Adventures in Mirida Chapter 7

Sela watched as The village guard named Duros, Gorrin the Knasher, and the young human male name Richard stood up against the 6 black cloaked bandits. By human standards, Richard was a young adult. By the standards of a Lizardfolk life..he was a mere boy. Most Lizardkin lived an easy 100-200 years, she was almost 90 years old

.

She was never a fighter, she always hated violence. Ever since her childhood in Vinikir, she has hated violence. She remembered the day when unsavory sort decided to purge the Lizardfolk due to their region. She never forgot that day. Over the years she tried to forget the way her family and friends who couldn't run fast enough were slaughtered. She chose the faith of Alana because it helped her soul feel at peace.

She always hated the work that her husband did. He vowed to never make a tool of violence at his shop to soothe her fears. Surely he did when she wasn't aware but she didn't blame him. He was a good man who suffered a similar past to her as his father was killed if would one day become known to her people and even the citizens of Anathia as The Purge.

She was horrified at the thought that violence would come about so close to her home. They were not her kin, but they were good people. Duros was a kind and caring guard that greeted her every time she left or returned from her garden. He always brought a smile to her face when she was down. Same for the lizardfolk brothers Gorrin and Bostar.

They were not her blood but they were also good people. She was no use in a fight. But the one thing she never forgot was her past. How hard she had to run to save her life. She never had an excuse to run that hard since the night of the Purge, but if anytime was a good time it was now.

Sela snuck into the trees making sure that the bandits lost sight of her. As soon as she made it past them she ran the hardest she had ever run in nearly 60 years. She dug her feet into the ground with every leap and bound pushing as fast as she could. Hoping to get to her Village of Findrel to seek help for her husband and the rest of the group back there.

When she finally reached the outskirts she was nearly out of breath. Her lungs felt as though they were going to burst.

"Are you alright miss?" A voice called to her from behind. It was one of the city guards with two companions. "I saw your shadow go past us, I hope you aren't hurt."

As much as she hated violence and war, she knew that sometimes it was necessary. "Thank the God and Goddess," she said while trying to catch her breath. As she began to tell her story to the guards, she noticed the look of fear and concern on their faces. They past the word sounding an alarm bell.

It didn't take long for 14 armed guards to assemble. The lot was a mix of races, mostly human and lizard kin. But they all shared a similar expression when she told them about Duro, Bostar, Gorrin, her husband Kai'illan, and her husband's apprentice Richard. She told them about how there were 6 bandits in black cloaks that were getting ready to attack them when she left. She told them about how Bostar was already wounded.

One soldier handed her a stamina potion which she rapidly downed.

The band of honorable village guards assembled ready to go aid their fellow guardsmen and their companions. They expected to arrive for a blood bath. Despite the village guard's protests she insisted to follow them back to where the fight was most definitely taking place as they spoke.

She wanted to make sure her husband was okay. She could lose her family to violence. As long as it was in her power it would not happen not again.

One of the guards a Commander of sorts, by the name of Ragnor, was a skilled magician practicing fire and earth magic. Before they departed he cast a spell on the lot or rather activated what is known as a Magic Seal. A magic seal is a spell that can be placed into objects to produce a variety of effects ranging from the Empowerment Spell which can increase one's strength by up to five-fold.

Magic Seals can also be used to create Teleportation Seals that allow the user to teleport from one location to another. Or even create a barrier that will make the user immune to some magical effect. There were a variety of potential seals that could be created if the knowledge and skill were sufficient.

In the case of Ragnor, he was skilled enough with his magic to cast buff spells over an area. A very powerful technique for a commander to bolster his men's or women's capability in battle. In this situation, Ragnor knew time was not to be wasted anymore. He used a seal which was known as the Acceleration Spell or seal.

This allowed a person to run at incredible speed.

He cast the spell on the group casting it on himself first and then the rest of his team, including Sela. All of them felt themselves begin to sprint down the road, running faster than they ever thought possible.

Within minutes they were coming close to the site where the battle should have been fought. They all stopped when they noticed the weather was changing. A massive storm cloud was brewing over the sight where the battle was being fought. Thunder was rumbling, rain was pouring down along with hail. Sela and the party of village guards had to protect themselves from being hurt by the hail.

She watched seeing bodies littering the ground not seeing any of her friends the guard Duros nor even her husband standing up. She saw a young man laying in the mud.

The village guard tried to get closer but they were fighting the winds. the winds accelerated to the point where the guards could barely stand up. The ground below them became soaked from the rain. Then with a loud bang. She saw everyone that was standing at the sight of the battle go flying. One individual when flying into a tree. She saw the black cloak flutter briefly before it did, not pitying the bandit that she knew it was.

Shortly after so, the wind began to die down rapidly. The clouds above began to settle as they should. The sun returned to normal. All she saw were bodies littering the ground.

Ragnor orders his men to advance instructing some to grab branches and make some makeshift stretchers. With the way, the battle ended there had to be survivors.

As Ragnor approached he saw the crumple form of Duros the Flight laying on the ground. His body was brutalized with wounds. A couple of soldiers called out when they found one of the lizardfolk laying in the grass not far with a crushed leg and other serious wounds.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

As a practitioner, he knew what he saw, wind magic. Likely someone with reasonable potential in wind magic.

He knew for a fact that none of the lizardmen that were involved in the battle knew magic. Supposedly Duros knew some level of fire magic but had abysmal mana levels. There was no way that the smith he knew as Kai'illan was able to use magic. He knew that for a fact as he had seen Kai'illans information when he came to Findrel from the Lizardfolk town of Flammia. Which left that human apprentice that Sela had talked about.

Ragnor ordered his men to inspect the bodies on the road and to make sure that all of the bodies of the bandits were accounted for. He wanted to make sure they were, if not he would have to send out hunting parties to take care of any remaining bandits. As long as he stood no threat would harm his home village.

He closed the eyes of his long-time friend Duros while muttering a prayer when he heard Sela call out a name he hadn't heard before someone named Richard. That must be the name of the person who cast such a powerful spell. Whether or not the young man knew what he was doing. He had great potential if he studied wind magic.

Ragnor looks to find Bostar leaning against a tree with an arrow in the leg. Seemingly the least wounded of the lot, but still wounded. He saw the smith he knew well laying on the ground moving. Seeming to be in better condition. He saw Sela run to her husband's side trying to check on him.

Ragnor was happy that she came back to find her husband not among the dead. He figured there was no further threat to his men or these people in the area and he doubted anyone else would bother to cause trouble after that storm. Ragnor didn't have any potential in wind magic, but he knew it must have cost a lot of mana to do.

He walked over to the young man that couldn't have been older than his young 20s laying on the ground, two men followed Ragnor with one of the makeshift stretchers.

He helped his men lower the young man onto the stretcher gently. As they picked up the stretcher with the weary man, the man he now knew as Richard asked if he could get some sleep.

Ragnor couldn't help but smile. This man did a good job whoever he was and probably saved some of Ragnor's men from being butchers.

"Yes, you should rest." He says. "You did a good job today. It was brave of all you guys to stand against those bandits."

"Thank you," the man said before he closed his eyes.

Ragnor's men gathered the wounded in stretchers including 1 bandit who survived the fight. The rest of the bandits were dead. Including the bandit leader who he now knew was a relatively well-known troublemaker. The bandit leader was known as Kras a band of bandits that self-proclaimed themselves as some bandit group. He could not recall the name, but he knew that Kras had been enough of a troublemaker for some local garrisons to put up a bounty for his head.

It was small satisfaction for Ragnar, because with these bandits' deaths his friend Duros was avenged.

"Okay I want 6 of you to dispose of the bodies, 3 of you to carry Duros back to town, and make sure to take him to the Temple for his final rites," Ragnar ordered his men.

As the bandit's body was carried off by several of his men, the three remaining men took Duros back to the village. He ushered the rest to carry the stretchers and escort the wounded back to the village.

He now noticed that Kai'illan was refusing to use a stretcher insisting to walk on his own. Sela was now ordering her husband to lie on the stretcher. Ragnar wanted to laugh but couldn't with all of this blood-stained ground.

They returned to the village in an organized fashion. They were greeted by the villagers with warm smiles and words of gratitude. Not knowing the guards weren't the ones to finish the bandits.

The villagers helped them get Duros inside the temple where they would prepare his body for his final rites.

Ragnar ordered his men that were carrying the bandit to take the bandit to lock up where the unnamed bandit would eventually be interrogated and then be led to his execution. Bandits were filth that deserved nothing short of that.

He also ordered that one of his men inform the garrison commander that ranked above himself to prepare to pay the bounty on Kass the bandit leader. He wondered if the payment should go to the man to slain Kass or the family of his dear friend Duros. He would make that decision when the time came.

Ragnar led the rest of the stretchers down the streets to find the nearest healer. Some of his men went to tell their families and friends about how Duro died and gave thanks to the gods for protecting the survivors of the battle.

Ragnar did not bother calling them out for diverting from their escort. He could not blame them as many of his men were superstitious individuals. He did not pray to the gods or goddesses like some but like all citizens of Alnathia, he did honor the Goddess of Life and Nature known as Alana.

He led the stretchers down the streets until they found one of the healers.

A middle-aged human woman named Hilda greeted them cheerfully. "Oh my! What happened?" she said as she noticed the 4 stretchers.

Ragnar replied. "We had a bandit attack and we lost a good man today." He told her sadly.

The healer looked at the 3 lizardmen and the human male. She recognized Kai'illan as one of the more well-known smiths in town whom she had purchased many goods from. He was still awake but stubborn as always grumbling about being carried.

She asked Kai'illan what happened. "I'm fine. My apprentice isn't so lucky," Kai'illan answered.

She saw Sela standing next to him frowning trying to hold back.

"Okay take them to the back and set them in the beds back there. I will get my supplies and meet you all back there," she said as she hurriedly walked away

Ragnar and Sela said nothing nor did the guards help to move the wounded. They knew better than to interrupt a healer.

They laid the injured down gently and watched as the healer quickly prepared her tools and potions. The healer was incredibly skilled at healing. However, most of these wounds would take time to heal. She carefully removed the arrows from Kai'illan and the lesser wounded Bostar. Sela helped her by making some salves.

Once the healer finished tending to the four injured she asked for the guards and Ragnar to leave her with her work.

Ragnar dismissed his men telling them to reinforce the gates and stand vigilant in case some more trouble starts.

He left the healer's shop to go to his quarters. That night he was going to toast a drink of the strongest he had to the life of his dear friend Duros.

But first, he had to send a message to the capital.

Ragnar lived alone in a small house. It was located on the outskirts of the city in a secluded area surrounded by trees and bushes. It was built with stone bricks and wood beams. His home was modest compared to the other homes of many of the merchants and wealthier villagers. he did not spend much time there.

He preferred live in a way as many of the men under his command did. while his pay was decent he routinely took his pay to buy his men higher-quality equipment. Many men under his command had come from quite impoverished origins. He did not judge a man by his origin but by his character. He would vet his men and women under his command and make sure there were no individuals that may use their guard status for unlawful or unethical reasons. He was one of the few who did not let the power of command go to his head.

Two of his men regularly guarded his home. He never asked them to, but out of respect for Richard, there was always someone who wanted to make sure Richard's home was safe and secure. Richard liked that, but never asked for anymore then they were willing of their own accord.

He greeted his men and entered his abode.

Sitting at his desk he grabbed a quill. He wrote a quick note to be sent to the capital.

Dear Aranor,

I regret to inform you that we lost one of our best men during an attempted bandit attack. I ask your forgiveness on this matter and beg for leniency. Our man was killed saving others from harm. It was a brutal attack but the men and woman he tried to protect survived the exchange. I was hoping I could request you to provide aid regarding your contacts within the Mages Sanctum. There is an individual who I have not heard of until now that may have some sort of experience with magic. A gentleman by the name of Richard. He is currently recovering from the battle, but I have reason to believe he may be the reason why the bandits did not kill the rest of the party.

Richard is a young adult human male of average height. He has ginger hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. There is a high reason to believe he has the Attribute of Wind. When my men and I arrive at the scene there was without a doubt a reasonably powerful high Mana-based wind magic being used. I have yet to ask any questions of him but will do so upon his recovery. However, I wish to know this man's origins. I know among the Laws of Magic, that all practitioners of any field are required to be licensed by the Mages Sanctum. I want to know any records you may have on this individual and to know if he has any criminal past on record. I have a good feeling about this man, however as of now given what I saw I cannot allow him to stay in the village of Findrel if he is a possible threat to the safety of the village. I know he saved some people, but the magic displayed could easily cause damage to life and property if he cannot be trusted. If you can provide.

Ragnor double-checked his writing and signed with his quill before folding it and stamping it will a wax seal. He handed it to one of his guards

"Take this to the falconry and have it sent to the Mages Sanctum for me if you will," he ordered the man.

Ragnor anxiously awaited the response that would come.