All Of Us - Part 1: Summer

Chapter 35 - Duel

Trigger warning: violence

- Evangeline -

"Wake up. Wake up, I said."

Something lands on my stomach and I sit upright with a grunt, startled and awake.

"What-"

"Get up."

I strain my eyes, but my lights in my room are completely extinguished. "Who are you ?"

There is a silence and then: "Come outside in the hallway, and yah'll see. "

I tsk softly under my voice. This sounds like a trap if I have ever heard one. "Come," the voice repeats, more insistent. I hesitate, shifting in my bed, and my wrist knocks against something hard. The object dropped upon me. With the pad of my fingers, I brush against it, trying to determine its shape and nature. A... A sword ?

"Why did you give me this ?" I try to suppress the anxiousness in my voice. The voice doesn't answer my question. "Hallway," they only retort.

Annoyance flares within me, and I toss my covers aside. Grabbing the sword's hilt, I stomp to the door and throw it open. I know the person is right behind me, so I spin and grab them by the collar before dragging them into the light. As they stumble forward, the torchlight flickers across their face, highlighting their features.

"Ian," I growl. "Let me sleep."

He straightens up and glowers at me. "The Devil ain't need sleep, so neither do yah." I have to laugh. "You really woke me up in the wee hours in the morning to tell me this ?" His eyes glower and he opens his mouth as if to say something. But he decides against it, only turning on his heels and ordering: "Follow me."

I don't budge. "Give me one good reason as to why I should do that."

He turns, very slowly, back to me. Plunging his moss-green gaze into mine, he quips: "If yah do this and succeed, I promise - over my grave - yah'll be rid of me forever."

I follow him.

Ian leads me down the corridor and into the main hall. We haven't met a single soul. All is silent. Just how early is it ? I can't ask him, though; he would simply ignore it like all the other questions I have tried to ask him on the way here. He has changed from when he was guarding me, back when I was a prisoner. When he speaks up, he chooses his words carefully. All of his movements are precise and measured. I can tell that he has thought about doing this for a long time. Probably has been planning whatever vendetta this is for weeks. We make our way across the room to the cave's mouth. With a grunt, he opens the entrance, and we step outside.

The cool spring breeze ruffles my hair and pants, and I hug my chest. It's getting warmer, but nights are still chilly. The sky is pitch black. I can barely see the stars. Shivering, I pull my clothes tighter around me. When was the last time I went out at night ?

With a muffled thump, an object hits the ground at my feet. A glove. Ian's voice rings out in the spring silence. "Evangeline of Methron, I challenge yah tah a duel."

I stare at him, wide-eyed and mouth agape, but his face is absolutely serious. "Are you fucking kidding me ?" I snap. "You wake me up at Sheso-knows what hour to give me this bullshit ?"

He ignores my words. "I challenge you to a duel."

"And I am going back to bed," I shoot back, spinning on my heels.

"A duel till first death."

I halt in my tracks."Are you serious ?!" I whirl around. I'm beginning to get angry now. "You're acting like a Sheso-forsaken noble."