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General Roy and Deborah were going much further ahead than Sue and the rest of her allies! Now, she knew urgency was of the utmost importance, but this was a tad bit reckless of those two! They were up against overwhelming numbers. Of course, no use leaving the bandits that charged towards the nomad alive, or they'd live to follow the group from behind.

If she saw a bandit, Sue would either send an arrow between his eyes or a sword slice in their throat. Upon going by some of the rooms, she took some treasure for herself. Why not take rewards for my hard work, I've earned this...

5000 more gold was pocketed in the satchel which she made by hand for it, before she looked to the floor for familiar footprints. So, General Roy and Deborah went this way...

Since he was now inside and not in the desert sands, Andre had much better footing. Sue's mount being in a better mood made all the difference when it meant dispatching foes with ease and haste, as well as tracking anyone.

And so Sue had lived up to the nomadic stereotypes that typical cityfolk made, she gutted people, she stole gold, and she slit throats much like a 'savage'. However, when she thought more of finding her leader gone astray, the joy she had of at last getting an upper hand against the enemy was put in the back of her mind. Remember, you are on a mission. Remember, you swore a nomadic oath...

And that was the part no one bothered to look at when it came to nomads, really, how most of them always had that first oath to all tribesman: aid them when they are in danger, no matter what the cost. Even if not all of FEF were Sacaen, one's tribe was their family. Learanian, Elibe, Tellius, and Magvel, no matter what world they were from, Sue would uphold her code of honor to defend them to the death.

Following her General's footsteps by luck (and it was sure on her side as far as finding someone, this fort was small), the nomad came across a door that was broken open, and hallways littered with bandit corpses. Deborah was just outside the doorway (why she hadn't gone in, Sue couldn't guess), but the Halberdier was the one Roy went on ahead with. He'd probably gone inside that room. It only means that Ninian is just beyond here. There was no time to ask Deborah what happened or why she wasn't aiding General Roy. There was only time to guide Andre silently into the next room where commotion was already heard. Was there fighting?

When Sue came inside, the next sight horrified her. The dancer which the group came to rescue was already tied up, gagged, and underneath the foot of a very fat, ugly, and by the looks of it twisted man... and to make it even worse, an undergarment was on the floor, and Roy was madder than a berzerker on a rampage. Oh... by Father Sky... no ... we were too late?

Even so, Ninian needed to be carried away from this place, away from the horror she no doubt faced. Roy didn't have an inkling of concern for such matters, only the pure rage of a scorned warrior. No one else will get her away from danger. It's up to me.

Sue did not call out loud and reveal her position. It didn't seem like she was noticed yet, the two flame-wielders were far too busy with one another. All the nomad had to do was wait for Feo to slip and release his hold on Ninian. Then Sue could whisk the dancer away on her steed, and take a fast exit that would make the two of them disappear without a trace.

There was an explosion when the young lord swung his blade, connecting two flames together. Seeing the explosion, Feo quickly cast another spell to counter the backfire of the explosion. Two flames, one clockwise while the other counterclockwise, connected before quickly diminished. However, he could still feel the heat of the flames as hot air swept through pass him. The small bits of flames flew passed him too, stinging him but not enough to burn him.

Feo was shaken up from the explosion. He was surprised that the boy countered his spell with a magical sword. Where did the boy get that sword? Was that one of his swords collections? That boy would pay for touching his collections if the boy ever survived.

When the smoke cleared up, he saw the boy staggering, breathing heavily. Burn marks appeared on the boy's figure. So the boy lived. However, it seemed that the boy had taken more damaged from the explosion. No matter, he would finish this pest once and for all.

Before Feo could cast another spell, he saw the boy charging at him and- Was that a different sword that boy was carrying? Having no time to cast another spell, Feo quickly raised his arms to protect his face. Pain spread through his left arm before he could feel the blood oozing out of him. Not only that, but he also felt a part of his life force slipped out of him too. What was this? Was that sword magical?

The bandit leader looked back at the boy. He saw that the boy had healed some of his wounds, but not a lot. When he cast his eyes on the sword the boy was holding, he recognized it was a Rune Sword. Anger surged through him when the boy commented about his look and his mother. He let out a low hiss. How dared that boy insulted his look and his mother? Feo would not be tolerated with this, especially from the likes of him.

"You little brat!" Feo shouted as he let go of his footing on Ninian, but he quickly grabbed her by the arm. Pulling her up and held her close to his body, he wrapped his arm around her, his hand placing onto her neck. If he remembered so clearly, the boy was shouting at him about letting go of this woman. It would appear that the boy knew this woman. Well, if the boy continued to take his life source, then a life for a life it should be.

"Drop your weapon down immediately, you little ingrate!" Feo shouted, clutching tightly around Ninian's body. As much as he wanted to keep her as one of his harem, his life was at stake. Besides, he could get more harem afterward. It was such a shame a beautiful such as Ninian would have to go to waste.

"If you dare take more of my life source with that sword, you will take more than just one life!" A bit of flame was bursting out of his hand underneath Ninian's neck. It was enough to feel the heat from the flame, but not enough to burn her. He would not let the boy take any upper advantage at him. And if the boy tried to do anything funny, he would take the dancer's life away, even if it meant he would be killed afterward. He wondered what life did the boy valued more: his life to be killed or the woman's life?

Sue froze in place, again having to resist from calling out. Just when she was about to rush in and take Ninian away, Feo pulled her close and was threatening the dancer with a fire spell! Dirty tricks, that was all this one was capable of. She would have swore at him if she really wanted to speak, but again, giving away her position would prove deadly at this point.

Feo didn't appear to notice her, so she especially had to clam up. Keep calm.. if he actually means it... I'll shoot him for sure. In the meantime...

Her eyes looked hopelessly towards General Roy, hoping he'd stand down for now. The fat bandit would let his guard down, and then the two of them could strike, even the most basic students of strategy knew this!

Stand down, General Roy... stand down... drop the sword...

Feo smiled triumphantly. So the fool valued the woman's life. And not only that, but he had surrendered too. It seemed that he had the upper advantage back.

"Wonderful," Feo smirked as he dismissed his spell underneath the dancer's neck. "It seems you have finally understood your position."

The smile then turned wickedly. "It's too bad that you won't be able to live."

The bandit leader quickly turned around and pressed the button on the throne chair. There was a grinding noise. Just then, the floor beneath the young lord opened up, revealing the pit underneath. Feo laughed as he watched the boy fell to his demise. The dancer let out a muffled scream, but he didn't care. He had won. He had defeated the little pest. Now, he needed to-

"What?" Feo shouted in surprised of what in front of him. Before him, the boy was saved. Saved by a horsewoman. Where did she come from? The next thing he knew, he saw the boy climbed behind the horsewoman before she was about to jump over the pit.

"Oh no, you won't!" Feo yelled as he threw Ninian aside and opened his tome. He would not let them cross over the pit. This was his territory. He was supposed to win. He would not let these pests win. Standing over the edge of the pit, Feo began to chant. As the horse jumped, Feo was almost done. But before he could cast his spell at Roy and Sue, he felt a sudden push.

"What?" The bandit leader shockingly surprised. He turned around to see who did it. It was the dancer. It was the dancer who pushed him. Unable to retain his balance, Feo tried to keep his momentum. However, he was falling. Falling into his own trap.

"No!" Feo screamed as he felt his body being pulled toward the pit. But as he looked up, he saw a fist in front of him.

Sheer pain spread through his face as he flew backward, away from the pit. He then felt his body began to roll before crashing into a pile of treasures. Gems and coins slided down from the pile as Feo struggled to sit up. Blood was dripping from his broken nose.

Those ingrates. How dared they? How dared they tried to overpower him? Him, the leader of the group. They would pay dearly with their lives, including the dancer.

But when he looked up, he saw two figures looming over him. One was a very angry lord, with swords clutched in his hands. The other was the dancer with her raggedy cloth. How did she get free? And didn't he cast that scarf away? As for the horsewoman, he wasn't sure where she was, for the figures were blocking his view.

"You miscreants," He growled. "I'll teach you a les-"

His words were cut out when he couldn't find his tome. Where was it? Did it fell into the pit when he was being pushed? Realizing that he was in his enemies' hands, Feo looked up to them and smiled innocently as best as he could.

"I don't suppose you will show me mercy, will you?"

Unfortunately, the young lord and the dancer didn't show him mercy. The last thing they ever heard from him was his terror of scream before it later died.

Standing down wasn't the best of strategies, as it turned out. That bandit leader had a trick up his sleeve, a clever one, and it seemed like he'd won. It seemed like that. But Sue would not let it be... this would not be the way she saw it end.

As the Pheraen Lord lost his balance, Sue whipped her steed into speed and grasped his arm with the free one that wasn't holding a weapon. She held on tight, and wouldn't let go of him, not for the world, she wouldn't let go of her Lycian friend. "I've got you... General Roy."

With what looked like a single jerk upward, she pulled the Lord upon Andre, the horse's instinct's let him escape falling into the pit. When the hooves were all on solid ground Roy dismounted. She watched, almost as a complete spectator to the vengeance that Roy and Ninian (surprisingly Ninian!) dealt towards the lustful bandit leader with sword strokes and the wind blades of Briseshal. What a story to tell the bards.

As he was falling, he felt something grab his arm. For a split moment, he thought it was Darko. But no...there was no flutter of wings. And that was definitely not tiny little claws holding on to him.

"I've got you... General Roy."

Oy...wasn't that Sue's voice? What was she doing here? But...he had to admit...her timing couldn't have been any better. And for that, he was thankful. He was soon heaved out of the deathtrap by a swift jerk from both the nomad and her horse. He thanked both before dismounting.

He then saw his mother shove the fat man towards the pit. He grit his teeth. Did the bandit really think he was going to get off that easily? Well, think again fatty! He ran along the edge of the pit, and when he was close enough to Feo, jumped across the pit, pulled his right arm back, and just slugged the fat man in the face with his fist. Power plus momentum equals flying, apparently, for the fat man was sent crashing into his treasure.

The young lord landed safely on the ground, then heard a chirp. He glanced over to Darko, who was holding the Rune Sword in his tiny little feet. He wondered how the imp had managed to acquire the strength to hold it up, but nevertheless, it beat having to run back to get it. The imp swung his body forward, tossing the dark sword to Roy. Sword in hand, he freed his mother from the bonds that bound her. She went off to reclaim her scarf, but soon joined him as they approached the fat man with a nose bleed.

Seriously...he bled that much from a punch? (Then again...he probably busted the nose, so it was possible.) He sounded all tough, trying to threaten them...until he realized his tome was gone.

"I don't suppose you will show me mercy, will you?" Tubby pleaded.

Roy paused for a moment, then burst out laughing. It was a cold laugh, how out of character for him. He then glared at Feo, smirking as he heard his mother's voice.

"Mercy...?"

Slnk.

The Rune sword went straight through Feo's leg. The fat man howled in pain and tried kicking out, but the sword was wedged deeply into the man's leg. The young lord walked around towards the bandit's left side, drawing the Flame Sword before he stepped on his left arm, pressing down hard.

"Where was the mercy when you sent your men to hunt down my comrades outside? You could have just let them go...but no...you sent your bandits to go attack them." he spoke as he walked.

Slnk. Crack.

The sword had pierced Feo's shoulder and cracked the clavicle, just above the part where the upper arm met the shoulder. Useless left arm now. The fat one cried out in pain. Roy ignored his cries for mercy as he walked over to the other side, Flame Sword still in hand. The young lord stopped at the right shoulder and pinned the land whale's right arm down with his foot, just as he did with the left arm.

"Where was the mercy when you captured men and women to serve as your slaves, when they themselves begged for mercy? How many lives were torn apart because of you, when you raped them? Is that what you did to all those other people?" he asked coldy, giving the bandit a cold look as he raised the blade, sharp end pointed downward.

Slnk. Crack. Now the right arm was useless. The young lord raised his left leg up.

"Where was the mercy..."

He stomped his foot down hard on Feo's face. He brought it up a little, then stomped again. He must have done this a few more times, until the underside of his boot turned red. The foot rested on solid ground, and the young lord walked over to the man's side. The bandit wasn't dead, for he could still hear the moans of pain from his broken and bloody face. Personally, Roy thought this was a much better look for him.

"When you kidnapped my mother..."

There was a flash of his blade, and then a splash of blood as the human Jabba the Hutt's belly was slashed open, cutting through three layers of skin and countless layers of fat. How Feo was still alive, despite all this, Roy did not know. But hearing the screams of pain was only music to his ears. The pyro lord then lifted his blade over the cut, flames starting to form around the weapon.

"And dared...DARED...to try to rape her, despite her protests?"

Roy tilted the blade down, and lit Feo's insides ablaze. The screams of pain and agony coming from the bandit brought Roy to a state of complete bliss. He turned to look at the fat bandit, with both arms rendered useless, face smashed, damaged muscles in the legs, and now his innards on fire. Roy then sheathed the Flame sword and held his hands up to the fire, the sizzling sound of fat fueling the hungry flames.

"Karma's a b***h, ain't it?" he asked coldly.