The bodyguard

Knives dart and I danced around. My blade would hit one away and another would get a cut on me. My raven uniform was full of tears as I backed away, swatting the giggling man's flying weapon to the floor.

“HoHo! I thought you would fare better than your runner of a leader.”

As the rest of the ravens went off to follow my master, I learned. My tired eyes examined the feeble warrior, watching how his blades moved around in a hypnotising bobbing motion. I watched where he chose to attack as a knife flew at me. I brought my sword up to guard, metal tinged, and I was pushed back.

“You are so silent! It's disturbing.”

My stomach.

Two knives aimed at my stomach were sliced, mana collected on my blade and I launched myself forward to surprise the enemy. Four of the floating knives cross each other to block. I go low to jab, and the four move accordingly. A faint tricked the jester, and a mana slice from below cut into the horn’s man. The now scared ambusher’s skinny chest was marked with red, six knives were shot to the ground, missing me while I escaped with Umbra steps. Mana slid me across the ground as I nicked the toothy man on his rib.

“YA SLIMY BASTARD! COME HERE!” The enemy's blade broke the deck to home on me again.

Destroy.

Circles turned and my chest pounded with energy. My sword burst with blue mana like a rushing wave. I leaned back from a knife of blue mana, trying for my throat and shattered it. My sword moved to the right to break a second and I lifted my leg from the third. My free hand caught the fourth by the edge and mana armour crushed it. Eyes wide, the jester pulled his arm back and pushed the air. The air popped as two blades broke through with insane speed.

Not as fast as His Grace.

One skimmed off my sabre’s edge and another was broken, and I thrust deep with all my strength. An arrow of blue light fired out, blowing the one giggling warrior backwards and rolling to the ship's railing. Wood fell into the river and I charged at the huffing, hunched man. Frail arms reached out at his last two knives from afar and I sidestepped out of the way. Clutching the hole in his left shoulder, he grunted as he jumped on the dual daggers.

“It's been fun. But a fella has to know when to bow out. AHA, ergh. Fucking hurts. I wonder if my boss has killed her yet.” Grinning as he hovered above the deck, the jester glided through the hole in the railing, coasting over the water as he escaped.

My sabre clicked into my sheath.

Kill her?

I need to hurry.

image [https://i.imgur.com/B8EpyAX.png]

The duke.

With tears flowing from her eyes and rips on her green dress, Bieye tried her hardest to hit Fjord’s arm, but to no effect. I inspected him.

image [https://i.imgur.com/qDLIjZW.png]

Outclassed in everything but heightened speed.

Waste time.

“How?” I asked hoarsely, seeing lantern light glint off arrow points from all around me. I willed my allocation box near my empty hand.

“Ah, you know…” The horn grinned as he shook the madam by her hair. “Leave a crumb for the rats, they are bound to come scurrying.”

Twenty-five to agility, five to body, five to strength, fifteen to senses, five to intelligence, and Five to Mana Capacity.

No half measures.

All four circles spun at maximum speed. The grinding pain filled my chest.

“Nice work getting past Seba-”

Stone crushed under my feet as I smashed through the air, which Mana shield funnelled me through. I ran, the wind ruffling my hood, past mana-imbued arrows. Pulling back my mana blade to my jaw, coiling my muscles back and snapping it forward.

Fjord formed a shield of blue on his right arm. Pushed back only a few inches, the horn withstood.

“Impressive! Wait…”

My free hand grabbed my dagger on my left and a mana slice cut Bieye's hair short. My sword shattered on the power and with my sword hand free, I caught Beiye while she fell, flinging out a mana slice as I evaded a hammer punch of flames. Umbra steps glided me away while I backed away from the superheated stone.

In the middle of a crater of melted rock. A pimp laughed with pure joy. His ponytail flopping has his chuckle to the sky.

“Never would I have guessed I’d see you so soon, You Grace.”

My Hue… I guess it's over.

Points back to Agility, I leapt away, narrowly eluding an arrow of fire. The road exploded at its impact and I felt Beiye shake on my shoulder in fear.

“It's going to be okay,” I whisper. “Beatrice will come with help.”

“FANTASTIC! But I have need of the bitch you hold. Her punishment is not over. Arrows!” He called out.

No one came, as my people have come to work.

“Sorry baldy. But she has found a new employer.” I smiled as I took a step back before detecting more enemies running through the streets to block my way. Screams of dying men cried out from the crowd and a stone-faced guard ran through the dozen with his sword red.

“Your Grace.” With a wrist cut and a neck sliced by his sabre, Kurt ran to me, huffing. “I will take care of her.”

I put down the madam and said to her. “Thank you and sorry.” I turned, walking towards Fjord and his apple-sized balls of fire.

“Kurt. Get me a sword.”

My bodyguard swerved from a blade from a first-circle gangster. A swing up sliced an arm and he kicked it to me. I caught it, throwing the dead appendage away.

Thirty points into agility and strength each, I crouched, getting ready to sprint.

I need to hold on till Uncle comes. Need to get close. Distract him.

"Umm, it should be about time. On second thought, why don't I just kill you all right now?” Fire rained upon all, enemy and ally alike. Believing Kurt could handle it. I burst forward, weaving through the hail of fire. Cut through a fireball and was scored by its explosion. Mana slices from the stolen sword destroyed the rest that were aiming for me.

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“Time to learn the difference between fourth and sixth.”

All I saw was a gold-ringed fist and my world turned off. I come to and find myself tumbling, rolling, and bouncing across the red light district. Crashing into a wall, Fjord’s left fist caved in my gut and stomach juice and blood vomited out of my bruised mouth into my mask. My eye band slipped off, revealing my ruby eyes. I saw his right hand ball into a blue fist and I attempted to stab it with my dagger before it could punch me. Mana armour broke it and the momentum continued to my chest, forcing me back to the wall.

I need to move!

I dipped under a left and a brick wall turned into ruin behind me. I slashed up and Fjord’s mana armoured palm cracked my new weapon in half. The horn’s freed his left from the rubble to strike me. My left hand, free of weapons, reached up to guard and my knees and air shook from the pressure. I roared, kicking him away with all my heightened strength, making the sixth circle’s feet scrape the gravel road. I removed my dirty mask and spit out blood. A smile crossed the brothel owner’s face. He looked down at his body unscathed and his golden threaded clothes scuffed with dirt.

“Still haven't learned?” Fjord raised his arm and three arrows of fire spun into form. “Alright, Duke. I'll give you credit where it is due. You messed everything up. Had me twisting and turning in my sleep.” One more arrow of fire spun into existence. Feeling excruciating pain, I took time to rest and think as he monologued.

“So, as a prize for a job well done, I will offer you the position again.”

They are taking too long. They should have found him by now.

“Submit.”

What should I increase? Senses? But I will sacrifice too much to react to something I can't stop. Speed? I couldn't react to his punch.

“I will let you play the hero of mouve if you’d like. I could hide for a bit and you will get your precious subjects to love you. ”

Intelligence? I can’t use any element to make it viable.

“Look at you in those garments. You thought you were different from me. But you like it, don’t you? You like roughing it in the muck like the rest of us. Taking power on your own is satisfying, isn't it?”

“Is this the same conman speech your backer said to you?”

Fjord's shit-eating smile fell. Another arrow formed and his pronounced eyebrows darkened his eyes.

The sounds of swords clashing are getting louder. The guard?

"The huge bounty of five thousand gold was the clue. Seba, you say his name was. Quite expensive, ain't he? As are the many mercenaries you have hired. You ain't got the gold to afford this much. Flashy with your clothes, jewellery, and lies all to hide who you truly are. Not a kingpin or lord of the land but a manager. Just a pawn who has got it in his head that he matters.”

The arrows of flame burned brighter as the brothel owner scowled.

Where are they?

“With your boss dead from my blade, his coin in my hand and his treasurer in my jail, I had learned of his businesses in other towns. Many of them like yours, in fact. Some managers are even paid better.”

Fjord's eyebrow twitched.

“I tried to play the game. Take you out bit by bit. Wait for your new fundee to come into the spotlight. Avoid a hole in the underworld from your… welcomed absence by setting up my own manager. Alas, a schemer I am not.”

WHERE ARE THEY?

My feet sifted through the ground covered in debris. Feeling the heat from his arrows, I dropped the hilt of my broken blade, took out my last dagger and assumed a pugilist stance with my fist and knife shining blue.

“If I can’t trick them out, I will force their names out of you. The plan's fucked anyway.” I grinned as I faced my demise. I waited for a retort but the manager stood frozen with fire burning around him. I allocated my points to Body.

I will wait.

For as long as it takes.

Fjord sighed and his head slouched down. “Poor Joshua. Having to bury both uncle and brother so soon…”

The world was silent. My fighting stance slowly dropped and my circles slowed.

What?

“In this ‘game’, the best play is to take out the strongest piece on the board first.”

A high-pitched tone filled my mind. The brothel manager’s voice muffled while my mind overthought.

“You should learn more about your knights and their penchant for debauchery. Hahahaha.” A sixth arrow burned brightly above, illuminating the street.

“I’ll send the new Duke a few good whores next time he visits my business. On the house.” The horn raised his hand. Six fire arrows shot at me as my mind broke by madness.

The spare

In a knight’s home in Misttide, I, my uncle, and three other Osberg knights drank the hours away. Armourless, the built warriors drank with the swords by their sides and with laughter and merriness. It had been a long time since I had had such innocent fun. Not once since that day have I been inclined to sleep the horn’s whores. Although sometimes I thought back to the day Tarion found me in my robes and smiled to myself, wondering how those two were. I missed our chats.

A mug slammed on the table. "Finally, ale worthy of my tastebuds! Aha! Gregory, send me more of this elixir to my manor!” Uncle Laron wiped his mouth and he turned to me. “Come youngin, try!” He picked up the quarter-full mug to try and hand it to me.

“Woah, Milord.” Gregory, a knight of Osberg with blonde hair and a goatee, blocked the drink from getting to me.

“Tis too strong for the lad.”

Drunker than a rat fallen in a barrel of wine, Uncle kissed his teeth. “Nothing's too strong for the Greystones!”

“Let's drink to that!” Tim, a brown-haired full-bearded knight, shouted.

“To the Greystones, Freaks of Nature!.” Alan, a silver-haired knight with a cow's lick, quipped. The four warriors clinked their mugs in laughter while I sipped on my watered-down ale. I need to wake up early for training. I can't be like my uncle and operate on being half sober all day.

“Uncle…” he turned to me while the others continued to chat.

“What's got you in a sour mood?”

I sipped on ale for bravery. “After the ball, will you leave for your land?”

“Ha! Missed me that badly?” I gave him a face that made his mirth lessen. “Although there are fun times to be had in this city, ale to drink, women to meet, war stories to tell, battle calls for me. I am not one to stay put and live the good life.”

I looked at my mug, barely one-eighth drunk. Uncle saw me sulk and moved himself and his mug closer to me on the table.

“Want to come along?”

These were words I could never imagine but somehow hope uncle would say.

“I think I can manage to fit a snobby kid from the city in my regiment. I need some fodder to bait the barbarians with. Hahaha!”

My smile couldn't leave my face. Then I remember my mother and her ultimatum.

“Uncle. Did you fight over the inheritance with father? Over being the duke.”

My uncle narrowed his eyes, “Why spoil the mood with such a glum question?” He looked at me again and his face turned serious.

“Not at all.”

Surprised, I pressed. “Really?”

Uncle nodded. "Never cared in the slightest. No one pressured or persuaded me. All I cared about was my sword and the next battle. And-” Uncle pointed to his brown eyes. “With these, I wouldn't have had a chance anyway. Why, nephew?” My uncle coughed. “People in your ear?”

I fidgeted with my mug. “No, no…” I lied.

“Do you want the title?”

I ignored the question and exhaled. “It's just my brother…”

“Umm. How he feels is not wholly on you. I played a part in his disdain for you.”

Uncle leaned back on his chair.

“I brought you out to hunt, to train, to horseback riding. All while he hid, ignored by the world. By me.” Uncle gripped his drink handle with a look of regret.

Was he… envious of me?

But I finally understood. I had the health, the ability, and my mother. Opportunities, he would think I was throwing away.

I did throw them away.

I was stealing away his place all while playing about without a care in the world. The guilt and regret I had shouldered became heavier and my shoulders slackened.

“Heard about the cursed you killed.” My uncle continued. “Mighty fine work.”

“It was just an old man,” I said quietly.

“There is no ‘just’ when it comes to the cursed, my boy.” Uncle drank until the empty mug hit the table. “I have lost many young men like you to such curseds. I am grateful that I didn't lose you too.”

I nodded in agreement but my brother’s smile was still in my thoughts. The fact he could still smile…

I don't deserve a brother like him.

Uncle put his large hand on my shoulder. “Wanna make up to him?”

I nodded, holding back my emotions.

“Keep going. Get better. Stronger. Grow. He already offered the olive branch, just grasp it.” His smile filled his cheeks, making his kind brown eyes squint. "Finally, you are becoming the man I knew you could be.”

My heart warmed with happiness as blood trickled down Uncle's nose.

“Uncle…?”

He wavered in his chair. His hand looked for something to grab as his skin became pallid.

“UNCLE!!” I jumped out of my seat to hold the sickly man. Tears obstructed my vision as I screamed. “HELP!! MY UNCLE! UNCLE!!”

The three knights calmly walked around the table.

The blonde unsheathed his blade. “Fuck me! The bastard took way too long. Bison of a man.”

The grey knight looked at me with gross pity as I held a dying man. “Move aside, My lord.”