A leader's new journey [Cain/Solo]

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Central Elibe sure did have it's majestic sights, and staring off into the surrounding grassland and the mountains from a distance was a calm feeling. Standing off on the hill close to his village, the Magnus leader decided to spend the rest of his morning walk just to see the sights, reflect a little bit...and looking towards the bright future for he and his people. Unlike previous family members before him that sought to use their skills for more power and control, he wanted to expand his duty as a peacekeeper to others besides his beloved clan. Granted, he does that on his journeys away from home, but there had to be a better way at going about it. While he's only been the leader for two years and he wasn't rushing the future, it wouldn't hurt but have some sort of starting point on a new idea.

His thought process was quickly interrupted as he heard movement from behind him, though it was obviously apparent that it wasn't one of hostility. He could hear the family member getting closer as they stopped a few feet behind him. "A fine morning it is, Master. I take it you're thinking deeply once more?"

Cain didn't give an immediate response to the relative, knowing who it was from voice alone as he closed his eyes. Indeed, this was his usual spot to think things out in a peaceful and quiet environment...as well as look back and forward on things. Guess you could say it was somewhat of a "happy place" for him, even though he was satisfied already with the tranquility of the village. But after exhaling silently to embrace the calming vibe he was getting from his happy spot, he stared forward again as he finally acknowledged the family member's presence. "...Yes. I was just recalling old times...and looking forward. For our future."

"A pleasant subject." The individual spoke with a mix of humor and some collective vibes in his tone before clearing his throat to continue. "My apologies for interrupting you, Master, but I have a bit of a pressing issue to bring to your attention. A band of cutthroats are passing by when one of our hunters returned home. We believe it to be the same ruffians that were foolish enough to attack our village before last week...however, the direction they were headed was toward the small property of the farm across from our home. We fear the bandits may have found them as easy pickings and will take advantage of that." As he spoke, Cain tilted his head to the side a bit to look across the grasslands before the relative continued. "Shall we intercept them? I know the farmer there knows how to defend himself, but the bandits will surely overpower him. There's about seven of them."

"No. Ras, you and the rest remain here to protect the village. This could be a trap to lure our stronger warriors from home. I'll rid them from this land myself..." His tone spoke for itself, as he was dead serious and knew what he was getting into. Monsters were much more fearsome creatures, but he's dealt with bandit kind for as long as he could think back. He knew how to handle groups of them from experience as opposed to dealing with packs of vicious monsters like Mauthe Dogs.

"...As you wish. Take care, Master." And with that, Ras casually walked off as if nothing was actually happening. Cain couldn't help but chuckle a bit as the relative left. He wasn't surprised he gave up so easily in persuading him to not go alone, but Ras was one of his right-hand men and probably held the most faith in him on a similar level to Stella's trust. And even though Cain was a level-headed fellow, Ras was probably the most relaxed person he'd met, so it was also not surprising that he wasn't too concerned about the bandits. Neither should he, for that matter.

Not wasting anymore time, the leader made sure he was ready. Kenji, his father's katana, was secured on his side and he'd just sharpened it this morning. He made sure to be prepared for anything and everything that crossed his path, and he wasn't going to let those scum disturb the peace of this area any longer. He personally didn't confront with them last time since Ras scared them off, but it was time to get rid of them...for good. In that moment, he leaped from the hill and slid down quickly until he landed at the bottom, then hit a quick sprint as fast as he legs could take him.

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Since the farm was only about a mile away from their village and in the complete opposite direction of Arcadia, Cain's trip wasn't very var. That, and it was good exercise. Runs like these were nothing compared to the actual morning jogs he did. He built up some very good stamina from when he was just a boy up until present day, never slacking on any form of exercise he practiced. The field was quite spacious since not many sights out here in the grasslands. He saw the farm ahead and began to lessen the speed of his sprint, having no need to rush things as the bandits didn't even arrive yet. But he had a feeling it wouldn't be long. They likely had a stronghold in the area somewhere, and ducked off from protection. He'd go tear that down himself, but bandits within their own turf wasn't something to take lightly, and most likely required to take a few of his clan members with him. They did well to stay far from Arcadia though. He had to give them brains for that, at least.

Cain settled for just standing there, crossing his arms as he waited patiently for his new opponents. It would be awkward for a passing traveler or anyone in general, just seeing some random dude standing in the middle of a field doing...nothing. This was considered normal for Cain, as he welcomed any chance he had to just sit there and not worry about a thing for at least five seconds. Being leader's fine and all, but solitude was somewhat difficult to obtain when you had family to look after. Maybe he should stand out in the middle of nothing more often! Though Ras would probably just track him down...

The swordmaster heard lots of commotion from behind before making out the sounds. A combination of rough footsteps and a lot of mindless bickering in accents of the generic bandit. So they were right in assuming they were headed in this direction. Even if they were actually smart and did this to lure their better fighters away from home, they would have lost anyway with everyone at home. "'Eeeeey! What kinda stupid idjet stands out n' the middle of n'where? Outta the way!"

Cain settled for saying nothing as he looked beyond his shoulder, Ras being right about there seven of them. Shouldn't be too much of a problem. He probably didn't need to use his second sword on them, but this was no time to get cocky. The bandit that spoke up began to walk closer, but then saw the color of the swordsmaster's hair. "Wait...ya one of dem stupid sword monkeys!" He began to burst in laughter as he punched himself in the chest. "Only out 'ere by yerself, eh? Shoulda went back home...but now we finally got one of ya!!"

Cain saw the cutthroat move his arm the moment he shouted out, the bandit's attack going slowly in his trained eyes to where it wasn't much of a threat to fret over. After placing his arms down, he cleanly dodged to the bandit's side as his hand gripped on Kenji, unleashing the blade as his horizontal swipe of the sword whipped like the wind. His blade's edge grazed through the bandit's flesh and bone on his side, dropping the defeated man instantly in the grass. It was a lethal wound and while he could have inflicted more to kill the bandit instantly, he had the rest of the pack to deal with. With a battle cry, the rest came charging at him like dogs. Well, very stupid dogs, really. Didn't they just see their ring leader get cut down? You'd think the barbarians would flee after their leading figure was defeated that fast. Nothing more he could do but give them a swift, yet merciless end.

Two were going in for a frontal assault while two more were slowly coming up from both sides. They actually were playing strategy...a little. He needed to deal with the immediate threat first, the two bandits synchronizing their attacks at the same exact time with their axe. With all his strength, Cain gripped his sword with both hands as he blocked both strikes at once, then with a small grunt escaping him, he parried their attack with another strong, horizontal slash. The force of his swing was strong enough to send them flying off their feet and a bit away. The attack obviously didn't harm them physically, but it was enough to by him time to deal with the other...four. Two of them were still a good distance away, while the two coming from the side were closing in. Time to step it up.

He opted for approaching the one on the left first, dashing quickly as if he blurred out of sight for a moment. The bandit didn't expect Cain to get to him so fast, dropping his guard entirely and the leader took full advantage of this. Tightening the muscles in his left arm, he delivered a strong elbow to the man's abdomen, then another to his face before spinning around a single time with a strong swing from his sword sideways, slicing through the man's chest and sending him down the moment he faced into the right direction, the other bandit already having his axe raised above him. He intercepted the man's axe with Kenji before once again taking full use of his weapon advantage, the sword sliding off, but with force added to it to disarm the bandit from his axe. There was his opening, gripping his sword with both hands again before dashing pass the opponent with his usual speed and bringing his sword in a powerful swing aimed at his midsection. He felt his weapon running clean through the bandit as he cleaved him in two halves of top and bottom.

"Whaaa?!" One of the bandits from behind stopping in his tracks. He ran over to one of slain allies before punching the body repeatedly. "C'mon, idjet! Get up 'n keep fightin'!"

"He dead, Jim." The other bandit alongside him kicked his idiot friend in the back. "...I aint got a damn a give about how good this bloke be. We aint lettin' 'em get away now. Wake up, ya idiots! We takin' this fool down now!" He shouted toward the other two that were knocked down and finally standing back to their feet. Well, that was three down...and four more to go. Cain figured if he took down a few, they'd flee, but these bandits were stupider than he thought. As much as he didn't care for taking their lives, it would have been nice to have a morning with less blood. Ah, but he can never have it his way.

"...Folly." That was all that escaped Cain's lips as he stood in battle stance, ready for the bandits' next charge.

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Well, they all began to close him in and corner him from all four sides. One behind him, two beside, and the fearless replacement for the dead leader staring at him from the front. Hm...

Well, it wasn't long before they all began charging like wild apes. This could either end quickly, or take a little while. It all depended on how his opponents attacked him. Trapping him was at least a good start for them to stand longer than a few seconds. The idiot in front of him was the closest, while the one from behind was the runner up. They had sufficient spacing, so he had to time his movements carefully, yet quickly. He gripped Kenji tighter while his hand was just about ready to reach for his second sword at any moment's notice in case he needed it. He could wait for them all the jump him at once, but then that'd definitely require both swords just in case they find a blind spot. Deciding to go for the similar tactic he resorted to earlier, he decided to throw them off with his agility.

The Magnus leader darted himself at the bandit in front of him with a flashy step, moving quickly to the point where it appeared like he only took one step forward. Since the bandit seemed prepared for surprises after what happened to his buddy (couldn't blame him), he was able to successfully block one of Cain's attacks head on. The swordmaster was short on time to initiate a perfect parry, as the one behind him was already preparing to attack. He decided to disarm the bandit in front of him with a powerful enough swing, then sent his leg forward with a forceful kick to the man's chest, sending the first opponent staggering backwards after falling down. Cain then twisted himself around on the heel of his other foot to meet the attempting backstabber. The man's face turned nearly pale as the crimson eyes of the swordsman pierced his own gaze. Before he knew it, the leader's blade was already aimed for his shoulder, being too slow to even react. The katana grazed through the flesh, and with a forceful jerk downwards, Cain's blade sliced cleanly through shortly before the man was struck again with a quick thrust to the chest.

With his sword momentarily stuck in his dying enemy's chest, the two from the side approached with perfect sync. That was where things got tricky, but Cain had already prepared for it. His hand rested on the hilt of his sheathed iron sword while he saw the two incoming axe swipes from both sides. Acting instinctively, he forced Kenji deeper into his now-dead enemy as he cleverly pushed himself and the corpse forward, out of range of the axes safely. With a quick brandish of his second weapon, he aimed for the bandit on the right, his sword slicing through the skin of the shirtless man's stomach, however it wasn't a killing blow.

When the second bandit recovered from his failed attack and tried to get the jump on him, Cain blocked the attack with the iron sword the moment he yanked Kenji out the dead bandit. He had the man right where he wanted him. Using the second sword the way it was meant to be, he parried the attack as the man staggered backwards, giving himself a huge opening to take advantage of. Cain darted himself forth, and with five rapid and aggressive swings from his sword, all attacks aimed for vital points. With a single swipe of his sword afterward and facing the injured bandit, the sliced up bandit dropped dead with a loud thump in the grass. The injured bandit was shaking, both from the wound inflicted on his stomach and how grim his situation appeared. But the stupid fool yelled out a huge battle cry before charging forth bravely, yet desperately to try and make a difference. Cain merely shook his head as he sprinted forth, knocking the axe out of the man's hand mid-attack with Kenji. The end of his father's blade managed to slice through the man's fragile neck during his dash pass the bandit, the deadly blow landing him on the ground, paralyzed and near death.

Cain quickly turned his eyes on the final moment, seeing the lone bandit clenching his chest as he was shaking uncontrollably. The muscles tightened around Cain's eyebrows, frowning at the man as he walked slowly towards him. The bandit saw it as nothing but the eyes of a merciless killer staring at him, and Cain covered in blood didn't make it any better. He took a few steps back as he was about ready to book it out of there. Noticing this, Cain stopped where he was as he sheathed the iron sword, but kept Kenji to his side. "...If you value your life at all, then I'd suggest you throw your axe down and tell me what I need to hear." His tone was sharp and straight to the point, not particularly in the mood for games as he took a big step closer and pointed Kenji forth.

"A-ack! O-okay, okay! Look! See...? I-I'm droppin' it!" As the weapon fell into the grass, the man began to back away a few steps as he tried to avoid eye contact. "T-this was just a distraction, ya? We got some new tactician guy and a few friends of his helpin' us out and all. The bigger group o' us attack the village while people like you's supposed to be out 'ere. They should be attackin' right now. B-but...we didn't think only one of you was this scary--AH! er...I mean, skilled and stuff..."

...He knew it. SEVEN bandits, heading towards a farm when there were literally several dozen of the punks the other day? He lowered his sword and his frown became more rough than before. He wasted all this time clearing out small fries while his village was left open with him gone. However, the Magnus of the village fended the fiends off without his help the other day, so their plan failed...somewhat. This new "friends" the fool before him spoke of was very concerning. He wasn't expecting bandits of all people to pull of tactics like this, but he considered the possibility anyway. These new friends of theirs were the planners, and that concerned him to no end that his family was fighting a mixed group by themselves. Turning around as he ignored the bandit, he needed to rush back to his village as quickly as he could. The bandit could run away for all he cared. It wasn't the most important thing.

Seeing the opportunity, the bandit had a smirk on his face as he regained his axe. With a sneaky move, he attempted to strike the leader from behind as quickly as he could. Cain knew not to let his guard down, realizing this with split second timing as he swiftly stepped aside and tilted his body in the same direction, the bandit missing horribly and was beside Cain before the Magnus was staring him directly into the eyes, signaling that the man's chance to escape unharmed was now denied. A single swing from Kenji sliced through the man's arm, severing it from his body entirely as the disconnected body part fell and the bandit dropping in extreme agony. A punishment the man deserved for resorting to trickery...and he paid for it with his right arm.

With the bandit on the verge of dying, Cain scanned the battlefield that was littered with all seven of the corpses. They brought it upon themselves...and he didn't really come out here for a slaughter fest. If they would have just taken their leader away and treated him before his wound killed him, then they would have all been still alive if they fled. However, from the sound of things, these new "friends" of theirs must have pressured them to fight to the death...which might have explained why they went all out like this. But he had no time to worry about the foolish. His people needed his utmost attention, taking one more look back before sprinting off to his home as fast as he could. Hopefully the fighting didn't get into it's deeper roots yet...

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He was definitely getting more exercise this morning more than any other, running back and forth like this. Though, he'd have time to think about the benefits later. Arriving back at the front gates of the village...or what was left of them, he could see the marks of battle on the ground. The gate wasn't enormous, but it was big enough with the surrounding fence around the village that made it difficult to jump over. However, the gate wasn't exactly made of the toughest material...and as a result, he could tell that VERY powerful magic was responsible for destroying it. Something told him these friends of the bandits weren't here just for random pillaging like their allies likely are. With power like that, why would they need bandits in the first place? ...And why were they doing this? It just didn't sit well with him. However, he lacked the time ponder. Instead, he focused on the now and rushing through the destroyed gates.

A few buildings were on fire and that alone made Cain frown. He could hear the sounds of battle as he rushed through the village. There were corpses on the ground...but thankfully they all belonged to bandit side. By the time he dashed around the corner, a lone family member was fending off four bandits on his own, killing one with a fatal strike to the skull before he realized Cain was charging at hot pursuit. This caused the bandits to turn around too, but the furthest one back didn't have the time to see who the foot steps belonged too, as Cain's blade was already ran through him from the back and out front through the chest. Two down already.

The remaining two charged Cain the moment their second buddy was killed, the leader staying in position as he nodded his head towards his family member, who was already charging back in. He completely evaded the two's attacks with a leap high enough to flip over their heads entirely. By the time Cain landed, the younger Magnus dashed in with perfect timing, delivering a quick slash to one of the bandit's back and attempting to finish him off. Cain made sure his family member was successful, blocking the attack of the second bandit that was trying to defend his ally. He disarmed the man with his parry and gave him a quick end, swiping his sword three times at vital points before the man dropped dead. He looked over the shoulder as he witnessed the young Magnus take his opponent down as well.

"Master Cain! Glad to see you're all right." The young man smiled as he sheathed his sword. "We didn't think you'd be back so soon, considering how they attacked so quickly after you left!"

"...It turned out to be a diversion. But tell me, are there any more invaders that aren't bandits...or at least they don't look it?" He quickly asked the question as he knew they was still short on time.

"...Yes, sir. About four figures garbed in purple robes were in the bandits' frontlines. One of them is an extremely powerful sage that made quick work of our gate. It's because of him that they broke through and badly injured the two who were guarding the entrance. They're in really bad shape...but they're being taken care of as we speak. But those weird guys left most of the fighting to the bandits and rushed on through further in town..." The young man dropped his head in despair, clenching his fist as Cain frowned noticing this. "...My father was one of the two guards. I don't want him to die, sir...we can't let these monsters get away with this madness! I..."

Cain cut the young man's words short as he placed his hand on his shoulder, accompanied with a small smile. "Continue to stand strong, my kin. For your father's sake. I'll pursue those you described and drive these curs from our home..." Cain trailed off as he realized two more Magnus were headed this way, but he could also see a small pack of bandits a good distance away from them.

"Well, we were the search party for you, Master...but it seems like you're as quick-footed as ever!" One of them joked, but they all faced the approaching bandits. The same young fighter stepped forth first as he unsheathed his blade. "Master Cain! Leave these worms to us. Ras and Stella are all alone fighting those mysterious intruders in the village square...and Stella definitely needs help. She's using her off arm to fight...and we know she won't last long while fighting like that!"

...Great. He had a feeling Stella would get stubborn one day and work around her permanently crippled sword arm. With a nod, he stormed forth, moving as quickly as he could to where the bandits couldn't catch him in time. By the time they attempted to give chase, the other Magnus halted them in their tracks.

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Back to rushing very fast. More bandit bodies on the ground...but then his frown appeared again as he realized about three Magnus were on the ground too and stopped. He could tell two of them were still breathing, but the other didn't show any signs of life. He clenched his fist, enraged by the slaughter of his family member. He didn't allow his rage to show on the outside, so he simply sighed to calm his nerves. He wouldn't be able to defeat these adversaries if he was blinded by vengeance. However, this pretty much sealed their fate. He was going to leave no survivors on the bandit side if it was the last thing he'd do...especially these purple garbed intruders.

Arriving at the town square, he could see a few more Magnus and bandits scattered all over the place. He couldn't tell if they all were dead or alive, but he did notice six people in the very center. He rushed on over as Ras was the first in sight and away from the rest. He was bleeding pretty badly from a wound and on one knee trying to support himself. He then looked onward as he witnessed Stella effortlessly shoved away by one of the purple garbed fighters, the woman sliding on the ground next to the injured Ras. The Magnus leader saw enough suffering of his people for long enough, stepping forward to block another incoming strike from the giant sword that was intended for finishing Stella off. The large man in the purple garb grunted as he tried to overpower the leader...which was actually working pretty well until Cain cleverly slid his weapon off and kicked the man away as hard as he could. The large swordsman distanced himself as he jumped back beside one of his four garbed companions. It was then that three of them stepped aside in perfect formation as the fourth one revealed himself, though didn't seem to have any weaponry on him.

"The Magnus' fearless leader, Cain...am I correct? You continue to impress me. I thought we'd have this village under my control by the time you've returned, but you're proving more formidable than I thought." The man, about the same as Cain's lofty height, approached as he stood a few feet in between he and the leader. All four of their identities were a mystery, considering they had masks over their faces. The apparent ring leader giggled behind his mask as he stretched his arms behind him. "We knew you'd leave the village on your own to wipe out those pawns in our little game. A very good test of your abilities I've set up for you...and so far, you're going for an impressive passing grade. With me being kind enough to set up this test for you, the least you could do is remove that scary frown of yours...heh heh."

"...My people aren't a part of your foolish games, tyrant." Cain remained in battle stance as he unsheathed his second blade, prepared for any sort of conflict with this individual and his allies. "What do you want with me? Regardless of the reasons, you will perish where you stand for harming my family!"

"My, how bold! The test hasn't concluded just yet, my dear leader. We must...witness your combat prowess first hand now." Soon after the mysterious man stepped back, the large swordsman stepped forth again alongside the shorter one of the group, said person having a feminine figure as she pulled out a lance fastened from her back. The other person who the apparent ring leader was standing next to must have been the sage he heard about, seeing a tome in his hand from where he stood. Cain didn't have time for these games...however, he had no choice but to play along. These four were his main targets...and the rest of the Magnus defending the village could wipe out the rest of the bandits without him. With that clash from the big guy earlier, he could tell this wouldn't be as easy as fighting those bandits.