The cave ran deeper into the cliffside, a straight shot towards whatever lay within, with the tunnel slowly widening the further the assault group went. If the assault had not been done in absolute silence, it was possible the enemy could have barricaded the previous tunnel, making it impossible to succeed in any attack. Starving them out would have also been unsuccessful as the tunnel opened into a cavernous room, maybe around ten or eleven feet in height, what filled that room was a stockpile of supplies. Food, alcohol, weapons, medical herbs, luxury goods, and many other valuable goods collected from ransacking travelers.

This was also the first area in which the group had finally been seen, a guard who had been resting against the wall where they had exited the tunnel witnessed their arrival. Luckily for them he was close enough that Malakos’s dagger found his neck, piercing through to the other side. The man futilely struggled, clawing at his arms as the blood sprayed over the two, coming in short bursts. He could do little but stare into the eyes of his killer as the last bits of life left his body, unable to scream, and unable to cry.

After eliminating the first guard, the second was found napping at a table setup near a set of branching paths. This time the group opted to use the Aether method, smothering the guard and knocking him out instead of killing him, their bounties were usually higher alive after all. Overall, the security present was light, however it was clear this was no ordinary group of bandits, they had established defenses with signs of those sections having been manned regularly.

The reality was that the bandits at this moment were depleted, half their manpower was eliminated with the unsuccessful raid on the convoy. This opportunity was then exploited by the rapid response of the Scholar and his forces, by attacking at this time they came across a thinly spread enemy before they even had a chance to understand what was occurring. Even without these advantages, a successful assault would have been possible, but with some resulting casualties.

In this way the group continued moving deeper into the hideout, peeling off one team at a time down different pathways and eliminating isolated enemies as they went. Malakos remained with his team and took the first branching path, whereas Maatilani took one member of Cadeyrn’s team and headed down another. Cadeyrn with the last remaining member of his three-man team and accompanied by Mera continued their current trajectory.

“Keep your eyes peeled little one, and prime one of those black eggs of yours.” Mera responded to her teacher’s request by palming one of the rounded objects that she withdrew from a secured pouch at her waist. With his order to her complete, the man turned to the other member of their team, the woman managed to maintain a dignified posture, but the slight shake of her hands revealed the uneasiness below. “You are to watch over the girl, ensure no harm comes to her… am I understood?” The female scout barely managed to squeeze out a confirmation.

Cadeyrn turned away, paying no more regard to the two as they silently made their way to the end of the tunnel. In the darkness time seemed to drag on, but it could not have been more than a few minutes before the team came out into a small cavern, directly ahead was a wooden door fitted into the rocky walls, and on either side of the cavern were additional tunnels separate from the one they had used.

Ignoring the tunnels, Cadeyrn and his team creeped into the dim firelight, the walls had affixed torches which were lit, releasing a steady stream of smoke into the roof of the cavern. There must have been air passages that filtered outside as none of the thick grey plumes remained for long, which was natural as one would need to breathe in order to live in a place like this, which the bandits clearly had been. In any case the approach to the single door was uneventful, no enemies emerged, no traps were sprung, and there was no monster lying in wait.

Once they had arrived a few feet from the door echoes of slapping, cries, and laughing reverberated from the other side, muffled by the wooden obstacle in their path. The bandits must have been extremely confident, as there was nothing barring the door, with Cadeyrn opening it just a crack, enough to peer into the room beyond. A handful of wall mounted torches illuminated what could only be described as a large living quarter, something that may have been seen in a regular inn.

The scene inside was not one for children, there were two men, one partially clothed, the other completely exposed. Three women were also present, two were passed out and thrown aside, and sprawled on the cold stone floor. While the last was crying and screaming, pressed beneath the naked man. None of whom noticed the eyes silently observing their actions.

Less than a minute later the door was violently slammed open, with Cadeyrn entering first, arrow nocked and ready to fire. Three arrows were unleashed simultaneously, with Cadeyrn firing at the naked man, while the scout and Mera unleashed their fury upon the other.

Whether by luck or skill, the naked man managed to duck away, out of the path of the projectile, with it glancing harmlessly off the rocky wall. His associate was not as lucky, the first arrow missed, but the second fired by the scout found its mark, penetrating through the man’s right thigh. His yells and screams of pain quickly drowned out by the naked man’s battle cry. Having avoided the initial volley, he had rolled away, grabbing the short spear resting nearby and thrust directly toward the closest target, Cadeyrn, all in one fluid motion.

Responding just as rapidly, he performed a half spin to the right, avoiding the strike and creating some distance from the wall and the opponent. The dimly lit room with its constrained confines restricted both fighters, the lack of space made it difficult to fire off another arrow, while also constraining spear swings, forcing a reliance on thrusts instead.

Cadeyrn understanding the situation had tossed away his bow, the surprise attack had failed, he would now be forced into close combat, taking hold of the axe with his left hand and dagger with the right. The opening exchange had made it clear, both men were skilled fighters. With the unclothed bandit leader acting first, unleashing a dizzying array of rapid thrusts towards his opponent. With Cadeyrn forced to focus his attention on parrying the incoming strikes with his axe, while retaining a firm grip on his dagger.

The exchange lasted a few seconds before the bandit pulled back, retracting his spear in preparation for a powerful thrust. The moment Cadeyrn chose to act, rushing forward to close the distance. The spear thrust came as expected, a slight tilt of the head coupled with a strike upon the shaft diverting the angle of the strike left the bandit momentarily exposed. In that split second opening a right hand thrust came in, embedding the dagger just below the man’s waist.

A few seconds were required for the reality to set in, only then did the expected response arrive. A primordial scream ripped through the cave, the bandit leader desperately clutching at his exposed groin.

His time to lament the loss of his manhood was short lived, as Cadeyrn was within arm’s reach, his axe held firmly for the follow-up strike. Gripping the section of the haft nearest the axe head, he reached out with his left hand, yanking the screaming man’s head back, taking firm hold upon the bed of unwashed hair. Followed immediately with a strike to the throat, as he punched upwards into the throat, enough to cut deep into the man’s neck. Not enough to sever head from body, but deep enough that survival was impossible.

The scream of pain quickly turned into a muffled gurgle, blood rapidly choking the airways and spraying outwards. Dropping the dying man onto the ground, Cadeyrn stepped away, avoiding the spray of crimson liquid. Just as the victor was wiping away the blood from his cloak, a roar rung out from the rear of the room.

Injured but still mobile, the other man lunged toward the weakest member in the room, knife in hand. The other woman, the scout had moved to secure the captive women, opening a slight gap between her and Mera. Escaping from his bonds the captured bandit had targeted the youngest, and visibly smallest member of the team. A possibility of taking the young girl hostage and using her as leverage to escape the current situation.

There was little time or chance to react, the Scholar’s bow remained on the ground where it had been cast aside, while the scout would be a few seconds too late no matter how quickly she moved from her current position. The girl for her part appeared unconcerned, maybe just a little bit excited, for just as the bandit closed the distance the girl tossed a small black egg-shaped object in his direction.

As could be expected the man reflexively blocked the object which shattered on impact. He had no time to react, let alone avoid the cloud of particles that attacked his face. Whatever was within caused an immediate reaction, with the bandit falling to the ground screaming into the air, clawing at his eyes desperately trying to remove whatever substance had blinded him.

The remaining people, both the scout, and captured women could do little but stare in silence. Mera for her part was completely unperturbed, a playful smile lighting up her face as she observed the crying man. With the Scholar simply staring at the crying man, showing neither surprise nor elation, he was utterly devoid of expression, the same way in which a person might observe an ant.

“You should take the women away, and call Timeaus over. Once that is done, relay my orders to Maatilani and Malakos to begin the process of gathering the bandit’s supplies and valuables. I trust those two know what to do, take Mera with you, her uncle and I have work to do… I am not to be disturbed make that known.” The captive women were quick to leave, with the scout ushering them from the room. Mera put up some resistance, protesting the decision until she was caught under the steady glare of her teacher.

No words, no description was needed to explain the actions that would occur. Only that other than Cadeyrn and Timeaus, no one else was to enter this room again.