The four girls had been blessed with a peaceful night of rest. The bed might not have been the highest quality, but it was still an actual bed.
The four girls still weren't being too carefree. They had each taken a turn staying awake through a quarter of the night. Qheria had taken the first shift, feeling restless. Mhyl had gone second, quietly minding to her own thoughts. Lwyn had gone next, ensuring that their supplies was tended to. Thanrie had gone last, and thus was the first one awake.
"I'm certain the ladies would appreciate a bit of gentlemanly service first thing in the morning, so lets see. Huh, the door is locked. No matter, a bit of this and a touch of that and.." Zyuixqs got the door open, balancing a tray of breakfast with three sets of flowers. As the door opened, Thanrie's sword slammed the ground through the parting doorway, with Zyuixqs backing off post-haste. Zyuixqs held up the foot tray in his own defense, afraid the sword would come down on him next.
Thanrie poked her nose out of the door. "Oh, it's you again." She already knew it was him, but she didn't know he brought anything. "Oh come on, breakfast and flowers? Is that the best you could do? Wow, your style is weak." Regardless, she took the tray and closed the door on him, locking it again. Zyuixqs decided to leave them alone for now, and maybe come back later.
The other three had woken up together during the commotion. Lwyn wasn't impressed. "Come on, do you HAVE to be this loud so early in the morning?" She yawned, which became contagious around the room. Thanrie set down the tray in the middle of the room. "Someone was offering to provide us some breakfast, was about to bring it in here personally. By the way, it seems that locking the doors here doesn't do anything." Lwyn decided that now would be a good time to get properly dressed, instead of waiting until she finished fully waking up. Thanrie had noticed.
"Flowers? Then again, getting flowers out here might be hard. Three of them huh?" Qheria was observing the offering that was provided. Thanrie shrugged. "Lots of wasted effort from that one." Mhyl went to check the three flowers for herself. "Flowers?" Lwyn then gasped, noticing that everyone had been speaking Izhaethyx so far all morning, Mhyl was falling behind on what was going on. However, Mhyl herself had also spoken in Izhaethyx. Lwyn made sure to clarify. "Yes, Flowers." She then switched to Elaethyx. "Flowers." Thanrie let the two of them keep the flowers, seems it might not have been a complete waste after all.
A little while later, there was a soft knock on the door, followed by silence. Thanrie got up to answer, but Lwyn stopped her and went instead. Opening the door, she found Chyurae on the other side, waiting patiently. "Yes, can I help you?" "I.. I was just wondering if everyone was done getting up and stuff. There really aren't many people I can talk to around here, so... it was feeling quiet." Mhyl rushed to check the door too, hearing Chyurae. He was carrying a few documents. "Hello Chyurae, welcome. Yes, we were just finishing up here, I'll be out pretty quick. What is it you have there anyway?" Chyurae fumbled with the documents nervously. "Oh, this was just some notes I swiped from the Bandits yesterday. Since you helped me bring them, I thought I could share it with you and your friends. I... I can't exactly read them." That probably meant they were written in Izhaethyx.
"I'm guessing we're wrapping things up here." Qheria inquired upon Lwyn after she closed the door. Lwyn nodded. "It seems we might have a few interesting things to look at." The four of them finished up breakfast and got everything together, then went to look for Chyurae.
Chyurae was waiting for them at a large table, his papers scattered across it. Lwyn handled the explanation. "These are some documents the bandits were keeping around, Chyurae can't read them, so they are probably in Izhaethyx." Qheria picked up a page inquisitively, and quickly skimmed it. "And... that's not good. It's a letter from.. someone.. telling the bandits to stand watch for people passing through. Most especially, people leaving. Something about silencing people who didn't have the right paperwork. They didn't want the wrong people... leaving?"
Thanrie picked up another paper, and started reading. "Passage of time... something and something... still waiting... something and something... will be soon as... Wyxir and Qicir would be going to war soon. Weapons are on standby, waiting for deployment. Still waiting for confirmation of the war beginning, send word of any new development." Qheria was alarmed by this. "Wait, weapons waiting for war? Does Hyxir plan to interfere with the battle?"
Lwyn looked up from the last page. "Uh, if this is any accounts, that's what I would believe. This is basically a recruitment poster for getting bandits to sign up in a war. It speaks of bringing the elements to bear against their enemies, with 'the great might of the fortress in full display'. Remember the stuff we saw from the mountain?" Lwyn was reflecting upon the elven steampunk nightmare that they had been going over before. Putting all of this together, it meant that considerably advanced technology was being prepared for war against the other civilizations. Worse, information was being denied from returning, so that the whole thing could be one big surprise. This also explained why there weren't even rumors of it back there.
Lwyn turned to Chyurae in Elaethyx. "How much do you guys know about the powers of this 'fortress'?" Chyurae shook his head while Zyuixqs walked in, having at least caught the last word. 'Fortress' was in fact a human origin word. "Chyurae wouldn't have much information on that, but the Rebellion has been collecting plenty. Armored platforms mounted with barrels that throw fire and lightning, which can slide across the ground at will, that's the kind of thing we've been standing up against. Spears and bows, neither put a dent in the thing's armor. That's the most fearsome thing we've seen, but its not the only one. Their siege weapons are a thing from your deepest nightmares, but their defenses are just as impressive. Lightning coils and surges along the walls of their fortress, making it impenetrable. Their search-lights alone seem capable of slicing a man in half."
Lwyn gave her comment openly in English. "So, not even just steampunk. Tanks, electric walls, lasers. Our enemy has an unknown mismatch of tech that might compare in areas with Earth itself. And that same enemy is about to go to war with people who use swords and bows.." It wouldn't even be a challenge, that level of technology difference.
Qheria pitched in, still using Izhaethyx. "So, what do we do to stop this? Sending back a warning, not only is that something they are looking to deal with, but honestly I don't know how much that would accomplish." Zyuixqs had a reply ready. "Sabotage. Wreck the weapons, they can't be used. It's been easier said then done, the things can't be fought, but when left abandoned, they have seemed reasonably vulnerable from the inside." That was one way to deal with such a threat, encouragingly.
Thanrie liked the sounds of the plan. "Great, I'm in. Let's break some stuff. Question, how do we get any opportunity?" Zyuixqs had no doubt Thanrie could break stuff if put in the right place, so was encouraged to provide. "Well, as you've seen, they do some recruitment from the bandits. That means, if we're lucky, hitting a bandit camp at the right time will give us information on the next opportunity. Then we just follow the bandits." It was quite an easy plan, though it did require a bit of good luck. Fortunately, the four of them had been doing quite well with luck over the past couple of days, all things considered. It was worth a shot.
The six of them worked on the plan. One of the nearby bandit camps held a prominent advantage in being picked for new recruits, they had word of Fortress activity in the area. The camp in question had the master tent in the back corner of it's encampment, but there was a small break in the hill leading up to it, providing a back door. They could sneak in through this entrance, and find what they needed.
"They aren't just going to let us work though, certainly they aren't THAT naive, right?" Thanrie made use of a term that used to describe herself pretty well. Still, as someone who used to be pretty naive, she was certain that even her old self wouldn't have just been left unsuspecting of this. You don't leave important places like this without guards. Qheria nodded her agreement. "We should expect at least some guards for this back entrance. Even getting passed them without raising an alarm might be difficult. Trying to find what they need while the place was in high alert might be too difficult."
Lwyn disagreed. "I'm pretty sure I could secure us a quiet way in. You two are more the loud types, but have confidence in my own abilities." Lwyn withdrew a few of her remaining knives and held them as a fan. They had seen before how her knife throwing had resulted in some silent take-downs. Thanrie silently remarked upon how she was supposed to be the team's bow-user instead, but let any remarks slide. She would cover their path of retreat.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
It was decided that Mhyl would herself be their main instrument for searching for the desired papers. While her abilities with a book were awe inspiring, she was still the least combat trained of them all. Her book would just simply remain a backup weapon, in case anyone managed to reach her. Chyurae would remain nearby, to help her with her search.
The other three would be responsible for securing the main entrance. The metallic sheets of the tent created a natural barrier, they could work with the entrance as if it was a door. Reinforcing the entrance would provide them the time they needed, they just needed to be fast enough that no one took the long way around and cut them off from the other side. In few enough numbers, they could even work with that, but taking too long would put too many bandits along that path. If things took too long, they would have to withdraw before they got cut off. They could also withdraw if the front entrance was lost.
Getting into position would not be a problem either. Chyurae was well aware of which underground exit brought them really close to their destination. Making their advance mostly from the safety of the underground, they could feel safe in knowing that their approach would remain mostly undetected. However, there was no certainty if there were any enemies just outside the underground exit, that's where most of the uncertainty laid. Chyurae would have to make sure the coast was clear. They weren't quite sure what they would do if their exit wasn't available. That alone might end the whole operation.
They prepared for their mission. Zyuixqs had a few spare arrows he had found lying around nearby, and passed them to Lwyn. There weren't any extra spare knives suitable siting around with them, unfortunately. Zyuixqs himself had a spear handy, the kind they had watched him used before. Thanrie had quietly reflected upon it in English. "An extra long shaft, designed to stab people. It's like the guy was trying to compensate for something." Her comment was effectively ignored.
Everyone else had their normal weapons handy. Chyurae didn't appear to have any weapons, but next to Mhyl that was considered acceptable. Lwyn wondered if their other elf had any unconventional weapon of his own, and considered if this might be an elf thing she was never told about. Her elf knowledge wasn't perfect, after all. Thanrie still had her two handed sword, which while it made her really slow, hadn't let her down so far. Qheria still had her sword and shield.. or was that shield and sword. Her reverse usage still got her a lot of criticism from Thanrie, who was the one who personally used a sword to slash things.
They made their way on site as planned, then took a quick break before starting the whole operation in earnest. If things went well, they could make it back to the hideout with plenty of time to spare before lunch.
Near the end of their break, Chyurae had gone ahead to check the situation. He returned with a grin and a nod, the coast was clear. All of them rushed to pack up and followed him to the underground exit. Lwyn would be up first, so she got her knives ready and went on the prowl. They exited the underground and went around the corner, arriving at another corner, Lwyn noticed the two guards that were posted. She quickly checked around, thankful to have the edge in sight against her enemies. There was no one else to worry about.
The first one went down, knife through the throat. Even if he didn't die instantly, he had no way to scream. His partner jumped in surprise, but before he could react, he too found himself silenced. Lwyn made sure to recover both knives from her enemies throats, she might need them later. Thanrie took a moment to contemplate how she was actually the only one with a normal fighting prowess. She had reflected on the other three girls individually, but in truth, it was all of them. She was the odd one out for actually having nothing strange to talk about. Did that make her the strange one?
They made it safely into the targeted tent, finding it fully unoccupied. The two elves set to work, searching for relevant documents. Qheria cracked the tent open to peer outside. At one point, she noticed the guards on alert, probably hearing sounds from the tent. Qheria let fall the exit and motioned to it quietly. "We've got company." The three of them moved nearby debris to barricade the exit, which was much louder than what the elves were doing.
Bandits started working at the barricade, trying to force their way in. An alarm was raised over the entire camp. They could hear the sound of many other bandits on the way. Thanrie turned to Mhyl, pleading. "Please hurry up." Mhyl was frantic, searching through a bunch of useless papers. She was finding nothing.
A familiar voice could be heard on the other side of the barricade. "What I tell ye? I was certain the bait would be tempting enough. Seems ev'n the trap has been sprung, so ya owe me." "We can discuss it later, there is work to be done. Archers, as commanded." The second voice was not as familiar. What was that other bandit leader doing here? They suspected the second voice was the local bandit leader for this camp. They were working together?
A set of arrows were prepared, but instead of being fired into the barricade of the tent, they flew over the tent. A foundation of rocks were struck, and broke apart, drooping the collection onto the path below it. Their exit had been cut off!
Thanrie turned to Zyuixqs for a new plan. "So, is there any other way out of this mess?" "There is only one other way out." Zyuixqs motioned towards the door they were blocking. "Not the answer I wanted to hear." Thanrie realized that they would have no choice but to cut their own path out. Qheria's instincts kicked in for a moment, as she pulled both Thanrie and Zyuixqs from the barricade. It was well timed, as a giant maul came crashing through the platting, destroying the barricade all at once and leaving a massive hole in the wall.
Through the new exit, they could see the same leader from before, stepping back to stand with what was probably the other leader. He had a giant.. harpoon.. that made Zyuixqs' spear look tiny in comparison. He was also waving around a few sheets of paper. "Might you all be looking for something?" Lwyn made sure the elves were also aware with Elaethyx. "Mhyl, he's been carrying those sheets the entire time, there's nothing here!" Both elves stopped searching, Mhyl taking her book out once again.
A few of the bandits started forward. The first got a spear through his chest, to be blown back by a sweeping sword. Two more replaced him, quickly earning an arrow in their arms. Qheria knocked aside the axe of the one with her sword and then smashing him with her shield and the sounds of breaking bones. The other was taken out by Zyuixqs again, Thanrie being by far the slowest one there. Qheria pivoted to take out the next, supported by a knife flying past and immediately taking out another through the head, with a third stumbling by a non-fatal jab with a spear. As the bandit was supported by two more, Thanrie came in for another sweeping blow, clearing the exit. The group step forwards, in order to forge a path.
Lwyn took out another two with some of her remaining knives, and went back to her bow to conserve the rest. Qheria stepped out to the right, Zyuixqs taking the left, and Thanrie holding the middle. They each looked around for an opening, but they were very much surrounded. Lwyn unleashed six more arrows to take out another two bandits while their front lines held the defense. Another four arrows took out one more, as their front lines started to tire. Lwyn reached for another arrow, and found nothing there. She switched back to her knives, but was getting concerned, they couldn't keep this up. To control information, she called an English message forward. "No arrows left."
Thanrie was having problems holding on as is, the weight of her sword was really getting to her. They certainly couldn't hold on much longer, but there was still no opening. In frustration, Thanrie stepped further forward, deeper into the fray. Qheria knew this was overextending her, but they were really running out of options. Lwyn supported with her last three knives, taking out another three. Then, in desperation, simply threw her bow like a boomerang. The thrown bow caught a bandit's neck and strangled him, killing him. Thanrie had noticed and was determined that, if they got out of this, she would ensure Lwyn would give up on shooting arrows. Clearly throwing weapons were far more her style. But she was also questioning the wisdom of her own weapon, her attacks were proceeding far too slowly.
The bandits noticed with relief that the ranged attacks had halted, and their enemies were in the open. Both leaders hoisted their weapons and stepped forward. In a reenactment, a maul came crashing towards Zyuixqs from the side. However, Thanrie was there, and she redirected the swing to crash into the ground early. Zyuixqs in turn deposed of a bandit that was targeting her. The harpoon bandit advanced upon Qheria, a lancer thrust charged into her shield, pinning her back against the wall. Her shield was caught by the massive weapon, she couldn't bring it to bear, and tried to swing for the bandit with her far shorter sword. It was to no avail.
Thanrie realized that Qheria was in big trouble, so turned to help her. The moment she turned, the same previous maul came back for another round, catching her off guard. Now it was her turn to go crashing into the tent, her sword lost in the process. Zyuixqs tried to come to Thanrie's aid, but fate proved it would not be avoided. In a perfect second repeat of Zyuixqs trying to stand guard against a maul in the defense of another, the inevitable happened, and Zyuixqs was out of commission once again. Finally, the maul wielder advanced at the last of their front lines, pinned defenseless in the corner, and brought his weapon crashing down. It was all over.
Mhyl rushed out to try and help the nearby fallen Thanrie, but other bandits were closing in on her. She had no time to do anything, there was no chance she could achieve anything. In that moment, she noticed both her book and Chyurae were gone. Lwyn stepped up beside Mhyl and called their surrender. Mhyl complied likewise with the same.
Each of them were tied up at that point and taken away. Their luck had finally ran out.