Morning started to creep in, the sunlight struck through the pine forest. People started to get up to continue life.
In a cobblestone house a man was waiting, hoping for an injured boy to wake up. The sun gleamed into the room from the blinds. The man stared intently at the boy. hands folded into his lap. “Uh-uh put the blinds up dad” mumbled Kaelen, lifting his arm up to his eyes to block the beam of the sun. “Y-your awake?” Exclaimed the man, sitting up in his chair slightly. “Boy you had me worried”, Kaelen turned his head to the man and slowly gained vision of where he was. He got up slowly and put his palm up to his face “where am I?” Asked Kaelen. “Well you're in Egaillv, in the medic house. You really took a few coins out of my pocket lad” said the man with a smile.
“So what happened to you?”. Kaelen pulled his palm away from his face and looked at the man “uhm, I was attacked by bandits. There were 3” said Kaelen, trying to think back. “Thought so. A lot of bandit attacks in these areas recently”. “My sword! my stuff! where are they?” Exclaimed Kaelen as he looked around the room trying to find anything. “They probably took it,” said the man. “My name's Jackel Wiseman but, you can call me Jackel”. “Oh uh im Kaelen, Kaelen thorne” he said disappointed at himself for losing his sword. “So Kaelen, I gotta go but I paid for a room at the inn for ya” the man put his hand on Kaelen's shoulder “I know you'll get your stuff back” he said with a smile and a thumbs up. The man got up and started to head out the door “see ya later kid”.
A few hours passed and Kaelen left the doctors to look around the village. As he looked around nothing caught his eye, except a wooden sign, as Kaelen approached he saw paper nailed to it. “Forrage for alumm mushrooms” “Take my hounds for a walk” but the one that Kaelen showed interest in was the paper that sat there the longest “drive out bandits camp” Kaelen’s eyes blurred as he read the paper, the bald bandit looking down on him was all he could remember in full detail. His teeth clenched and hands into a fist. He ripped the paper off the board, looking down at the paper “I need a weapon” Kaelen said to himself.
The blacksmith in this village was the same in Kaelen's own village, the one he grew up in.
As Kaelen came through the door the old wooden layout felt familiar. “You're the kid Jackel found on his path” said the girl at the counter. “Dad!” shouted the girl. “What? I was making a weapon” the blacksmith said as he entered through the door behind the counter. He looked at Kaelen “what can we do for you kid?”. “I need a weapon but…I don't have the money”.
“That's bold of you to walk in a blacksmith with no cash” replied the blacksmith “But and can give you this” he said rummaging through a box under the counter. Kaelen stood there awkwardly. “Here” the blacksmith came back up and slid a dagger onto the counter.
“My daughter butchered this dagger but I'll let you have it” laughed the blacksmith. “Thank you” said Kaelen as he grabbed the hilt of the dagger. He looked at the blade looking at the ridges “bronze dagger,nice and durable. It's good material. But the hilts gonna give me a splinter”said Kaelen as he studied the dagger. “Looks like you know your stuff” said the blacksmith watching Kaelen judge his daughter's work. “My dad was a blacksmith, I know a few things,” replied Kaelen. “You're going for the bandit camp aren't you? Be careful, 1 mistake and you're dead” warned the blacksmith. “Then I won't make a mistake” replied Kaelen, he turned away and walked towards the door “Thanks for the weapon” raising the dagger a little as he left.
As Kaelen left and walked a few paces out. “Hey, you're going for the bandit camp” said a well groomed old man. “Have this” he said as he offered a map of the area showing where the camp is. “Uh thanks” Kaelen said, caught off guard, taking the map from the man's hand.
“If you complete this, meet me in that building for your reward” the guy said. Before Kaelen could even speak the man walked off into a house. “In a hurry much” huffed Kaelen looking at the map.
Hours pass, the moon hovers in the sky. Kaelen has begun walking where the map was showing, smoke from a campfire can be seen rising into the sky. As Kaelen got closer he could see the camp through the bushes. Kaelen started to crawl closer,making sure to stay in dark areas. 4 tents around a campfire, 2 people sitting at the fire, 1 in the distance taking a leak in the bushes. 1 of the men at the campfire had his back towards Kaelen. Kaelen's grip tightened round his dagger. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, hearing the laughter of these bandits angered Kaelen. “Screw it” he whispered to himself, as a bead of sweat slid down his face, Kaelen launched himself up from the bushes.Rushing towards the back of the man. As the bandit turned his face slightly to look at the sound behind him, Kaelen was already there. Shoulder first slamming into the bandits back. The force was hard, sending the bandit forward straight into the flame. “What the hell?!” shouted the guy watching this unfolded. “ARGHH!” screamed the bandit in the fire, the flames caught onto clothes setting him alight. “Dude stop moving” said the guy opposite with panic in his voice. Kaelen watched, breathing heavy, feeling something he’s never felt before.
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The bandit faced his fingers towards the guy on fire and shot a constant stream of water at the man, calming the fire down. “No,No. They can't, I have to win” Kaelen's mind was aching, the world slowing down as the water hit the fire. Kaelen blinked and time resumed as normal. He burst out toward the water magic user, kicking the campfire back over the guy screaming. His left hand rose with the dagger in his grip, piercing it through the water bandit's hand then, ripping it out. The bandit stumbled onto the floor, blood dripping from his hand. “AHH, MY HAND!” screamed the water bandit.”Who-who are yo-” Kaelen struck down onto the water bandit mid sentence without a second thought. Kaelen's breathing was heavy, his heart racing, and the man on fire stopped moving.
“It's you!” the bandit who was in the distance came back, he had panic and anger on his face. He ran towards Kaelen, his hands clenching into a fist. “This time I'll kill you myself!”. The daggers blade moved from the side towards the bandit. The bandit raised his forearm, embedding the dagger into his arm. His left arm pulled back and then released, fist slamming straight into Kaelen's face, sending his head backwards and blood flying into the air. The bandit forced his leg into Kaelen's stomach, fully sending him back. Kaelen clutched his stomach as blood ran down from his mouth.
Kaelen looked up then gradually got back to his feet. The bandit looked at Kaelen with anger as he took out the dagger stuck in his arm. The bandit started running towards Kaelen. Adrenaline taking away the pain, he raised his right hand up, palm towards the bandit running towards him. “That's not gonna work twice” shouted the bandit as he smacked his arm away, Kaelen's eyes widened in surprise and worry. The bandit's knee went straight into Kaelen's stomach. “Grr” Kaelen gritted his teeth and launched his head up, jaws open Kaelen bit down onto the bandit's trapezius. “ARGH!” screamed the bandit pushing Kaelen off him. “What the… you little demon!” Shouted the bandit covering the area with his hand.
Kaelen stood back up, spitting the chunk out onto the floor, his heart pounding and mind racing. “Where's my sword?” Snapped Kaelen. “We gave it to another guy who probably pawned it” the bandit yelled back. Kaelen started to take steps around the bandit to where his dagger laid on the floor.
The bandit followed him with his eyes “you did all this for a sword? Pathetic” taunted the bandit. Kaelen got closer to the dagger, the bandit's eyes grew wider, he leaped desperately to the dagger arm stretched fully, palm wide. He was too late, Kaelen rose above the bandit who was on the ground in front of him.”who knows whats pathetic… stealing from a 16 year old boy” he paused “Then dying to the same boy who you left for dead”. The bandit looked up, fear covered his face, and his pupils shrunk “NO,NO,WAIT!” pleaded the bandit. Then silence. “What the hell is going on out here!”.
A bald man with a scar above his lip, came out one of the tents. “Can't you morons… it's you, that boy” he said with some excitement. His smile grew “came to get revenge little fella, didn’t work for the last guy” he taunted as he got closer. “You” replied Kaelen in a rough tone. A flash of the bald bandit's face appeared when he was looking down on Kaelen. “Wow you killed my crew. Shame I was starting to like these guys” the bandit was closing the gap between them two. “Names Roach”. Kaelen smiled “fitting name-” as Kaelen was bandit paces from him, his fist raised. Left smashed into Kaelen's stomach, the other connecting to his face straight after.
Roach raised the left leg into Kaelen's side, blocked by his forearm. Flipping his wrist and piercing the air heading straight for the bandits chest with the dagger. The bandit grabbed the hilt and Kaelen's hand flipping his wrist to an unnatural position, pain sparked through his wrist as Kaelen was forced to drop the dagger, Roaches knee raising into Kaelen's stomach, the force drove him back after steps, the pressure forced blood to fly from Kaelen's mouth.
“Nothing like a good old fight ahe boy,” Roach said with a smile. “Shoulda stayed home”. “No, I'm gonna beat you, no”. The clouds around the moons disappeared, its light shone down on Kaelen as he screamed "I'm gonna KILL YOU!” arm clenched in fist, chest puffed out, head held high letting out is rage, frustration and embarrassment. His eyes shot straight at the bandit, they showed focus and intent, his breathing was starting to hurt his chest. Kaelen rushed forward at a speed putting his fist up, connecting a 3 piece combo. “Is that all?” Mocked the bandit as he retaliated with a 3 combo of his own. Exchanging blows, Kaelen put his guard up, a twinkle was in Roaches eye raining down punch after punch, some hitting the forearms and some on the lower body. Kaelen didn't shut his eyes, he was watching, watching for the perfect moment…
As the bandit pulled his left arm back, Kaelen's eyes watched closely. “Now!” Kaelen thought to himself as he propelled forward, raising his left arm high with his palm out and the rest of his body going low, past Roaches body. Kaelen's palm got closer to Roaches face, time slowed for the bandit. “I can't let him get close… but he's too fast!” The smile faded from Roaches face as all five fingers of Kaelen connected with Roaches face. “FIRE SPARK!” yelled Kaelen. The heat in and around his palm shot out with an intense burst, the heat engulfed Roaches head but Kaelen kept pushing, forcing an even fierce flame out until he couldn't feel his face anymore.
Roaches body fell to the floor, headless, only ash remained. With sweat going down his temple and the skin on his palm burnt to a crisp redness, Kaelen stumbled forward, his breathing still heavy, his heart beating fast, his eyes blurred as birds in the forest flew away from the camp. Crumbling under his own weight, Kaelen's knees fell to the floor. “I DID IT!” He screamed with frustration and relief. The adrenaline started to wear off and his lack of stamina catching up to him, he fully fell to the floor, his eyes blurring more and more. Until all he could see was black…
