A Sword For Gold

Chapter 2 - Unparalleled

The two were about halfway towards making it to the gates of the city.

It was still mid-afternoon. Maraxus and Cora did not waste any time making any stops along the way, telling every tavern or household who'd call out to them simply because they wanted to engage in a casual conversation with the Starfall Hunters. Regrettably, Cora kept telling them, "Maybe next time, I'm sorry," she'd apologize sheepishly, before quickening her pace so that they wouldn't be forced to make a stop.

The royal summons was urgent. They needed to get to Levyria as soon as possible, and that wouldn't do if they weren't able to depart from Goldhaven City by that same evening. Besides, the city would close their gates by evening and bar anyone from entering, but those who wished to exit at evening or the middle of the night were free to do so. They needed to get there before dusk would come.

Trudging tirelessly, Maraxus decided to make their little journey worthwhile by whistling a few widely known tunes to numb the anxiety away.

"Shut up," said Cora shortly.

"What the hell, Cora?" complained Maraxus, "You're not even going to let me whistle the songs of old? Is The Maiden and the Blade not a good enough song for you?"

"Quiet, Maraxus," Cora whispered sharply, "Don't look now, but I sense that we're surrounded by five bandits. You brought your sword right? Just pretend that your guard is down."

Maraxus nodded and then played along, saying, "Man, whatever happened to Vaelia and Baros? Why did they abandon us just like that, Cora? Why? WHY?!"

Playing along, Cora answered, "That Vaelia was much too insecure around me, and Baros was just as useless as a goddamn bow with no string. Vaelia always thought that she was the leader of our group, but she's just a bitch who wanted credit all the damn time, and I don't even understand why Baros can agree with her. Probably, useless as he is, he is deathly afraid of Vaelia herself."

"Vaelia Martel," Maraxus recalled her name, "She really was a loud bitch, even way louder than I am. I always hated the fact that she kept picking fights with you for no reason."

"I told you, Maraxus," said Cora, now moving her eyes around the place, monitoring the bandits' movements. "She was always insecure around me."

"...Cora." Maraxus prompted.

"Yeah," she agreed, "Now."

Maraxus quickly drew his sword while Cora, in a flash, nocked an arrow unto her bow and shot accurately towards a tree to their right, catching one of the bandits by the shirt and pinning him to the trunk.

"Hey, you idiots," Cora called out to them, "We're in a hurry, so why don't you all just show yourselves and get this over with quickly?"

The other four bandits showed themselves wielding daggers and axes, while the other one struggled to get free from the pin that the arrow had made on him to the tree. They surrounded the both of them from the front and back, as well as left and right.

"Two against four, heh?" Maraxus observed.

"Why?" said one of the bandits with a sinister smile, "Do you think that's unfair?"

"Yeah," replied Maraxus nonchalantly, "For the four of you. This is your last chance. We really prefer not to kill you bastards."

"You wanna take that chance with us, you sons of bitches?" Cora taunted as she nocked an arrow unto her bowstring and aimed it squarely on the head of one of them.

"Get them!" the apparent leader commanded, as the four bandits charged at them together. Cora immediately let her arrow fly, but not before aiming it straight down, sending it through one of the bandit's foot, and skewering it into the dirt as the bandit went down screaming in pain.