Completed Trade and Treason

[Gracia von Stehlen]

As they approached their positions for battle, Gracia felt the adrenaline she'd missed so much return to her. Bromwich was indeed in ruins and there were signs of bandits living in the place from the stench that reeked from town. They'd made no attempt at fixing the place up.

"You seem to forget that I come from a family of war," Gracia informed Sung Na, "War is what I was raised on."

She did fall back ever so slightly, though, as they began to move in. Gracia's proficiency was with magic and seeing as she'd left her spear back home in Strojland, she didn't have much of a means of self-protection. When the battle had begun, she planned on using her talent in metal manipulation to make her way through. She had a small knife strapped to her leg, however, and planned to use that in addition to her acrobatic abilities.

"Whenever you're ready, soldier," she said, giving a slight smile toward Sung Na, "We report back to Aldrich Stone promptly after finishing with our tasks here."

It'd been so long since she last felt the rush of battle.

 

[Sung Na]

"You seem to forget that I come from a family of war," Gracia informed Sung Na, "War is what I was raised on."

He bowed his head respectively. “I meant no disrespect miss.”

"Whenever you're ready, soldier," she said, giving a slight smile toward Sung Na, "We report back to Aldrich Stone promptly after finishing with our tasks here."

It'd been so long since she last felt the rush of battle.

He smile doesn’t back, then he faced the town. And shouted, “Gōngjí!”

The armies responded, the first and second lines began to march, the first was crossbowmen, the second were ji infantry. The cavalry stayed back to cover the rear and flanks of each division. Sung Na rode at the head as usual.

The crossbowmen were the first to attack, he gave the order (need 9, got 8 + 5 command, fast and well executed). The first line fired, then retreated behind the infantry, then the second, third and fourth, then the infantry was in front. (Attack, need 5, got 17. Success). The bolts hit true, striking many of the bandits approaching them, very few missed. Then he ordered the infantry forward.

(Command. Need 10, got 9 + 4, successful) The infantrymen in the first line lowered they ji and charged in a line, followed by the second, while the three other lines advanced in a fast march. (Attack. Need 14, got 13 + 4). The ji polearms hit true, and the soldier’s arms were strong. Thus the engagement began in earnest.

 

[Gracia von Stehlen]

The bandits were outraged by the sudden slaughter of their people. Instantly, the infantry, swords and lances and the ready, prepared to charge forward at the onslaught of horses riding into their territory from the sound of a holler from what was presumably their leader (Command, need 5, got 2 + 2, fail). Instead of charging though, the bandits scattered, panicked and blinded by rage. Their shouting bounced of the destroyed buildings of Bromwich.

They ignored the front lines and instead rounded to the sides of the marching soldiers. They brought their swords up and ran at the horses legs (Attack, need 12, got 20, success), slicing through the animals' joints and bringing soldiers clanging to the ground. With every cut their crooked swords gave, blood spewed through the air. Gracia tried to ride through and ignore the bandits wildly swinging their blades to and fro. This was ignorant of her and one of the bandits' swords hit its mark, sending her flying from her injured mare's back.

As she scurried to her feet, knife drawn, she heard the whistle and shout of a bandit in the distance. A group of archers were moving in, though still a distance from the front lines. One of the bandits, sword in hand, ordered the bandits in line (Command, need 15, got 10 + 3, fail). Their formation was off, though, and there were many hole in their lines, which would inevitably cause inaccuracy in their mark. The commander of sorts swung his sword down, an order to let their arrows fly (Attack, need 13, got 14, success). The arrows soared through the skies and though there were many gaps in their landings, they hit their targets, sinking into the flesh of soldiers, knocking more of them to the ground. Few hung on.

Some of the arrows strayed to Gracia's position. She gasped as they fell down over her and she reached her hand out to flatten the metal tips before they reached her (Defense, need 3, got 9, success). Before the raining of arrows could pierce her skin, she felt for the tingling in her fingertips, a wonderful sensation designating the magic running through her veins, and morphed the tips of the arrows directly above her until they were smushed flat. Some of them still hit her, but were no longer sharp and failed to do any harm other than cause bruising the next morning.

 

[Sung Na]

The horsemen levelled their spears at the attackers and spurred their horses forward. (Need 17, got 14+5, success) They weren't the only ones to suffer casualties, the speed and weight of horses put behind spears was beyond deadly, leaving even riveted mail useless, and their spears butchered many just as they were sent to the ground.

The infantry came under fire, and many arrows hit their mark, (defence, need 16, got 15+4) the armour of the infantry saved many of them, arrows glancing off armour or sticking in it. Many fell but more still remained standing. Sung Na ordered they attack the rear of the bandits now slaughtering their cavalry, while those who remained behind charged the archers. (Infantry command, need 16, got 13+4, success) (cavalry command, need 6, got 15, success)

The infantry swept in behind the engaged bandits and attacked their rear, (attack, need 14, got 13+3, success.) As before, their ji polearms cleft into the enemy and impaled them as they charged.

The cavalry charged in at the archers (attack, need 12, got 8+5, success). The lances worked their magic. Impaling the archers then retreating for another run, until stopped somehow.

Sung Na for his part saw his ally's distress, and came to her aid. It was foolish of her to go into battle with just a dagger. So he rode up to her, cutting down enemies in his path, and dropped down next to her. He took the sword of a fallen soldier, and gave it to her, it was short and narrow bladed but strong. "Never fight without a proper weapon my lady."

 

[Gracia von Stehlen]

Gracia didn't have much experience with swords, but she took hold of Sung Na's offering anyway and thanked him, tucking her knife back in its sheath. The sword felt awkward in her hold. It was a bit too heavy and not as nicely balanced as her lance back home. It would do, though, for battle. Her magic wouldn't be able to hold for itself against everything. She remembered, then, the belt of brews strapped to her waist and ran her fingers over them, finding them all still in one piece.

From upon a hill a ways out, toward the back of the town, an alignment of catapults crested the hill, the setting sun peeking out from behind them. A yell sounded from the back, ordering the catapults to be loaded (Command, need 18, got 5 + 3, fail). In the frantic process, the majority of whatever material was being loaded fell down the hill with a gust of wind blowing in from behind the town. As the material rolled closer, Gracia could see that is was steaming a bright blue, now illuminating the dark sky.

"That's magic," Gracia said, throat tightening in anxiety, "Get back!"

The balls of blue light hit random houses and trees that blocked its way, exploding in blinding rage. Blue flames erupted from the failed attack, lighting whatever it touched into a tower of flames. The smoke was thick and easy to choke on, Gracia hacking a bit as the smell reached over Bromwich.

A bandit some ways in front of her and Sung Na gave a battle cry, signaling the infantry to charge further (Command, need 14, got 11+ 2, fail). Before they could move ahead, the fire surged forward with the wind and burned through a number of their forces. The remaining bandits scattered, crying out in fear, barely holding themselves together.

 

[Sung Na]

Her call alerted him to what was happening, and he turned around just in time to see a few buildings explode. Smoke filled the air, and the wind blew it towards the fighting. His men had experienced smoke before, and while it was significant it wasn’t debilitating. And his men kept fighting.

Sung Na trusted his men to do their job. They had been restless and were bloodthirsty, they wouldn’t let the bandits run. They knew to spare those who surrendered themselves, but those who ran were to die. So his job currently was to deal with that commander.

(Imagine the first round as their fight.)

Once that commander was dealt with he turned to survey the battlefield. He ordered his archers forward, to fire on the bandits manning the catapults. (Need 8 command, got 12) They heard and were swift to obey, the units of crossbowmen marched forward a ways, loaded, and systematically began to fire, first line firing, then kneeling to reload while the second fired, and this continued. (Need 13 attack, got 8+3, fail) but the distance was too great, and the bandits took shelter behind the catapults, and were safe from the crossbowmen, this time.

 

[Gracia von Stehlen]

The remaining bandit archers banded together while their leader ordered a swift attack (Command, need 2, got 1 +3, success). Each of the few remaining archers stood in a sturdy line and aimed their arrows at their enemy (Attack, need 7, got 20, success). Though few in number, their arrows aimed true and hit their mark, knocking down numerous soldiers in the front lines.

Gracia trekked up the hill, impressed at Sung Na's display of action, but focused her intentions of disabling the catapults. They were loading again (Command, need 5, got 16, success), this time with balls of rock fused together with a green glow. She wasn't sure what it could possibly be this time, but from the corner of her eye she noticed a woman in long brown deerskin robes weaving her arm through the air, the same green glow flowing from her fingertips. Taking her out would be key.

The catapults prepared to let off (Attack, need 10, got 6 +3, fail), but Gracia made it up the hill in time, circling around the back of the catapults and jumping on the woman, borrowed blade held to her throat. The catapults halted before setting off as the bandits finally noticed her presence.

 

[Sung Na]

The infantry took a blow, many fell dead or injured. It was time to deal with those archers. He gestured for his cavalry, and they prepared to charge. (Need 8 command, got 9) They got themselves situated and charged again, ready to smash and destroy the archers that remained. (Need 17 attack, got 20) The cavalry met the archers, and they charged with lethal, merciless intent. The spears impaled, swords were drawn, and bandits were cut down.

Sung Na for his part made sure to keep his new ally in his sight, if she died on his watch it would certainly mean feud with her family, something he truly did not want. So he made sure to make it easier on her by being the big, obvious threat, he whistled for his horse and mounted, and charged the catapults head-on, from the opposite direction as she was approaching the mage.

So he got to them, and they didn’t shoot. His saber fell, and with the speed of his horse behind it, the bandit struck was split lengthways from his skull to his navel, each side falling opposite ways, gruesome. He leapt from his horse, and the slaughter ensued.

 

[Gracia von Stehlen]

The soldiers met her upon the hill, destroying every bandit and catapult in their sight. Gracia still had the woman in her arms, watching as she desperately waved her arms about, attempting to cast spells. In the chaos that ensued around them, Gracia slit the woman's throat. She gurgled her own blood and fell to the ground in a heap.

Around her, the bandits screamed and shook in fright. From somewhere in the battle, a man roared for them to fall back and the bandits began to retreat. Gracia couldn't see Sung Na from where she stood, but as the bandits finally withdrew, she could make him out a little ways from her.

The remaining bandits who refused to flee were being cut down, paying for their ignorance with their lives. Gracia approached Sung Na carefully, aware of her surroundings and the possibility of a bandit emerging from the shadows of the battle.

 

[Sung Na]

The day was won, their soldiers held by bandits who stayed back while the rest managed to flee. So the battle was over, and the town was theirs. He called his army together, and looked at the size, twelve dead, forty some injured. He gave the order that the soldiers gather together the injured, and the medics tend them while a palisade was erected around the town.

He met Gracia on her way over. “It appears you’ve lost your horse.”

He offered her his hand, “We aught to return and inform him of our success. And I’ll be sending a messenger to Elbion to have payment brought.”

 

[Gracia von Stehlen]

"Night has fallen," Gracia told him, "I feel it would be best to camp here for the night and gather out bearings. I'm sure Aldrich has already gone to bed, too."

She looked out at the town, still ablaze in some spots.

"Besides, I figure getting the town to return to a livable state would be nice, don't you think?" she asked, but took his hand nonetheless.

By now the remaining bandits would be far out. They had headed south, toward the forest that sat a small ways away. It was dense forest, packed with caves and bandit forts. She was sure they would seek refuge with their bandit brethren.

 

[Sung Na]

"Night has fallen," Gracia told him, "I feel it would be best to camp here for the night and gather out bearings. I'm sure Aldrich has already gone to bed, too."

“A fair observation Miss Gracia.”

She looked out at the town, still ablaze in some spots.

"Besides, I figure getting the town to return to a livable state would be nice, don't you think?" she asked, but took his hand nonetheless.

He smiled when she took his hand, and he helped her onto his horse behind him. And he brought her towards the town itself. “I do. Though our first issue is the fires and preparation to defend this town from retaliation. Most of the men are going to be putting up a palisade, the rest are putting out the fires and tending the injured.”

They approached an intact house, one that looked cozy and was by far the most well-cared for. He helped her down and dismounted after her, “feel free to use this one. It seems to be the most intact.”

 

[Gracia von Stehlen]

"Thank you," Gracia said with a smile, "Once I've gathered my thoughts, I will help attend to the fires."

She entered the house and though its door was only hanging on by one hinge, she saw that it was still neat inside. The bandits had clearly used it as a cooking spit sat in the center of the room and bedrolls littered the floor. Gracia took a step inside the house and heard a hushed whimpering from the side of the room.

Turning the corner, Gracia let out a gasp. Huddled in the back of the house was a large group of children, none of them older than ten. They were dressed in skins and hides, clearly belonging to the group of bandits they'd just pushed from Bromwich. There must have been about thirty of them sitting together, clinging to one another in fear. Before the fighting broke out, the bandits must have left them here.

"Those scoundrels would leave their children here to be killed?" Gracia thought aloud.

Never had she encountered something so disgusting. To leave an entire village of children behind to cling together while the enemy decided how best to deal with them was utterly despicable. Gracia wasn't fond of children in any way, but it seemed inhuman to do such a thing.

One of the older boys finally stood up, drawing a shiv from his pants pocket.

"Back off!" he cried, voice cracking, "I'll kill you all if I have to."

Eyes wide with realization, Gracia thought there was no way the bandits would leave their children behind. Even the most flawed of humans still had attachment to their family.

Then, the rumbling began. She felt the floor underneath the house start to shake and she knew. She knew the bandits were coming back.

Sprinting from the house as fast as she could, Gracia searched around the town for Sung Na. She found him a small ways from the house, barely regrouped with his people, when the bandits poured over the hill. The screaming burst out from the skies, anger apparent in their battle cries. There were more of them than before.

So that's why they retreated to the forest.

 

[Sung Na]

He heard the rumbling. And he saw the charging enemy. He called to his soldiers, (minus 1 command) who were still busy building the palisade. (Need 5 command, got 11-1, success.) regardless they managed to get into formation and ready their ji to meet the charge while the crossbowmen lined up behind them and fired over their compatriots to kill the charging enemy. The cavalry rode out to the sides and came around upon the rear of the horde.

(Infantry needs 16 attack, got 19)
(Crossbowmen need 1 attack, got 18)
(Cavalry need 17 attack, got 14+5)

The infantry stood their ground and they let the enemy charge them, and run into their weapons, while the second line cut down on the ones behind the first line of bandits. The bolts from the crossbows bit into enemies in the middle, and the cavalry tore into the flanks and rear, the bandits’ rage made them undisciplined and easy to withstand despite their now superior numbers.

 

[Gracia von Stehlen]

The bandits howled as they poured down the hill and back into the village. Slashing their swords frantically through the air, they took no commands, fueled only by rage did they lash out at their attackers (Attack, need 16, got 16, success). Their blades ripped through the remaining horses's legs, bringing them crashing to the ground.

Rivers of blood pooled through the village, a mixture of soldier and bandit flowing together in the ultimate demonstration of battle. A bandit screamed from atop the hill, finally taking some command of the archers and ordering them into a formation (Command, need 3, got 11, success). With another harrowing battle cry (Attack, need 5, got 12, success), the arrows flew through the air, raining down once more over the soldiers. Gracia flattened those around her again, though in her unprepared state, accidentally allowed a few to tear through the fabric of her suit and nick her skin.

Attempting to flee forward and hide among the crowd of soldiers, Gracia felt a pain shoot through her left leg. Looking down, she saw that one of the arrows managed to lodge itself into her thigh and pop out the other end. Grunting, she pulled it out and watched as the blood tricked down her leg.

 

[Sung Na]

Sung Na ordered his crossbowmen to target their archers, (need 13, got 9 + 5, success) and they heeded his command, taking aim at the ranged enemy. Nearly in unison they let their bolts fly from their crossbows, the short, stout projectiles whistling through the air, screaming as they descended. (Need 4 attack, got 16) and the bolts bit into their targets, men screaming as they were struck with vicious spikes that came for them. Many archers dropped dead.

The infantry were still engaged in a line battle against the horde. (Need 13 attack, got 11+3) And they stood their ground, their weapons ending many lives as the wild, ill-organized bandits crashed and pressed against the wall of spearheads and dagger-axes. The cavalry were finished, too many horses had been injured in the fighting for the units to be effective in charging, but they were still soldiers, trained soldiers armed with spears and swords. (Need 15 attack, got 11+5) And they held their own, swords biting through flesh and spears tasting blood, not as effective or deadly as the infantry, but they were on the flanks, the weaker part of the horde, so they killed more than they were killed.

 

[Gracia von Stehlen]

From among the mounds of corpses, the bandits raged, screaming louder and louder by the second. Gracia watched on from just outside the house of bandit children, their whimpers an echo of the bloodshed outside. She could imagine them all huddled together, the older children with their helpless weapons drawn, ready to stake their lives for their own survival. She pondered what would happen to them by the end of all this. Then she recalled that it wasn't her place to decide.

Curling her fingers tighter around her sword, Gracia charged forward into battle, trying her best to ignore the pain in her leg and appear as though she wasn't running with an obvious limp. The bandit archers were running forward, breaking any formation and pushing through the front lines This wasn't a battle anymore; it was chaos.

The bandit archers strung back their arrows (Attack, need 3, got 6, success) and shot them into the crowd. With this close of a range, the arrows found their way into the crannies between armor. A stray arrow flew towards Gracia and in the heat of the moment she brought up her sword to knock it away (Agility, need 5, got 10, success). As she knocked the arrow away, twisting herself so her body wasn't in danger, her leg buckled from under her and she toppled to the ground. Letting out a scream, Gracia grabbed her injured leg, eyes peeling over the blood running down her thigh.

From above her, the bandit infantry was pouring in. Gracia ground her teeth together and pulled herself up, determined to keep fighting.

 

[Sung Na]

His infantry fought to hold the tide of enemies at bay, (need 3 defense, got 14) and the line held. They’d continued to stab and hack at the lightly armored bandits, (need 1 attack, got 6) who were dropping off exponentially, and while more of the infantry fell to close-range arrows, they retaliate do by cutting through the now close archers. The battle could only go one way, and no matter how costly it may be, victory was now assured. The bandits were simply to wild to be effective, and their armor did little to protect them.

Sung Na heard her scream, there we’re other screams on the field of course, but her she seemed a bit higher than the rest. It wasn’t a weak scream, nor one belonging to someone who feared their fate, but still very distinctly female. He could not allow her to fall, and so he followed the scream, cutting through twelve brigands on his way over to her.

Upon reaching her he said, “you shouldn’t fight when injured.”

 

[Gracia von Stehlen]

"I'll be fine," Gracia growled, not out of irritation but out of pain, "What's the turnout?"

She slapped her hand over her belt of concoctions, looking for the one she'd put together for injuries. It was an amateur potion and she wasn't sure if it would work as she wanted it to, but she didn't think she could walk on her leg for much longer. Gracia snapped the vial out of its holder and popped the cap off, chugging it down in one gulp. The liquid was disgusting, tasting of vile, bitter herbs.

A strange sensation filled her body and she began to feel the gash on her thigh stitch itself back together. It was slow, but sure. She could carry on for now, though she wasn't sure for how much longer or how hard she could push. The sensation tickled her limbs and an itching began to swim through her veins. Raking her fingers down her arm, she noticed a small collection of bumps breaking out over her skin. She ignored it.

 

[Sung Na]

"I'll be fine," Gracia growled, not out of irritation but out of pain, "What's the turnout?"

“We’ve won. The fighting has yet to end but we’ve won.” He said helping her up and supporting her by putting her arm over his shoulders.

He helped her over to an overturned barrel where she could rest. The battle was coming to a close, and the soldiers were rounding up survivors. Most were men but there were about twenty women in there too. They were rounded up and bound before given treatment. He stayed with Gracia.

“It seems like we underestimated our opponent’s resolve. Any idea why they returned so quickly and so savagely?”

 

[Gracia von Stehlen]

From around her, the bodies of dead bandits littered the ground. The screaming died down and the thundering of desperate warriors went silent. If any of the bandits were left, they were fleeing once more.

Gracia's leg didn't hurt so bad anymore and Sung Na's assistance helped to take some weight off of it. She brushed aside the ripped fabric off her pants leg and checked the wound. It was still open, but the bleeding had finally stopped.

"I have one idea," Gracia answered, "as to why they would be attached to this place. Bromwich has been home to the bandits for half a century now. They'd made it a village of their own. The house you dropped me off at is where they kept their children when the fighting broke out. They're still there. The bandits wanted them back."

As she rested her leg, she listened to the sounds of the end of battle. It'd been so long since her last that it was almost unfamiliar to her.

"Do you need anything? I have some medicinal supplies," she said.

 

[Sung Na]

"I have one idea," Gracia answered, "as to why they would be attached to this place. Bromwich has been home to the bandits for half a century now. They'd made it a village of their own. The house you dropped me off at is where they kept their children when the fighting broke out. They're still there. The bandits wanted them back."

This was news. He thought for a moment. “Those children never chose the life of a crime, they won’t face punishment, but what we do with them will require some thought. I will send a physician over to see to your wounds.”

So he did, he called one of the medics over who helped Gracia have her injuries tended professionally. He had a few soldiers prepare food while the rest returned to work on the palisade. The food was brought to the house where the children were hiding. And the children were left to eat. He would speak with them later. The captured bandits were put in another building, with four soldiers to guard them.

 

[Gracia von Stehlen]

"Thank you," Gracia told the physician.

The children's fates were not hers to decide. She'd told Sung Na about them and what happened from here on out was up to him and his people. Bromwich was in ruins, though. The buildings were, for the most part, still in good condition, but the amount of bodies and blood that painted the ground were borderline ridiculous.

By tomorrow morning, Gracia was sure they would be back on the road to Alliria where Aldrich Stone was waiting for their good news. After that, Bromwich would become a new power of trade and military. There was no doubt Sung Na and his people would see that the town would thrive once more. This meant opened job opportunities with Alliria, Bromwich, and Xian Kin. A smile crossed Gracia's face at the thought.

Tomorrow, she decided, she would stay in Alliria for a while. There were plenty of things to do and she was sure Aldrich would let her stay with him for some time as long as she gave him work opportunities. From there she could travel to Vel Anir for her meeting with the families.

Gracia sighed. Everything was coming together.

 

[Sung Na]

Night was falling, and the palisade neared completion. Sung Na saw that the children were cared for, and the village was turned into a fort for the moment. Sung Na returned to Gracia when the sun finally set, “I know what to do with the children. They will be taken care of. I found an empty house where you can stay, and in the morning I presume we will return to Alliria to deliver our report.”

 

[Gracia von Stehlen]

"Indeed," Gracia said.

She spent the night in a restless sleep, tossing and turning due to discomfort. Every so often she would wake up only to stare at the night sky until her eyes grew heavy again.

When morning finally came, she brushed the lack of sleep from her eyes and prepared for the journey back to Alliria. She found her misplaced saddlebags after a moment of searching and strapped them onto a new horse. By this time, her mind was clear of any concern for the future of the town.

Gracia hopped onto her horse and trotted out to the front of the town, awaiting Sung Na so they could begin their journey back.