Duality

By: Fonetic Posted on: October 31, 2007

We stared at each other across the vacant square. His axes drawn reached down nearly to the ground, the warm wind blowing through his short hair, he looked like it had been quite some time since his face had been kissed by a clean razor.

I drew my rapiers from their scabbard. Taking a reasonably clean cloth, I hastily whipped down each one in turn, making sure not to get any of the venom on my hands. It was far past noon, but the bright rays of Lady Sol still glinted off my trusty blades, accented by three purple runes. I quickly added to them a little yellow and blue tree, and kissed each one for good luck.

I needed more time. "Do you really want to do this?" I asked. I pulled out several vials of venom, quickly sorting them. What would slow him down? I tasted one that I couldn't remember the contents of, and grinned faintly at its sweetness.

"I just want to see how good your new toys are."

Where did I stick my extra delphinium? I wondered as I started digging through my kitbag.

"Why do women always take so long?" he taunted, clearly ready already.

"I don't know," I said, frustrated, as I jammed my totem into the ground. "Why are men always so quick to finish?"

"You going to fight, or talk, woman?" He was petting his white falcon before it flew off to the side, something strange falling off of its feathers.

"What about your Priestess friend over there?" I pointed my rapier off to the right. A young girl in lighter armour was sitting quietly, no weapons drawn, his falcon perching besides her. It ruffled its feathers slightly before nipping at her shoulder. She obliged him with a grey treat, and he seemed to settle down.

"She'll behave herself." I kneeled down and quickly sketched a yellow and blue lightning bolt on the ground. "Or, I can have her kick your ass for me if you want; she certainly could use the practice."

I tightened my eyes and glared at him playfully as I tightened my grip on my blades. "We'll see who needs practice after I beat you."

Simultaneously, we bowed to one another slightly, our eyes keeping perfect contact.

With two fingers, I signaled to my falcon. He swooped in, his cold talons raking over my opponent's eyes as I drove my blades into his right arm. As his arm began to stiffen up, he raised a hand to his mouth biting something off. His heavy axe came down, clipping first my torso then my forehead. Blood began to trickle down past my eyes as my skin felt like it was on fire, and I reached for some ginseng with some difficulty moving my arms.

With lightning speed, I lunged towards his torso, my rapiers flashing with speed as I cut him. Before he even had a chance to respond, I sliced him again. I smiled as my falcon knocked him off balance as he was trying to figure out what was wrong. Eihwaz works better than I imagined, I thought to myself, as I cut deep into his chest. Over and over again, I drove my blades into his body.

It seemed like he was just trying to stay alive, shoving plants into his mouth with impressive speed, taking sips from his vial. Now let's see how you like this, I thought. I paused for a moment to envenom my rapiers with delphinium. Looking him over, I slashed into his chest in an X, my right sword then my left. He fell to the ground asleep. I smiled faintly as I drove my rapier into his body, impaling him into the ground.

"Say goodnight," I said quietly, glad to be ending this so quickly and yet a bit disappointed.

He looked up at me and from out of nowhere swung his axe around, clipping my arm, forcing me to drop it. I reached for a bloodroot as I saw him stand, and I look at him with shock as he seemed to be fine, his wounds mystically healed away. "Is that all you've got?"

Breathing heavily, I looked over at him. His cold eyes reflected back at me as his lips barely revealed a breath out of place. Never breaking eye contact, I dropped both my rapiers, clattering in unison on the stone beneath us. Crossing my right arm over, I simultaneously unsheathed both my broadswords at once, their high polish glinting in the light.

"Good choice," he uttered, crossing one foot in front of the other as he slowly began to circle the room.

"Force abuse?" came the soft female voice from the sidelines.

"Hardly." His attention was on my falcon, which flew straight towards him again. I quietly groaned as my loyal companion chased the bauble my opponent tossed over to the side.

"Let's see how you handle this." I quickly kneeled down, sketching a volcano on the ground. He peered around and slowly stepped back as a volcano burst forth from the ground. While he was distracted I made my decision. The distinct glow of dark blue ink soon shone on each blade just above the markings of their makers: in my right hand a blade borne of my husband's sweat, and the left of my own efforts. I admired them briefly, then turned my attention back to my opponent.

He dove at me, but I deflected his blows off to the side. Taking advantage of our positions, I attempted to swing my broadswords back at him before he regained his balance. He managed to swerve away from my right hand, but a bolt of lightning struck him from my left, blood splattering from his right arm. He cried out in pain.

"You need to parry more," came an insultingly amused female voice from the sidelines.

"Thanks," I said, keeping my eyes on him, not realizing who she was talking to.

"I didn't mean you," she said softly, and I immediately got her point. He was leaving his arms wide open for an attack.

Hoping he hadn't heard, I stepped forward, aiming my blades at his left arm. He pushed them aside with his axe, then drove them into what felt like my heart. I sputtered as I suddenly felt weak all over.

Desperately, I felt around with my fingertips for some kelp. He strode slowly towards me and stared straight at me, his dark eyes peering into my own and suddenly flashing brightly, just before his heavy axe clipped me again. I raised my hands to my ears in pain. Demonic screams filled my ears as I saw horrible visions dance around me. I fumbled clumsily with my items; my pipes and kelp all cluttered together, I managed to shove the plant into my mouth.

The room was spinning as I felt the searing pain of his axes again, this time nearly tearing my left arm off. I cried out as I tried to move, but it was almost no use. I fell to the ground, my body aching all over.

He stood over me. As I was looking down, jamming my pipe into my mouth, I saw the shadow of his blade whirling above my head, casting across a pool of my own blood forming in front of me. I grunted in exhaustion as his blade fell, striking the ground next to me as it fell from his hands.

I heard some soft footfalls coming towards me. A hand was placed on either of my shoulders, one much larger than the other. I felt a warming sensation radiate from their touch, spreading throughout my body. As I struggled to stand, I could feel myself surrounded, then the sensation passed. I reached my full height, replenished, the voices of demons cleansed from my mind. I felt as if I had been reborn.

I slowly raised my head and faced him, his student standing next to him, trying to hide her everpresent smile.

He paused a moment, staring at me. "Well?"

"Your axes hurt a ton," I said with remorse, spreading mending salve all over my broken left arm.

"Your Algiz should have protected you from that fine," he scoffed, looking me over. "And an Earthshield, I noticed." An innocent whistle came from the girl's crimson lips as she looked away.

"Hellsight was a bit much, I felt." My arm started feeling right again. I wiped off my broadswords before sheathing them, then went to pick my rapiers up.

"Oh yeah, and that lightning stuff was totally fair, right?"

"Hey, if you don't like it: next time don't marry a Runewarden."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said, humorously. Seeing my reaction, a smile crept onto his face.

"We've stood together. I've defeated dozens of enemies standing together, the three of us."

"Aye."

"Never seem to have any trouble killing Mhaldorians. But, you..."

"...Bathe more often than they do?" he offered. "Look, you're much better than you were a few months ago. And you're good enough to beat just about anyone. Be grateful there's someone who's a tiny bit better than you are today, so you can learn and be stronger tomorrow."

"You're not *that* good." He raised an eyebrow at me. "Maybe a tiny, tiny bit."

"You *both* need to learn how to parry better!" the Priestess cheerfully suggested. We both looked over to her in surprise, then back towards each other.

"Rematch tomorrow?"

"Sure," he grinned. "But let's go to Sahart's for lunch; all this fighting has worked up an appetite."

"Yay!" was the response from his young protege. She linked her arms together with ours as we walked off, the setting sun at our backs.