Until the Last

Sonia returned to the wall as the gunpowder ignited, instantly being pushed off her feet and against the half wall behind her, Simon flung to lie by Gideon's feet beside her.

Her head was spinning, the world wobbling dizzily around her. Her ears rang deafeningly, drowning out all other sound. She tried standing up but found herself falling backwards, landing once again against the wall. She coughed as she attempted to reorient herself, eyes lazily passing over the black robed man standing to her side before snapping back to place. Her adrenaline spiking, she scrambled to a stand, drawing her recently sheathed sword.

The others around her had already noticed and were standing back from the man while similarly posed, weapons at the ready. Sonia quickly grabbed Simon with one hand and pulled him behind her.

The man was herculean, towering above the soldiers surrounding him whilst almost twice as wide. Despite his imposing figure he was unarmed and payed them no heed. Instead he stared at the rising smoke before him quietly, one hand tightly gripping the stone wall until it had begun to crack.

Nobody dared approach, not even Sonia. She knew who this man was. He was one of the two Varokian Archbishops, the one Thea had called Aktosh.

The man did not turn as he spoke. His voice was deep, but well articulated and clear.

"I did not realise we had come today to a slaughter." His grip tightened, tearing stone off of the wall. He stared briefly at his occupied hand before sending it flying off the wall. "Nearly every man on that field is dead. Nearly two thousand of my men are dead. Men that I led to their deaths."

"My wife lays down there among them. I will not fool myself into believing she still lives. She died proudly with her men. I will not besmirch the honour of her passing by lying to myself."

"Perhaps I should be angry. In fact I am certain I am, I know that rage is roiling deep within my breast. I do not feel it, however. I have never felt so calm in my life. Perhaps it is the certainty of death come to claim me?"

He turned to face Sonia, revealing tears in his eyes.

"I know who you are girl. You are the one that killed them. Despite that, I do not hate you. You did what you must. Your men live because of you. The ones who don't died proudly. I could see in their eyes that they respected you, even as I killed them."

"Nonetheless, understand that is my duty to kill you."

Aktosh removed his robes, revealing a deeply muscular body beneath, toned from decades of war and magical enhancement. He descended slowly into a battle stance.

"I am unarmed but still pose a threat girl. Accept my duel and I will harm no one else. Either you shall kill me, or they shall strike me down after my victory. I believe this is a fair offer."

The men around her backed away, understanding the threat in his words. Gideon did not move as he locked eyes with Sonia, lightly shaking his head. 

She understood that the mans words were an illusion. With no weapon, even a Varokian Archbishop would easily be overwhelmed by their numbers. he would likely be unable to strike even once before his demise. There was little wisdom in accepting his challenge. Sonia suspected he knew that as well.

Sonia stepped forward to face him. She was unsure whether it was her guilt or her honour that guided her now, perhaps a mixture of both. Nonetheless, she felt she owed this man a chance to avenge those he held dear. She had no intention of dying, however. Today, she had no reason to hold back. She would bring her all to bear.

She stopped ten steps before Aktosh, not dropping into a battle stance but standing tall.

"Know that I, Aktosh, am your opponent, and I will fight unto the last." He spoke lowly. There was a weight to his words that fully intended for them to be his last.

Sonia let him move first. He propelled himself forward, cracking the ground as he launched. He closed the distance in an instant, striking with a single fist at her unarmoured face. His fist was not fast enough. A small portal opened between the two, his fist sucked in before striking himself hard in the stomach. Aktosh barely grunted as he swung again. This time he arced the blow toward her head, striking like a viper, yet his blow seemed to slow as it approached. Sonia sidestepped easily, letting the blow flow effortlessly through the air as it regained speed.

Aktosh was not deterred, he propped himself on a single foot and pretended to strike with the other. He attempted to feint, instead sending himself flying forward with his other foot to grapple her. He found no purchase, flying past where she had stood into open air.

Deciding that a direct approach would not work, he ripped chunks of rock off the wall, crushing it to powder in his hands. He approached fast with closed fists before jumping back and releasing the dust into the air in an attempt to temporarily blind Sonia. His distraction complete, he circled to her side, sending a kick flying from behind her. She stopped his kick with her blade, the two grinding on one another as they separated. The archbishops skin was hard as stone, his specialty in defensive fortification. It would require more than a longsword to pierce it.

Realising its futility, Sonia sheathed her weapon and created some space between them. Aktosh did not close the gap, sizing her up even as she did the same to him. Satisfied, she lowered herself into a defensive stance, the air around her hands warped and a Varokian warhammer manifested there.

Aktosh knew he would have to be careful around that hammer, he knew its strength was enough to destroy him. He was yet unsure how she would hoist it, but knew not to underestimate an Archbishop. 

He rushed toward her faster than he ever had before, a fist flew out, attempting to pierce her guard before she could even respond. Steps away, he jumped backwards out of her range, baiting the hammer blow and intending to strike again when she was exposed. Yet the blow never came. Sonia hadn't moved, the hammer too heavy for her to lift. Aktosh realised his mistake as the portal he had unknowingly jumped backwards through shut tight and severed him in half.

Sonia's expression had never changed once during the fight. She pitied him till the end.