Archer vs Assassin

Though Ding Wei was a level above Leader Kang he was actually slightly weaker– their bodies had yet to experience a true change. Kang was both older and more fit than Wei. But what he lacked in strength he made up for in speed, both natural and enhanced by his Shadow Steps.

As the fight began he dodged the arrows repeatedly, jumping seamlessly between branches. His ragged robes trailed behind him like a cloak and his eyes were intensely focused. With the knife clutched firmly in his working arm, he looked like an assassin.

But while each dodge consumed a lot of energy, each shot of the bow consumed relatively little. And though Leader Kang's arm had begun to tremble from the furious effort of a dozen shots in quick succession, he was still going strong enough to shoot for an hour more. On the opposite side, Wei couldn't get any closer to Leader Kang nor could he easily retreat. He was stuck in a deadly middle ground where he would be shot if he moved towards his opponent and shot if he moved away.

There were several invisible rings around an archer, distances that changed the flow of a fight and what they were able to do.

The first ring was the furthest one, the horizon. This was the furthest they could see or fire an arrow, and thus the weakest ring of influence. A skilled combatant could escape fairly easily in this range, as the strength and accuracy of the shot was at its weakest. The next ring was the sniping range, this was the preferred distance of an archer. The targets were too far to be a threat but easily targeted themselves. The shot would still be strong and accurate within this area and the archer would have enough time to focus.

The next range was a middle ground, where the shots were faster but where a moving combatant could make it harder to focus. The next range was one archers preferred not to be in, the close shot. Here they had little time to react and the threat was close at hand– but the shots were also at their strongest and most deadly.

The final ring was one where they could not use the bow at all, close-quarters.

This was the circle immediately surrounding them, where they were poorly prepared to defend themselves. If he wanted to win, Ding Wei needed to get through to close-quarters. Otherwise he would only exhaust himself until Leader Kang managed to hit him with an arrow.

Hoping it worked, Ding Wei through his knife at the archer.

Leader Kang stumbled, dodging to the right. The throw hadn't been great, the weight of the knife was unbalanced and Wei had never learned how to properly throw knives in the first place. It would not have done any serious damage to the glorified bandit even if it had hit. But it was enough. He rushed in, using shadow steps in a zig-zag fashion. The gang leader's eyes were wide, but he had already brought his bow back in place and lined up a shot.

Just as he released the string Wei got into his guard, knocking the bow aside.

The arrow flew an inch over his head, parting his hair in its flight. He ignored the danger and shoved an elbow into Leader Kang's stomach, tackling him. They fell to the ground in a tangle of bow and limbs. Wei punched the unprepared man twice before he came to his senses and regained control. Thanks to the disparity in size and strength, as well as the leader's greater fighting experience, Wei was quickly overturned and found his back against the forest floor.

Kang had his hands wrapped on Wei's throat, choking him.

"You little shit!" He roared, blood drippling from his mouth and nose. "You've done more damage to my gang in the last week than anyone else has managed since we came into existence! You nearly ruined everything! But now- now you'll bother me no longer!"

Wei gargled, failing to pronounce his insulting retort. His throat burned and lungs quivered for air. He waved his arms around, flailing wildly. His hand knocked against a a hard cylinder and he felt a glimmer of hope. It was a leather quiver, still half-full with arrows.

He pulled one out and jabbed it Leader Kang's neck.

Instantly his throat was free and the bandit stumbled back. With his eyes tearing and throat raw, Wei ran at the man. He grabbed the knife which had fallen nearby. Before the gang leader could try to save himself, the knife was plunged into his eye. His body stiffened and fell back, lifeless.

"You deserved worse..." Wei growled, throat pained.

It had been the first real fight of his life and the most terrifying experience he'd ever found himself in. His heart pounded away in his chest, racing harder than it ever had before and the hairs on the back of his neck were raised. There was also a sense of delight in the experience, something he steadfastly ignored.

There were still bandits left, members of the Coiled Serpent Gang who had escaped in the chaos of the fire and his fight with their leader. But with his eyes they wouldn't escape.

He hadn't counted perfectly the first time he'd seen them and they hadn't gathered all at once, even during their party the first night. But in the past week he'd managed to calculate their number at exactly twenty-seven members, seventeen of which he had already killed.

"Only ten left to go." Ding Wei huffed, yanking his knife from Leader Kang's eye socket.

A wet squelch sounded and he wiped the blood and flecks of meat off onto his robes. They were already torn up, a tattered mess that barely hung onto his frame. A little more dirt wouldn't matter. He planned to throw them away as soon as he got home anyway, with the silver coins he'd managed to earn from the merchant and recovered from the bodies he'd looted he could finally afford to get himself a set of good clothing.