Chapter 4 - Intercepting Bandits

With Lyn taking charge and leading the way out of the tent, Astrid slowly emerged into unfamiliar surroundings, finally able to experience the outside world for the very first time since he had lost consciousness.

As he stepped out into the open air, Astrid was struck by the sight of the expansive landscape that surrounded him, marveling at the lush greenery and grass rustled and whispered in the breeze that seemed to stretch on for miles.

"So, this is Sacae…" He murmured, his voice filled with awe and wonder.

This was Astrid first gaze upon Sacae. A gentle breeze swept across the plains. The sweet fragrance of the earth and vegetation filled his senses. In the far distance, his eyes could make out the towering peaks of majestic mountains that rose up against the clear blue sky.

His original plan had been to teleport directly back to his home kingdom and report to the council about the alarming state of the heavily militarized Kingdom of Bern, which lay to the south of Sacae. However, fate had different plans for him, and a slight detour had brought him to Sacae by accident.

While he was observing the beauty of the grasslands in Sacae, he suddenly heard Lyn's voice shouting to grab his attention. "Over here!"

He quickly made his way towards her, feeling the wind cool him off and play with his blonde hair.

Arriving at Lyn's location, under the cool shade of a nearby tree, he gazed out at the vast expanse of land before him. In the distance, he could make out the silhouette of various structures: a towering tent and… more rounded tents that seemed to blend seamlessly into the surrounding grasslands. With almost nothing in between them except for the endless sea of green grass.

As Lyn watched Astrid taking in the beauty of her homeland, she couldn't help but feel a sense of pride wash over her. It was a rare and special thing to see someone appreciate the beauty of her homeland in the way that Astrid did, and she felt grateful to be able to share this moment with him.

"It's a great world that Father Sky and Mother Earth have given us, right?" Lyn said, as she joined him admiring the graceful grass.

Astrid turned to her with a smile, nodding in agreement. "Absolutely. I've never seen anything quite like this before. It's breathtaking."

"It's amazing to see how the wind plays with the grass and the earth, and how everything seems to work in perfect harmony." He continued.

Lyn couldn't agree more. "Yes, everything here is connected in some way. It's like we are all a part of something greater, something that extends beyond just ourselves."

She paused for a moment, as a flash of memory crossed her mind. She saw her parents' smiling faces, then their lifeless bodies on the ground. She felt a surge of grief and anger, mixed with gratitude for the friends she had made along the way. She lowered her head, trying to hide the tears that threatened to spill over.

Astrid noticed Lyn's sudden change of expression and reached out to touch her shoulder gently. "Lyn? Are you all right?"

Lyn quickly wiped her eyes and forced a smile. "I'm fine, Astrid. Thank you for your concern."

As they continued to admire the green blades swaying in the breeze, when a sudden noise startled them. The earth trembled under their feet, as if a giant beast was stirring. They looked up and saw a group of bandits descending from the mountains.

A bandit scout caught something in his eyes, It then rapidly approached in their direction.

"Uh-oh! That bandit spotted me! He's coming this way." Lyn said in surprise.

Lyn then turned to Astrid. "If you want to help, Astrid, I could use your advice."

Astrid nodded and quickly scanned the surroundings. He immediately gestured at a nearby forest. "We need to get to the woods. Come on." Astrid immediately planning.

He took the lead and guided Lyn to the forest, where they could blend in with the foliage. "We'll take a detour and catch them off guard when they are close enough. That way we can surprise them and gain an advantage."

Lyn nodded and followed Astrid's lead. "That sounds like a good plan. How many bandits do you think there are?"

Astrid squinted his eyes and tried to estimate their numbers. "I'd say about a dozen. They appear poorly armed and coordinated. We should have no trouble dealing with them."

He then shifted his gaze towards a castle. As he looked over the fences, he spotted a fierce-looking bandit who wore scars and armor. He seemed to be the leader of the bandits.

Pointing at him, Astrid cautioned. "That guy looks dangerous. He must be very skilled in combat. We should save him for last and deal with his men first."

Lyn clenched her fists and braced herself for the fight. "Very well. Let's go."

"First, we must eliminate the scout to prevent any alerts being sounded."

Lyn nodded and said. "I'll protect you, so stay close to me."

Lyn gripped her sword, dashed toward the lone bandit with incredible speed. The bandit scout barely had time to react as he saw a flash of green hair and green eyes.

"Wh-what? Who are you?" He stammered, raising his axe in defense.

"I am Lyn, of the Lorca tribe. You will pay for your crimes!" She shouted with rage, swinging her sword with precision and grace.

The bandit scout tried to block her attack, but his axe was too heavy and slow. Lyn's sword sliced through his weapon like butter, leaving him defenseless. She followed up with a swift thrust to his chest, piercing his heart.

'Wow, she really hates them, doesn't she? Something must have gone wrong between them.' Astrid shuddered.

Astrid then noticed two nearby bandits walking together. They seemed to be unaware of Lyn's presence. He saw an opportunity to strike. He checked his magic reserves once again and smiled satisfied. He was a mage who could use various types of magic to aid his allies or harm his foes. He specialized in anima magic, which was based on the forces of nature: fire, thunder, and wind.

He decided to use fire magic, which was effective against wind magic users and weak against thunder magic users. Fire magic had high might and accuracy, but low critical rate. He reached for his tome and chanted a spell.

"Fire! Burn my enemies to ashes!" Astrid shouted as he casted a fire spell at the bandit duo.

The fiery projectile flew through the air and hit its target with a loud explosion. Being caught off guard, one of the bandits was killed instantly. The other one was injured and staggered back.

"Lyn!" Astrid shouted, calling her attention, pointing to the sole bandit.

Lyn heard his voice and turned around. She saw the remaining bandit trying to escape. She quickly ran after him and slashed him with her sword before he could get away.

"Thanks for the help, Astrid!" Lyn said as she returned to his side.

"No problem." Astrid replied with a nod.

She then noticed the tome he was holding in his hand. It was a red book with a flame emblem on it.

"Is that… a tome of magic?" Lyn asked him, pointing at the book.

"Indeed, it is." Astrid answered, displaying the book with flair.

"You can use magic?" Lyn asked again, sounding astonished.

"Absolutely, I can." Astrid affirmed.

"Wow… I had no clue. You never mentioned you were a mage."

"I usually depend on my tactics and strategy more than my magic. But sometimes, magic is useful." Astrid explained.

He scratched his head and grinned sheepishly. He was omitting something else… "And I had used up all my magic when we first met..."

"I understand… Well, you're incredible. You can do so many things. You're a tactician, a mage, and a…"

Lyn paused and smiled warmly. She looked at him with admiration and gratitude. "…friend." Lyn complimented him.

Astrid felt his heart skip a beat. He had never befriended anyone outside of his kingdom before. He couldn't believe she called him a friend, a stranger that she had just picked up from the plains. They had just met recently, but he already felt a strong bond with her. He looked into her eyes and saw sincerity and kindness.

"Thank you, Lyn. You are remarkable too. You have so much potential. You're a swordmaster and a…" Astrid paused and bowed slightly. "…friend." Astrid returned the compliment.

They smiled at each other and shared a warm moment. But their moment was cut short by the sound of hooves and shouts.

As they turned around, they saw a group of bandits riding towards them. The enemy had spotted them.

Quickly grabbing their weapons, they prepared for battle. They were outnumbered and outmatched, but they were not afraid. They had each other's backs.

Lyn and Astrid fought bravely against the bandits. One by one, they dwindled the number of bandits. The bandits were falling one by one under Lyn and Astrid's attacks. They worked as a team, combining their sword and magic skills.

Lyn darted through the battlefield, cutting down anyone who stood in her way. Astrid followed behind her, casting spells to support her and hinder their enemies. They fought together in sync, creating openings for each other and striking with precision. Then only one remained, the lone figure at the ger: chief of the bandits.

Lyn said as she gazed over the structure. "There's another bandit over by the ger to the west."

"Pardon me… but what's a ger?" Astrid innocently asked.

"You don't know what a ger is?" Lyn asked incredulously.

She explained. "It's a type of round hut. Many nomads live in huts like these."

"Thank you. I appreciate you taking your time for me." Astrid expressed his gratitude.

"Now…" Astrid said eagerly looking over the ger.

"Let's close in and attack." Lyn said with a determined gaze.

The duo moved forward, charging towards the bandit. Lyn gripped her sword and felt a surge of adrenaline. Astrid whispered a word of light that boosted Lyn's speed.

The leader saw them closing in and smirked. "Who do you think you are?"

"You think you could stand up to Batta the Beast?" He mocked them with a scornful tone.

Lyn ignored his taunts and focused on her target. Astrid, on the other hand, smirked at him with disdain and said: "Batta the Beast? Oh wow, what a terrifying name." He acted scared. "I'm sure you're very proud of it. Too bad it won't save you from us."

Batta's face turned red with rage. He clenched his teeth and growled. "How dare you insult me, you little brat? I'll make you pay for your insolence!"

Lyn bit her lip to suppress a chuckle. She found Astrid's sarcasm hilarious, but she knew this was not the time to laugh. She focused on her target and prepared to strike.

They reached the bandit leader and engaged him in combat. Lyn parried his axe swings with her sword. Batta growled and cursed as he felt the pressure from their attacks.

He tried to hit Lyn with a powerful strike, but she blocked it with her sword. He roared in frustration and swung his axe again. Astrid saw it coming and cast his final spell. A barrier of light surrounded Lyn and deflected Batta's attack.

Lyn took advantage of the opening and stabbed at his chest. He gasped in pain and fell to his knees.

"What? How... How did you--"

He looked up at her with disbelief and fear in his eyes. She stared back at him coldly and twisted the sword. He let out a final scream and then went silent.

Batta the Beast is no more.

"Whew… That was close." Lyn sighed in fatigue as she pulled out her sword from his body.

"Thank you for your help. I would be dead without you, Astrid." Lyn bowed expressing her deep gratitude to her friend."

"I'm sorry for worrying you. I sorely underestimated him." She apologized as she looked at him with remorse in her eyes. "He was stronger than I expected."

"It's fine, Lyn. You did well." Astrid said reassuringly as he smiled at her. "I'm just glad you're safe."

He patted her shoulder and checked her for injuries. He felt a sense of camaraderie with her. He was glad he had met her.

They took a moment to catch their breaths and recover their strength. Then Lyn spoke up with a whisper. "I'll need to be stronger if I'm going to survive… Strong enough that no one can defeat me." She said firmly, though Astrid could hear the uncertainty in her voice.

Astrid looked at her with respect and worry. He wanted to help her, but he also knew she had to find her own path. He nodded and gave her a thumbs up. "You will, Lyn. You will."

Lyn smiled back at him and thanked him again for his support. "You did great too, Astrid! Let's go home." She said cheerfully as they walked away from the scene of their battle.

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Woo... Long chapter...

I hope you got a better sense of Astrid's personality. And I hope you enjoyed the fight scenes. (´▽｀)