Fable: Retold Chapter 7

==The Search for the Bandit Seeress==
"Got it!" Leo said coming out of the water with a mushroom.
"That's the last! Come on let's find that witch" Zane said taking them to Bowerstone with his seal.
Later!
"Here" Leo said handing her the mushrooms.
"Ah yes! Good! These will be perfect now just give me a few hours."
"HOURS?!" the three yelled.
"Oh wait! Well what do you know! I got some of the potion already mind like a nymph I tell you" she laughed giving them a potion.
"Let's get this to the kid" Zane said.
"I'll hang onto these mushrooms I'll uh put them somewhere safe" the witch said.
"Yeah right" Zane, Ace and Leo said as they left to Bowerstone and gave the woman the potion.
"I still can't believe the old woman helped us I will never join a with mob after this! We won't forget your kindness heroes. Good luck with your quests" the mother spoke as they made their way to Oakvale.
Later that day!
"Oakvale again" Ace said as they walked along the beach.
"So this is the path?" Leo asked as they reached a cave.
"Yep, this is the way to Cliff Top Path" Ace said as they went through the cave then spotted a bandit by a fence.
"You will need to sneak by those Bandits to get to their camp, if any of them see you, they will raise the alarm and lock the gate and if that happens, you must stay hidden for a short time before the gates reopen" the Guildmaster said.
"Let's just try and get to the Seeres and get out" Zane said as the three slow began to sneak around with Sparky following behind sneaking past three guards and entered through the open gates.
"Get down!" Leo whispered as they looked to see two Bandits talking.
"You heard what happened to Stern?"
"No, what did the idiot do this time?"
"He only lost his bloody cap in a raid. Was a week before he could get back in the camp."
"Yeah, you can't get in unless you're in full gear these days."
"If you ask me, old Twinblade's getting a bit jumpy. Don't know what's got into 'im."
"Hey, who's that?" one asked pointing at the three heroes before Leo knives stabbed into their necks and they fell over.
"I got an idea" Leo smirked.
"Oh no" Ace said making a face.
"You got a better idea? You two take their clothes I will find another" Leo said sneaking away.
"Okay" Zane said dragging the body away behind a rock with Ace.
Later the two walked out dressed in Bandit clothing as Leo approached with a leash and put it on Sparky, "maybe we can fool them?" Leo said.
"Ugh these clothes feels gross" Ace said.
"I don't even want to know what some of these stains are" Zane said.
"Even the underwear feels gross!" Ace said as Zane and Leo both gave him a look, "I didn't have to wear the underwear did I?"
"Your disgusting" Leo said as they headed through the path and entered Twinblade Camp and reached the gates.
"Hello, mate. Nice Bandit gear" a man said.
"Thanks, you too" Leo said.
"This here is Twinblade's camp, once you're in, you're in for good o feel free to get changed when you're inside, another three coming in Joe! Open the gates!"
"Thanks mate" Ace said as they walked through the gates.
"So far so good" Leo whispered.
"Yeah but we have to act the part if we're going to blend in" Zane whispered.
"Spsst!" a man said getting their attention.
"I've heard you might be interested in 'procuring' a Camp Pass?"
"And what if we are?" Zane said.
"Well, I can get you three, but it'll cost you 1,000 gold each."
"3,000?! Oh fine!" Zane said pulling out his money bag.
"What a rip off" Leo said pulling out his money bag.
"There goes dinner money" Ace sighed.
"Excellent choice, my friends. Excellent choice!" the shady bandit said.
"You scamming us and I will hunt you down and kill you" Leo said as they all got Bandit passes.
"Those big gates will lead to Twinblade and the Seerees" Leo said has they headed up the stairs and held out their passes.
"Looks like a valid Pass to me. In you go, let them through!" the guard said as the gates opened to Twinblades Elite Camp.
"Wow" Ace said looking around.
"The toughest rouges, throat slashes and murderers are here" Leo said before gasping.
"What?" Ace asked looking to the camp fire where black hooded Assassins stood.
"It's Templars!" Leo whispered.
"Who?" Zane asked.
"The Assassin Brotherhood enemies they seek power and will enslave mankind" Leo said.
"How will we get into that?" Ace asked pointing to the large arena.
"What's this way" Zane said following Sparky before seeing a man heading towards a cage with women inside.
"What is this?!" Zane said.
"Come to look at Twinblade's entertainment? Ain't they just lovely? Gonna be a fun party all right!" the man said.
"Help! Let us out of here!" a woman begged as Leo tried to get the lock.
"Damn! Need a key!" Leo whispered.
"Hold on we'll get you out" Zane whispered holding up his Guild Seal as the women nodded.
"All right you had your look and I have the key so you won't be seeing anymore" the man said.
"Oh really?" Leo smirked before covering the man mouth and stabbed his hidden blade into his heart, "I will take that" he said taking the key and hiding the body under an empty cage.
"Here" Zane said opening the cage.
"Thank you so much!" a woman said.
"I thought we were going to die! But we have to leave quickly, before the guards notice!" the other woman said as the two took off and the gates to Twinblade part opened.
"Twinblade's hostages have escaped! Grab them before they get away!" a man yelled as three men ran out from the gates.
"Well done the gates are open you can go to Twinblades area now."
"Will the women be alright?" Ace asked.
"They will be fine come on!" Leo said as they went into Twinblade's Tent as they saw they were outnumbered by Bandits.
"Stand back lads! Twinblade wants a word with these little heroes!"
"Come on!" Zane said as they walked down the path with yelling Bandits to their left and right and approached the large tent as they felt the ground shake.
"What is that a Troll again!" Ace said before they saw the shaking was from each step Twinblade took as the large man stepped out of his tent with massive swords.
"Close it's a Giant" Leo said tilting his head up like Ace, Zane and Sparky.
"She said a Guild-puppet would come, and here you are. My blades have been dying to meet you" Twinblade said.
"Oh? You were expecting us? How kind" Zane glared.
"They haven't been fed for days. You three don't look like much of a meal though."
"Back off you overgrown Troll reject!" Ace growled.
"Draw your blades, Guild-puppets. Let's see what you're made of!" Twinblade said.
"Bring it on!" Zane yelled drawing his sword as Ace pulled out his ax and Leo his Katana.
"HA!" Twinblade yelled swing his sword as the three quickly dodge rolled.
"YAH!" Ace yelled swinging his ax but Twinblade blocked and kicked Ace hard in the gut and sent him flying and smashing into some barrel.
"Ace!" Leo yelled jumping onto Twinblade back with a knife in hand and was ready to stab down but the large man shook Leo off and smashing to the ground.
"AH!" Zane yelled swing for chest chest but was smacked in the side by the large man sword and sent rolling on the ground.
"Okay he's strong!" Ace grunted holding his bleeding arm.
"Look at his back, it was covered in scars and the only thing exposed in that armor we hit that he'll be down in no time" Leo grunted.
"So go for the back! GO!" Zane yelled as the three charged again.
"YAH!" Twinblade yelled making a slice but Zane dodge by sliding her the blades and under the man legs and jumped up and swung three times at Twinblade exposed back, "GAAH!"
"Over here!" Leo yelled throwing a knife into Twinblade armor.
"AH!" he yelled trying to stab both swords into Leo but he dodged as Twinblade tried to pull his swords out.
"HA!" Ace yelled swinging his ax at Twinblade face but the large man caught the ax then lifted the ax with Ace holding onto it off the ground, "WHOA HEY !"
"Little worm!" he growled swinging Ace around and sent him smack into Leo.
"GAH!" they grunted rolling on the ground.
"HA! YA! AH!" Zane yelled swinging his sword at Twinblade back.
"AHH! I see your stubborn!" Twinblade said pulling his swords out and swung them at Zane who dodged again.
"YAH!" Ace yelled jumping onto Twinblade back and covered his eyes.
"Get off me!" he yelled as Leo stabbed two knives into Twinblade back as the Giant fell over on his hands and knees and the heroes stood tighter preparing for any other attacks.
"I like you better as a Hero Twinblade" Zane said.
"Finish it quick then. I'd do the same for you" Twinblade said looking down at the ground as Zane held up the sword ready to strike.
"There you" a girl said as the three looked over to see a girl their age approaching with a blindfold covering her eyes as Zane eyes widen.
"What's wrong? Don't you recognize your own sister?" Theresa said.
"Sister?" Ace said looking at Zane.
"Zane is she?" Leo asked.
"Theresa?" Zane said as she smiled.
"He past once again before here, Theresa's memories returned in a blaze of fire. Oakvale was burning. She watched in silence as the bandits torture her mother, then turned to her with questions of the missing boy. She answered them only with a star, and so their leader sliced out her eyes. The raiders took the boy's mother, and left Theresa alone in the forest. There she crawled for three days, blind and desolate, until she was found by Bandits. Twinblade and his men. She began a new life of servitude among their clan but the Bandit King sensed her exceptional strength and power of Will, and listened as she whispered dark prophetic truths in her sleep. Those who could never accept this small, blind girl standing by their master's side did not last long. When they attacked, she killed them. Without mercy, and without emotion. For this was her place in the world now."
"Wait wait wait! This is your sister?!" Ace said.
"I've seen so many things. So much killing, so much dying. I've seen you, little brother. In a ring of sand and blood. An arena full of secrets and I've seen the choices you'll have to make one day, between the darkness and the light" Theresa spoke.
"Theresa?" Twinblade said.
"I'm sorry , Twinblade. Your path is alone now. All our paths are but before I leave, brother I have a present for you. For all the birthdays I've missed a power that runs in our family" Theresa said holding out her hands and glowing green with magic.
"GAH!" Zane grunted floating off the ground in a green light.
"Zane! What are you doing to him?!" Leo growled pointing his katana at Theresa as she began to walk away.
"Zane?!" Ace said catching the hero.
"He finds you when you're sleeping, and when the daylight fades" Theresa said.
"What?" Leo said as Zane looked at his hands.
"What are you waiting for? Finish it or leave me alone. I'm dead anyway. I'm no one's king anymore" Twinblade said.
"You were a great hero once Twinblade! One of the people I admire as a kid" Zane said walking past him with Leo, Ace and Sparky.
"She gone" Leo said seeing Theresa had vanished.
"We'll see her again" Zane said as they left back to the Elite camp.
"That was a very impressive victory hero but Maze has more news for you at the Guild. I suggest you return here at once" the Guildmaster spoke.
"So what did you sister do?" Ace asked.
"I know them all...all the Will spells and...my body" he said looking at his now tighter clothes, "I bulked up."
"Must be the Hero blood in you" Ace said.
"Let's go see what Maze want's" Zane said pulling out his seal and transported them back to the Guild.
"Much better" Leo said walking out dressed in his Assassin Gear.
"No kidding" Ace said fixing his bandana for his Mercenary outfit.
"What do you think?" Zane asked walking out in Bright Platemail Suit.
"Nice armor!" Ace said.
"Why that?" Leo asked.
"...only thing in the store that fit my body now" Zane sighed approaching the Guildmaster.
"Well at least it protect his skin" Ace said.
"Hello master" Zane said approaching the Guildmaster once they arrived.
"You should speak to Maze. He's waiting for you in his quarters, located in the big tower at the back of the guild" the Guildmaster said.
"Thank you Guildmaster" Zane said as the three headed for Maze tower.
"What do you think Maze wants?" Ace asked.
"Probably has more information but if Twinblade was not the one behind my home burning then who was it?" Zane said as they walked in to see Maze by a fireplace.
"Maze" Zane said approaching.
"So you really found your sister. I would never have imagined her living among Bandits" Maze said.
"That makes two" Zane said.
"You've really come a long way these last few years, haven't you?" Maze said going up stairs with the three following, "people are starting to ask when they're see you and your friends in the Arena out in Witchwood."
"The Arena of sand and blood" Leo repeated quietly.
"Do you think?" Ace whispered.
"But before you go wandering again. I've left a Quest Card of my own. A favor, if you will. An old friend of mine has gone missing. Calls himself the Archaeologist he may have stumbled on to something big. Perhaps big enough to put his life in danger."
"I wonder" Leo said thinking.
"There's a rumor he may be hiding somewhere in Witchwood. That is, if he isn't dead already. You can use a Cullis Gate to get there. I only hope it isn't too late."
"Okay Maze" Zane said as they headed to the Quest table.
"A Trader Rescue mission huh?" Ace said reading the card.
"I bet it's those two guys from Darkwood" Leo said.
"We'll take that mission first then head to Witchwood afterwards" Zane said as they took a Cullis Gate back to Twinblade Camp where a Guard waited for them.
"Ah, thank Avo you're here, sirs! The Situation is bad, sirs, real bad! The Bandits are demanding protection money from the Traders' Union, and took three hostages to show they men business."
"They want protection money from traders? How stupid is that?" Ace said.
"The Union's refusing to pay up, even though today is the last day. They called me 'cos I owe them a favor, but...well...I just got out of Guard College last week, and I only got a C minus in Hostage Recovery."
"...there's a school for that?" Leo said.
"Yeah there's a Bard College too" Ace said.
"Know what? I'll tell you where they are and leave you to it. Lemme see...er, ooh...yes, now...there's one's down the hill and, and er...there's two more on the other side of those big gates. All clear? Right, I'm going to make a tactical withdrawl before they see me. Right...good luck!" he said as Zane, Leo and Ace sighed, before entering the camp.
Five Minutes Later!
"They seem weaker now" Zane said stepping over a dead Bandit body as Ace and Leo looked backed at the trail of bodies he left.
"Or he's gotten way stronger" Leo said.
"You! You're from the Guild. Rescued at Last! Those Bandits are a vicious bunch. You have to get me out!" A trader said.
"Come on" Zane said as they headed to the other half of the camp.
Two more Minutes Later!
"Ah, my saviors! You have come to rescue me, haven't you?"
"Yes" Zane said.
"Excellent. It's just that sometimes you Guild types like to chop our heads off instead. Anyway, let's go!" the Trader said.
"Come on" Zane said as Leo opened the cage freeing another Traders.
"I suppose I should thank you. Took your precious time. You any idea how long I've been waiting to be rescued? We can't stand here all day talking though. We got to leave! Now!"
"Why I ought to!" Leo growled.
"Let it go Leo he's just an ass" Ace said leading them out of the camp,
"Safe at last! Thanks for everything, heroes you really deserve that reward" a trader said as they walked away.
"5000 gold" Zane said counting the money.
"Next stop Witchwood" Leo said.