8/19 - Abandoned village - morning

The place we're attacking today isn’t just a camp, but a town. The buildings were destroyed by fires or wrecked from the inside out.

"This is where they're hiding out," I ask Cade.

"Yeah, they're all here, sitting cozily in a town they destroyed."

"Kind of a dick move on their part."

Seriously, what utter bastard kicks people out of their homes only to just mess them up and take them?

"Cade, we sent in a scout team into the town," Puck reports as she appears from behind.

"What did they find?"

"There's a Fire Wraith."

"You sure about that," I interject.

"Yeah."

"Sweet, then let's do this."

"See you're excited, Proxy," Cade observed.

"Course I am, more fun to be had."

"Then let's go have some fun."

We stroll out into the open, with our weapons in hand. The street is quiet but any second now, we’re about to unleash hell on these streets, but this time, we were going to drive them out.

"Yo, bandit bastards, show yourselves, we're here to take this village back," I called them out. As if they were waiting for their cue, bandits come out like ants from the dirt.

"Well guys, looks like we have a bunch of no-good bandits, coming out like the rats they are, now ain't that something,” I mock the bandits.

"You kids better empty your pockets, or else."

Puck cocks her gun in response to the bandit's poor threat. The bandits edge closer towards us, ready to throw down.

"What's with all this noise!?"

A familiar voice rings out from a building in front of us.

"I leave you barbarians for one second and you all just begin to bicker about. . ."

When the presumed chief in command came out, I knew that this would be a treat.

"Oh, it's you.”.

"NOT YOU AGAIN," He screams like he’s going for a world record.

"You're a pain in the ass," I told him.

"That's my line," he bit back.

"Sorry, but I'm gonna beat you up again,"

"Not this time, I learned from my mistakes and this time I shall enact on them! Men, form up!"

They begin to move into position, one in front of another, going into a squared formation.

"See this, this is the ultimate formation, and it's called: 'PROTECT ME FORMATION!'" Did he really name it that? "What are you waiting for, kill them!"

They all charge in at us, nearly tumbling on themselves from the awkward positioning. This is so sad, I feel bad for these guys.

"Hey, Cade, should we signal everyone in now?"

"Sure, we know the scope of the bandits that are housed here now, no sense in delaying their defeat."

Puck popped open the chamber to the gun. It was a circular chamber, it was designed to fit one big shell inside it. Puck loads one inside and shoots it into the air. The bullet acted like a flare, a blue light, signaling Alex's men to come in.

"What was that for," the spear jerk asks.

"You'll see."

"Whatever, men, attack."

The bandits continue their charge towards our small number.

"Time to fight, guys!"

"Finally, let the battle begin!"

We rush in towards our enemies, knocking a few of their numbers down. Cade and his group use gadgets against the bandits to wither away at their numbers. The battle is getting a bit too wild for us to handle, so we retreat into the buildings to deal with them there. The one I choose is a small home, I run in the kitchen in the back of the house.

"Kill the brat!"

Whoops, looks like they caught up, better get to fighting. I grab a pan, clanking it against my sword.

"Come on boys, first come, first serve."

A blade flies my way, I block it with the pan, I then hit him over the head. The other ones follow suit behind him by trying their hand at fighting me, but I’m able to fend them off, one by one. They aren't particularly strong, just fodder really. But the last one to walk is a big boy who probably ate his spinach.

"Well shit, this is going to be fun."

I try my hand at rushing him but he simply grabs me and throws me out of the house through the wall. Tumbling on the ground, I try to catch my breath. Big dude came out from the hole in the house.

"Pretty good throw, I kinda felt that one."

More like I felt the whole damn thing. The buff dude didn't waste his time answering me, he just came at me.

"Surprise attack!"

The big guy turns around to see Wedge smash his fist into the guy's face. The punch left a devastating effect as he staggers and stumbles all over the place. I make my move by kicking him in the face. I knock him to the ground, but just in case he’s still able to move, I punch his head for a double-tap.

"Thanks, wedge."

"No problem, but we should focus on the other enemies!"

"Impossible, how did you beat him," the spear jerk gasps.

"He was all muscle and that's it."

"Damn, that useless mercenary! But that doesn't matter. Men, surround these little runts."

More bandits surround us.

"This is gonna be a long one," I tell Wedge.

"The longer the fight, the better the fight!"

"Ha, loved the optimism!"

"This is where you brats shall die. Now men, take charge and. . ."

My attention turned towards the shadow that blankets the spear jerk. He notices too and sloppily moves out of the way. The person in question was Marie, her spear in the spot the spearman was.

"W-what the, who dares to attack me!?"

"I do," she flatly responded.

"Someone, protect me!"

Under my notice, the bandits in the back of the crowd were fighting. I can see them being beaten as I stand on a bandit's head. I could see Alex and the others battling the bandits.

"No way, why is this happening to me!?"

The spear jerk is acting hysterical. He got up with his spear and ran off away from the action. Marie gives chase. As I follow behind her bandits block my path.

"Not gonna let her hog all the glory for herself."

With a resounding battle cry, I charge off against the bandit crowd.

…

I run through the forest to chase after the last bandit. He’s making quite the break for it, even when wearing a cape. I lost him after a while, I stopped short of where he disappeared.

"What the hell? Where did he go?"

He was right in front of me but now he’s gone. I observe the area to see if he’s hiding somewhere. A few leaves from above me fell. My attention went up to a tree above me, the bandit is right above me. He came down with his spear. I wasn't able to dodge in time and he was able to cut my arm.

"Got you, you vagabond."

The blood is rushing out of my wound, I need to seal it quickly. I tear off my ruined sleeve to use it as a bandage.

"Wait, that tattoo on your shoulder! Don't tell me you're-"

"I was, but what does that matter?"

I tie up my wound and I’m ready to fight. However, something is wrong, my grip on my spear is getting weaker.

"Looks like the coating is taking effect."

"Coating!"

"Don't worry, it won't kill you!"

"Coward!"

"Maybe so but it's my win, now, be a good girl and fall to sleep."

"You. . .asshole!"

My eyelids are becoming heavier and heavier with each passing second, it won't be too long before I fall asleep. How did I fall for such trickery?

…

Eadwald cackled to himself as he was prancing around in an idiotic fashion.

"I can't believe it, I can't believe it!"

He was excited about the circumstance that fell before him. In his company, the ticket to his redemption is in his hands. For the past few days, his position as a Flame Wraith captain was put into jeopardy after his run-in with Proxy. Ever since he failed to extort the village he was meant to after Proxy and Cade's band stopped him, his position was in danger of going to someone else suitable for the task. Before becoming captain, he sucked up to the previous one to be considered suitable as a replacement captain, and one night, the previous captain went out for a stroll and never came back, which left Eadwald in charge of the 10th squad. So far, he schemed and resorted to cowardice to keep his position, but as it stands now, without Marie he would lose captain statues, worse, he might be killed.

"I won't kill you, no, I'll be bringing you back with me."

Eadwald picked up Marie and was ready to dash his vehicle. However, before he took a step forward, something punctured his back, the pain was sharp, warm as well. He dropped to his knees, Marie rolled out of his hands. He could barely form a word since he was too focused on the pain in his back. Eadwald turned to see that a young man was the one who stabbed him. It was Cade, however, his usual aura was different, his eyes lacked any emotion, they were as cold as a winter night. His footsteps were as silent as the night itself. He stepped closer and closer towards the Flame Wraith captain, who was trying to put up a defense with his spear, but it was no good, he was too weak to put up any. Cade easily disabled him by knocking the spear out of his hand.

"Do you remember a small village that was surrounded by a clean plain? Do you remember when you bastards invaded it?"

Eadwald had no idea what he was talking about. He invaded many different villages, to him, they began to blend.

"You don't, do you? You don't remember setting fire to our homes as you murdered everyone there, do you!?"

"I. . .I. . .I!"

"It doesn't matter, they usually don't remember, so I won't waste my breath."

Cade used his other knife to end the bandits' life by stabbing him once more. As Eadwald was going to die on the floor, he thought to himself that this was an unfair death, he deserved better. He was a dejected Noble from the kingdom since his family wasn't contributing anything towards the kingdom's prosperity since Relius' inception into the throne. So, for his family to make amends and show their devotion to the throne, he was banished from the kingdom and had to fend for himself. When he was captured by the bandits he was made into a sort of slave, after a while he was able to get into the 10th Flame Wraith squad. He humiliated himself to become squad leader by kissing up to the last one, so why is it that he's the one who'll die?

"THIS IS UNFAIR!" This would be his last thought as he laid out on the floor, blood seeping out beneath him…

"That's another one down."

Cade put away his knives to check up on Marie, who was out cold. He saw that her shoulder was bleeding. He took off the makeshift bandage to check the wound. His heart stopped when he saw what was under the bandage. It was a tattoo of a flame that resembles a ghostly figure. Cade knew it all too well. The placement was as he remembered, right shoulder, on a girl who had emerald-green eyes, wielded a spear as a weapon, and her fighting style was swift, precise, and deadly. This was it, this was the last one, the last member of the original Flame Wraith squad that burned his village.

"At last. . .I found you!"

He took out his knives. He was ready to plunge them into her neck. He was interrupted when he heard someone coming thanks to the bushes. He put away his knives and saw that it was Proxy.

"Yo, Cade, there you are. . ."

Proxy noticed the body of Eadwald on the ground.

"What happened here?"

"I had to kill him, he was going to get away."

"Is she okay!?" Proxy went to check her pulse. "Oh thank God, she's fine." Proxy picked her up. "Come on, we need to. . ." He felt something tugging at his pants. It was Eadwald, he was still alive but only barely. Cade was about to rectify that but Proxy stopped him. "Cade, calm down!"

"What are you doing, he's still alive!"

"I know that but are you really gonna finish him off like this? Doesn't that seem a bit cruel?"

"Who cares, he's a bandit, he deserves no better than any of us," Cade declared, his cruelty was noted by Proxy.

"That's just too extreme."

"Just let me finish him off Proxy, he needs to die. He's one of the people that burned my village."

Proxy was beginning to feel uncomfortable, he didn't know what to say during this time, he never dealt with things like this before. He understood that Cade wanted his revenge against the bandits but there was something that told him that this wasn't right. Cade wasn't going to wait for Proxy to respond anymore.

"Proxy, he's going to die, either way, I'm just going to put him out of his misery. And there's also something else I need to tell you. That girl in your hands, she's a bandit."

Proxy's mind was stretched beyond its limit. Saying he was put into disbelief would be an understatement.

"What are you talking about? Marie isn't a bandit, she's. . ."

They heard someone coming. Alexander was the one to appear.

"Proxy, Cade, what happened to Marie!?"

"She was knocked out from this guy on the ground, but he's still alive," Cade explained.

"Then let's take him with us," Alexander suggested with no hesitation.

"He's a bandit.”

"That doesn't matter, we need to help him!" Alexander picked up the man, being careful as to not disturb his wounds. "Proxy, follow me, Cade: go check up on your people."

"...Sure."

There was a looming air of unease, it was strangling Proxy as if it had hands. Cade quietly went off out of the woods.

"Proxy, let's get these guys medical attention."

"Y-yeah."

They race towards their vehicles to get the two medical attention. Learning that Marie was supposedly a bandit still had Proxy caught in surprise. He didn’t know what to believe, he didn’t want to doubt Cade but he didn’t want to say he was lying.

Anti-bandit army camp - morning

Marie is in the medical, she’s knocked out cold, The bandit we brought back with us is also inside, being treated. Crow comes out of the tent with a bloody glove on.

"I have bad news: the bandit is alive," Crow solemnly said.

"I think that's good news," Alex cleared up.

"Oh, in that case, it's all good news then. Marie was hit with a sleep-inducing venom, so she'll be just fine after she takes a few hours to sleep."

I sigh in relief, the danger has passed.

"As for the bandit, I stitched his wound, he lost a lot of blood, so he'll be out for a while. If you want, we could give him food?"

"Yes, we should," Alex approved. "Proxy, can you cook him some red meat?"

"I should be able to. . ."

"Make sure to make mine medium raw," Crow requested.

"Mine too," Alex jumped in with a request.

"I thought I was cooking for one!?"

Crow went back into the medical tent, leaving me and Alex alone.

"Thank you, for taking care of Marie, Proxy."

"No problem. Say, Alex, I have to ask you something."

"What is it? You look serious?"

"It's just. . .Nothing, never mind. I just hope Marie will be alright is all."

"I do, too…"

Asking if she was a bandit would be hard; he might not even give me an honest answer even if I did, so I think it's best if I don't bring it up.

"Cade wanted that man dead, what did he do to him," Alex asked me.

"He helped burn his village to the ground, I think."

"I see. . .”

"What do you want to do with him now?"

"I'll still feed him, but once his wounds have healed, we'll let him go."

"Sure that's okay?"

"Of course, we'll have to make sure he doesn't know where we're camping, so when Crow is certain he's recovered, he'll knock him out and we'll drop him off somewhere away from here."

At least he's ready to cover his tracks. But I don't think Cade is gonna take the news lightly.

"Proxy, are you sure you don't want to join back up with us?"

"No, I can't, I'm sorry."

"It's fine, what you choose to do is your choice alone. But just know that you have friends you can rely on here."

I walk off without saying anything to his advice. It was rude of me, but I just feel as if I’m not worthy of his help.

High treetop - morning

"Yo, Cade, where are you?"

I can't find him anywhere in the camp, even when asking around. Puck just went into a worn-down tent. I go over to it to see if he can help me find Cade. As I approach it I can hear Cade’s voice, along with Puck and Wedge. I peek inside to see what is happening.

". . .Are you sure that she's the last one," Puck asks.

"Yeah, I am. I saw the tattoo on her arm."

"Then what do you want to do?"

"I don't know but maybe our friend outside can tell us."

I hesitantly present myself to them.

"Proxy, good thing it's you, we need to talk."

"It's about Marie," I guess.

"She's a bandit, she needs to be dealt with," Cade straight-forwardly declares.

"But she didn't do anything wrong, and so what if she was, it's not like she's hurting anyone now."

"Maybe, but it doesn't change what she did," Cade rebuttal.

"What did she do anyway?"

"She killed my parents," Cade revealed, lamenting the fact.

My breath runs short and my throat tightens from the reveal.

"She slaughtered them, right in front of me as I hid. She left me alive after she did, I swore that I would find her and kill her…"

Cade puts his hands on my shoulder, I tensed up from contact.

"Proxy, we need to eliminate her, and your help is needed."

My heart is about to jump right out of my chest, my thoughts are jumbled up.

"H-help how?"

"It'll be easy, we'll tell you our plan of attack, we just need you to follow through with it. . . Proxy, I know it's a bit much but you gotta realize something: in this fight against the bandits, it's them or us, and we need to strike them, even at their lowest with any method possible."

There was no way for me to argue, he had a right to revenge, and if Marie did do it, then. . .

"Fine, I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks, I will never forget this."

Cade smiled as he shares his gratitude toward me. It's painful to look at.

"We are in your debt," Wedge stated.

"Thank you for helping, Proxy," Puck thanked me with a cute smile. This, everything. . .This just sucks!