Retrieving The Package

Her rescue of the little girl having left her with mixed feelings, Sienna had decided to continue travelling for a while rather than returning straight to the trading company. She needed time to think and the best place for that was on the road or at least she thought so anyway. Besides, there was always the chance of stumbling across a job or two in the meantime and the summoner was keen to get back into the thick of things, as quickly as possible. For the moment, she was simply walking alone without the company of one of her spirits, deciding that she wanted just a little time to herself. Sylveon hadn’t been too happy about having been sent back but she’d understood and went back to the spirit world without a fuss. The previous adventure hadn’t been physically taxing but it had pulled at the emotions of both summoner and spirit, with them both probably needing to reflect.

The mage found herself in familiar surroundings, travelling down a forest path, lost in thought as she slowly made her way through the undergrowth. The route seemed well travelled and there was little chance of her tripping up but there was a sense of foreboding that began to creep up on her as she walked. It seemed as though eyes were upon her and broke her out of her thought train. She didn’t know much about this forest at all and had little idea as to what just might be skulking about  It wasn’t animals that she was worried about, as the summoner was pretty good with handling them. No, it was the thought of perhaps other humans that caused her to pause. Just what was this tingling down her spine?

A sudden arrow came flying out of nowhere and landed about six feet in front of her, forcing the girl to stop in her tracks. Rustling could soon be heard and a group of human men would start to head towards her, wielding an array of weapons from bows and arrows to swords. None of them seemed to wield magic and from the way that they were holding their weapons, they didn’t all appear to be comfortable with what they had in their hands. It gave the mage pause for thought and although she remained still for the moment, her mind was already formulating a plan of action.

“Alright girl,” the leader of the group said as he came into full view, “Do what we tell ya and you won’t get hurt. We want your money and anything else of value that you’ve got on ya. Do that and we’ll take you alive and perhaps have some fun.. If you don’t then we’re going to have to get nasty with you. Take your pick, kid.”

Sienna frowned at the threat and answered in a clear and strong voice, “I’m not going to give you anything. If you want what I’m carrying then come and get it but don’t think I’m alone, bandit.”

A bright light would burst from her position, briefly blinding the bandits and by the time that they were able to recover their sight, there was another creature in their midst. A long eared rabbit, almost five feet in height, who quickly began to lash out with powerful kicks, punches and ear thwacks. It moved with such grace but struck with such great force. A beautiful spirit and one of Sienna’s favourites. Lopunny, the butt kicking rabbit.

“You don’t talk like that to my summoner!” the spirit shouted, more than happy to speak directly, dashing from bandit to bandit, delivering powerful blows and evading their weak attacks. She was entirely melee type spirit but that made little difference when faced with such foes and she easily knocked them out with a couple of attacks each. The rabbit didn’t kill anyone, knowing her summoner’s views on the subject but hit them firmly enough that they wouldn’t be causing any trouble for a while.

The mage would have helped her spirit fight but Lopunny fought with such style that she simply watched as her rabbit carved through her foes. The battle didn’t last more than a couple of minutes and with a powerful high jump kick to the leader, the last bandit fell to the ground, unconscious, with a nasty bruise appearing on his face. Clapping her hands in victory, the rabbit would then briefly search the men’s clothes, before picking up something which bemused her, which she then approached her summoner with.

“Looks like a map of some kind,” the rabbit chuckled, “Think it leads to a treasure trove or something?” She was practically giddy with excitement and Sienna couldn’t help but smile at her spirit’s enthusiasm.

“More like to their base,” the mage answered, looking over the bit of paper and examining its content, “They can’t be very smart if they need this to find their way though. I mean, surely they’d know where their base is?”

“Approaching you wasn’t smart but they did that,” Lopunny replied confidently “Judging from how easy they were, I’d say that they were just grunts. We’re going to find the rest of them though, right? We can’t let anyone else get robbed or worse by these thugs.”

“Yes, we are, you’re absolutely right Lop,” Sienna agreed, “We’ve got to put a stop to this before it gets any worse. Hope you’re up for a little adventure because you’ve just signed up for it.”

“Have I ever turned down an adventure?” the spirit quipped, “I’m always up for a little quality time with you, Sienna. You know that.”

The mage just blinked at that and shook her head, before leading her spirit off the beaten track and deeper into the undergrowth, in search of the hidden base. The rabbit couldn’t have been any more excited and it was hard for Sienna not to feel the same way. Her energy was infectious and they both started to chuckle as they made their way onwards, hopefully to do some good.

(1006 Words)

Following the path as best they could, Sienna and her spirit would quickly make their way through the forest, constantly keeping an eye out for any more bandits. The mage wasn’t too concerned about them, given how weak the first group had been but knew well enough that they were probably just minions of the big boss, whoever he or she was. It seemed to be the way of things and she was quite looking forward to getting into a scrap herself. She hadn’t tested her skills in a while and though it was fun to watch her spirits fight for her, Sienna did love the adrenaline that came from fighting with her own two hands. There was no greater feeling than fighting side by side with her loyal companions, especially when it was for a good cause, as this would undoubtedly be. In the back of her mind, she was still thinking about her previous job and the idea of stopping another group of people from exploiting those weaker only made her feel more determined. Why were humans so often the problem rather than the solution? It was a question that she wished she knew the answer to.

About fifteen minutes passed without incident before a sudden rustling in the tall grass before them caused the pair to come to a halt. After a few moments, a group of far more rugged bandits came tearing towards the pair, wielding large and heavy axes. Lopunny would leap straight into the fight, while Sienna would raise a hand and shout, “Flare!” causing her entire body to completely become enveloped in flame for a moment, as her takeover took effect. The bandits would leap backwards in surprise, which led to a couple of them falling prey to Lopunny’s pummelling. When the flames receded, the summoner would be wearing a red and yellow jacket, skirt and boots, while her hair would be matching her ensemble in colour.

The bandits weren’t sure what to make of her new look but quickly had to react as the girl opened her mouth and launched a monstrous stream of flame towards them. The slowest of the bunch wasn’t quick enough and was struck right in the face with the attack, causing him to tilt backwards and crash to the floor. He was out of it before he even hit the earth and the bandits quickly realised just who they were messing with. Joining together, they would start to work in pairs, resulting in both Lopunny and her summoner having to fight two of them each. They were definitely better than those before and Lopunny had to be a lot more careful with her strikes although she was still nimble enough to easily evade their lumbering strikes, before connecting with a powerful counter or two. Knocking one of the bandits axes out of his hands with a swift kick, she’d then strike hard with a thunderous uppercut, followed by a kick to the ribs to knock him down. Ducking underneath a swing from the second one, the rabbit would then move in close and deliver a mighty close combat attack, battering his body with various blows, resulting in him crumpling to the ground defeated.

Her summoner meanwhile would be about fifteen feet away, hurling flames in all directions, forcing her foes on the back foot. They didn’t seem to possess any magic and so had little in the way of defences. Starting to spin in a circle, she would become engulfed with flames which would soon burst out around her, catching both bandits and turning their weapons to ashes. Yelping in surprise, she’d then clap her hands together and cause a tornado of flame to form around them, knocking them out of the fight and causing them to crumple to the ground like their fellow criminals. They were a little crispy and charred but still alive. It would be a while before they’d be able to do anything and that was enough for the mage.

Sprinting over to her, Lopunny would be hopping around like mad as the thrill of the fight started to take over, “That was so much fun, let’s keep moving before they figure out we’re here.”

Chuckling, the summoner would simply nod, before the two of them continued on their search. Sienna decided to keep her magic activated for the time being and remained in her fire cat form. Her senses seemed to be magnified while using her takeover and her cat-like ears would be twitching from left to right as they moved on. Both of them were feeling the adrenaline rush and their pace quickened, becoming a sprint as they kept following the map. The mage began to wonder just what else these bandits might have up their sleeves or if it was a case that they were just so arrogant that they didn’t have any tricks besides their men. Maybe it was a case that their prey were so innocent that they didn’t need much in the way of defence? It wasn’t a pleasant thought but it was a possibility.

The forest would eventually lead to a large valley in the centre and Sienna had to pull Lopunny back to stop the rabbit hopping right over the edge in her excitement. “Steady now, Lop,” the mage whispered, “We don’t want to spook them and cause them to split up. Let’s watch for a bit and see if we can pick a few off or at least find out how many there are.”

“Oh but I want to fight some more!” the rabbit complained, folding her arms in front of her but complying with Sienna’s request.

The two sat down and started to watch as the bandits came and went, transporting what the pair guessed were stolen goods or sitting around starting fights with each other. The camp was little more than a bunch of tents really but the two did make out a larger one in the background, where they assumed the leader would probably be. The place certainly wasn’t very clean though and it was an absolute tip of a camp, with only their ill gotten gains seeming to be well looked after. The men didn’t seem to be in great shape and as Sienna looked at them with her feline enhanced eyes, she doubted that they probably enjoyed their work.

Her ears would suddenly twitch as a sound from behind them caught her attention and both she and Lopunny would turn in unison and lash out with a rising punch, striking the large figure which had been sneaking up behind them. He was a brute of a bandit, standing at a far greater height, wielding a magical weapon in both hands, a sword of fire and a mace of ice. Their punches had knocked him back a bit but he was made of strong stuff and charged towards them, lashing out with both his weapons, causing flames and ice shards to fly out towards the pair. Ducking out of the way, Sienna would raise a hand to the sky and cause a small meteor of fire to come hurtling down from the sky, forcing him to bring his weapons up in order to defend himself. That left the door open for Lopunny to come forwards and smash him with a barrage of strikes, before Sienna would unleash another powerful blast of flame, striking him head on and causing him to collapse like a falling tree.

“I guess that ends our stealthy approach,” Lopunny chuckled, “We have to go in now, right?”

“Oh, You’ll be coming into the camp alright but not in the way you think,” a voice would suddenly say, causing the pair to turn around. Standing there with about fifteen of his goons was the leader of the bandits, a grin on his face.

(1307 Words)
(2313/3500 Total WC)

“I think we might need a bit of help with this lot,” Lopunny stated to her summoner, her eyes blazing at the thought of further battle, before speaking to the bandit leader, “You’re not going to be taking my summoner anywhere, other than to where you’ve got all your loot stashed. You’ve stolen from a lot of innocent people, bandits and we’re not going to just let you keep doing it. Do yourselves a favour and just give up now, before we make you stop your life of crime. We don’t like scum who exploit those in need and am not going to just let you guys keep going with this. No matter how many of you there are.”

Sienna took a breath, knowing that what she was about to do was going to take a lot of her energy but there was nothing else for it. Tapping into her magic, she’d open the door to the spirit realm and allow a further three spirits to join her, hoping that they’d accept her call for help. The whole area around her would turn a blinding shade of white, forcing the bandits to take up a defensive position. When the light faded, the mage was surrounded by a total of four spirits, Lopunny included. Each was a treasured member of Sienna’s team and the look in each of their eyes was enough to show the bandits just how strongly they wished to defend their summoner from harm.

On the left was Blaziken, a large chicken-like creature, whose fists and feet were already burning with flame at the thought of battle. He was one of the first spirits that Sienna had ever made a deal with and he’d been there for her at every turn. Always prepared for battle but always kind to his owner, he cared for nothing but protecting those who meant the most to him.

On the right was Greninja, a frog-like creature who looked a little like a ninja, wielding stars made of water and ready to attack. An assassin by nature, he never did speak much but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t immensely loyal to his summoner and he’d never looked more determined to fight for her than he did today. He wanted to remove the slime from the world and those who prayed on the weak and helpless.

The final of the newcomers was Luxray, a lion who wielded electricity and a most fearsome foe for anyone who had to fight him. He was bristling with lightning and his eyes were keen and harsh, his animal instincts coming to the surface. It’d been a long time since Sienna had summoned him to combat and he was ready for combat.

“I’m never alone," the mage sagely responded, looking the bandit leader in the eyes, “I have a whole group of allies to help me out, whenever I need them. Each one of them is willing to do whatever it takes to protect me and I feel exactly the same way about them. We are one happy family and if you pick a fight with one, you tend to get all of us. Your crimes end here, bandits, at the hands of myself and my allies.” Already she was starting to feel the effects of having so many spirits out together and Sienna knew that this would have to be fast. “Go, my friends,” she added, preparing herself for one last battle.

Her spirits didn’t waste a moment and quickly charged towards the bandits, lashing out at them with the powers of flame, water and lightning. The bandits were for the most part rather weak and were simply knocked out without much effort. The area became a small battlefield as her spirits fought against the humans and Sienna herself tried her best to conserve as much energy as she could. Lopunny never left her side and two were able to take out a number of the bandits with their basic martial skills, while the three elemental s laid waste with their longer ranged attacks. Blaziken fought with his enormous long legs, striking multiple foes with his immense flame attacks. Greninja tricked and confused his way through, exploiting his water clones to full effect to scald his enemies with hot water, as well as shred them with his ninja stars. Luxray unleashed his enormous reserves of lightning. Shocking all targets who got close to him and causing them to collapse to the ground quickly.

The bandit leader quickly started to panic as his goons were taken out and eventually tried to make a run for it. Yet, he didn’t have much luck as Luxray charged at him at full speed, crashing into the coward and smashing him up against a tree. Holding him there, his large jaws around the man’s throat, the electric lion would keep him like that until the end of the fight. The other spirits would soon have the fight finished up, with the remaining bandits all lying unconscious on the ground, defeated and beaten.

A noticeably tired looking summoner would then approach the man, a relieved look in her eyes that the battle was over without any permanent damage to anyone, “You’ve lost, bandit and I expect you to return everything that you’ve stolen from the people then you’re all going to turn yourselves in to the authorities and do your time.”

“There’s no chance that we’ll ever agree to that,” he replied, surprisingly strong willed considering the spirit at his throat. Luxray would briefly tighten his grip, causing the man to squeak, the lion in no mood for the man’s defiance.

“Perhaps we could help with that,” a sweet voice stated from behind the group, causing pretty much everyone to turn around. Standing behind them would be a group of cat like humanoids, similar to how Sienna looked in her takeover form, “I’m Felicia, the head of the local town and most of the items that were stolen were supposed to be delivered to our village. My friends have already gathered up the rest of the bandits and are currently taking them back to our home, where we’ll keep them under guard until the authorities come.”

“I’d appreciate that,” Sienna answered with a weary smile, “I’m Sienna, a mage from the West Fiore Trading Company and these are my spirits.”

“A pleasure,” Felicia said curtly, “We certainly appreciate your handling of the situation, Miss Sienna and it would be rude of me if I didn’t ask you to spend a few days with us before heading home. You look like you need a nap and we have more than enough room for you. It’s no trouble at all.”

The girl didn’t have the energy to politely refuse and instead simply nodded her head and said, “Thank you, I appreciate the offer and could do with a rest. Having so many spirits out at one time takes its toll.”

Turning to her spirits, she’d then add to them, “Thanks for helping me once again, my friends. I hope to see you all soon.” Taking their leave, the three male spirits would all disappear and with a happy wave, Lopunny would then follow suit, leaving the mage by herself.

“They are an interesting bunch,” Felicia quipped happily, “Now please, follow me and I’ll show you the way to our village. My kin will deal with bringing the bandits and our property back, you’ve done more than enough for us already.”

With a second nod, Sienna would slowly start to follow the cat woman, pleased with her work and happy that she’d been able to help out those in need once again.

(1277 Words)
(3590/3500 Total WC)

(Thread Completed.)