Bab 8: A Bandit's Lie For Me
'Fuck. Why do i always have to be right.' Lucius cursed.
Lucius cast a quick spell of dim blue. Encasing his feet in a thin layer of magic, and dashed towards Ciri with silent steps. Only to begin dragging her behind a heap of fallen cobble and wood.
"Hey!" Ciri tried slapping off his hold in a hoarse croak.
He held a single finger to his lips and pointed to the gate with his left hand.
A ragtag bunch of ruffians, numbering in the teens, waltzed through the broken gate, with heads held high and nasty grins plastered on their worn faces. One bandit towered over all the others and hefted a giant war axe on his shoulder, accompanied with heavy plated steel armour bearing the imperial insignia. A steel helmet tipped with metal horns covered his hair and jaw, but not enough to hide his protruding tusks of rotting dew yellow and deep green hide.
The behemoth was talking to a small Dark elf walking beside him as the others of his group spread out amongst the ruins of Helgen. The elf was clearly built for a swift fighting style, which greatly confused the hiding pair as he holstered a spiked mace on his belt. He was wearing a crossed vest of unrefined leather with short fur boots. Pale blue skin and dull red eyes.
"I'm telling you Urac. There's riches in that tomb we can take, i already stole the key!" The dark elf spoke with enthusiasm.
"It isn't worth it. You've heard the tales, the dead don't sleep in these lands." Urac replied with a gruff voice.
"Fine. I'll just go without you then, more gold for me and the boys." The elf snickered juggling an item obscured to the duo's vision.
Lucius and Ciri glanced at each other before continuing the eavesdropping.
"Then go you fool! I'm content with the takings of those pathetic stragglers from earlier. Haha, that woman's screams were delightful!" Urac boasted with a bellow, smacking a hand on the crest on his breastplate.
'What did i expect... Scum exists everywhere.' Thought Lucius with a sigh, softly clenching his fist.
"Pst. Lucius, what are we doing just sitting here?" Ciri whispered, leaning forward with a raised brow.
"Listening for any information." Lucius hushed a reply.
"What information, they're bandits incase you haven't noticed!" She whisper shouted a hastened reply.
Lucius turned to look at Ciri in the eye. "Mayhaps i'm the only one listening then. We already learned they stole a key to a tomb possibly filled to the brim with gold, and, that they ambushed the survivors of this slaughter." He informed her under his breathe, just loud enough for Ciri to hear.
"And that helps us how?" Ciri deadpanned.
"Any chance at learning more, is good enough for me. Now shush, please." Lucius sighed.
"We are killing them, right? You heard what that brute said." Ciri wearily asked.
"Do we have too? Kill one and two more will follow, you know how bandits are." Lucius stated as if it were a known fact, ignoring Ciri's incredulous expression. "I'm jesting of course, we will. I think most want to die in that tomb anyway." Lucius said pointing at the rabble of shouting bandits.
"You're not taking my men to die in a forgotten crypt, elf!" Urac roared.
"Ha! And who appointed you leader of our dashing group huh?!" The elf replied looking around the group, in an attempt to rile support from the surrounding men.
"I did the moment i killed the last fool who declared himself leader. Or, have you forgotten, Arvel?" Urac smugly smiled at the now named dark elf.
'It's like watching children bicker over a doll.' Lucius snorted in distain.
"Ciri, keep the dark elf alive. He knows something the others don't, either that, or he's just a loudmouth." Lucius instructed.
"I was thinking the same. He's far too eager." She nodded. "Wait. How are we going to kill that many without him escaping or getting killed in the cross fire?" Ciri assessed the group ahead.
"They have a few archers on the flank, but they're mainly close combatants. If you can do the magic thing with the skipping lightning." "Chain lightning?" Lucius chimed in. "Yes that. I'll grab the elf with my powers, restrain him while you're toasting them alive, then i come back to help. Good plan or what?" Ciri said with a Cheshire grin.
"Hmm, one issue. Restrain him with what?" Lucius replied.
Her only response was showing her shaking fist with a bright smile.
"Urgh~ This is not going end well." Lucius grumbled.
"Oh shush you. We've got this." Ciri said, eyeing the group who were still arguing. "Look at them, let's use the advantage they've so graciously offering us."
"You know i could just make them kill each other." Lucius threw out.
"You can?" Ciri looked at him with mild shock.
"Illusions remember." Lucius said wriggling his fingers in front of his face.
A bloodcurdling scream echoed over their conversation, they looked back at the group only the find Arvel holding a dagger in the giant's throat.
"Well, i don't even need my frenzy spell. So, gonna grab the elf? I'll distract them." Lucius said to Ciri.
She nodded and disappeared in a green flash.
Lucius stood and charged up lightning in his hand flicking it to the nearest archer. He watched the white hot electricity arc around to 4 others, killing 3 of the four standing.
"Scum! How dare you stain my vision with your filthy presence!" Lucius shrieked with his chin held high like a self entitled lord.
Lucius built a wall of fire with his left hand that separated the group into two.
'Anytime now, Ciri.' Thought Lucius.
"What the fuck do you want boy!" Arvel yelled across the fire.
Lucius caught sight of Ciri knelt down behind the archers bodies, silently killing the remaining man.
"What do i want?!.... Good question! I want you!" Lucius boldly announced pointing at Arvel.
"Hahahaha! You want me? Are you a sword swallowe- huh!" Arvel was cut off by a flash followed by a loud crack of a fist hitting his nose.
"Took you long enough" Lucius muttered.
Lucius brought both his hands together and charged a large ball of fire. The fireball flew past Arvel and exploded into his group behind him, turning the area into a crucible of screams and the smell of burning flesh once more.
A bandit in full metal armour charged at Lucius, making him draw his iron sword to reflect the bandits over arcing sword swing. Taking the created opening, Lucius charged two fingers with pure magicka and stabbed into his exposed neck.
'That's a quick death for you, my friend.' Dismissed Lucius ducking under another swing, ripping his two fingers out of the previous bandits neck, resulting in a fountain of blood hitting Lucius's face, and thrusting to an upper cut.
Lucius's fist sent the new bandit tumbling off balance, allowing him to lunge into an engrained stab that pierced the bandit under his armour, killing him instantly.
Over his shoulder a viridian light blinked and Ciri took the head of a panicking bandit that tried fleeing before joining Lucius.
"Our friend is sleeping by the rocks we hid behind." Ciri smiled.
Lucius was about to reply before blocking a spike of ice that would've ran through his shoulder with a ward.
The previously dead leader slowly rose from death in a dark blue hue, black blood seeping from his neck. A bandit twirling ice stood by it with a confidant grin.
"Did you think yourself the only user of magic boy?!" The bandit wizard mocked.
"Urrrrrgh!" The undead Urac charged at the pair, raising the giant war axe.
A huge blast of pure black mana surged forward and slammed the wizard into an awaiting log of splinted wood, while turning Urac to white dust.
"I'm not even surprised anymore." Ciri exclaimed. "What magic was it this time? Death magic?!"
"Not far off. I said i had a talent i didn't like remember, it was the school of necromancy... Or, death magic, why not. It seems more fitting." Lucius drawled, pondering aloud at the end.
"Let's go wake up our new friend then." Ciri said walking back to Arvel.
Lucius bent down and started slapping the man awake.
"What. Ow, my nose. Tor, what in Azura's name did you do that for!" Arvel shrieked, holding his busted nose.
"Tor isn't here." Lucius replied.
Arvel looked up with building trepidation.
"What! Don't kill me! Please!....Yes, the claw! I know how it works. The claw, the markings, the door in the Hall of Stories. I know how they all fit together in Bleak Falls Barrow! I can take you there!" A desperate Arvel said.
"Well look at that, didn't even need to question him." Ciri happily interjected.
"What a s'wit. You just gave us the information for nothing?" A weirded out Lucius said to Arvel
"If i give you what you want you'll let me go, right? So, haha, why waste everyones time, hmm." A hopeful Arvel remarked.
Lucius and Ciri shared a look.
"Sure~ here let me help you up." Lucius said with a fake smile and patted his shoulder. "The gate's that way. Thank you for your cooperation" Lucius pointed with a salubrious smile.
Arvel turned and ran down the hill.
"Wait, you're actually letting him go?" Ciri calmly asked.
"Do you know the way to the tomb?" Ciri shook her head in response. "Well, he does. Let's just follow him."
"And the key? He still has it." Ciri asked flatly.
"If we took it he wouldn't go to the tomb would he?"Lucius said with a raised brow, walking in the direction Arvel went.
"We could've have just asked him where the tomb was on the map." Ciri countered.
"And let him play us? It's better this way, more effort but less risk." Lucius said with confidence.
"Let's just get going, i don't want to have to track the fool." Ciri said.
______________________________________________________________________________
Part 1 of 'the plot begins' is done (Thats the name of my notes), i think it's fairly obvious where i'm going with this.
Ciri has a brain too. I felt i forget that little bit in earlier fights...
Quick vote. Should they go to Middle-Earth?
Yes:
No:
It could be a fun little breather in between the drama of Skyrim and The Witcher for example. OR. They could kill Sauron and i ignore parts of the Lore (Preferably not this one, but i'm down to try it.) ... Maybe i could have Ciri slap the shit out of fake Galadriel until Cate Blanchett comes back, just to show the new actress a different facial expression other than -_-
Also, i played Cyberpunk and rewatched Edge runners yesterday, and i just can't see any place where i can input two more characters. Ideas would help but i run the risk of ruining the 'feel' of this book and Cyberpunk as a whole.
Also, anyone else noticed a theme of naked woman on the cover gives a book 2 million views?
Have a good one, might release a chapter tonight. (Or, in normal people, early tomorrow morning, like 3-4 am UK time.)
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