Eiyuu Kishi Den

Y'ezela gulped as she heard trouble coming. She was in no way a fighter, but at least she had a weapon if it came to that... The half-elf bard scurried over to the wagon and hopped up into the seat.

Kitsa was unsure of Valkyria and Estas's order, and glanced at Orion for his reaction, but she realized the bandits lurking around were too hard to see as it was, even with the sharp eyes for elves. They were far more familiar with their environment than the travelers were. Kitsa quickly put her arrows back into her quiver, and slipped her bow in as well. There was no time to worry about unstringing it it for proper storage. If she needed ranged weapons, she still had throwing daggers. The quarter-elf hopped off the top of the carriage and landed in the sand. Put her hand on the hilt of her sword, she was ready to draw it.

Sairina dashed around to the side of the wagon, sending up flurries of sand as she struggled to run. She hauled herself up beside Y'ezela and plopped down. Her first act would be to cast a blessing across the while group. The elves may not have been able to use their shamanism, but her holy magic could at least do something. The priestess began to pray for luck from Cha Za and broke out into a hymn. It was a rather long song, as covering so many people would require focus, and strength of spirit.

So much for strategy, Orion thought to himself. Unknocking his arrow as he moved, he stepped off the side of the wagon and into the sand. Pulling himself free, he slid the bow onto his back and joined Kitsa's side. As usual, Orion did not start out with his weapons drawn, but let his hands hang gently on the handle of each dagger. The goal was their perceptions: he was an easy target. The unfortunate mistake they would make was most certainly a deadly one. Besides the High Elves, Orion was one of the oldest present. Though he did not turn to look at her, Orion whispered to Kitsa. "Be careful." His eyes scanned the sand endlessly.

Kitsa gave a nod to Orion, but the warning went without saying. The quarter-elf was ready to fight, whenever the fight finally came to them...


At the head of the caravan, Phaeton swung himself out of Ikhen's saddle and moved toward Luria. Following the example of the others, he didn't ready his weapons just yet. Perhaps these bandits would make demands before attacking, but considering Valkyria's warning, they may just slaughter the group and take everything of value. At any rate, the bandits had still not come into view. Phaeton took a hold of the haft of his spear as it was slung across his back, ready to pull it out. "Do not fear, Luria, I will protect you," Phaeton said. He knew she had no real melee weapons, short of daggers. Though Valkyria warned not to waste munitions, perhaps Luria's archery could still be useful...

Luria gave a thumbs up. She didn't like the situation one bit from start to finish, but reminded herself that this is why she and her friends were here in the first place. "I'm supposed to be conservative with my ammo, so I'm counting on you, Phaeton!" She readied her bow in case it was needed. "Don't worry, I'll watch your back. If push comes to shove, I can throw a pretty mean punch, too!"

Glimpses of the bandits sulking through the desert came closer, occasionally their movements were seen behind dunes before they disappeared again into the sand. The group pulled tighter together around the wagon, almost subconsciously, trying to eliminate their dangers from behind and protect their small caravan. Suddenly, the unseen bandits leaped out of the dunes, tossing aside their sandy colored cloaks and rushing the group. They were mostly natives to the desert, swarthy men in leather and armed with scimitars and sabers. All in all, the group consisted of eighteen men, which outnumbered the party by almost two to one. They had no interest in bargaining, or making demands, it was obvious that their only desire was the raid the caravan and take their valuables.

The battle ensued, and though the best fighters of the group were out numbered, luck was in their favor. With Cha Za blessings on several of their weapons, and the spells of Sairina, the small caravan defeated all eighteen of their attackers, with little of their own causalities. Some bruises and scrapes were all they had suffered, but despite the blessings of Cha Za, they were still victim to exhaustion. Once the bandits had been dealt with, they had little time to rest--they could be grateful to their mounts, however. The horses, now well-watered, carried them onward after Valkyria's lead.

The bandits were not the only enemy they had to deal with. Along the way, they encountered several giant scorpions scavenging in the aftermath of the storm. They were dispatched by Estas, Kitsa, Phaeton, and Orion, but with each confrontation, exhaustion became a far greater threat. As the sun began fall for the night, the party was sucking the last few drops of oasis water from their canteens and water-skins. Soon, however, the light of a fire rose in the horizon below the darkening sky. It was a camp of the Sand Wolves, and with Valkyria's guidance, they easily gained access. The group kept to themselves, mostly, though some of the mercenaries were able to find a place around the campfire to share tales and meat.

They were now a good day's ride from the mountain road that would lead them into Valis, and most of the group was looking forward to a reprieve from the heat and sand. Thanks to exhaustion, many slept soundly, trusting in Valkyria to keep them and their belongings safe from the bandits. Others yet slept lightly, or not at all, fearing a knife in the back or robbery, despite being under the protection of the half-elf bandit. Morning came without incident, and after drawing water from a well the bandits had dug to the underground river, they were able to replenish their water and tend to their horses before setting out for the main road again.