Korran watched the blade inch closer and closer to his face. Nolan's face was lined with concentration as he guided his blade toward Korran's heart, but death's fear didn't visit Korran's soul.

He twisted his upper body out of the way of the oncoming rapier, crouching low as his momentum carried him to his target - Nolan's unprotected stomach. A deep enough slice and this would be over quickly, without him having to reveal too many techniques to his potential new adversaries.

Things didn't go quite as he envisioned though.

Nolan brought up a knee that completely caught Korran by surprise as it slammed into his chest. He drew back with an 'oomph' - not a second too late, as Nolan had redirected his rapier to connect where Korran had been a moment before.

Korran nearly lost his footing as he struggled to catch the breath that eluded him, but in the midst of battle, almost was more than enough opening and Nolan was seasoned. He closed the distance, jabbing his blade forward with precision. Korran stopped trying to find his balance, focusing on parrying the strike instead, falling down as he guided the rapier away with his dagger.

His parry sent Nolan's hand far to the left and the unexpectedness of it pulled him off balance, allowing Korran to fall without a follow-up attack from the bandit. However, seeing the opening, as soon as his body hit the ground he had already repositioned himself to spring at Nolan. Nolan regained his composure and prepared to once again meet Korran's charge, but his eyes gave away his aim and Korran easily eluded the swing, darting to the left and once again slashing with his dagger.

It had been a while since one of his daggers tasted human blood, nourishing the earth as it dripped from its tip.

His dagger had sliced an arc in Nolan's stomach but he had awkwardly jumped back, lessening the depth of the cut. Nolan cursed under his breath, his eyes turning into angered slits but he remained standing. He bent over slightly but Korran suspected it was not enough to slow him down.

The man was as fast as advertised, but Korran's subconscious nagged at him. Nolan's footwork wasn't bad per se, but it was not at the level of his swordsmanship. Not planning to draw out the fight long enough to find a more pronounced weakness, Korran prepared to take up the least complicated strategy available.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Overwhelm the bandit leader.

Korran unceremoniously dashed toward the man again and this time, Nolan moved to meet his charge, a deep fury shaking his pupils. With his weapon's superior reach, Nolan was able to attack first - a piercing strike that Korran sidestepped. Nolan had adjusted to Korran's great speed and agility, however, and followed up with a series of unrelenting attacks. Korran was forced on the defensive, every block or parry from his daggers only seeming to fuel the man's next attack.

Despite Nolan's flurry, instead of advancing he was the one being pushed back after every successful block by Korran's daggers. The man, though skilled, was clearly not used to one-on-one fighting against an even or stronger opponent. Bandits were opportunists, not risk-takers, and his occupation left him unpolished in direct singular combat.

In a move betraying impatience, Korran tried to block the next jab with more force and create an opening; instead, his dagger slid off the lightweight sword, and Nolan's eyes flashed with anticipation as he spun, driving his sword into the gut of Korran...or where it had been a second ago. Korran shifted just enough to only be grazed by the blade, blinking away the pain that blossomed as the sword chipped away some skin.

Nolan had overcompensated on the attack, and now he was on his toes. In a moment he noticed his mistake and struggled to shift back into a position he could defend from - but he was far too late; Korran during his dodge had anticipated the golden opportunity that arose from thin air and thus he was better prepared.

Realizing that he had no hope of defending against the lunging Korran, Nolan raised his rapier and twisted to drive it down into his exposed back. His speed was well known around these parts and had allowed him to defeat many an ambitious bandit frothing to take his place - but he stood no chance against the small boy in such a contest.

Korran drove an elbow into Nolan's gut, then smoothly maneuvered behind the man as he doubled over, kicking the back of his knee and pulling his head back as he fell to a knee. He placed a dagger on the man's exposed neck, his own pain a mere background noise against the roaring anticipation that filled his very soul at a well-executed victory. Slicing open a kneeling man's neck was a bit more flashy than he was accustomed to - but he was convinced he needed to strike fear in all of the spectators to ensure the bandits didn't pursue them once their leader fell and to make his "allies" hesitant to target him and his bounty.

So loud was his pride that he almost didn't sense the fast-approaching footsteps behind him. He spun halfway, keeping his dagger across the neck of his downed pray while extending the dagger in his other hand toward his approaching assailant.

"The hell are you doing?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, realizing that the man who dared to interrupt the duel's conclusion. The man was no bandit as he expected.

Instead, Alaric's brown eyes stared back at him.