Blood splatters across my face as I slide the knife through the man’s neck. It’s warm and smells metallic. I see Riken a couple feet away ahead of me, barely stabbing a man in the side with his sword. And then he plunges ahead.

“You have to at least fully kill them before progressing Riken!” We have a race with two other of our buddies to see who can kill the fastest and get to the castle first. And that prick isn’t even insuring they are dead first.

Slicing the head off of Riken’s wounded and walking victim before he can raise his sword at me, I twirl through the air and land two more killing blows. Riken is ahead of me, but I can still catch up. There is clashing of metal against metal, thuds of bodies hitting the wet grass, and a yell that sounds oddly angelic.

My head turns towards the yell to see that it does in fact belong to an angel of some form. If I was a painter and painted this scene, I would call it The Angel of Death. Because this lady is in fact killing man after man after man. Wait a minute, she’s killing men on my side. Disappointment courses through me at first thinking I’m gonna have to end this dance of hers, but then I smile a huge grin with teeth and all.

I recognize the man she’s fighting. I get his attention and call him off. And then I truly get a look at the woman who had my attention just a few feet in front of me.

She is the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on. And she’s too small to belong out here on this field, yet her body language, and the fact she’s still alive, says otherwise. She doesn’t take a breath before she charges me with a knife in each of her tiny little fists. I drop my sword and dodge her attacks.

Every bone in my body is alive as we dance, twirl, dodge, and move around each other. If only there was music playing, it would truly feel like a dance. I knock a knife from her grasp as gently as I can and enjoy the huff of annoyance she makes in return.

Her stance proves that she’s had some combat training. She’s naturally skilled. With more training, she could even be better than me.

We dance and fight and dance. She makes me drop my other sword. In return, I knock the other knife from her grasp. We shuffle and move into our dance again.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were going easy on me.” Her voice is the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard.

“You’re really good.” I maneuver to the other side of her.

“You backed me up to my people.” She stops fighting me and realizes how much ground we moved in our dance.

I give her a dramatic bow. “It’s been an honor dancing with you.”

“I wish it didn’t have to end.” Her honesty surprises me, causing me to look up to her.

“Maybe we could have a dance this time next week? I could be in your area.” My heart beats wildly in my chest. I bet she can hear my excitement.

“Are you saying their will be another battle then?” She smiles and my breath hitches.

“Do you promise not to tell on me if I say yes?” I don’t care if we aren’t going to battle, I’ll find a way to make it happen.

“I promise.” She smiles, turns and runs to her people. I catch her looking back at me so I give her a wave.

Riken catches up to me. “You totally lost. I got twenty two, and I look better than you.” He laughs as we head back towards our people. The battle is over. I don’t even know which side lost.

I can’t help smiling at him. “Believe me, I won.”