17

Our exchange of blows was starting to become fun. I could tell the guild leader felt the same. I could feel the steps crumbling under the weight of his blow. It was only then that I realized his blows were a bit too heavy for someone his size. It wasn't a spell he was casting so it had to be an ability forged straight into his armor.

I didn't have too much time to think about it as the leader dodged my counter, and threw his own strike. I dodged the blow, and danced around his back toward the middle of the street. It would have put me behind him if he hadn't followed my movement. He unleased a flurry of quick jabbing strikes. Not giving me time to come after him from this new position.

He was slowly getting faster with each blow. Whatever rust he had was being shaken off rather quickly. He was actually faster then me. I was starting to struggle to block the blows as they came faster, and faster. I was kind of surprised that he wasn't going after Sekka.

I'd already protected him once. It stood to reason that I would do it again if he forced me. It only made me like this fight even more. I wished I could use magic right now, because that was the only edge I might have against this man. Add on the fact that he wasn't actively using his mana at the moment either. He was handicapping himself so he could enjoy this fight.

I needed some sort of edge. I feigned an opening, and allowed one of my blades to be knocked from my grip. The next strike went for my neck. I held up my now unarmed hand just high enough that his blade struck my forearm. The blade cut through my flesh.

Hitting the first bone, and breaking through it, but being slowed enough by that to be stopped by the next one. I slammed my head into the back of my hand, and locked the broken bone on the blade. I could feel the bone slide into the notch that ran down the center of the blade as he tried to pull it free. The notch didn't extend all the way to the end of the blade so the blade stopped pulling out of my arm, and yanked me toward him with the sword. The rest of my arm was about to come off, and I was going to lose this grip on his sword soon so I lashed out.

My right hand blade had time, and space attributes to it so if the blade landed then I'd have the advantage again. I swung out my strike with my fully extended arm. His blade was longer then mine so I needed that full swing to get him. He abandoned his blade, and leapt back about the same time my arm gave. The squelch of my arm hitting the ground was followed by the clang of the blade.

I constricted the blood vessels in my stump to stop the bleeding while simultaneously switching to a single bladed stance. My energy was up. I was excited. I'd only just gotten my blood pumping.

"That's enough," The guild leader was visibly sweating, "I haven't had that much fun in years." He pointed at Sekka, "I want both of you in my office."

My smile died on my face. My disappointment was obviously visible. I sheathed my blade a little bit dejectedly, and retrieved my other blade as well as my severed arm. Holding the severed arm tight to my stump so my flesh could stitch it back on before falling back in step behind Sekka like a good little slave once again. He lightly touched a rune just inside the door of his office at the back of the hall.

I could tell the rune was meant to prevent eavesdropping. He sat down with a huff a slave trailing behind him as he worked to clean the bloodied sword that I'd left in the street. It was one of the cleanest well treated slaves I'd ever seen. It was clear that he was a half elf just by looking at him. It only took me a few seconds to realize that this slave was this man's son.

I straightened my neck when I realized I had my head cocked. He was taking care of his half elf son. That kind of care was uncharacteristic for the elves I'd met on this world. It didn't take me long to realize that Sekka was also staring at the well cared for slave.

"I'm going to be honest with you," the guild leader's voice snapped Sekka out of his trance, "The city lord offered to pay me to kill you so he could have your unusual slave."

He acted as if he were talking to Sekka, but he was looking at me.

"I don't think I'm willing to do that for him," he smirked as he finally got his breath back, "My question is what are your real plans here. I doubt it had anything to do with selling cores."

This clever old elf had us all figured out. Sekka realized that about the same time I did. I could see panic flare though his aura as the leader sat down on an antique couch that looked really comfortable. There was a table full of snacks in front of him, and another couch on the other side of the table. The wear told me that this couch was used much more often then the other one.

I could see Sekka trying to come up with some sort of answer. I stepped in front of him, and let go of my bad arm. My arm wasn't healed, but it wasn't going to fall off anymore. I raised my right hand to silence Sekka before he could speak.

"What gave us away?" I smirked at the man as I sat on the couch acrost from him.