Arablest/ Prototype

"STOP!"

I suddenly shouted the word from where I was before I realized what I was doing. What made me shout like that? I had no idea, but the fact was that I did.

But it was enough. For once, my voice was actually loud, and somehow held power. It was a completely new feeling for someone like me who did his best to avoid attention.

Yes, I was always the quiet speaker; back home, even people next to me had trouble hearing what I had to say. Ironically, that didn't help me avoid attention, but it was how I was. I had never shouted so loudly since I was a child.

In fact, it was so loud that it was enough to make nearly everyone hesitate from what they were doing and some even looked in my direction. Fortunately, the bandit that would have hit the girl was one of those who had stopped to look at me, and although it was only for a split second, but it was more than enough for the girl, Leona, to fully withdraw her lance and face the new threat.

Well, he wasn't really a threat, as he got run through by another villager.

I myself, after realizing what I had just done, tried to shrink back and disappear, but I wasn't very successful. In the end, I could only stand there and watch the battle unfold in front of me, horrified by the scene. These were real, human lives, killing each other.

Suddenly, I heard a voice behind me:
"Oy! Yer in da way, whelp! Ya villagers are annoying, tryin' ta resist us! Just die!"

I as shocked to hear someone behind me, but only for less than a split second. After that, my mind took over my instincts, and I spun around to face this new threat.

The second I face this person I saw something zooming in at my head. I instinctively leaped backwards out of range, and the object narrowly missed my head. I suppose I was lucky there. If I was any slower I would have been hit.

As I landed something hit me against the hip. I immediately looked down to see what it was; right. I was actually armed with a rapier. How could I have forgotten? I reached to draw it out as quickly as I could, while looking back the the threat.

It was large, muscular man, holding a large axe. the axe must have been what almost hit me. He may as well have been dressed in rags, for all I care; but he was clearly one of the bandits.

I have to fight? I'm not even a villager! How did I get involved in this? I'm going to die! I don't even know swordplay, and this guy could easily overpower me!

I stared in fear as the man advanced at me.

"Bah. I can't believe a whelp actually avoided my blow. Come back here and jus' die!"

He charged at me, when someone dragged me out of the way and then stabbed at man while he was charging at me. I guess he was so occupied with me he somehow didn't notice my savior.

“Do you always freeze like that in battle? Honestly, are you trying to get yourself killed?”

It was Leona. She was the one who dragged me away, probably just saved my life.
She pushed me aside, and lunged with her lance at the bandit, who simply knocked the lance away with his axe, and charged at us.

I stood up, and cleared my mind of my thoughts. Now was not the time to think; it was time to worry about surviving first. And if I can fight side by side with someone I can trust not to kill me, then maybe I have a chance.

Together, we fought this bandit. Theoretically, I had an advantage weapon wise: the sword is much faster, lighter, and more accurate than the powerful but slow and heavy axe, but then, my skills with any weapon was…well, I’m sure you get the idea. But everyone has a different fighting style, which could easily be for targeting specific type of enemies.

Then again, they were just bandits, so why should they be any more skilled than I? It was likely that both of us had no skill in combat, but what they did have that I didn't was simply pure, physical strength. In a battle like this, that is certainly more important than a calculating mind like mine.

This was, I considered, one of the hardest battles at the time, although now that I reflect upon it, there were harder fights to come. At least then, I had powerful allies by my side, and by then I had some training. Here? Nothing, except for Leona, who fighting at my side.

Not that she was bad, by any means.

Leona and I were being pushed back, as Leona had to step back so she could have space to lunge at the bandit, and I stepped back because I was extremely cautious after knowing I could die and I did not want to leave an ally’s side. I could find no openings–No, there were plenty of openings, but I was not ready to risk my life. All I did was step in a little and try to lunge, only to fall back to avoid another blow; not of my attacks ever came close. I may have the determination not to run, but i had neither skill nor determination to risk my life to win.
Even so, the bandit kept advancing, swinging his axe back and forth at us.
Leona lunged one more time, and this time, the bandit caught the lance by the shaft, and broke it with a single hand.

Seriously? This guy broke a reinforced wooden pole with one hand without hitting it against something? What kind of strength is that?

‘Ha ha!” laughed the bandit. “Yer dead now, whelp!”

The bandit leaped forward, swinging his axe at Leona.
Leona stared at her broken weapon, and something, I don't know what, made me push her aside as I stepped in the opposite direction so that the bandit’s attack would miss both of us. “Go!” I shouted. “Find yourself a weapon!”
Leona could only nod, and ran off, still clutching the broken lance. The bandit attempted to attack before she could leave, but I cut his left arm with a slash from my rapier, stopping his attack.

I actually hit him for the first time, but that's mainly because he was distracted. Man, I suck at fighting.

And yes, I slashed with a piercing weapon. So what? I was far away enough to cut him with the tip, and I fail as a swordsman. I was just lucky that I managed to hit him with the tip; I had no idea exactly how long the rapier was.

He roared and turned onto me. However, I did not expect him to already be swinging his axe when he turned. Even with my slow reactions, I somehow managed to dive out of the way, and the bandit missed. I rolled to my feet and stood. Thanks, tumbling. One of the few PE classes I actually enjoyed.

“Yer nothing but a kid! Why don’t ya just give up, lie down, an’ die? Yer no match for me!” laughed the bandit, swinging his axe back and forth while advance on me.

I knew I was dead. There was nothing else I could do; the bandit was obviously a much stronger and better fighter than I was. But, I was sure I could find a way to win using strategy. So I quickly formulated a plan, and picked up a rock, throwing it at him. The bandit easily dodged it.

“Whatcha playin’ at kid?” laughed the bandit. “Throwin’ some pebble at me? Oh ho ho, I are so scared now!” The bandit continued to advance.

He roared with laughter while he still advanced on to me, so I pointed behind him.

“I wasn’t aiming at you. I just activated a trap; You’re the dead one,“ I replied with a smile, as calm as I could be, even thought I was shaking from fear.

“Huh?”

The bandit turned around, and I couldn’t believe my luck. Turning your back on any opponent is not a very good idea.
I ran in and thrust my rapier, but unfortunately for me, it was not a killing blow.

Well, perhaps it was fortunately. I don't need to dirty my hands with killing. I never liked killing things.

Now that I think back, I wonder why I didn't just run away. That would have suited me much more.

The bandit roared with anger.

“Ya tricked me! How dare ya fight me like that! I will make mincemeat out of ya, kid!”

I gulped, and took a step back. The injured bandit charged, swinging his axe back and forth even faster than before. I watched him carefully while backpedaling as quickly as I could. I knew what to do, as I changed my strategy of attack again. I kept watching his swings carefully, waiting as I retreated to avoid his attacks. And as the axe reached the zenith of one of his swings, I stepped forward and lunged again, stabbing the bandit.

The momentum of any swing with such an heavy axe should force the bandit to make a full swing, even if he didn’t want to. This should create the largest of any opening I could get, I reasoned.
Still, my attack did not stop the bandit. I had missed a killing blow again, and he took advantage of that to shove me back with his wounded left arm, causing me to fall back hard on the ground. My rapier clattered onto the ground, too far on my right for me to reach.

“I got ya now, kid!” roared the bandit. He stepped forward, lifting his axe high above his head, preparing to swing it down.