Terra Oxett
The crowd became more out of control when people started cheering. I managed to stop a few stubborn people attempting to make their way past me, and luckily they backed off when I started to unsheathe one of my blades. There was but so much I could do by myself, but all I had to do was stall until backup arrived, which was easier said than done.
Master Tath stood about twenty feet from me and was about to engage the Sands member, Argo Durra. I remembered reading his file during my guard training. Recently, all Corzon Guards were suggested to memorize any potential threats to the Corzon family, so I knew who he was.
Argo Durra: Age thirty-four, Height: 193cm, third in command of the Sands Gang. He was an ex-military officer in the World Army who was suspended for steroid usage and misconduct. He later assaulted a higher-up officer and was sentenced to five years in prison.
This violent man was my Master’s opponent.
But I had faith in Master Tath, after all, he was one of our top swordsmen among the Corzon Guards. His experience trumped most of our guards and he taught me a lot during my four years of training under him.
“Old man, we need answers,” Argo said as he tossed Vars to two of his allies standing behind him.
My master didn’t respond.
He was probably sizing up his opponent, trying to find any weaknesses, and a time to strike. An important lesson he taught me.
Look before you lunge.
Vars seemed unharmed, with maybe a few aches and pains, but nothing looked serious. There were two men –smaller than Argo Durra now holding him.
Two more?
My attention was diverted back towards the crowd as someone started to approach me. A lanky man with brown hair and a patchy beard walked up to me. His dark green clothes were stained with dirt and sweat, and he smelled worse than he looked.
Another Sands member?
The snake tattoo on his upper arm confirmed my suspicions and I soon realized that there could be even more Sands members lurking in the crowd. And if there were more, they were probably delaying our reinforcements, which meant for now we were on our own.
There had been chatter among the guards of unrest among the Antarans. It was foreseen that people would be divided, but we were not prepared for the beginning of a rebellion.
I glanced back to my mentor and his opponent, who was now wielding gauntlets with rusty metal spikes on the knuckles.
“Maybe we should take him off of your hands huh, he is one of us after all,” Argo announced with his arms spread wide, making sure the entire hall could hear him.
“Or do you want to throw your life away for this freak?”
Several people in the crowd cheered including the man in front of me. He snickered, showing his stained yellow teeth, and flashed a karambit dagger in his left hand, spinning it around his finger. When the crowd's volume rose, Argo darted towards my Master at a surprising speed.
The urge to go help my Master was strong, but I resisted. The man in front of me –no my opponent– could attack at any moment. I took a better stance to prepare for any surprises, shifting my back more towards the center of the open area, and away from the crowd.
He has a slender frame, most likely nimble. His blade is shorter than mine, so he’ll have to get in closer. It’s possible that blade isn’t his only weapon too.
This was my first fight outside of training back on the Spartan, where the Corzon’s previously lived. During my four years of training, I’ve dealt with many different opponents, but this was different.
This was life or death
“What's that look for little lady?” He hissed.
Ignoring him, I unsheathed the blade on my right hip, making sure my right hand was free in case I needed a free hand. I had been taught to wield both of my blades in either hand or to even fight with a single one. I spun the blade around in my left hand so the blade faced outward and behind me. A smirk crept across my face. This style of holding a sword was not used much by others, but It was comfortable for me and I excelled at it.
The man began to walk toward me and with each step he took closer, I noticed a drag in his right leg.
A weak spot.
In an instant, he broke out into a sprint, then lunged out with a wide swing aimed at my neck. I ducked low to his right, slipping to his side, and swept up his right leg to catch him off balance. He hopped a few feet before tumbling into a roll, accidentally cutting his cheek on the way down. He quickly jumped back on his feet, turned, and scowled at me as the blood from his fresh wound crept down his face.
The crowd around us stepped back with faces full of shock or anger. I took this chance to scan the area –mostly to check in on my Master’s duel, which seemed to be at a stalemate– and find Vars who was no longer at the edge of the crowd.
Shit. Where did they take him?
He couldn’t have gone too far, as the crowd was dense and hard to move through, but I couldn’t exactly prioritize his rescue at the moment.
Without hesitation the man charged at me once more but instead of dodging, I countered his karambit blade with my own short sword. High-pitched metal echoed through the hall as our blades clashed.
I had to end this fight quickly and the best way to do that was to disarm my attacker. I jumped back from our clash, a little too far and someone in the crowd tried to grab my shoulder. I elbowed them in the face and heard a crunch, hinting that I probably broke their nose.
I distanced myself away from the edge of the crowd and stepped towards the Sands member with the karambit. I looked for any other signs of weakness, something to give me the upper hand. The man was nothing but a thin malnourished frame with above-average speed. His swings didn’t have much power behind them, but his style was one I wasn't used to. I’ve dealt with training against small blades, but the way he moved was… fluid and fast..- like a snake.
Looks like I’ll just have to be faster.
I took a deep breath and tightened my grip on my weapon.
It was time to finish this.
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