Adventure of Bennigan 1

Dust swirls in the torchlight as Knight One and Knight Two close the gap, blades angled toward Bennigan and the fallen ledger behind him.

Bennigan plants his feet before the scribe, plate ringing softly as he lifts his longsword into guard.

The scribe curls tighter around the ledger, eyes wide, while the two knights adjust together, trying to split Bennigan’s defense.

A clean strike will save the book, but if Bennigan gives ground, the ledger falls back into the duel.

Bennigan attempts to kick the heavy oak bench into the path of the charging knights, but the wood is wedged firmly against the stone floor. The bench does not budge, leaving the knights' charge entirely unimpeded.

Bennigan straightens and drives both knights back with a hard step and the threat of his blade, forcing them to give ground from the scribe and the ledger.

Knight One checks his rush, boots scraping on the stone as he yields a pace.

Knight Two shifts wide instead of pressing in, his angle broken by Bennigan's reach.

The scribe clutches the ledger to his chest and retreats half a step behind Bennigan, while the knights remain checked at arm's length.

Bennigan scans the heavy oak doors, but the iron bolts are missing from the frame, leaving no way to secure the hall from within. The knights notice his glance and realize the exit remains wide open, emboldening their stance.

Bennigan surges forward with a hard, measured shove of steel, cutting the knights off from Elian and the ledger. Their line breaks, boots scraping on the tiled floor as they give ground.

Knight One checks his swing and stumbles back a step, forced away from the scribe. Knight Two lifts his guard, shoulders tight, no longer able to press past Bennigan.

The narrow space behind Bennigan opens wider, a small pocket of safety around Elian and the book. Dust drifts through the torchlight as the knights reset their footing.

The heavy doors still gape unbarred behind them, and the hall waits on the next move.

Bennigan holds his ground without yielding a single step. His sword stays level, his stance broad, and the knights feel the warning in the stillness before the blow.

Knight One slows first, blade half-raised, as if the next advance might cost him more than pride. Knight Two edges in and then stops, reading the line Bennigan draws across the floor.

The pair give ground together, not in flight, but in wary retreat, turning their shoulders from Elian and the ledger.

Elian tightens both hands on the book and ducks farther back, the clear space around him widening as the threat breaks.

Behind the knights, the open doors yaw wide to the hall beyond, and their hesitation now points both ways, toward Bennigan or the exit.