//------------------------------//
// One By One  
// Story: Assassin's Creed III Reclamation [Canclled 
// by Electric thunder 
//------------------------------//

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There were ten griffin soldiers holding now a full circle around Connor, and the unconscious bat pony below him. Most of them were armed with pikes, but a few had spears and shorthanded blades at the ready. Nothing he has not dealt with before.

This was going to be a interesting fight, there was no backing down, nor support if the situation became too hot to handle, he was surrounded and his life and the young mare he swore to protect, were at danger, this meant he had to kill…all of them.

Connor hardened his grip on the weapon, and started to pick out the sheep in the group, the easy prey, the first to die. As he studied his opponents, he to notice that the higher ranked and more trained of the group had thicker and more decretive armor as expected. So, he turned his focus, to the chainmail dawned griffin as his first, who was armed with a sword.

In a swift leap he took the spear above his head, and forced it down onto the soldier who looked up with an expression the assassin has seen hundreds of times before. The face of fear, shock, anger, sadness, even regret, he has seen it all. The griffin brought his sword up to try and block the attack in some way, but Connor swung the spear around and strike on the side of his exposed neck with the staff piece of the weapon.

The soldier yelped and was taken back a few steps, as he recovered. In retaliation the griffin to Connors rear charged with a shortened pike, Connor dodged the attack with a side-step, before he slashed the griffin’s legs. The armored attacker tumbled to the ground giving a loud screech. The chainmail griffin jumped over his comrade to attack the assassin, but was met with a cold spear tip in his chest and crumpled to the floor as well as his companion, whose legs were sliced open.

“You basterd!” One griffin yelled.

Two down and out of the equation, so that leaves eight more still standing. Connor recovered a sword that the dispatched griffin had dropped. The blade was roughly fifteen inches, and the pommel was a quarter of a hand to short, but he could use it. 

Connor flipped the sword around in his hand so the actual blade segment was facing the opposite direction of the griffin soldiers. The fight returned to the standoff it started with, Connor waiting in the center of the eight griffins waiting for a chance to strike, or one of them to lose their nerve and strike him. Eventually it came to just that.

The griffin that came to attack him was slightly more armored than the first, it was a mix of plates of his chest and center and a thick binding around his neck, thighs, and legs. He brought with him a bronze tipped spear.

With a war cry, he charged, but Connor dodged the attack like last time and kicked the griffin causing him to crash into his brother-at-arms across from his original point. Connor took his opening and stabbing him behind his neck. The griffin gargled, and choked when he removed the blade, Connor pushed him down and sunk the sword into the others neck from the right shoulder. There was another griffin to the right, and with a rapid movement, he opened his wind pipe for all to see. 

Just like that, Connor dwindled the griffin ranks down to only five. It seemed to Connor like he was simply beating down a bunch of school yard bullies, because you look like you’re bigger and tougher than the rest, means nothing if you simply impose it. These griffins were trained to use their weapons, and wear the armor, but they are nothing more than animals with fake teeth.

The floor beneath his feat, and the griffin’s claws/paws started to be covered in a very thin layer of dark crimson.  Two of the five dropped their weapons and ran, cowardly or smart? To Connor he was the living proof that death had a face and that fear is one of the strongest emotional forces to be had.

“ What are you…” One of the remaining three asked, he could not tell which, for two of them had a helm visor covering their faces, and he could see the other in who was in light chain armor.

Connor did not say a word to any of them; he just stood at a ready position with the blade in his hand not willing to let a single ounce of his guard drop. He kept a eagle’s eye gaze locked onto them from under his slightly blood stained hood.

The griffins in response did the same as he, and readied themselves for the next onslaught that was sure to follow. The tension that was hanging in the air became ever more pressing onto the trio that faced the lone warrior. 

Connor made his move and slashed at the middle most griffin who leaped backwards to save himself, but opened the soldiers that once stood at his sides. With a sharp kick, the light armored combatant to his left went tumbling away from the other two higher ranked fighters.

The griffin to his front charged with his pike at the ready and the other to his right started a wide swing with his weapon. With timing far too close to comfort, Connor jumped out of the rang of both griffins rolled, and tackled the charging opponent forcing his weapon deep into the others chest, in shock the griffin did not respond to Connor taking hold of him and thrusting the cold steel into his spine.

Connor swiftly pulled out the blade and turned to the final griffin soldier who had bravely stood up to this point. He gathered himself and weakly took his stance, his body shaking and quivering from the adrenaline and nerves.

The griffin lunged with his final cry before Connor retaliated, disarmed, and stabbed him through the ribs. He collapsed slightly and looked up to him with a weak surrendering gesture, but in return Connor sent the blade deeper giving the poor soul a quick and honorable death.

The assassin pulled out the sword and threw it to the floor with a metallic clang and few drops of crimson. He returned to Shade who had curled into a fetal position during the fight. With gentle arms he picked up the poor battered mare and looked to the sealed doors.

Finish the fight or leave with shade? 

You decide