She should have run him through. Instead her sword missed him by mere inches as he sidestepped from her thrust, the devil’s spawn!

Instantly, she struck again with a sideways slash, but this troublesome mage jumped back, narrowly missing the blade once again.

There was a thunderclap and dirt exploded in front of her.

“Lady Captain!” one of her men called as she raised a gauntleted forearm to shield her eyes from the attack.

Before the smallest of debris landed, she was already slashing with her sword, but again for the third time, her blade hit nothing.

She growled, feeling the heat of her frustration rise into her face. And there he was, standing there like nothing had just happened. It infuriated her. “You’re good, magicker, but I’ll finish you before long.”

“Easy to say when you have five armed and armored men at your back.”

Her eyes shot open and she couldn’t stifle the unbidden scream that exploded out of her mouth as she rushed the mage, sword outthrust for the killing blow.

She was shunted to the side when his palm came against the flat of her blade, sending it safely away from his body.

He came in for an uppercut, but she was ready for it!