Deep in the Void

Chapter 12: Sparring

Ceris

For the first time since her execution, Ceris had a reasonably stable day. She had a fairly undisturbed sleep, read a little and occasionally went up on deck.
Sometimes she would be alone, but more often than not Arabella was waiting for her.
Ceris shuddered. As always, the pirate had acted in a way she refused to believe was flirtation.

She tried to read a few more pages, but found she was unable to stay still any longer. She had been fidgeting all afternoon, but was finally unable to contain it any longer.
She teleported up to the deck, finding that the exertion no longer drained her.
J

ust...look at the sky, or the water or... something!
Ceris had never had any surplus energy, all her waking hours having been devoted to the running of the kingdom, and was not enjoying the experience.
She sat on the railing for a moment, staring around for something to preoccupy her that didn't involve lamenting her failings, before getting up and pacing a furious circle round the deck.
She did this for a minute before a voice said
'You're going to tread a hole in the deck at that rate.'
Ceris turned, and was unsurprised to see Arabella leaning against the back wall.
What did surprise her was that she hadn't heard her teleport.
Idiot! Are you so detached you can't hear that?
'So,' Arabella gave her a smile. 'Bored, I presume?'
Ceris glared at her. It had only been a couple of hours since their last interaction, and she was not in the mood for putting up with the pirate's teasing manner.
'If you were hoping I would give you company, Arabella, think again.'
Arabella pouted.
'Well, someone's in a bad mood. Been thinking about your kingdom again?'
Ceris didn't think this question warranted an answer. How could she think of anything else?
Arabella waited, but when no answer was forthcoming, sighed, and spoke again.
'Look, Ceris, I know you want to get back to your kingdom, but for now you're stuck here, and there's no point just wasting away in your own mind the entire time. Is there nothing I could do to occupy you?'
Ceris opened her mouth, on the verge of declining, when something occured to her.
'Would you be willing to spar with me?'

Arabella raised her eyebrows.
'You're sure you're strong enough?'
Ceris answered immediately. She'd been asking herself the same thing.
'I don't know, but if I pass out, at least I won't have to think anymore.'
Already her legs and arms were tensing in anticipation of a duel.
Arabella gave a wicked grin.
'That's the spirit!'
She lunged without warning, her cutlass moving from her hip to her left hand in an instant. Ceris stepped backwards and, summoning her right armblade, parried and thrust forward, forcing Arabella back. Unfazed, the captain spun away gracefully, delivering another strike at Ceris's left arm, something she barely parried in time.

Arabella teleported backwards, lengthening the distance between them to a metre. Her right fingers curled, beckoning Ceris forward mockingly.
Adrenaline rushed through the queen's veins. The sweet simplistic satisfaction of combat!
Summoning her left armblade as well, she attacked full force, ducking under Arabella's first strike and sweeping her legs out from under her. The pirate righted herself with a teleport, only to be forced backwards by Ceris's downward sweep. Her smile faded as she parried a thrust, confidence replaced with the focus of practiced combat, and, raising her cutlass, lunged.

Arabella

They sparred for the next half-hour or so, growing increasingly scratched and sweaty, but neither of them giving in. Ceris was incredibly good, and Arabella didn't doubt that had the former End Queen not been recovering, she would have been overwhelmed.
Finally, Ceris came to a shaky stop and raised her hand, a clear signal for reprieve. During the fight, Arabella had cut a shallow wound into her arm, and though she hadn't seemed even remotely fazed, Arabella suspected she would need healing.
'You ok?' she asked, trying not to sound overly concerned.
Ceris nodded.
'I'm fine, but...I think that's enough.'
Arabella inclined her head, smiling. She had received a few wounds, but they had healed within a couple of minutes, a virtue of her magical capabilities.
She walked over and reached for Ceris's wounded arm.
'Here, I can help with that.'
Ceris tried to pull away, but Arabella caught hold of her and pulled her closer.
'Don't be like that. You can't go to bed with your arm sliced open.'
Ceris looked resentful, but didn't resist as Arabella's hand hovered above the cut, the tips of her fingers glowing emerald green before she ran them over the wound, caressing it as the skin knitted together over flesh that had sealed into a flat surface once more.
Ceris gave a soft sigh, her eyes dimming as she slumped into Arabella's arms.
Chuckling a little, she lifted the other Enderkin in her arms, giving her an affectionate kiss on the cheek before preparing to teleport them both downstairs.