The Ascendant Wizard

The camp was quiet during the early morning, the sun hadn't even fully taken the sky yet.

Smoke drifted low across the field, the faint orange glow of torches flickering between the cracks of the old wooden barricades that the bandits had built around the mouth of the mine.

Their laughter could be heard even from the ridge, still so blissfully unaware of what was just in front of their doors.

Morena stood with Adolf and the captain a distance away, crouched near a low slope where the treelines came to an end, and the rough ground of stone began. Behind them, the soldiers waited in silence, spread out in formation, just waiting for her command to move.

"They have no sentries near the rear."

The captain said in a low tone.

"We can cut through here. It'll take longer, but they won't see us coming."

Morena nodded slightly.

"How many men do we have in position?"

"One hundred thirty-seven accounted for."

Adolf answered.

"Archers on the north ridge. Infantry and apprentices in the center. Riders are ready to flank on your signal."

She looked toward the camp again. The flicker of light made it hard to see details, but she could make out faint shadows of movement.

"Perfect, we hit them before dawn. We do some damage, then back up, have them chase us."

She stood, spear in hand, and gestured with a small motion.Adolf signaled to the nearest officer, who raised his hand, and a faint whistle carried through the night.

It was the only warning the bandits got.

The first volley came from above. A dozen arrows cut through the air, the only sound they made as they moved was the whistling of wind breaking past them, then the sound of impact.

Screams followed, men shouting, confusion breaking out across the camp. In the panic it seemed a few torches fell, as a small fire began to flare near the entrance of the cave.

"Now!"

Morena's voice rang clear through the dark.

The soldiers were waiting for that command all along, with one word they charged forward without hesitation.

The first line of infantry hit the barricades like a hammer. They kept their shields up and spears leveled as they broke through the weak wooden fences with a single coordinated push.

The sound was loud, and it echoed in the mountains around them, splintering wood, shouting, and blades colliding with sparks.

The air was quickly filled with the smell of dirt, smoke, and blood.

Bandits stumbled out of their tents half-armed, swinging rusted blades in a panic to try and save their pitiful lives. They were disorganized, still waking up, some had even died without being able to, but they fought like cornered dogs, snarling and desperate.

Soldiers cut through them with ease; the gap in their training and equipment was clear as day. One slash from a proper blade and the weapons held by the bandits snapped in two.

The soldiers that were at apprentice level moved freely through the confusion. She used them as a quick-moving attack force; she tasked them with striking hard and fast before slipping away again. They kept the enemies from properly regrouping and pulling together, which made it easier.

As for those who tried to flee? A quick and painless death would have been better; instead, the archers took care of them by shooting their legs out and leaving them to bleed.

Within mere moments, the camp, which had been silent with the morning light, suddenly fell into a storm filled with noise.

But throughout all that, Morena didn't move to enter the battlefield just yet. Instead, she stayed at the back for now, watching the battle unfold, her eyes constantly monitoring the field, making sure everything was going as it should, and trying to find any issues.

She needed to know where the real threat was before entering.

"Hold the left flank and don't let them push past!"

Adolf barked orders from the backlines. As a Rank 1 Warrior, neither he nor the captain had gotten involved in the fight yet, simply because if they did, the outcome would be decided from the start.

They would just overwhelm the bandits within moments.

"Keep the line tight!"

The soldiers adjusted quickly, forming a wall of shields against the incoming rush of bandits. The clang of blades echoed off the rocks, each strike met with a grunt or a cry.

"Push forward!"

The captain roared from the front, his spear already dripping red not from actively fighting, but from simply swinging at anyone getting too close to his horse.

"Don't give them any space to breathe, crush them before they regroup!"

Bit by bit, they drove the bandits back, through the outer barricades and into the heart of the camp. The tents and makeshift camp were destroyed in the rumble, while the fire had slowly spread to more areas around the camp.

Morena could feel the heat even from her position on the hill, it was dangerous if the fire spread, but it helped in isolating them from escape. With the fire surrounding the camp, none of them could easily make a run for it, making holding a line around them easy.

'They're starting to regroup.'

She turned to Adolf and gave her command.

"Have the riders move in next."

He didn't argue and simply passed on the order from her to the others. Moments later, out from the treeline multiple horseback soldiers could be seen holding their spears, wearing heavy armor.

With a motion of her hand, she led her horse forward, joining those that had appeared and taking the lead. She decided that she would finally get involved.

"Ride in from the side, and cut down anyone that gets in the way."

With a tug of the reins, she urged the horse forward. The others followed behind her, hooves pounding against the ground.

The sound thundered through the area, and almost everyone could hear them coming before they even arrived, but how could they do anything given the speed at which they moved?

When they reached the base of the slope, Morena leaned forward, her spear held tight.

The bandits didn't even have time to react before it was too late.

The riders crashed into their flank like a storm, cutting through their half-formed line in a blur of motion. The first man she hit went down instantly, his body thrown back from the sheer impact. Her spear tore free, and she turned it in her grip, thrusting again into another's chest.

The horse kicked and reared, crushing a man beneath its hooves. The bandits attempted to fight back, firing arrows that flew past her head, one grazing her shoulder but not breaking through her armor.

The soldiers behind her pressed forward, cutting deeper and deeper into the bandit ranks. With their speed and weapons, any bandit that got too close was essentially cut in half or sent flying by the weight of the horse itself.

For a brief moment, it looked like victory.

But then she felt it.

A pressure in the air, it was faint but it was one she was familiar with.

It was heavy, suffocating, like the space itself thickened around her. A ripple of killing intent that didn't belong to common men.

Her eyes darted across the battlefield until she found him.

A figure standing near the mouth of the cave having just exited from the inside. He was tall, broad, and unmistakably calm amid the chaos. In his hand was a blade much bigger than a common man's, a greatsword, yet he held it with ease showing his clear strength.

With a mere glance it was clear as day that he was no mere bandit, he was much more.

Her heartbeat quickened as the man stepped forward. Even from here, she could feel the weight of his aura pressing down on the battlefield, and even the nearby bandits seemed to regain some courage just by his presence.

Adolf noticed him too, his face tensing as he called out from behind.

"My lady! That one, he's a Rank 1!"

Morena pulled her reins, the horse slowing as her eyes locked onto the man. He hadn't moved to attack yet, instead he was just watching the battlefield, his eyes slowly shifting over to her as well, blade resting lazily over his shoulder.

The soldiers around her kept fighting, unaware of the shift in air, those that couldn't properly sense energy wouldn't have even noticed it.

Morena lowered her spear slightly, only reacting slightly to avoid getting hit by others, but her attention was focused on the man.

Her lips pressed into a thin line.

'So he finally shows himself.'

It was clear he held some sort of position in the bandit group, perhaps he was even the leader himself. If they could take him out, it would make dealing with the others easier since it would crush their morale.

As she was thinking, the man began to walk towards her, cutting his way through the crowd without care. He swung his greatsword in such wide arches that not only did he kill her men, but he even killed his own men along the way.