We waited in silence, only occasionally adjusting our hold on our weapons or shifting the weight on our feet. After a long ten minutes, we heard the sound of a twig snapping, and we all held our breath. Listening closely, I heard muffled whispering and footsteps slowly making their way into the clearing. I made eye contact with each of my brothers-in-arms.
We readied ourselves for the fight.
"Where is everyone? Is this another empty camp? Someone spoke up near the hut.”
I smiled; I''d forgotten about the five classes that hadn''t made it to the event on time. Apparently, their huts were left empty, making our strategy even sweeter.
"Shut up! We haven''t cleared the hut yet," another attacker hissed.
The footsteps drew nearer. Finally, they reached our doorstep. We had the advantage within the dark confines of our hut. The attackers would have to let their eyes adjust before battle. We wouldn’t give them that chance. The first soldier walked a whole two steps into the hut before Jack grabbed him from behind, holding his hand over his mouth while Matt slashed him across the back. The poor guy''s eyes widened when he realized his mistake, and he struggled in vain against Jack''s hold on him. Derek stepped forward and smashed his shield into the man’s head, promptly knocking him out cold. We pushed the body to the side and got ready for the next attacker. It was almost funny how well our little charade worked. It wasn''t until the third guy disappeared that our enemy realized something was wrong. Several soldiers began to gather outside the door, trying to peer into the hut''s interior.
"Someone must be in there," a voice said hesitantly, "let''s send in a squad. But be careful. Could be a trap.”
To their credit, the soldiers they chose to send in were no pushovers. The first was a guy almost the size of Jack wielding a sword and shield, joined by a couple of brutes wielding two-handed swords. In the end, the extra numbers didn''t help them. With no need for stealth, our two duos made quick work of the two-handed opponents while Derek dispatched the big guy. The bodies were getting to be a bother in the small space, so we tossed them out through the door one after the other for the healers to tend to. The remaining attackers seemed to take umbridge at our victory, and the rest of them charged into the hut, stepping around the pile of their unconscious countrymen in the process. Their frustration only amounted to so much. They were inferior fighters compared to the last batch and were quickly eliminated. In total, the group had attacked with ten people. Thankfully, neither their tactics nor personnel were impressive. We eliminated the threat with just a few minor scrapes and bruises to show for it.
After a couple of minutes, a tall figure appeared out of nowhere by the door, causing us all to jump to our feet. The lady turned to us and smiled.
"Don''t worry. I’m one of the instructors assigned to keep an eye on your camp. We will be taking these trainees away for healing now. Keep up the good work."
I was glad for the swift response from the instructors. You only really think about how inconvenient a pile of bodies is once you have one at your doorstep.
After the initial excitement of the first confrontation, the waiting began to wear on us. Here and there, we would hear a twig snap and a rustling of leaves, only to conclude that it must have been animals. It wasn''t until thirty minutes later that we heard the familiar sound of footsteps. This time, there was no whispering or other easily recognizable noise; whoever it was was serious. We quietly readied ourselves and stood completely still as we watched a shadow slowly appear outside the door, followed by another, and yet another. There must have been a good ten-plus enemies hovering outside the door. They clearly had a plan. All at once, without any fanfare, they rushed inside. Loud clangs of metal against metal broke the silence. Soldiers gasped as metal found flesh. From my position in the back of the room, I could barely see what was happening, especially with the only light coming from the doorway. Derek was engaged with a small but apt opponent who was giving him a run for his money, and I could see Jack''s head bobbing left and right as he swung his sword. Forsaking my meditation, I joined the fray, remaining cautious, and only taking opportunities that presented themselves, refusing to over-commit. I flanked Derek''s opponent and was able to stab him in the side, letting Derek incapacitate him before moving on to help my other men. I noticed that Lucy was injured, sitting with her back against the wall, and Roy was fighting desperately to stave off two opponents at once. I moved in without a second thought, making quick work of the two who weren''t expecting to be attacked from behind. Rallying, Derek, Roy and I joined Jack and delivered the final blows to the last straggling opponents.
I surveyed the aftermath of the battle with satisfaction. Sending out the middle-weights to attack was the most basic strategy available to most of the nations, as most would reserve their heavy hitters for defense of the king. But that meant attacking forces were nearly always at a disadvantage, as long as the effect of overwhelming numbers could be countered, which our dark stronghold strategy accomplished quite nicely. But as I helped my men throw out the unconscious bodies of our foes, something pricked at the back of my mind.
"Where''s Matt?" I asked, looking around.
I looked to Jack, who only responded by pointing to a body in the corner. I ran over and found that Matt was alive, though he had suffered several grave injuries that the healers would have to take care of. The four of us worked together to drag the bodies out into the clearing so that the healers could access them quickly. Then I remembered that Lucy had been injured earlier and went to find her. Stooping down on one knee, I was relieved to see that she was faring better than Matt, but didn''t think she would be much help in the upcoming battles. She had some courage about her though, as she opted to stay, insisting that she could make a difference. Her eyes told me that retreat was not an option. I let her be, more than satisfied with the stalwart hearts of my countrymen.
The second fight had been quite a bit more stretching than the previous one; even Derek had suffered some minor cuts and bruises, testifying to the opponents'' skill. I hoped that our decision to send so many people on the offensive was working. If the offensive strategy wasn’t fast enough, we would all fall to exhaustion, blood loss, or enemy swords by the time the tournament was over. We definitely had our work cut out for us. We made ready again, taking our positions and settling in to try to catch a moment’s rest. We wouldn''t be that lucky, though; only a few minutes later, before the healers had even arrived, we heard loud shouting. Someone had found the bodies.
"If you want to surrender, now''s your chance! If you''re not out of the hut in the next 30 seconds, we''re coming in for you!" someone shouted angrily.
My teammates shared a collective groan as we braced ourselves for battle. I knew that I wouldn''t have the luxury of hanging in the back this time, so I paired off with Derek, and we roared a challenge back at our enemies.
"You may as well get on with your vain attempt; we still have other opponents to fight!"
I laughed as I heard some grumpy chattering and some less-than-friendly exclamations. They didn''t hesitate after that; a smaller group of eight or so rushed through the door, shouting at a volume that made my ears ring. The loud one that came in first rushed Derek and me, and we were quickly entangled in battle. With only four of us left standing on our feet, bloodied, bruised, and nearing exhaustion, we were tasked with taking down two opponents each. It would be the greatest test of our metal yet.
"I need a hand!" I heard Roy shout across the room, and to my frustration, I couldn''t break away from my opponent. Instead, I resolved myself and doubled down on the man before me. I''d already taken down one enemy, but I was having a hard time shaking the second. He was using a sword and shield like me, but he kept dancing around, dodging and blocking my attacks, trying to buy time for his countrymen’s numbers advantage to win them the day. It was a strong strategy. Instead of continuing on the aggressive, I stopped and took a moment to evaluate readying my shield for a defensive. It was hard to make out individual features in the dark room, but my opponent had long hair and was just taller than I was, maybe 5''10. He had a smile on his face and seemed to be enjoying himself, which seemed out of place, until I felt a grin of my own take shape. It was exhilarating, fighting for my life, but even more so, fighting for the lives of those beside me, healers be damned. As my opponent continued to dance around, I finally noticed something I could use to my advantage; every time he landed on his right foot, he winced. It was small, perhaps unnoticeable by most without my gift. For 30 seconds or so, he darted in, swinging his sword and meeting my shield while I waited for the perfect moment to strike. Finally, I lifted my shield to block an overhead strike, and my enemy jumped back, intending to land on his right foot. Knowing that I had only a brief window, I launched myself forward, thrusting straight in a simple but calculated movement. For a short moment, as my opponent landed on his right foot, he had tensed up, ever so briefly dropping his guard, and right at that moment, my sword found its target, sinking into my opponent’s thigh and finally disabling him.
I scanned the room, looking to see if Roy had been able to hold. To my dismay, he was down, and Jack was fighting a losing battle against two opponents. Derek was locked into an intense fight, not dissimilar to the one I had just been in, so I quickly turned to help relieve Jack. It seemed like our enemies needed a lesson in simple battlefield awareness because I was able to dispatch them both quickly from behind. One of the first lessons of combat—always know where the enemy is. After that, Jack and I moved in on Derek''s opponent and made quick work of the final enemy.
Though the fighting had ceased, I was tired; my arms ached from holding a shield and swinging a sword, not to mention intercepting the various blows of the opponents. Even worse, the room smelled foul—a mix of sweat and blood made for an utterly unpleasant aroma. Jack looked a bit worse for wear. His shoulders were slumped, and his eyes looked unfocused. I was concerned that he wouldn''t last much longer. Derek was faring better—he still had that cool, confident look on his face—but even he was catching his breath. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Without any unnecessary words, we moved all of the disabled opponents into the clearing, finding that the previous bout''s members had already been healed and cleared away. Lucy and Roy would be joining them this time. Courage could make a warrior strong, but it couldn’t mend wounds or renew muscles. Once again, we retired to the hut, and this time, all three of us stayed near the walls, hoping to regain an element of surprise in the next battle. To our relief, we were able to rest for a good 15 minutes before we heard motion again. Once again, we heard whispers and the sound of muffled footsteps approaching our position. Three figures stood about 15 feet outside the doorway, straining their eyes to see into the dark room.
"What do you think?" the man on the right asked.
"I''m willing to bet there''s at least two of them left in there," the woman in the middle responded, noting the red-smeared dirt.
"They won’t be any trouble for us; we took on eight soldiers by ourselves at the last camp," the man on the left said.
"They were weaklings. You know as well as I what one capable fighter can accomplish." the woman in the middle countered. The two men nodded gravely. They must have had some understanding because, with that, all three of them made their way toward the opening.
For the first time, I felt hesitant. Something about this group gave me pause. There was a weight to their presence that I recognized—the same weight I felt in Kate, Jack, or Derek. Unbridled confidence, born from a sound knowledge of their own abilities.. This was going to be a heated fight.
When the three got to the doorway, they stopped, and I watched as the man on the right reached out his hand and mumbled something.
"Agh!" I yelled as my eyes were instantly blinded by an intense light. I heard Derek and Jack cry out as well. I closed my eyes, hoping to make some of the pain go away, and readied myself for battle, holding my shield in front of my vital areas. A woman''s menacing laughter echoed in the small confines of the hut, and I heard Derek gasp, along with the sound of a loud thud. I blinked my eyes hurriedly, finally managing to drive out the blinding light. Somehow the room was totally lit up as if bathed in sunlight, and Derek lay on the floor with a shocked expression painted on his face.
Gifted, I thought.
Effective combat-related gifts were nearly unheard of, but when they manifested, their power was unquestionable. Various thoughts and stories I''d heard flashed through my mind as I finally scanned the three opponents before me. Deciding that there was no time like the present, I sprinted forward, lashing my sword out at the woman who seemed to be the leader. One of the men stepped in front of her, holding up a shield and seamlessly blocking my attack. Jack engaged with the other man, while the woman seemed content to watch. My opponent was no pushover, forcing me to use every bit of skill I had simply to hold my ground. We exchanged a flurry of blows, and a familiar numbness crept into my shield arm as I blocked slash after slash.
Slowly, I began to land shallow cuts on my opponent, forcing him onto the defensive. It seemed Jack was earning his keep, as I noticed the woman had gone to help the other man in his fight. I grinned. That Jack guy needs a promotion. Spurred on by my countryman, I redoubled my efforts and finally landed my first real blow, driving my opponent to their knee. Without hesitation, I used my shield as a crude club and knocked the man over the head, causing him to pass out. Unfortunately, at that same time, I watched Jack fall to the ground, a wound deep in his side. With one glance I knew he wouldn’t be getting up. It was down to me.
I looked over my two new opponents; the man was in rough shape, his arms covered in cuts and his shield in tatters—thanks to the overwhelming force of Jack''s strikes.
Not wanting to lose my momentum, I lunged forward at the man, hoping to force him out of the battle first and take a one-on-one with his leader. The woman intercepted me with ease, knocking my sword to the ground with her two-handed blade. I grimaced. It didn’t look good, but Jack had proven his worth, as had Derek, Matt, and Louise. I wasn’t going to go down until every last vesture of strength left me. The woman moved forward, aiming a strike at my torso. I positioned my shield to block and soon regretted it. The sword dug into my shield, nearly cutting it in half.
How in the world is she that strong?
My arm throbbed from receiving such a mighty blow, and I stepped back to quickly unbuckle the shield from my arm. The woman smiled, seemingly content to let me catch my bearings. She knew her prey had nowhere to run. I steadied myself, now armed only with a one-handed sword. My mind raced, searching for a solution; I felt fear creeping into my mind, telling me to give up and accept defeat.
"Shut up!" I shouted aloud, causing my two opponents to look at me like I was crazy. With my true enemy, fear, finally out of the way, I delved into my mind, willing myself to find a solution. I felt something calling to me, or maybe I could describe it as instinct leading me down the right path. There was something there, some modicum of power just outside of reach, calling my name, willing for me to approach. In my vision, I saw myself standing at the edge of a cliff. Across the chasm on the other side, there was a door. I couldn''t tell you why, but somehow I knew that if I could get through that door, I would find the strength I needed. My internal adventure was interrupted as the sound of a blade wooshing through the air prompted me to roll to the side in a desperate effort to remain conscious. I scrambled back to my feet, hoping to gain some distance so that I could step back into my mind. Risking it, I closed my eyes and sprinted toward the cliff''s edge. I could sense motion in the hut around me—likely the woman readying her sword to strike me down—but thanks to my gift, I had a few extra moments, and with them, I threw myself across the gorge, Pleading to some unknown force that I would make it to the other side. For a moment, I was suspended in the air, hopeful.
Then I began to fall.
The other side was still too far away. I wasn''t going to make it.
How is it that I can’t make it across a chasm in my own mind? My gift is mental dominance; that has to count for something!
Something about that thought seemed to affect my mental world, and before I knew it, my hand was grasping the edge of the cliff on the other side of the chasm. Deciding that I could sort through what that meant later, I muscled myself up over the ledge and began sprinting toward the towering set of doors set into ancient rock. I didn''t have much time to take them in, but they looked like they were built functionally, not overly ornate or fanciful, but rather the kind of doors you would never get through without a key, should they be locked. Reaching the monoliths, I grabbed a giant doorknob with both hands, turned, and, to my great relief, the door opened. I was flooded with peace as a refreshing breeze flew through the doorway. I stepped forward, spotting something like a long trail up the side of a mountain before me. The mountain towered into the sky, domineering–emanating potential. It was odd, I could see the mountain in the distance and the trail leading up it, but everything else was shrouded in fog. As I stepped forward onto the trail, the door behind me slammed closed and disappeared.
At that moment, I opened my physical eyes and was confused by what I saw; my opponent was moving toward me, sword lifted high over her head, primed to strike. But it was strange; she was moving so slowly that it was almost funny to watch. I went to lift my sword, but found that my arm was also moving in slow motion.
My mind raced a thousand miles a minute trying to figure out what was going on, and then it clicked. My mind was literally racing faster than it ever had before. Though I had plenty of time to think, I decided that it would probably be for the best if I focused on the fight at hand.
I felt clumsy as I moved my body to intercept the blow. My mind was moving significantly faster than my body, so I was already thinking about the next move I wanted to make, but there was no way my body could respond fast enough to keep up. Finally, I blocked the woman’s sword by deflecting it to my left,then I instantly began my next movement. Since her sword had been deflected toward the ground, her torso was exposed, making a perfect target. I moved closer, hoping to take advantage of my smaller range of attack, and sliced at her dominant arm, attempting to keep her from wielding her weapon properly. To my surprise, her reflexes were fast enough to dodge backward, and I only scored a shallow cut across her right forearm.
It seems I need to train my agility. I don''t think I could react nearly as quickly as she just did.
I studied my opponent and watched as she lifted her gaze to meet mine; she had a question forming in her eyes and I saw a new intensity burning there. I decided to wait for her to make the next move, ready to make the most out of a hyper-effective counterattack. The woman didn''t disappoint. She hurried forward with what I was sure would be a muscle-draining thrust given her massive sword. The tip of the sword aimed to pierce me right through the chest, but I began to move as soon as she drew back, stepping to the side and raising my sword toward her gut. If she continued forward, she would impale herself with her own momentum. I watched as her eyes went wide and she hurried to halt her forward motion. It was too late. Her sword soared past me, moving past my eyes even as she stepped fully into my sword. The overwhelming battle ended quickly. The whole fight had likely taken five seconds, even though it felt like five whole minutes. Looking past the now fallen warrior, I saw the man that Jack had previously been fighting, his once confident eyes now filled with shock—filled with fear. I held my sowrd high, pointed toward him in a silent challenge. I must have looked like a battle-crazed demon. The man immediately dropped his weapon and surrendered.
Suddenly, the world stopped moving in slow motion and resumed its typical speed, once again causing me to feel awkward in my body. I stumbled around for a moment before finally steadying myself. I had a lot of questions that needed answering, and many experiments to conduct. Remembering where I was, I started moving the bodies of my enemies and comrades into the clearing for the instructors to collect. I still had no clue what had happened to Derek. There wasn''t any apparent injury that would have disabled him, but it seemed like he was stunned, as if paralysis had taken hold of his bones. I would have to ask him later. I made my way back into the hut and sat in the middle of the floor. As much as I liked to think that I could take on a whole team, I would be hard-pressed to take on a single opponent. Whatever gift I had conjured during the fight had left me swaying on my feet, utterly exausted. To my great relief, after a few minutes, a loud horn sounded in the distance, signaling the end of the tournament. I sighed and allowed myself to let down my guard.
Before I had much time to wonder what to do next, one of the instructors I had seen earlier in the day came out of the forest and called to me, telling me to follow them. I did so eagerly, excited to see how we had placed in the tournament. After retiring to trek through the forest, we entered the clearing, and the instructor led me over to the rest of my nation. I was pleased to see that my injured teammates were all in good health. The healers had done their work well. My soldiers looked at me apologetically, several of them verbally expressing their frustration in failing to protect me. I assured them that they had all fought valiantly, doing all they could to fulfill their responsibility to their King. There was nothing to be ashamed of. We nhad quite literally fought to the last man. I was more than pleased with my team; every single one of them who had stayed behind had defeated several enemies and proved their merit decisively. Now it was time to find out how our attack strategy had gone. Kate made her way over to me with a big smile on her face.
"Steven! I take it you made it to the end?" Kate asked.
I nodded, and she continued.
"That''s wonderful! We were able to take out several camps of enemies with the smoke-out strategy and only suffered a handful of casualties in the process."
I was about to respond when a loud voice rang across the clearing, catching our attention.