The sky glowed a vibrant orange as the sun started to fall below the horizon. Birds chirped and played together near the streams and the peaceful village. Villagers laughed and grinned as they performed their daily tasks. A small castle sat above them to the south, shielded by the alps behind it. The faint clatter of metal against metal could be heard from the village as the region’s brave protectors honed their skills with the sword. Archers flexed their bowstrings, already bored of firing arrow after arrow into the canvas covered wood. I stared at my opponent, drilling into his cold, calculating eyes. We circled round each other waiting for the first move. I struck first. Quickly, I stepped to the right and swung an underhand blow.
The soldier stopped it with a loud clang and said, “Too easy! I saw that coming from a mile away!”
But my intention was not to strike him but to test his defenses, and I immediately saw his weaknesses. He held the sword too tight, and I knew with just one hard hit would knock it out of his hand. He was nervous, not doubt because of my reputation. I did not want to tease him any longer, and moved in to finish him off.
I feinted another underhand and put all my strength into an overhand swing, slamming it into the ground. I lifted the sword to his throat and stopped. The soldier felt the prick of the sword and a single drop of blood run down his chest. He stepped away, the fear evident on his face.
“Too easy?” I said smugly. “2 hits was all it took”, and I reached out to shake his hand.
Just as he raised his hand, a young boy ran into the middle of the training ground. He tried to speak, but his ragged gasping breaths made his word incomprehensible. I waited until he had caught his breath and asked him, “What brings you here?”
“The Dreadnoughts, they’re here!” He gasped.
“What! Where! How! Where was the warning signals! I yelled.
“They were overrun in seconds. They had no chance. I only survived because…” he wiped a dirty ripped sleeve over his foggy eyes. “Because I ran. I left them. I saw them die. The only reason they’re not here now is because that was just the scouting party. Their main force is a day or two away at best.”
He collapsed into a fit of sobs as he recalled what had happened just hours before. I realised he would tell no more, and turned to the governor.
“We have no chance sir. Our only option is to run. We can hold them off for an hour, but we are too small. You must warn the king of this, or our kingdom will be doomed.” Not finished btw might do it at home coz this is pretty fun =).