Ballad of The Hired Blades

- The Veteran Blade - It was dark, the air riddled with the smell of gunsmoke. One hundred bandits gather in ragtag huddles, planning their assault. In the distance, a lone mercenary hides, nestled in the trees. Readying his rifle; a dark blue, 7mm Arcane Pierce, he studies its various clips and cartridges. His nest nuzzled in between two mighty oaks yields the perfect cover to accomplish his deadly task. As the bandits drunkenly cackle about their plans to raid the humble village of Macorin, the mercenary laughs to himself. For only he knows the soon-to-be fate of these marauders. Tonight they do not raid a village, a treasure trove, or a bank vault. Tonight, they raid only the gates of hell. The Sniper takes aim toward his first victim, the largest goon to be seen with the meanest mug. *Krrrackk* *Pew* He fires. A vibrant projectile of light finds its way to the base of the target's skull, exiting through the front of his forehead. The bandit drops his frothy, half-full glass of mead and falls to his knees. He lets out a wheeze as the air escapes his now lifeless lungs, then collapses with a resounding thud. The entire camp falls silent, not a sound but the ominous wind whistling through the wispy oaks to be heard. Then, a more courageous bandit speaks out. "Who was it! Who killed Patrice?!?!" No one can speak, for they do not know. He speaks again, his raspy voice bellowing through the silent encampment. "I know you're out there!!" he turns to his bandit peers. "What are you fools doing?! Clearly, we have guests! Let's give 'em a warm Piranha Gang welcome!!" The disheveled Group starts to sober up. "Yeah! Get the bastards! They took our mate!!" "Let's skin 'em alive!!" The rowdy bandit leader retorts. "Get to the weapons shack! Let's flush the bastards out... *Pew. Sizzle. Fizz.* The mercenary marks his second victim. The bandit leader falls to the ground, a singed hole burned through his eye socket. The thugs relent. "Oh God! Chief!" "Get those weapons!" The Sniper grins. He lifts a detonator towards his ear and presses a shining green button. *KABOOM* An explosion goes off inside the bandits' artillery shack, blowing their heavy weaponry to smithereens. "Shit! What's going on?!" "We still have our rifles! Get to the tents!" The Sniper takes aim and picks off several more thugs as they scramble to the barracks for cover. Barreling through the door, the bandits swiftly begin to arm themselves. They hurriedly grasp at pistols, rifles, knives, swords, and anything they can get a hold of to defend their lives from the unseen assailant. As the last of the bandits make it to their tents, the mercenary prepares the next phase of his plan. He chants a mysterious incantation, as an eagle tattoo on the inside of his left forearm starts to glow a golden hue. "Nubibus autem oleum." Said the Sniper. A nimbostratus cloud formation appears over the perimeter. From it begins to rain a grease-like substance. The bandits revel in this freakish occurrence. "God wants us dead!" "What the hell is happening?!" "Wait... This smells like gasoline!!" The Sniper follows up his Arcane combination. "Ignis Sagitta!" He mutters. He points his index and middle finger towards the now saturated tents full of bandits. Brilliant arrows of pure flame shoot from his fingertips, striking the tents and setting them ablaze in an instant. "OooOOAAaaAAAHHH!!!!" "AAGH!! HELP ME I'M BURNING!!!" Several bandits catch fire, running from the tents and crying out for help before suffocating to death. A number of them flee the tent unscathed, scrambling to get their wits about them. The Mercenary continues his chant. "Disseminabunt. Sequitur quod venari!" The rain stops as the nimbostratus separates into smaller formations. The miniature clouds follow the escapees directly overhead. The Sniper whispers. "Fulmen." Each small cloud releases a lightning bolt to the top of the target's head. *Thud* They fall to the ground, frozen and lifeless. Smoke billows from their singed hair. Some raiders cry out. "We're all gonna die!!" "I have a son!! This can't be happening!!" The Sniper's arm begins to tremble. He digresses. "Uggh, oh stop you! We're almost finished here. Just one more..."