Watty's Shortlist 2023
"I have been waiting a long time to meet you."
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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...
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Adrenaline pounded through Aila's body, coursing through her veins like a drug of which she couldn't get enough. She was shaking in her combat boots, the anxiety from having to engage in combat with a dragon hitting her hard.
There was a chill in the air, and the grass below her feet was damp with morning dew. Ember had flown them down to the field below, which was only now beginning to brighten as the sun started to rise.
"Relax," Ember smirked, stretching lazily. Aila regarded the sword he held in his hands, and fought the urge to run away. "Oh this is going to be so much fun."
She unsheathed her own blade and braced it in front of her warily. Her eyes widened in fear as Ember conjured flames that ran along his steel, before he too poised it ready to fight.
He thrusted forward without warning and Aila sidestepped quickly, parrying the blow. She suddenly registered a waterball being hurled her way, and directed it away from her with a burst of her air powers.
She gritted her teeth in concentration, matching each of Ember's strikes with one of her own. He pushed relentlessly, whirling his sword around her as if it were an extension of him: another arm, leg, or wing. In the meantime, he'd also conjure waterballs, earthballs and fireballs, sending them her way to pose a further challenge.
Sweat gathered on her brow, on her neck, under her arms. She panted as if there weren't enough air in the atmosphere, as if she were running a marathon, as if she were in a narrow, lightless cave.
It annoyed her that Ember wasn't anywhere near the same state. Sporting a smirk, he moved as if it were a dance, a rapid waltz.
As Aila blocked a series of blows, she suddenly conjured a fireball and hurled it the dragon's way. He blinked in surprise as he was pushed back a few hundred metres, which gave Aila some space and a few seconds to breathe.
She put up a shield of air around her, which shuddered against Ember's retaliation, as he again attacked with his own implacable powers.
When Aila couldn't hold the shield anymore, she dropped it and used the air to knock them out of her way instead. She realised that a waterball was approaching too late, and she spluttered as it collided with her, soaking her down to her boots. With a sharp tug of her power, Aila saw herself engulfed in flames, and released a breathy sigh as her clothes dried.
She hefted her sword higher and advanced, an intensity blazing in her eyes. An opportunity to hand the dragon's backside back to him.
Ember grinned and met her halfway, their swords clashing as they each sought to disarm the other.
For minutes, the pair simply moved their weapons in what looked like a rehearsed dance. Thrust, parry, riposte, block, advance, retreat, repeat.
When Ember again pulled the trick where he set his blade on fire, Aila jumped back in fear and dropped her sword. She groaned in frustration as the dragon took a satisfied step back, allowing her to pick it up again.
