Twenty feet separated the two men in that forest, a distance not vast by any stretch of the imagination. The man whose chi tasted of the Undead had positioned himself close to Alphonse, with a solid few strides before the blade would be in range.
Was it on purpose?
The man had replied, claiming ownership over all that was here - indicating that Alphonse, himself, were but a trespasser. He had been in such situations before, many ending amicably, with the offending party usually packing up and leaving. Which path would this one follow?
Alphonse shifted, seemingly uneasily, offering a conceding smile - in reality, he was positioning himself for a quick escape, a plan already forming in his mind. If the man were serious about his claim, then Alphonse was subject to death. To survive, he would need to take the bow out of the equation.
Passively, he his sense of the man's chi increased, revealing him to be a capable user of magic, though which type was yet not clear. Inwardly, his magic began to shape, slowly taking form as a human shape, an adequate defensive measure.
Watching his opponent, he immediately noted the snarl from his once friendly comrade. The Warrior in him took over, battle instincts from hundreds of skirmishes, his left foot stepped backwards, leg muscles tensed.
The arrow came with an exquisite speed, but the speed of Alphonse was equally impressive, and his sword lifted. The arrow continued onward, but was met with the sharp edge of his sword. Cut in twine, it aimlessly soared past his body, which had been positioned into a smaller target.
Across the ill-defined clearing, Alphonse could see the owner of this forest had already reached for a second arrow. The man was fast, and sure with his shots. He needed to take care of that.
In a flash, he shot to his right, dodging behind the trees thag littered the clearing, taking away potential lines of sight. He disappeared into the thick forest - formulating a plan to cut away options from the Undead, should he follow.
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