Almost a battle

Kael doesn’t hesitate. With his shield hand he snatches a knife, hurling it at the closest bandit. It catches the man in the throat, dropping him immediately. A few strides closes the distance, and his blade sweeps out like a silver wing, describing a gleaming arc as he closes in. The enchanted sword judders in his hand once, twice, before stopping upraised across his body. The two nearest opponents drop, neatly bisected at the waist, the cut so fast that they barely had time to realize that they were dead.

The nearby bandits hesitate at the sudden, violent deaths of their compatriots, and that hesitation seals their fate. Kael is a whirlwind of steel, killing three more with efficient, unerring strikes. His flurry emboldens the guardsmen behind him, who join the charge just as the bandits falter. Battle is joined, and despite the uneven numbers, Kael easily is tipping the balance in the guardsmen’s favor.

And then a black shafted arrow comes whistling in and slams into Kael’s shoulder. He spins with the impact, grunting in pain even as he turns the motion into a killing blow on yet another opponent. Shaking off his shield, he swaps hands with his sword and yanks out the arrow, tossing it aside. He can see the bandit leader readying another shot as Kael pushes free of the melee.

Kael charges forward, twisting to avoid the next arrow, and lashes out, narrowly missing the man but shattering his bow. The bandit leader pulls the twin swords from his back as he springs backward, a nasty smile on his face.

“So, you champions are more than just for show, hmm? Good, easy marks are so boring! Come then, let us fight, fancy boy. I needed a new cloak anyway!”

Kael doesn’t respond, already stalking forward. He can tell from the way the leader handles his blades that he’s no novice, not like the bandit scum getting slaughtered behind him. After a few passes, though, Kael knows that this man is no match for him. He hammers in blows relentlessly, forcing the leader back on his heels, hoping to make a quick end to it.

The man’s face shows he realizes he’s outmatched as well, and desperation makes him dangerous. Eschewing any defense, he lunges for Kael, catching him off guard. Kael manages to hook one sword with his scythe like blade, sending it spinning off into the trees, but the other carves a shallow wound into his side. Kael sways away with a hiss of pain, and brings his sword around in a vicious counter, taking the man’s arm off at the elbow. Before the severed limb even hits the ground, Kael swings again, decapitating the bandit leader.

The man drops, his evil ended in a swift strike, and Kael grimaces at the pain of his wounds. Underestimate your opponent, pay the price. He turns around to see the guardsmen have largely finished off the bandit ****, with only a few casualties themselves. Despite their losses, spirits are high.

Once things are settled, Kael takes charge, leading the remaining guardsmen into the nearby camp. They find the leaders tent easily, with the evidence of grotesque treatment of captives everywhere. A search of the camp turns up several letters, correspondence between the bandits and a hostile, neighboring country . Evidence enough to bring to Lord Greyheart. A job well done, in the end.