"You're one of his guards, so you're now a suspect. Drop your weapons and surrender now!" the soldier barked, his spear pointed directly at Amis.
Amis remained calm, his voice steady and convincing. "Listen, I don't approve of that Knight's actions. In fact, I uncovered his plan to release the prisoner and help him escape. I followed him here to the stable, but we need to act fast before he gets away." He pointed toward the stable, his certainty making it hard to doubt him.
"Shit," Rafael muttered when both men spotted him.
In a panic, he bolted toward his horse, clumsily jumping on and kicking it with far too much force. His inexperience showed as he kicked the horse repeatedly, sending it into a near frenzy. The animal reared up, nearly toppling backward.
"No, no, no—fuuuuck!"
Amis and the soldier blocked the exit, but Rafael's frantic kicks eventually propelled the horse forward. It charged out, knocking both men to the ground.
"Aaahhh!" the soldier screamed, clutching his arm, now twisted at an unnatural angle.
"You fucking dog!" Amis spat, his face twisted in rage. "Don't worry, I'll capture the prisoner and bring him back!" With that, he dashed into the stable, emerging moments later on another horse, galloping at full speed.
Rafael sped through the village, his heart pounding as he neared the entrance. Even in his frantic state, he noticed two guards surrendering to soldiers. One of them spotted him and shouted, "Hey, you! Stop right now!"
Like hell I will, Rafael thought, pushing his horse harder. I'm finally out! I just need to stay on this road until I reach the city.
But his lack of riding skill meant his horse wasn't at full speed, and soon, the sound of pounding hooves grew closer. He glanced back and saw Amis, a sinister grin on his face, closing the gap. Ten meters.
This is bad, Rafael thought, panic gripping him.
Eight meters. "I'll fucking kill you real slow! I'll send you back to hell, where you belong!" Amis screamed, brandishing a short sword.
Six meters.
"Shit, shit!"
Four meters.
In desperation, Rafael kicked his horse again, and this time, it surged forward at full speed. They matched pace for a few minutes, but the horses soon tired, slowing down. I can't let him get close. If I stay on this horse, I'm done for.
"Hahaha, yeah, keep running! It only makes it more fun," Amis taunted, his voice dripping with madness. Rafael steered his horse toward the trees lining the road. When he found a spot that seemed safe, he leaped into a small tree.
"Uugh," he groaned as he hit the ground, the impact jarring but not enough to break any bones.
His horse kept galloping down the road, while Amis skillfully halted his own steed and turned back. He's not going to leave me alone. I'll have to fight him. Grabbing a broken branch to use as a makeshift club, Rafael walked to the center of the road, ready to face his pursuer.
"A final struggle? So brave," Amis sneered as he dismounted, his eyes gleaming with sadistic delight. The road was narrow, lined with dense vegetation on both sides, and now there was no way out.
"I must praise you for trying. You got real close to escaping, but it's over now." Amis waited, expecting Rafael to beg or apologize, but there was only silence. The calm in Rafael's eyes infuriated him.
"You think you're clever, don't you? Defying God will only bring you eternal suffering in hell!" he shouted, his anger boiling over. "And I'm the one who'll send you there!"
With a roar, Amis charged, swinging his sword down from above. Rafael sidestepped, swinging his club at Amis' face, but the man dodged with a twisted grin. "Oooh, that was close," Amis laughed, his movements slow and deliberate now as he circled Rafael.
Calm down, breathe, Rafael thought, trying to steady his nerves. Don't let him hit your hands or head. You can do this.
As Amis advanced, Rafael kept his distance, backing away with each step. "Come on, you stopped running with the horse just to run on foot?" Amis taunted, his voice dripping with contempt.
Suddenly, Amis lunged, his sword raised. Rafael braced for another overhead strike, but Amis surprised him. The sword, instead of coming down, sliced from right to left in a swift motion. Rafael barely managed to block with the club, jumping to his left to absorb the impact.
The sword bit into the wood, but didn't cut all the way through. Seizing the moment, Rafael countered with a punch to Amis' face, followed by a kick to his stomach. The blows were powerful enough to nearly knock Amis out.
Gritting his teeth, Amis tried to regain his balance, but Rafael was already moving. Seeing Amis about to kick his left leg out from under him, Rafael dodged just in time, sending Amis sprawling to the ground.
Rafael aimed a heavy stomp at Amis' throat, but before he could land the blow, he saw a twisted smile spread across Amis' face.