The walk to the bandit camp was quiet. I was sure even if Leoniades was still loyal to me, he wouldn't be inclined to retire. He wouldn't kill us either; the bounty on my head was way too high.
"Koga?" Lise interrupted my train of thought.
"Yes, Lise?" I looked at our guides. They were a fair bit away, but not quite out of earshot.
"What's the leader of this group like?"
"Well, from what I can remember, he's an honorable fellow, loyal, but his first loyalty was to himself. Doesn't go the violent route if he can avoid it"
"He actually sounds reasonable. What's the catch?"
"His second in command. Remus Ramsies, I can't remember but he's a real mean
son of a bitch." My voice lowered. I knew the men respected Leoniades, but Remmy. "Oh..." Lise said.
"So be prepared for anything." A Gust of wind filled my nose and with it the mix of a campfire and Venison. We were getting close. I inhaled deeply and prepared. My feet seemed to move on their own, slightly faster, closing the distance between the bandits and myself.
"Announce our presence to them," I said to our escort.
"Oy, guess who we found in the " I smacked the man across the back of his head.
"Do it right, whelp!" I felt Lise's disapproving gaze as she was reminded of my nature. I looked at her to meet it.
"I could have done it with a spell." She looked away and crossed her arms.
"Someone get Leoniades; he has a very important Guest. The bandit yelled.
"Was that so hard?" I said, rubbing my hand. The man shrugged, and we crossed the tree line.
The wooden structure the bandits were in was a feat to say the least. The wall surrounding the encampment was made of tree trunks tied together and set into the ground. I couldn't help but smile. My pride was soon overshadowed by the fact that this entire place also needed to burn. I scanned the area and let out a sigh of relief. The fort was decently far enough from the tree line. I glanced back at the wall and saw three men in leather standing there with their bows.
"Who are they?" one of the men on the wall asked. I rolled my eyes.
"An important man who has business with your boss. If that's simple enough for your idiotic brain to understand?"
"As eloquent as ever, my liege." A familiar voice said. A fourth had joined them; he was wearing splint mail that fit him well, and the leather looked like it had been replaced in a few spots.
"Finally, somebody with intelligence," I said, pushing past our guides. I walked around the fort, finding the entrance. There was a fairly large path leading off into the woods. It would no doubt take us where we needed to go. I looked up and took note of the two leather-clad guards.
My thoughts were preparing for every possibility. The main one was when Yrak and Az showed up. I knew we wouldn't have to wait long for them. I looked back and saw Lise staying close. A weight left my shoulders. She'll get out of this. I told myself. 'I've survived being beaten an inch of my life and thrown into a river. "
"We got this, Koga." Lise's voice cut through my thoughts.
"Thanks, Lise." I softly smiled at her. My attention turned back to the camp in front of me. Inside the walls were simple platforms and walkways along the sides for the guards. Then there were 3 tents, a canopy with a table and benches next to a fire pit, and a large rectangular tent where Leoniades stayed. I kept walking until I entered his tent. Inside were two cots separated by a cloth, one side considerably more spacious than the other. Then there was also a large chest with a table in front of it, holding maps and a dagger sticking up from the table, and a man standing there in chainmail.
"Greetings, my liege. I see the rumors of your death and reappearance are only half true."
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"Ah, yes, Remsworth. I had to reaffirm Loyalties. Personally, lest any of my servants believe that they no longer work for yours truly."
"Of course, my liege." He bowed, giving me an unconvincing look.
"Welcome back to our little operation, my liege. As I promised
base and a steady stream of coin" Leoniades said bursting into the tent with a smile on his face. I looked around the room and gave a faint look of pride. It was rare for men to do what they said they were gonna do.
"Yes, Leoniades. You and Remswood have surpassed all my dreams. As Remten said before you walked in, I knew about the rumors about my death, but these other rumors didn't reach my ear." Lise shot me a glance, and I dismissed her.
"For the record, I didn't believe you had died, my liege. I told the men business as usual, and here you are." Remmy said.
"Yes, yes, but we're focusing on the rumors about my return. Where are they coming from?"
"Thyme's Refuges. We had men around the town the night it burned. The morning after, a man was seen yelling that it was your fault.′ Leoniades said.
"Wh- What was his name?" Lise said; she already knew the answer but needed to hear it out loud.
"Louis Yewsman. Local hunter; the only thing of note is he is engaged to the town healer. Which would make you Analise Featherbrook."
"Yes, he would be the only person who knew I was there. Well, that means that bounty is still good on me then?"
"It would be safe to assume so, my liege."
"How much was it? As of my last check, it was in the tens of thousands, and that was just for leads that pointed them to me.
"If you're worried about the men, my-" Leoniades started.
"I'm not; that's why I have an important mission for you, Leoniades," I said, crossing my arms.
"Yes, my Liege. You honor me with your request. He said, kneeling before me. Lise gave me a look filled with disgust and morbid curiosity.
"You remember where my castle is, yes?"
"Of course, my liege."
"Go there, Scout out the landscape, find out who holds it now. Then report to Greenwater. The Late Lager. You stay there until I personally get your report, not even her." I point to Lise.
"Yes, my liege. I do have one request though."
"Speak!"
"There's someone I'd like to take with me."
"If you feel they need to go, then take them, but you are to leave immediately." "Thank you, my liege." He turns to Remy and shakes his hand. He then strides out of the tent. I hear him shout a name I didn't catch as I turn to Remy.
"That does mean you're in charge now, Remthorn. I expe-′
"Shut up."
"What did you-"
"SHUT UP!! Guards! Seize them." Two men burst into the tent, followed by several more grabbing Lise and me. I started counting silently in my head. One, two, three...
"I'm so sick of hearing your holier-than-thou attitude. That bounty of yours will set every single one of us here for generations," 'Twenty Eight, Twenty Nine... and Thirty.'
"Thirty One, Thirty Two, Thirty-Urch." He hit me in the stomach.
"First off, my name is-"
"Thirty Seven, Thirty Eight, Thirty Nine, Forty." Remy hit me in the stomach again.
"Why are you counting?"
"Waiting for Leoniades to get far enough away for this." Lise caught sight of my hand ignite.
"Oh Sh-," Lise said, diving behind one of the Guards as I threw the spell at Remy, catching him and the rest of us in the flames. I closed my eyes, feeling the sudden flash of intense heat sear and boil my exposed skin. Every man in that tent groaned out in joined agony. I leaned forward and saw several men lying there dead by my spell. Others were barely breathing. I looked around and saw Lise under a smoldering guard's body. I forced myself to my knees, fighting to stay awake. As I stumbled forward, I thought I had heard yelling outside the tent.
"Great... Reinforcements." I grumbled as I fell to my knees next to Lise.
"Come on, Time to get up," I said, pulling the dead man off of her. She looked no worse for wear; her clothes were a bit singed, but her face and arms looked untouched. As I breathed a sigh of relief, I felt something solid hit the back of my head, and in the last moments of consciousness I heard Remy speak.
"Bind 'em, boys. We're gonna be god damn heroes for bringing him in." With the last word, he swung his leg into my head and knocked me out.
I jolted awake in a dark room bound to that cold stone slab that brought a lump of fear into my throat.
"I know where you are, Koya. There's no running from me." Mathios's Voice echoed in the dark chamber. I strained against my restraints as I had done so many times before. I was going to free myself, and I was going to make sure Mathios didn't pull this farce again.
"You're a dead peasant, whelp. When I am free, your death will be a slow and torturous one. I promise you this."
"Oh, how I love seeing you trash like the vermin you are," Mathios Said, smiling at me. You know how this works: you scream, I laugh at seeing you as helpless as all those innocent people you murdered. Except the difference
between us is I won't kill you. You will rot in this room until you are an old man, a shell so broken that even she won't recognize you. To accentuate his point, I heard Lise scream in the distance, calling my name again.
"It's so interesting to see who your mind conjures when I say she or her. It's either that poor woman who you've turned to your side. Even though you kidnapped her. Tell me how you surround yourself with such good people yet be such a vile piece of Filth?"
"Couldn't tell you. It seems to be a special talent of mine, Runs in the family, I suppose." I chuckled at him, knowing my lack of answer infuriated him more than me holding an answer.
"Could it be the other woman who shows up?" I felt myself lurch against my restraints again. Touch her, and I will make sure your pathetic excuse of an existence is long and torturous!" I growled at him.
"Don't worry, she's avoided detection for now. She will be found, and when she is, know that we won't touch a hair on her. Mathios said, sending my head and heart racing. I had to regain control; this was a dream. Unbalance him with information I shouldn't know; that's how I do it. I smiled at my captor.
"I'm impressed, Mathios; it took me a bit to figure out, but the mages you have are in fact slightly skilled. Granted, they had some help from an old codger." I sneered at him. Mathios's look of pride and accomplishment slowly ran away from his face.
"That's right, I know you're using a book from the personal collection of Justin Thyme to imprison me in my dreams. You dishonor his memory using the book like that." I said, feeling the faintest amount of power returning to me. It was working.
"How-How do you-"
"Now, now, Mathios. That's not how this works." I said, flicking my fingers and feeling my bonds loosen around me.
"I thought I-"
"Had talented mages that said they could contain me in this hellscape, and to their credit, all I can really do is remove my bonds. You try this stunt again, and I can promise you I will be able to do more than remove these cuffs." I got up and rubbed my wrists.
"I want you to remember this feeling, peasant. Even in a world that you completely control, I always break free," snapping my fingers, causing myself to blink.