8 The Send Off, Part Five

He glared at Alex menacingly, "Show me a good fight, and I may let you live. Hrrgh" The man lifted the axe overhead and brought it down. Alex blocked it but misjudged the man's power. The axe entered his shoulder and Grace gasped. The man pulled away and swung from the side, Alex jumped back before slashing at the man's leg. He blocked it with the handle of his axe before swiping at him with his open hand. Alex ducked under his arm and quickly sliced the man's chest, "Arrgh."

He recoiled and Alex backed up with his sword at the ready. This was no ordinary bandit, he was trained well. The man touched the cut on his chest, "Ha ha, I haven't been wounded in a long time." All the men cheered behind him, "Get him boss. Make him pay." The man got into a more formal battle stance, one Alex recognised. 

He came at him with a flurry of strikes in all directions. It was all Alex could do to block each attack. He parried one overhead strike and the man struck the road hard sending shards into his own face. Alex quickly sliced the man's left arm while side stepping. The man roared and swung at Alex but he parried it to the side and sliced his other arm. But the man was quicker with injured arms then he thought and caught Alex off guard.

The man stomped Alex's foot and he winced before the man grabbed hold of his shirt and head butted him. Alex fell to the ground dazed but recovered just in time to slide out of the way of the Axe. Alex kicked the man's knee with as much force as he could muster laying down and heard a crack. The man fell on his knee and Alex was able to roll out of the way before the man could swing again.

Alex braced himself as he felt the bones of his nose crack back into place and rubbed the blood away. Alex watched as the man looked down to his knee and for a second thought he saw a faint light. When the man stood up smiling Alex knew what he was fighting. "..." The man smiled, "Surly you don't think a wee kick can keep me down." His men cheered as he lifted his arms up to show he was practically unhurt.

Alex needed to end this with one attack, but he didn't want that to end in death. Then Alex thought of something. He ran at him and swung. He blocked it with ease but Alex had a plan. He wound up an overhead strike and called upon his magic. The next strike hit with so much force it shook both mens arms and caused them to drop their weapons. 

A slight second passed and Alex put his hand on the man's chest. The man looked wide eyed, "Magic!" A burst of power erupted from Alex's hand sending the man flying over his lakies into a pine with a blood curdling crunch. All the men couldn't believe their eyes, "B-b-boss." 

"He's a mage!" All the men dropped their weapons and ran off into the forest. Grace held her mouth as she watched Alex pick up the sword and begin walking to the man. Before he could reach him a man blacked his path. He appeared out of nowhere, just suddenly appeared. But one thing was clear, he was different from the rest.

He was an older man with no hair other than a well trimmed mustache and beard. He also wore a back suit reminiscent of a butler. The most curious was the man's eyes, they shined a dim red. The bandit looked up painfully, "R-Roswald!? W-What are you, ahh." He tried getting up but he was too injured. "Master Ellington, I wish you wouldn't move."