Azurith frowned, his stance tense, ready to intervene despite Clover’s clear warning. “She’s a cleric. Are you seriously going to let her dive into the thick of the fight?”

  I snorted. “You say that like anyone–or anything–on this planet could stop her. Besides, she’s not going alone.” I stepped between Clover and the enemies, motioning for her to move into position. “Ready?”

  “Always.” She shot Azurith one last warning look. “And don’t you dare step foot in this fight.”

  He raised an eyebrow but dutifully stepped back. “I’ll be here if you need help.”

  His tone clearly said he thought it would be less of ‘if’ and more like ‘when’.

  Clover caught it and scoffed, already moving forward. “We won't.”

  She charged ahead, her focus locked on the enemies. I followed close behind, Bolster thrumming in my veins as arrows rained down again. They pinged harmlessly off my armor while we advanced, the bandits now fully visible.

  The three figures were cloaked in dark hoods, their tension palpable even from a distance. One notched an arrow and released it, the projectile flying straight for my face–only to stop abruptly, deflected by an invisible barrier like the others before it.

  The archer froze, his mouth gaping, and Clover seized the moment. With a snarl, she lunged at him, her mace glowing faintly as it slammed into his knee.

  “I despise the likes of you. You’re cowardly.”

  He crumpled, howling in pain and clutching his leg, but Clover didn’t let up. She clubbed him over the head with a brutal efficiency.

  “You‘re too cowardly to handle dungeons. So instead of leveling up like the rest of us, you prey on others.”

  The archer slumped, unconscious, and Clover turned her focus to the remaining two bandits. One was fumbling to nock another arrow, his hands trembling, while the other unsheathed a pair of daggers.

  That wasn’t going to fly.

  I surged forward, grabbing the archer’s bow and crushing it. Bolster surged, and with another squeeze, the weapon splintered under my fingers. The bandit staggered back, his eyes wide with shock, but I didn’t give him a chance to flee.

  “Oh, you’re not getting away that easily.”

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

  I grabbed his cloak and hurled him toward Clover.

  She was on him in a blink, her mace swinging in a wide arch. He lurched to the side, but the blow caught his shoulder with a sickening crunch.

  The final bandit shuddered, taking a hesitant step back–but he didn’t get far.

  Clover whipped out her slingshot, loaded it with something small and shiny, and fired. As the projectile hit, a cloud of red smoke erupted, engulfing the bandit.

  She yanked us back just before the fumes reached us. Even from a safe distance, my nose burned, and I swallowed back a cough. The bandit stumbled out of the cloud seconds later, his daggers dangling limply as he scrubbed at his watering eyes. His breathing was ragged, interrupted by harsh coughs.

  I didn’t wait. Slamming into him, I knocked him back into the cloud, sending his weapon scattering into the dirt. When he crawled out again, hands raised, his voice was hoarse.

  “Mercy!”

  Clover scoffed, striding forward like a force of nature. “You’ve got some balls on you, demanding mercy after robbing adventurers for a living. Did any of them get mercy?”

  She hauled him to his feet and switched her mace to her off hand, punching him square in the jaw. His head snapped back, and his knees buckled.

  “The herb your rat destroyed was meant to heal dozens of people,” she hissed, her voice trembling with fury, “Now we’ll have to hunt down another.”

  Another punch sent something flying from his mouth, and he swung wildly at the air, his swollen eyes barely open. His clumsy attempts were laughable, and Clover dodged effortlessly.

  Unfortunately for him, she wasn’t done.

  She slammed her mace into his arm, eliciting a blood-curdling scream, before shoving him to the ground. Her boot pressed into his chest, keeping him pinned.

  “My paladin damn near died for that herb. And now it’s gone because you low-life thieves thought we were easy prey.”

  Stepping back, she reeled her leg and kicked him hard in the groin. “Well, do you still think that, piece of shit?!” The bandit curled in on himself, groaning in pain, but Clover showed no signs of stopping. She continued her assault, ignoring his pitiful attempts to shield himself.

  The bandit closest to me stirred and I planted a boot on his back, putting just enough pressure to keep him down. Azurith sidled up next to me, watching Clover with a mix of awe and unease.

  “I underestimated her. Though, to be fair, I never expected that kind of rage from a cleric.”

  I shrugged, unable–or unwilling–to hide the grin tugging at my lips as she let loose. “Clover’s one of a kind. Try to put her in a neat little box, and she’ll chew her way out of it–then slap you for trying.”

  Azurith hummed. “Noted.”

  Another kick landed, and the bandit let out a strangled yelp. Azurith winced. “Shouldn’t we step in? She’s made her point.”

  I barked a laugh. “If you want to try, then be my guest. I’m staying out of it. If she wants to beat him bloody, then I’m going to stand here, look pretty, and when she’s done, I’ll tell her how the rage accents her eyes.”

  And wow, did it. The fiery light behind her gaze made her practically glow.

  Azurith stared at me, torn between disbelief and amusement. “You… are a very strange human.”

  Oh, he had no idea.