Dusk had fallen by the time that they managed to make it to Goldshire’s perimeter. The density of the patrols had kept their movements slower, but they managed to slip through undetected on their way to the town. Helbram could feel his shoulder sting and his ribs ache with every step, but he continued on, purpose pushing past the lightness that he felt in his head. Jahora had managed to recover enough to be able to walk as well, trudging through the darkness in silence.
They remained in the forest, Helbram and Jahora taking further respite behind the trees as Leaf scanned the wall for patrols. However, that didn’t stop the half elf from throwing them a skeptical look every so often.
“I can’t believe we’re still doing this…” he muttered.
“Better now than never,” Helbram said, “still, thank you again for the armor.”
He ran a hand over his breastplate, noting the warped deformities from where Leaf had bashed out the dents from the armored man’s previous encounter with the Quetali. There was no chance it would hold against attacks to the same degree as before, but at the very least it didn’t rub against him while he moved.
“Bah, if we’re gonna do this then we’re gonna do it right. I’m just shoring up our chances,” he scanned the wall again, “Right, so I’ve got a good idea of their patrols for tonight. It’s a short window but if we managed to exploit it we could have the perimeter clear with none the wiser,” Leaf looked at his weary companions, “You can do this, right?”
“I’m right as rain,” Jahora said with a weak wave, “Just, you know, don’t expect any large explosions from me…”
Helbram stood up, wincing as his shoulder flared in pain. The wound was closed, but he knew any sort of trauma would open it up again. That was all but a certainty from what was to come. The small trickle of Ether he possessed had slipped away from his awareness, and any attempts to call at it were met with nothing but emptiness.
“I’ll be fine,” Helbram said.
“Well that’s a load of shite, but who knows what you’re thinking under that helmet of yours,” he gave an experimental tug of his bow and looked back towards the town, “We’ll make our entrance from the east and work our way around the wall that way,” he eyed Helbram again, “I’m afraid mercy is not an option this time.”
Helbram nodded, “I’ve already accepted that… lets just be quick about it.”
Jahora stood up and slapped her face, letting out a sigh as she flicked her fingers, “Whatever Gods are watching this… toss a bit of grace our way, will you?”
The gnome walked up to Helbram and Leaf, a spell weaving in her hands. She knelt down, placing her palms against their boots and hers, inscribing a glyph of pale green energy at their heels.
“Remember, we have about 10 minutes until the spell ends.”
When the spell was cast, Helbram felt a surge of strength in his legs and his body felt as light as a feather. Leaf gave a few experimental hops, which resulted in him jumping a foot off the ground with the barest effort. The three nodded to each other, and after Leaf gave the signal, they sprinted towards the wall. Their lightness allowed them to approach the town in relative silence. They stopped just short at the base of the wall. Leaf jumped first, clearing the wall’s height and landing on top of it. The half elf fired an arrow as soon as he landed, and Helbram could hear the sound of a body collapsing sound just a short ways away. Leaf peered into the distance, then turned and nodded at them. Both Jahora and Helbram leapt at the same time, the gnome landing with a much softer impact than the man clad in armor. Still, his entrance did not seem to draw any attention, and as he landed on the top of the wall he drew his sword.
The group moved as one, walking as fast as they could along the wall without making much noise. Leaf took care of all the patrolling bandits at a distance while Helbram and Jahora kept their eyes on lookout towards the town. They caught sight of a few bandit patrols walking between buildings, but none had their eyes directed towards the wall. Eventually, they ended up on the west side of the wall, the remaining bandit having fallen to another well placed shot by Leaf.
The half elf snatched up the arrows from the fallen bandit’s quiver and looked back towards the town’s gate. Helbram looked out towards the forest. He could see no signs of lanterns amidst the trees as dusk turned to night. He bent down to take a dagger from the same bandit and nodded to Leaf.
They moved at a quicker pace towards the town’s gate, noting the two men that guarded the inside of the gate and the squad that stood on the outside. They slowed down their movements as they arrived at the top of the gate, creeping towards its inner edge and peering at the two men down below. Helbram and Leaf positioned themselves above each guard, who had not looked up to be aware of their presence. The two men nodded at each other, then Helbram dropped from the wall.
Helbram landed on his target directly, driving his sword into the man’s back. He still felt light from Jahora’s spell, but the bandit had taken his weight in its entirety as he crumpled to the ground with a crack. Not a sound left his lips.
The other bandit had no time to react, for as Helbram landed an arrow pierced the back of his neck and protruded through his throat. He fell to the ground gargling, only to fall still as Leaf landed and finished him off with his dagger. Jahora landed after them, keeping her eyes away from the two bodies.
Helbram’s shoulder flared with pain from his impact with the ground, and he bit back a yell that almost escaped his teeth.
“Oi, did you hear that?” they heard from across the gate.
“What?”
“I could've sworn I heard something…”
“Bah it was probably nothing, just the night getting to ya, I remember there was this time that..”
Helbram ignored the bandit chatter and moved with Leaf towards the gate. Beyond its size, there were supports for a beam riveted across its surface. Said beam stood upright next to the door, resting in a slot to hold it out of the way. A lever was attached to the wall next to the beam, locked in place in an outward position. The two men grabbed the lever and looked to Jahora. She stood in front of the gate with her eyes closed and hands held out, Aether condensed at her fingertips into a glyph of yellow light. She opened her eyes and nodded at them.
The men pulled on the lever, straining as the mechanism provided much more resistance than they had assumed. Helbram tried to keep as much stress off of his shoulder as he could, but even with that he felt his shoulder scream with pain as the mechanism triggered. The beam fell, its weight thundering against the supports along the gate.
“Oi! What the hells?” a bandit said from the front of the gate.
Jahora unleashed her spell then, a bolt of yellow light that struck the center of the gate, suffusing the structure with a web of yellow Aether that slowly flowed to the ground as Jahora fed more energy into the spell. As she did Helbram raised his sword at the lever, but a twinge of pain brought his arm down. Leaf looked at him for a moment before kicking the handle multiple times to snap it off.
Banging started at the door, “Hey! Open up! What’s going on back there?”
Helbram and Leaf walked away from the gate, the half elf eyeing the armored man with an impassive expression.
“Did it tear?” He asked.
Helbram shook his head, “No, gods did it feel like it was going to…”
“Good, we can’t be having-”
A bandit emerged from a nearby building, humming a tune to himself. His face was flushed, but went pale as soon as his eyes fell upon the trio. Helbram dashed, sprinting towards the man as the bandit fumbled for a cylinder strapped to his waist. An arrow struck the man’s chest, but somehow the bandit managed to get the object into his hands. Helbram closed in, following the arrow with his blade through the man’s heart, but with a final cough of blood his hands twisted the cylinder. A bolt of fire flew from the device and into the sky, bursting with a flare of red light that lingered in the air.
“It’s an attack!” cried a bandit from beyond the gate, followed by a volley of other flares that burst in the night sky.
“Shite, we need to hurry,” Leaf said.
Helbram pulled his sword from the bandit’s chest and nodded, “Jahora, are you done?”
Jahora clenched her hands, cutting off the flow of Aether to her spell as it completed. The web of energy around the door connected to the ground and flashed with a pulse of light. A bang followed.
“All Father’s balls! The hells is this thing made of?!”
The group ran from the gate before they could hear the rest of what was said, running parallel to the town’s wall. Brief flashes of lamplight glimmered through the alleyways as patrols moved towards the main street, but in their rush there was not much they could do to stay quiet. Eventually, as they sped towards the mine a shout sounded from behind them.
“There they are!”
A flare shot to the sky after, coating them in red light.
Leaf cursed and picked up Jahora as he sped up his pace. The gnome spared no complaints, her breaths already heavy by the time her feet left the ground. Helbram felt a flash of weariness as he tried to keep up with the half elf’s speed, but he grit his teeth and kept moving forward as arrows and bolts were loosed at their backs. Helbram placed his shield, dented and damaged as it was, on his back and positioned himself between the oncoming projectiles and Leaf. Most of the shots missed, but a few bounced off of the shield and one off of his helmet as they drew more fire from approaching patrols.
“We can’t drag them all like this!” Helbram shouted.
Leaf nodded and turned away from the town’s wall. The armored man followed him, narrowly dodging a barrel as he entered what appeared to be the town’s market street. Leaf pulled Jahora close and started to jump through the stalls, his elven agility on full display as the gap between him and Helbram widened. The armored man picked up the pace, staying ahead of the bandits that trailed behind. Leaf eventually cut into another alleyway positioned between what appeared to be a tavern and a potions shop with a large stockpile of barrels occupying much of the alley’s entrance. Helbram ducked into the small gap, his armor scraping against the barrels as he pushed into the alley. Jahora had a spell ready by the time he fully made it and unleashed it right as he joined with them. A bolt of Aether surged from her hands and struck the bottom of the stockpile, knocking loose the support that held up all the weight. The barrels crashed down soon after, those at the top of the stockpile bursting into deluges of wine and ale as they hit the ground while the others fell, undamaged as they blocked the alleyway. A curse sounded from inside the tavern, but the three ignored it and continued to sprint into the town’s depths.
Their flight was interrupted by another patrol coming in from an intersecting alley. Their weapons were already drawn, but lamplight gave away the bandits’ position before they leapt to attack. When the bandits rounded the corner, Leaf had already let Jahora back on the ground and drawn his bow. He loosed an arrow into one of the bandit’s chest, forcing him back as the projectile bit through his leather armor. Helbram followed the shot, driving his sword through the side of another bandit just turning the corner. He kicked the man off of his blade into the others that were following and flicked his blade across the first bandit’s throat. Both men fell to the ground in a heap, their sudden deaths giving the remaining bandits pause. Helbram exploited the opening, slashing one bandit across the chest, cleaving deep into his unarmored torso as he fell to the ground. The last bandit made a desperate strike, but an arrow struck him in the side before a bolt of Aether blasted him away. He hit the ground silent, but still breathing.
Agony flared from Helbram’s shoulder, but still he did not feel the warmth of blood trickle down his arm. He sighed in relief as Leaf searched the bodies, snatching up the cylinders from their belts.
“What are you planning with those?” Helbram asked.
Leaf tied three of the cylinders to his belt, “We’re not going to be able to do anything with all of them on our arses like this. I’m the fastest here, so I’ll draw them away.”
Jahora’s eyes widened in surprise, “You can’t be -”
“This is not up for debate, we’ve no time for that. Give me a minute to draw them all away and then make your way to the warehouse.”
Helbram nodded, “Don’t get yourself killed.”
Leaf snorted, “A bit late to say something like that.”
The half elf ran towards the center of town, disappearing into the alleys. Jahora looked after him, concern clear on her face.
“All we can do is trust him,” Helbram put a hand on Jahora’s shoulder. The gnome nodded.
They made their way towards the warehouse, using what they could see of Goldshire’s wall as a guide. Their progress was briefly inhibited by another patrol, but they managed to stay out of sight by hiding behind a gathering of empty crates and other refuse. The patrol lingered for only a moment, their attention drawn to the sky as a flare burst in the distance. They sprinted off, leaving an empty silence behind them. Helbram and Jahora continued on, navigating the rest of the alleyways until they emerged near the entrance of the mine.
The mine was sectioned off from the rest of the town by a wall only slightly smaller than the town’s perimeter. The pillar of light rose into the sky behind the wall, still maintaining the barrier. No guards were perched on top of this wall, but two stood at the opening to the mine’s perimeter. They were alert, eyes scanning the streets that led to them, only cutting upwards to see another flare flash in the sky. Their hands clutched at their crossbows, body’s tensed and ready to respond at even the slightest movement. Even from his distance Helbram could see the cylinders strapped to their waists.
“Dammit, they’re too far away for me to catch them off guard…” Helbram muttered.
Jahora nodded and channeled Aether into her hands. It was a soft, green color, growing more muted as the shape of a glyph formed at her fingertips. She placed her hand on Helbram’s heel once more, the glyph embedding itself to his boot. He did not feel the lightness from before and instead felt a small sensation at the back of his mind, right next to the claymore that he could not summon.
“When you’re ready, just think of a large burst of wind, my magic will do the rest.” the gnome said, her eyes weary but determined.
Helbram nodded and turned back towards the guards. Their eyes still scanned the streets, but an opening provided itself as another flare flew into the sky. As they cast their eyes upwards, Helbram sprinted into the street and towards the gate. He made it halfway before the rattle of his armor caught the guards’ attention. Their heads started to turn and Helbram took in a quick breath, envisioning the wind in his mind. The spell at the back of his mind released right as his heel left the ground. A gale blasted from his boot, sending the armored man flying through the street. It was fast, too fast. Helbram barely had his sword in front of him by the time he collided with the first guard. The momentum was enough to carry both him and Helbram into the second, who only had enough time to raise his crossbow. Helbram’s blade pierced through the first guard’s chest and into the second’s ribs. The men fell into a pile with Helbram at the top, grip still firm on his blade. His shoulder screamed with pain as he pulled his sword free, the bandits lifeless below him. Jahora’s footsteps pattered in from behind.
“Gods, I didn’t think-”
“It’s fine… we’ve more important things to worry about,” Helbram grunted.
He gave her a pat on the shoulder and the two of them ran through the gate.
The mines were quiet in contrast to the chaos in the town. Most of its confines were shrouded in shadow, with only a few areas lit by lamplight. A few patrols wandered around the open area, their positions obvious from the lamps they carried in their hands. The warehouse was situated towards the east, a large, bulky structure that stood at least two stories high. The pillar of light originated from an open, wide structure to the west. Within that structure was a rigid construct of steel and stone, the origin of the light that pierced the sky. It’s design was both familiar, but alien, antiquated, but advanced.
Helbram and Jahora stuck to the perimeter of the wall, away from the track that ran down the center of the mine and towards the entrance into the mountain. Crates littered the rest of the field, filled with abandoned ores and occluded by piles of rocks that had been haphazardly thrown aside. Many of the carts themselves were still filled with stones from the mountain, and those that weren’t were twisted and warped beyond the point of utility. Craters dotted the ground near the cave, their depths all the more clear as the two closed in on the warehouse.
Two bandits stood guard at the building’s entrance, with another walking its perimeter, lantern in hand. The door itself was suffused with a yellow web of Aether, similar to the spell that Jahora had cast before. A large padlock hung from the door as well, outlined from the soft glow of Aether behind it.
“It’s been warded,” Jahora said.
Helbram looked to the windows of the building, noting a similar spell across their glass.
“Looks like Marlin has been thorough,” Helbram said in a bitter tone, “Can you break the ward if we get to it?”
“Yes, but it may take a moment.”
As she said that, a final flare flashed above the town.
“We’d best be as quick as possible,” Helbram said.
Jahora nodded and they moved, keeping to the darkness as much as they could as they drew closer to the warehouse. They hid behind a collapsed stack of crates when they got within a stones throw of the doorway. Helbram peered at the bandits from cover, noting that these two held less tension to their posture, but their eyes remained watchful as they scanned the area in front of them lit by lamplight. The one patrolling the building’s perimeter had wandered towards the back of the building. When he turned back to Jahora he saw her preparing the same spell from before in her hands, but he interrupted her by grabbing her shoulder. She looked up at him with a confused look, but grimaced as Helbram shook his head. He directed the gnome’s gaze to the two bandits, pointing to the furthest one and then slamming his fist in his palm. Jahora nodded and placed her hands close to each other. A small ball of pale blue Aether formed at her palms, quivering as the Thaumaturge held the condensed energy in place. Helbram shifted himself, ready to leap off the ground once he gave the signal. He held up his fingers and started to count down.
Three…
Two..
One.
Jahora poked out of cover, unleashing the Aether in her hands as a bolt of pure force that struck the furthest guard in the head. His body flew back, landing in a motionless heap on the ground. Helbram lept from the crates at the same time as she, sprinting at the remaining guard as he was locked in place from surprise, staring at his fallen companion. The armored man managed to close the distance by the time the bandit regained his wits, and by then it was too late for the brigand to put up a defense. Helbram carried his momentum into the swing of his arm, slamming the pommel of his sword across the bandit’s jaw. His foe fell to the ground, still. Jahora followed after him, hands already moving as yellow Aether flowed from her fingers and towards the door. He moved towards the opposite end of the building, sword raised as he noted the glow of lamplight that was growing steadily brighter from around the corner. He brought his handle down the moment the man rounded the building, connecting with his temple. Helbram snatched the lantern as the bandit slumped to the dirt, unmoving but still breathing. As Jahora continued to work her spell he moved the bandits out of the way, dragging their unconscious bodies into the shadows while taking care not to stress his shoulder. He used the rope he brought with him to bind their limbs, keeping an eye out for any passing patrols. He searched the bandits’ pockets, fishing a key from them as Jahora finished her spell.
A soft pulse of Aether surged from the gnome’s fingers, striking the web of energy that surrounded the door and washing it away. The padlock remained secure, but let out a heavy click as Helbram twisted it open with the key. Taking one last look behind them, the two slipped into the warehouse.
The building was dark with stacks of barrels, crates, and other sundries lit by the moonlight that leaked through the windows and between the railings of the pathways above. Silence hung over the complex, broken only by the soft thud of the two’s footsteps as they started to walk within. They navigated the stacks of supplies until they found themselves at the building’s center, where the prisoners resided.
A sinking feeling sat at Helbram’s chest as no one looked up at their arrival. He did not expect the bright, hopeful faces that he saw from the caravan, but was not prepared for the utter dejection that occupied their expressions. It was a large crowd, a mix of the adventurers from the caravan and what he could only assume to be men from Goldshire. Their hands were unbound, but they sat on the ground, unmoving. One of them finally looked up, an older bearded man that Helbram last remembered wearing brigandine. Fatigue was soon replaced by surprise as he set his eyes upon them.
“I remember you, you were with the caravan.”
Head’s turned up as those words were said, focusing on both Helbram and Jahora with confusion.
“You… you’re armed,” one of them said.
Desperation filled their eyes and they started to clamber to them.
“Please, you have to get us out of here,” one plead, “at this rate all of us are going to be blown to the hells in those damn mines.”
Murmurs followed, a cacophony of panic and anguish as the rest of the group started to relay their troubles in a cloud of indecipherable speech. Helbram stepped back, his heart heavy at the sight.
“All of you be quiet,” the older man barked, “nothing’s going to be done if you keep badgering them like this.”
The men and women quieted down, but still lingered around Helbram and Jahora. The older man pushed through them, holding a hand out as he got in front of the armored man.
“Garuf,” he grunted.
Helbram took his hand and gave it a firm shake. The man’s grip was strong and a hardiness remained in his eyes. “Helbram, and I am afraid I do not come here with the intent of escape.”
“What? The hells do you mean by that?”
Garuf raised a hand, cutting short the outrage that surged through the crowd around them.
Helbram looked around the crowd, seeing only fearful glances around him. He sighed, “I mean exactly what I said. I do not come here offering aid but rather seeking it.”
He pointed towards the front window of the building, drawing attention to the pillar of light that could be seen through it, “so long as the barrier remains up escape is not an option, more importantly…” he pointed towards the Golden Peak, “should anymore mining be done there is a high chance the mountain itself could explode.”
“Bullshite,” a man from the crowd spat, his clothes were ragged, worn from what must have been a few weeks of labor, “first you’re tellin’ us that you’re not here to help us escape and next you’re telling us that a bloody mountain is going to explode? Why come here at all? To tell us to fight like some godsdammned heroes? A load of good that did for the lot of you that were brought in a few days ago.”
Several of the crowd turned their heads to the ground. Helbram could feel a collective tremble from the people around him.
“It’s true! Surely you must have noticed, the rocks exploding, the mountain itself glowing and trembling more and more with each passing day,” Jahora said, “Whatever it is that is being done within the mines is not something that can just be ignored as some trick of the light!”
Silence followed, hanging over the crowd until Garuf nodded his head.
“It is as she says, you all know it to be true,” he said, “None of us may be mages but it doesn’t take a genius to tell when something isn’t right, and there is plenty that isn’t right about this whole affair.”
“So what?” the man said, “even if it were true what can we even do about it? Fight the bandits with our bare ha-”
Jahora flicked her fingers, producing a snap of Aether that echoed out from behind the crowd. Beads of purple light formed in the air, expanding until they took the shape of various weapons and even pieces of armor that started to fall to the ground at a steady cadence. A sizable hoard of equipment formed before them, and with each dropped armament he could see the backs of the crowd gradually begin to straighten.
“That’s a load off of my mind,” Jahora muttered, rubbing her temples but with color returning to her cheeks.
Helbram pat Jahora on the shoulder and looked back to the crowd, “It won’t be enough to fully equip all of you, but it is something.”
Garuf snorted, “So, you lot are the reason the bandit’s numbers have been thinning as of late. Here I’d thought they’d been squaring up for another raid.”
“But the numbers of them… we don’t have a chance,” the same man from the crowd voiced, his tone growing strained.
“We’ve managed to lure many of them outside of the village,” Helbram said.
“And then locked the gate,” Jahora added, “No one, inside or out will be able to open it for the time being.”
The man opened his mouth again.
“And if you’re wondering about their leader, he’s out there with them,” Helbram interjected, “but who knows how long we have. If we’re going to act, we need to hurry.”
“Hurry to our deaths!” the man spat. His jaw was clenched and tears streaked down his dirt covered face, “you don’t know what we’ve been through, what they’re capable of… you think we haven’t thought of fighting back? We have, many times, and each time that damned Quetali put us down so easily and that mage… that damned mage made sure to punish the families of whoever rose up. My daughter… my daughter didn’t deserve…” he choked and started to weep. As he did, the crowd started to shy away from the equipment on the floor.
Jahora cast her eyes to the ground and said nothing.
Helbram looked over the crowd, watching them as they receded back to their spots among the crates, eyes once again downcast, absent of hope.
“I know not the words that will banish fear from your hearts,” he told them, his voice soft, “nor do I have a speech that will grant you the blind courage to push that fear aside. I have not had your struggles, your tragedies, nor your punishments. The only thing I can say to you is that if you do nothing, if you give in to their demands, if you allow them to torment you into continued subservience, then you walk the path of a slow, but sure death. Perhaps I ask too much of all of you… in fact, I know I do, for this is not a task that any man should have to bear. But, I ask you of it all the same, for if you do not act, it is not just you that you have condemned, but the fate of all those that lie within this village, those of which I know you cherish. If you do not wish to fight for yourselves, then I ask that you think of them and make your decision. I myself choose to fight, for I would rather struggle for a chance at life than let doubt lead me to the jaws of death.”
None looked up at his words.
Garuf placed a hand on Helbram’s shoulder, “I can’t speak for the others, but I will join you.”
Helbram nodded at him, “I thank you, we’ll be outside when you’re ready.”
The older man moved to the pile of equipment. Jahora looked after him, eyes hopeful as she scanned the crowd for any sign of movement. Helbram turned and put a hand on her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.
“We should go,” he tried to hide the defeat in his voice.
As they made their way out of the warehouse Jahora looked up at him.
“Well, I thought that was a fine speech,” she said in a confident tone.
Helbram snorted, “Was it now? And here I thought my words were only as good as my magic.”
“Nonsense, one for the books I’d say… if we make it out.”
“Indeed.”
“What do we do now?”
“Cause as big of a stink as we can,” Helbram said with a sigh, “how do you feel about breaking ancient technology?”
She tapped her chin, “Well, it is going to be a shame, but it should make for a nice fireball.”
They laughed at that and marched towards the door. Helbram tried to ignore the hollowness in his chest.
As they emerged from the building he felt the snap of Aether in the air, he reached for his sword, but his hands froze as they hovered over his handle. Jahora had her hands out, ready to cast a spell, but she too was frozen in place. He felt a presence in his mind, an oppression that suppressed any control he had over his body, but leaving him fully aware. He focused, pressing against the presence in his mind, but unable to budge it. He saw Jahora’s fingers twitch, but nothing else as he looked down at the gnome.
A small figure emerged from the darkness, flanked by two bandits, one wielding a crossbow and the other a greatsword. Marlin’s robes were rolled back, exposing tattooed arms that glowed with a sickly blue aether. More bandits were formed behind him, their numbers almost uncountable amidst the lamplight. The halfling’s gaunt face remained impassive as he examined both Helbram and Jahora.
“Kill the armored one, we’ll question the gnome,” he said in a cold tone.
The bandit with the greatsword nodded and marched towards Helbram, weapon drawn and bloodlust in his eyes. He raised the blade and reared back, and Helbram closed his eyes in grim acceptance.
The blow never came, and instead what followed was the gurgle from the bandit’s blood filled mouth as he collapsed to the ground, a crossbow bolt protruding from his throat.
“You missed one!” Garuf yelled from within the warehouse.
Marlin’s expression was unchanged, “It appears I did.”
He motioned the bandits behind him to move forward.
The gang moved, closing in on the warehouse, but stopped as they heard laughing from within.
“Oh, by the way,” Garuf said, “I lied.”
The windows above opened, arrows and bolts flying through them and pelting the first line of bandits in the front. Helbram heard footsteps behind them, quick, with purpose. Men funneled outside under the cover of arrow fire, flanking Helbram and Jahora. He recognized the one that stood next to him, the man that had voiced his doubts so often, clad in leather armor and wielding an ax. Uncertainty was gone from his expression, replaced by a fury that burned in his eyes.
“Attack!”
Dusk had fallen by the time that they managed to make it to Goldshire’s perimeter. The density of the patrols had kept their movements slower, but they managed to slip through undetected on their way to the town. Helbram could feel his shoulder sting and his ribs ache with every step, but he continued on, purpose pushing past the lightness that he felt in his head. Jahora had managed to recover enough to be able to walk as well, trudging through the darkness in silence.
They remained in the forest, Helbram and Jahora taking further respite behind the trees as Leaf scanned the wall for patrols. However, that didn’t stop the half elf from throwing them a skeptical look every so often.
“I can’t believe we’re still doing this…” he muttered.
“Better now than never,” Helbram said, “still, thank you again for the armor.”
He ran a hand over his breastplate, noting the warped deformities from where Leaf had bashed out the dents from the armored man’s previous encounter with the Quetali. There was no chance it would hold against attacks to the same degree as before, but at the very least it didn’t rub against him while he moved.
“Bah, if we’re gonna do this then we’re gonna do it right. I’m just shoring up our chances,” he scanned the wall again, “Right, so I’ve got a good idea of their patrols for tonight. It’s a short window but if we managed to exploit it we could have the perimeter clear with none the wiser,” Leaf looked at his weary companions, “You can do this, right?”
“I’m right as rain,” Jahora said with a weak wave, “Just, you know, don’t expect any large explosions from me…”
Helbram stood up, wincing as his shoulder flared in pain. The wound was closed, but he knew any sort of trauma would open it up again. That was all but a certainty from what was to come. The small trickle of Ether he possessed had slipped away from his awareness, and any attempts to call at it were met with nothing but emptiness.
“I’ll be fine,” Helbram said.
“Well that’s a load of shite, but who knows what you’re thinking under that helmet of yours,” he gave an experimental tug of his bow and looked back towards the town, “We’ll make our entrance from the east and work our way around the wall that way,” he eyed Helbram again, “I’m afraid mercy is not an option this time.”
Helbram nodded, “I’ve already accepted that… lets just be quick about it.”
Jahora stood up and slapped her face, letting out a sigh as she flicked her fingers, “Whatever Gods are watching this… toss a bit of grace our way, will you?”
The gnome walked up to Helbram and Leaf, a spell weaving in her hands. She knelt down, placing her palms against their boots and hers, inscribing a glyph of pale green energy at their heels.
“Remember, we have about 10 minutes until the spell ends.”
When the spell was cast, Helbram felt a surge of strength in his legs and his body felt as light as a feather. Leaf gave a few experimental hops, which resulted in him jumping a foot off the ground with the barest effort. The three nodded to each other, and after Leaf gave the signal, they sprinted towards the wall. Their lightness allowed them to approach the town in relative silence. They stopped just short at the base of the wall. Leaf jumped first, clearing the wall’s height and landing on top of it. The half elf fired an arrow as soon as he landed, and Helbram could hear the sound of a body collapsing sound just a short ways away. Leaf peered into the distance, then turned and nodded at them. Both Jahora and Helbram leapt at the same time, the gnome landing with a much softer impact than the man clad in armor. Still, his entrance did not seem to draw any attention, and as he landed on the top of the wall he drew his sword.
The group moved as one, walking as fast as they could along the wall without making much noise. Leaf took care of all the patrolling bandits at a distance while Helbram and Jahora kept their eyes on lookout towards the town. They caught sight of a few bandit patrols walking between buildings, but none had their eyes directed towards the wall. Eventually, they ended up on the west side of the wall, the remaining bandit having fallen to another well placed shot by Leaf.
The half elf snatched up the arrows from the fallen bandit’s quiver and looked back towards the town’s gate. Helbram looked out towards the forest. He could see no signs of lanterns amidst the trees as dusk turned to night. He bent down to take a dagger from the same bandit and nodded to Leaf.
They moved at a quicker pace towards the town’s gate, noting the two men that guarded the inside of the gate and the squad that stood on the outside. They slowed down their movements as they arrived at the top of the gate, creeping towards its inner edge and peering at the two men down below. Helbram and Leaf positioned themselves above each guard, who had not looked up to be aware of their presence. The two men nodded at each other, then Helbram dropped from the wall.
Helbram landed on his target directly, driving his sword into the man’s back. He still felt light from Jahora’s spell, but the bandit had taken his weight in its entirety as he crumpled to the ground with a crack. Not a sound left his lips.
The other bandit had no time to react, for as Helbram landed an arrow pierced the back of his neck and protruded through his throat. He fell to the ground gargling, only to fall still as Leaf landed and finished him off with his dagger. Jahora landed after them, keeping her eyes away from the two bodies.
Helbram’s shoulder flared with pain from his impact with the ground, and he bit back a yell that almost escaped his teeth.
“Oi, did you hear that?” they heard from across the gate.
“What?”
“I could've sworn I heard something…”
“Bah it was probably nothing, just the night getting to ya, I remember there was this time that..”
Helbram ignored the bandit chatter and moved with Leaf towards the gate. Beyond its size, there were supports for a beam riveted across its surface. Said beam stood upright next to the door, resting in a slot to hold it out of the way. A lever was attached to the wall next to the beam, locked in place in an outward position. The two men grabbed the lever and looked to Jahora. She stood in front of the gate with her eyes closed and hands held out, Aether condensed at her fingertips into a glyph of yellow light. She opened her eyes and nodded at them.
The men pulled on the lever, straining as the mechanism provided much more resistance than they had assumed. Helbram tried to keep as much stress off of his shoulder as he could, but even with that he felt his shoulder scream with pain as the mechanism triggered. The beam fell, its weight thundering against the supports along the gate.
“Oi! What the hells?” a bandit said from the front of the gate.
Jahora unleashed her spell then, a bolt of yellow light that struck the center of the gate, suffusing the structure with a web of yellow Aether that slowly flowed to the ground as Jahora fed more energy into the spell. As she did Helbram raised his sword at the lever, but a twinge of pain brought his arm down. Leaf looked at him for a moment before kicking the handle multiple times to snap it off.
Banging started at the door, “Hey! Open up! What’s going on back there?”
Helbram and Leaf walked away from the gate, the half elf eyeing the armored man with an impassive expression.
“Did it tear?” He asked.
Helbram shook his head, “No, gods did it feel like it was going to…”
“Good, we can’t be having-”
A bandit emerged from a nearby building, humming a tune to himself. His face was flushed, but went pale as soon as his eyes fell upon the trio. Helbram dashed, sprinting towards the man as the bandit fumbled for a cylinder strapped to his waist. An arrow struck the man’s chest, but somehow the bandit managed to get the object into his hands. Helbram closed in, following the arrow with his blade through the man’s heart, but with a final cough of blood his hands twisted the cylinder. A bolt of fire flew from the device and into the sky, bursting with a flare of red light that lingered in the air.
“It’s an attack!” cried a bandit from beyond the gate, followed by a volley of other flares that burst in the night sky.
“Shite, we need to hurry,” Leaf said.
Helbram pulled his sword from the bandit’s chest and nodded, “Jahora, are you done?”
Jahora clenched her hands, cutting off the flow of Aether to her spell as it completed. The web of energy around the door connected to the ground and flashed with a pulse of light. A bang followed.
“All Father’s balls! The hells is this thing made of?!”
The group ran from the gate before they could hear the rest of what was said, running parallel to the town’s wall. Brief flashes of lamplight glimmered through the alleyways as patrols moved towards the main street, but in their rush there was not much they could do to stay quiet. Eventually, as they sped towards the mine a shout sounded from behind them.
“There they are!”
A flare shot to the sky after, coating them in red light.
Leaf cursed and picked up Jahora as he sped up his pace. The gnome spared no complaints, her breaths already heavy by the time her feet left the ground. Helbram felt a flash of weariness as he tried to keep up with the half elf’s speed, but he grit his teeth and kept moving forward as arrows and bolts were loosed at their backs. Helbram placed his shield, dented and damaged as it was, on his back and positioned himself between the oncoming projectiles and Leaf. Most of the shots missed, but a few bounced off of the shield and one off of his helmet as they drew more fire from approaching patrols.
“We can’t drag them all like this!” Helbram shouted.
Leaf nodded and turned away from the town’s wall. The armored man followed him, narrowly dodging a barrel as he entered what appeared to be the town’s market street. Leaf pulled Jahora close and started to jump through the stalls, his elven agility on full display as the gap between him and Helbram widened. The armored man picked up the pace, staying ahead of the bandits that trailed behind. Leaf eventually cut into another alleyway positioned between what appeared to be a tavern and a potions shop with a large stockpile of barrels occupying much of the alley’s entrance. Helbram ducked into the small gap, his armor scraping against the barrels as he pushed into the alley. Jahora had a spell ready by the time he fully made it and unleashed it right as he joined with them. A bolt of Aether surged from her hands and struck the bottom of the stockpile, knocking loose the support that held up all the weight. The barrels crashed down soon after, those at the top of the stockpile bursting into deluges of wine and ale as they hit the ground while the others fell, undamaged as they blocked the alleyway. A curse sounded from inside the tavern, but the three ignored it and continued to sprint into the town’s depths.
Their flight was interrupted by another patrol coming in from an intersecting alley. Their weapons were already drawn, but lamplight gave away the bandits’ position before they leapt to attack. When the bandits rounded the corner, Leaf had already let Jahora back on the ground and drawn his bow. He loosed an arrow into one of the bandit’s chest, forcing him back as the projectile bit through his leather armor. Helbram followed the shot, driving his sword through the side of another bandit just turning the corner. He kicked the man off of his blade into the others that were following and flicked his blade across the first bandit’s throat. Both men fell to the ground in a heap, their sudden deaths giving the remaining bandits pause. Helbram exploited the opening, slashing one bandit across the chest, cleaving deep into his unarmored torso as he fell to the ground. The last bandit made a desperate strike, but an arrow struck him in the side before a bolt of Aether blasted him away. He hit the ground silent, but still breathing.
Agony flared from Helbram’s shoulder, but still he did not feel the warmth of blood trickle down his arm. He sighed in relief as Leaf searched the bodies, snatching up the cylinders from their belts.
“What are you planning with those?” Helbram asked.
Leaf tied three of the cylinders to his belt, “We’re not going to be able to do anything with all of them on our arses like this. I’m the fastest here, so I’ll draw them away.”
Jahora’s eyes widened in surprise, “You can’t be -”
“This is not up for debate, we’ve no time for that. Give me a minute to draw them all away and then make your way to the warehouse.”
Helbram nodded, “Don’t get yourself killed.”
Leaf snorted, “A bit late to say something like that.”
The half elf ran towards the center of town, disappearing into the alleys. Jahora looked after him, concern clear on her face.
“All we can do is trust him,” Helbram put a hand on Jahora’s shoulder. The gnome nodded.
They made their way towards the warehouse, using what they could see of Goldshire’s wall as a guide. Their progress was briefly inhibited by another patrol, but they managed to stay out of sight by hiding behind a gathering of empty crates and other refuse. The patrol lingered for only a moment, their attention drawn to the sky as a flare burst in the distance. They sprinted off, leaving an empty silence behind them. Helbram and Jahora continued on, navigating the rest of the alleyways until they emerged near the entrance of the mine.
The mine was sectioned off from the rest of the town by a wall only slightly smaller than the town’s perimeter. The pillar of light rose into the sky behind the wall, still maintaining the barrier. No guards were perched on top of this wall, but two stood at the opening to the mine’s perimeter. They were alert, eyes scanning the streets that led to them, only cutting upwards to see another flare flash in the sky. Their hands clutched at their crossbows, body’s tensed and ready to respond at even the slightest movement. Even from his distance Helbram could see the cylinders strapped to their waists.
“Dammit, they’re too far away for me to catch them off guard…” Helbram muttered.
Jahora nodded and channeled Aether into her hands. It was a soft, green color, growing more muted as the shape of a glyph formed at her fingertips. She placed her hand on Helbram’s heel once more, the glyph embedding itself to his boot. He did not feel the lightness from before and instead felt a small sensation at the back of his mind, right next to the claymore that he could not summon.
“When you’re ready, just think of a large burst of wind, my magic will do the rest.” the gnome said, her eyes weary but determined.
Helbram nodded and turned back towards the guards. Their eyes still scanned the streets, but an opening provided itself as another flare flew into the sky. As they cast their eyes upwards, Helbram sprinted into the street and towards the gate. He made it halfway before the rattle of his armor caught the guards’ attention. Their heads started to turn and Helbram took in a quick breath, envisioning the wind in his mind. The spell at the back of his mind released right as his heel left the ground. A gale blasted from his boot, sending the armored man flying through the street. It was fast, too fast. Helbram barely had his sword in front of him by the time he collided with the first guard. The momentum was enough to carry both him and Helbram into the second, who only had enough time to raise his crossbow. Helbram’s blade pierced through the first guard’s chest and into the second’s ribs. The men fell into a pile with Helbram at the top, grip still firm on his blade. His shoulder screamed with pain as he pulled his sword free, the bandits lifeless below him. Jahora’s footsteps pattered in from behind.
“Gods, I didn’t think-”
“It’s fine… we’ve more important things to worry about,” Helbram grunted.
He gave her a pat on the shoulder and the two of them ran through the gate.
The mines were quiet in contrast to the chaos in the town. Most of its confines were shrouded in shadow, with only a few areas lit by lamplight. A few patrols wandered around the open area, their positions obvious from the lamps they carried in their hands. The warehouse was situated towards the east, a large, bulky structure that stood at least two stories high. The pillar of light originated from an open, wide structure to the west. Within that structure was a rigid construct of steel and stone, the origin of the light that pierced the sky. It’s design was both familiar, but alien, antiquated, but advanced.
Helbram and Jahora stuck to the perimeter of the wall, away from the track that ran down the center of the mine and towards the entrance into the mountain. Crates littered the rest of the field, filled with abandoned ores and occluded by piles of rocks that had been haphazardly thrown aside. Many of the carts themselves were still filled with stones from the mountain, and those that weren’t were twisted and warped beyond the point of utility. Craters dotted the ground near the cave, their depths all the more clear as the two closed in on the warehouse.
Two bandits stood guard at the building’s entrance, with another walking its perimeter, lantern in hand. The door itself was suffused with a yellow web of Aether, similar to the spell that Jahora had cast before. A large padlock hung from the door as well, outlined from the soft glow of Aether behind it.
“It’s been warded,” Jahora said.
Helbram looked to the windows of the building, noting a similar spell across their glass.
“Looks like Marlin has been thorough,” Helbram said in a bitter tone, “Can you break the ward if we get to it?”
“Yes, but it may take a moment.”
As she said that, a final flare flashed above the town.
“We’d best be as quick as possible,” Helbram said.
Jahora nodded and they moved, keeping to the darkness as much as they could as they drew closer to the warehouse. They hid behind a collapsed stack of crates when they got within a stones throw of the doorway. Helbram peered at the bandits from cover, noting that these two held less tension to their posture, but their eyes remained watchful as they scanned the area in front of them lit by lamplight. The one patrolling the building’s perimeter had wandered towards the back of the building. When he turned back to Jahora he saw her preparing the same spell from before in her hands, but he interrupted her by grabbing her shoulder. She looked up at him with a confused look, but grimaced as Helbram shook his head. He directed the gnome’s gaze to the two bandits, pointing to the furthest one and then slamming his fist in his palm. Jahora nodded and placed her hands close to each other. A small ball of pale blue Aether formed at her palms, quivering as the Thaumaturge held the condensed energy in place. Helbram shifted himself, ready to leap off the ground once he gave the signal. He held up his fingers and started to count down.
Three…
Two..
One.
Jahora poked out of cover, unleashing the Aether in her hands as a bolt of pure force that struck the furthest guard in the head. His body flew back, landing in a motionless heap on the ground. Helbram lept from the crates at the same time as she, sprinting at the remaining guard as he was locked in place from surprise, staring at his fallen companion. The armored man managed to close the distance by the time the bandit regained his wits, and by then it was too late for the brigand to put up a defense. Helbram carried his momentum into the swing of his arm, slamming the pommel of his sword across the bandit’s jaw. His foe fell to the ground, still. Jahora followed after him, hands already moving as yellow Aether flowed from her fingers and towards the door. He moved towards the opposite end of the building, sword raised as he noted the glow of lamplight that was growing steadily brighter from around the corner. He brought his handle down the moment the man rounded the building, connecting with his temple. Helbram snatched the lantern as the bandit slumped to the dirt, unmoving but still breathing. As Jahora continued to work her spell he moved the bandits out of the way, dragging their unconscious bodies into the shadows while taking care not to stress his shoulder. He used the rope he brought with him to bind their limbs, keeping an eye out for any passing patrols. He searched the bandits’ pockets, fishing a key from them as Jahora finished her spell.
A soft pulse of Aether surged from the gnome’s fingers, striking the web of energy that surrounded the door and washing it away. The padlock remained secure, but let out a heavy click as Helbram twisted it open with the key. Taking one last look behind them, the two slipped into the warehouse.
The building was dark with stacks of barrels, crates, and other sundries lit by the moonlight that leaked through the windows and between the railings of the pathways above. Silence hung over the complex, broken only by the soft thud of the two’s footsteps as they started to walk within. They navigated the stacks of supplies until they found themselves at the building’s center, where the prisoners resided.
A sinking feeling sat at Helbram’s chest as no one looked up at their arrival. He did not expect the bright, hopeful faces that he saw from the caravan, but was not prepared for the utter dejection that occupied their expressions. It was a large crowd, a mix of the adventurers from the caravan and what he could only assume to be men from Goldshire. Their hands were unbound, but they sat on the ground, unmoving. One of them finally looked up, an older bearded man that Helbram last remembered wearing brigandine. Fatigue was soon replaced by surprise as he set his eyes upon them.
“I remember you, you were with the caravan.”
Head’s turned up as those words were said, focusing on both Helbram and Jahora with confusion.
“You… you’re armed,” one of them said.
Desperation filled their eyes and they started to clamber to them.
“Please, you have to get us out of here,” one plead, “at this rate all of us are going to be blown to the hells in those damn mines.”
Murmurs followed, a cacophony of panic and anguish as the rest of the group started to relay their troubles in a cloud of indecipherable speech. Helbram stepped back, his heart heavy at the sight.
“All of you be quiet,” the older man barked, “nothing’s going to be done if you keep badgering them like this.”
The men and women quieted down, but still lingered around Helbram and Jahora. The older man pushed through them, holding a hand out as he got in front of the armored man.
“Garuf,” he grunted.
Helbram took his hand and gave it a firm shake. The man’s grip was strong and a hardiness remained in his eyes. “Helbram, and I am afraid I do not come here with the intent of escape.”
“What? The hells do you mean by that?”
Garuf raised a hand, cutting short the outrage that surged through the crowd around them.
Helbram looked around the crowd, seeing only fearful glances around him. He sighed, “I mean exactly what I said. I do not come here offering aid but rather seeking it.”
He pointed towards the front window of the building, drawing attention to the pillar of light that could be seen through it, “so long as the barrier remains up escape is not an option, more importantly…” he pointed towards the Golden Peak, “should anymore mining be done there is a high chance the mountain itself could explode.”
“Bullshite,” a man from the crowd spat, his clothes were ragged, worn from what must have been a few weeks of labor, “first you’re tellin’ us that you’re not here to help us escape and next you’re telling us that a bloody mountain is going to explode? Why come here at all? To tell us to fight like some godsdammned heroes? A load of good that did for the lot of you that were brought in a few days ago.”
Several of the crowd turned their heads to the ground. Helbram could feel a collective tremble from the people around him.
“It’s true! Surely you must have noticed, the rocks exploding, the mountain itself glowing and trembling more and more with each passing day,” Jahora said, “Whatever it is that is being done within the mines is not something that can just be ignored as some trick of the light!”
Silence followed, hanging over the crowd until Garuf nodded his head.
“It is as she says, you all know it to be true,” he said, “None of us may be mages but it doesn’t take a genius to tell when something isn’t right, and there is plenty that isn’t right about this whole affair.”
“So what?” the man said, “even if it were true what can we even do about it? Fight the bandits with our bare ha-”
Jahora flicked her fingers, producing a snap of Aether that echoed out from behind the crowd. Beads of purple light formed in the air, expanding until they took the shape of various weapons and even pieces of armor that started to fall to the ground at a steady cadence. A sizable hoard of equipment formed before them, and with each dropped armament he could see the backs of the crowd gradually begin to straighten.
“That’s a load off of my mind,” Jahora muttered, rubbing her temples but with color returning to her cheeks.
Helbram pat Jahora on the shoulder and looked back to the crowd, “It won’t be enough to fully equip all of you, but it is something.”
Garuf snorted, “So, you lot are the reason the bandit’s numbers have been thinning as of late. Here I’d thought they’d been squaring up for another raid.”
“But the numbers of them… we don’t have a chance,” the same man from the crowd voiced, his tone growing strained.
“We’ve managed to lure many of them outside of the village,” Helbram said.
“And then locked the gate,” Jahora added, “No one, inside or out will be able to open it for the time being.”
The man opened his mouth again.
“And if you’re wondering about their leader, he’s out there with them,” Helbram interjected, “but who knows how long we have. If we’re going to act, we need to hurry.”
“Hurry to our deaths!” the man spat. His jaw was clenched and tears streaked down his dirt covered face, “you don’t know what we’ve been through, what they’re capable of… you think we haven’t thought of fighting back? We have, many times, and each time that damned Quetali put us down so easily and that mage… that damned mage made sure to punish the families of whoever rose up. My daughter… my daughter didn’t deserve…” he choked and started to weep. As he did, the crowd started to shy away from the equipment on the floor.
Jahora cast her eyes to the ground and said nothing.
Helbram looked over the crowd, watching them as they receded back to their spots among the crates, eyes once again downcast, absent of hope.
“I know not the words that will banish fear from your hearts,” he told them, his voice soft, “nor do I have a speech that will grant you the blind courage to push that fear aside. I have not had your struggles, your tragedies, nor your punishments. The only thing I can say to you is that if you do nothing, if you give in to their demands, if you allow them to torment you into continued subservience, then you walk the path of a slow, but sure death. Perhaps I ask too much of all of you… in fact, I know I do, for this is not a task that any man should have to bear. But, I ask you of it all the same, for if you do not act, it is not just you that you have condemned, but the fate of all those that lie within this village, those of which I know you cherish. If you do not wish to fight for yourselves, then I ask that you think of them and make your decision. I myself choose to fight, for I would rather struggle for a chance at life than let doubt lead me to the jaws of death.”
None looked up at his words.
Garuf placed a hand on Helbram’s shoulder, “I can’t speak for the others, but I will join you.”
Helbram nodded at him, “I thank you, we’ll be outside when you’re ready.”
The older man moved to the pile of equipment. Jahora looked after him, eyes hopeful as she scanned the crowd for any sign of movement. Helbram turned and put a hand on her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.
“We should go,” he tried to hide the defeat in his voice.
As they made their way out of the warehouse Jahora looked up at him.
“Well, I thought that was a fine speech,” she said in a confident tone.
Helbram snorted, “Was it now? And here I thought my words were only as good as my magic.”
“Nonsense, one for the books I’d say… if we make it out.”
“Indeed.”
“What do we do now?”
“Cause as big of a stink as we can,” Helbram said with a sigh, “how do you feel about breaking ancient technology?”
She tapped her chin, “Well, it is going to be a shame, but it should make for a nice fireball.”
They laughed at that and marched towards the door. Helbram tried to ignore the hollowness in his chest.
As they emerged from the building he felt the snap of Aether in the air, he reached for his sword, but his hands froze as they hovered over his handle. Jahora had her hands out, ready to cast a spell, but she too was frozen in place. He felt a presence in his mind, an oppression that suppressed any control he had over his body, but leaving him fully aware. He focused, pressing against the presence in his mind, but unable to budge it. He saw Jahora’s fingers twitch, but nothing else as he looked down at the gnome.
A small figure emerged from the darkness, flanked by two bandits, one wielding a crossbow and the other a greatsword. Marlin’s robes were rolled back, exposing tattooed arms that glowed with a sickly blue aether. More bandits were formed behind him, their numbers almost uncountable amidst the lamplight. The halfling’s gaunt face remained impassive as he examined both Helbram and Jahora.
“Kill the armored one, we’ll question the gnome,” he said in a cold tone.
The bandit with the greatsword nodded and marched towards Helbram, weapon drawn and bloodlust in his eyes. He raised the blade and reared back, and Helbram closed his eyes in grim acceptance.
The blow never came, and instead what followed was the gurgle from the bandit’s blood filled mouth as he collapsed to the ground, a crossbow bolt protruding from his throat.
“You missed one!” Garuf yelled from within the warehouse.
Marlin’s expression was unchanged, “It appears I did.”
He motioned the bandits behind him to move forward.
The gang moved, closing in on the warehouse, but stopped as they heard laughing from within.
“Oh, by the way,” Garuf said, “I lied.”
The windows above opened, arrows and bolts flying through them and pelting the first line of bandits in the front. Helbram heard footsteps behind them, quick, with purpose. Men funneled outside under the cover of arrow fire, flanking Helbram and Jahora. He recognized the one that stood next to him, the man that had voiced his doubts so often, clad in leather armor and wielding an ax. Uncertainty was gone from his expression, replaced by a fury that burned in his eyes.
“Attack!”
