Date point: 1y 5m 1w BV
Eallva
Looking back, Eallva realized she had difficulty remembering the past month. The days had blurred together into a dizzying montage of guard shifts, little sleep, long planning session with Fratep’s group, and even longer periods of having time on her own to wonder if she was doing the right thing. Granted those time usually coincided with her shifts, but she felt they deserved the recognition for the part they had played to bring her to her current state. On the outside she may have appeared the same – perhaps a little tired if one were to look closely. Personally, however, she felt decidedly frayed.
“Hathtep has assured me that he will arrange posting schedule so that only Custos’ friendly to our cause are stationed along this route,” Sentlos spoke. She had been correct upon first joining the group, he was the leader of this particular gathering. Fratep’s organization (even though she was now a part of it she still thought of it as Fratep’s) was split into small chapters, each chapter having a leader. These leaders then had their own meetings where they discussed the activity of their respective subordinates. Her planning sessions, now that they were actively being considered, were conducted as chapter leader gatherings. At her request, Fratep also attended.
“Uthmon reports that the Excellsum rarely leaves her chambers except for challenges and mandates,” this time Mila spoke, “He says there is no reason for her to be anywhere else during the sermon.”
Eallva almost found it amusing how the leaders all deferred to her in these plans. The collection of leaders had always operated as a council, yet during these proceedings they acted as though she had more experience than they. Unfortunately, she knew that was not the case, which begged the question as to why she had yet to disillusion them.
“Everything seems in order, then,” Eallva spoke, “I’ll relay the necessary information to my resource. Have your respective groups meet at the –” Sentlos cleared his throat loudly.
“Actually,” he said when Eallva looked questioningly at him, “Everything is not in order. You have informed us in great detail of how we are to secure the Excellsum, yet when pressed as to your plans for Selvim you merely tell us ‘it has been taken care of’. You have also placed great trust in your resource, yet have neglected to refer to them by any other term. If we are to place ourselves and our groups in danger, we require complete disclosure.”
Eallva looked about her, seeing agreement on every face. Fratep had a look that said ‘it’s only fair’. She breathed. Eallva had hoped this point could have been avoided, but upon reflection, she could see that it was best they be prepared for her ‘resources’ identity. Better that then have them attack Selvim on sight.
“Hear me out.”
Two hours later
“I still don’t like it.” Mila said for perhaps the seventeenth time. Eallva knew, she’d started counting after five. If she thought about it she guessed the number could be higher. There had been a lot of shouting at the beginning. Immediately after sharing the identity of her resource it’d taken all of her attention just to keep the council of leaders from leaving. After some quick talking on her part and a few fights – one physical – she’d managed to explain to an – albeit somewhat unwilling – audience the things Selvim had told her. None of them trusted him – Eallva understood that – but they were trusting her – miraculously – and most seemed, if not thrilled, then at least accepting of that arrangement.
“We understand that,” Sentlos said through teeth clenched in annoyance, “But will you still do as you are asked.”
Mila’s mouth drew a line of discontentment, but she finally hopped her agreement.
Sentlos turned to Eallva, “And he’s agreed to accept whatever judgement we pass upon him?”
“Yes,” she answered simply. She nearly said more along the lines of special considerations, but stopped herself. Instead she paused, considering why she had almost said anything of that nature. Shacking herself out of her stupor, she looked about questioningly, searching out naysayers. There were none.
“Excellent,” Eallva breathed a relived sigh, “Then if there are no more questions could we please end this. I have a shift in four hours.”
“Agreed,” Sentlos snapped. Without further ceremony the aging man left. Following his lead, the room quickly cleared, Eallva and Fratep among the first to exit. As they hopped Eallva could tell Fratep was going to say something. She let him take his time.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” He finally asked.
“Honestly? I didn’t know how I felt about it. I needed to figure that out before I told anyone else.”
“I could have helped you,” he replied quietly.
“Helped me what? Make up my own opinion for me?”
He didn’t answer.
Date point: 1y 5m 4d BV
Eallva
“You come in at this point. I have a tunnel that will bring us directly to the other side of that wall.”
“Wait,” Selvim, “This wall?” He patted the wall he was leaning against, “How’d you manage that?”
“I have a friend who likes to dig. We need a way to get through this wall. You said you had some method of cutting?” Selvim raised his one of his large knives. Eallva gave him a look. In response he smiled, and moments later the knife burst into light. She’d seen it do as much from afar, but it was painfully bright this close. Shielding her eyes she was still skeptical. “That can cut through marble?”
“Easily,” he replied with a smirk, “It’ll probably make a mess though, so I’ll leave it until I actually need to get you in. How will I know you’re there?”
Eallva thought a moment, “You should be able to hear the tapping if we bang on the stone with a rock or something hard.”
“Don’t see why not,” he shrugged, “But just in case,” the knife burst into light once again, and he stabbed it into the joint between two blocks. After a few underwhelming seconds of little effect, Selvim applied what appeared to be a considerable amount of pressure. With the added force the blade quickly created a line of missing rock, although not after several flares and flickers from the blade that brought what Eallva had learned to recognize as a worried expression to his features.
Not as easy as you thought, huh? She kept the thought to herself. The end result of Selvim’s efforts was a slit in the wall through to the other side. It wasn’t noticeable enough that she was overly worried, but neither was it as hidden as she’d like. It would have to do, though.
“Fine then,” she continued, “Once we’re inside, we’ve made pains to ensure that our route is only populated with supporters. When we reach this central chamber, you and the council will head towards the sanctuary where a sermon should be underway. There you should be able to address the majority of the populace and tell them everything. Meanwhile the remainder of us will head towards the Excellsum’s chambers where sources tell us she should be. We’ll apprehend her and from there, hopefully the Council will now have the power and support to decide what to do with her.”
Selvim held up his hand to stop her, “About my speech, I don’t think it’s in our best interests if I tell people the truth.”
Eallva found the anger that had been fading over the past month quickly returning, “You want to keep lying to them? That would make us no better than the Excellsum.”
“I only suggest it,” he continued doggedly, “because I could foresee there being riots if the truth were given to the general populous all in one massive dose. Our objective is peaceful takeover.”
She was still angry, but could see his point. “Continue,” she growled.
“What if, instead of telling them that most of what they believe in is a lie, I tell them that Vancil has forsaken the gods and chosen to disobey my wishes. I’ll tell them that the gods have decided that they have given up on my ever finding a single ‘great leader’ and so instead wish for me to appoint a council of citizens to rule over Sordit and its territories. From there I can explain how I have chosen those citizens from among them and they are the ones standing behind me. With that I can say that I am no longer needed and therefore have been called back to my place of honor at the right hand of whoever it is I’m supposed to be under.”
“And in the process you get away without consequence?”
“I said I’d take what I deserved and I meant it. You can decide what to do with me in private, but to the people I ascended into the clouds and am happily stuffing my face with ambrosia or whatever it is you think the gods eat.”
Eallva paused, mulling over his words. They sounded appealing, and she felt they had a better chance at resolving things peacefully than the original plan. As long as Selvim stuck to his word, she couldn’t see any problems with it. “Fine, do it your way, but if you try something –”
“Then you’ll have a small army standing backstage to make sure I don’t succeed.”
As long as he understood. Rolling up the map she’d brought with her detailing the route, she moved to leave the room. Selvim forestalled her with a noise.
“So the fusion blades aren’t enough proof for you, eh?”
It took her a moment to figure out what he was referring to, but when she did she only snorted, “Magic fire knives are a far cry from machines that can fly to the gods. I’d be offended if you thought I was that gullible.”
He gave a barking laugh as she exited.
Vancil
“And yet you don’t know what ‘route’ she was referring to?”
“I assume she had a map with her.” Sicari shrugged, “But it’s not like we can’t figure out the important parts. The only chamber that gives easy passage to both the sanctuary and your rooms is here,” he pointed to the blueprints spread over Vancil’s desk.
“Thank you,” Vancil said sardonically, “I hadn’t realized that before you so kindly pointed it out for me.” Ignoring Sicari’s glare, she took several minutes to think. “And she made no mention of their actual numbers?” she finally said.
“None.”
Well, things couldn’t be too easy for her now could they?
“Very well then, let us assume the worst, then. All of their supporters are concentrated along one path, correct? Do we know any of them?”
“A few,” the Captain answered, “The investigation you ordered has turned up a handful of probable suspects. I’d be willing to bet a good portion of my salary on three of them.”
“Then when the posting schedule their agent has fixed becomes available, use those three to guess the route. With all their supporters populated around that path, it should be possible to withdraw nearly every loyal guard from other parts of the temple without alerting them. Once the sermon starts, have our forces congregate at every exit point out of that chamber except the one our guests will be entering from. I assume you grasp the remainder of my plan?”
“Perfectly.”
“Before you place them, gather every guard you intend to use in the smaller sanctuary.”
“Because . . . ?”
“Many of these guards are not as – practical – as yourself. They will believe Selvim is a god, and therefore to be deferred to over me. I’d rather not have them confused as to where their allegiance lies during such a delicate affair. I’ll say a few words that will secure their loyalty. When you spring your trap, merely capture and contain. I want to talk to Selvim.”
Date point: 1y 5m 2d BV
Waiting sucks. I’m sure I’ve already talked about it, but it’s worth mentioning again. It’s that terrible feeling when you’re waiting for a knock at the door, or maybe a buzzer for some event, and you just sit/stand/lie there waiting. And honestly I wouldn’t mind it so much if it weren’t for the random anticipatory adrenaline rushes you get when thinking about what you’re going to do. On the day of the raid I tried everything. Sleeping, pacing, stretching, jumping on the bed (not as fun without springs), checking and rechecking my equipment, even thumb twiddling. The only thing that worked marginally better than my other attempts was playing that flute I had. I was by no means good, but I’d like to think I was better than hey-watch-me-play-this-recorder level.
When I heard Eallva’s voice sounding from the other side of my wall I nearly sprained something in my excitement. Inserting a fusion blade I started cutting a hole. Being careful not to push as hard as I had during the first incision I quickly realized how bad I am at cutting circles. The end result was a closer to a misshapen trapezoid, and it took far longer than expected. The exorbitant amount of time required was further exacerbated because I ended up needing to cut that trapezoid into smaller pieces that were light enough to move. Marble’s heavy.
When Eallva finally heaved herself through she was glaring at me. “Easily, huh?”
“You were welcome to bring a chisel.” A glance behind her showed a line of decently armed and armored figures.
Her only reply was a snort. “Our path is clear of chamber guards?”
“We should have a clear shot to the ring, and through that, the temple.”
She gave an affirmative hop, motioning me to lead the way. We’d decided that I’d take point in the chambers, since I had supreme power down here, just to make sure there weren’t any obstacles. So I ran, always one turn ahead of Eallva and her friends, for the first leg of our raid. As expected the halls were empty. That didn’t bode well. If there’s a situation where I can say, ‘Well that went well,’ then I start to get suspicious. This was obviously one such instance, but what was I going to do, purposely raise the alarm?
Up the final staircase, across to the Ring’s arena, through a door, down a side wing, through a hallway, and we were in the temple. Still no hitches. My instincts were screaming at me at this point. Whatever was ahead it was bad. Once in the Temple itself Eallva took point, myself close behind. We turned a corner and I could see the chamber where we split ahead. Maybe this would actually go exactly how we’d planned. Go figure.
We burst into the chamber. Eallva slowed, allowing the majority of her friends to fan out behind her. Pointing to me and a group of stuffy-looking, unarmed friends she gestured to our respective hallway. I’d only taken a step in that direction before the sounds of fighting erupted from the corridor we’d just exited, from which the end of our procession had yet to emerge.
Glancing at our other exits I saw every last one teaming with furry bodies.
Hey, I can’t help it if I’m right.
As the lines of guards emerged from every side, I drew my twin-blade, ready for the fight. As those lines continued to emerge, however, I started to rethink my strategy. Once they’d filled most of the already large chamber I was starting to consider trying to cut a hole through the floor. Considering how long that’d taken last time, and the ratio of their numbers to ours, I quickly discarded that plan as well.
The mass in front of me split, revealing Vancil’s hunched figure slowly hopping on towards us. She stopped, far enough to be heard, while remaining relatively safe from any projectiles that could be thrown.
“Say something!” Eallva hissed.
“What?”
“You’re a god, remember!?” she whispered frantically, “Say something!”
Fine, I’m an idiot. Summoning my grandest speaking voice, which sounded a lot like my normal one, I spread my arms, addressing the alarmingly large crowd before me. “Why do you raise your weapons against me? Your enemy stands –”
“They know, Selvim,” Vancil cut me off. Damn, her speaking voice was a lot more impressive than mine. And she didn’t sound like a genie from black and white spoof either. On that note, what did they know? Had she told them the truth? That couldn’t be it. She’d told her people something to keep their spears pointed at me though, and I sure wasn’t skilled enough at public speaking to persuade them otherwise.
She seemed to be waiting for a response. “Well, I doubt they know everything.” I replied lamely. Shit I’m terrible at this.
“They know enough,” she shot back, “And even though I’m not surprised, I’m saddened,” an actual tear slid down her cheek, emotion clouding her voice, “How could you? With everything you had, everyone counting on you, and you threw it all away.” I had no clue what she was talking about, but her words still struck a chord. She couldn’t have known it, but I agreed with her. But that’s why I was here. I’d failed at being a decent person to everyone in this city, but I was fixing that here and now. Well, I had been fixing it, until this most recent development.
“The only thing I had were your lies and more crimes than I care to count. I’m done being a puppet, Vancil. So go ahead, kill me. Your little regime won’t fare well without me.” Whatever I said was the wrong thing if I’d been aiming at persuading Vancil’s forces to turn on her. After my outburst there was a general straightening of spears and setting of jaws among her people. She even allowed a flicker of a smile to appear on her face before setting it back into a picture of reluctance and remorse.
“Very well,” she intoned, “if that is your choice then I cannot deny you. But the gods have decreed that you should die only by the hand of a great leader, and I cannot go against them.” She motioned with a paw.
On signal the surrounding force leapt forward. On reflex I started swinging. These men probably hadn’t done anything wrong, but something felt wrong going down without at least trying to get to Vancil. This wasn’t a challenge, with precise movements and careful, thought out attacks. This was another brawl. Fortunately I’d had some practice with those as well.
The twin-blade leapt in my hands, spitting to life in a thirsty glow even as it moved to connect with the first line of attackers. I remembered once feeling alive at the feeling of that blade quickly slicing through enemies. Now all I felt was a grim determination. And sick. I just felt sick. Even as my limbs worked in familiar motions that set the blade twirling circles around me I hated how effective it was. Stab, slice, cut, puncture, I started moving towards where I’d seen Vancil be swallowed by the crowd. It was a mistake.
Even though I may have had the reach to give myself the initiative necessary to start a push in such a close quarters fight, Eallva and her friends didn’t. I moved into the enemy, but my friends stayed put. My forward progress quickly stalled as my back, once protected, suddenly became vulnerable. The sick feeling faded as I realized my mistake, pumping my arms as fast as they could, attempting to give myself room to maneuver as the holes I’d opened in their line closed around me. I wasn’t fast enough. Something struck me from behind as I cut down three who had rushed me from the front. I staggered, losing my rhythm, and it was over. Multiple strikes pummeled me from every side, until a lucky shot nailed me in the head.
Vancil
Selvim fell beneath a pile of enemies. She let out a relieved breath. When he’d started actually pushing his way through to her she’d been scared for a moment that he would actually make it. Crubec trained him well, and he was powerful with his weapons, but he wasn’t that strong. After several more minutes the dessentors were equally dispelled. As the remainder of her forces started to clean the carnage, Sicari approached her, blood on his javelin.
“We lost two for every one of them we took down,” he stated. Unlike most commanders, the Captain delivered this news with an air of nonchalant detachment. She appreciated his ability to see through the casualty count.
“It would have been lower,” he commented, “Had we been allowed to aim to kill rather than capture.”
Perhaps she’d been mistaken. Still, at least he wasn’t quoting something about honor at her. “I want examples, not martyrs,” she made sure to keep her voice cool. How many did we get?”
He thought for a moment, “Of the eighty or so that there were, I’d say about half.”
Not ideal, yet better than she’d expected. “Their commander?”
“Alive.” Well at least there was that.
“Selvim?”
“Alive as well,” Sicari huffed grimly, “He went down hard. Even if we hadn’t been attacking him just with the blunt end of our spears I think it would have taken about as long. I don’t envy the guy you plan on taking Selvim one on one in the Ring.”
“Which is why I don’t plan on using you,” she replied, “Well done, you’re dismissed.” A flash of annoyance crossed the Captain’s face. Had he expected to get a promotion for one successful operation? As he left, Crubec approached her from the hallway behind.
“It was a success, then?” Aside from logistical planning, he hadn’t taken part in today’s excitement, claiming he knew better than to actually take part in a fight he wasn’t needed in.
“Mostly.”
“So my – apprentice’s – skills will be needed?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll inform her at once. She’ll be pleased at a chance to prove herself.”
“As long as she’s as skilled as you say.”
“Don’t worry,” Crubec laughed dryly, “She’ll do just fine.”
“I look forward to it.”
Crubec started to move away, then turned. “If you’re putting him in the Ring, and if he were smart, he might try using such a situation to address everyone at once. I don’t know what he’d say, but I can think of a few things that might cause problems for you and your supporters. Just a thought.”
As he left, Vancil cursed inwardly. She was an idiot, of course that’s what Selvim would do. Mind working frantically, she began moving towards the main sanctuary where the days sermon should be almost over. She quickly settled on a speech, nearly identical to what she’d told the guards earlier today. This would work.
This week’s sermon ground to its inevitable end at the usual pace. Now, half the day gone, wasted in many’s opinion, the High priest responsible for today’s closing statements muttered through the final beseeching of the gods in a voice seemly formulated to put any who heard it to sleep. When he cut off mid-sentence only half of the great multitude gathered even noticed, the other half too far gone to have had hope. Once the source of the interruption became clear, however, a great awakening spread throughout the sanctuary. All watched as the Excellsum herself replaced the High priest on the podium, her voice magnified many times over by the shape of the great room.
“My people, it with great remorse that I come before you today,” her words were hardly necessary. All could hear the sadness, perhaps even fear in the Excellsum’s voice. “This very hour, Selvim has forsaken his rights, as a god, and as emissary of Ceades, for personal power. I had seen a darkness growing in him for some time, but I prayed I was wrong. Still, I took precautions, and they were well founded, for today Selvim and a force of traitors attempted to kill me in my chambers. Had I not been prepared, he would have succeeded,” she visibly shuddered at the thought, “And Selvim’s power would have been supreme. Even surrounded by guards, his forces, drawing upon the ill begotten strength, felled as many as themselves twice over. And none were more terrible than Selvim himself.
“When finally he was stopped, surrounded by the fallen, I asked him why he would do such a thing. He said he had grown tired of living in the shadow of the Ceades; tired of being his ‘puppet’.” She spat the last word with a mixture of bitterness and regret. She took several moments to collect herself before resuming, “Even though my every instinct tells me to kill this agent of darkness, the gods have given me no such council. And so I must continue to pray that the gods will send us the great leader to rid us of this burden, for Selvim may only die within the Ring.
“My people, I burden you with this knowledge not because I wish for you to share in my pain, but so you may guard yourselves. The Challenges will continue according to the god’s wishes, but when Selvim is loose within the ring I cannot control his voice. As this month’s challenge draws near. I ask you to stele yourselves against anything Selvim might say. He may try to turn you to his path of darkness, but close your ears against his lies. The gods will give us justice.”
With her final words, the life visibly drained from the Excellsum. She suddenly became far smaller, more fragile. The High priest, still shocked by her speech, belatedly moved to help her as she slowly descended the podium, and began hopping back towards the temple’s chambers. After several hushed minutes, the people slowly filtered from the sanctuary.
Date point: 1y 5m 1d BV
I woke up. I hadn’t expected to, so I guess you could say my day was already off to a good start. Looking about me I took in my surroundings. I was in my room below the Ring, except almost everything was missing. Aside from the bed, the room was bare. The hole I’d made last time had been crudely patched with dirt. Oh, and the chains, the chains were new. Each of my limbs was secured with ludicrously heavy links to rings hammered into the wall – another addition. At the very least I had an excuse to stay in bed.
I don’t know how long I sat immobile before my door opened. A guard, one I didn’t recognize, strode in. He seemed surprised I was awake, but still entered the room, carrying a plate and cup. The chains on my hands had enough slack to where I could feed myself, thankfully. He came and went without incident. I didn’t bother speaking to him, Vancil would have no doubt foreseen that already. I didn’t even bother asking him why I was still alive. I remembered Vancil’s words back in that chamber. I had one more Ring fight she wanted me for.
The food was tasteless but filling. I ate it mechanically. Time passed at a crawl, and I passed the time in silence, trying not to think of what had probably happened to Eallva and her friends. Chalk me down for one more failure folks. But hey, on the bright side, it was probably one of my last.
After an eternity, my door opened to admit several guards and, trailing them, Crubec. His attendance, the lack of food, and the fact that they were unlocking my chains was enough to impress upon me that it was time. Before releasing me they secured my hands and feet with another set of smaller, more mobile restraints. Helping me to my feet, I was marched at spear point from the room, Crubec leading. He was here, might as well talk to him.
“So,” I broke the stony silence, “Any tips for this fight?”
Crubec croaked his dry laugh, “Not on this one. Hope you’ve gotten better at dodging.”
His words did little to improve my mood. The rest of the journey passed in silence, broken only occasionally by a chuckle from Crubec as he laughed at some joke he refrained from sharing.
My entourage and I reached the entrance to the ring. After the guards had carefully set their spears, Crubec removed my mobile restrains. I toyed with the idea of going for it anyway, but dismissed the thought. Strolling through the door and into the entryway to the ring, I was greeted by a familiar picture. Light from the evening sun streamed down through the open roof, illuminating the packed stands in a red glare. At the far end of the Ring stood a single figure, too far for me to make out any features. On the ground, a few feet away from me lay my double sheath with fusion blades and a bit further my twin-blade.
I walked over to my weapons, but didn’t pick them up. I was surprised they were even arming me. Apparently Vancil wanted a legit fight. Her voice, as if summoned by my thoughts, broke me from my thoughts.
“Do you accept this challenger?”
It was one thing to force me into the ring, but she couldn’t make me play her game. I decided to go with the eloquent refusal.
“Fuck you.”
She continued as if my answer had been in the affirmative. Even from this distance I could make her out, as she turned on her dais to address the figure across from me. I only glanced at her for a moment, however, and then turned to look at the crowds around me. I mean, hey, why not give it one more go?
“Do you wish to withdraw your –”
“Hey everyone!” I’ll admit it was fun to interrupt her, “All of this,” I gestured around me, “Is a lie. I’m not a god, and I never was. The Excellsum –” My shouts were drowned out by an angry roar from thousands of voices. Okay, it wasn’t by any means my best speech, and it was off the cuff, but I don’t think it warranted such a negative response. On a more practical note, screw Vancil for being thorough.
“The people know, Selvim,” I really wish I could be a part of all this knowing, “They all know. You will never turn anyone again.”
“Was that what I was doing?” I replied. She ignored me again, turning once again to the figure across the arena.
“Do you wish to withdraw your challenge?”
“No,” the sound reached me.
“Then may the gods look down upon you with favor and grant you victory”. Vancil’s tail dropped. Time slowed.
The figure jumped straight into the air. It was too far to make out anything distinct, but such a move could only mean one thing: ranged. I hated ranged.
But another thought crossed my mind as the challenger slowly climbed into the air. Should I fight this? Should I give Vancil the spectacle she wants? She obviously has told everyone whatever she’s been saying to disavow me. Even if I win this fight, she’ll just bring me out next challenge. Eventually I’ll lose. And I was tired. Tired of fighting without reason. Maybe it would be better to let it end now. The thought of it ending relaxed my entire body.
The challenger began to summersault in the air. At the peak of that jump they would release a short javelin aimed straight at my chest. As my opponent approached their zenith, my eyes wandered around the ring. Various doors and entryways marked the sides, used – I had always assumed, for the various activities that went on in the Ring when I wasn’t using it.
Summersault and jump reaching their respective peaks at exactly the same moments, the challenger’s tail uncoiled from the javelin, hurling it towards me. My eyes focused on its point, and the whole world crystalized, everything coming into focus. I felt I could see the fur of every one gathered, the smile on Vancil’s shiveled face, Eallva chained to a wall.
Hold up. I looked again, and could now clearly see, through a window into one of the rooms tucked away under the first row of stands, Eallva chained to a wall. Beside her I could see an arm and a leg belonging to someone blocked by the window sill, similarly restrained. They were alive?
They were alive!
And soon, I wouldn’t be. Someone needed my help and I was just standing here letting myself die.
Well, we can’t let that happen now can we?
Adrenaline flooded my limbs. My mind refocused on the point of the missile aimed at my heart.
And I moved slightly to the left.
Time reasserted itself, and the javelin streaked past me, tearing at my shirt. I looked back at my attacker, only to see them launch another projectile. I dove for my weapons, stuck the landing, rolled, and came up armed – double sheath in one hand, twin-blade in the other. And I danced.
Riding on a wave of adrenaline, I dived, rolled, and slid my way across the arena, slowly yet flawlessly closing with my attacker as they hurled missile after missile at me. To their credit, they were firing far faster and more accurately than anyone I’d faced before. I felt that I was almost close enough to charge them when they abruptly stopped hurling javelins.
She, I now realized, leapt to the side, quickly putting distance between us. The opponents I’d faced had never avoided closing with me before. If they’d had ranged then they threw them until I inevitably got close to them. Then they’d always accepted their fate and gone in to grapple. My adrenaline wouldn’t last forever, and a worm of worry worked its way through my mind.
I was so caught off guard by my opponents actions that I nearly missed it when she threw three metal rings with sharp, perfect movements.
Rings? Since when did they throw rings?
I dropped, but not quite fast enough. An outer ring skimmed my shoulder. A line of blood dripped from the resulting cut.
Sharp rings. Lovely.
Just to add to my luck two small darts followed close behind them. One of them managed to skim a line into my leg. By the time I’d recovered, little miss Throw-it-all had crossed to the other side of the Ring. We’d traded places, and as I watched, she picked up the first javelin she’d thrown and launched herself into the air.
“How am I supposed to beat you if you won’t let me fight you?!” I shouted as I dodged. My adrenaline was staring to go sour.
Okay, think. You’ve killed space dragons, surely you can deal with a sapient kangaroo rat.
The space dragons were kind enough to charge me. Sapient kangaroo rat she may be, but I’ll never close with her if she doesn’t let me. She’s far faster, and if all she’s doing is throwing things while I run around trying to catch her, I guarantee I’ll drop from exhaustion or blood loss before she even breaks a sweat.
She’ll run out of ammo eventually.
Not if she keeps picking up everything she’s thrown. Unless –
That’ll work
I jumped to the side, another recycled javelin flying past. In the few moments I had between shots, I broke into a run. Not towards her, however, but instead to where the three rings she’d thrown earlier lay discarded on the hard packed sand.
One more missile dodge later I scooped the rings from the ground. Working as I ran, a quick examination showed they were made of a thin, light metal. Being so light, I guessed they were only good for short ranged, but I was interested in the weight for another reason.
Ducking to allow the next javelin to pass, I used my few moments of respite to place my hands on either sides of the stack of three rings, and bent them.
All three rings snapped unevenly in my hands, ruined. I cut my hands in the process, but I hardly noticed past my smile.
My opponent paused in withdrawing another javelin from the ground.
Using the time she was giving me to my fullest advantage, I tossed the broken rings aside, then sprinted to the nearest javelin a short distance behind me, buried in the sand. Withdrawing it, I took aim, then snapped it over my knee, breaking it as close to the head as possible.
Despite the distance I thought I saw her eyes widen.
Discarding what had once been a working javelin I made to move to the next fallen, vulnerable projectile. I didn’t get far. The next missile almost caught me in a broadside, and I stopped myself short barely in time to avoid losing a kidney and most of my abdomen, although the front of my shirt sustained another tear. On the plus side, the javelin she had just thrown ended up being closer than the one I’d been charging, so I took what help she offered and snapped that one.
I got my first reaction from her as she yelled in what I hoped was frustration.
I stopped moving as much, dodging as minimally as possible as her firing rate increased. She was still far enough away that I had enough time to be precise with my dodges, and for my efforts I managed to snap four of those fuckers in as many seconds. Tossing the remnants into the nearest stands – souvenirs – I turned back to my opponent, only to find her hurtling towards me from across the pitch, spinning through the air, launching a javelin from half the usual distance.
Luck, as it would have it, was on my side. First time for everything, right? I didn’t have the time to dodge and was caught off guard. The only reason I lived was because she missed. The javelin slammed into the wall next to my head. Stone wall faced off against pointy metal and stone wall won.
The javelin’s head broke in half and dropped to the ground. I decided to put it out of its misery and caught it as it fell, bringing up my knee to end its suffering. Throwing such a shot had put her much closer to me than before, and I gladly accepted the invitation and started to charge.
Realizing how close she’d gotten, Throw-it-all backpedaled quickly, putting a reasonable distance between us again. That was fine, I was cool with that too. Her distance gave me the time necessary to be able to consistently dodge her javelin throws, and I happily seized upon the opportunity to zig-zag around the pitch like an adrenaline crazed gremlin, a trail of broken and shattered javelins in my wake. If she closed, I closed. If she ran, I introduced everything she threw to my knee.
Every broken weapon seemed to enrage her further, which resulted in wilder shots and easier dodges. When she reached her last javelin, she seemed to realize it a second too late. Drawing it from its quiver she prepared to jump before noticing it was her final shot. Carefully replacing it, the eyes she turned to me promised pain. She also happened to look up just in time to see me turn the two halves of what had been her second to last javelin into fourths.
I think the snap of those pieces echoed the snapping of something inside her, and she let fly a wordless screech and practically flew at me.
Finally. I joyfully accepted the invitation to grapple, but came up short when she stopped a middling distance away from me and unleashed a volley of rings.
Oh, right, the rings. I moved to the side to let them pass. They moved slower than the javelins, thankfully, but she loosed them so quickly that I didn’t have a chance to run back and pick them up in between volleys. Try as I might I couldn’t keep her from picking up discarded rings as she circled me, throwing as she went, letting me wear myself out in a useless effort.
Gotta change this up somehow
I looked to my twin-blade, which up until this point had just been deadweight. Working on a hunch, I retracted the blades on either end, leaving me holding a black staff a little less than a meter and a half in length. As the next wave of rings approached, I hopped to the side. Adjusting my grip on the staff so I held it like a bat, I sung at the nearest ring.
Ring and staff connected, and I glanced back just long enough to see the ring I’d hit careen wildly off course, bent beyond repair. What followed looked like a twisted, high-stakes version of a cross between ultimate Frisbee and baseball, where the Frisbees could kill you and the bat was a fusion blade. Like I said: twisted, high-stakes. The ground behind me became littered with misshapen strips of metal. Half way through she changed her throwing pattern, scoring another small cut on my side and a deeper cut under my right arm. The latter cut worried me, and I quickly added blood loss to my “things that could kill you in the somewhat immediate future” list.
Aside from the two cuts though, she seemed to come to the conclusion that the rings weren’t going to work either. She blurred towards me once more, drawing her final javelin as she moved and holding it in her tail like a lance. Once again I charged to meet her. Mere seconds before we would collide her hand lashed out at me.
The dart slammed full on into my thigh. Unfortunately, it was the thigh that wasn’t a prosthetic.
My right leg went out from under me in a flare of pain. That ended up being a mixed blessing since the fall took me out of the way of the second dart which missed my throat, but without a leg I wasn’t in much of a better state. Seeing me down, throw-it-all dove for me, tail-javelin striking from on high. She should have stuck to throwing things.