-Callia-

  It was late at night on my third night (arrival, tour, and now present) that I could finally notice the decay of the ropes starting to take hold. The ropes were now visibly showing signs of decay, which would likely become an issue when the bandits noticed, but the deteriorated ropes didn’t hold me as tightly. I strained against them; I could feel them struggling to hold. I opened up my stats and added more points into strength.

  I strained against the ropes again, and this time I felt the bindings around my wrists begin to unravel. I clenched my jaw and pulled with everything I had as I finally freed my arms. I wasted no time using my hands to rip the bindings on my legs free. The ropes might’ve been a challenge when I couldn’t get favorable leverage, but with my arms free, ripping off the remainder of my bindings was easy.

  It took a moment for me to relax, enjoying the feeling of liberation. I didn’t wait long as I reached out to Callen so he could mobilize. His response was a mix of frustration and determination. Apparently my timing was a bit poor. He had planned on bringing Sir Torulf with him, as Sir Fullart was still in Portten and hadn’t brought back the remainder of the soldiers yet, and Sir Gunther had left to escort the fishing fleet upon the return to Port town. At this moment Sir Torulf was still running a patrol and was expected to return tomorrow.

  Still the cat (me) was out of the bag (my ropes), so he passed on the makings of what was left of his plan. I looked towards Ralf’s room that connected to the throne room where I was tied down. I could try to kill him in his sleep, but it was too risky. The approach wouldn’t be a problem, but the man was tough. If he survived, I would be incredibly screwed. Instead I moved over to the other three bound with me in the room.

  I freed my brother’s friend, but as I freed the team leader, I noticed a foul smell. The man had already passed from what must’ve been an internal injury. I looked over to the officer of the baron’s army and hesitated. Despite the reservations, I decided an enemy of my enemy is my friend. I ripped the ropes from the man and took point, leading our team through the tunnels.

  I didn’t know the night shifts for the bandits, but clearly I was overestimating their vigilance. The only guards I encountered leading us to the exit were a pair of men with torches by the cave's entrance. I climbed the roof and dropped one with an axe kick that cut straight through the man in a horrifically bloody mess. I didn’t hesitate as I flashed over to the second with a roundhouse kick that spun the man's head like a top.

  Both hit the ground, one with a wet thump and the other completely limp. Outside I see a similar level of vigilance. The makeshift walls had been set up, and bandits kept a wary eye towards the woods. Every once in a while someone would take a shot at the creatures moving in the dark. The other captives were held in the nearby cave, and just like the main cave, two men kept watch outside.

  Leftover materials from the day's construction provided plenty of cover. The officer, Guward (he had reminded me of his name), and I easily crossed the shadows over to the other cave. Up closer I could easily tell one of them had fallen asleep while leaning against the cave, giving the appearance of vigilance. The other was clearly drowsy but not as skilled in stealth sleep. From the occasional comments, it seemed he had no idea his partner was out cold.

  It made getting the drop on them all the easier. I climbed up the hill above the cave entrance, and just like before, I dropped down silently like a ninja. This time instead of a messy kick, I struck him with an empowered karate chop guided with a vital strike. The man's neck bent 90 degrees as I employed way too much strength on the ambush. His body was knocked aside like a ragdoll, clattering to the ground nearby.

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  The other man snaps to attention and stands up straight. He rapidly tries to assess the situation. By the time he fully recognizes the mangled neck of his dead partner, I’m already on him. I clamp my hands on the man's throat with my Supernatural Grip, and I feel the throat crunch under my grip. I watch the shock and panic rapidly flare in his eyes but just as quickly fade as he succumbs.

  The other two run up, and the captain pulls the keys from the man I had strangled. I’m frozen in place as I stare into my hands. I’m trembling, and while on some level I know I need to move, I’m stuck in place. The splashed blood and feeling of ripping through those men begins to properly settle in. I begin to spiral again as memories surface, but I’m interrupted by Guward, who grabs my hand, pulling me into the cave.

  “Callia! Snap out of it; we need you!” Guward brings my focus back to the present, and I look him in the eyes as I nod. Now wasn’t the time for distractions. I grab a knife from the fallen guard and move towards the exit.

  “Guward, treat everyone enough to make a run for town. Captain, while he’s working, you keep watch. When everyone is ready to escape, lead them south. I’m going to clear our exit and get the other captives.” I move out from the cave while Guward gets to work. First things first, I need to clear out an exit. Callen plans to approach us from the south using the road as a clear path for his ‘battlewagon’ as long as possible.

  I move through the clearing and reach the southern gate. Well, I reached what would eventually be the southern gate. It was currently just an open gap with the materials lying nearby. However, because it wasn’t built up, it was being thoroughly watched by the on-duty guards. Still the element of surprise was still mine. If I could keep my strength in check, quietly eliminating these guards should be manageable.

  I slip behind the pair of archers on overwatch. With a smooth motion I opened one's throat with my knife and clamped on the other's mouth. I can feel the man's jaw cracking under the pressure. I swiftly lodged the dagger in his neck, silencing him a second before he could scream. I use the knife to awkwardly pin the man against a wooden pillar, giving the illusion of leaning against it from a distant observer.

  I loot both the knives from them and their arrows. With a bow in hand, my confidence soared. I looked over to the other guards and saw no sign of disruptions and got to work. My first targets were those in the back who wouldn’t be noticed, like the two I ambushed in the overwatch. The poor fools barely had any time to react as my arrows reaped them with ease. I even went to the effort of shooting the torches in their hands to posts, preventing them from falling.

  Over my bond with Callen, I felt his arrival just a bit deeper in the forest. Callen, Reesia, and Nixie would soon arrive at the gate. I conveyed the situation and felt his affirmation. I slid down from the overwatch using one of the knives to pin up the second soldier. I freeze briefly but snap out of it. Now it was time to go back into the main camp. Somehow I needed to quietly rescue the woman that these bandits had taken.

  I quietly made my way back to the main cave. I left the bow at the entrance with no reasonable method of carrying it without it interfering while I used the knife. Instead of walking, I carefully gripped onto the ceiling, moving quietly inward from above. In the quiet of the cave I heard a commotion. The sounds of feet moving in mass. Someone had raised the alarm!

  Betrayal

  Captain Odric, former gate guard of Eldraine City, had been raised to power by ratting out his companions. The Baron seemed to have appreciated his efforts in rooting out traitors, taking pride in having a subordinate just like himself. While he wasn’t close to the baron (nobody was), Odric knew just how much he should cozy up to his superiors. It was even a skill!

  Sadly, he lacked talent in most other aspects, which had led to a number of conflicts between himself and anyone under him. He happened to have been in charge of managing the brute Ralf. Everything went belly up when the baron died. If he returned, whoever took over after would likely not appreciate him like the baron had. Instead of retreating with the core of the armed forces, he lingered and soon heard word of the bandit camp forming.

  As a captain, it only made sense for him to take the lead! He joined the band of men moving into the camp, and to his great misfortune, somehow that brute idiot Ralf was the boss! Odric immediately tried to assert his command as Ralf's boss. He used the usual ration withholding threats, but instead of compliance, Ralf beat him to a pulp.

  He spent the next several days tied to a post drowning in regret. Had he known Ralf would insist on being boss, he would’ve sucked up to him and been his right-hand man! Odric listened in on Ralf’s talks with one of the other prisoners and soon learned everything he needed to take control again but from the shadows. All he needed was a chance to earn their trust.

  It didn’t take long for the perfect chance. One of the rebels broke him out, and while it was terrifying seeing her cut a man in half with a terrifying kick, she was clearly not Ralf’s enemy; otherwise, she wouldn’t have been a captive like him. However, he was patient and waited for the perfect opportunity to split and alert Ralf. The foolish girl left him on watch for the healer. The moment she left, Odric grabbed the healer and knocked him out. He then sprinted for the main cave. He wouldn’t have long until that girl acted, but it wouldn’t matter! He quietly thanked the girl for the opportunity to reclaim his place among the bandits.