Elite guard's point of view

We head down passed the group at the entrance. If they stole the princes ring we'll all be executed by the king. That ring is a hand-me-down from the kingdom. We need to get it back. The dungeon is eerily empty. The group who came before us must have killed everything. We easily make it down to the bosses room. Heading inside we see something wrong. A lesser displacer beast is the boss here... I've cleared this dungeon before and it wasn't a lesser displacer beast.

Peculiarly, the lesser displacer beast had a giant hole in him. I don't think I've even see a wound that big before. Also the place the displacer beast was dead was peculiar. He had died inside a room in the middle of the dungeon boss room. Was that gnoll a nature mage or something? I've never see such a well made building from nature magic.

Looking around the room we see the corpses of the princes group. Most of been stripped down to their under cloths. How did that group carry out the armor? I would've noticed if they had 6 sets of gear in their bags. Did they have a rare bag? Bags like that are very expensive, most adventurers wouldn't be able to afford them. Shit! As expected the ring is gone. Those thieves!

"Sir! I found something in the lesser displacer beast!"

One of my guards at noticed something inside the displacer beasts stomach. The giant wound from it's battle you could see into his stomach. Fishing it out it was the princes hand. The lesser displacer beast had eaten the legendary ring... That boy wasn't lying then. If the king spares my life I'll have to mention the boy to him. Maybe how peculiar this whole situation was.

Lance's point of view

We just arrived near the old village I used to live at. The old man farmer was still there. Did the bandits not attack him because they could always come back and steal his food? I'm not sure so I ask about the whereabouts of the bandits. the group I'm traveling with decided to do recon on the bandits for now to gauge their strength. I've started to get used to traveling with everyone in the group. 

Leaf is a very strong magician. Able to cast multiple familiars and elementals. She provides backup exactly where and when it's needed. Kattie is fast with her heals. Sometimes predicting incoming damage she'll already have a heal halfway channeled to get someones health up. Leon isn't a bad thief either. With his stealth attacks we normally have to fight one less enemy from the beginning of the fight. Maybe even 2 if they're far enough separated. The archer Axel is mildly useful. He surprises me sometimes when he takes an enemy I wasn't expecting him to hit out. The warrior Gunter is a great knight. If anyone makes it passed me that is. 

We're told the direction the bandits came from and left towards after burning and looting the village. Heading that way we get into some fights but nothing serious. Blue slimes aren't even a threat. Our mages using their staffs and wands could pummel them to death. We travel around two hours. Cutting into the woods we see smoke pillowing out. As we get closer and closer we notice a giant bandit fort. Bigger than Kites fortress by over twice the size. Judging by the outside I'd guess that over one hundred bandits live there. 

Just like Kite thought there would have been nothing we could have done at the time when they attacked. I notice something though. A bandit has noticed us! He starts ringing a bell, oh shit! 

“Run!” 

We take off in the direction we came from. Running until we can't anymore. The mages aren't the ones slowing us down. Gunter is dead weight when it comes to running. He must have never practiced exercising in his life. I hear horses approaching us. We're in trouble. Before we're captured I have to send a distress message. I yell at Kites familiar. 

“Kite we're about to be captured by the bandits that raided are village. The number is in the hundreds and I don't think we can get away. I'll try to keep everyone alive until you can come save us please hurry.” 

With that said I tell everyone to stop and tell Kites familiar to disappear. If we run they might kill us because we made them chase us. Twenty bandits come to get us. Around ten on horseback. I could try bluffing my way into their camp.

We all have our weapons on the ground, hands raised in the air. The fastest bandit looks disappointed though. 

“Just a bunch of kids... I thought I'd get to kill a few of you.” 

The next one catches up. Judging by his gear and stature in comparison to the last one he is the leader. At least the leader of the group that came to get us. 

“What is your business with us?” He asks. 

“We've come to join up. We heard about how a powerful bandit group had been attacking villages and thought we'd like to make some extra money.” 

It was a pitiful lie, anyone could see through it. 

“Ha ha ha, boy you are a go getter aren't you. I like that in youngsters.” 

He starts looking at our group. He stops on Kattie and asks. 

“Ashley, what are you doing out here with them?”

… Shit! I didn't think of her sister, we're going to die! 

“Ashley is my sister, we're twins.” 

He gets a disgusting smile on his face. 

“Twins aye? I always wanted to try it with twins.”

If I try anything now we'll be killed... 

“Alright get everyone we're heading back... Cut the boys tendons in his hands so he can't fight us. Lying to me will cost you your life as an adventurer... If he fights back kill him.”

… There's nothing I can do. I just have to stay alive... Kite will figure something out and come rescue us. One of them cuts my arms I lost the feeling in my fingers. Shit! Why didn't I wait! Shit there's nothing I can do! Why am I so weak… I start crying.

Kites point of view

Why didn't Lance wait! Why? Why! Dammit why. A hundred people, what can I do against a hundred people... I need an army twice the size I have to compete with them! Lance you fool! Why did you force my hand! I have to go save them as soon as I can. 

I doubt my uncle will give me any troops. So I have to make do being outnumbered over two to one. I get scared, scared to the point I feel like I'll die if I go save them. I have to try. Maybe I can hire some adventurers from the guild? No... No one would join a suicide mission like this one. We rush back to the fortress and I start to prepare.

We have around thirty troops altogether. Forty including the wolves. We have around ten gnolls with no classes for combat we'll leave behind. As well as the gnolls to young to fight. I can't spare a single guard so they'll have to make do with locking up the fortress at night and closing off the cave. I start getting everyone together then think of something. There has to be some people from the slums that would want to join me. I have to at least try. I tell everyone to get ready for me we'll leave as soon as I get back.

I head to the school first. I tell the headmaster I'll be taking a few weeks leave and that I might die. He understands and this was only a formality. During the next few months I had wanted to start making Rock an ally to be a secret weapon but I can't do that now. I head to the slums I plea for help beg with all my heart for a whole hour… Not a single person came forward to help… Fine! I DON'T NEED THEIR FUCKING HELP! Why is this happening to me!? 

I head to the blacksmith to buy some more materials. I'm going to make a few more giant crossbows while we travel there. It will still take over two weeks to get there. Even traveling full speed it will take more then ten days. Please no one die until I get there!

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

We head out, everyone with any sense of combat is forced to come. While we're traveling I'll be in the tent on a cart making weapons. I need at least ten giant crossbows made for a plan I've been formulating to work. We're getting close to the choice to cut through the forest. Going around would take too long. The skeletons and shadows put up no fight to the army fighting against them. 

We're marching double time today to try and push to the other side of the forest. If we can make it in one day, that will have saved us two days going around. Everyone's tired. I tell them to take shifts in the tent. We have two dire wolves pulling it but it still weighs the amount of people so only five can rest at a time. We manage to make it through the forest and set-up camp as it pushes nightfall. I finish the giant crossbows.

I still feel like I'm rushing. If I had the time I would have liked to make all the thieves a knife cannon but I don't have the materials or time. We're not going to have enough food for a return trip. I hope they didn't burn the farm to the ground. We're pushing double time again today. When we make it to the old village we'll take one day to rest. If you push an army to hard they'll be useless in battle. We make it to the old village. The farm is still there thankfully, and so is my grandpa Grey. 

“You're still alive? How?” 

He sees the army behind me. 

“I sent you the letter, don't you remember?” 

Yea, I guess he would have to be alive to do that. 

“I mean how did you live through the bandit attack?” 

“I killed the bandits that attacked me.” Grey says plainly. 

He must have killed at least a dozen by himself to deter them… 

“Can you help me?... Please can you help me!? My friends have been captured by the bandits.” 

“Yea, I'll help... Only if I'm needed though. I don't like fighting.”

Even in that situation Grey didn't stop working on his farm. Really? Only help if he's needed... When the hell would I need his help more than now?

After the day of rest and replenishing our food stores we head towards the bandit camp. We set up a trap and wait until nightfall. I rush towards the fortress by myself waving my hands. If I see anyone I recognize I'll cast a flare spell at them signaling to everyone not to attack them. I get the attention of the bandit guard. He see's me and starts ringing a bell. I take off running. 

There's a reason I did this by myself. With all my speed boosts I can run as fast as a horse. They give chase I'm not running full speed. Acting like they're catching up I lead them into an ambush. The beast riders are hidden, ready to ambush survivors. The thieves are positioned further away, set-up on the giant crossbows. They fire the crossbows killing all the bandits on horses equaling around 8 people. 

The beast riders tame the horses quickly and one of the tamers leads them away. All the bandits running on foot were separated far enough from their allies that they couldn't see the attack. We wait for them to get closer and ambush them as well. The gnoll thieves all switched to regular crossbows and fire into the few bandits the ran after us. Any survivors the beast riders run down. We kill around 20 people altogether but we also killed their means of cavalry. Meaning we have an advantage now.

Master of learning 17 to 18

We head to each side of the fort with beast riders. Catching the wooden walls on fire with torches and arrows. Not many can use bows well so we could only fire a handful of arrows on each side. It's enough to put the bandits in a panic. Some have started running buckets of water towards the fire. Some are actually trying to come and attack us. Anyone heading outside right now one by one are getting killed by the giant crossbows. We kill another ten and also weaken the forts outside walls. Their main force comes outside and we fall back. A few more attacks and we'll be ready.

We repeat this two more times that night. Managing to kill another twenty people stupid enough to stand in the gaping holes of the fort walls now. The fire opened up the walls to the point they're not even viable for defense. I tell a few to stay watch and fire at anyone who comes outside. If they push with their main force shoot then run. Doing this we kill another ten. Their number lead over us is dwindling quickly. We keep this up for two nights. They've been stuck in the main building of their fort. Anyone who would come outside would be killed on the spot. It's getting close to the final attack.

 Master of learning 18 to 19

Trice's point of view

A few days ago a new group of people were captured. When they were I noticed some familiar faces. It was Lance and Kattie! I recognized them both as soon as I seen them. It has been years but one face I see everyday and the other was a very distinct, beautiful face. That beautiful face shown despair on it. Lance's arms were cut! Blood was running down his hands dripping onto the floor. He would never be an adventurer again and he knew it... If I can I would like to talk to him.

A few days later I got the chance to talk with Lance. I was a maid in the main building of the fort. Actually a lot of the maids of the manor were maids here now. Some started getting used to living here. My mother Beatrice and Kora being the ones getting used to it. Ashley wouldn't ever get used to it though. She became a target for the head bandit. He was married and his wife constantly kept an eye on him. She kept the chances of him raping her to a very few times.

After living with him for so many years he finally got the chance to rape her. He only raped her once though to my knowledge. It now looks like he was eyeing up Kattie next. I hope she doesn't end up the same way as Ashley. Constantly afraid of getting attacked. If that was me, I might end up killing myself.

Lance was very disappointed, he looked defeated. I knew why, he lived to adventure and now he'll never be able to do that. 

“I'm sorry Lance... I would have tried to stop him if he waited to do it in here. I know how much you want to be an adventurer. Losing your ability to hold weapons...” 

He looked up. “It's not that... I disappointed Kite. He had a plan and I ruined it.” 

Really? I was surprised by his response. I didn't think of Kite as ever being strong. Kite trained all day and wasn't as strong as Lance. Even as a child I could tell Lance was stronger than Kite with no effort. What exactly happened after they left?…

We were attacked! Twenty bandits died in the first attack. Over the rest of the night even more died. We had no idea how many it was but to be able to kill that many people it had to be a lot. I wonder who's attacking us. Maybe a detachment of troops from the capital to get rid of the bandits here. Not exactly sure but the hope has returned to Lances eyes. We'll be free soon. 

My mother and Kora acted very weird that day. It's like they didn't know what to feel because the people who captured them wouldn't be their leaders anymore. Beatrice broke down sobbing in front of everyone. Kora was scared shaking, jumping at every noise. We could only wait for the enemy to attack now. The bandits were completely forced to hide in the main building.