The woman -- Meliadoul - agreed fairly easily. Their best option was to find the survivors they could and escort them back to the city. It would take time. It would mean a lot of care devoted to the care of these traumatized people, but it would be worth it in the end. Looking away would be the same as striking them down herself. And Celes refused to ever cause such needless strife again.

And then there was a voice.

”Well, well. Seems that I have found the troublemakers.”

A man stood down the road. He had a malicious smile even as he was completely outnumbered and clad only in leather armor. Celes gave a hollow laugh at the absurdity of it all. Contrary to all evidence, this single bandit thought he stood a chance against them? And where had he been this whole time? Sleeping under a tree? Had he not heard his own men dying by the dozens? Had he completely ignored both Celes’ spells and the screams wrought by Meliadoul’s sword?

Killing someone so stupid almost felt unfair.

”Is this really something you want to do? Really?” Celes squared herself in the man’s direction, expression cool and heavily derisive. She hated men like this -- the ones who thought the world of themselves despite their own weakness. ”Do you not see the blood on her sword? Your men are dead. Leave and maybe you can avoid the same fate.”

”If you don’t, I promise this won’t end well for you.” Celes pulled her own sword from its sheathe, readying herself even as she doubted she’d need to. Meliadoul seemed more than capable of handling this alone, and she doubted he’d last long against either of them. Celes had killed wolves more threatening than this man, and hundreds of bandits, thieves, thugs, and soldiers that would have laughed in his face.

No, this last remnant of resistance was but a final obstacle in a job that Celes wished she didn’t have to do. He was a testament to the depths of human stupidity, cruelty, and hubris alike.

This wouldn’t take long.

ulla