Bandit And Slaver Suppression

-Central Desierto, midday-

Wearing an unfamiliar outfit of tan t-shirt and khaki cargo pants with tan boots, Leona wore her Argent Gloves and Adaptable Armor. The Adaptable Armor's color scheme had been changed to a desert camouflage pattern to better blend with the sandy terrain. On her back was her backpack and on her left hip was her Nightshade Machete. In her backpack was both a good supply of bottled water and her familiar green-and-gold outfit in case she needed to change clothing at some point.

Leona stood at the crossroads of a well-used desert trail that was traveled by religious pilgrims, soldiers of the royal army, merchants, and the outlaws that Desierto was infamous for. Leona cupped a hand over her mouth and closed her eyes as a gust of wind kicked up a cloud of sand that slapped her in the face. She seriously needed to consider investing in goggles to protect her eyes from the sand and getting a wrap to cover her mouth with.

Reports of increased bandit and slaver activity had prompted Desierto authorities to send for Leona in order to suppress it. Leona was more than willing to answer the call because one of her personal goals was to make Desierto a little safer for the common man of the Tri-Council Cities and for the villagers who lived in the desert. It might be an impossible goal due to the sheer number of outlaws who called the region home, but the Wizard Saint of Courage was willing to do her best to push back against the outlaws. They had had their way for too long and it was time that someone began pushing back against them.

Her mission was simple. She was to kill any bandits and slavers she came across and free any captives that they had taken. Normally Leona did not like having to kill any more than she had to, but the outlaws of Desierto had declared her their enemy, so she would not pull her punches because they would not be pulling theirs. In light of that fact she could make an exception for them.

Leona looked around her environment for any signs of bandits, slavers, or Sol Terumi. The Desierto authorities had seen fit to call for someone to help Leona in her mission and the West Fiore Trading Company mage had answered the call. She could most likely handle the job on her own, but the blonde would not turn down his help because Sol had proven himself to be an adept fighter during their sparring match a few days ago. In between his skill with swords and his bare hands, the mage could more than handle the bandits and slavers of this region.

Leona stood in place at the crossroads because it would be a landmark that Sol could use to find her. He could also home in on her magic signature if all else failed, but she would try the simple approach first. Sometimes the simple approach worked the best.

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Leona stood around until she detected a magic signature approaching her position. At first she thought that the enemies she was after had hired some magical muscle for this fight, but closer examination of the signature told her that it did not belong to an enemy. Instead it belonged to Sol Terumi, her partner for this job. The blonde mage raised a hand in greeting to the West Fiore Trading Company mage and waited for him to reach her side, which did not take long. Sol moved quickly and did not waste time with side trips or stopping to chat with the locals.

"Hey Sol. Nothing's happened yet, so you're just in time." Leona greeted her job partner cordially. She was not too concerned about him being on time because there was not much activity here. Not a single horse, wagon, or merchant caravan had passed by here, but that was to be expected because the center of Desierto was also the center of bandit activity. Bandits and slavers staked out the roads to prey on any passers-by they could catch and used the roads to transport their loot to their hideouts, be the plunder material or human. Today Leona and Sol were here to push back against the outlaws and make central Desierto just a little bit safer for its law-abiding citizens.

Leona felt herself be kissed on the cheek and blushed involuntarily, a reaction that Sol was likely aiming to get. If that was the case, he got what he wanted. Leona tried to focus on answering his question, which was where they needed to go in order to get on with completing the job. She tried to think of where the nearest bandit hideout was so that the pair could hand them an eviction notice and save any captives that had been taken by the outlaws.

"Right now we don't need to go anywhere because we're in central Desierto. The action will come to us soon. And the job notice said that we were to get rid of the bandits. The client doesn't care if we knock them out and transport to the authorities or just kill them. They just want the outlaws taught a lesson." Leona explained the specifics of the job to Sol. It should not take too long for trouble to head their way since there were always malcontents looking for easy prey. They were used to attacking people who were not armed or skilled enough to fight back. Today they would be in for an unpleasant surprise because they would be going up against a Wizard Saint and one of West Fiore Trading Company's most proficient mages. As if to prove her point, a team of fifteen horsemen in black outfits with red sashes galloped into view.

They had saddlebags loaded with loot like jewelry, fine clothing, Jewels, even gold coins that they had taken from their victims, most likely before killing them. The Crimson Sashes tended to do that to give people false hope that they would be allowed to live if they parted with their valuables. The bandits then killed them anyway just for the fun of it.

"Well, looks like the big boys have come out to play. What a way to start the job." Leona dryly commented on them. She then explained their significance to Sol.

"They're Crimson Sashes, the guys who have been terrorizing the desert for almost a hundred years. They raid villages to kill for loot, for captives to sell to slavers, or just because they're bored. These guys hardly ever leave survivors, so don't feel like you have to spare them." Leona told Sol a very short list of what made the Crimson Sashes hated and feared in equal measure. The lead horsemen took notice of the pair and Leona reached for her machete.

"Get ready to fight, Sol! They'll come after us with everything they've got and won't let us live!" Leona warned Sol. The horseman simply laughed in response, drew his scimitar, and spurred his mount into action. The other fourteen followed suit and barreled down on the two mages, looking to add two more kills to their tally.

[Word Count: 710]
[Total Word Count: 1,220/12,500]

The Crimson Sashes did not waste much time with preambles. Leona did not need a preamble to know who these guys were and what they wanted... she drew her machete because a peaceful resolution was not possible here. They wanted to take her severed head back to their boss and prove to him that their greatest enemy was dead once and for all. Leona would not give them the chance to gloat at her expense because she would defeat this batch with Sol's help and she would defeat all the Crimson Sashes who came after her. She would defeat as many as were sent to try and take her head for a trophy.

One of them charged at her on horseback, but Leona knew exactly what to do to counter the attack. She fired a Wind Bullet at him and hit him in the left shoulder, dismounting him with about as much effort as it took to breathe. He toppled off of his horse and three more of his colleagues thundered past him on their steeds intent on coming to grips with the Wizard Saint of Courage. Leona simply raised a hand and fired a Wind Blast spell, making the horses rear up in fright and dump their riders from the saddle before running away to the curses of their former riders.

The first adversary rushed at Leona with his scimitar held in both hands and Leona exploited that mistake with two slashes across the chest, then a stab that ended the threat. She planted a foot on his chest and kicked him off just before the three dismounted horsemen ran in to take a shot at her. They stuck together and worked as a trio to try and overwhelm the blonde.

Leona took a swing at one of them and he strode forward to meet the blade with his own. While he clashed with her the remaining two circled around to both sides and made a simultaneous attack with their weapons, an attack Leona only dodged by giving ground and disengaging from the first Crimson Sash at the last moment by stepping back. That gave the first enemy an opening to kick Leona in the right knee and momentarily cripple her.

She quickly recovered from the pain and used a Storm Impact spell to kick up a dome-shaped cloud of sand when the wind dome expanded outward, knocking her opponents back and blinding them with sand. Leona took advantage of that opening and killed the first enemy with three slashes across the chest followed by a stab. She withdrew the machete and went after the second Crimson Sash, who had just enough time to face Leona before she decapitated him with a single swing of her weapon. The third enemy had recovered and now rushed to meet the blonde in combat.

His weapon clashed with hers and as she leaned in to gain leverage he pushed her weapon aside and headbutted her, sending her staggering backwards and giving the opponent time to press his attack. Press it he did... he grabbed her right hand and twisted it backwards, forcing her to drop her machete as pain shot through her arm. He then punched her three times in the face with his weapon hand and went for a decapitating stroke while she was still recovering.

Leona's adrenaline felt a lot more powerful than usual and she ducked the attack with such speed that she ducked almost as soon as it was made. Leona quickly drew the knife from her boot and plunged it into the startled Crimson Sash's chest four times, then stabbed him again to finish the fight. She shoved him down and faced two more Crimson Sashes who had come to fight her. They hesitated for a moment, giving her enough time to grab her machete and call for Sol.

"I'm gonna need a little help here!" Leona called to her job partner. The two enemies were soon joined by another three, making it a five-on-one fight. Her powerful adrenaline rush faded as suddenly as it had activated. She would need a little help from Sol to get through this fight.

[Word Count: 700]
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Power of Apocalypse has been used. It is on cooldown for six posts.

"Huh, what?" Leona asked before she quickly caught his meaning and dodged to the left with a roll that threw her onto the sand. Had she not done so Sol would have hit her with his Shadow Dragon Roar, a technique that she had no prior knowledge of because she had access to only one technique during their time as a "married" couple in Rose Garden. Sol's Shadow Dragon Roar hit three of the enemies and ripped through them with no trouble whatsoever. That intervention gave Leona just the opportunity she needed to turn the tables on her aggressors.

"Thanks!" Leona called out to her job partner. Leona then went on the offensive against her adversaries with machete in hand. She carved through the first without too much trouble because he was still dazed by the effect of the Shadow Dragon Roar on what used to be his teammates. The second enemy recovered in time to block the downward swing of her weapon with his scimitar.

They clashed in a blade lock and met face-to-face. He was determined not to lose to her and she was determined not to lose to him. Neither party would give way, so one of them had to find a way to break the stalemate. The Crimson Sash struck first with a kick aimed at her left kneecap.

Leona raised her knee out of the way and took the kick on her shin. She struck back with a Mach Jab delivered to his face with her left hand. He stood his ground and pushed hard against her in an attempt to gain the leverage needed to win. Leona saw that there was no point to this and suddenly spun right, making him stagger forward and giving her a chance to finish the fight with a stab through the back. Leona would not get that chance because he spun around and threw a handful of sand into her eyes.

Leona raised her hand to block it but only managed to block part of the sand thrown at her. The other half hit her in the eyes and made seeing anything rather difficult. She could barely make out the man as he ran towards her and punched her in the face, knocking her back a short distance. Leona focused through the pain and managed to see him long enough to aim a Zephyr Charge. She focused magic into her legs, then she bent down and dashed right towards him.

The surprised man was hit with the full force of the technique and knocked off his feet, landing on the sand and dropping his weapon. Leona stopped to rub her eyes and try to clear them long enough to finish the fight. The sand refused to move... she would need to get a water bottle to flush her eyes out, but the Crimson Sash was not going to give her that luxury. He got up and ran at her with a curved knife in his hand.

Leona met the attack with a Silver Tempest spell. The horizontal silver tornado slammed into him and disoriented him long enough for Leona to finish him with a decapitation from her machete. The blonde then dropped her machete and fumbled for her backpack. She set it down and eventually got it open after fumbling with it for a good twenty seconds. She seized a bottle of water and opened it, then tilted her head skyward and poured the bottle on her face.

The water loosened the sand in her eyes just enough that she could remove it with her fingers. She dropped the empty bottle and slowly cleared away the sand using her fingers, allowing her to see clearly again. A lot of careful wiping and three minutes later Leona could see again. She wiped off the excess water on her face and picked up the empty plastic bottle, jamming it into a side pocket.

"I hate sand." Leona complained.

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Power of Apocalypse has five posts of cooldown remaining.

"I'm OK. Nothing a little water can't handle." Leona assured Sol. The sand in her face was only a minor inconvenience and it was almost gone now. Of greater importance was Sol's idea to find the main Crimson Sashes camp and attack the bandits at their source, ending them once and for all. Although it was risky, Sol's proposal had a very good reason behind it. Ambushing and killing individual groups of them would not stop the Crimson Sashes.

The only way to get rid of them for good was to find their camp, go to it, and kill every last one of them. If she did not eliminate them at the source, they would only recruit more members to replace those that were killed and keep coming after her and going after the people of Desierto. Leona saw the logic in Sol's idea, but she was having trouble bringing herself to agree with it. Leona was not sure why she was hesitating to get rid of one of her greatest enemies. Why was she hesitating?

Leona had no problem fighting the Red Sands Bandits on two occasions. The first encounter weakened them by capturing their leader and handing him over to the Tri-City Council authorities. The second encounter saw the end of their group despite them merging with a slaver gang to increase their numbers for a retaliatory raid on the Blue Sky Clan. She had effectively destroyed them without feeling any stress over it, so why was she worried about tracking down and killing the Crimson Sashes?

"Yeah. We'll have to end them at the source, but we'll need a lot more than just two mages to do it with. We'll be facing a whole camp of them and they'll number in the hundreds. They won't surrender to us. They'll fight to the last man." Leona said to Sol. As unpleasant as it was, she would have to deal with the Crimson Sashes sooner or later. The longer she waited to find and destroy them the more the people of Desierto suffered. Even if Leona were willing to do it this instant, she and Sol would need a lot of backup to make sure the Crimson Sashes did not overwhelm them with sheer numbers or get away to rebuild the group and come after her again. If she was to attack, she would need to make sure that none of them got away.

Leona was not sure where she could find some mages willing to participate in what was going to be a thoroughly unpleasant job that involved killing a lot of bandits. That would have to wait. The decision was mercifully postponed by Sol asking about sandstorms in the region.

"Sandstorms? They're pretty common out here because there's no natural cover to block the wind and the high winds kick up the sand. Do you need anything to help deal with them?" Leona asked Sol before she heard something approaching.

The creaking of a heavy wooden cart with an iron cage full of what looked like prisoners was audible nearby. The hooves of their mounted escorts pounded against the sand. Leona looked at them and saw that they were not from the royal army, a group of religious pilgrims, or tourists. They were men in white clothing with tan robes and they were slavers hauling a cargo of captured people back to their camp.

Leona was not going to let them pass with their cargo. She readied her machete and her resolve for what was about to happen. Two of the twenty-two slavers rode up to Leona and started to appraise her with the intent of adding her to their cage.

"She's a young and healthy one. She's pretty too. She'll sell for a very high price!" One of them, an obese man with a scimitar at his side, said to his colleague as he circled around her on horseback. He failed to notice that his would-be victim was armed.

"What about the guy?" The other asked.

"He'll make a good worker in the mines!" The obese man answered. He then reached down to grab Leona by the hair. The blonde simply raised her machete and cut his hand off at the wrist, causing him to scream and clutch the bleeding stump. Dodging the spray of blood, Leona then dragged him off the horse and threw him onto the sand before stabbing him through the chest multiple times.

"Get her!" His partner shouted before Leona fired a Wind Bullet that knocked him off his horse and onto the sand. Leona ran over to him and decapitated him before he could draw his weapon. The remaining slavers hesitated as the smarter ones recognized who she was.

"It's... it's Leona Jarnefeldt! She's the one who wiped out the Red Sands Bandits!" One of them warned his colleagues as to who they were going up against. They began to murmur in panic and started to back away. The drivers of the cart were frozen in their seats, not sure whether to jump out and run or stay where they were. The slavers soon recovered their resolve and a group of ten charged at her.

"They never learn." Leona muttered to herself. She looked at Sol.

"Sol, let's get rid of these slavers." Leona told him. Sol was handy in a fight and knew what he was doing. This should be a quick and easy fight.

[Word Count: 929]
[Total Word Count: 3,510/12,500]
Power of Apocalypse has four posts of cooldown remaining.

Leona had to put the issue of dealing with the Crimson Sashes on hold because now she was dealing with slavers. The slavers were a lot easier to deal with than the battle-hardened raiders because they relied on numbers, surprise, and intimidation to win their fights instead of fighting skill. Their predictability made them quite easy to deal with for any experienced fighter. Leona had had years of experience in dealing with them before her exile and had gained more experience in fighting them ever since. Since she knew all their tricks, they did not cause her nearly as much concern as more "professional" groups.

Leona was not surprised by their tactics and was not intimidated by them. The only thing the slavers had that could cause her concern was sheer numbers, but with Sol and his crowd control on her side the Wizard Saint did not have to worry about that as much. Leona had to face the five slavers in front of her, but she had an advantage over them because they showed fear of her once they recognized who she was.

Leona saw five of them coming towards her as a group and went on the offensive. Since they were attempting to fight as a group, she would be best served breaking up the group to deal with individuals but Sol beat her to it with an attack that killed three of them without any trouble. A Wind Blast in their direction knocked the remaining over like bowling pins and set them up to be easily dealt with. Leona knocked out one of them with a kick to the head and faced another who had been knocked down but had quickly recovered and had gained support from three more slavers who ran up to the fighting.

The second charged at her with weapon at the ready and Leona met him with a stab through the chest. She kicked him off the blade and faced the third man, who had grabbed Leona by the shirt sleeve. She punched him in the face and knocked him down, then kicked him a few times in the face until he fell back in the sand. While she was distracted by that the fourth slaver charged in and grabbed Leona's right hand, then threw her to the sand and started kicking her in return. Leona had a solution to that. It was time to get back on her feet and get rid of these guys.

She grabbed the foot of one in mid-kick and pulled him down, then scrambled up and used a Storm Impact to kick up a dome-shaped cloud of sand with her at the center. While they were busy coughing from the sand Leona moved in to kill them. She decapitated the first before he could recover and did the same to the second as he raised his hands in a vain attempt at protecting himself.

Two more horsemen rode up to her and Leona knocked both of them off with a Fast Ball spell apiece. They scrambled to their feet to oppose the Wizard Saint and were soon knocked out with her fists. Leona nailed the first in the face with a Mach Straight and knocked him unconscious. Leona hit the second with a Mach Uppercut and knocked him out before he even hit the sand. Maybe she was growing too soft by knocking out the slavers instead of killing them.

[Word Count: 577]
[Total Word Count: 4,087/12,500]