The Bandit Lord
The road she trekked was nearly void of travelers, nature all but re-consuming what had been paved through. The day was nice enough as intermittent clouds shielded her from the onslaught of the summer heat, and a cool breeze spoke of the coming autumn changes. Elonda's thoughts wandered to the pouch the priestess had given her; to the dragon's head emblem and the arcane writing on the back. She still had yet to open it, though a tugging in her chest told her the time wasn't yet right.
Voices in the distance interrupted her thoughts.
"-no one here to help you, priestess," a man threatened as Elonda snuck behind the veil of the forest, quietly stepping toward the voice. "No one to hear you scream." The man caressed Lady Celestia's cheek, who yanked her face away in kind while another man held her wrists behind her. They and a third man laughed menacingly at her struggle.
Go, the wind whispered
"On the contrary," Elonda announced, striding out of the forest with her hand on the hilt of her sword. "You'll find this road not as vacant as you'd prefer." She stopped a few feet from the men. "Release the priestess," she demanded, her voice threatening.
The men turned to her in surprise. "Oh?" replied one of them, disregarding her request. His was the voice that threatened the priestess. Though clad in the sparse armor of a bandit, the deep violet cape that draped across his shoulders revealed him to be the leader. He drew his sword from its sheath, setting it on his shoulder and leisurely stepping forward. "And the name of my new challenger would be-"
"Yours to know upon your defeat," Elonda interrupted, drawing her weapon.
"A pity, then, as you will know mine upon yours," he replied, grinning wolfishly as he brought his sword down. "Stand down, peasant, or be blown away by the winds of my great destiny!"
Elonda glared at the man, her teeth grinding at his insults. "Let. The priestess. Go," she commanded darkly as her grip tightened on her sword.
The forest hushed in anticipation as a cloud passed before the sun, casting a dark shadow over the two figures posed to fight. Even the breeze paused as if holding its breath.
"HAA!" yelled the man as he launched forward, the clash of their swords resonating through the woods.
Elonda pushed forward, taking advantage of the uneven ground on which they fought to throw him off balance, her sword whistling through the air. Her onslaught did not falter until he stumbled to the ground.
Pointing her sword at his chest, her breath came fast as she stood above him. "Order your men to release the priestess," she commanded.
The man looked up at her, anger flashing in his eyes. "My apologies, but she is still of use to me," he quipped and threw his hand at her sword, slinging sand at her face and leaping to his feet.
"Gah!" Elonda staggered back as she spat dust from her mouth and rubbed the dirt from her eyes, just raising her sword in time to counter the swings coming from the bandit leader. Each blow pushed her back and she felt her own strategy being used against her as she struggled against the stinging in her eyes. Disoriented and failing to block his attacks, a misstep lead the ground to meet her.
"Well well, hero," the man rumbled above her, his breath labored. He kicked away her sword and put his boot on her chest. "You almost beat me." He paused and kneeled down closer, his weight crushing her until she coughed against it. "Almost." He stood up, keeping his boot on her chest, though her lungs welcomed air as the weight lightened. "A pity you won't live to see my reign when I regain my rightful place on the throne as King Drakath!" he shouted. His eyes flicked away and paused, looking into someplace beyond them. "All I need is for that witch to relinquish the black dragon box and give me the key to unlocking it," he muttered distractedly.
Seizing the opportunity gifted to her, Elonda shoved his boot off of her and rolled away as he fell to the ground. She grabbed her sword and whirled around to see Drakath getting up, the look of death in his eye as he roared and lunged for her.
His attacks came in a fury of strokes so quick the ringing of their clashing swords was almost constant. Though fast and hard his attacks came, his form was getting sloppy and Elonda easily blocked and parried his sword.
A wrathful bellow escaped his lungs and he hurtled forward, thrusting out his weapon. Elonda raised her sword to parry his blow and sidestepped, twirling around and slashing through the violet cape and tunic to his back.
"Agh!" he cried and turned to face her again, wildly slashing at her. Again and again, Elonda parried and dodged his attacks until she stepped closer, bringing the hilt of her sword close to his, stopping his onslaught.
His breathing was heavy and his sword quivered against hers as exhaustion began to take its hold, but his eyes still burned furiously as he glared at her in their locked position. In one swift motion, Elonda turned their blades down, twisting her sword to the inside of his and forcing it from his hands.
"Impossible!" he yelled after she disarmed him, and he fell to his knees. Elonda halted, her weapon aimed at his throat. The eyes of the two men holding the priestess widened before releasing their prisoner, quickly abandoning Drakath in his defeat.
Kicking away his sword, she sheathed her own. "I am not a killer," she spoke, looking down on him as he pressed his wounds. "Though your words to the priestess are worthy of a hanging."
"Who are you?" he asked bitterly.
"I am Elonda of Lore," she replied. "Know my name, Drakath, and do well to respect it, lest it haunt you for the rest of your avarice-driven life."
"Making an enemy of me is unwise, Warrior," he spat, glaring up at her as she turned away from him. "I will remember your name."
Disregarding his words, Elonda looked over to see Lady Celestia in a panic, frantically searching the woods around them. "Warrior!" the priestess cried. "The chest is gone!"
Elonda briefly recalled the black box the priestess was carrying upon their first encounter, whirling back to Drakath, only to find he had disappeared.
"Drakath…" she spat darkly.
"Valencia is gone on her own quest for answers," Celestia thought aloud before looking back to Elonda. "Find Robina. She is among the best at tracking, and will be able to help you find the black dragon chest."
"Yes, m'lady, but I as am under orders, I must first escort you to Sunbreeze Grove," Elonda replied earnestly.
Lady Celestia gave her a sly smile. "I've no need for an escort, Warrior," she confessed. "Though the sentiment is appreciated, your loyalty shall be rewarded." The priestess closed her eyes and spoke a few words in a language that emanated magic. A gentle light began to surround her, slowly growing more and more intense.
All the Warrior could do was gape at the priestess as she began to disappear before her.
"Elonda," she began, her voice fading alongside her. "You must find the black dragon chest before it falls into the grasp of evil."
"Wait!" she cried, shaking loose her stupor. "Where is Robina?!"
"-to Falconreach-" Her words dissipated with the wind, leaving Elonda with only the vaguest of ideas of how to find this Robina.
"To Falconreach, then," she sighed and trudged back along the road to Oaklore Keep.