Reinfred - Bandit Commander's Point of View

"Reinfred they seemed to have gotten back their energy and they've started pressing us back!"

My current second in command rushes to my side. He had command over the bandits getting rid of the guards, while I put the final touches on our work.

I furrowed my brows at the news.

"Didn't we get rid of the guard captain?" I confirmed.

The Celeste guard captain was quite skilled, so I had him taken out. He was a tough one though so it had taken a while for him to fall. I hadn't left until he fell so I didn't understand their sudden burst of energy and morale.

"Apparently they got a new commander, but I'm not sure."

I sigh.

He wasn't a very good leader but sometimes just throwing enough force at something will get you the result you want. This was like that.

I headed back towards where we'd left the guards and when I arrived the sound sent a chill through my body. I could hear the roars of the guards, and I could see the beginning worry in the eyes of my subordinates.

Oi oi... who had taken over the command of the guards?

I didn't hear anything about an experienced commander being here other than the guard captain.

Those guys should have been exhausted and on the verge of death.

I glance to the guys I've been hired to lead. They're looking to me for bits of confidence. Most of them are just farmers turned bandits, but others are mercenaries specifically hired for the occasion.

If we fail here the result when we go back will be death.

I look to the situation in front of me, and I know that we are going to lose this. Not for my lack of command, but because of the fear in the eyes of the rest of them.

... but... there was a chance... after all, guards and soldiers were always stupidly honorable.

I moved a bit into the crowd and had the bandits pull back a little as I called out as loud as I could.

"I, Reinfred, leader of the bandits, demand a duel!"

Everything went quiet, no screams or yells, and for a moment I thought their new commander wouldn't come out.

"I, in place of Lord Celeste, accept!"

A path opened up in our ranks and the guards moved aside hesitantly though I could hear the whispers. My eyes rounded at what met me.

Across from me in the cold rain was a child. He was no older than perhaps 8 or 9 but had an odd long sword swung over his shoulder as it it was a thin stick. The unreal sight nearly had my jaw drop.

Behind him I could see the guard captain fighting to get on his feet by leaning on his sword and another injured guard. He was considerably less injured than he had been when I left.

This kid... could he possibly know light magic?

No no no, in the first place only the commander could accept my duel.

I looked to the guards and waited for them to protest, or give an indication that this was wrong... but though their eyes were tainted with worry... they didn't say anything. This kid had been commanding them.

What was this? I stared into the kid's eyes. Was this little kid some kind of monster?

The gleam in his eyes and the resolution in them didn't belong to a child...

"You ca- cannot," I hear the guard captain cough out, but I don't intend on letting him do anything. Though this kid was indeed strange he was still my best bet at getting rid of the guards.

If he was not only the commander, but also a healer on top of being a kid, then their morale would hit rock bottom after he died. Perhaps they'd even try to run, since they'd seen how helpless they were without him.

The kid watches me closely and then gives me a look of... pity...

"A former commander, a captain? How pitiful a state you're in."

I stared at the kid and ignored the instincts telling me that the kid was dangerous. I managed to return a smile.

"You've got good eyes, I'll give you that."

The boy in front of me certainly had the body of a child, but from what I'd seen in his eyes, this wasn't the first time he'd been in battle... the eyes of soldiers change after their first battle... and even more after their first war.

They either detest it... or like this one... fall in love with it.

Even though his expression is tense I can tell that part of him has hungered for this. That's why I know, this kid is dangerous.

I got into stance and waited for the boy to assume a stance as well, curious to see the form he would take with a sword that long.

Not only did he have to control it, but he also had to keep a proper stance or he'd be done...

He moved the long sword with unexpected ease and placed it at his side.

His stance was serene... but it looked unguarded. No. It wasn't, he would likely try to block with the sword from below, I needed to strike from above to ruin his party the best.

Still... his stance was... odd... unlike any I'd seen before... who in the world taught this kid?

While I was curious, I would likely never find out.

I took a breath to calm my body and let it fill with serenity. The kid watched me calmly, ritualistically. It was an awkwardly peaceful moment.

The biggest danger was being hit, but thankfully a long sword is slow, so things would be fine as long as I hit him first.

I felt a bit of pity for the kid, but I didn't intend on holding back. If I did I would likely die, considering that he is a light mage.

I take a second breath and focus my energy into my legs. I rush him.

I was in front of the boy with merely a few steps, and swung as planned... and in that instant something glinted in the air. The air whistled past my ear like a scream of death.

I reflexively jumped back to check my injuries, but I'd gotten off without a scratch. My heart was drumming against my ribcage, my mind nearly went blank.

Everything was fine, I reminded myself. The resistance in the sword meant I hit, and the blood from his chest had splattered onto my armor.

I focused my attention back at the boy. He should be lethally injured with the amount of blood on me.

So... why wasn't he falling to the ground...

He was indeed lethally injured. His chest was gushing blood that soaked through his pretty white shirt. I was pretty sure I'd nicked one or two of his ribs as well...

Yet... He just stood there. Silently while I was in shock.

His blue eyes seemed to glow as his head raised to stare at me. I'd waited too long. He'd gone into berserk mode.

I nearly too a step back, but instead braced for impact. He was going to run wild.

I glanced to my fairy, Malotta, and gave her a slight nod.

"He's doing something weird," she whispered, visibly unnerved.

I looked back to the kid with a lash of my head and realized he was speaking. The air felt weird. Magic?

I was horrified. He wasn't going berserk?

I changed my stance in an instant and rushed at him again... but as I got close by charge was ended by the words

"... divine punishment..."

Those ominous all I heard before everything went blue.

I tried casting magic to push me out of the water, but I didn't know what was what, or what was up or down, to my magic ended up flying about randomly as I was tossed about by an impossible amount of water.

A sudden impact caused me to scream, causing water to gush into my lungs. It felt like my lungs were ripping apart in instants.

I grasped out into the blue fruitlessly, only swallowing more water, but no air.
There was nothing to grab, nothing to grasp.

My sight was blackened by my lack of air by the time I was finally back on the ground. I was coughing up water and gasping for air desperately, clinging hopelessly to life and to the blood stained air...

A shadow moved over me... and blood dripped down next to me into a small pool. I needed to move or he'd kill me, I thought. But when I looked up his eyes were unexpectedly soft, and filled with empathy.

My mind went blank at the soft eyes the boy cast at me.

"I will send you to them, so protect them better this time, so that you can live without regrets."

They were words of sympathy. The expression he had... reminded me of mine when I rarely glance into a mirror. Why does a child know the feeling of loosing everyone?

I wonder why... but the song of the sword sounded like the marching songs from back then... it was an incredibly peaceful sound...

My view rolled... and I landed on the ground with a soft thud.

I could feel my hair being soaked in the boy's blood on the ground beneath me... and I could feel my body, though it fell to the side, away from me.

In my fading view another flood was swooping through the street.

"Get them!"

His voice echoed...

I... should have asked his name...

---*---

"Captain! We're having deer for dinner, we got lucky while patrolling!"

I smiled back at the young kid that looked to me for praise. I laughed heartily.