He added in his head.

Abel didn't waste time. "Not yet, but we tracked the ones that snuck into the village last night. They poisoned the soil again, but they ignored the river."

Mr. Arves scoffed. "Of course they did. And?"

Kael's voice was flat. "Their camp is still in the same place. West of the village."

That finally got Mr. Arves to look up, eyes sharp. "And you're still planning to deal with them today?"

"We are," Abel said bluntly.

Mr. Arves studied them for a moment before snorting. "Then handle it. And deal with the monster while you're at it, I want both to be done with by the end of the day."

Another sharp pinch. Kael almost swatted his pocket. "I hate him as well, little buddy." He muttered.

Abel answered quickly, not giving Mr. Arves even a sliver of control. "Oh, don't worry. By the time we leave, the bandits will be gone, the monster dealt with, and your soil healed. You won't have to waste another breath on us."

Mr. Arves leaned back, seemingly satisfied. "See that you don't."

Kael bit back a remark. Instead, he turned for the door, Abel right behind him.

James, standing quietly by the wall, spoke just before they left. "Good luck."

Kael glanced back. Unlike Mr. Arves, James actually meant it.

Kael gave a small nod before stepping out, shutting the door behind him.

As they walked down the hall, Abel let out a dramatic sigh. "He never stops being such a charming man."

Kael rubbed his temple. A tiny movement in his pocket told him the fairy was still annoyed. "Let's go get some jerky and something for our little friend before I burn this place down," he muttered.

...

After grabbing some scraps for breakfast and managing to find a piece of bread that was slightly less stale than the rest for the fairy, Kael and Abel made their way to the west side of the village. Once they entered the forest, the fairy would be able to guide them to the bandit camp more easily.

As they entered the forest, the fairy flew out of Kael's pocket and began flying toward what they assumed was the bandit camp, so they ran after her

The jourey was smooth, but they found some destroyed trees here and there which they assumed was to be caused by the monster.

"It was this close to the village but it didn't attack the village yet." Kael pointed out.

"I think it wasn't interested in the village." Abel said.

Kael frowned as they ran after the fairy, weaving through the dense trees. "Then what is it interested in?"

Abel shrugged. "I don't know yet."

Kael's gaze flickered to the destruction around them. If the monster had been lurking this close, then why hadn't it attacked yet? What was it waiting for?

The fairy suddenly chirped and pointed ahead. Kael and Abel slowed their pace, slipping behind a thicket of bushes. Beyond it, a clearing came into view.

The bandit camp.

Tents and wooden crates were scattered around the camp, with a handful of bandits moving between them. A few stood guard at the edges, gripping their weapons, while others loitered near a fire, its embers still glowing from an earlier meal.

In the center of it all, a large man with a topknot and a giant spiked club slung over his shoulder-Gunther-barked orders at a shorter, gaunt-faced man with tangled hair. Hughes. The poison mage responsible for tainting the land.

Kael chirped, "There they are~."

Abel smirked. "Let's crash their little gathering. I'll take the big guy, you handle the poison mage."

Kael instructed the fairy to move to a safer distance, then let black flames dance in his hands. "Got it."

No one could have prepared Kael for the chaos that would follow.

...

Kael and Abel charged in by launching themselves with a chunck of dirt and rocks that acted as a bounce pad that burst from the ground.

Large spikes of dirt and rocks that resembled dragon heads emerged from the ground grabbing bandits and throwing them around, dragon hands with claws punched and smashed bandits to the ground, Abel was truly strong, he had an abnormaly large amount of mana.

Kael helped by throwing blasts of black flames to cover Abel as he was also getting physical with the bandits. Kael did his best to make sure that his flames would only harm the bandits and nothing else, he wanted to hurt them just enough to make them faint, not leave permament scars or kill them, even if the bandits were planning on destroying and killing everyone in the village, he didn't have it in him to kill them.

Amidst all the chaos, among the the panicking bandits he spot the poison mage, putting some vials of a dark blue liquid in his pouch.

Kael's eyes narrowed as he spotted Hughes slipping the dark blue vials into his pouch. He had no idea what was in those vials but he definitely wanted them.

With a sharp breath, black flames erupted around his feet- his shoes barely skimmed the ground before he launched himself forward, a streak of fire tearing across the battlefield.

Hughes barely had time to react before Kael almost struck him like a meteor with his fist ingulfed in the black flames.

But Hughes was fast-just fast enough. He threw himself into a roll, narrowly dodging the strike, and in the same motion, flicked out a vial from his belt, this one was a dark green one.

The glass shattered against the dirt, releasing a thick, sickly green liquid that had a cloud.

Kael leaped back with all his might. He noticed as the grass around the liquid and cloud started withering.

Hughes smirked, adjusting his grip on his pouch. "You're quick, I'll give you that, to think that you were a fire mage, with rare colored flames none the less." he taunted, his gaunt face twisted into amusement. "But let's see how long you can keep dodging."

He flung another green vial. Kael barely dodged this one before he clicked his tongue and muttered, "How annoying."

Kael needed to figure out a plan and fast, this guy had both potions and magic prepared, ready for when his potions ran out. "I need to take that guy away from Abel, so he can focus on the rest of the bandits and that big guy going wild over there." he thought.

Orlae had mentioned setting traps for the monster, only for it to slip away each time. Kael smirked and decided to take a page from the druid's book, making sure this opponent wouldn't get that chance as he lured the poison mage out of the bandit camp and deeper into the forest.

Kael threw 2 tiny balls of black flames, the first one was a faint in order to make the poison mage dodge in a certain direction, the second was a hit at his pouch, vials falling and breaking, releasing poison and whatever the vials with the dark blue liquid had in them.

The now aggravated poison mage glared at Kael with pure rage. In response, Kael casually flipped him off and smirked.

"You wanna see how long I can dodge? Come and find out."

Then, without waiting for a reaction, he bolted toward the trees. As he ran, he flung bursts of black fire at the surrounding bandits-not to burn them, but to startle them, to make them react. Some dove aside, others cursed and stumbled, but a handful, driven by either anger or orders, took the bait and charged after him.

Kael's plan is working.

The more enemies he dragged into the forest, the better. If he could thin out their numbers and pull them away from Abel, it would make things a whole lot easier.

A quick glance over his shoulder revealed Hughes right on his heels, his face twisted in fury. The poison mage wasn't just following-he was hunting him down.

Kael let out a chuckle. "I think I overdid it."

...

The bandits were no match for Abel and his earth dragon-like constructs. They scrambled and fell one by one, crushed beneath stone claws and battered by massive fists. Yet, despite the chaos, one man hadn't moved.

The large one with the topknot.

He just stood there, grinning with those yellowed teeth, casually lighting a cigar with a stray ember from Kael's flames.

Abel kept his eyes on him. He's waiting for something.

A sudden blur of motion-Abel barely dodged a bandit's blade aiming for his chest. Instinct kicked in. A stone dragon's arm burst from the ground, gripping the attacker and slamming him down before retreating back into the earth.

The remaining bandits hesitated. Some were too scared to approach, others too cornered to run.

Abel rolled his shoulders, exhaling. His focus snapped back to the topknot man. He still hadn't moved. Still just watching.

Then, finally, he spoke.

"You done playin' with the small fry?" He tapped his cigar, letting ash fall to the ground. "'Cause I've been dyin' for a good fight."

Abel barely had time to react before Gunther moved.

His entire body shifted-all his muscles pushed into his left arm as he swung that monstrous, spiked club.

Abel's reflexes saved him. He slammed his hands down, summoning a jagged wall of earth between them.

The cracking sound rocks could be heard.

The club smashed through it like it was made of paper. The sheer force sent a shockwave rippling through the ground, knocking Abel back a step. His eyes widened as shards of his own defense scattered like broken glass.

"What the hell was that?" Abel thought in surprise.

Gunther grinned. His muscles rippled-shifted-flowing unnaturally beneath his skin before locking into place again. This time, they surged into his legs. "Hope you ain't slow, kid." Gunther taunted right before he vanished.

Abel barely had time to track him before Gunther reappeared-right in front of him, club already mid-swing. Abel threw himself to the side, rolling as the ground where he stood exploded into a small crater. Dust and dirt flew into the air, stinging his face.

A thought flashed in Abel's mind. "This guy isn't just strong-he's fast as well. His muscles can move around freely, weird looking magic."

Gunther adjusted his grip on the club, shaking off the impact like it was nothing. "Come on now," he said, exhaling a puff of smoke. "Don't tell me that's all ya got?"

Abel clicked his tongue. "Alright then old man, your weird magic caught me off guard but not anymore." As slammed his hands onto the ground. The battlefield rumbled.

From beneath Gunther's feet, massive stone jaws shot up-dragon-like fangs trying to snap shut and crush him whole.

Gunther barely reacted as if he barely needed to.

His muscles surged into his legs, and with a single stomp, he launched himself into the air, dodging the dragon's maw just as it slammed shut behind him. The force of his jump sent cracks splintering through the ground.

Abel's eyes tracked him, already preparing his next move. He's fast, but he's still human. I just need to time it right.

Gunther twisted midair, his body shifting again, this time forcing all his muscle mass into his right arm. His club swelled with power as he raised it high.

"Nice trick, kid," he called down. "But mine's better!"

Then, he came down like a meteor.

Abel's instincts screamed at him. He thrust his arms up, and the ground responded-a thick barrier of stone erupting to shield him.

A booming sound emerged.

The impact was brutal. The sheer force of Gunther's strike shattered Abel's defense again, sending stone and dust flying. The ground beneath them cratered, the tremor shaking even the distant parts of the battlefield.

Abel coughed up a spew of blood, rolling to his feet and gritting his teeth. "He's not just strong-he's very destructive as well."