Elias Malliot

Vordea was surprised to actually encounter bandits on the road. She knew she read in the various mortal literature that the laws of the Empire of Eternal Sand were quite strict, so these men must be completely desperate to actually be trying to rob her. Of course, could she even kill them? Well, maybe if they attack her first, she supposed.

"Hey lady pay attention!" One of them shouted, getting her attention again. "I said, give us all your fucking money!"

"So rude." Vordea replied. "Even if I did have any, that's no way to treat a woman."

Vordea decided to continue walking, and her response would be based on what they did next. Unfortunately for them, they decided to attack her. One of them stabbed her right in the gut, sword going right through. Looking down, she decided the play dead option would be much funnier than no reaction.

"Oh." Vordea said, and fell over, pretending to be dead. She hoped they appreciated the effort it took to make her avatar seem human, and simulated blood loss.

"Oh great now you've gone and done it!" Another bandit yelled. "You didn't have to kill her!"

"Hmph. Seemed so full of herself just a second ago."

"Great, what do we do with her?"

"Throw her in the cart and take her back to camp. We can't leave a body on the road."

Vordea nearly burst out laughing at this. Just how stupid were these guys? Oh this would be perfect, she was just going to jump up and scare them, but they were setting themselves up so perfectly. She did the best she possibly could at playing dead as they picked her up and tossed her in a cart.

It was nearly dusk by the time they made it to an encampment deeper in the desert, nestled under some large rocks. Once they stopped, she listened to them talking.

"Hoy, what's with the corpse?"

"Dungar got mad at her for walking off when he was threatening her, stabbed her right in the gut." One of them replied.

"So why'd you bring her back?"

"And leave a body on a road patrolled by the Imperial Army? Are you mad? They'd track us down in no time." Another voice said.

Vordea waited patiently for several minutes as they kept talking. But finally the right moment came and she heard the magic words.

"Well, let's check her for valuables, then give her a burial." A voice she had identified as Dungar said, and she heard footsteps approaching. She waited until she felt his hand in her pocket, and then she shot her hand up, grabbing him by the wrist.

"You never know who a traveller is." Vordea said threateningly, sitting up in the wagon, her eyes gleaming in the evening light.

"Ah! She's still alive! Kill her!" Dungar screamed.

The rest of the bandits panicked and some shot arrows at Vordea as she slowly stood, her hand in an iron grip around Dungar's wrist. One arrow had quite grossly gone right into her eye, but she simply pulled it out, blood spurting from the socket.

"Gentlemen, you have been most naughty." Vordea said, admonishing them. "You not only accosted me on the road you killed me."

Using her free hand, Vordea pulled the arrows out of her body, before finally getting to issue of her face. With a smooth motion, she ran her hand over her face, and the missing eye reappeared, as if she had never been shot.

"What the fuck are you?" One bandit yelled, his arms shaking as he tried to hold his weapon.

"What indeed. I'm just a traveller, a human warrior." Vordea answered.

"Bullshit!" Dungar screamed. "I ran you straight through on the road, you should be dead!"

Vordea squeezed Dungar's wrist slightly harder before smiling. "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm a ghost. Or a demon. Or something far worse."

"What do you want?" Another bandit asked. Finally someone practical, thought Vordea.

"Turn yourselves in to the Imperial Army. Tell them what you've been doing."

"We'll be hanged!"

"Or I can spend all night playing with you." Vordea continued, laughing darkly. "Choose."

"Die, demon!" One of the bandits shouted, rushing at Vordea. "I'd rather die standing!"

"Stupid. Brave, but stupid." Vordea replied, flashing a grin. "Go on then, give me your best shot!"

The bandit let off a blast of combined elemental magic at point blank range, which intrigued Vordea immediately. He was at least dual mastery based on the combined elements, maybe even more. She ate his amusing little spell head on, and grinned broadly as the smoke dissipated.

"Again, Elias!" Vordea yelled, laughing. "I haven't had this much fun in decades!"

Elias, frustrated at the spell having had no effect, pulled his sword out of his belt. "I'll make you eat those words!"

"Dungar I'm borrowing this." Vordea said as she took Dungar's cutlass from his waist, and tossed him aside. "On guard, Elias!"

Vordea swung the cutlass around with ease as she played with Elias. While Elias was no slouch, he couldn't compete against uncountable years of practice with every kind of weapon imaginable, and so Vordea decided to make it a bit more fair, by placing the cutlass in her mouth and keeping her hands behind her back.

"Stop mocking me!" Elias shouted, angered at her utter lack of seriousness. "Fight me!"

"By what right do you demand to fight me as an equal?" Vordea asked, parrying his blows with ease. "By right of birth? Of strength? Renown?"

"By right of mastery!" Elias shouted, his hands glowing as he hurled ice spells at Vordea.

"Huhuhu" Vordea chuckled, as she punched down the spell, a feat considered impossible by all mortals, much to the amazement of Elias and the other bandits. Sensing an oppurtunity, Vordea barged her way into Elias's thoughts.

That's impossible, Elias thought to himself. You can't punch a spell.

Yes you can, Vordea said to him telepathically. I know your bloodline, Mister Malliot. Yes, you're even greater than your ancestor. You're a sextuple mage.

Elias locked eyes with Vordea as she stood still, crossing her arms and grinning manically.

"I'm listening." Elias said out loud to her. "I have a proposal."

The little boy makes demands, Vordea responded telepathically. Let me guess, you want to come with me?

How did you know? Elias thought, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I know everything, boy. But yes, these bandits are very boring." Vordea said, stretching her arms. "It's time to wrap things up."

Vordea snapped the fingers on her left hand, and ropes appeared around all of the bandits. She dusted her hands off and laughed.

"The Imperial Army will be here in the morning for the lot of you. Come on Elias."