After putting decent pressure on the sword, I dropped it for my short sword. In a single rapid motion, I pulled it out of its sheath and aimed for his leg. With his spear too far off, there was no way he would parry this one. And by all means, I was right; he simply lifted his leg, with my short sword only bringing a small cut to his horse. Now, with the red-clothed soldier behind me, I switched out my short sword for the bow, shooting two arrows in quick succession to heads of the horsemen to my left and right.
One hit, while the other took the opportunity to bring a scimitar down to my level. Ducking under the sharp weapon at the last moment, I chased after the horse with the corpse. I leapt and grabbed onto its saddle and pulled myself up, moving the body of the dead cavalryman out of the way as I grabbed his scimitar.
Balancing the scimitar between my legs, over the saddle, I grabbed an arrow and aimed at the red cloth. As the distance between us slowly shortened, I let go of the string, sending the bow flying towards him. At the very last moment, he tilted his head to the side, causing the arrow to only land a small cut across the red cloth over his face.
With the bind of the cloth undone, his face was revealed. He rushed forward with his horse and held his fist up high as he turned towards the army from a considerable distance. Suddenly, the army halted, and I was the only one moving forward. I couldn't even fathom what had just happened. I tugged onto the bridle a bit too late, and I was left defenseless in front of the man.
Completely calm, the man who I often referred to as the red cloth, threw a spear straight at the horse's breast, causing the horse to skid forward as I rolled to the side. Dusting off the debris off of my white garb, I stood in front of his horse with only my short sword still with me. I gained a clear look of the man; short black hair covered in dust, a short beard, a tan complexion, a body muscular and agile, and small lines of gold embroidered on his black leather.
The man dismounted his horse and laughed. Then, in a riveting, bold voice, he spoke, "You came all the way to our army, knowing we were marching towards your kingdom, and you decided to come alone?"
After a moment of silence, he continued as he smiled, "It is most impressive. I respect your courage and fearlessness. I am High General Grayhound Daidus the third, of the raven kingdom of Bahagrit."
I replied in turn, "I am Kharon."
"Kharon, is it? I don't quite believe I have heard your name before. Regardless, I do not see that you hold the weapon you had attacked me with."
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
As he snapped his fingers with his hand held high, a soldier of the army stepped down with a black leather cape in his hand, putting it over the general's shoulders. A moment later, a man approached him with Chief Umbra's sword that had fallen across the plains. Analyzing the sword, he spoke, "Hmm... A well-crafted sword, indeed. Imbued with magic and light in weight. There is chance you can beat me with this."
He tossed the sword towards me and I grabbed it. He continued, "Because I admire your bravery, I will see to it to personally fight you one-on-one. Rest assured, no man of my army will interfere. You may begin, when you see fit." The general pulled out his red sword and stood ready, holding the hilt with both his hands.
This day took a different turn; I didn't expect the opportunity to face the red-clothed general one-on-one. Taking my short sword in my left, I rushed with the swords shouting, "GRAAAH!!"
*Clang*
As our swords clashed, I pushed the blades of my swords forward while he stood his ground with his. While I was putting all my effort into my sword, the general caught me off guard and slammed my body back with his right foot. Swinging his sword around with his right, the general spoke, "You have much to learn, boy."
Pissed, as I got off the ground, I dropped the short sword for a similar approach as the general. Now with less weight on my hands and less swords to focus on, it seemed to be for the better. Taking long strides forward, I aimed for his neck while his sword aimed for my gut. Just as I saw the arm brace moving to protect his neck, I moved back. He had switched to using his sword with only one hand in the mere instant I swung at him.
Before I could attack again, he charged forward. First, swinging to the chest, then to the leg, then to the neck, rapidly shifting angles while moving forward. His aggression and power was hard to face; I was barely holding my stance.
*Clang* *Clang* *Clang*
I grinded my teeth together as I faced the onslaught of attacks. The army cheered for their general. I stepped back and stepped forward swinging at his chest. I managed to make a small cut across his armor, as he stood dazed of my movement. Before he could push me back, I stepped back once again.
As the savages they are, the army continued to cheer at the sight of battle. I understood one thing as I exchanged blows; the moment I close the distance, he gains the upper edge. To fight him, I must be swift and precise.
I stepped forward and leapt back as he swung, then stepped back again making a deeper cut across his armor. Instead of being angry or startled, the general smiled. As I tried following this technique the third time, he caught on and slammed his right elbow on my head. Just as I was falling, he made a rapid cut across my neck. "May we fight again in some other life, Kharon."
Bleeding out on the plains, I was ecstatic gaining the experience of pure battle; though my motive did not change.
'I must get stronger.'
---------------------------------------------
[Failure]
[The 126th Cycle Commences.]
[Class: Warrior]
[Rank: E]
---------------------------------------------