Chapter 13: Ignorance

"Who is it that invades the holy land." The scorpion man stood tall on all eight legs. The tail and stinger moved nimbly around the upper body. The needle a second head with an invisible eye that waited for movement. 

I took note, searching for weaknesses—the tough chitin clacking and clinking under its heavy weight. 

"I had not been aware this area was now a holy land?" 

"We serve the God of the Sun here, under the immortal light and never-ending sands." 

I questioned the never-ending sands but kept it at the back of my throat. "What has happened to the city that is under the sand?" 

"Someone had performed a nefarious ritual. A rebel from the land of the Sun, they have been dealt with." 

"And the citizens in the city?"

The scorpion man only watched me, his brown lips unmoving. 

I see. No, the answer had been there the whole time. 

The little girl moved back a bit, reading the muscles in my back twitch. The scorpion man sharpened his eyes and lowered his body. "This is a fight you do not need, and I won't be the only one." 

"He won't let me hear the end once I pass over if I didn't do anything now." I drew my sword. 

I moved forward, the flat edge of my blade catching the end of the needle. 

There was a sharp clang, and my right shoulder shot backward. My breath slowed by the sudden rest of inertia. 

"Tsk, I'm too old." I regained my balance and slapped the second needle attack with a cut. The momentum shifted the scorpion man to the side, and my blade cut two legs off. 

"Ahh!" The scorpion man let out a yell and stabbed downwards. 

The needle stuck into the marble floor, and my blade slices the needle tip off. 

This time, the yell was held in, but he lunged forward to grab me with his human body limbs—one hand on my wrist and the other on my neck. 

I punched with my open arm, but thick muscles covered the body.

I let go of my sword from one hand and caught it with the other. I sliced with an underhand cut. 

I dropped, but I fell on one of the legs of the scorpion man. I landed on it perfectly in the sensitive bits. I held them momentarily and watched the little girl's face wince in the distance. Ah, she wouldn't know what that felt like. 

I rolled to the side, and knuckles slammed where my head was. I rolled in different directions multiple times before rolling backwards, got up, and raised my arm. 

The scorpion man didn't move, and I knew my sword would slice his body clean. If I still had it in my hand, "I am indeed too old for this." I looked over at the sword lying on the ground when I rolled. 

I looked at the little girl. She already had the same idea. The short sword flew through the air, and I caught it. 

I flicked my shoulder and caught the scorpion man in the neck. 

His eyes fluttered, and his legs could no longer bear the weight, dropping like a soggy, muscular tree branch. 

"Child, hurry up and train so you can do this instead."