I had always been fond of the Night. It was during the night that some of the best moments of my life happened. It was night time when I was first discovered by my teacher, underneath a full moon just like the one hovering over them now.
It was also underneath a full moon that I had my very first woman.
CLANG.
Metal against Metal, the sounds that signified battle. Someone would die tonight, I and this unnamed Bounty Hunter were both sure of that. We were both adamant that they wouldn't perish, I could see it on the boy's face.
Confidence in one's abilities could make or break a fight, this Bounty Hunter had that aspect down to the basics; his movements spoke for him. I was at a disadvantage, not because the boy was stronger or more skilled… But because he was fast and aware.
There weren't many mistakes for me to capitalize on.
So, I waited. Just as the bounty hunter dived in, swinging his twin short swords in a diagonal arc–I very quickly took a step back, using my Greatsword as a shield against incoming damage.
I couldn't hope to match this boy in swing speed, so I had to outlast him using what I referred to as rock-solid defense.
Every swing from the boy was met with the swift shifting of my sword, blocking it from touching my flesh and deflecting it. Still, the moment one sword was deflected, the other was there to follow–thus covering any openings just as quick as they appeared. Slash after Slash, Unfortunately, I was slowly being pushed back.
The bounty hunter seemed to combine natural agility and flexibility with martial arts, all compliments to his style of combat that made him a target that was nearly impossible to beat. So I had to make use of my experience, I would have to aggravate the younger fighter into making a big exposing move so that I could finish him off.
SSHING.
I was beginning to get more and more comfortable, while the incoming attacks were almost completely unpredictable… I was beginning to enter his zone. This was the type of combat I enjoyed, waiting for an opportunity and seizing it with my own two hands and a heart full of determination. However, getting too comfortable wasn't ideal.
The moment I thought I entered the zone… The Bounty Hunter went high.
Planting his feet against the flat surface of my Sword, vaulting over my head in a fit of acrobatics. He twisted gracefully in the air, locking eyes with me as I looked up only in an attempt to duck into a low position so that I could avoid the Hunter's blades.
Too late though, the Bounty Hunter swung both his swords down in a sharp X-Pattern, nicking me and giving me a shallow but well placed cut right atop my right shoulder.
Creating space, the bounty hunter quickly pivoted backwards on his heels, moving quickly out of danger. I, however, didn't retreat, instead I let out a deep sigh of annoyance. "I'll give it to ya, Kid. You sure know how to move…" I spoke, grabbing the handle of my sword and plunging the edge of the blade into the dirt beneath me.
Taking my uninjured arm, aka my left, and pushing it through my hair… Removing it from my face. "You're finished, Gramps. Only a Dual Wielder can recover from losing their Dominant Hand."" The hunter declared, assuming that I was Right Handed.
Of course I didn't reply, throughout the fight I had used my Right hand to keep the Red Haired Boy at bay… Now I couldn't do that anymore, or so the youngster thought.
The moment the younger fighter had it set in his mind that I was officially easy pickings, he ducked into range, attempting to behead me with one singular slash. But he had fallen into my trap.
I was one of the few Single Wielding Swordsmen born left-handed. I simply used his right as a sort of.. Limiter. The moment I grabbed his sword with my left.
BAM.
The flat side of my sword slammed into the boy's body, causing a rapid string of cracking sounds to erupt from the right side of his body as he was sent hurtling into the tree line behind him.
Slowly approaching him, I uttered no words. Instead I raised my blade high above my head prompting the boy to get on his knees. "Fuck… Fuck!! You old bastard… Why are you in my way?!" He roared at me, unable to accept his loss and fighting through the pain of multiple broken bones.
"Look–I..If you just let me take those bastards back to the Morlough Kingdom, I'll split the earnings…! All I need is the little one's hea-" I refused to even think of taking the life of a young child. Initially I didn't even want to kill this Bounty Hunter because he was so young…
But he had crossed a line. A sacred line, gunning for the lives of children and their mothers was a huge no in my eyes.
So before he could finish talking.
SLAAMMMM!!!
Swinging my massive sword from over his head, I split the Bounty Hunter directly down the middle with a loud roar. "HOORRYAAAHHHH!!!" That was the end of the Red Heads book, another victim of War and at such a young age.
As my sword rested between the two separated halves of the Hunter… I remained quiet, closing my eyes and dipping my head, giving up a prayer.
As the dust rose into the night sky from my powerful Overhead Swing, I turned his back on the now buried corpse of the man I had just slain. A cold and detached look slowly creeped onto my face as I carefully wiped away the blood leaking from the wound above my nose.
Making my way down the path I carefully observed, attempting to search for the Mother-Son Duo who had hired me.
"You two are terrible hiders." I spoke in a stern yet leveled tone. When I told them to hide he meant off the side of the trail, these two literally ducked into a short bit of shrubbery and called it a day.
Crossing my arms, I signaled for them to come out and began to speak my piece about the situation. "I'll help you get to Dragonia, I don't want your deaths on my consciousness.", an excuse I was just telling myself to maintain my hesitant image.
That night I guided them off the trail, finding a small ducked off clearing underneath some trees. Building a border out of Rocks and Mud, I gathered kindling for the night and lit a fire to keep all three of us warm… Sitting beside the fire I began to pretty much solidify my thoughts on who these two were.
And as if approaching to confirm my suspicions the Mother sat beside me, staring into the Campfire with cloudy eyes. Instinctively I could tell, I was about to get the full story I'd pretty much semi-pieced together on my own.