Watty's Shortlist 2023
"I have been waiting a long time to meet you."
________________
When two warring kingdoms hear of a magical object that will end the conflict once and for all, two rival heirs embark on a quest to retrieve it and bring their...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The distinct cold sharp point of a sword pressed against her chest, directly over her heart. Aila's eyes flew open on instinct as she awoke from her sleep, immediately registering that she wasn't inside her tent. She didn't make any sudden movements, aware that any could kill her.
Her eyes met familiar blue ones as she registered Kaiden standing beside her, his swordpoint currently a millimetre above her chest.
She released a breath as he grinned and withdrew the sword.
"I believe you owe me a rematch, milady."
"That's not an appropriate way to wake someone up, milord." Aila glared at him, mocking him with the nickname. She turned her gaze to a bored-looking Castor, who was leaning against the trunk of a tree and watching the exchange. "You let him turn his sword on me?"
Castor shrugged. "He promised he wouldn't kill you. It was good enough for me."
Aila rolled her eyes.
Before either of the two men could blink, she was on her feet with her own sword in her left hand.
"The last match was weaponless," she breathed.
"We've surely improved enough since then to handle a blade, no?" Kaiden raised an eyebrow.
"Suit yourself," Aila shrugged, as she adopted a combat stance and poised her steel, ready to strike.
Kaiden appeared to be waiting for her first move, as if she were still employing the same tactic she used to use all those years ago. Aila smirked internally and held her stance, waiting for his attack.
When he eventually thrusted his blade forward, Aila parried and countered. Kaiden's face was a mask of concentration as he met her sword, strike for strike.
The constant clash of contact was a soundtrack to the battle they waged, each striking, parrying, finding another opening and repeating the process.
Aila's left arm grew heavy with the strain, but she pushed through the pain, imagining her instructor back home shouting at her to continue.
Changing tactics, she began to circle around Kaiden, still maintaining their exchange of blows. Kaiden, less agile and graceful on his feet, found it harder to move that way. She managed to hit him in his torso, having enough control to allow the sword to only rip his shirt, and not draw blood.
Kaiden glanced down at his ripped shirt, making the mistake of losing Aila's eye contact. She drew her sword up, shredding his shirt to pieces and revealing smooth bronze skin and a toned set of abdominal muscles.
Her opponent quickly recovered and thrust his sword out again, whirling on his feet and advancing at such a speed that Aila was unable to maintain the circular movement and instead retreated backwards, unable to find an opening.
Her heart pounded as she ceded the ground to him. Her breath became uneven as Kaiden's blade met hers, but he applied more pressure, forcing it flat. He then knocked the edge of his against hers, and Aila lost her grip, dropping the weapon. She cursed, regretting the fact that her dominant arm was out of action.
