The area was flat and lifeless, a small hill of sand gave some partial cover for the team to scope out the camp just in front of them.
A ramshackle wall surrounded it with many gaps big enough to fit through. Kayd could see a few bandits walking along the top, crossbows and bows in hand. Their armor and weapons were in less terrible shape compared to the ones from the other camp. The gate of the camp was closed shut but the tracks of wheels were very visible to the team.
“Could see about seven from here,” Ikari reported. Ishmael looked on, observing their patrols and whatever else through the many gaps in the walls.
“A few tents here and there, can’t get a good look from here though,” Ishmael noted. Everyone continued staring at the pathetic excuse of a fortified outpost, continuing their observations on finding a way in.
Going brute force or through the wall cracks will be difficult, those guards are keeping a lookout from every angle. They shift every once in a while but it's too short to make a full run.
Looking around, his eyes spotted multiple mounds scattered around the field. Enough to conceal at least one person.
“What’s the plan now captain?” Ikari questioned.
“Still thinking, I'd rush in but I don't want to push our luck.” While watching the camp, an odd sight came into view.
“What is that?” Ikari pointed at a wagon careening down the flat sand path towards the gate. It was being carried by 2 large horses and a band of bandits, jovial about something. On the wagon were large cages and crates filled with something. Perhaps weapons and armor.
The gate opened and an even larger group of armored bandits let them into the camp before closing immediately after.
“Looks like they’re pretty active in this area,” Ishmael remarked before returning to the main task at hand, figuring out a plan.
“Any observations?” Ishmael asked.
“We can try slowly moving close to the walls using the mounds there.” Kayd pointed them out to Ishmael and the others, she gave an approving nod in return.
“That can work. Our info is vague right now. If we had a higher area to see the camp we would’ve had a better plan. Right now our main priority is just killing the bandits and finding any good intel.” She turned to Kayd with a hatchet in hand and an eager expression on her face.
“Let’s try that idea of yours. Ikari watch for our signal of when to join in.” Kayd and Ishmael slid down the hill and made their way toward the many mounds, sliding behind them just in time for the bandits to start looking out again.
Kayd’s heart beat faster, the feeling of being spotted embraced him, but he still pushed through it. He peeked out slowly, watching their positions, waiting for a moment to move forward again.
The two moved and slid into multiple mounds. The closer they got, the more intense the feeling of getting caught rose higher within Kayd.
The mounds provided far less.protection up close, his head was peeking out like a sore thumb, not even slathering sand on his head and body for camouflage seemed to work.
Ishmael was in a similar position, both looked up at the unassuming bandit, still looking out with a dead eyed expression. The chatter and banter was loud, very loud.
Is there a party in there or something?
They reached the base of the wall. The two stood opposite of one another.
After a minute they took a peek in.
Bandits partied with one another, eating and drinking stolen foods from the wagon along with checking newly scavenged armor, blood still stained to them.
The most bizarre though were the wooden cages covered in cloth that some of the bandits were taking to one of the tents.
Looking beyond the celebrating bandits and wagon though, Kayd took quick notes of the layout of the camp.
“Any guesses as to what it could be?” Ishmael looked to Kayd for an answer.
“A few, just hope it’s not the worst one.”
“Well, we have a decent idea of what we’re up against. The best bet is to handle the ones on top before doing anything.” She looked out, making a few different gestures, ordering Ikari and the others to start moving in.
Once they were close enough, she pointed at the guards above and started to climb. Kayd was with her, each move as quiet as possible. The wood creaked as their weight pushed against it.
“Looks like we got a good haul. How big of a price you reckon they’d fetch down at the next auction?” One of the bandits above laughed.
“Those men look very strong, they’d fetch a mighty high price if we convince em rich ones enough.” Another responded, a female this time, laughing alongside her compatriot.
“Aye aye, maybe get enough coin for a good cold drink in their tavern. Been aching for a cup of rum n steak these past days."
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Sell, yeah it’s definitely the worst guess…
He sighed before moving up again. But as his hand gripped one of the boards, it snapped. Falling to the ground.
“What’s that?”
“Dunno, probably this piece of crap wall finally falling apart. You reckon we can return to the other camp already? This place is hotter than a blacksmith’s forge.”
“I hear ya, this place sucks. Could use some decent shelter.” Ishmael turned to Kayd once they were just a foot beneath the top. She showed him her hand, counting down slowly.
5
4
3
2
1
With a few hasty movements, Kayd reached out and stabbed the man in front of him while Ishmael ran up and took down the woman with a precise strike, silencing them.
Looking up, multiple bandits surrounded them in shock.
Piss
Just as one of them raised their makeshift ax, an arrow pierced his head, falling to the ground with a loud thud, followed slowly by the rest. The last bandit dropped his sword and tried running away but was immediately shot as well.
Looking down, Ikari waved at them with a smile. In her hand, her bow.
—----
The rest of the team got up quietly. The shouts and hardy cheers of the bandits below mask much of the noise.
“Eesh, I can smell the sour ale from up here,” Ikari commented. They moved around quietly around the camp wall, taking down any remaining guards. On each of them Kayd could see the slightly better quality of their armor and swords, but with it, he noticed each of them had a pair of cuffs. Compared to the rest of the body they were sparkly and shiny.
They prefer maintaining those things than their own armor huh? Where do they even get these? The Stone Edge store?
Kayd passed through one of the small towers built on the wall. The structure creaked every second, the nails holding it together were rusted and some even out of place.
In it were many open windows along with bags of arrows. Tables scattered around filled with both weapons and trinkets alike. From necklaces to parchments of paper.
Kayd grabbed one of the pieces of paper. On it was a pouch of coins. Another folded paper was in the pouch of coin. He thought of taking the coins but was curious to what both papers were about.
My….These people are more abhorrent than I thought…
He felt a pit in his stomach after reading the paper but saved it for when the mission was over. He put back the pouch and papers before setting off to find the rest of the team.
I’m guessing the rest here were stolen as well…Absolute scum, no care for who or where they came from….
They found themselves near one of the stairways down. The bandits were still too busy to care.
“Looks like we can trap them with the gate, they look a bit more difficult than the last camp so be careful.” She looked at Mian teammate, nervous but ready.
“Think you can handle it now?”
“Yes…Captain…” He replied.
—----
Ishmael repositioned them, leaving Lia, Ikari, and Quellin on the walls.
Creeping down the stairs, Kayd spotted the bandits drinking and eating, their joy made him grit his teeth.
“Alright, on my signal.” Ishmael slowly walked off the stairs and approached a nearby bandit with his back turned. As the hatchet slammed against his head, Kayd ran out. He found an unsuspecting bandit and immediately severed his head, followed by another. But in the process, one of the other bandits swung his axe into Kayd’s chest.
Damn, I should have expected that.
On the ground, he raised his sword. But as it went above his head, Mian’s teammate drove his sword through one of the gaps in the man’s armor.
A mix of surprise and joy rushed as he watched him take down the soldier before getting up and taking down the other bandits.
They were numerous and posed a greater threat to him, immediately encircling the swordsman while he used the blend of techniques and precise strikes to take each one down. With every kill or parry, another bandit landed a strike on him. Ishmael and Mian’s teammates were busy handling their own groups of hostels with varying success.
From above, Ikari picked off some of the bandits attacking Kayd while Quellin jumped down and began chaining up the gate just in time for a few cowardly bandits to try and escape. He cast down his sword at the bandits, leaving no room for mercy or care, simply killing them as fast as possible.
Through a series of precise and rapid strikes at the gaps of armor or simply at unarmored sections of their bodies, Kayd took out many of the bandits. They took a step back, their eyes changing from anger to absolute terror. He looked at them with determination and hatred.
Bruises and cuts riddled his body, familiar wounds from before, and thus stood back up with little issue, simply staring back at the terrified bandits as they moved away.
“No…No no! It’s those ones that killed the rat horde! Leg it lads!” One of the bandits yelled before the remaining bandits tried to disperse, running up the stairs or towards the shut gate. The rest of the team quickly took them out, particularly Quellin who cut them down, dismembering a few limbs without a care before wiping the blood from his sword with disgust.
Silence filled the air once everyone was dead, they were successful. Almost too successful.
Lia walked down, looking around before administering aid to the three.
After a few minutes, she finished and began walking to the wagons. All the while Kayd and the rest of the team picked up the pouches of gold left by the dead bandits.
“That was relatively easy,” Ishmael remarked.
“Yeah, took more blows this time,” Kayd laughed. Multiple bandage wraps covered portions of his body but he heeded them no mind.
“Used to fighting other people huh? I can see it on your face.” She smirked.
“Yeah, got used to this a long time ago.” They both looked at the camp tents with an unwavering curiosity.
—---
Rather than Kayd's worst guess or more bandits in hiding. The tent was filled with trinkets, chains, fetters, and boxes of varying sizes.
“A storage room, looks like they were doing this for a good while until now.” Disgust hit Kayd upon hearing Ishmael’s comment. Browsing through, Kayd could see more trinkets similar to what he saw back at the tower, from letters to engraved necklaces.
So much, how many did they even kill? And why are they collecting these? It would make more sense to sell it too.
“What do you think we should do with these things?” She asked, holding up one of the necklaces.
“I think it’s best we don’t keep it. Or just find the owners, seems better.” Ishmael nodded.
“True, I had the same thought.”
Kayd read through a few of the other letters, some on love, some on missing whoever they were sent to, and some simply to say hi. Kayd felt mortified and even more disgusted.
Suddenly, the fabric of the tent and ground shook violently followed by a loud explosion deafening their ears.
Rushing outside, they find the gate destroyed, and Lia getting kicked off a wagon.
“We missed one of them,” They made a run for the wagon but it was too late. With a whip the horses sped off with the cages and boxes, narrowly hitting both Lia and Quellin.
Lia looked afraid upon seeing Ishmael.
“I’m sorry, I know you didn't order me to check the wagon but I heard someone in there-”
“No time, we need to pursue that wagon.” After she spoke, a windchime rang out.
SIDE MISSION:
ARREST THE BANDIT CAPTAIN [X]
Rewards: Settler Helper Title and 100 gold.