Chapter 20: The Word Mage

13 January 5555
[Florencis Forest]
[King Claude IV]

The soldiers readied their guards. While they have been trained against magic welding creatures, they knew the strange human that stood before them was of a much higher calibre.

"State your purpose scoundrel!" Blaine growled, while the troops took one step closer towards the mage and let out a groundshaking battle cry.

The king, asserted by the battle cry, regained his composure. "Mage, if it's the sceptre you are after, perhaps we could make a deal?" The soldiers were mortified, how could the king appear to have given up to quickly? Does he not want to avenge his subjects that were slain by this singlet-wearing scum?

The mysterious mage's neck tilted slightly to the left. "My my, I've heard rumours that you were a coward. After seeing you in person, I'm almost certain of it now. This is where you die you sick excuse of a sovereign!"

Wasting no time, Blaine dashed towards his enemy, unshealthing his broadsword with his right hand while reaching for some darts in his pouch with his left.

"Repel, scum!" The mage faced his palm towards him as Blaine was magically sent flying in the opposite direction of the mage, darts scattered over the floor from Blain e's pouch as he impaled his broadsword into the ground just before he crashes into his fellow men.

"You have pretty good reflexes Blaine, are you surprised as to why I know your-"

"KILL HIM!!" King Claude ordered before the mage could finish his sentence! Apart from two of the King's Royal guards armed with halberds, every soldier charged with their swords raised and their heart full of valor towards his king, ready to destroy the enemy before them with numbers.

"Fool!" Blaine thought to himself as he moved out of the way for his troops to attack. Although he felt that this was not the best course of action, he could not defy his king.

As the foot soldier closest to the mage was about to land a blow on the strange man, he could here a mutter from the mage's lip. "Blink."

The soldier's sword cut through nothing but air, the mage has disappeared. But how? Where was he?

"Above!!"

The mage was sitting on a bench, chewing on what looked like a leaf. "Careful boys, it wouldn't be very pretty if the darts that Mister Blaine scattered before were.. Explosives."