A dozen bandits were trapped in an ice dome and cut off from their power. I was the only one that could use mana and held all the power. Curses flew wild as I cut through bodies. It was a one-sided fight from the start. There was only one templar among them. The rest were only lancers. On average, their gear score was below a four. It made sense why they wanted this fight. They had the numbers, and I was weakened by the earlier fight. The bandits miscalculated.

  I had an arsenal of rune bombs, weapons, and tools in Lana’s ring. The fight with the Jesters would’ve ended much sooner if I used some of them. I wasn’t looking for an easy battle with them. I wanted to test my growth. These bandits, though, wouldn’t be much of a test.

  Ice whipped through around my dome, cutting through bodies. I fired mana pistols and tossed more rune bombs. For seven seconds, the ice dome was in complete chaos. It was filled with loud bangs, ice razors, fire, and the screams of the dying. I tuned out the screams as much as I could, using the pistols to end suffering quickly.

  When the dome dropped and my domain withdrew, twelve more corpses were added to the dead count. Guards and townspeople had filled the street. Horror and disbelief were expressed on their faces.

  One of the guards with the highest gear score and most ornate pauldrons stepped to the front of the crowd. He was a high-ranked templar by the looks of it. Maybe even a sage. Most of his face was covered by his helmet except for his eyes. His eyes looked like they were filled with madness. Upon seeing me lowering my mana and weapons, the captain relaxed his stance and pulled off his helmet.

  “I think,” I said to the captain between huffs of breath, “your town has a bandit problem.”

  “Leave now, or you’ll be detained.” The guard held back a mouthful of other words. He looked down at the mess and spit. “Jarl and Red—” two guards, most likely knights, stood to attention, “—escort the dowser out. The rest of you clean up the mess.” The rest of the guards and bystanders got to work at once. The two knights grabbed my arms and walked me off. As I was leaving, I caught the glint of murderous intent from the captain. I was glad to be on my way.

  “Teleport or gates?” The guard asked. I assumed his name was Red based on his red gear.

  “Teleport," I answered.

  Red's grip tightened as he pulled me to the left towards the portal. Getting kicked out of a town was a new experience, and just as I was getting used to it, the experience was over. The guards pushed me into the portal and directed the portal keeper to send me on my way.

  “Make sure we do not see you around here again.” The guard said, this one not wearing red. Jarl cursed me with both hands and walked away. Red followed close behind.

  I was sent out of Cyanne in a flash. White flashing light blinded my eyes, and mana inundated my senses. It wasn’t just one mana type, either. All of them were mixed together as one yet distinct with their touch. I counted several seconds as my body was ripped across the land in a rush of power, like a twig in rapids.

  The intensity of the light increased. The energy reached a boiling point. My body was thrown out of the portal a second later. It took several more seconds for my eyes to adjust before I could get my bearings. I was in Landfall.

  Landfall was the furthest south-east port in Alderi, which meant it was the furthest south-east port in all of Agoria. It also happened to be one of the favorite stopping points of the hoard. It just so happened that when the goblins, kobolds, and bugbears came to visit, they weren’t in much of a shopping mood. Or even a visiting mood, either. The horde came to plunder and destroy. Once they got their fill or were driven off, they’d leave.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  The type of tourist the town attracted contributed to much of the city’s aesthetics. Heavily fortified walls surrounded the entire port. It had eight mana towers—six of the eight were all on the seaward side—and two dozen mana cannons. The towers, cannons, and walls were always stationed by soldiers.

  At the entrance of the port was a massive metal gate that lowered beneath the ocean when it was open. Not many boats sailed into the port. The closest towns to the city were Cyanne and Tom’s Pond. Neither of the two was involved in the trade. So, most of the time, the ocean gate was closed.

  The gray port city had one draw to it. The taverns. Taverns and comfort inns made up the majority of the buildings. There were a handful of renowned restaurants and common trade buildings like a blacksmith, carpentry, tailor, enchanter, and potion shop. Then there was the barracks.

  The barrack was a typical build of the Alderi Empire. It was built as the last holding spot for the city, and various defensive and offensive features were built in. The exterior was twice as strong as the fortified walls surrounding the city and had no less firepower. It provided the stationed troops rooms to live, eat, train, and relax. The building also housed the city portal. If the barracks was still manned, the city wouldn’t be lost. Troops, supplies, and materials could all be provided for. If any case arose where the portal didn’t work, Cyanne was ready to support the city.

  Outside the gates, I could hear the clanking of weapons clashing, the cursing of soldiers, and officers yelling out instructions. Training was in session. I walked through the gates, showing an empire crest to the guard. She gave me a stern look and let me through.

  Landfall smelled of smoke, sweat, and cut pine. The pine did most of the heavy lifting, making the smell somewhat pleasant.

  The city was busy. I hadn’t noticed the commotion the last time I came to visit. Complete focus on my studies was probably to blame at the time. Warning alarms were silent, yet most traffic was directed towards the docks.

  I paid the crowds little attention and headed for one of the finer restaurants.

  As a low-ranked templar, I’d just won a fight against a squad of high-tier templars and a sage. If I were to tell anyone of the five diners inside the restaurant, none of them would believe me. I was still trying to wrap my head around the fight as well. It was time to celebrate.

  I ordered three plates of food, two drinks, and five desserts. It all tasted wonderful. I was sipping on the last of my ale when a soldier stepped into the diner. The fully armored man was in heavy plates and was geared for war. His gear score was probably a high seven, and he was perhaps at least an apostle-ranked templar or a sage. Behind him, two more heavily geared soldiers stepped into the diner.

  The head soldier gave a quick glance around the restaurant and looked disappointed. He motioned to turn around and stopped upon being greeted by the barkeep.

  “Food or business?” The bartender asked as he polished a couple plates.

  “Need to make an announcement.”

  “The room is yours, Captain,” the bartender said.

  “Thanks, Judd. This will not take long. Probably is not even worth the time.” That last part was said under his breath. The captain shook his head. “Listen up,” he said louder. The inflection of his voice wasn’t needed as he already held the attention of the room. “We are seeking volunteers for a counter-raid mission to the Wastelands.”

  “Get lost.”

  “Recruit your own.”

  “Bastards.”

  The captain and his soldiers took the round of rejection well, giving little to no reaction.

  “Right,” the captain said. He looked at Judd, gave a nod, and, in a crisp motion, turned and left. The soft hum of conversations broke the awkward silence as soon as the door shut behind him.

  I turned back to my drink, finished it, and paid my tab. So not a horde invasion that stirred up the town. Alderi was going to go on the offensive. Interesting.

  Counter-raids into the Wastelands didn’t happen often. Maybe once every couple of years. Usually, the goal was to rescue the enslaved prisoners… which was exactly why the horde took prisoners. It was that or a new mage with connections and a heavy purse wanted to test out their newly acquired power and dungeons weren’t satiating their battle lust.

  The convoluted scenario was much less likely than the first. A nation’s power was based on its mages; no empire or kingdom would risk losing such an asset for a counter-raid mission.

  In another loop, I might join the counter-raid. I’d encountered my fair share of horde in the past. They were strong enemies that I had fought several times as a soldier. They lived for battle, which could prove to be a great training adventure. See new lands and find new challenges. It would be a perfect business trip for a cartographer.

  Raids were for the future, though. I was still working on resetting my body foundations and acquiring assets.