She could feel the heat from just a few meters away moments before she heard the screaming. She didn’t need to turn and look to know that several of her men were already dead and that more would likely die from their wounds before the night was over.

  The butcher kicked at the guardsman before her knocking him back a few steps into his allies behind him, this gave her a bit of breathing room while she tried thinking of a way out of the mess she found herself in.

  ‘This wasn’t supposed to end up like this.’ She thought to herself as her eyes darted around for an escape. ‘If I had known about the mage I would have just allowed them to take the camp and just disappeared and been forgotten. I could have just built up another gang and created another persona and seed rumors that Tullus was the one behind it again.’

  A spear shot out from behind a nearby shield that she was forced to block. The butcher gritted her teeth and pushed the spear back, using the momentum and her positioning she used the flat side of the battle cleaver to strike the guardsman before her across the face.

  The guardsman recoiled and fell into his ally behind him giving some actual breathing room and a chance for the butcher to think. Her eyes quickly turned from the fight to her far right, the closest way she had to escape. The only problem was there were four other bandits and guardsmen in that direction she needed to deal with.

  Her mind went back to all the potions and lesser magical items she owned and which might be able to help her, eventually she recalled one potion in particular that she always kept on her person for the worst case scenario.

  She quickly reached into her chest pocket and pulled out a sickening red potion in a reinforced magical bottle with little black chunks of something she didn’t understand. It was a gift from her patron who gifted her the connections to build such a bandit gang and the very person who ordered her to pillage her own lands for when the time was right.

  Knowing that hesitation would result in death or capture she quickly pulled the stopper and downed the potion in a handful of seconds, within seconds she could feel the effects of the potion. She could feel her body strengthen beyond what she could have imagined, but she could also feel the side effects slowly building up. It was like a layer of stone was growing over her muscles beneath the skin. For the time being it would be bearable, but it might not stay that way as she felt it slowly growing more and more.

  Using this newfound strength the butcher charged to the right towards the guardsmen with her battle cleaver held out before her like a shield, the sudden reckless and powerful attack worked quite well and within moments the butcher was out of the formation and running towards the front gate like everyone she left behind was right behind her.

  She couldn’t help but let out a laugh as she left everyone behind, it was almost too easy just pushing through all those armored guardsmen like paper. She was half tempted to take a quick look back and see how they were faring after such an unexpected decision. But then she felt the side effects of the potion again, it was like the claws of a wild animal were cutting into every muscle she had, even those she didn’t know about.

  For a moment she stumbled and nearly tripped, but she managed to regain her footing and continued running towards the gate although with a slower pace than before.

  ‘That certainly isn’t good, if that keeps up I don’t think I will be able to move at all. Knowing that damned bird she didn’t intend for the potion to be used in this way, she probably didn’t even intend for me to be the one using it.’

  She reached the front gate and quickly tossed the logs acting as a lock to the side before pulling it open with all her strength. It easily swung open and the butcher darted out leaving her subordinate to their fate.

  ********

  Despite the sudden burst of strength and decisive attack of the butcher the guardsmen under Sergeant Gallio’s command managed to keep the offensive up without suffering any major injuries. Sergeant Gallio ordered those who were shaken up by the butches sudden attack and subsequent escape hold their position while the rest pushed forwards.

  It only took a few moments to order and to watch unfold, but by the time that was done and he turned back to the two mages at his side he found they were gone.

  Frantically he looked to his right and then to his left where he found them following after the butcher. The geomancer man was in the lead between the two while the pyromancer woman was a few meters behind him.

  Sergeant Gallio nearly shouted at them to stay in their formation out of pure instinct but stopped himself at the last second. He gritted his teeth as they ran, unable to say or do anything to make them stay. ‘They likely have their reasons for leaving, but I would have liked to have at least one of them here just in case something happens.’

  Sergeant Gallio turned his attention back towards the messy melee before him, it was going well for his guardsmen. They were keeping their formation steady and the bandits at spear length as they slowly wore them down. Some bandits had chosen to try attacking with bows and by throwing rocks and other improvised weapons, but it mostly amounted to just a few small marks on the shields. At worst they would suffer a bruise that was mostly blocked by the chainmail and the padding underneath.

  Still the bandits attacking from a distance were just as determined to kill them as when the fight first started, perhaps it was the cowardly nature they harbored combined with how they were out of harm's way for the most part, or it might have just been delusions mixed with greed upon seeing the expensive armor.

  Even as their allies fell to the very men they wished to kill and loot they didn’t stop, it was almost a blessing that they didn’t try and run. It would make Sergeant Gallio’s job far easier.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  **********

  I ran at full speed after the butcher just moments after she broke out of the fight and ran towards the palisade’s gate. She was running with such force she was kicking up the dirt below her feets as she did so.

  I could also hear Calavia behind me breathing heavily as she struggled to keep up.

  Without missing a beat I reached into my bag and pulled out a bottle containing a stamina potion and held it off to my side. It was a wordless gesture to Calavia to reach for the stamina potion I had given her prior to the attack on the camp.

  As the butcher reached the gate she almost effortlessly picked up and tossed away the wood acting as a lock and swung the gate open like a normal door. ‘Shit, I think I am going to need the potion myself to keep up with her.’ I thought to myself before popping the cork off and downing the potion in one gulp.

  Within seconds I could feel the effects of the potion working. What little exhaustion had built up was practically gone and I could feel more energy practically flowing through my veins. It was a massive step up from when I was an apprentice under Georgius Calvus.

  With this new breath of energy I raced after the butcher into the trees using the deep footprints she left behind as a guide.

  Minutes passed as I followed her footprints through the first with Calavia in the distance following me. For a while I wondered how exactly she managed to pull off such an attack and why she would then disengage instead of pressing the advantage, but as the minutes passed I saw the footprints become more and more erratic.

  Instead of the straight and stable footsteps of a skilled runner the butcher started stepping wide and unevenly, it was like she was having difficulty running.

  Suddenly around twenty meters in the distance I saw something on the ground, at first all I knew it wasn’t something natural. As I got closer I wondered if it might have been a trap placed by the butcher for me, but as I stood a few meters from the disturbance I knew for a fact that wasn’t the case.

  It was the butcher laying on the ground, her arms and legs angled like she was in mid run before suddenly becoming paralysed and stiff. Her face was partly pressed into the dirt as she breathed heavily and groaned in what sounded like pain.

  I started stepping around to get a better look at her when Calavia arrived breathing somewhat heavily and leaned against a tree.

  “By the gods, that potion of yours worked wonders. Any other time I would have been left wheezing on the ground after a run like that, but I think I just need a breather before going again for another run.”

  “That is good to hear.” I replied half listening to what Calavia said as I gave the butcher’s condition most of my attention. “Now what happened to you?” I asked as I stepped closer.

  Immediately she recoiled slightly and grunted in a mix of pain as she tried moving away only to move herself no more than an inch.

  Kneeling down to get a better look I began inspecting the butcher to see if I could uncover why she was suddenly paralysed. The first thing I noticed was that her eyes remained unaffected by whatever was ailing her as she kept her eyes trained on me the whole time.

  There were no visible injuries or wounds that indicated a poison or venom was paralysing her so I reached forwards and took her right hand to feel the mussel in case it could tell me anything about her condition, and to my surprise it told me a lot.

  With just a little pressure applied on her I could feel the mussel was stiff. I quickly pressed harder and found it wasn’t just stiff, it was practically stone.

  “What in the world?” I couldn’t help but mutter as I turned to look the butcher in the eye. I could see a mix of anger and embarrassment as she glared at me.

  “What is it? Did you figure out what happened to her?” Calavia suddenly asked while taking a few steps around the butcher towards me.

  “She… has been paralysed. But not in a traditional sense.” I managed to reply while still trying to understand how someone's mussel could become as hard as stone. “Somehow the mussel in her body has become incredibly stiff, here feel for yourself.” I grabbed Calavia’s hand and brought it to the butcher's hand and like I did she squeezed the right hand.

  “By the god’s, you are right.” Calavia exclaimed as her head whipped back towards me. “How could something like this happen?”

  “I honestly don’t know. What I do know is that we need to take her in alive to study this affliction. Perhaps it will even wear off in time and the butcher here will be able to help fill in the gaps.” The butcher grunted in what I assumed was disagreement at my statement, however I paid her feelings little attention as I began casting a simple tier two geomancy spell to create a floating earthen plank to transport her.

  Within just a few seconds the plank was conjured Calavia took the butcher by the legs while I took her by the shoulders. With one big lift we got her on the plank and we began walking back towards the bandit camp to regroup with Sergeant Gallio.

  By the time we reached the camp we found the place to be littered with the corpses of numerous bandits with the guardsmen sifting through and taking anything of value. I noticed several of the bandits were facing away from where the main battle took place, they were likely running away or following their leaders footsteps.

  One guardsman was looking through a bandits pockets right near the gate, he quickly stood straight and gave us a small salute the moment he noticed us.

  “Welcome back sir, ma’am. The sergeant wishes to speak with you.” He said as he pointed behind him where most of the other guardsmen were standing.

  I noticed despite the thick layers of armor he wore he had a very young face, not a single wrinkle or scar. Odds are this was the first combat situation he was in, and he seemed to be taking it rather well other than the obvious nervousness he was expressing to us.

  “Thank you soldier.” I quickly replied as Calavia and I walked past. I noticed his eyes widened as he looked upon what we were transporting.

  “You five leave the weapons and other valuables on the table we brought out here, the rest of you will begin organizing and transporting everything to the camp where five of you will stay to keep an eye on things.” I heard Sergeant Gallio say to his subordinates as he directed them.

  “In the event that someone or something dangerous arrives use this horn.” Sergeant Gallio handed a strange looking horn to the largest of the guardsmen ordered to transport and organize. “All you will need to do is blow into it and just about everything in a mile will hear it. When we hear it we will drop everything and come running.”

  As the sergeant finished speaking he turned and found the two of us standing just behind his subordinates with what looked like a corpse on a brown plank of wood.

  “Welcome back you two. I hope that is something important to the task at hand.” I could feel the annoyance in the sergeant's voice as he spoke to us. The most likely reason was that he was unhappy with us leaving mid fight, even if we were following the butcher who was leading the bandits.