Phantom : Karma Slave
By PhantomChajo
Chapter 5
Over the next few days of travel her routine would very little from the previous day. Pack the tent in the morning and start walking again. She would take a break now and then, do a little hunting and continue on. Once the sun was set she would find a spot to make camp, hunt once more if she was unable to find anything earlier in the day, practice some with her blades then sleep, only to wake with plenty of time before sunrise. It was early morning of the fourth day, a day which would prove to be clear and cool indicating that fall was approaching the area, that something changed. She had become use to the normal silence of the forest as she traveled, but this time the silence was not the same.
Her hands went to the hilts of her blades as she stopped, narrowing her eyes as she tilted her head this way and that trying to catch any sounds that would indicate what was happening. Faintly the sounds of a clash of some type came to her. It was coming from the same direction she was headed. Huffing a sigh, she opened her eyes fully again and frowned. If she continued on, she would either come upon the aftermath of events or else arrive before it ended. Either way, she wasn't about to change her direction. With a shake of her head she started walking again, but increased her pace to a jog.
She was experienced enough to know that running the entire way could cause her to be winded enough to be at a disadvantage against whomever it was. So when she got closer she slowed and slipped into the trees on the side of the road and continued to make her way. The dappled sunlight providing enough shadow to provide cover for her. Within minutes she was close enough to see what was going on that had caused such a noise. A group of bandits had attacked a pair of wagons.
She could see at least a dozen bandits up and moving about and at least another half dozen dead or dying along with almost all of what looked like guards for the wagons. She could also see the teamsters cowering unwisely under the wagons. The horses were snorting and stamping their hooves nervously from all the activity, this was something they were not use to. One of the only things that kept them from taking off was that the drivers of both wagons were slumped over dead, the reigns still in their hands.
Reaching into her pouch she pulled out the small case that held the quarrels for her hand crossbow. Opening it she pulled out half of them then put the case away. She figured she could get off at least that many shots before they noticed her and she would have to use her blades. Loading the crossbow she then took aim and fired. Re-cocking, loading and firing again and again and again took only seconds. For her, this was a weapon she was quite familiar with.
The first bolt hit the nearest bandit, as did the second. Each bolt after that targeted a different close bandit. With each hit, a flash followed by an arching of electricity which played over the flesh and armor of the men. As soon as the last shot was fired, she put the crossbow back into it's holster and pulled both her blades and dashed out of the tree cover. There was enough confusion to begin with that she wasn't noticed until she was amongst the bandits and her blades had drawn blood.
The bandit that had been hit twice with the bolts was still shaking from the blue white energy as her blade slide between his ribs and into his heart. She pulled the blade out of the body before it was trapped. Her short blade cut though the air and into the second bandit, gutting him where he stood. Her long sword coming around to slice though his neck, nearly taking his head in the processes. The yells and curses from the bandits were loud and prolific as she dodged around one wagon to put space between the larger number of bandits and her.
"Half the loot to the one that kills me that sword swinging do-gooder!" yelled the apparent leader of the group as he tossed the person he was holding away from him. He pulled his greatsword out of it's sheath on his back and waited. He figured that once the others wounds and tires out this interloper he's go for the kill, therefore taking half the loot as well as his cut of it all.
Charging the closest trio of bandits, she swung from the lower left to the upper right opening one from hip to shoulders as she lashed out at the second tearing a piece out of his thigh with the short sword. She spun and reversed her strikes opening the second also from hip to shoulder as the second blade pierced the shoulder of the fist. The third bandit thought he had an easy strike. As he came in with an overhand strike, she dropped to one knee and double thrust into that one then stood using her strength to bring both blades up as she did. Of the trio, only one was still in good enough shape to continue on.
Having been slightly distracted by the two, she was unable to completely dodge the third's attack, but she did managed to shrug off the damage to an extent. Though she would indeed have some nice bruises come the morning, of that she was positive. Slipping under the arms of the one attacking her she slid her blade between his ribs and out his back, the hiss of air escaping his sliced lungs barely hears. Spinning around the back of the collapsing banding, she parried a descending blade with one and used the other for a low cut to the newest opponent's legs. Again she moved gracefully though the fighting, scoring hits every time. Only once did she miss, and that was due to stepping wrong in one of the wagon ruts. She still managed to avoid all the blows aimed at her as she rolled out of the encircling bandits.
As the last bandit fell, a bellowed yell alerted her to the leaders charging attack. He was faster then she realized as his greatsword came whistling downward, barely missing her the first time, but the sudden reversal as he twisted it to the side and brought it upwards again. The tip caught her across the thigh and hip, just below the chainshirt, leaving behind a searing line of fire and pain.
She narrowed her golden eyes in anger, drawing her lips back in a silent snarl then waded into the fray. Before he could recover for another strike, her blades found their marks. The first hit caught him across the waist, the second in the thigh, the third in the shoulder and fourth sliced into his inner thigh.
He again bellowed but this time more in pain and surprise then anger. Never had he come across someone that was able to strike so fast and accurately. Mustering up enough strength he once again struck out at her with his greatsword. But as it cleaved downwards she wasn't there anymore. Changing his movement from up and down to side to side, he once again sliced though nothing but air.
With his arms to the side, his torso wide open and undefended, she once again went in for the strike. This time she slipped the blades into his ribcage straight into his lungs then jerked the hilts outwards so the blades themselves sliced inwards, cutting his lungs in half as well as his heart. He dropped to his knees his sword falling from his slack grip. Yanking them out she lifted them up and used all of her strength to cut downwards into his neck. She could fell it as both hit the bones of his neck. He was dead before he fell to the ground.
Taking a moment she wiped her blades on the dead bandit leader's cloths then re-sheathed them. Glancing about she tallied up the dead. Sixteen bandits and at least 7 guards, not to mention two teamsters. Of the living, at least 6 was living. There was a couple more that were on the edge between the living and dead. With a satisfied nod to herself, she figured it was overall a good day.
Chapter 5
Over the next few days of travel her routine would very little from the previous day. Pack the tent in the morning and start walking again. She would take a break now and then, do a little hunting and continue on. Once the sun was set she would find a spot to make camp, hunt once more if she was unable to find anything earlier in the day, practice some with her blades then sleep, only to wake with plenty of time before sunrise. It was early morning of the fourth day, a day which would prove to be clear and cool indicating that fall was approaching the area, that something changed. She had become use to the normal silence of the forest as she traveled, but this time the silence was not the same.
Her hands went to the hilts of her blades as she stopped, narrowing her eyes as she tilted her head this way and that trying to catch any sounds that would indicate what was happening. Faintly the sounds of a clash of some type came to her. It was coming from the same direction she was headed. Huffing a sigh, she opened her eyes fully again and frowned. If she continued on, she would either come upon the aftermath of events or else arrive before it ended. Either way, she wasn't about to change her direction. With a shake of her head she started walking again, but increased her pace to a jog.
She was experienced enough to know that running the entire way could cause her to be winded enough to be at a disadvantage against whomever it was. So when she got closer she slowed and slipped into the trees on the side of the road and continued to make her way. The dappled sunlight providing enough shadow to provide cover for her. Within minutes she was close enough to see what was going on that had caused such a noise. A group of bandits had attacked a pair of wagons.
She could see at least a dozen bandits up and moving about and at least another half dozen dead or dying along with almost all of what looked like guards for the wagons. She could also see the teamsters cowering unwisely under the wagons. The horses were snorting and stamping their hooves nervously from all the activity, this was something they were not use to. One of the only things that kept them from taking off was that the drivers of both wagons were slumped over dead, the reigns still in their hands.
Reaching into her pouch she pulled out the small case that held the quarrels for her hand crossbow. Opening it she pulled out half of them then put the case away. She figured she could get off at least that many shots before they noticed her and she would have to use her blades. Loading the crossbow she then took aim and fired. Re-cocking, loading and firing again and again and again took only seconds. For her, this was a weapon she was quite familiar with.
The first bolt hit the nearest bandit, as did the second. Each bolt after that targeted a different close bandit. With each hit, a flash followed by an arching of electricity which played over the flesh and armor of the men. As soon as the last shot was fired, she put the crossbow back into it's holster and pulled both her blades and dashed out of the tree cover. There was enough confusion to begin with that she wasn't noticed until she was amongst the bandits and her blades had drawn blood.
The bandit that had been hit twice with the bolts was still shaking from the blue white energy as her blade slide between his ribs and into his heart. She pulled the blade out of the body before it was trapped. Her short blade cut though the air and into the second bandit, gutting him where he stood. Her long sword coming around to slice though his neck, nearly taking his head in the processes. The yells and curses from the bandits were loud and prolific as she dodged around one wagon to put space between the larger number of bandits and her.
"Half the loot to the one that kills me that sword swinging do-gooder!" yelled the apparent leader of the group as he tossed the person he was holding away from him. He pulled his greatsword out of it's sheath on his back and waited. He figured that once the others wounds and tires out this interloper he's go for the kill, therefore taking half the loot as well as his cut of it all.
Charging the closest trio of bandits, she swung from the lower left to the upper right opening one from hip to shoulders as she lashed out at the second tearing a piece out of his thigh with the short sword. She spun and reversed her strikes opening the second also from hip to shoulder as the second blade pierced the shoulder of the fist. The third bandit thought he had an easy strike. As he came in with an overhand strike, she dropped to one knee and double thrust into that one then stood using her strength to bring both blades up as she did. Of the trio, only one was still in good enough shape to continue on.
Having been slightly distracted by the two, she was unable to completely dodge the third's attack, but she did managed to shrug off the damage to an extent. Though she would indeed have some nice bruises come the morning, of that she was positive. Slipping under the arms of the one attacking her she slid her blade between his ribs and out his back, the hiss of air escaping his sliced lungs barely hears. Spinning around the back of the collapsing banding, she parried a descending blade with one and used the other for a low cut to the newest opponent's legs. Again she moved gracefully though the fighting, scoring hits every time. Only once did she miss, and that was due to stepping wrong in one of the wagon ruts. She still managed to avoid all the blows aimed at her as she rolled out of the encircling bandits.
As the last bandit fell, a bellowed yell alerted her to the leaders charging attack. He was faster then she realized as his greatsword came whistling downward, barely missing her the first time, but the sudden reversal as he twisted it to the side and brought it upwards again. The tip caught her across the thigh and hip, just below the chainshirt, leaving behind a searing line of fire and pain.
She narrowed her golden eyes in anger, drawing her lips back in a silent snarl then waded into the fray. Before he could recover for another strike, her blades found their marks. The first hit caught him across the waist, the second in the thigh, the third in the shoulder and fourth sliced into his inner thigh.
He again bellowed but this time more in pain and surprise then anger. Never had he come across someone that was able to strike so fast and accurately. Mustering up enough strength he once again struck out at her with his greatsword. But as it cleaved downwards she wasn't there anymore. Changing his movement from up and down to side to side, he once again sliced though nothing but air.
With his arms to the side, his torso wide open and undefended, she once again went in for the strike. This time she slipped the blades into his ribcage straight into his lungs then jerked the hilts outwards so the blades themselves sliced inwards, cutting his lungs in half as well as his heart. He dropped to his knees his sword falling from his slack grip. Yanking them out she lifted them up and used all of her strength to cut downwards into his neck. She could fell it as both hit the bones of his neck. He was dead before he fell to the ground.
Taking a moment she wiped her blades on the dead bandit leader's cloths then re-sheathed them. Glancing about she tallied up the dead. Sixteen bandits and at least 7 guards, not to mention two teamsters. Of the living, at least 6 was living. There was a couple more that were on the edge between the living and dead. With a satisfied nod to herself, she figured it was overall a good day.