The Novelist2009/I

Jerry Downing:
Leonard then kicked up some dirt in the eyes of the nearest soldier, forcing him to drop his musket and wipe his eyes. He stole to this waist with his free hand to draw a cutlass from its sheath, and then knocked the soldier off his feet with his shield. Another soldier lunged at him with his bayonet, but Leonard shifted sideways in careful, measured movements, parrying the thrust with his shield and then bringing the cutlass down on the soldier's neck. As the rest of the soldiers advanced on him, Leonard unleashed an explosion of power from the upper part of his body, picking them off as they charged towards him. He sliced through armour, flesh and bones, constantly adapting himself for the next attack. He relied on the sound of movement around him as a guide for where the next offensive was coming from, drawing them into his own style of fighting. All of his experience as a Maroon warrior was culminated in this one inspired moment as he meted out death with energetic beauty. He caught a glimpse of a soldier charging towards him from an angle, and sent his cutlass through the air to meet, embedding it in his chest as his knees gave way to the ground. He smashed aside a soldier with centrifugal force using his shield, and then dispossessed another soldier of his musket, bringing the shield down on his skull which snapped the vertebrae from the top of his neck to the small of his back, breaking the shield in half. He took in a deep breath, feeling the reserve of energy in his lungs to continue, but now completely defenceless. He held firm where he stood, waiting for certain death.