“Find the Frostflame Bandits, take them out.”
…
Trudging through the horrible blizzard he could vaguely make out the outline of their home base. Situated directly in the center of a barren field amidst a massive snowstorm. There it was, his target.
The Frostflame Bandits were fairly well-known throughout these parts, or just Frostmill. Honestly, Apolo should’ve expected that a bandit group called “Frostflame” would be situated on the island “Frostmill.” They were pretty…cold in their tactics. Often sacking and pillaging the villages on the island leaving the villagers to freeze, a fate worse than death.
Deep down, he knew that these bandits had what was coming.
Approaching the outer wall of the outpost he stopped. Expanding his senses he got a vague understanding of where the bandits stood. Magic signatures, albeit weak, meaning they weren’t capable of using magic, scattered throughout the fortress.
Walking along the wall slowly, he came across two magic signatures 20 feet from each other facing in the same direction. Guards.
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Scratching his head as the two guards lay down flat in the snow, he contemplated his next moves. Well, the door was completely free now…he could head in.
But his job was to take the bandits out, whether that meant murdering them or knocking them out, Apolo preferred the latter.
Sneaking inside he quickly rolled behind a tent as two bandits walked by. Another opportunity. Immediately he grabbed both of their feet as they walked by the tent tripping them. Their faces hitting the snow muffling out their voices as he stomped both of their heads. Hard.
“What was that?”
“Go, check it out.”
Footsteps crunched through the snow. Apolo quickly took both bodies, produced a piece of rope and tied them together and then ran right as the guard turned the corner. Oh, he forgot the unconscious bandits.
“DAVID? MARK?” the bandit yelled, slightly panicked.
“What’s going on over there?”
Another pair of footsteps made their way towards Apolo’s location. Damn, another two?
Apolo knelt on the other side of the tent watching the two guards think of a course of action. They knew there was an intruder in their encampment now. There were two options here, and Apolo didn’t know whether or not he should-
“HEY YOU!”
Apolo whirled around, facing a bandit with his bow drawn. He stayed kneeling with his palms open. Without another thought he surged forwards.
The bandit immediately fired an arrow in response. Apolo rolled in the snow as his body began to glow a dim gold and continued his advancement. The bandit fired volley after volley as Apolo approached closer and closer.
20 meters. 15 meters. 10 meters. 5 meters.
Apolo ducked under a desperate dagger swing and slid across the snow extending his hand, clotheslining his arm into the bandit’s stomach. A loud cry of pain could be heard across the camp. His cover was blown, that wasn’t good.
Immediately he grabbed the bandit from behind as he reeled from the blow and suplexed him, slamming his head into the snow, hitting the ice. Knocked out.
From behind multiple bandits ran out tents, brandishing blades as they ran towards him. Dodging the first swing he grabbed the attacker’s arm. Sensing another person behind him, he thanked the stars for his combat training before turning around and flipping the first attacker over his head. Straight into the head of the other attacker.
Leaping backwards he landed right as a bandit flanked him from behind, grabbing him.
“It’s over, you’re dead.”
Apolo’s body glowed with more intensity, energy coursing through his veins as his solar magic spread throughout his body. The bandit who grabbed him started to scream. His hands smoked and charred as his clothes burned in the middle of the blizzard.
Shoving the bandit off him he looked upwards. Dozens of bandits had gathered around him, weapons drawn.
Well…this was no time to hold back.
__
Battle was always pretty exhilarating. Arrows flew past his ears as weapons were thrust towards his chest.
Dodging all of these he surrounded his hand with heat and grabbed a sword. Immediately melting through the blade, following up this move with a vicious punch to the face knocking a bandit down.
He pushed another bandit’s head down and vaulted over them, kicking him into other bandits before landing. Then lobbing a solar blast towards them burning them beyond recognition.
Wincing, he nearly got slashed in half by another sword from behind, twisting to the side he came out with a little cut. Surrounding his entire arm with immense heat he melted the bandit’s arm off.
Events like this blurred into each other as Apolo kept fighting bandits off, throwing them into each other, burning their clothes, destroying their weapons and kicking their solar plexuses; and other parts. Fighting dirty was something that Apolo didn’t really like doing. But he figured that amongst a group of bandits this was fine.
Finally, it was over. Panting he bent over slightly as the bandits laid on the ground around him, unconscious, some mauled, others freezing to death. Apolo resisted the pressing guilt that rested at the back of his mind. These were bandits…but they were also people…
His thought was interrupted as the Grand Navy arrived through the gate of the camp. Their lanterns cutting through the blizzard as Apolo stood there.
“We heard the battle all the way from shore.” the soldier remarked.
Apolo merely nodded.
“Apolo Rust right?” The naval soldier continued, “You were sent here to take out the Frostflame bandits.”
Straightening, Apolo replied, “Yeah. The job’s done. They’re not dead though…yet”
Giving Apolo a curt nod, “Appreciate it, we’ll handle it from here.”
“Thanks.”
“We should be thanking you.”
Apolo walked out of the camp, making sure his magic was still active he made his way back towards his ship.
Clambering aboard The Rising Sun he wrote down a bunch of magical runes onto a paper and pasted it onto the ship’s wheel. Before descending belowdecks and collapsing onto his bed.
The Rising Sun set sail back out into the open sea.