Then as if on queue, they all heard another faint scream. It came from the smaller building nearest them.

  Without hesitation Al began sprinting towards the scream. Aeyona followed suit.

  Alkibiades reached the building first. He could hear more screams coming from inside, along with aggressive shouting. He swiftly kicked in the door.

  His stomach flipped.

  There were four men who looked like they hadn't seen a bathhouse in a month. As well as two women tied to the support beams in the room.

  He saw an arm from around a corner on the ground. Fresh red liquid puddling from what he could not see.

  The girls didn't scream any less when they saw him, but their assailants began to curse at him. More so after recognizing his armor. All at once they grabbed weapons and turned on him.

  The first man charged him with an old dirty blade, ready to swing. Al instinctively reached for his sword. Then cursed when his hand hit the empty sheath. He had forgotten it was still buried in an orc in Varidia. He raised his shield instead.

  The attacker's rusty sword lashed down at him. Bouncing off the shield with a loud ping of metal. The man recoiled backwards, trying to keep hold of his shaking blade.

  Al slammed forward, smashing the shield into the attacker's face. Blood pouring from their now broken nose. The man stumbled backwards, dropping their sword to cup their face, screaming in pain.

  Al took another step towards them. He reached for his mace next. Quickly, he realized the room may be too small to get his momentum. Instead he pulled his trusty third option. His hand dropped to the broad dagger strapped to his thigh.

  Al readied himself for the next attack. He didn't have to wait long.

  Angered by the intrusion, two more of the thugs came at him. One man had a wood cutter’s axe. The other grabbed a pointed stake from the ground. The man with the stake lunged at Alkibiades first.

  Al stepped to the side dodging the impact. Then brought his dagger upwards, sliding it across the man's chest. It sheared through his shirt and sliced deep into his ribs.

  The thug stumbled past him, momentum still forward. His scream of pain being cut short when he landed headfirst into the doorframe.

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  Axe-man thought he was smarter. He stood on Al's right side to avoid the shield. The man swung his axe with all of his might towards Al's head.

  Al leaned back to dodge the decapitation. Instead he tripped on the unconscious man and fell backwards.

  The axe that would have killed him kept swinging in a wide arc. The man wielding it didn't have time, or reflexes, to stop it. The chipped axe head swung straight into the first man's broken nose, then into the wooden support beam behind him. Bringing the noseless one to the floor for good.

  Al took the man's shock as an opportunity. He leaped back up, dagger in hand. Al buried it hilt deep into the axe-man's chest. He pulled it out, and looked to the last man as he realized the screaming had increased.

  The last thug had grabbed one of the women. He backed up, holding a blade to her throat.

  "One more move and she's dead." He snarled at Al.

  Alkibiades stopped. Putting his hands up to try and diffuse the thug. He looked around trying to figure out what to do.

  The man noticed he now had the upper hand. He tightened his grip on the screaming blonde woman. Then grinned a sick sadistic grin.

  It was immediately removed. So was a good portion of his face. Due to a brightly glowing blue beam of light speeding from the doorway behind Al.

  The man dropped to the floor limp. The blonde, bloody girl screamed some more, this time less fear and more relief. She scrambled to help untie the other older brunette woman.

  Al turned around to see Aeyona with her hand still glowing the same bright blue, and fury in her eyes.

  "Thank you, for not missing." He said, with complete sincerity. Al then looked towards the girls.

  "Are you guys okay? What happened?"

  "No," the girl cried as she untied the other, "they came last night. They took what they wanted. Then killed whoever tried to fight." She had tears streaming down her face as she looked at the body around the corner.

  "There's still more, of them and us. Please, help!"

  "How many?" Al asked, picking up his weapons and heading towards the door.

  The girl didn't answer as she was busy trying to get the other one up. Then they heard shouting outside. He looked at the girls and told them to stay before he walked out to take care of the rest. Aeyona followed behind him again.

  Aeyona heard the men shouting as they came out of the largest house. Between them was a dirt road. It was circling a decently kept water well that connected each of the buildings she could see.

  She tried to count them. Instead her vision was interrupted by a shield being thrust in front of her face. Just in time to hear a ping, and a thump as a broken arrow landed in the dirt at her feet.

  "Stay sharp now." Al warned her before lowering the shield.

  She heard footsteps behind her. Then she felt something land on her shoulder. Marvel stood in full attention, in her small feline form. Using Aeyona to get a better view.

  "Lillyth, there are two girls in there. They need some help. We will try to keep these assholes away." Al said as the rest of the group had caught up.

  "On the roof." He added.

  "I see him." Malastare replied, his voice was calm but his face sank into a sinister scowl.

  Dagger in hand, he aimed the pommel towards the archer who was standing on the roof of the main house. They were already notching another arrow.

  The air around Malastare darkened. Then condensed around the pommel, swirling shadows being devoured into a volatile marble. Collapsing into a moment of nothingness, before rapidly firing through the air.

  A dark violet-black beam of pure energy split through the air violently. Only a blink, before it pierced through the archer's chest with unnerving precision. His innards vaporized as they crumpled. The victim archer rolled off the roof. He landed on top of one of the other bandits, knocking them to the ground with a surprised yelp.

  "Did I mention I dislike bandits?" He said coldly.

  "I said less pests, not bigger." Horren grumbled as he swiftly followed Lillyth, instead of joining the fight.

  A few of the invaders focused their attention on Malastare after their archer friend's corpse fell. Some of them were trying to find cover in a panic.

  "Spread out, find survivors and save who we can." Al let off the order just as he would anytime he was out on a mission with his late templars. The grief of losing them fueled the rage that was already stirred from the first fight.

  "I do not take orders from you. Worry about who you'd like," Malastare coldly retorted, "they can worry about me."

  He then swung his dagger swiftly through the air. The blade sliced a black line into existence, hanging on to nothing.

  He then waved his hand and the darkness spread to the width of his body. Malastare stepped into it, disappearing into the nothingness as the tear closed and vanished.

  Leaving them behind, surrounded.