Watty's Shortlist 2023
"I have been waiting a long time to meet you."
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When two warring kingdoms hear of a magical object that will end the conflict once and for all, two rival heirs embark on a quest to retrieve it and bring their...
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It's rare that one finds themselves with four brutes hurtling towards them.
It was certainly Aila's first time.
Her heart was hammering in her chest, but her training skills kicked in and within seconds, her rucksack was on the floor and the hilt of her sword was in her hand. Her right leg was in front of her left, bent in a fighting stance.
Though she had never been in a proper fight, she had been trained for something like this since birth.
She was aware of Kaiden to her left, also holding a sword before him, with awareness and a predatory glint in his ocean blue eyes. As if he cravedthe fight, as if he needed the outlet.
As the four bandits surrounded her, she brought her attention back to her own battle. It was clear that the majority had charged towards Aila after having come to the conclusion that she was the weakest link.
Determination coursed in her blood to prove them wrong.
She did a slow three hundred and sixty degree turn with her blade in front of her, assessing her opponents, waiting for their first move. They were armed with weapons that ranged from cutlasses to scythes, all covered in dirt and blood.
As one finally swung his blade, Aila ducked, allowing it to fly into another bandit's face, sending him to the ground screaming in pain as he was blinded by his own blood. Another of them grabbed her from behind, but she dropped her weight and elbowed him in the stomach, whirling on her feet and slicing into him with her sword. He fell to his knees, despite the fact that she had not sent the blade in deep.
One of the remaining two raised a scythe, which met her blade in a clash, as they each sought to disarm the other. Aila registered the two other men behind her closing in, and in a rehearsed move, she dropped to the floor and rolled at the last possible second, sending the man with the raised dagger careening into his friends. They both slammed into the ground, leaving only one left standing.
As Aila prepared to face the remaining one, she cried out as a searing pain spread through her right arm. Her blade fell to the floor and she dropped to her knees, hissing through her teeth and clutching her bleeding arm.
She hadn't turned her back on any of her opponents. It was the man Castor was dealing with that had fired that arrow.
Pain clouded her mind, preventing any coherent thoughts from forming. Through the tears pooling in her eyes, she could just about see one of the bandits getting to his feet beside his standing friend, both of them approaching her with glee in their eyes. Her mind was screaming, and she winced as the harsh cacophony of sounds grew around her.
Aila vaguely registered Kaiden's voice yelling her name from far away, to get up, to fight.
Perhaps that's what helped her to ground herself, to get to her feet and pick up her sword with her left hand. Perhaps it was also fear at the thought of what those men would do with her if they managed to overpower her.
