Fire Emblem: The Hidden Kingdom

Chapter 11 - Ambush

As Astrid and Lyn walked further down the path, they heard the sound of hooves behind them. They quickly turned to see a group of bandits on horseback, galloping towards them with swords drawn, their faces contorted with malice.

"Run!!! We're being pursued." Lyn exclaimed, her voice filled with urgency.

Astrid's heart pounded in his chest as he assessed the situation. He recognized the look in the bandits' eyes, the way they held themselves, as they closed in on them. These were not ordinary thieves, they were ruthless killers.

"Could it be those knights from town?" Lyn asked, trying to see their silhouettes.

"They look totally different." Astrid observed.

He noticed that the bandits had different weapons and horses than the knights. The knights wore metal armor and helmets, and rode well-trained steeds. The bandits had crude swords and axes, and rode scrawny horses that looked half-starved.

Lyn's eyes widened as she saw the bandits closing in on them.

"No... It's not them. These men are out for blood!" Lyn shouted.

The two of them exchanged a brief look, before they turned and sprinted towards a nearby grove of trees. They could hear the sound of the horses' hooves getting closer, but they pushed themselves harder.

As they reached the edge of the grove, they suddenly found themselves surrounded by a group of fierce-looking bandits. The bandits were armed with axes, their muscles bulging as they prepared to attack.

Lyn and Astrid were outnumbered, but they were not about to go down without a fight.

The leader of the bandits, a burly man with a scar across his face, strode forward with a lecherous grin on his lips. His eyes roamed over Lyn's figure, and he licked his lips in anticipation.

"Heh heh hehhh... Aren't you the pretty one!" He laughed perversely, as if he had caught a valuable prize.

"Step back, you lecherous fool!" Astrid spoke up, his voice dripping with contempt.

The bandit leader hesitated for a moment, sizing up Astrid before lunging forward with his axe.

Astrid dodged the attack and retaliated with a swift kick to the bandit's stomach, causing him to double over in pain.

"Listen here, you sorry excuse for a bandit." Astrid said, stepping forward to stand between Lyn and the bandit leader.

"You think you can just go around harassing innocent travelers and get away with it?" He continued.

"Your mother must be so proud to have raised a cowardly pervert like you." Astrid taunted, his voice laced with disdain.

The bandit leader bristled at the insult, his eyes narrowing with anger. "How dare you speak to me like that, you little brat!" He snarled, brandishing his axe menacingly.

But Astrid was not intimidated. "Oh, I'm sorry." He replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "I didn't realize that speaking the truth was too much for you to handle."

The bandit leader's face twisted into a scowl at the insult. "How dare you!" He spat, drawing his own axe.

But Astrid wasn't intimidated. "I dare because I can." He replied coolly, his hand crackling with magic.

"And if you don't want to end up like your friends over there." He gestured towards the bandits lying unconscious on the ground.

In the blink of an eye, the bandits started dropping to the ground one by one, charred by electricity.