The Sword Maiden

Playing Dirty

Of course Megidil would pull such a trick.  All it would take was one dagger to a women or kid's throat, and the miners would surrender.  The only thing they valued more than their rights were their families.  

When I realized this, reason fled my mind and was replaced by the same sense of righteous anger that had consumed me when I first fought a Ravager.  I bolted forward, not even fully knowing what I was doing.

I picked out one brute who was the closest to me.  He was coming up behind a little girl who was clasping the hand of her mother.  The mother was focused on the miners and Mayor.  The brute moved quickly, but it was obvious he didn't want to draw attention to himself before he had either the girl or the mother.

So intent was he was this focus that he didn't realize how close I was until I was about three yards away.  His hand had been reaching out for the girl's shoulder, but he saw me just out of the corner of his eye.  He turned slightly and reached for his own blade.

I had been aiming for his side, but his turning worked it out so that Bound's pommel slammed into the side of his torso.  Not the most effective place to hit, but it had all the force I could muster behind it.   As I did, the mother screamed.

"Ahhhh!"  The man keeled over slightly and took two or three steps back, so that I couldn't go for a follow up strike like I'd been planning.  Plus, I was off kilter because of my momentum.  Instead, I used the chance to stabilize myself.  

Redwar won't be happy with me for that.  I knew I should've been more careful about my balance.  Now, I had to face one angry thug of a man.  Thankfully, it appeared bandit life had not been kind to him, as he was rather wiry.  

By now, screams from the women, who'd realized what was happening, drew the attention of the miners.  It was chaos around me, but I could only focus on this man. 

He had recovered from my blow and was enraged.  He drew his blade and took a swing at me without even thinking setting his stance, adjusting his balance, anything at all.  It was a wild, fast strike.

I blocked it and all the training Redwar had drilled into me took over.  I turned my blade to the side and ran it up along his to thrust it away while keeping a steady pressure.  When my guard handle met his, I thrust upward.

My pommel smashed into his chin.  As his head snapped back, I twisted so that my guard handle was behind his and yanked downward.  This loosened the grip on his sword and it slid partway out of his grasp as he stumbled back.

Just then, from out of nowhere, a fist came from the side and hit him straight in the nose.  Of course, that caused him to fully drop his sword into the dirt.  The pressure I'd been pressing against it caused me to lean forward.  I caught my balance and whirled to see just who had finished off my opponent. 

It was Mr. Lotcin, with his pickaxe in one hand and a furious look on his face.  He didn't acknowledge me just then, but turned to look behind me.  "Are you alright?"  

The mother, who was clutching her daughter close against her skirt, nodded with tears in her eyes.  But this I only saw out of the corner of my eye, as I looked around myself to see what was going on. 

The miners were now mixed among the women and children, but the threat was over now. Redwar and Valeria were each holding a man at sword point.  Derrek was looking down, stunned, at a bandit at his feet.  Had he killed him, or just wounded him?  Or knocked him out? 

But over to the side, there was still another fight going on.

It was Daxton and Megidil.  Megidil was the man with the most sword expertise, and I was surprised that Daxton had taken him on instead of Redwar.  But Daxton was holding his own, despite the older man's size, his Ravagerian speed made it an even match.

Their sword clashes rang out, and caught the attention of everyone else.  Slowly, as the fear wore off and people calmed down, the attention was turned to this fight.

Dirt clung to the sweat on the two.  Neither was giving in.  But I could tell that Megidil was having to work slightly harder to keep up.  

But the crowd, who'd never seen much sword fighting, seemed to think that at any moment Daxton was going to be overwhelmed by the bandit leader.  Mr. Lotcin started toward the fight, but Redwar caught him on the way there.  I didn't hear what they said, but Mr. Lotcin seemed incredulous that Redwar was allowing this to go on. 

Just then, the crowd let out a gasp.  So fast I could hardly tell what moves he used, Daxton had delivered a stunning blow to the head.  Megidil was tougher than he looked, though, and made another swing at Daxton.  

But Daxton was ready.  His sword caught and deflected the blow, pushing it aside and leaving Megidil open to another attack.  Daxton turned his blade, while still keeping himself protected from Megidil's blade, and drove home a thrust with his pommel into the chest of his enemy. 

That did it.  Already weakened by the first flow, this was too much for Megidil.  He fell his knees and a hand clenched his chest.  His sword touched the dust. 

Daxton's face was set in the stone of sure vengeance.  He used his boot to step on the flat of Medgil's blade and pin it down.  Then he raised his blade, and it shone in the sun.

I realized he intended to kill Megidil.

"No!"  Redwar's voice boomed out and caused everyone to jump.  Daxton paused, his sword still in the air, and locked eyes with Redwar.

I held my breath, wondering if he would go through with it, shocked that he would even think of it.  I knew Daxton despised Megidil, I hadn't known he hated him enough to kill him. 

Finally, after too many tense moments, Daxton's blade came down.  But not in a killing strike.  

AN:  Short, rough chapter as I try to get back into the flow of this story.  But it is here and it is out.  

As of late, I haven't had a good amount of time to write on ANYTHING.  Which is part of the reason this story had been neglected.  But I AM still continuing it.  And if you're still sticking through these rougher times with me, thank you ;) .