Court of Snakes: This Desert Cage

Chrysalis - The Palace | August of the Third Year

The King's card evaporated, his swords exploding into a burst of light and Talbot kicked him roughly in the stomach. In mere moments, Talbot knocked him to his knees and put the tip of his blade to The King's chest. The soldier that Terran faced raised his blade to kill him when Talbot held up his hand to signal his guard to stop. "Wait! Don't kill anyone! Not just yet."

The soldier sighed in disappointment.

"You," Talbot spat at The King with such rage that Terran was sure he'd bore a hole right through The King's armor. "Lexus. I should have known you'd be back."

"You couldn't have killed me that easily, Talbot, and you should've guessed that I would have found some hole to crawl into," The King replied, playfulness on his tongue.

"You ruined my life," Talbot scowled. "I was trying to make a better Embassy, but you were always in the way!"

"Because what you're doing isn't right! You're choking people like a snake!"

"So what? So what if I am? I lived in the gutter my whole life. I only got pulled out by chance."

"And you killed the woman who did it."

"Why?" Parisa demanded, tears in her eyes.

"Stuff it," Talbot replied. He looked as though she had just asked him about the weather. "I knew the moment that you were born that you'd be just as much of a problem as she was."

Terran looked to Parisa, who swallowed her tears and her disgust, her face pressed into the floor.

"I want to watch you squirm, Lexus." Talbot sliced The King's armor off by the straps, piece by piece. "Squirm like I squirmed my whole life. No armor. No magick tricks."

Talbot searched The King's coats until he found the hidden pocket, and he pulled the cards out, accidentally dropping them on the floor. He stooped, the tip of his sword still dangerously close to The King's heart, and picked up the cards. His eyes tore over the paper, curious, confused, but Talbot remained totally unaffected. He could not use them.

"This is all?" Talbot demanded. "This is what you've used to beat me back all of these years?" He set the cards down onto the ground and smiled at The King. "What are you without your cards?"

"No!" Widow Corine cried. "You know not what you do, destroying an ancient magick like that! The gods will come down on you, Talbot, and you will upset the balance of life and d—"

The Elite that guarded her pulled his trigger and a bullet went through her, ending Widow Corine faster than her heart could have beat. She slumped to the floor in a heap of red and lay still there.

"Widow," one of her servants whispered. "By the Goddess, go in peace and find Truth."

Talbot rolled his eyes and muttered, "Seems even gods can't protect you fools."

Talbot's sword shot down into the cards. A flash of light flooded the room but soon a blue substance the consistency of blood oozed out of the cards, turning orange as it seeped across the floor, melting into the cracks of the marble. Talbot ripped the sword from the deck and wiped the orange liquid off with The King's tunic, staining the fabric. The King smiled with a pang of sadness etched into the corners of his mouth and a tear twinkling in his eye as he raised his sword. "All right, Talbot. No more magick. Let's fight, man on man."

"It'll be my pleasure."

The King's silver, shining sword almost sparked as it clashed with Talbot's. They fought for what seemed like hours and Terran realized how good of a swordsman Talbot truly was. He must have trained for this day. As the battle drew on, The King began to gain the upper hand as Talbot tired. The two of them danced, like a snake and a hawk, across the floor, evenly matched. Terran's breath hitched, and his heart pounded. Lexus would win.