Fever Blood

Chapter 4: Bandits

The other bandits probably looked up to the leader. He was their leader, their guide. Now, someone challenged their leader outright. He didn't cower, he didn't obey like the others. He directly challenged the authority of the only authority that the bandits respected. And he didn't back down.

That was something they hadn't experienced. Doubtless, they had preyed upon travelers too tired and weary to fight back. Now that someone openly defied them, they were out of their comfort zone.

"You got some nerve, you knave," the leader said. He spat on the ground. "Who do you think you are?"

"Hmm," Laidu said. "Last time I checked, the Fever Blood Ranger." That drew some gasps from the bandits. Laidu didn't react. Such things were beneath him. He was untouchable, the ultimate authority. He acted that way, and it fed the assumptions in the other bandits' minds, telling them that this Changed man was someone important.

"Well, then," the leader said. "I guess I'll go down in infamy as Fever Blood's executioner!" he said, spurring his horse forward. Great. That didn't end well. Skaria drew her blade.

With a flex of his powerful body, Laidu extinguished his inner fire, and jumped. Skaria knew he extinguished the fire because she felt it vanish. It was as if she had walked out of a toasty warm cabin into frigid winter. He grabbed the bandit leader by the collar, lifted him off the terrified horse, and threw him to the ground.

Skaria stared as the next bandit charged forward, towards her. She couldn't get a good angle on him without hurting his horse. So, she mustered the ancient power within her, the power of the earth, and spoke. "Saddle, unbind!"

The man's saddle slipped to the left, flinging him off his horse. Dimly, she saw another man's saddle fasten tighter around the horse. Such was the price of her power. When she bound, something unbound. When she destroyed, something repaired.

The man stood up, eyes wide. "Witch!" he shouted, before Skaria answered his name with a dagger of steel to his throat. He sputtered and gasped, and fell over. Good riddance.

She heard Laidu shout, and resisted the urge to look. Getting distracted in a battle was always a bad idea. Don't focus on the shirtless dragon man. Focus on the people who were trying to impale her with their blades.

Three men were closing on the two younger guards. Time for some more magic. "Armor, crush," she ordered, focusing on the bandit's armor. It crumpled, and the bandit tried to scream, but the air was crushed out of his lungs. Painful. That was one down. Which meant two left.

She charged the one, her viper blade drawn. He turned to her, swinging his broadsword with all his strength. When she raised her blade to parry, it sent a wave of shocking numbness down her arm. But she pressed on, and gave him a dagger to the throat.

The third turned around, facing her, and Skaria started. His face was a cross between a human face and a wolf's muzzle. She could see parts of his face still had human flesh. Poor guy. Another Changed, and this one had his face ruined from the Changed. But, unlike Laidu, he was easy to end. She held her blade out, batted his away, and struck.

One gurgling breath later, they were all dead. Three of the bandits, however, were pinned down. One of the Three Pines men, more worrisomely, was clutching a crimson rag to his arm. None of them were dead. Thank the gods for that.

Now, she and Karik'ar had to get back to that girl. There was a hefty price on her head, if she was alive. Hopefully, she could convince that ranger to part with her. But that wouldn't be easy. She sighed.

"It's alright," the wounded man said. "I can walk." He rose unsteadliy to his feet. "Trust me," he said, before he slipped, falling over.

Laidu was there. He caught the man. "Easy now," he said. "You lost a lot of blood."

"I didn't notice," the man said sarcastically.

"I can help," Laidu said. "I can cauterize the wound."

The man nodded. "Let me guess. It's painful."

Laidu nodded. "Extremely so."

"Do it."

Laidu nodded, and grabbed the arm. "Hold still," he said. Then, with a sizzle and a hiss, the man screamed, and Laidu let go. Skaria winced and looked over.

A handprint was burned on the forearm of the man. "Sorry I couldn't control it," Laidu said. "You were almost bleeding out." He looked at the soldier, barely older than sixteen. "I'm sorry."

"Why?" the soldier asked. He was breathing heavily. "It's a battle scar. I fought by the Fever Blood Ranger himself. I'm proud to have it."

Laidu laughed. "I've never heard that before." He looked at the man, who was pale in the face. "You need help?" he asked.

"The day I need help walking is the day I'm dead," the boy said. He rose back up, and wavered a bit. "I need some of Miss Anna's stew."

"She's the tavern lady?" Skaria asked. She was pretty tired too. It was starting to get dark. Skaria could use a hot meal.

"Knowing her, she'd probably give us all free meals," Kerras said.

"That would be nice," Laidu said. He sighed. "I'd love a hot stew and a good night's rest. My last bed was a cave."

Skaria nodded. "My last bed was roots. My pillows were that bloody scholar's books."

Laidu winced. "That's gotta make you sore," he said.

Skaria nodded. "I'm looking forward to an actual bed," she said. Then, she moved closer. "Actually, I need to talk to you about something."

"Hmm?"

"That girl, Kyra," Skaria said. "We've been hired to take her to Saefel Caeld." Laidu frowned slightly. "On order of her father."

Laidu nodded. "You want me to give her to you?" he asked. His chest rose and fell rather dramatically. He had just been in combat.

"In essence," Skaria said.

Laidu paused. "I'm not comfortable with it." His amber eyes narrowed. "I don't trust you. I've just met you."

"That's natural," Skaria said as they walked back. "We'll take good care of her. You can look at our records at the Guild of Bladesmen in Caeld." She sighed. "Of course, if she was a building, that would be a different story,"

"Huh?" Laidu asked.

"We've gotten a few complaints here or there. Property damage." And to be honest, on the last mission, it was not their fault that the barn burned down! "She'll be safe."

"Yeah....I still don't trust you," Laidu said. "If anything, that makes me even more worried." He sighed. "If you take her, I'm coming with you. It might be useful to have some legal power to throw around." He shrugged. "I am a Ranger after all."

"As long as you can pull your own weight," Skaria said. Laidu nodded. "Deal." She grabbed his hand, her armored gauntlet and his scaly talons shaking together.