First Duel

My blood boiled with anger.

Without thinking, I ran toward the surprised woman in an attempt to suffocate her with my bare hands. Artanas tried to escape at first, but after a pause, she took out a wooden stick she was carrying on her back and pointed it at me.

Before she did anything, Madego interposed between us and drew her sword against Madego.

“Priest, you are under arrest for crimes against the Reconquest and the Court of Peace. You shall report to your Raid Leader and wait for judgment…”

Anger took control of me.

Ignoring Madego’s word, I jumped with all my might and reached Artanas’ neck. The treacherous woman, understanding that no rational words would save her, only managed to scream:

“Duel! Duel! Duel!”

Silence invaded Weapon Plaza.

Madego’s strong arm pulled me back with one tug. Her stern look changed to total anguish. I went too far, and now I was going to pay the price.

People around the Plaza began to gather where we were. Word began to spread, and a commotion quickly formed. The diverse group was composed of armed people, all excited with their swords, axes, spears, bows, and even more wooden scepters.

Magicians?

From within the crowd, the only unarmed man spoke as if representative of all of them.

“Lieutenant, please step aside. Not even you have power over the law. The Priest has requested a duel, and the girl has ill intent. More than two witnesses saw it, me among them.”

The man had a funny voice and, even weirder, colorful clothes. Madego gave him a murderous look, at which the man only innocently smiled.

My protector backed away with one hand on her sword and the other one dragging the desperate Kalandra.

“She’s a single-digit. This child does not even know the law of this. Let her take my dagger.”

“Why, of course, I’m a mere witness. Yet no sane person should wander without a proper understanding of the Law.” The man took a violin out of a case and yelled at the crowd. “Behold, Heroes, a duel has been requested! Take one, two, three steps back! And let Nalan bless this match!”

The man played the violin for the amusement of the mass of people, who screamed back with excitement. From one moment to another, I was inside a circle, with Artanes silently smiling in front of me. She was in control of the situation.

“There’s no time for explaining. Go for the kill, and pray.” Madego whispered to me from behind while placing a small blade in my right hand. It was heavy. I wasn’t brave enough to look back at her.

This is my mess.

Artanas was waiting for me. She clung to her wooden scepter with both hands, doing nothing.

Is she… scared of me?

The noise of the crowd gave me a headache. But Madego was right, so I gathered all my strength and lunged forward with Madego’s dagger. I focused on repeating my feat against the great serpent.

But Artanas diverted my blow with a smooth movement with her scepter.

I fell to the ground, powerless. Despite my frustration, I couldn’t even turn around. The dust in my mouth, people laughing at me, the loud music. I remained there humiliated for a few seconds.

Artanas took Madego’s dagger and whispered in my ear:

“You will not go that easily.”

Still motionless on the ground, I could only watch as he dipped the dagger into a liquid she had in a small bottle.

Poison.

With a look of pleasure on her face, Artanas slowly cut my shoulder, open to any attacks. Kalandra’s cries rose above the clamor of the crowd. I moaned in pain as I waited for the worst with my eyes closed.

And I waited.

One second.

Two seconds.

A long pause.

Nothing happened.

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes again was Artana’s perplexed face.

And the second thing was my fist in her stomach.

I wasn’t as strong as with the great serpent, but somehow I feel I have enough energy to stand and strike back. The woman’s face only irritated me more, so I only punched and punched until Artanas spat blood.

The crowd was ecstatic.

Madego looked at me with concern. A warning.

A Priest, huh?

In a moment of distraction, Artanas muttered something with the scepter raised at the height of her face. Light flowed from it, and all the brushes disappeared. Only tiny blood traces remained. But the woman definitely did something. She was healed.

Still with a headache, I jumped at her again, this time for good. Without any weapon to help me, I managed to grab Artana’s scepter, which the woman didn’t let go of. We fought to get a hold of it until I focused all my frustration on my hands.

“You…you are…you are not going that easily, bitch.” I gasped amid the cheers of the crowd.

Both our hands were busy. Yet I had one extra trick. And I bite the wooden stick with my remaining strength. Artanas looked at me in horror as her precious scepter splintered before her eyes.

No, my bite wasn’t big enough to break it. But strong enough to damage it.

With the element of surprise on my side, I finally took her weapon and broke it with a knee strike.

Artanas fell to the ground in shock.

Silence invaded the Plaza again.

Even I was surprised by her reaction.

The musician shouted to the whole crowd:

“Victory! For Fisantemo’s sake, we have a winner! The ragged girl won against the Priest, and by a tiny bite.”

A party started in the Plaza, where beer flowed and music played. Yet I only had one thing in mind. I recovered the dagger, and when I was ready to finish her, Madego stopped me with strong force.

“Not yet. Not here.”

The crowd was no longer paying attention to us, so Madego called four men wearing blue uniforms, and together they seized the stunned Artanas.

Kalandra took hold of my clothes with admiration.

I won. Goddammit, I won.

When I was finally coming to terms with the whole situation, a group of twenty-one horsemen entered the Plaza. The crowd started to disperse without a word, not even the musician bold enough to defy the new group.

A knight and his horse, both in full, shiny armor, stood in front of them.

“Lieutenant, that woman is coming with us.”

I was about to reply to the newcomer, but I didn’t have enough strength to speak. The scorching heat felt stronger than ever, leaving me with no option but to taste my mouth, dried from dehydration.

“The Priest here has committed the crime of kidnapping women from ours and theirs, sir. I have witnesses and…”

“This is not your call, lieutenant. We’ll take her to Dreadoxprime.”

Madego was once again up against the ropes. I only managed to give the red knight a hateful look, which he simply ignored.

They loaded the recently tied-up Artanas onto one of the horses and left as suddenly as they arrived.

“This is not your fault. You did well.” Madego tried to console me.

It’s never my fault. Yet somehow, I always end up like this.

My protector noticed my disheartened expression.

“Keep the dagger. It’s time you found out what you've gotten yourself into.”

Madego gave some commands to her blue-uniformed companions and led Kalandra and me to an unknown destination. My heart was beating fast, still in excitement from the duel victory, and anxiously awaiting what was to come.

The last thing I heard from Matilda’s Weapon Plaza was the sound of a violin, whose music seemed to mock someone.

You better not be mocking me.