The silence in the narrow alley shattered with Raymond's calm, steady voice.
"You have one chance. Surrender… and you'll be fine, however..." He left the rest unsaid, letting the weight of his gaze finish the sentence for him.
But the thief wasn't listening. "You brat, who do you think you are?!" he barked, raising his axe with a furious shout and charged blindly at Raymond.
Raymond let out a tired sigh. "And that's why you're just a thief." He spoke.
As the axe came swinging toward his head, he didn't flinch. He waited till the last moment, then he simply stepped to the side, his body tilting just enough.
The dull blade whooshed past him harmlessly. At the same time, he lifted the tip of his boot—just enough to catch the man's foot.
"Gruk—!"
The thief stumbled forward with a surprised grunt, tripping and slamming into the dirt with a thud. His weapon clattered beside him.
