I cut through their leader's neck. It goes deep, and I feel the tip of my sword go through his spine. I stab at the man to his right, his cloth and leather doing little to stop the blade. It pierces through into his chest, then I pull out the blade and cut down the man on the left. A few more are just behind them, they've drawn swords and knives, I cut through them and dodge their blows easily enough. Thankfully they're blocking their archers from getting a clean shot.

When they fall I dash toward the archers on the far left of camp, not wanting their missed shots to hit the people behind me, and not wanting the bandits to flee into the water. I'd rather not chase them through the deep stream, and I don't want them to get away. All of their souls are red. A few arrows come close to me, but they seem so slow, especially when you see them coming. I dodge them and strike the first archer on the left, carving through his body, from shoulder to hip.

I go to the next archer nearby, they're all together in groups, not spread out enough. I cut them down, but a few other bandits have made their way toward me with their weapons drawn. I keep them between me and the archers. I kill them all a couple at a time, as they all run toward me like an eager procession. The bodies are piling up, but I move forward around them, always keeping them between myself and the archers, and always moving closer to the archers.

However, as their numbers falter, the archers begin backing up, focusing less on attacking. Once I reach the second group and kill them easily enough, the last group is mostly broken, they begin running. They're not fast enough though, and I take them down one by one. When I'm finished, the grass is littered with bodies. Several dozen of them pooling red into the grass. I check the tents and make sure that was all of them, in case a few might have been hiding, then I make my way back toward the others.

They're quiet at first, but they begin celebrating and approaching me, especially after I dismiss my weapon. They don't seem as hesitant to approach me as they did on the first day they'd met me. Others excitedly went toward the camp, no doubt eager to start looting.

After some time, we set up our own camp further down the stream, away from the blood and bodies. There were a few supplies, not just stolen goods, but fishing poles and shovels, things needed to set up a proper camp and live out in the wilderness. Obviously the bandits couldn't stay in villages all the time.

A couple dozen of the freed slaves volunteered to bury the dead. Maybe out of some respect for the bandits, or maybe just to get their bodies away from us. They buried the bandits in a mass grave further away from the stream, each dragging away the bandits after they'd been looted.

The camp had more clothing, some from the dead, some from the bandit's camp. Those were more ideal of course. I'd added more gold and jewelry to my bag. A few people asked if they could keep a piece of the more simple jewelry and I said they could each keep a piece of jewelry, be it a ring, a necklace, or a bangle. I didn't much care either way, but a few of them seemed happy to have possessions again.

The group was beginning to look like a mix between homeless and ostentatious, with their eclectic mix of clothing, and their jewelry shining in the sun.

Others began fishing, some using the fishing poles, others made spears using knives to sharpen nearby branches. They went further down stream to try spear fishing. Even as the food was coming in, some kept making spears to supply the others. Our camp would be well guarded now, and I'm sure they all feel safer with their own weapons.

I filled up my water skin, I wasn't going to drink from some used one from the slavers, I waited to drink from my own. I'd tried the pemmican, it was okay, but not something I wanted to eat a lot of. I let the others have it on our way here. I'd feel a bit guilty hoarding it with starving people around me, and I'd already had a lot to eat before I freed them anyway.

We let the children eat first, then Tara and I, along with the others who've been helping to lead the rest, began to eat. The fish was delicious, even by itself, but the people cooking had found spices the bandits had stolen. It was better than any I've ever had, although I mostly just had salmon sandwiches and canned sardines on my world. Mostly sandwiches.

I had a few fish and felt satisfied. I went to bed when the sun had set and fell asleep pretty quickly.

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When I slept that night, she spoke to me.

"You have done well. You've taken so many souls in such a short amount of time. You have exceeded my expectations. I will grant you another blessing for the fights that lie ahead. What you've given me will more than pay for it. But remember, this blessing will rely on your own power, much like the blades."

I willed her to speak without truly stating my thoughts in my half asleep state, she continued. "I will grant you the ability to protect yourself with the power of your own soul, wreathing yourself in it's flames. Though it will protect your body, it is not absolute, and it will drain your own power when struck, especially with a powerful blow. You must not rely on it now, it is still better to avoid as many blows as you can. But it will offer protection when all else fails. Especially against magic."

"Thank you Alachia." I managed to gain more control over myself in this dreamscape. It was almost like seeing her again, like the first time, except now I had a body, I could see myself, though more like a water painting made from memory, painted over and over again as I move. Her body was much clearer, although it retained the quality of a painting, with less movement.

The dreamscape began flowing away, the dark colors that make it up bleed together and start swirling, as if a painting were melting. "Will your power to protect you, and it shall." She said, as everything but her face flowed around, and eventually she flowed into me. I fell back asleep, or away from the dreamscape. In the morning I felt even better than I had since I came to this new world.

For once when I got up, I wasn't one of the first up. I must've slept longer this time as Alachia blessed me. It was still morning though, so I hadn't slept too long, and some were still lying there under the morning sky, sleeping gently while people talked quietly near them.

When everyone awakened, Tara and I told them of the plan to rescue the rest of them. We explained that I would kill them by myself, and we would camp about half a day's rest from the slaver's camp. There would be no fires that night. But for now, we still had a few days. We ate breakfast, enjoying more cooked fish. I had a couple, and they were just as good as the night before.

I told them I had gained a new power to be used in the fight against the bandits, and showed them, so they would not be alarmed if I need to use it while fighting. I doubt we'll be attacked again, but it could happen if the city has sent anyone after us. More importantly, I'd like to practice using it before the fight.

I willed my power to cover me, and it wreathed my body in a red light. Thick and swirling like watercolor, moving slowly, like it had been animated. The animation was almost like a depiction of fire or water, like someone's interpretation of flames and waves had been mixed and painted in a deep crimson, darker than the souls of the damned. There was no heat or cold given off by it though, and it didn't obstruct my movement. It was as if I was wearing nothing but clothing.

It had covered my whole body, up to my chin, I could just barely feel how far it went if I though about it. I willed it to cover my face as well, and it covered all of me. I could see through it fine, with just a slight tint of red, and I could breath through it as if it weren't even there. When I touched my face, my skin made contact, passing through. I guess it won't stop me from harming myself. And if it hasn't burned my clothing, it likely won't hurt other people.

Alachia had said it would protect me, she'd already given me the ability to cover my weapon in my power, and to bind it to myself, now she'd given me the ability to protect myself as well. Though still, if I become even a bit more powerful from taking these souls I should be able to dodge everything, unless there's so many attacks coming in I can't avoid them, or someone's just fast enough to actually hit me.

It feels natural to keep on, and I don't feel any real drain on my power, though she did say it would only really drain my power when it was struck. I willed the power back, and the armor flowed away like it wasn't there within a few seconds.

We started walking toward the bandit camp, though some seemed reticent to leave the lake, a stable supply of food. Others seemed afraid to be approaching the camp, but they all walked on regardless. Staying here wasn't much of an option.

The days went on, and I continued on like a machine, staring forward, waiting to approach the camp. The walk seemed to take longer knowing I could have run forward and killed them sooner.

But if I did, the people here would be easy prey for a decent enough regiment of some militia or bandits. Even if I did, I don't think Tara could keep up, and I might have trouble finding the slaver's camp on my own. She's seen it, with her and a few guards showing me the way, it should be easier since they've been there.

I should also make sure I'm not tired when I get there, it could be an easy kill, but the slaver's camp could be more well protected than the bandit's makeshift camp. Especially if they use it as a permanent base of operations out here.

We walked on, we slept, we ate what we could, we made progress. In a few days, we finally reached the final camp before the slavers. Just about half a day away, obscured in the trees here. I would take Tara and a few others to help guide the way, and once they've found the camp, they'll stay put in the forest, watching. After that, they'll help me free the slaves and bring them back to the rest.