Holy Gladiator

Chapter 10; Last Hope

"May we converse?" the Duke's maid inquires as we approach the door guarding his chamber.

Guarding the chamber stands Lucious adjacent to the maid, smirking with a tulwar in hand, up resting on his shoulder, along with a bastard blade, resting with its tip on the ground. Both hilts are decorated, their hilts appear comfortable with the centre wrapped in gold. I pause as I scan the weapons, clenching my fist. I stop, accepting the maid's request.

"Thank you, madam Luca, I was instructed to--"

"It was a pleasure you know," Lucious begins, cutting off the maid, striding forward, swinging the tulwar from his shoulder, flicking his wrist to have it form a circle before resting it back on his shoulder. "watching this finally get some use, slicing open a neck... spilling blood everywhere! It was... marvellous." His heartless smirk somehow widens, "want to hold it again?"

He goes to lift the sword off his shoulder. I bring up my own, though the maid stands in between.

"Lucious, tame yourself. Your uncle wishes to talk not fight." She turns to me, arms extended. She bows. Her face withholds its cool gaze as she rises to meet my eyes. "The Duke has requested me to tell you of who you'd be fighting, then to meet with him yourself if you are comfortable enough to do so," she pauses, taking a deep breath. "My name is Orah, it is a pleasure to speak with you, Luca. I am Duke Vandall's personal maid and bodyguard, he asked me to leave him be for the time being." She draws a Kunai with a pale blade, outlined with a vibrant red. "Heartseeker, enchanted by the Duke himself, he's strong, he enchanted this with his own power, magic, rare. Know that fighting him will be an uphill battle. I myself have been trained to handle anything that would harm milord."

"And my retainers!" Lucious puts forth proudly, making a cocky stride forward. Matilda reaches for her dagger in a twitch, though retracts her hand. "Each chosen because they were best of the best in my villages! They will fight to the bitter end! And all of them better trained than you." He scoffs, confidently staying in place. My eyes scan the four behind him, recognizing the fighters. Each looks unconfident, though the tension flows toward Lucious. "Each one of them could kill you ten times over!" They remain silent, eyes roll as Orah gives him a shunned look that reads shut up. She hastily returns to a cool expression.

"Do not mind lord Lucious," his head snaps to her with a look of shock, "we wish to speak, and make you knowledgable of the danger you'd experience if deciding to choose combat. Amongst our ranks is Avery, a jouster of local fame within her town of Haydale, she's also a great footman, wielding her spear with great accuracy." Avery flinches at her name being mentioned, though she gives a confident smile of determination, along with a little wave.

She continues, "we also have Mattick, he's muscular and a great shot, so I'd advise you didn't get too close." Mattick just watches, his bow in hand, small compared to the rest of him. "Then there's Carver, he's an executioner assigned to this role, trained in the arts of the halberd." Carver leans on his weapon as it stands in his hand. "And finally, we have Hendricks, he's skilled with a shield--"

"And not much else..." Hendricks vocalizes aloud, gazing down at his feet. His cheeks turn red as he realizes he said that. Carver pats him on the shoulder, pulling him into a bear hug.

"So, Luca," Orah continues, "are you comfortable with meeting the Duke?"

"Not alone, may I take along one of my companions?" I inquire, this could be a trap.

"I do not see what could be the problem with that, you may. Who would you like to accompany you?"

"Francis?" I question, gazing back at him. He gives a curt nod, using his spear as a walking stick as he flanks me. "Be good everyone, and be careful." We enter through the doors, meeting Vandall as he rests upon his seat, spear resting at the head of it while he rests, his body slanted. The spear itself is double-ended, both ends having three blades emerging off a solid line at the end. The centre is larger than the adjacent blades.