Chapter four
I stepped into the tent careful not to burn it with my flames and looked around finding… nothing, nothing but old junk and some boxes. I was sure that this is where they dropped her and I saw that perverted bandit coming here before I torched the area, "Maybe she escaped by herself" I thought audibly until I heard shifting in the corner I moved some stuff until I found a box with air holes on the top lifting the box which caused her to roll into a ball on the floor she was gagged, tied up and blindfolded. I cut the ropes holding her with my father's sword which was kept at my belt with the sheath of course. With the ropes cut she started struggling with tears soaking through her blindfold which I took off. I raised my finger to my mouth signaling her to be quiet which caused her to struggle more, I took off the piece of cloth they used to gag her and raised my hands in a surrendering gesture. "Calm down, we're on the same side" I said frantically. "I'm here to get you out." I said a little calmer.
She stared at me in contemplation, "Trust me" I said pleadingly. She wiped the tears out of her eyes before nodding firmly at me. "We need to go while the place is still in flames" I said with resolve to which she nodded. I picked up a bag filled with clothes similar the ones the bandits were wearing and said "We'll dress up like them and escape while they're still panicking" she nodded firmly. She picked up a pair of black pants and a brown cotton shirt and turned facing the corner getting the hint I did the same and changed in the corner minus the executioner's mask which I held in my hand. "Uhm sir?" she called my attention; I turned around to answer her. "By the way, my name is Cassius" I informed her. She nodded, "Cassius it won't fit" she said pointing at the shirt she was trying to put on. The shirt couldn't go down her rather… bountiful chest. I…really didn't account for that. The blue robe she wore did it's best to hide it but now we have a problem.
"Really?" I whisper shouted in exasperation, "Sorry" she apologized quietly. I sighed in annoyance "I'm sorry, it's not your fault" I said apologetically. I turned to her "It really won't fit, at all?" I asked to which she shook her head. "Give me the shirt" I said she handed it over and I made a cut in the front which I held together with some thread; I gave it back to her. She wore the shirt which managed to fit to my relief. I turned around giving her privacy to change into the pants then "Cassius?" she called, I turned around "The pants won't fit" she said reluctantly.
I decided to abandon the disguise part of the plan for the reason that, none of the clothes would fit her…shapely figure. I turned to her, "Most of the bandits are at the front so we'll be escaping through the back, Understand." I asked her to which she nodded I looked at her and said "Get ready, I'll rip a hole through the tent so you'll have to run as fast as you can. I'll cover you from behind" I whispered "Ready?" I asked "Yes" she said firmly. I took out my sword and slashed the tent, ripping a hole large enough for her to run through. She bolted out of the tent faster than I expected. I ran after her summoning my flames on my palms I turned them behind me and shot out fireballs in rapid succession at different angles.
The fireballs blew up everything in their path tents, crates and bandits after we reached a safe distance I set off one last fireball before cancelling the flames on my hands both of us sat down thoroughly exhausted. I sat on the grass with my back rested on a tree. "It's too easy" I said suddenly. She turned towards me puzzled, "They're horrible people true, but they're not idiots, I expected to see some kind of resistance but no, our path was plainly empty" I said skeptical "Isn't that a good thing" she asked optimistic "uhhh," I trailed off staring at her. "Isabella, my name is Isabella." She said blushing "Isabella, run back towards the carriage if your bodyguards aren't awake by now head to the city." I said firmly. "I can't just leave you here" she said matching my tone "Just trust me, please" I pleaded.
She turned away reluctantly and ran increasing her speed the farther she got from me. I stood up and summoned my flames. It took a few minutes before they ignited, I looked around setting my sights on a tree a reasonable distance away I raised my hand and shot a fireball at the tree. A dark figure leapt out of the tree before it exploded, light from both the moon and the burning remains of the tree exposed the figure as one of the bandits. "Hey kid" the figure said dusting himself off, the voice informed me that the figure was the bandit leader. "You have some real talent kid, I can make you my right-hand man, you'll get cash, quality weapons, and beautiful women. Don't lie I've seen the way you were looking at that girl, Isabella. Was it?" he said persuasively "No can-do Mark" I said dismissively.
"It's Matt, kid" he said irritated. "Who cares, I just see a dead man" I said smugly. "Well kid, your funeral." He said wearily.
MATT POV
When my contact told me of a rich noble entering the city in a carelessly guarded carriage I was excited. This was exactly what we needed to cement our name in this city it was a vital step to becoming one of the most powerful gangs in the city. Every step was carefully planned, every possibility was accounted for from the presence of reinforcements, to escaped witnesses all worst case scenarios were accounted for. Our hard work paid off when Damon successfully incapacitated the few guards present. The loot was in no way overestimated the cash we would get from selling the items of no use to us alone was more than the net worth of some far more populated gangs, not to mention that luscious girl we got as a bonus.
I was so pleased with the way me and my crew performed on this mission I planned on giving them a few weeks as a break or at least a couple rounds of liquor when, "Hey Matt, you don't mind if I go 'work' that girl do you?" Damon asked over, 'well I wanted first but Damon did especially hard during the mission. "Sure, no problem I call next though" I replied humorously. Damon took a few steps when suddenly, 'BOOM' Damon was suddenly torched by a fireball. I sat there in shock Damon my right-hand man was taken out by a single attack. I had no time to process this piece of information because just as suddenly more fireballs rained down on the camp, none inferior than the one that came before, in fact, they seemed to be getting stronger as they started blowing things up rather than just torching them.
I overcame my shock and searched for the person responsible for the attack. The fireballs al seemed to have a common point of origin which I traced to a figure a considerable distance away. The figure stopped his attack and ran towards the camp, entering the tent we spared for the girl. I wanted to go there and slaughter that person because of what he did to Damon, but I chose to prioritize the safety of my men rather than revenge. After giving the quick order to retreat. I observed the tent for a while before seeing two figures dashing out of a hole in the back, the one in the back faced his hands towards the camp and set off more fireballs blowing up what was left of the camp and killing some of my crew aiding the retreat, I took cover until the onslaught ended before following both of them at a reasonable pace. I silently shadowed them until, they both virtually collapsed on the grass due to what I guessed was exhaustion.
They had a short conversation which I couldn't here due to the distance before the girl left although reluctantly, the boy who remained lit his hands on fire with some kind of flame magic, looked around and shot a fireball at the tree I hid in. I lumped out of the tree with the explosion missing me by mere inches, I landed on the floor dusting myself off. "Hey kid" I said, "You have some real talent kid, I can make you my right-hand man, you'll get cash, quality weapons, and beautiful women. Don't lie I've seen the way you were looking at that girl, Isabella. Was it?" I offered, of course I was furious, but I couldn't ignore real talent of course I would work him to the bone to pay off the things he damaged. "No can-do Mark" he said dismissively. Is this kid for real? He burns my camp to the ground, kills and severely injures several of my crew and here I am offering him employment out of the pure kindness of my heart and he waves it off like a tax evasion charge, the absolute nerve.
"It's Matt, kid" I corrected furiously. "Who cares, I just see a dead man" the kid said smugly. That absolutely tears it if I wasn't mad then I certainly was now. That kid must have a death wish. "Well kid, your funeral." I said wearily. I ran forward drawing a sword I looted from the carriage, I slashed diagonally aiming for his chest which made him back away, he pulled out a sword from his belt and ran towards me. I blocked his attacks with the flat of my blade. He ducked left and tried strike at my leg. I jumped over his blade slashing at his head, he drew his head back but my blade nicked his face slightly, he jumped back and brought his hand to his face.
"What kid never been hurt before" I asked smugly "No, I'm afraid I'll end up like you if this keeps up" He said annoyed. I glared at him in fury, dropping my sword I said. "Water burst" I chanted angrily sending a burst of water heading straight at him. He ducked with ease just like I anticipated, to which I followed up with "Water prison" I chanted sending a dozen pillars of water at him which trapped him in place. He then released huge wave of fire vaporized the pillars holding him captive, and my blood ran cold. It wasn't the attack itself that frightened me it was the fact that he casted it silently.
Silent casters are usually if not always high-level warriors and mages, I froze in shock and fear if he was secretly a hidden master then I had no chance from the start. To be honest, my strongest attacks are mid-level at best facing a master, my chances of success are well below zero… unless. I pooled all my mana into one attack, my body glowed a bluish hue and I released my final attack. "Flood walls: great tsunami" I shouted in determination.
CASSIUS' POV
An enormous wall of water surged in front of me completely dwarfing everything around me, the glow he emitted told me he pooled his entire attack into one powerful shot the attack seemed to be an upgraded form of flood walls, a mid-level attack however this attack was far stronger the original. "If he threw all he had into that attack then I guess I would do the same" I surged my will fueled by determination and my flames fared and roared in response. I pushed both of my hands out releasing a huge torrent of flames which collided with the tsunami.
The two attacks collided evenly matched with both sides pushing all they had into their respective attacks. They were evenly matched until my flames started to vaporize the wall of water making it weaker and weaker until the wall of water collapsed completely. But my flames continued unhindered and reduced everything in its path to ashes. The torrent stopped with no sign of Matt; which made me assume he was dead, I collapsed to the ground. The only injuries I had was the cut on my cheek but that last attack drained me mentally. I laid there for a few seconds until I passed out slowly.
CHAPTER END