Fighting with the bandits

"Let me check something first and then I will explain my plan to you."

John got up searching for a long and slim rock around him. After finding one that was matching his requirements he pressed his hands on it. 'Please work, please work, I trained for ten days I need to be able to make at least so much' John closed his eyes, focused and tried to imagine this rock as part of his hand and then shape it the way he wanted it to be. Then parts of this rock started falling off it, leaving only a sharp tip on one side.

'Yes! It worked!'

While feeling proud of his success John got back to the others.

"What were you doing there?"

"I was picking up the thing I will use to defeat our first enemy. So you don't need to worry about him. What we need to talk about is how we will take down their leader. I've already planned how we will do it to bait him here without being suspicious but to kill him I will need your help. We will do it like this:

First, after I kill the man defending us we will hide his body beside the corner. Then Finn will tell their leader that one of the kids run away and is hiding somewhere. It will be me and I will be standing in place before everyone else and you all will be looking somewhere he can't see as if you were looking at someone guarding you. He will sense me and attack before you, then it's all boys turn to move closer to us. Everyone will have a weapon. Find me four long and slim stones and I will shape them into weapons. Thomas will get a dagger since he is the strongest from us all. Any ideas or objections?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Good, then move, we need to do it fast or we won't stand a chance when the other three bandits will be back!"

After gathering four rocks John changed them the same way he changed his.

"Wow, John! How did you do it? No way! Could it be that you are mage?"

To everyone surprise person who was the most interested in John's ability was Elizabeth who wasn't so talkative before.

"We don't have time to talk about it now! Hide your weapons while I will approach the first bandit."

Even though John sounded confident his hands were shaking and his heart was thumping so fast that he felt like it can jump out of his chest at any moment.

'Come on John, you can do it! You tested this scenario so many times in your mind! There is no way it won't work! You need to look confident so that others won't fear another fight.'

Taking a deep breath John approached his target and then pulled on his shirt with one hand behind his back.

"What do you want, kid?"

"Uhm, Mr.bandit, I noticed a coin under a rock but I can't move it, could you help me and exchange it for one more meal?"

"Oh so you found money, come on, show me where and we will do as you said"

Hearing about such an easy money bandit showed a smile and waited for John to show him the way.

"It's to our right."

After pointing out direction John waited for Bandit to move so he doesn't see his weapon.

After they found a rock that was big enough to trouble 4 years old kid John said that it's here. Bandit bent down and then John, who was standing beside him stabbed him in his neck with one fast thurst. Bandit felt to the ground but John stabbed again and again and again until he got tired.

'I, I killed him. I killed a person...'

John took a deep breath and after using his sleeve as a towel to clean the blood on his face he came out of the valley staggering and called for Arthur and Thomas to help him move the corpses deeper into the alley. After getting there, when boys saw the body they looked at it for a moment without moving. It brought their memories back but they soon we're brought back to reality by John's shaky voice.

"I know it's hard to look at it but believe me that for me it's even harder so please just help me get this job done and forget about him."

Before moving this body Thomas took away his dagger and two bronze coins he had with him to probably pay for entertainment later since their food and accommodation was taken care of by their leader. After walking out of this valley Finn started running in the direction where their another target was staying. After getting inside the right inn and asking for a room he was looking for Finn knocked on the door with an anxious expression. After a few seconds, doors were opened.

"What are you doing here?"

Bandit asked slightly annoyed by the fact that Finn wasn't where he was meant to be.

"Your subordinates sent me here! John ran away a few minutes ago and is hiding somewhere! They couldn't find him so they sent me here to tell you to come there quickly or he will be gone forever!"

"What?! Those useless bastards! Bring me there now!"

'It's working! I just need to follow the plan. Maybe we really will be able to be free since tomorrow!'

Finn leader the way until the moment that Bandit stopped and looked at the direction he was meant to. Then he went inside the valley where John was in and when other boys weren't able to see him they all moved in that direction. Just as thos bandit turned around to the corner where he felt John he felt a sharp pain in his leg, after looking at it he got furious.

"Fuck, you bitch you stabbed me in my leg!? I will show you how the hell looks like!"

He unsheathed his dagger and threw himself at John.

"Don't worry! By the time we will reach our destination your wounds won't be that visible and you will fully heal before auction starts. But now you will pay for what you've done!"

He created a wall behind John so he can't turn around and run away, then came closer to John and stretched out his hand making a fast attack on John. Unfortunately, it was his first time fighting against someone who was so short and he miscalculated their distance giving John a chance to dodge, who used this mistake to try and attack him again but he missed as well. Then they exchanged a few more attacks like this but because of one being inexperienced and other being wounded making him less mobile than normally they both were adapting to their conditions. Every another attack was closer to do some serious damage and they already brushed each other with their blades leaving small cuts and then the reinforcements were finally there.

"Ohh guys, you are finally here! Few exchanges more and you would have seen me lying in my blood on the ground"