The last time Flor approached the carriage, her outlook seemed clearer. This time, perhaps it was the rage clouding her view, but it appeared though bandits might swing out of the trees. The six guards were on high alert checking out the surrounding area. Although Alastair had told her he wasn’t concerned if Irving and the thugs died this time, he seemed on edge that they would do their jobs appropriately.
No whammies, no Maelstrom, no whammies, no Maelstrom. With luck, Mal would expect them to desire to reconstitute rather than attack immediately. It must have been poor luck on Flor and Alastair’s part that she had shown up at their first attempt to ambush the procession. There was a risk that she would show up again today, but it seemed unreasonable that she would come to this ambush spot daily to check on the status of the procession.
Flor watched as the guards spread out to check for an ambush, while two of them set to chopping. Alastair decided it was as good a time as any so he signaled for her to proceed. Flor strode to the carriage, engaged her lock-picking interface, and solved the puzzle a minute later. The lock popped and Flor leaned into the carriage. Six children huddled together. Flor looked at them and said, “You’re free. Go cause maximum chaos!” Flor snuck back around the carriage to stay out of sight as the children broke free of the carriage and began running back toward the city. Flor flexed her gloves, ready to pound any guard, and Alastair stayed hidden in the trees. Then she bent and picked up a rock from the ground to throw as a further distraction. If they followed the plan, the thugs would see the freed kids and show up to distract two more guards at any moment. The rock would be one more source of misdirection to confuse how many thugs were attacking.
Draw the guards out, defeat them, and then confront the mayor. That was how Alastair had simplified their objective.
One of the guards started riding toward the children. It was unreasonable for one guard to handle six children, but it further separated the guards. Flor moved from behind the wagon, which startled the horse riding in her direction. It looked like the horse would ride straight through her, but the rider started at her appearance and pulled the reins enough to slow the horse. The guard pointed his spear toward her. In a snap judgment, Flor threw the rock at the guard’s head. He ducked, and his face changed from disappointment to outrage. Flor’s combat interface came up around her. She swapped a blue with a red rune creating a five-red rune T. She flashed red and saw the guard flash red and blue. His expression changed to shock as Flor jumped forward and punched him in the side of the head. The blow knocked him from the horse. Between that and her blow, the guard received damage enough to disable him. Her combat interface disappeared.
Combat complete. +1 to Combat.
Attempt again? Yes/No?
She spat in the direction of the guard and then apprised the situation around her. Combat had lasted a moment. Two guards continued chopping at the log, two others had begun moving toward the thugs which had come down the path with their wagon. Alastair and Irving were just now engaging the remaining guard. She didn’t know if she could assist with a three-on-one situation but figured she would try to cause more disruption. She wondered if she could influence the horse that had moved aside when the guard fell. It seemed docile enough, but she expected that was based on it being well-trained to remain out of the way of combat when riderless.
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I’m certainly glad it’s not attacking me. I don’t know if I have the emotional capacity to attack a horse. Or if I could win. We still need to take out those guards with the axes, and then hansom drivers so that the mayor doesn’t escape. The Mayor stood in his hansom and yelled obscenities. There are just too many of them for five of us to take on, even with added surprise.
Flor ran toward the guards with the axes, who seemed oblivious to the fight around them. Flor used the added surprise to punch the rightmost guard in the back of his head, which disoriented him enough that she realized he was dazed when her combat interface appeared.
One turn until the enemy is reinforced.
Flor made a snap decision to prepare to take on both wood-chopping guards in the same interface. She swapped a green rune for bone runes together to make a skull and crossbones next to a combo setup. A counter in her combat interface ticked over.
The enemy is reinforced.
The other ax-wielder came into her interface. Flor swapped a block and an attack rune and moved forward to punch the guard coming out of his daze in the face. With the added damage from her gloves, two blows to the head were enough to defeat the first ax-wielder. He fell to the ground and faded from the combat interface.
Intuitively, Flor turned and stepped back from the swing of an ax.
Flor mentally prepared herself for the thought of being struck with an ax head as she selected the skull and crossbones. Fortunately, the guard must have anticipated being attacked and chose a full defensive stance. For a moment, Flor and the guard looked at each other. She selected her attack block combo and glowed before rushing forward with two quick blows to the guard’s gut, which seemed to do little based on being protected by scaled mail. But it was enough that he leaned into the devastating uppercut into his unprotected chin, snapping his head back and causing him to drop the ax. She backed away and took a defensive stance. One more should drop him. She wasn’t sure if he’d go for the ax or fight without it, but with full health and rage in her heart, she swapped easy bones for a simple three-red. The guard also glowed red, and Flor threw a punch at his face while he kicked out at her midsection. The blow took her full on but wasn’t enough to prevent her blow from landing under his eye. He fell to the ground and faded from view.
Combat complete. +1 to Combat.
Attempt again? Yes/No?
Selecting no, she pulled a health potion and chugged it, then appraised the area around her. Both thugs were bleeding out on the ground, but one of the guards they fought was down and the other limped. Alastair and Irving had taken down the final guard. Alastair was pointing Irving toward the limping guard, then looked to Flor. His face lit up, then took on a bit of fear, or maybe disappointment. It had surprised her, also, when she said she needed some alone time after this adventure. She nodded, then indicated toward the mayor’s hansom. He nodded back, and she started to walk in that direction.