8/10 - Chicken-foot bandit camp - Midnight

The night gave us cover from the bandits that were posted outside. Their camp was set in a plain, wide-field near the chicken foot for anyone passing to see. It was bigger than I imagined, tents were placed around the area; it was like a town itself. This was gonna be no small task if we're gonna hit this place, but that just makes it all the sweeter to take over this place.

"Place is pretty huge for a camp," I pointed out.

"Yeah, the place is crawling with bandits that are inching to cross swords with someone or something," Cade said.

"So, how are we going to play this one," I asked him.

"We're going to sneak up on them and take them out in the night."

"You think they might be ready for that?"

"Not a problem, we've been developing something for this occasion."

Cade took out a candle from his bag and gave me a few of them. Taking a quick whiff, the aroma was rather pleasant and gave off a calming, drowsy feeling.

"Easy there! That's a sleep-inducing incense," Cade was shaking me to keep me awake.

"Damn, I nearly went to sleep, that's pretty darn strong."

"Needs to be if we're gonna use it. Also, here."

He gave me a bandana. I heard someone come up behind us.

"Cade, we're ready," Puck told him.

"Okay, Puck: go get in position and get ready to move in when I give the signal."

"Got it, good luck Cade."

"You too."

As he was crouching away, Puck put his hand on my shoulder. His glare was nothing short of threatening.

"If you do anything to hurt Cade, we'll kill you. Is that clear?"

He definitely was scary, his voice as cold as a frozen pond and his eyes were sharpened with killing intent (that sounds so cool). Despite that though, I gave a reassuring response.

"No prob, he'll be in my care, so you'll be getting him back in one piece."

He didn't answer back but just left us to go back into position. We waited for a bit to move in.

"Kay Proxy, let's go!"

"Let's rock this then."

We moved in with candles in hand. We moved in between the tents that weren't lit. A bandit walked past the tents we were hiding near. I heard a yawn come out of him.

"Guys are tired. Perfect, it makes the incense work much more effectively," Cade claimed with a smirk.

He moved right after explaining the incense's effectiveness, I followed along with him, staying in the dark all the while.

"When we stop, plant one," Cade instructed.

"Gotcha."

I put one down. Cade put some stones over them and created sparks from them. The top part of the candle had caught fire.

"Put your bandana on!"

I tied the bandana onto my neck and put it up to my mouth and nose. We moved from one spot to the next, planting and lighting up incense in between the entrance to camp tents as we went along. We reached a point where we found bandits around a campfire, most of them were drinking what I would presume is liquor. Well, I guess it doesn't matter, all we gotta do is put down another candle and we're good. However, I failed to keep focus on was my foot as I accidentally tripped.

"Oh shit!"

A few of the candles fell out of my hands, rolling themselves over to the bandits. They see the candles rolling over to them from the tent behind them.

"What da. . .Who's there!?"

Shit, this isn't good!

"Crap, the candles dropped!"

"Then go and get them!"

"I can't, the bandits are right there!"

"Come out, bastard. . ."

His slurring voice was coming closer and closer towards us. Cade took out his knives to prepare for a fight. I, on the other hand, was thinking about what to do. As I was brainstorming what to do, an idea came through.

"I got it! Cade, take this candle and try to sneak behind them."

"How?"

"Just watch."

This was an all or nothing move, better make it worth it. With that in mind, I showed myself to the bandits.

"Who the hell are you!?"

The other bandits came at me with their weapons in hand.

"Now, is that any way to treat a wandering merchant/entertainer, " I asked with a theatrical voice.

"A merchant/entertainer?"

"That is right!"

I picked up the five candles and formed them in a neat line.

"Now, allow me to introduce myself! Bury this into your minds as I am not just the greatest, not just the only, but the damn finest merchant/entertainer doing this whole shtick! My name is the one, the only, the great Proxy of the high seven seas!"

The bandits were staring at me as if I had an arm on my head.

"What, you guys never heard of my magnificence. Well then, in that case, I shall show you what I'm made of!"

I threw four of the candles into the air, catching them in a weird pose. The bandits were in awe of the feat.

"Liked that? Then watch this!"

I hopped off my right foot and launched all the candles off my body. During my mid-air loop-around, I picked up and tossed another candle into the air. I stayed bent on my knees and kept my arms straight out as the incense was in the air. Two of them landed on both my forearms while another two landed in my hands. The last one landed on my forehead. The bandits once again were struck with amazement and clapped at me.

"How about one more!"

They were practically begging for another one.

"Okay boys, to make this fair you'll throw the candles in the air. And do it with gusto."

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A few of them picked up the candles off my body and threw them in the air. I can see where they're going to land already.

"Too easy," I confidently muttered to myself.

I began to spin around, doing a whirlwind breakdance move. I stopped my momentum to do a handstand with my feet pointed up towards the sky. Two of the candles landed on both of my feet, shortly after I launched them back in the air and stood back on my feet with my back faced up. Another one landed on my back, I launched it off as well. I put my face towards the sky and a third candle landed on my forehead. Another came falling but I caught it with my hand. The last three were about to drop. I caught one with the candle that was already in my hand, another one with my finger, and the last one with the one on my head.

"So, what do you guys think," I asked them with conceit.

They were singing my praises as I'm some high profile performer (I should be though, I'd make a killing). I began to notice that smoke was going off behind them.

"Well then fellows, that will be all for tonight, I hope you guys have a good night's rest."

"What are you. . ."

The bandit paused to give out a loud yawn. The others were yawning and getting even drowsier. Pretty soon, they would all just drop to the floor. Cade walked up from over the campfire.

"Wandering Merchant/Entertainer," he reiterated.

"What, if you're gonna pretend you might as well go all out."

"No man, it was damn cool, how did you do those tricks?"

I stacked the candles on each other.

"I'm just that good. But nice work getting behind them without giving yourself away. I didn't even notice you."

"No big deal, we learned how to step without sound."

Oh my God, that sounds cool as all hell!

"Guys, the coast is clear."

On Cade's signal, everyone came out of hiding. They came out of areas that I had a full view of too, it’s impressive how stealthy they are.

"Did you guys take care of the others," Cade asked Wedge.

"We took care of them with no problem!"

"All right then, listen up people: gather up the other bandits from the tents and bring them to this one spot and start tying them up, and take whatever weapons and supplies they have."

...

So after a bit of dragging and inspecting tents, I found a pretty good one-handed sword. It had a black and gray design and bore an insignia.

"Found something you like? Hey, why is there a knight's sword here," Cade asked me.

"A knight's sword?"

"Yeah, the knights in the kingdom use these swords, bearing this insignia of the kingdom."

"Did they steal it from a patrol?"

"The only knights out here are the ones near the entrance to the kingdom. There's no way the bandits are brave enough to fight guards anywhere near the kingdom."

Cade just slumped his shoulders in the end, dropping interest.

"Doesn't matter to me, you can have the sword, they're pretty good."

"Really?"

After a fight, I usually can't call dibs on a weapon since it needs to become a part of the stock.

"Yeah, you earned it after that improvising like that."

With the okay from Cade, I took the rope on the sword's scabbard and tied it around my hand. This is my very own sword beside the stone one.

"Come on, let's go see if they got anything else worth taking," Cade suggested.

"You guys do that?"

"Yeah, no sense in letting anything else go to waste."

Oh man, this guy gets it!

"Cade, we've found the food supply!"

Wedge carried over a basket load of food. With this stuff, it would be easy to make a whole bunch of food, let alone serving multiple people.

"Great, we'll take it."

The others began to carry out weapons and food along towards their respected vehicles. Looking at the food I think I was getting hungry. My stomach's cries were evidence of that.

"Hungry, huh? Say, wanna have that meal now," Cade offered.

"Sure thing, but I think I should treat you guys to my cooking."

"You can cook?"

"Trust me, I can cook."

"Then try to blow me away."

High Top Tree Camp - Midnight

Everyone was enjoying a delicious serving of my food. So far, it seems like I was getting used to cooking for multiple different people now and it seems like everyone is enjoying themselves so far as well. I went over to Cade who was sitting with Puck and Wedge.

"Hey Proxy, this stuff is great, top-notch," Cade complimented.

"Indeed, it's very good," Wedge piled onto the compliment

"Of course it's good, I'm a great chef after all. Mind if I sit with you guys?"

"Sure man, sit down."

I sat down criss-cross across from them with a dimly lit lantern in the middle.

"So, back to what I asked you Proxy: how did you do that trick with the candles," Cade opened with a question.

"Well, it's hard to kind of explain, but I have a sort of sixth sense."

"How so?"

"I can sense things coming at me or when there's someone around me. So in a sense, I was able to tell which way the candles would go and drop. Really, this is a pretty cool ability to have."

"What if I were to shoot you," Puck asked with no filter.

"Wouldn't know, never got shot before, but when something is thrown at me It's like I know exactly where it's going."

I finished my dish and put it beside me.

"So the next question I have is: where do you come from? Your clothes look a bit out of place. You live in the kingdom?"

"Been getting that a lot lately. But to tell you the truth, I'm from another world."

I went on to explain where I was from another world and all that junk. I got the usual reaction from them.

"So, do you have a way home," Wedge asked.

"Don't know yet. There was this guy who said he was from this church and he could take me and my friend home, but we haven't heard back from nor do we know where to look for him."

"A church? Never heard of that anywhere before."

Figures that be the case. I knew that this world probably didn't have the concept of a church in mind.

"Welp, that figures, should've known that there was no such thing here."

"Maybe we could help find this guy? What does he look like," Cade asked.

"He has blonde hair, wears a blue jacket with a white outline, wears a sort of cape, and carries around a sword with a cross design."

"Okay, we'll try to find him if we can and tell you if we discover him."

"Thanks."

"Meantime though, let's just have a good time."

"I can live with that."

We got another serving of food and drinks. The drink was a bit strong on my taste buds but it was good nonetheless.

"Oling juice is good, right," Cade asked for my opinion.

"Yeah, what's it made out of?"

"Some fruit with strong tastes mixed in together with some sweetener," Puck explained.

"That's pretty cool. How do you come up with this stuff?"

Cade put his hands on Puck and Wedge's shoulders.

"The village that we come from was famous for its specially made food and crafts. Our parents taught us what to use for cooking and crafting. Puck here is the one who made Oling tea."

He shied away from Cade's compliment, blushing all the while.

"Wedge was the one who helped make this place."

"Haha! It was nothing, really!"

So cool, these guys are so cool. They made this place from the ground up on their own. But hang on, if they come from a village then. . .

"Why are you guys out here if you belong to a village?"

The three in front of me took on a downcast expression.

"Um, did I say something wrong?"

"You did," Puck responded sourly.

"No Puck, it's fine, he just didn't know, is all."

Cade tried to take on a laid back attitude but failed to.

"Our village got burned down years ago. Bandits came through and burned it down while killing the villagers there. . ." He paused right there, taking a quick look at Puck and Wedge.

". . .Well, I guess you can imagine why we're here now. We gotta fight against those bandits, grow stronger, and then destroy them completely."

I could feel his words resonating with me. His determination to grow stronger, anger, but yet some sort of pain. This made me feel as if we were kind of the same in that respect.

"That's enough of that, let's keep partying until dawn," Cade shouted as he raised his glass to the sky.

Yikes, until dawn? That's a big no-no! Speaking of which, some blue was rising in the sky. I have to get back before everyone else wakes up back at camp.

"Sorry, but I have to go back to my camp now!"

"Can't you stay a bit longer?"

"Nope, the person who lets me sleep there is gonna be angry if I'm not there. I seriously have to go."

I ran over to grab my sword

"See ya later Cade. Thanks for the help."

"Come by sometime if you want to hang out or if you want to fight bandits, we're always ready to, right guys?"

Everyone shouted a collective “Yeah”. The open atmosphere of the people here made me feel a bit welcomed.

"I will!"

I climbed down the rope hastily and got onto my bike. Turning it on, I immediately drove back to my camp. On my way back I was reflecting on how the attack went. Not only was I able to show what I got, but I got a cool sword in the end. This was much more rewarding than fighting for the army, most definitely worth it. Thinking about returning to the anti-bandit camp is sort of a mood killer to me, especially since I'm not allowed to fight for the time being. Well, at least I don't need to waste a trip so I can just get benched tomorrow.

"Still though, I'd say this one was worth the trip and risk."