“This doesn’t have to be,” Lim pleads with Taru. “Our orders are only to detain you, not to harm you in any way. I give you my word. If you surrender your weapons now, no retaliation will be taken against you.”

Taru senses truth behind his words and even sees it in his eyes, whether the retainer wants to or not. It’s possible they’ve sent an honest Aegin to carry out a dirty deed, and if so Taru doesn’t want Kamen Lim’s blood on their hands.

He cannot, however, possibly vouch for every other Aegin surrounding Taru in the alley. Any one of the tunic-wearing stooges could be tasked with sticking their dagger in Taru’s back while the retainer is down on the ground.

Taru probably cannot win this fight, but they will not be gutted on the filthy alley floor while lying there helpless. The retainer refuses to relinquish their duties under such conditions.

“I thank you for your offer and accept the spirit in which it is intended.”

Taru lowers the short sword and hook-end.

Kamen Lim visibly relaxes his posture, breathing a subtle sigh of relief.

“I only wish I could find it in myself to place that kind of faith in your comrades here,” the retainer adds.

The sole of Taru’s boot smashes into Lim’s face, flattening his nose and cracking his chin in one blow. The Aegin’s head is snapped back and the rest of his body attempts to follow it, causing him to curl awkwardly over the street until his feet give out.

The rest of the Aegins immediately close in, rushing forward to slash Taru to ribbons. The retainer swings both blades in a single wide, complete arc, driving them all back. Taru takes a long stride toward the nearest Aegin and slashes at her, trapping her wrist as the woman blocks the strike, and driving her against the wall with one shoulder. Another Aegin comes at Taru and the retainer deflects his blade while kicking his feet out from beneath him.

Taru tries to fend the rest off, but there are too many to keep track. The retainer defends strikes as they come, feeling the bite of Crachian blades against their leather armor. Finally, Taru feels a blade slice through their left leg just above the back of the knee. The cut is deep and the impact jarring, causing that leg to buckle. Taru collapses to the left, landing hard on one hip. They all seem to fall atop the retainer at once, pinning Taru to the street and seizing both short sword and hook-end.