Snippet #2457201

The Deserts of Protectorate City

The bandits gathered in a circle all on their mounted beasts, some got off and drew blades while a few remained on their mounts. Noticing the two behind him drawing handguns, Kaidman crouched down with his foot going out to the side, as if a sort of low fighting stance. Almost instantaneously, the two riders seemed to be caught by a shallow sinkhole. The animals screamed as they fell suddenly, their necks just sticking out of the ground with their riders panicking as they were helpless.

"Charge him!" one of the bandits yelled, and five began to swarm him. One still remained on his mount, picking up a rifle and trying to pick his shot carefully as Kaidman parried the bandit immediately in front of him quickly stabbing his opponent's wielding shoulder and stepping around him. Now, instead of being surrounded, he'd be able to take all of them from one side, and his longsword had longer reach than either of their sabers. One went to stab Kaidman, but the blade was deflected to the side by Kaidman's weapon. Soon enough, three of them were on him as a fourth tripped over the wounded body.

Swiftly, Kaidman turned so that his back took the blade of a weapon, which was rendered useless by his armor. His blade lifted up to block a strike aimed for his head and he jumped back, luring one forward and bringing his sword into the third bandit's neck. An explosion sounded, and the clashing of metal could be heard as a heavy caliber rifle hit the side of the mage's armor with a grunt, and his body fell and slid across the sand a small distance, but his sword was still in hand.

"I think you got him," one of the swordsmen said to the shooter. The three still standing casually walked over to the body.

"At least he died by the blade," the rifleman said, going to put his rifle away.

"Agh!" one screamed. The fight wasn't over yet, as Kaidman swung his sword into the leg of the nearest target. The others scrambled in surprise that someone had even survived that shot. Concentrating on the gunman still mounted, a sort of light green pillar of light struck him down and pinned him to the sand, the beast beneath him hollering in fright. Being in the back, the magic wasn't noticed by anyone. Quickly, he rolled to his feet.

"Wat the hell is this?" the shooter shouted, but it was in vain as Kaidman began dueling the last of his enemies. The pinned shooter's sternum was quickly crushed after his words, but not to the point his innards showed, and the fighting picked up once again. Blocking a strike on his left, he spun out of the reach of the one on his right and slashed forcefully into the back of the next bandit. His blade was opposed, as there was an attempted block, but his strike was still strong enough to dig into the flesh of the bandit. The last one noticed he was the last one standing, and stood in surprise.

"You're just one man... how did you...?"

"I suggest you give me your prisoner and you tend to your... colleagues. I should have killed all of you, since all of you had the intent to kill me. Remember that before you do something this stupid again," Kaidman told the bandit. He then left the bandit still in the sand, and picked up their captured body. Sheathing his sword on his back, he used both his hands to pick up the man over his shoulders, and rested the body across them. The fallen still groaned in pain.

"You fool... now you're open," said the remaining bandit, approaching Kaidman with his saber drawn with devious purpose. As he got into striking reach, Kaidman reached his hand out, his palm open. The same light green energy that struck the rifleman down flared up around his arm, channeling into a ball of energy, and the bandit froze once again, amazed at the display.

"Now you know too much." A booming cracking of energy sounded as the ball was perpetuated forward, and the same sound could be heard as it came in contact with the bandit's throat. It sent him skidding across the sand, a dead man now. Without another word, he turned away and began to walk down the road and to the canyon entrance.