The bowstring bit into my fingers as I drew another arrow, my breath ragged and uneven. My arms screamed in protest, but I ignored the burn. Each shot had to count. I loosed the arrow, watching it sail toward the bandit leader.
He moved fast, faster than I expected for someone his size. His greatsword swung up, deflecting the arrow with an almost lazy motion. Another shot hit him, grazing his shoulder, but he barely flinched. The man was built like a tank.
[Damage Dealt: 5]
I shifted my aim to Soren. The wiry bastard was weaving through the clearing, his movements too fluid to track easily. One arrow sliced past his ear, missing by a hair. Another found its mark, nicking his thigh and forcing him to stumble.
[Damage Dealt: 5]
"Persistent little bastard, aren't you?" the leader growled. He didn't sound impressed, he sounded annoyed.
I fired again, this time landing a shot square into his thigh as well. He staggered, his smirk faltering for the first time.
[Damage Dealt: 35]
This kid has some serious skills with the bow, and that might be enough to save me.
Soren wasn't so lucky. My next arrow punched into his forearm, sending his dagger spinning from his hand. He yelped, clutching the wound and glaring at me with a mix of pain and fury
[Damage Dealt: 20].
"Damn it!" Soren hissed, shuffling back a short distance.
The leader planted his greatsword into the dirt, gripping the hilt tightly as he glared at me.
"You're starting to piss me off Soren, why is this thing still alive?!"
My fingers scraped the bottom of the quiver. Empty. I cursed under my breath and dropped the bow, picking up the short sword I'd taken earlier. My chest heaved, every breath feeling like fire in my lungs. I checked my stamina bar and it was in the red, a pathetic 15/100. I didn't have a lot to work with.
"Looks like you've run out of tricks," the leader said, "And I'm done playing around."
Soren flexed his fingers, grabbing his remaining dagger and twirling it in his hand. "He's mine, boss. Just a scratch." his labored breathing and blood-soaked tunic did nothing to prove his point.
The leader glared at him but waved a hand. "Are you kidding, you're practically a walking corpse with two arrows actively sticking out of your body. Can you even walk? I should just put you down myself."
Soren spat and with a pained grimace, pulled the arrow out of his thigh, and then the other out of his forearm. He rose like a vengeful spirit, or at least a vengeful spirit with a serious limp and one working arm. His confidence wasn't gone, but he was not the same man I fought before. He moved toward me, staggering and weak, but eyes full of hate.
"You're lucky," he said, his tone cold and mocking. "Got a couple of lucky shots in, but that's all you've got. Luck."
I tightened my grip on the short sword, my knuckles white. My body was screaming for a break, but a break would mean death.
Soren darted in and tried to feint again, but he stumbled. He lunged again, and I swung with more grace. My blade connected, digging deep into his formally uninjured arm. He tried to grab at it again, but he was useless at this point. I went for the killing blow when something lodged into my shoulder, followed by several other ranged weapons narrowly missing me. I dashed to the side to put Soren between whatever was attacking me and heard several dull thuds as my wounded opponent was peppered with attacks.
[Damage Received: 20]
I didn't know what was happening. I knew I had taken out the archer, I didn't expect there to be any more ranged attacks, but as my opponent fell to the ground, I saw the man behind him. The bandit leader pulled out another fist full of throwing blades from his inventory and aimed his shots.
I was in a lot of pain, but if I didn't want to turn into a pincushion like Soren over there. I would never make it to the leader in time, so I had to make a mad dash to the nearest shadow. There was a pretty dark one a short distance from where I stood, so I bolted toward it.
I didn't get far, as a knife hit one of my calves and dropped me.
[Damage Dealt: 30]
I started crawling but another one hit my offhand and I stopped moving. I could hear him approaching, but I wasn't going to extend my suffering. If he was going to kill me, best I just let it happen quickly.
[Damage Dealt: 20]
He strode forward, cocky as all fuck, and I didn't want it to end like this. Even if I took him as a host, it wouldn't be satisfying, it wouldn't matter. I still would take him as a host, but I would hate it. I needed to fight him in this body if I wanted to walk away with any pride. I couldn't though, I was losing so much blood to the parched earth, and I couldn't stop him. My vision began to fade when his form cascaded over me, casting me in a deep shadow as he pulled out his greatsword.
"Time to fucking die, nothing personal kid," he muttered, as he launched his blade down at my head. I might actually die this time.
I had no idea if this would work. Jumping into and out of the same shadow, using the last of my mana in the hopes that I could dodge his killing blow? If it failed I was dead anyway, so why not give it a shot. I glanced over to the darkness just under his feet and activated my ability.
[Shadow Dance Activated]
[Mana: 5/50]
The world twisted. One moment, I was falling into the dirt. The next, I was enveloped in shadow, the air cold and suffocating before spitting me out between his legs, my emerging form pushing his limbs to the side and sending him sprawling to the ground. I didn't hesitate and immediately pulled myself on top of him, scrambling to pin him down while I figured out how to finish the job.
"You little shit!" he bellowed, writhing under me, his superior strength starting to win out as he braced his hands against the earth and started to rise.
I pulled the throwing knife from my shoulder and shanked him several times in the ribs before the spray of blood caused me to lose my grip as the knife tumbled under him, followed shortly by his large frame as he collapsed on top of it.
[Damage Dealt: 25]
[Damage Dealt: 25]
[Damage Dealt: 25]
"This isn't over," he snarled, his voice a guttural rasp, spitting out blood as he struggled to rise again, thrashing about, desperate to get me off of him, but I climbed higher until my hands were at his shoulders and I threw a wild punch at the side of his head causing him to let out a pained grunt.
"No, it's over," I said, my voice barely more than a whisper as I lay atop him. I reached over, pulled the other knife from my off-hand, and jammed it into his throat over and over again, listening to his gurgling cries.
[Damage Dealt: 30]
[Damage Dealt: 25]
[Enemy Defeated]
[Experience Gained: 2,000]
[Bonus Experience Gained: 2,000]
[Total XP: 12,392/12800]
"Guess I'm more than just a kid," I muttered, yanking the blade free.
The bandit fell still, he would be with Morgana soon, and I only hoped she didn't go easy on the attempted murderer of her chosen worm. I rolled off of him as the adrenaline faded, leaving me with nothing but pain and exhaustion. My health bar was in the red, my stamina nonexistent, and my mana completely drained. But I was still alive. I fumbled around with my inventory before remembering I had already downed my health potion.
I glanced at the fallen bodies around me and gave a silent cheer of victory before staring up at the night sky, another body lying in a sea of blood, the only thing separating me from them, my heart was still beating. I watched as my health began to deplete, the blood loss was slow and I could only hope I would survive when I woke up. Once my stamina bar hit 0, everything faded to black.