Blood (Epic of the Mediterranean) [Book 1]

Chapter 27

Things between them had gone silent. She still worked like she used to, but it wasn't the same anymore.

'It was all along the low born's fault. She doesn't deserve a human life anymore. And now, with her negative abilities, she has tempted the Lord into letting her live.' People had drawn a further distance from her, as if she held the touch of death itself.

Yakuba had visited the Lord for the first time since their interaction at his cabin. Asmaka wasn't expecting anything anymore. His aura had thickened, his demeanor rigid and immensely cold once again. People had started avoiding him, scared of what he might do if they as much as came in close proximity to him. And they were smart in doing so, for his behavioral state was hostile.

"I saw the stone of Anoshiruram!"

"Considering how long you took to respond, I should make it so that you never see anything again", Asmaka hadn't forgotten about the duty he had assigned him with.

"No, Lord, listen. Among all what you brought to me, there wasn't what you were looking for. But a few days back, I saw it. In the possession of a maiden. I don't know who she was, and I dared not to ask. For you see, she had a blade with which she was chopping heads which scared me. Anyhow, I found her blade, might help you recognize her", Yakuba raised a sword, a khanda.

What actually happened was, after him running into the two women, he was too terrified to leave. Nonetheless, he had to follow her, that way he might have procured the stone and settled things with the Lord. He ended up staying in the woods, and lost track of what all was going on in the kingdom. The next day when he had followed on their tracks, it seemed like a fight must have broken out. The only thing he was able to procure being the sword. He was already afraid of combat; he didn't even know how to yield a weapon. And in the battle field, all are savages. It is better not to mingle.

Asmaka held it up, unsheathing it. He knew who it belonged to. It had ancient, Kinkha seal engraved on the handle. "Very well. I think you will be off the hook this time."

***

Her body was rigid from anticipation. He had called her here after all this time. There was no guessing what it will advance into.

Asmaka turned around, holding her sword in his hands. Studying it intensely, "Yours, I guess? Disgusting, how you could just leave it behind. What is the name?"

"Amarezen."

He looked at her. Her personality had always been that of a ruler, not a warrior. The only difference when it comes to blades is, to a warrior, it is an extended arm. To a ruler, their sword is the crown on their head. It isn't loved for its sharpness. No. But the mark of duty it puts upon the owner. A sword could be the reason to a person's shame or his esteem, it all lays in the hand which yields it.

Amarezen was handed back to its owner. "I saw its capability I saw its valor. Now I want to see whether owner is deserving of it or not. Here, if you win, I'll hear whatever you have to say."

Naya pulled out her sword, it had been long since she had a straight combat as such. She gripped it tightly as Asmaka pulled out Mangla. The language of clashes to ascertain their fate. The chamber their battle ground.

Stances were set along with swords, eyes locked together after an ardent longing. Both insecure about what laid beyond the veils. They had never let go of the weapons since their first meeting, but this was the first time when they were freely holding them against each other. There could be two consequences to this faceoff. Either they would be finally able to drop these blades forever, or they would end inside each other's flesh.