Darius and I kneeled at the far end of their campsite, weapons drawn and bodies tense. Though he tried to hide it, I knew why he decided to stay close to me. Darius did not trust me, at least not entirely. And why would he?

In less than a month since I joined the caravan, they were attacked by bandits, had their property damaged, friends threatened, and a long-time ally revealed as a traitor. It would make anyone second-guess things, and I knew they were reconsidering my place as a result. It was why I was glad they had decided to proceed with this attack, despite some misgivings. Assisting seemed the best way to restore their confidence and trust.

After locking up Torem and the bandit spy, who refused to provide his name, Darius had woken the rest of the guards. Explaining the situation, he had them broken into two smaller groups of twelve, one half to guard the camp while the other proceeded into the forest to take down the bandits. Though he did not call attention to it, I noticed that he had split his most loyal guards in half as well, likely counting on them to keep an eye out.

I had considered trying to talk them out of the counterattack but decided against it. There was no point, and I knew Darius or Prin would want to proceed regardless. The bandits had struck at their homes and families, and no amount of logic would overwhelm the desire for revenge. Or justice, as they would prefer to see it.

And, of course, he stuck near me because, by his reckoning, I was the second-best fighter in the caravan. If anyone could kill me, he was the one to do it.

"Alright, when I give the signal, make for the main tent and confront their leader. If we take him down, the rest might surrender," he whispered, meeting my eyes with a stoic look. Dressed in leather armor, he looked smaller than usual, but the same massive sword as before was strapped onto his back.

I gave him a nod, responding, "I understand. Ready whenever you give the order."

Turning his attention back, Darius raised his fingers to his mouth, letting out a piercing whistle. The moment I heard it, I rushed forward, charging towards the nearest bandit that had been on guard duty. He turned, eyes widening and his sword raised, but to my eyes, he might as well be standing still. My spear took him in the chest, sinking through cheap armor and cloth to pierce his heart. Slowed for only a moment, I ripped out the weapon, spinning it and scattering blood in the air as I moved further toward the main tent.

Though his orders were to move for the leader, killing anyone in my way seemed the prudent move. The fewer foes in the way, the less chance they could injure the other guards. Behind me, I heard Darius following, his heavy weapon slowing him down.

Around the clearing, shouts came up from the rest of the camp as armored figures charged, appearing from the trees. They had been caught off guard, and several scrambled from their tents, struggling to get their weapons up in time. Though they outnumbered us, I doubted they would win this battle.

As I took all of this in, the tent's opening was pushed aside as a man stepped out. Unlike his allies, metal armor clung to his body, form-fitting with smooth lines and plates overlapping. It was clearly the work of a master smith, far too expensive for any ordinary benefit, and confirming to me that whoever was paying him had deep pockets.

Far more impressive was the blade he carried in one hand. A longsword, built and balanced for either one hand or two, with a mirror polish and beautiful silver runes along the flat that shone in the darkness. Even from a distance, I could sense metal mana rising from it, weak but still present. Considering he was just a commoner, I assumed it was enchanted with passive effects, but that was still plenty dangerous in skilled hands.

Meeting my eyes, the man gave a cruel smile, shouting, "It was only a matter of time till one of you came calling, but not a problem! At least when we finish you off, your caravan will be easy pickings!"

Without bothering to reply, I moved closer, taking care not to get within his range. Though I doubted he could beat me, I wanted to give Darius time to catch up.

Seeming to sense my intent, the bandit lunged forward, his blade swinging in at a diagonal angle. I stepped backward, dodging without much difficulty as I stabbed forward, aiming at his nearest shoulder. Pivoting, he avoided the strike as his own blade was carved in a backhanded slash.

Taking just a moment to gather himself, he stepped forward again, a two-handed strike cleaving sideways with enough force to cut me in half. Moving back, I used the tip of the spear to deflect it away, sending it wide and opening the man up to a counter. As I moved back into range, intending to stun him with the blunt end of my weapon, I saw a glint of metal from his left hand as it released the hilt.

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Moving more on instinct and the brief warning, I stepped back, feeling something drag along the leather armor that covered my chest.

"Fast, aren't we? I hate jumpy bastards like you," he muttered as he straightened up, a dagger in his left hand and sword in his right. The smaller blade was long and thicker than most knives, with a wide grip designed to protect the hand. Circling, I tried to remember as much as possible from Sig's lessons on using two single-handed weapons.

"What about using two swords? I have read that master swordsman would perform with twin blades during some tournaments as a show of skill. Is that useful in a real fight?" I had asked one day, after class.

"It's one of the hardest skills to do right, even for a master. Most lack the strength to strike or block with one hand, and even fewer can keep track of both blades at once. You're just as likely to injure yourself as your opponent." he had said, giving me the same look that he did when I asked a silly question.

"But how would you do it? If you were skilled enough, I mean." I had pushed, still curious.

"A shield is the best bet. They provide great defense, and in the hands of an expert, function well as a weapon. I've also seen daggers designed to parry or lock up weapons, which could work if you know what you're doing. Personally, I think they're barely better than a party trick, and you're better off with a polearm or a two-hander, but whatever gets the job done."

Having taken his words to heart, I never bothered digging any more into dual-wielding weapons, seeing it as a novelty. Now, as the blades danced in unfamiliar patterns, I hesitated, unsure how to respond. Picking up on my momentary indecision, the bandit charged again, sword flickering in the moonlight as he gave a quick slash. When I turned it aside, stabbing out with a counter, his off-hand weapon batted it aside, leaving me open for a moment.

As we fought, I began to suspect his sword was enchanted to lessen its weight. Despite its size, the man swung it with incredible speed and grace, far more than should be possible. We circled each other, neither ready to reengage, and I took a moment to glance over, spotting Darius locked in battle.

Two bandits had intercepted him, and even now danced around with two spears. Though they had all the grace of a toddler, he could not push past them, at least not without risking injury. Our eyes met, and I saw the unspoken message they conveyed.

Hold him off until I finish these two off.

Glancing back, I swore as I dodged another flurry of strikes, the leader trying to take advantage of my momentary lapse in concentration. I soon realized we were at a stalemate, neither able to land a telling blow. His armor and aggressive style meant I could not land a non-fatal blow, at least not without magic. Meanwhile, I was too fast for him to score a telling injury, even with his unorthodox style.

Still, the fight was not going his way. Even not factoring in my inhuman stamina, he was in heavy metal armor, fighting aggressively,y while I was in lighter leather. Sweat clung to his brow, breaths coming increasingly heavy, while my own was still steady. He and I both knew that the battle was slipping from his grasp, which meant desperation would soon rear its head.

The bandit slipped his dagger into a belt sheath before reaching into a pouch as if he heard my thoughts. A moment later, his hand lashed out, sending a sphere flying through the air towards me. Recognizing it, I jumped to one side, an explosion erupting behind me that sent me flying several feet. The heat and force momentarily dazed me, and when I looked up, I saw him standing over me, longsword gripped in a two-handed and raised above his head.

Without a chance to think, I moved in a blur, my spear flashing forward to meet his descending blade. Meeting the strike halfway, I twisted the shaft, turning the block into a deflection parry that carried the sword down into the dirt. Continuing my spin, I whirled around him, pulling my own weapon around as it built up speed.

And slammed it into the back of his head with a thunderous crack that echoed across the camp. He seized up, collapsing to the ground, stunned but not dead. Rather than give him the chance to recover, I moved forward, dropping next to him as I mimicked the brawling moves the other guards showed me during practice.

Pinning one arm to the ground with my knee, I grabbed the other with my left hand as I pulled back the other. My first punch shattered his nose, sending blood streaming down his face in twin streams. The second hit his eye, and I knew it would swell shut by the morning, while the third hit him hard in the chin. By the fourth, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, his strugglings fading as he lost consciousness.

Slipping a hand into his belt pouch, I pulled out another bomb before throwing it several feet behind me. The explosion roared, sending a plume of smoke up and the rest of the camp fell still, stunned for just a moment.

"Your leader is defeated! Lay your weapons down now, and surrender!"I roared, looking around at the camp. Darius must have defeated both of his opponents and was halfway towards me when I knocked the leader to the ground. I realized he might have seen my swift movements, though I dismissed the concern for now. It was dark, and I could excuse it away as adrenaline, good reflexes, and luck.

The rest of the guards had killed or disabled most others, though a few still stood, half-dressed and holding weapons. As my eyes swept across them, they threw away their spears and axes before falling to the ground.

Darius met my eyes, giving me a nod, and I returned the gesture, throwing in a smile for good measure. We had won the day, and now all that was left was to see what consequences ensued. But as the guards rounded up the bandits, I could not help but wonder if I had made a mistake throwing my lot in with these men.