535 Onion of Catarina

Eskel was leading his assigned group to the plains to the west of Kaer Morhen, the land was vast but relatively more tame than the mountains, monsters usually preferring to rest in large caves and on mountain paths. They compete with one another and it eventually leads the weaker monsters out elsewhere, which likely has them residing in the plains.

Due to the lesser difficulty of his task he was assigned with the "comparatively" weaker individuals that number among Reima's friends. These people are Sieglinde, Dusk, Quelana and Eingyi, along with the other Prospects and Chaos Servants present.

Eskel at first didn't think much of these people, though his expectations were destroyed, annihilated and burned to ashes the moment Sieglinde entered battle with a bear. The armour resembling an onion didn't appear to affect her agility as he sprinted ahead while preparing to strike with her Zweihander, the blade bursting into dark red flames when swung and cleanly decapitating the bear, something a regular woman, or even Witcher wouldn't be able to do.

Not long after their encounter with a bear a screech from the sky signaled the arrival of a wyvern, the robed woman called Quelana instantly conjured some sort of flaming whip that wrangled around it's neck as it tried to dive for one of them. She was unable to take it down with her strength alone but Dusk shot crystalline shards from the metal staff she was wielding which struck it's wing and forced it to the ground.

From there Eskel tried to subdue it, but it seems this creature was experienced enough to know who was the most threatening to it. It hissed and clawed at him whenever he tried to approach. Again, Sieglinde came from behind and completely severed it's tail while the polite, servile man Eingyi jumped atop it with his sword covered in blazing dark red flames. He fiercely stabbed downwards into the Wyverns nape and manage to nip a vital artery, allowing for Eskel to finish it off.

After killing the Wyvern Eskel managed to track where its nest was, taking the eggs and burning it to prevent any other creature from using it.

However, it wasn't just monsters that were present in this region...

*Whistle!*

Eskel stumbles backwards as an arrow hits him in the shoulder, he grunts and pulls it out, eyes widening at the green substance seeping from his wound. "They've got poison! Shield up!" he shouts as the Flameguard prop their tower shields in-front of the group while Eskel sips a Golden Oriole, unsure of how potent the poison they were using was.

Quelana "Brigands must have lain an ambush for travelers. Are you alright Eskel?" she asks with a concerned expression hidden under her hood.

He nods, "Yeah, nothing but a flesh wound. Let's teach these bastards a lesson, shall we?"

Sieglinde commands the Flameguard to begin advancing, having previously led them in skirmishes while waiting for Reima to return.

It was pretty obvious where the enemy was hidden, a thick clump of trees in the middle of a relatively desolate plain screamed "Hideout". The Flameguard was advancing, disregarding the arrows bouncing off of their Tower Shields. The Pyromancers and Pyreblades behind them tossing fireballs at the tree-line when they get close enough, dark red flames beginning to burn the trees.

The arrows keep coming though, one almost hitting a pyromancer if it wasn't for Eskel making use of Aard to redirect it. However, the fire enveloping the trees was intensifying, causing the bandits to escape and charge towards the group, most looking drugged up on Fisstech and other drugs, which would explain their strange action of charging at heavily armoured and outfitted troops.

Regardless of the quality of their troops, the Flameguard dutifully cast Ironskin on themselves and easily resist the bandits throwing themselves at the tower shields. Afterwards the Pyreblade use the armoured shield bearers bodies to leap over the shield and onto the confused bandits. Their blades easily slice and rend flesh as they cast the occasional pyromancy if they were in danger of getting outnumbered.

Their armour was probably superior to anything this world had aswell, having been enhanced by titanate, courtesy of Andre. Eventually less insane looking people slowly walked from the burning trees, dirty pieces of ununiform plate covering them, probably having been scavenged from their victims.

Sieglinde doesn't seem able to hold herself back any longer as she charges them with her Zweihander raised, "Engarde Brigands!" she shouts as she approaches the first one who's wielding a kite shield and a longsword.

He raises the shield to block the strike but it was only a feint, Sieglinde drawing a line in the air and bringing the large blade onto the man's leg, cutting clean through the steel plate armour protecting it. He screams and falls to the floor as she focuses on her next target, sprinting at them and using her two-handed sword as a lance. The man tries to block it with his wooden shield but the blade penetrates it, and his spine as he falls backwards onto the floor, dead.

An arrow bounces off of her onion helmet which has her looking at the terrified man responsible, however a crystalline shard penetrates his neck and kills him off before Sieglinde could direct her wrath upon him.

The rest of the battle wasn't much to speak of, Eskel, Sieglinde, Eingyi and the Pyreblades carving a trail through the bandits. Those that tried to flee were hit in the back by spells courtesy of Dusk, Quelana and the other Pyromancers.

After the battle the group took a moment to rest before looting their hideout, unfortunately discovering that they had held some people hostage, though only their burned husks remained. The brigands didn't own much, but the gold was appreciated either way, the group pocketed it and continued to try and hunt the monsters in the region.