What Goes Bump In The Night

VII: Ice Witch

Bobbing and weaving again and again, I engage in a twisted tango of dodging the relentless advances from my opponent. She thrusts her thin blade toward my head repeatedly, trying to make at least one slice. Each attempt, I thwart by either tilting my head or slicing upward to parry the blade. Despite my constant evasions, Sorina's sword is faster than I ever expected it to be. There's no time to counter-attack, I can only play defensively. Over time Sorina's onslaught pushes me back toward the edge of the mat. While it was never declared, it's sort of a silent agreement that stepping out counts as a win for the opponent. Her attacks are all pre-choreographed: practiced and perfected. It's smart and allows her to chain attacks together, but that also means you can learn and eventually predict them. Amid my thoughts, I spaced out and one of Sorina's jabs scrapes the edge of my cheek, leaving an extremely shallow cut. After, we both halt for a moment, staring at one another. Even though my chest is heaving, she seems cool as ice.

"You're a bit faster than I thought."

I admit through labored gasps.

"And you can defend fairly well, considering that magic is your forte."

"I don't need your acclamation."

"Neither do I."

As if that was the marker telling us to reinitiate, we collide once more, blades locking this time. Our grudge match of strength goes in my opponent's favor. We're pretty similar in might, but her being taller might've given her the edge in total pushing power. So as a result, I'm sent backward, struggling to gain my footing as more thrusts come at me. Realizing it's an uphill battle that I won't win anytime soon, I make a desperate move. A quick parry upward gives me but a second to act. My free hand grasps the key ring of spells and holds them up. The threat of casting a point-blank spell causes Sorina to hold her sword defensively, expecting an attack. Keeping my promise, I lower the key ring and fly forward with my blade instead. The feign worked like a charm, forcing her to switch to a reactive state rather than an aggressive one. It's there that I finally feel like I'm giving her a good fight. Relentless strikes in wild and unpredictable sequences fly at her. None of my attacks could ever dream of matching her speed, but in their pure randomness, they become difficult to defend.

"Where'd this come from?"

She huffs while ducking under a horizontal swipe.

"I have a few tricks-"

Before I can finish, Sorina locks blades with me and presses close so we're barely centimeters apart. It takes all of my concentration to focus on keeping my blade sturdy.

"Alisia, you're a bit more formidable than I had once thought you to be."

"Your pity is lost on me."

Like a viper striking its prey, I deliver a sudden and unexpected kick right onto the top of her foot. She steps back, hopping on one leg and lowering her sword. I make a lunge step and swing my sword in a wide arc, purposely cutting just short so all I do is leave a surface-level slice on the bridge of her nose. Then, we stand apart, unmoving. There's a peculiar look in her frigid gaze, one that finally ceases its condescending superiority. She could tell my gritted visage had softened slightly as well. Rarely do I allow myself to do anything but scowl at people, but this battle has earned her the right to see a genuine nod of respect. Unexpectedly, her blue-coated lips twist into a satisfied smirk. In unison, we sheathe our blades and step closer.

"I suppose a Despot deserves our attention as much as a Nest Queen. When do we depart?"

"After you wash that wretched body odor away."

Sorina chuckles, albeit fairly flatly. One of her long arms lifts toward me, and gently, her hand caresses my cheek. When her fingers pull away, I see a smear of crimson. It's blood from the cut on my cheek.