Chapter 17: Attack

True to her word, Megan came to fetch Lucious after ten minutes. "Master! The caravan to the city is ready to depart," she informed him. "Some villagers are traveling together for trade and protection on the roads. I was able to reserve two seats for us."

"... Hum" Lucious nodded, he was curious to see more of this new world and agreed to join the caravan. As they made their way to the edge of the village, all eyes turned to him in awe and shock.

As they made their way to the edge of the village, all stopped to stare. Lucious towered over the villagers, his physique immense and powerful. Whispers broke out among the people.

"Ha... a royal, a noble...?" "From inside the village head's house...?" Word clearly and quickly spread of the mysterious stranger's immense size and stature as they had not seen Lucious ever since he came to the village.

Villager 1: (whispering) "Did you see him? He's so handsome, like someone from a royal family."

Villager 2: (whispering) "I've never seen someone like him in our village before. He's... different."

Villager 3: (whispering) "But did you notice how he carries himself? It's as if he's not one to be trifled with."

While the villagers were in awe of Lucious's presence, a sense of unease and fear was also palpable. His regal demeanor and the air of authority he exuded left an indelible impression, making some of them apprehensive about how to behave around him.

Villager 4: (nervously) "I-I heard he's here with Megan. Do you think he's a noble or something?"

Villager 5: (anxiously) "Best not to anger him. We don't know who he is, but we shouldn't cross him."

The young girls gazed at Lucious in wonder but also fear of his foreign nature. "What a specimen!" said one, blushing. But another replied suspiciously, "There's something not quite right about him." another joined saying, "Yes, his eyes... it's like he is a hungry predator and we all are its prey.."

The girls whispered feverishly to each other, awestruck by Lucious's handsomeness but also fearful of his unfamiliar nature. The men stared warily, unsure if this outsider posed a threat.

The men sitting inside the caravan studied Lucious warily. "Who is this brute?" asked one under his breath. "I distrust outsiders," grumbled another "No, he is with Megan, maybe the village head has devised a plan to loot him or something?" Like that, they all started whispering among themselves. But most were curious yet cautious.

The villagers made way uneasily for them to board. Lucious' massive frame left little space, though Megan ensured he was settled.

One man, Garius, watched with poorly veiled hostility. As the caravan began rolling, his gaze lingered on Lucious. "Such a beast," he muttered. "I'd wager he has coins aplenty. Mayhaps a mugging could remedy my fortunes..."

But catching sight of Megan's protectiveness of Lucious, Garius held his tongue."Tsk, maybe Regurd has a plan.." he would be cautious at least for now. There would be an opportunity another time when fewer witnesses. His greed and malice remained, simmering beneath an outward mien of indifference.

As the caravan made its way along the rutted road, little did the travelers know they were being watched. Hidden among the trees atop a rocky overlook, a band of hardened men tied with dirt and grime observed their procession below with sullen eyes.

'Heh, a bunch of nobodies' Lucious chuckled as he had already known about the people hiding behind the trees.

These were no ordinary brigands - they were villagers who had lost everything when raiders from the caravan's hometown pillaged their lands months prior.

Families were torn asunder, homes burned, and livelihoods destroyed on that dark day. Now, with stolen blades in hand and vengeance in their hearts, the men lay in wait.

No prisoners would be taken - only blood repayment for the sins of others from that cursed village so far below. Retribution was coming, and none would escape its grasp.

At least what they thought would happen-

****

The caravan had been traveling for several hours when suddenly shouts rang out from up ahead. "Bandits! We're under attack!"

A group of rough-looking men emerged from the trees on horses, brandishing weapons. Their leader cried "Revenge for your raids on our village! Surrender your goods or die!"

*Boom* *Boom*

The villagers tried fighting back, sending spells and magic towards the bandits. But they were outnumbered 10 to 1. Despite their efforts, the bandits' magic began overpowering them.

"Agh! t-there is a lot-" One villager tried to talk but his head was quickly decapitated by a bandit. 

"M-Masta-" Megan looked towards Lucious fearfully. Would the master remain calm in this crisis or join the fray? To her surprise, Lucious seemed unfazed by the battle unfolding as he remained calm, scanning the blood bath surrounding him with keen senses.

Then, movement - a glint of metal arcing through the trees.

*Swoosh* "...Down" he uttered, shoving Megan aside "Huh?!" escaped Megan's mouth just as an arrow whipped past, embedding in the wooden cart where she'd sat.

Chaos erupted as a storm of arrows rained from the treeline, *stab**stab**stab* felling three villagers in rapid succession.

Lucious moved in a blur, intercepting two shafts aimed at Megan. With inhuman speed, he snatched the projectiles from the air, snapping them between his bare hands.

All around descended a scene of utter carnage and chaos as the brigands slaughtered the villagers. Screams of the dying mingled with raging battle cries on the blood-soaked earth.

But in the eye of this hellstorm, Lucious remained tranquil, perched where he watched with profound detachment. The arrows raining upon them were but an irritation, bouncing harmlessly off his immortal flesh. Not a single arrow came close to piercing Megan under his watchful gaze.

Lucious observed the battle unfolding with mounting irritation. These mortals and their petty squabbles were wasting his time. At first their struggles seemed beneath his notice, but the encroaching chaos now grated on his frayed nerves.

"H-hey, outsider! Why don't you lend a hand?" the grizzled villager Garious called between parries, fighting with a practiced skill that hinted at past misdeeds of his own.

"Dammit, we're being overrun here!" another cried out to Lucious desperately as two brigands bore down upon him.

Megan cast her master a fretful glance, sensing his annoyance prickling just below the surface. But Lucious remained outwardly impassive but-

With a chuckle, he said, "I thought you wanted to mug me or something"

"W-What..?" Garious said, 'he heard?'

As a mortal, the sights would inspire only horror. But to Lucious, it was little more than an amusing distraction. These brigands knew not the true depths of power they toyed with. He could end their pathetic lives in an instant if he deemed it worth the effort.

'Think I should stretch my legs a bit,' Lucious thought idly. He stood slowly, towering over the villagers. "Stay hidden," he commanded Megan.

The two men fought on desperately, clothes soaked red with wounds. Lucious eyed the brigands with growing disdain. Their arrogant sneers and cowardly attacks from afar only stoked the fury simmering within.

'Fucking Bandits, being smug,' he thought, hand reaching down to grasp a fistful of pebbles from the road. 'Take this fuckers ' With inhuman speed and force, he launched the stones at the trees where the brigands hid shooting arrows.

"W-WHAT!!!!?"

*TATAtataTAtaTATATAA* A deadly hail of shrapnel shredded bark and limbs. Shrieks of agony followed as the brigands were torn from their cover, bodies pierced through like sieves.

Blood splattered as mere pebbles pierced flesh, scattering remains across the dirt. But these were no simple stones – they were a rain of death descending from Lucious' hand.

The brigands hiding among the trees dropped silently, bodies torn apart by the shrapnel. Gore-soaked bark and foliage rained down as limbs were rent from trunks. A thick mist of dirt and viscera was kicked into the air, obscuring the area.

The chilling cries cut off abruptly, leaving an eerie calm. Through the fading haze, villagers and remaining brigands stood frozen in horror and confusion. It appeared some violent meteor had erased their enemies in an instant.

Then, realization dawned on their faces as they traced the trajectory of the attack back to its source. Lucious stood casually amidst the carnage, surveying his handiwork with cold detachment.

The villagers wisely held their ground, understanding now whose power they truly faced. As for the few brigands left standing, animal instinct took over – they turned and fled into the forest, abandoning weapons and comrades alike in their primal drive to escape the wrath of this unearthly monster.

Moving with inhuman speed, he rushed forward and disarmed the fighting bandit with a single hand, throwing him from his horse.

"I'm hurt..." Lucious' voice echoed eerily through the forest as he stalked unseen among the trees.

The few remaining brigands froze in terror, scanning desperately for the source of the voice. It seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.

"I only wanted to play your little game," Lucious crooned, "and yet you all run like cowards."

A body dropped silently behind one man, its head missing. He spun with a cry, coming face to face with Lucious too late.

"Pitiful," Lucious sighed, disappointed. His voice now rang out from a new direction, another victim claimed.

This continued until only one remained, shaking uncontrolled in the leaves. Lucious materialized before the man, red eyes bottomless pits staring straight through him.

"Your existence..." he whispered, trailing delicate claws across the whimpering mortal's cheek, "is of no consequence to one such as I."

The man voided himself as Lucious leaned in slowly, savoring the fear. "Now...sleep well."

*SPLCHHH!*