Starborn

Chapter 12

As I walk to the center of Kodalia, I notice that the lights have all been dimmed, and the noises have all dwindled. Everybody must be sleeping. This may be what Kiara intended so that we may settle our squabble alone. The only light in this cave comes from the massive fire pit still brimming with flame. Kiara is staring at me as if I was the Blightlord himself. I notice Kenric marching around with a burlap sack- he is creating a ring around me and Kiara with ashes to provide a boundary. Then Kenric steps forward and tosses a handful of the ashes.

I see. They've recreated a proper duel often performed for sport instead of glory. Soldiers normally sparred between themselves in this same ring- warriors tested their skills in front of a large crowd in the arenas. Asreal held their duels and tournaments in the royal training grounds, surrounded by their peers and even the Flamekeeper himself- I joined my Father to attend several of these matches. The winner shall be whoever renders their opponent too weak to continue or whoever shall push the other out of the ring three times. I've never found the necessity of the ring and that confounded rule, but it was a time-honored tradition.

Kiara slowly unsheathes her sword, and its slicing sound nearly gives me goosebumps. As we stare at each other for a short while, the coldness of the cave gives me a slight shiver.

"Did you get the sword I requested, Kenric?" Kiara asks.

"Got it right here," Kenric says while stepping forward.

He then unsheathes a blade from the sheath on his hip. He carefully tosses it towards my open palm, and I catch it. It feels heavier than I expected. It looks newly made, but it has a simple structure.

"Now then, boy," Kiara says. "Show me what makes you a Netherbane."

Kiara raises her sword, the flat part of the blade facing me. I waste no time and press my sword against hers, mine facing upward to intercross our edges. This was how an organized duel between knights typically began in ancient times; pressing the blades together shows respect and trust that this battle will be won by whoever displays the better skill- like a handshake between wrestlers.

When we break our stances, Kiara and I circle each other slowly. I examine her stance and try to quickly look for a vital spot to strike without causing her lethal damage. She is trying to do the same from how she looks at me. But we both have the same stance- the sword facing away from our bodies with the right hand, our left hand in front of us for a defensive maneuver.

"Don't hurt her!"

I'm caught off guard by a familiar voice that rings in my ears, and I look over to Ameline, who cowers behind Duncan's leg. They're all here, gathering around us behind the boundary line. Duncan and Charlotte hold Ameline back, whose face is coated in blue face paint, probably from a game she was playing. Alistar and Roland are nearby, too, observing quietly.

Soon, Kiara points her sword at me, catching my attention.

"You took your eyes off me. I could've slit your throat."

"What's going on?" Duncan says.

"Leave 'em be," Kenric tells the others. "Everything will be okay."

Kiara stands still, probably because she's waiting for me to strike first- I'm waiting for the same from her. Soon enough, however, she sweeps her leg at my feet and nearly trips me, forcing me to step back. She leaps forward, her sword ready to slash at me. I parry her, watching sparks fly off the clashing steel. She's quick to toss attacks at me from all sides, keeping me on my toes. Her strikes have force behind them, but I feel restraint to keep her attacks light and focused so that she may save her stamina for a finishing blow. A practice that only a true master of combat utilizes.