Single Combat

“Please hold on, Your Majesty. I can’t possibly fight Lord Thundrakar. I would stand no chance. Even in Aelirynth, minstrels tell tales of his heroic feats.” Chika was floundering, trying to flatter Lord Thundrakar, but he was not an easy man to fool. Surely, there were no minstrels still spinning yarns about such an ancient soldier. “I heard that he beheaded a powerful wind mage. Beheaded, your majesty. I’m no good to you without my head!”

A wry smile made its way to Lord Thundrakar’s lips. “Aye, it was during the Lyndorian uprising. I was a much younger man in those days. He would summon gales that would send the enemy’s arrows sailing across the battlefield and blow our own off course. At least, that’s what he claimed. Personally, I think he just had a knack of reading which direction the wind would blow. You, on the other hand, Lady Yasutake Chika, punctured a vormarnok’s hide in the heat of battle.”

Perhaps Chika hadn’t been lying after all, but Lord Thundrakar’s response left her little room to maneuver.

“I have no intention of using that magic on you, Lord Thundrakar. It would kill even a man as mighty as yourself. I came to aid the emperor, not send one of his trusted advisors to an early grave.”

The emperor chuckled. “It wouldn’t be that early. No offense, Thundrakar, but at your age, I half expect you to pass at any moment. You need not worry, Yasutake Chika. There are plenty of talented generals waiting to take his place, and I’m sure that they would be grateful to you for clearing the seat.”

“So grateful that I’m sure they’d take steps to ensure I couldn’t do the same to them.”

“Oh, I didn’t think about that. I just wanted to see some battle magic.”

Chika let out a long sigh. “Lord Thundrakar, allow me to make a proposal. I will attack you with some of my most powerful, but non-lethal magic. If you can still fight afterwards, then I’ll admit defeat, and you can boast that you’re stronger than I. How does that sound?”

To his credit, Lord Thundrakar gave the matter proper consideration. “I would prefer a more traditional fight, but I suppose it would be rude of me to break the emperor’s new toy on her first day.”

Chika clapped her hands together. “Great. It will take me some time to prepare, so let’s schedule it for a time when it doesn’t interfere with any important meetings.”

“But…” The emperor looked like a child who had just had a toy taken away from him, but with a heavy sigh, he relented. “Fine, but let’s hurry this one up, shall we?”

⁂

On the very next afternoon, it seemed like everyone emptied out of the palace—from the emperor to the lowest servant—and found a spot in the arena. Even nobles from nearby estates showed up, some having traveled overnight to witness the spectacle. To my chagrin, as I found my own seat, I spotted my father in the audience, a dour look on his face. Though I suppose that, sitting next to the High Priest, he looked downright happy in comparison.

When Chika entered the arena, she momentarily froze in fear. Never, I suspect, did it cross her mind that she would draw such a crowd. But the capital was ancient, and its citizens had grown bored over countless generations. There was nothing they valued more than the new and unusual. Nobles stood on tip-toe, some climbing atop their servants’ shoulders to catch a better glimpse of her.

She carried with her what I assumed at first was a short staff made of metal, but she carried it like a club. On closer inspection, many pouches and flasks hung from her clothing, no doubt backup measures should Lord Thundrakar decide to break his word and attack her.

One could describe the reaction to Chika as one of hushed curiosity, but when Lord Thundrakar appeared, he was met with a respectful disinterest. The old general was a known factor, long past his glory days. He had earned the respect of all, but he was undeniably boring. A small cadre of soldiers cheered him on while the rest of the audience returned to their seats.

Raising a hand to silence the cheers, he bellowed a greeting to the audience. “The Witch of Aelirynth has shown great courage by accepting my challenge. Out of respect for that…” he went on to explain the rules that had been agreed during the meeting. “And now, Lady Yasutake Chika will tell us just what magic you can look forward to.”

“Um… I’m going to, uh, summon water sprites to attack Lord Thundrakar with their tiny spears. It will hurt, but I assure you, he will be in no real danger.”

Her declaration was met with boisterous laughter from Lord Thundrakar. “It will take more than tiny spears to stop me. Bring on your water sprites!” He had intended it as a boast to rile up the crowd, but Chika took it as a call to immediate action.

“OK!” With no more warning than that shout, Chika pointed her club towards him, and as if by magic, it shrunk in her hands. At the same time, a mist erupted from the tip, briefly engulfing his head before vanishing.

Howling in pain, Lord Thundrakar stumbled backwards, clutching his face. “Call them off! Make them stop!” As Chika moved forward to help him, he fell on his behind in an embarrassing display. That really set the crowd abuzz. Never before had Lord Thundrakar shown such panic. The Witch of Aelirynth must be fearsome indeed.

Unfortunately, that was the impression most took away from the duel, overlooking her compassion as she did her utmost to aid the flailing Lord Thundrakar.

⁂

“I could feel them, swarming my eyes, my throat, poking me with their spears. Thousands of them—millions, maybe! For sure, I thought I would spend the rest of my life as a blind mute, and that’s what truly scared me.”

After concluding their duel, Chika and Lord Thundrakar had been invited to sit with the emperor for the remainder of the day’s fights. With so many having flocked to the arena, more entertainment had hastily been thrown together. The emperor, and those around him, however were focusing their attention on Lord Thundrakar, more curious about the magic than the ongoing clash.

“I assure you, you were never in any danger. In truth, there are no water sprites. This is a potion called pepper spray which burns your eyes in the same way that pepper burns your tongue.”

“I see,” Lord Thundrakar murmured. “If I had known ahead of time, perhaps I could have braced myself and won our duel. Combined with its short range, I don’t see much military use for this pepper spray.”

“And it’s difficult to produce,” Chika agreed. “I typically use it as a last resort for self-defense.”

“Is there any left?” the emperor inquired. “I wish to experience it myself.”

Lord Thundrakar clapped him on the back. “A splendid idea, Your Highness! All soldiers should learn what it feels like. Who knows when an enemy might deploy it on the battlefield?”

Chika nervously looked to me for help. She was understandably hesitant to attack the emperor, but since he had requested it, and it was safe, I nodded reassuringly. Shrinking her club further, she shot a smaller puff of mist at the emperor’s face.

“Amazing! It really does feel like thousands of them are attacking all at once.” The emperor’s laughter drew the attention of all around him. “What a strange feeling!”

I could do nothing but shake my head. Only he would take joy in suffering from new kinds of pain. He truly loved novelty too much.

As I was lamenting his behavior, one of my servants tapped me on the shoulder.

“Your Lord Father wishes to speak with you, Lord Thelian. He seemed very angry. I don’t think he’ll take no for an answer.”