A Task: Baptism in Fire

That evening of the same day, the Grandquester, having finished all of his obligations, went to the Castle Prison and to the place where Ixander was detained. He was greeted by Halberdiers who are guarding the penitentiaries tight.

"Guardman, show me to the boy's place."

"Pardon sir? Whi—"

"Ixander, Guardman. Unless someone else is notorious in these parts." The Grandquester said.

He was then lead by the Halberdiers to the place where Ixander was detained. He is seen refusing the meal he is given. The food was placed in a simple wooden bowl, in it is a piece of bread and a clear soup. The meal was just placed above the hay scattered on the floor. Ixander was sitting against the wall, looking beyond the bars.

Soon, Ixander's daydream was dispelled when the boots of the Halberdiers outside stomped against the ground, denoting an authority has entered the premises. The Grandquester went near to Ixander, greeting him "Good evening."

"Say, mister," responded Ixander. "Place yourself in my setting, and you may see how good of an evening I have." Hearing his disrespect the Halberdier shouted at the boy but was stopped by the Grandquester. "You Charla—"

"Stop."

"Now sir, are you a chap of Fortis?"

Ixander raised his head to the Grandquester and replied "Not anymore soon, for I may have neglected Abrus by not feeding him his daily hay."

"I assure you the horse is fine," said the Grandquester, "but I want you to earn your freedom."

"I do not deserve this filth in the first place." Replied Ixander. "And I am not making you deserve it." Said the Grandquester.

"I do have a favour to ask, in exchange for your freedom." Being interested, Ixander attended to what the Grandquester has to say. "We have found that Republican bandits have placed their hideout near the forests of Axan. We have found their hideout no thanks to the merchant we rescued while he was bleeding."

"What do you want me exactly to do?" asked Ixander.

"Put an end to the camp. Of course you will not be alone. You will be accompanied by only twenty men."

Ixander replied "And how much are they in there?"

The Grandquester became quiet, then replied after "Two hundred men."

"In other words, death is certain." Replied Ixander.

"Surely not. Not with your monstrous demonstration of skills in the square." The Grandquester assured.

"You saw, and watched?" asked Ixander. The Grandquester went quiet this time.

Ixander gathered himself up and told the Grandquester "the camp be better worth the time of I and twenty of your men".

"It's a handful, but your hands will be full of Gold Trivertis as w—"

Ixander's eyes enlarged as he heard "G-Gold Trivertis?! H-how much do you estimate is in there?"

"A minimum loot of about five hundred, and I'm talking Large Gold Trivertis."

Ixander looked sharp immediately and replied "So shall it be done, Grandquester."

Grandquester then told him "The state has a tithed share on your loot though. The tenth part will go immediately to the Royal Bank."

"It's all good. After all, I'm a person who has only fifteen Tsarthre in his pocket." It could only mean that if Ixander indeed received at least four hundred and fifty large gold Trivertis coins, and as even if he divide it among the twenty men, he still would get a substantial amount, and his freedom as well. For Ixander, this was a deal out of cornucopia, and so he struck it as he shook hands with the Grandquester.

He was then led by the Grandquester to the Garrison, where the twenty men have been gathered to execute the task. From the corner, he saw Abrus. He ran to his horse immediately and patted its head. "Aw, Abrus. I'm sorry I left you out there bud! Had it not been on the stupid guys who arrested me, I could have fed you more hay."

The Grandquester interrupted "Ahem, perhaps the reunion may be cut short, and you shall review the troops in your disposal."

As he rode Albrus, Ixander replied to the Grandquester "Disposal? That's too much for seeing them as fodder to my plans."

The Grandquester replied "Then see them as brethren who can aid you in your plans."

Ixander then rode and reviewed the troops in his care. "I do not think we can actually make it" whispered one of the soldiers under review. Ixander then rode until he reached the center of the line and rode some feet away from them to tell them something. "I shall commend the Grandquester for raising such troops with cowardice. The one who whispered that this troop will not make it is a true coward. I then now say that you can only reclaim yourself after you have proven valiant in this. I am sure of course that your puny heads can't comprehend a loot of five hundred large gold Trivertis eh?"

The soldiers then looked at each other and their eyes sparkled at the amount of loot they are expected to get. "F-five hundred large gold trivertis?!" shouted one of them

Ixander grinned and went to the Grandquester, who is riding a horse now "It seems your troops wanted to gnaw gold and only fight for them after all." With this, the Grandquester shook his head and placed his hand over his forehead.

"We have not much of a time men! Move out!" Ixander announced.

His men numbering twenty soldiers marched out of the Gates of Axan and into the forest. He holds with him a map locating the Hideout of the bandits. While on march, Ixander's mind was full of calculations. "If I get at least twenty large gold Trivertis, then I'd have twenty-thousand carthres with me! With that, I can buy some clothes for myself and build a modest house for Gramps!"

Suddenly, an arrow flew towards Ixander and he swiftly evaded the shot, with the arrow landing on the dirt road. He looked around and saw a gang of men slowly emerging from the trees. When they emerged, they were numbered about fifty men. Ixander then ordered his men "Fall back!" and so they did retreat. He then followed up and order them to fall into formation. "Men with sabres, five of you will accompany me, the other five will remain. Those armed with Crossbows, conserve your bolts and we will make a pathway for you."

Meanwhile, Ixander prepared his grenade and lit it, throwing it against the couple of bandits who were not in formation. It exploded and took seven men, while injuring five more. In a mass of human wave, outnumbering the troops of Ixander, They charged without prior formation. Ixander quickly fought them off man after man, while not expecting that the frenzy of his men for gold is what drove them to fend off the attackers. Although mostly unscathed, two of Ixander's men were injured. If not for the solid formation behind protecting the crossbows, they would not have gone far and be annihilated by human waves. The bandits received thirty-six casualties, with fourteen being captured, making sure that no one will inform the bandit's hideout of what's amiss in a skirmish that ensued in the middle of the road.

The fourteen men were taken back to Axan, where they were held captive on the Prison Castle. The troops however went back to the road and planned their movements around the camp. They themselves encamped just on the outskirts of the woods. Ixander then chatted with one of the soldiers who could not get along with others. "Have you finished your ration?" asked Ixander.

The soldier just stared at him, but then responded "I may run out of them soon. If I am to die, better up that I have my food with me, sir."

Ixander then replied "Stuff yourself up, and be hopeful of that loot. If that is what enflames you."

"Whatever that gold can buy, I'd die for. Not for how it shines sir." Ixander then was intrigued by the response of the soldier. "What's your name, sir?" Ixander asked politely. "I'm a mere subordinate sir…Felix" replied the soldier.

"Since you have a knack for it, I think you may have the strongest aptitude among these men. I saw how you fought earlier." Ixander said while Felix is biting on the bread.

"I've got mere a life to provide for my family, I should use it properly, sir." Replied Felix.

Ixander then reached his hand out to Felix and asked "Will you then be a companion? You are worthy of it."

"Will it provide for my family?" Asked Felix. "What you're doing now, isn't it for your family? If being a soldier enough is what you can do for your family, then your skills be better honed for them to be provided" insisted Ixander.

Suddenly, Ixander's attention was caught by a sudden realization: That he should attack during the night.

He gathered his men up and showed them his plans. "Felix," called Ixander while giving Felix a grenade. "Throw this on the front of their hideout. Make sure you hide by the bushes around it."

"As for you men, follow me to attack their rear whilst they are distracted on the front" ordered Ixander. They then commenced the plan. Felix went to the front quietly, lit the grenade and threw it on the front. Naturally, all the bandits gathered on the front thinking that the enemy will be from the direction of the front. Meanwhile, the crossbows were ordered to fire at will from five directions, each having two crossbows. The three directions firing from the rear whilst the other two directions keeps switching places from left and right flanks of their rear. The camp was now in panic and had plenty of casualties, making it an initial success for Ixander.

The men hid behind the trees as search parties have been ordered to look for the direction of crossbow bolts, but to no avail. Felix then ran through the bushes and reached Ixander "Sir, any more orders?"

"They'd know our location soon enough, tell the three stationary crossbow positions to start moving. They will know when you tell them." said Ixander.

While Felix is telling the crossbows the change of plans, Ixander then mobilized and threw three grenades: one from the rear, one from the left flank, and one from the right flank. Due to the frustration of the camp, the bandits then kept shooting at the surrounding boughs, thinking that the enemy maybe from above. They were equipped after all by the insurgents near the border with Alban, all with flintlock pistols.

The bandits, now with almost forty casualties all thanks to the elite crossbowmen and coordination brought upon by Ixander, now hid behind the crates that they have, and shoot at the boughs and bushes surrounding their camp. However, Ixander was confused when immediately, the crossbowmen under him stopped firing their bolts.

"They ran out of bolts men! Charge to the bushes!"

The bandits, now numbering just a hundred and two, went to the bushes and boughs. Ixander then went and did something.

In Addition to what they planned, the soldiers were told by Ixander that when one of the trees started burning, it means that it is time for the troops to retreat to the camp, replenish the bolts and get in formation as they will be soon attacked by the bandits, for soon over, the bandits will attack the camp. Ixander was indeed sure that the bandits will attack the camp so they taught them a formation that may deter enemy attacks.

"Sir, pardon my ignorance, but what do you call this formation? It is not a line, nor is it a rank…"

"It's called 'Tsarhat'". "Tsarhat" is a word meaning "Square" in Livinian. "This, sir, is brilliant, and seem superior, beyond our mere knowledge." Ixander then shrugged.

Meanwhile, Ixander lit up one of the boughs of the tree nearest to him, aided with dried grass he found around and with flint and iron, lit his torch, leaving that torch within the range of dried grass and the leaves of the tree as he hang it above the branches. Ixander prayed that it would not rain so the fire may lit properly.

The bandits, seeing the tree burning, went on for the tree and looked for some people around. As Ixander sneaked away, he left a grenade to explode near the tree, annihilating those who approached the flaming tree.

The bandit leader was shocked at what he saw. Because the whole camp panicked, there was not one person that remained in the camp. They left everything in there—looted gold, barrels of gunpowder, and even the wagons that can maneuver these supplies. Ixander took the opportunity. As it seemed that no one is storming or attacking the bandit camp, they now started looking for the enemy camp—may it be in or at the outskirts of the woods. Meanwhile, a bandit on horseback, who just came back from scouting, reported on his leader. "Sir! We've found the camp outside the woods! It seem to be over there, they seem to have just arrived at their camp!"

"Very well! Let's strike with every iron and flint we have! Men!" The bandit leader then led them on horseback, as they sound their fife with pride to defeat the small group of men who seemingly reigned terror within the camp bounds. "These men, they are indeed uncoordinated" thought Ixander. He then opened a barrel of gunpowder as he sneaked. However, while pouring some gunpowder at his bag, a female bandit came to him, and aimed her flintlock at Ixander's head. Ixander looked up, and saw an angry, but a fair women before her. Ixander though, not attracted with her beauty, acted swiftly, took the gun out of her hand and restrained her hand. "Take these off of me!" shouted the female bandit. Ixander was quiet all the time and still pouring the gunpowder in the small bags of cloth, planning to do something about them later. He ignored the female bandit and ran to their camp.

Meanwhile, there was around three waves of bandits that came to the camp, and the formation seemed to be breaking after being outnumbered. However, the bandit leader was shocked that as seventy men had already charged against them, the formation still did not break. From the rear of the bandits, Ixander then sneaked and lit the tie of one of the cloth bag and threw it near the bandits, which exploded and annihilated some seven men. This continued up until only some handful men were capable of fighting. The bandit leader was terrified. The whole skirmish resulted in fifty of the bandit's dead, while injuring forty-two, in a total of ninety-two casualties, and the rest being captured. They were immediately ensnared by a net prepared for them, and taking it off after tying their hands with vines nearby. They were lead back to their hideout where, among the plenty looting of the entire camp, they would be included in presentation to the Grandquester.

Before departing the camp, Ixander looked for the woman he tied up near the gunpowder barrel at the corner, only to find out that she escaped. "Could've made the tie tighter" thought Ixander.

They all counted the loot, administered by Ixander. They looted much more than what was expected: seven crates of large gold trivertis, with each crate having a hundred and fifty large gold trivertis, eleven crates of small gold trivertis, with each crate having four hundred small gold trivertis, twelve barrels of gunpowder, numerous pig iron, and an entire wagon of silver trivertis, and a couple of other currencies of the continent. They also encountered several Grenavian rifles, which are all muzzle-loading. A few iron-lead balls for the ammunition has also been seized, which are all suitable for Grenavian rifles and even small flintlock pistols. Every single one of these loots, among the numerous food reserve the bandits have been keeping have been seized as well, and moved through the wagons the bandit's camp had. He encountered a problem though: only five, out of fifteen men that is mobile, knows how to drive these wagons. "Men! Rest yourselves up and keep intact any formation if any intruder comes into these camps, I will call for help going back to the city."

He then went on his way but suddenly, he noticed a shine of bolt among the trees, which almost hit him, but fortunately he evaded. He stopped and got off his horse to see who it was. Daringly, the one who shot him showed herself. It was no other than the bandit woman.

"I do not intend to combat with you, lady" said Ixander.

The lady did not respond but instead threw a dagger to him, he dodged and swiftly moved. The bandit woman kept running around, trying to strike Ixander as possible as she could. Ixander did not react with an offense, but just evaded everything. He suddenly took an opportunity and pinned the woman down. He tied her again and he brought her to the gates of Axan. When he arrived, the soldiers recognized him but not the bandit woman behind him. "Sir, who is that woman tied up behind you." The woman was looking fiercely at the guard, but the guard did not flinch. "One of the bandits, I tied her up to present her to the Grandquester, and I will ask assistance from the Grandquester."

"Did you not annihilate the bandits, sir?" asked one of the guardsmen

"I need help carrying the goods sir, not defeating them."