My New Life in TBATE

Bandits!

It happened during the night halfway through our second week, and just a few days from Ashbern Town. Me and Tuk both just happened to be asleep at the time when we heard the shouts of the ones keeping watching. I quickly got up and called for Tuk to fly around and give me a count of the bandits.

30 bandits, though he couldn't tel if they had mana cores or not. I took up a spot next to Durk as he called out commands.

"Conjurers provide covering fire from on top of the wagons, augmenters pair up and if you're below A rank. Rez keep your mind clear and don't do anything rash, you may be strong but mistakes are costly on a battlefield." I gave a nod while channeling fire mana into my sword.

"Everyone fight smart and help the others if they get into trouble. We can do this." He finishes with a strong and loud voice, as everyone takes up their positions. I was on one side and Durk was on the other with the other augmenters in between us.

Patrick and Damien had partnered up while Waylon and Corvin could be seen standing side by side ready for the fight. If I take 10 and Durk takes 10 then that would leave the 4 of them with 10 and making it much easier for them, but I'll take down as many as I have too.

'Hatchling, there are a few waiting further back just watching.' Tuk sends a mental messsage.

'Understood.'

With that I started in a walk before gradually increasing speed and I could see 5 bandits head toward me.

"Lets start with the shorty, and we can take them down one at time!" I heard a bandit yell as he dashed at me with his hand axe raised in the air.

Gripping my sword a little tighter I met him halfway and flared the fire mana in my sword to life covering it in glowing red flames. I swung diagonally catching his axe against my blade, but instead of stopping I felt no resistance as my blade went through the axe and then through the bandits body. Cutting him from his left shoulder to his right hip, I could see the light leave his eyes as his body disconnected and fell to the ground.

I could feel the bile rise in my throat, but wasn't allowed to think on it as sword came swinging at me. I partied it away and quickly retaliated with a horizontal slash and that's when I saw the flames extend from my sword from the swing and cut the man in half from his waist. I now made the conscious effort to stop that blade of flame from coming out and just disabled the remaining 3 that initially charged me with swift breaks of their legs and then knocking them out.

My tunnel vision cleared and I saw that Corvin and Waylon were struggling against a group that had a conjurer backing them up. Our own conjurers we're doing their best to deflect the attacks flying in, but I could see some wounds on their bodies from fighting the group of 10 that came after them.

I begin charging up a condensed fire spell that takes the form of an arrow and shoot it at the earth conjurer. Being my first time trying with an arrow form it only caught his arm, but it was enough to send him to the dirt rolling in pain. I took the opportunity and charged him with a quick stab into the chest, I didn't want to take any chances with confirmed mages getting back up and fighting.

With him taken care off i backstab a bandit that was about being down his hammer on a prone Waylon. His leg seemed to be bleeding badly, so I picked him up and moved him closer to wagon. I'm grateful for mana because I would have never been able to pick him up in normal circumstances.

I return to help Corvin finish off the remnants and see that Durk is also helping Patrick and Damien. Both looking haggard and I could see some blood on Durks chest but I wasn't sure if it was his or not.