Chapter 4

Blood, a lot of blood, his blood all over the floor. A scream, a loud scream, his sisters scream. He managed to rise his head, he saw a man starring at him. The man had a sword in his hand. Mans sword stained in his blood. Then man smiled, then said.

"Is that all you got? Pathetic."

The man raised his sword, about to finish him off. But his sister comes in between then. She begs the man to spare his life.

"I will do what you wish. Just spare him!"

She humiliates herself for his good.

There are no words to describe how he feels at this moment.

"Fine, as you wish. My future wife."

Then the man turns around and walks away. His bodyguard Robert runs next to him, trying to stop the bleeding. His vision gets blurry, the last thing he sees while fading unconscious was his sister crying in the middle of the yard.

Leonard slowly opens his eyes, then quietly stands up to not wake up Robert who was still sleeping. He walks next to the bucket of water in the corner of the barn to wash his face. Bloody bandages caught his eye. Looks like Robert cleaned his wound. Leonard was relieved by that because if that wound got infected they would be in trouble.

He goes to wash his face, but sees his reflection in the water.

"Pathetic, huh....."

No good, no good he thinks nothing good will come out of remembering the past. Especially that moment. Focus, focus on the future!!In middle of encouraging himself, he hears voices outside the barn.

"Are you sure that they are inside?"

"Aye, I asked the innkeeper. He allowed them to stay for a night."

He heard two voices, but then a third joined in.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, he would do everything for money.

"Enough talking! Are you ready?"

"Aye."

Leonard heard four voices answering. That makes five in total, he didn't now what they were up to, surly nothing good. He quickly walked up to Robert, he shakes him violently. Robert wakes up annoyed and still half asleep.

Clearly confused he tries to ask for an explanation, but gets cut off by Leonard.

"We have a problem Robert."

"How many?"

Robert follows up immediately.

"Five."

After that quick exchange of words Robert stands up and grabs his sword. This scenario happened a few times on their travels, so they learned to act quickly in these situations. They walk up to the barn door. Robert peeks trough one of the gaps between the boards to access the situation.

Five men armed whit knives and hatchets start approaching the barn. Robert recodnises three of them. Two men who back in the inn few hours ago were pretty vocal about not wanting them in their village, and an old beggar who came to get revenge for his stolen money. There were two men who he couldn't recognize, an younger man of skinny build armed whit a hatchet and an big man, almost two meters tall armed whit a large log of wood.

"What are we going to do?"

Leonard asks Robert.

"We will fight. There is no back doors to escape. You take on the old man and that man next to him, and I will take on the other three."

"Are you sure? What about your wound?"

"I'm going to be fine let's go."

Before Leonard could say anything back Robert opens the doors and walks out to meet them. The five men were surprised by this.

"Well aren't we lucky. I was certain that you will try to run away." Old beggar says.

"If you were a treat then yes, but I'm confident that we can take you on."

Says Robert whit a smirk.

The man mummers a few swear words then nods to his friends, and they start closing in on them.

"Are you sure that you want to this?"

Robert asks them but gets ignored. Well at least he tried, he thought. Then he looked at Leonard at which Leonard nodded. At that moment they both rushed toward the angered villagers, catching them by surprise.

Whit a quick trust Robert stabs one of the men in the chest puncturing one of his lungs, the man falls to the ground struggling for air. Then quickly pulls his sword out and whit tremendous speed cuts the other man standing next to him over his torso whit one big slash, follows it up immediately whit another strike to his head killing him instantly.

The other men looked in shock at how fast their friends died. That they didn't notice Leonard running towards them. Leonard caught them completely by surprise. Whit one strike he cuts the head of an opponent closer to him clean off. Blood starts spraying everywhere, and his head rolls next to the old beggars feet.

The old man surprisingly not fazed by this attacks Leonard. Leonard easily doges the old mans strike, and follows it up whit his own. Cutting of the old mans fist clean off.

The man falls to the ground twisting in pain.

"Well, well you are the only one left big guy. Now what will you do?"

Robert says.

After watching his friends die Robert thought that the man would surly drop his weapon and run away. But the man starts swinging wildly. Robert evades the first strike and blocks the other. But the force of the strike rocks Robert, the wound he sustained in the battle starts to hurt him and he falls down on his knees.

The big man raises his log to strike Robert down. Seeing this Leonard runs towards him, but the old man grabs his leg and Leonard falls to the ground, he manages to shake him off but now he wont make it in time. The big man swings, but then something unexpected happens. Out of nowhere a hooded man leaps in front of Robert and the large man and blocks the strike.

The large man takes a few steps back, surprised at what happened. Hooded man then rests blade of his sword on his shoulder. Completely relaxed like there is no opponent in front of him. Leonard and Robert immediately recognize him. He gave the adventurers his pouch of coins back at the inn few hours ago.

"What are you doing here?"

Asks Leonard.

"Yes, don't you see that we are in middle of something."

Large man says while scratching his beard.

Hooded man looks around, looking at all the carnage. Then he nods.

"Mhm. Yes indeed, but i can't let you hurt this man i need him and his friend."

Large man makes a twisted face full of anger.

"What!? Can't you see what they did to my mates!!? I'm killing them both!"

"The fault is yours for picking a fight against stronger opponents. Now you can be wise and drop that log of wood and go home or be stupid and die right here."

Large man grows quiet, wise words were coming from that stranger. But fueled by rage the large man completely ignores them. He lunges forward swinging at the hooded man.

Hooded man deflects the strike whit ease and then whit his right hand punches the large man straight in the eye. The large man grunts in pain then swings again but to no effect, the hooded man ducks, evading the strike whit ease. He then takes a quick step forward thrusting his sword, stabbing the large man straight in his gut.

Large mans face now filled whit terror after realizing he been stabbed. Hooded man then twist his sword causing a large amount of pain to his enemy, so much that the large man screams in agony. Then moves his sword to the left, cutting his belly open. Large man falls on his knees, now blood coming out of his mouth, he begs for quick death, and the hooded man delivers it by one last strike to the temple. Large man falls to the ground, his skull cut open.

Hooded man then puts his sword back in his scabbard and turns around. The old beggar start running away in fear screaming for help. Robert approaches him whit his guard still up. Both him and Leonard knew that in front of them was standing a man whose skill was superior to theirs.

"Put your sword down."

Says the hooded man.

"No, until you tell us what you want."

"Can't this wait a bit longer, the whole village will be upon us soon." Hooded man replies.

"NO! If you don't want to be caught by an angry mob you better tells us!"

Hooded men shrugs his shoulders.

"Fine."

He says whit a sigh.

"My name is Damien. I am a knight belonging to the order of the Sentinel knights. And I need your help."