Splintered Arrows (Twist Fate)

Splintered Arrows

Camouflaged in his green clothing, Robin was effectively hidden by sight as he crouched on a tree branch, surrounded by the vast foliage. He watched the road below him patiently like a hunter waiting for his prey. The sound of a whip and horses galloping alerted him that his prey was not far. He pulled out an arrow and raised his bow, waiting for his latest target to come into sight.

Shortly after, a white carriage being pulled by two beautiful horses appeared on the road. He put the arrow in the bow and pulled it back, waiting for the right moment to release it. When the man riding the carriage came into his view he released the arrow, having it plunge into the man's chest.

The horses stopped running as soon as they realized there was no one left to control them. Robin jumped down from the tree and made his way over to the carriage. Inside, there were no other people for Robin to kill- not that he minded doing so. What laid inside the carriage was a bag of gold that he gladly looted. He quickly guided his attention to the motionless man, the arrow still protruding from his chest. Robin checked the man's pockets and was satisfied when he found another valuable bag of gems hidden inside the man's coat pocket.

Everyone knew of the infamous Robin Hood; once a petty thief but now a brutal, murderous bandit. He killed numerous of innocents each day without showing a sign of remorse. His only motive for his heinous crimes was riches. He wanted it all; gold and silver, diamonds and pearls, emeralds and rubies. He craved to have everything, he even proved on countless occasions that he would kill for it.

The king, aware of the threat Robin posed on all people, sent guards under the sheriff's control to capture and kill the dangerous bandit. But no matter how many men there were, Robin always seemed to slip right through their fingers, murdering a few just for good measure.

The sounds of more horses followed by screams and laughter told Robin that people were drawing near. He quickly took cover in the thick foliage once again and waited for the people to come into sight. Shortly after, a dozen drunk guards pulled their horses to a stop once they saw the carriage and the dead driver.

The most sober guard dismounted from his steed and stepped towards the wreckage. After months of trying to hunt down the infamous thief, it was obvious to him that this was the works of Robin Hood himself.

"Spread out, men," the guard said. "This murder was caused by none other than Robin Hood. He must still be close, we need to catch him."

One of the drunk guards stumbled forward. "A-a-areeeee you certain this is not a fluuuuuuuke?" the guard slurred.

Before the most sober of the guards could reply, an arrow shot out from the woods and hit the drunk guard in the chest. Before his limp body could hit the ground, every other guard had their sword drawn. Death was an easy way to sober men up. Unfortunately for them, they weren't sober enough for Robin.

Before they could figure out as to where he was hiding, he shot arrows at them until the only one left standing was the sober guard. Indeed he was sober, but his whole body quaked with fear after witnessing how easy it was for Robin to kill the rest of the guards.

Robin emerged from the shadows, his own trusty sword drawn. It was a weapon he rarely used but still experienced enough to win every other sword fight he was in. No one has ever seen that sword and survived, that guard would be no exception.

That guard seemed to be the wisest, more experienced out of the other guards who foolishly allowed themselves to get drunk while on duty. If Robin's instincts were correct, the guard would be an excellent sword fighter. Both he and his sword yearned for yet another experienced sword fighter's life to fall into his clutches.

Without giving the guard anytime to react, Robin lunged at him, disappointed to see that the guard never moved. His sword cut a deep gash into the guard's arm, snapping him out of his shock from the events that had just taken place in such a short time. Even when out of his shock the guard remained terrified. He had a difficult time avoiding Robin's attacks, not to mention even landing one of his own. In the end, Robin had no trouble at all disarming the guard. He stumbled back, collapsing onto the ground. Robin tsked and shook his head. He really had his hopes up for the potential of this guard but like everyone else, he was a mere weakling. With one final blow, his sword protruded from the guard's chest.

Robin turned around and started making his way to the nearest village. It would be the ideal spot for him to loot and even gain a few valuable gems. He might even find a challenger just as strong as him. Just like wealth, Robin yearned to battle someone just as powerful as him. And he would find that person no matter how much time it took- no matter how many deaths it took.