logistics. "We only need you both to distract them for a bit, not even a minute. If you have something you can briefly 'pay' them with, then that'll help too. We'll make sure to get it back for you as well."

Zrak gives a big smile, showing his incisors again; though they aren't as sharp as before, they got his killing intent across. "And I'll make sure to give them a distraction so you two can get away safely. How's that for a plan?" Again, he gives a look of confidence, as if there's no way this plan can go wrong, even when Malkala assumes otherwise.

The pair look at each other again, a bit uncomfortable by the violent passion in Zrak's voice, but also excited by the prospect. Finally, Oleg nods, "We are in. I'll take the lead between us, and get us away at the first sign of battle."

There is a flash of worry and contradiction in Svetlana's eye, but this time, she is the one to back down. Malkala glances between the two before bowing, "Thank you. I highly doubt their attention will be on you once we initiate combat, but get into here and lock up as much as you can until you hear the combat end." She turns to Zrak, "Ready to get our final preparations done?"

Zrak happily nods to Malkala. "Yep, ready as I'll ever be." He appears as happy as a barbarian can be, looking forward to the fight as much as the plan itself.

With that, he heads outside and prepares the remaining things necessary for the plan: gather the tent and oil, determine the points which the bandits can retreat from, then lay down the necessary items for the controlled fire. Ideally, the fire can be smothered quickly with the hefty tent cloth when all's said and done.

Malkala follows Zrak, helping him carry the various items and planning where to put the oil for the best result.

"With how much oil we have, we need to be ready to pour it only minutes before the bandits arrive. Or even after. But it should help either burn them or prevent their retreat for a few seconds." The dragonborne's tone implies mild concern, "But I'll make sure to make Alchemical Fires to use even if the oil fails."

She looks back and forth between the stable and guesthouse, "Where are you going to hide? Maybe what we can do is have one of us pour and light the oil as we run in. But that does make us a bit defenseless for the first few seconds of the fight."

The ratfolk smelled of oil as he set up the flame wall trap. The scent leaves him physically retching, feeling like he needs a long, soapy swim in a deep lake afterward. He now hopes everyone else won't mind it over the night.

"I was thinking to stay behind the guesthouse," he suggests to Malkala, looking at both that building and the stable. "I'm going to rush in head-first and make sure they can focus on me. They probably won't even notice someone igniting their escape until its too late." He speaks again with confidence, trying not to flinch from the oil constantly reeking into his nostrils.

He waits, then thinks over the plan. "Ah, wait. We gotta make it over here undetected. I'm a lot better at that." His eyes narrow, wondering the quickest way to set it aflame when the time is right. "Malkala, can you give me one of those alchemical fire? Don't you store them in flasks and vials? I'll handle the fire with that, and you can ambush the bandits just as this lights up."

Malkala seems to think about it for a moment, her eyes darting around the area that was soon to become a battleground. She then nods, "Yeah, you are definitely better at hiding. I'll have an alchemical fire ready for you tomorrow. Even if I had one on me, the magic in it would fade tonight." She looks behind her, "I'll hide behind the guesthouse. The oil blazing will be the signal for me to charge in." Her hand settles on the pommel of her blade, "I'll just have to hold the bandits off for a few seconds to give you time to join me."

"Anything else you want to take care of?"

With the plan decided, Zrak looks over the area around him, then up to the sky, noticing the time of day. "I think we're all good here," he responds, readying his bone-thin arms and legs for the upcoming day. "I'll hide behind the stables then. Shouldn't be hard to light things up when the time comes. Though if something goes wrong, we gotta limit harm to others." His dusty voice speaks with little interest, as if considering the lives of others out of pragmatism. He and Malkala don't have a place to rest besides the trading post, and it'd be harder to scout out the Greenbelt without a failsafe place to return to.

He gives one more look around the trading post, then begins walking around the sides over to the back of the stable. His body twitches, sniffing the air and sharply looking at his path and steps. "Hmm. You think this is the stealthiest path?" he asks Malkala, wanting a second thought before ending the day.

Otherwise, he is good to go.

There is a bit more talk about the details of the plan before the pair leave to rest.

The next morning is a warm one with dark clouds on the horizon. There is a moment when Malkala wonders if there will be rain, which would ruin the wall of fire. But, after watching the sky for a bit, she and Oleg both determine that the clouds are either staying in place, or moving very slowly. There is no way they would reach the trading post before the end of the day.

As the pair prepare for the ambush, Malkala makes sure to hand Zrak two of her Elixir of Lifes and one of her Alchemist's Fire. Her face is serious, her mind obviously thinking of backup plan after backup plan, preparing for the fight ahead. Before they get into position, she makes sure to remind Oleg and Svetlana of the plan, and to emphasize that they are to run as soon as the fight starts. With that done, Zrak and Malkala get into position, waiting for the bandits' inevitable appearance.

They did not have to wait long. Only an hour after they started waiting, voices can be heard from outside the post's walls. As if on cue, Oleg and Svetlana walk out of the main building and approach the gate, their faces a massive mix of emotions. They speak for a moment together quietly before the bandits come into view through the gate.

"Are you ready?!" A booming voice calls out cheerfully.

Three men surround a horse drawn cart. The cart is tied haphazardly to two horses who look very disinterested in anything going on. The lead man was the one who spoke, and Oleg and Svetlana immediately head for him.

Without an imagination to entertain himself, Zrak lumbers behind the stable, half-anxious and half-sluggish, waiting for the bandits to arrive. Last night was a nigh-sleepless one; the past few days of training and preparation, and the anticipation of this day, left him tossing and turning in his sleep. And in the consequence of that, Zrak nearly dozes off several times this morning.

The booming voice jerks him fully awake, sending a shock throughout his body and an antsy tingle that rattles his ratty fur. His body leans close to the ground, returning to that familiar wolf-like stance the rat uses to stalk his prey. His hands and feet scratch the grassy dirt and his head twitches as he begins sneaking around the trading post.

The ysoki gets a distant look at the three men, unable to get their appearances, expressions, or anything much besides perhaps disinterest. In contrast, Oleg and Svetlana are moving straight to danger. All Zrak hopes is that the two do their part, act and play as if this is all standard fare, then flee the moment things ignite.

So with a slow prowl, Zrak moves around the shaded areas, making sure not to draw the bandits or the horses attention. With Malkala's alchemical fire, setting off the trap will be trivial. He just has to get there, and the smell of oil tells how close he is.

But when he gets there, oh, WHEN he gets there...

The two groups meet up, Oleg and Svetlana reaching the bandits first. Oleg takes a step ahead, as if to protect Svetlana, to which the lead bandit laughs, "As if you could do much, Oleg. Where are your taxes?"

Oleg stands there for a moment, glaring at the lead bandit's face. He then growls, "Follow me."

"Good answer."

Oleg starts leading the bandits further into the post, into the market yard. There, Oleg and Svetlana set out some of their goods, which they said is their usual payment. Seeing the pile of goods, the lead bandit sighs, "You know, I was hoping for more." His eyes look toward Svetlana, "You do need some motivation."

As Zrak moves closer and closer to the oil, he could just imagine and feel Malkala's anger. But, the bandits seem to take no heed of either adventurers as they start putting the goods on the cart. "Think about that next time we stop by, Oleg." The lead bandit says with an eager tint to his voice.

Zrak is only a few steps away from the oil.

He doesn't dare turn his head, wondering whether Oleg and Svetlana were doing alright. As an experienced tracker, you couldn't hesitate when avoiding detection; even the slightest pause can make the difference between being spotted and left unseen.

Zrak's body lies low to the earthy, grassy ground, slowly skittering on the claws from the end of his bone-thin limbs. The dirt softly gives in to his taps, letting him dig in without a scratch or sound.

Malkala's alchemical fire swirls in its small flash as he reaches the oil. Let's see... What were Malkalka's instructions again? Ah, spread it across the veiled material covering the exit, then ignite it, and use the tent to smother it in case it gets out of hand.

Quietly he gets to work, letting the sluggish liquid spill out where indicated. The task takes longer than he thought, assuming it'd be as quick as tossing the oil across the area.

So in his excessive impatience, and from a safe distance, Zrak opens the flask of alchemical fire and tosses it on the oil. The satisfying KKKKSSSSHHH of breaking glass tingles his ears, accompanied by the fire coating the oily surface.

The bandits are about halfway done with packing up their 'taxes' when the vial of alchemical fire crashes onto the ground. Zrak is a bit surprised at the immediacy of the blaze that appears, its heat threatening to burn him. Yet, he finds that it is well controlled, and he should be fine to leave it be for the fight.

At the sounds, all three bandits spin to stare in confused disbelief at the sudden wall of fire. Oleg and Svetlana takes that opportunity to turn and run for the door of the main building, slamming it shut behind them. The bandit leader glares after them, letting out an annoyed growl, "Fuck the Stag Lord, you two are dead!"

Meanwhile, Malkala acts fast. Her feet churn as she rushes to the battle, her blade at her side. The nearest bandit to her takes a step toward the main building as if to assault the building, which is the only thing that saved him from Malkala's strike. Her blade glances off of his armor and the dragonborne lets loose with her own growl, "We're your target, bandit."

Atop and over the wagon is a cloaked ratfolk; the fire gives him a glowing menace, as if he is a creature from Hell, ascending from hellfire to meet his prey.

And to the bandits, he may as well be a demon.

"You fell for it!" Zrak sneers, leaping next to a bandit. The ysoki takes the stance he shown before: kicking his right leg back, right arm to the side and left outward. Sharp teeth and claws appear in their full glory, now wielded with the focus of an intense martial artist.

His snarl is dim through the cackling fires as he rushes at the bandit minion. Zrak lurches low, then sends his right hand outward, curving into a fist and striking the bandit's leg!

And before the bandit realizes, Zrak slices his hand outward as if it were a tiger's claw, before grabbing the opponent's leg to tackle him to the ground!

Zrak's claws dig into the bandit's leg, sinking to his fingertips, before he sends the man to the ground hard. Dirt and blood spray up from the impact, and before the bandit could do anything to defend himself, Zrak's other hand darts down and into the bandit's chest. The enemy stops moving, only being seconds away from death.

Both Zrak and Malkala watch the anger quickly fade from the leader's eyes, quickly being replaced by a deep focus. His eyes lock onto Zrak's, and Zrak can feel the gaze of an experienced predator shoot into his nervous system, freezing him for a split moment. That snarl on the man's face curls up into a smile and the adventurers watch as he rushes back between the main building and storage pen. As he moves, he draws a shortbow from his back and nocks an arrow. Metal glints in the sunlight as the arrow slices through the air toward Zrak. It pierces into Zrak's side, sticking out at an odd angle.

The remaining bandit henchmen falls back with his leader, drawing a dagger and holding it back-handed. When he reaches in front of his leader, he stops and holds his position as if to guard the leader.

Malkala seems confused by the actions of the bandits, so much so that her eyes are not focused in the right spots to observe them closely. But she does not let that stop her from moving forward, taking in a deep breath. When she reaches the bandit henchmen, she lets loose with a built up spray of acid, aiming the cone at both the henchman and the leader. Both are unable to dodge in time, however the tight confines between the two buildings prevent the acid from dealing a lot of damage, which causes Malkala to growl in annoyance.

Zrak sneers through the pain, trying to maintain his stance even with the arrow stuck out at his side. He didn't have the same reaction he once did with pain: less on fighting through with sheer fury and more with a mix of rage and grit.

And the pain does not deter his movement, chasing after the bandits as some crazed wolf