The Duel

The Duel

It was fall. The breeze blowing through the trees sent the fallen leaves tumbling in all directions. A flurry of red and gold swirling around the two duelists frozen still in stances that made them appear as though they were statues. Each studied the other with a hard expression. Neither would back down. Neither would stop until they had killed their opponent or died trying.

Adaris had answered the call and accepted the challenge. His skill with the long sword was legendary in his homeland. The challenger Verdane had spent a lifetime working with nearly all manner of weapon. On this day he appeared with a crescent axe. A brutal and effective weapon. Used as a way to intimidate mostly yet through experienced hands it was a fearsome tool of death.

         Neither Adaris nor Verdane drew arms yet. The trees around them creaked from the wind slightly making their silence all the more prominent. Adaris had appeared in the armor of his people. The God Tree brandished on his leather cuirass showing both life and death at once. His short cape wafted in the breeze lazily and was colored a deep dark green. His long sword rested comfortably on his hip with his right hand gripping the hilt the other the scabbard.

Verdane wore a mask of black and gray, nearly featureless, looking like roiling smoke had molded to his face. Behind the mask his eyes burned cold and fierceness as he stared at Adaris. He wore leathers as well but they did not brandish any sigil or family crest. The crescent axe he carried hung looped on a hook at his belt with his hand resting on the gilded handle.

The silence drug on. This part was the hardest for the inexperienced. Dueling makes the body yearn for action, to make a move, to destroy the opponent. Always a mistake. Death is indiscriminate and if you hope to survive every footfall, every swing of the weapon, should be calculated. It was in the silence that you had the chance to see your opponent's weaknesses, their strengths, and how you would destroy them.

Adaris' heart had slowed to the point where he himself had not been sure it hadn't stopped completely. He could almost feel Verdane's pulsing need. His lust for death. The mask shielded his face but it could not shield who he was. In fact the mask almost seemed to empower Verdane's dark desires. This man was vicious--Adaris could see it now--and cold blooded. He enjoyed the suffering of others.

Then, as though time itself stopped, he could see the man before him without limits. Verdane was the shadow of a human being wrought with pain. This pain had weakened his spirit making him the devourer of other's pain. Verdane would not go for the kill immediately. He would seek to wound, to bleed his opponent, to force his enemy to witness their failure slowly. With each cut of the axe he'd sever their hope of victory a little piece at a time. His humanity was locked away within the twisted burning hatred of others. Adaris saw his weakness now.

Adaris freed the sword from the scabbard with deliberate steadiness. The chill in the air seemed to crystalize as he lowered the tip to eye level with an extended arm. He shifted his weight putting a foot behind him bracing his free arm close to his chest waiting for his opponent to answer in kind.

Verdane's chest swelled as he pulled the axe off the hook then pointed the weapon at Adaris growling. Verdane was anything but weak. His muscles could be seen under the padding for the armor making him look a monster. Drawing the weapon back to an upright position Verdane slowly walked toward Adaris the insanity of need dancing in his eyes.

         Adaris gave nothing away in his expression remaining in his calm near lazy stance. Verdane's steps came closer then picked up speed becoming a trot, then a jog, and then a charge. Leaves exploded all around Verdane's massive figure as his axe pitched back in preparation for a devastating blow. Adaris held his ground showing no sign of intent.

In a microsecond Verdane was close enough to swing. The blade whistled slightly with sheer power and speed. Adaris shifted position to Verdane's left letting the axe glide through open air. Verdane was a match for Adaris' speed turning slightly to the side avoiding the quick jab Adaris made with the sword.

The shift of Verdane's hips empowered a counter blow swinging the axe back hand for Adaris' head. A swirl of leaves flew through the air as he made the mighty arc. Adaris crouches with his blade up watching deadly swing glide past. Again he makes a jab but this time aimed for Verdane's forward leg.

Verdane shouts as the tip bites flesh forcing him a step back. A furious rage takes Verdane's eyes as Adaris stands slowly showing still no sign of intention or wanton pride. With a shout Verdane kicks up debris to distract his opponent with the axe following behind with deadly purpose.

Adaris moves to Verdane's left once again making a cut for the waist. His blade strikes hard on leather but doesn't cut through it. Verdane recovers expertly from the missed swing gripping the shaft of the axe with both hands now. With new speed Verdane charges Adaris cleaving for the shoulder then low for a leg, and finally for the gut.

With his long sword Adaris guides the first strike to his right sidestepping to the left simultaneously. Knowing that Verdane would compensate he jumps avoiding the low swing which would have crippled him. Immediately upon landing Adaris shifts forward smashing Verdane's mask with the pummel of his sword disrupting his final intended attack.

A terrible cracking sound was coupled with a pained grunt. Crimson began to flow from under the mask onto Verdane's cuirass. Adaris moved mercilessly taking Verdane's sudden pain as opportunity to press his advantage. The impact had made Verdane shuffle back putting space between them. Adaris' sword blurred with stunning speed cutting Verdane's outside leg, then the other making the large man wobble.

Gravity proved stronger than Verdane now forcing him to his knees with a thud. Blood oozed from the wounds in a steady flow. Despite this Verdane swung at Adaris violently hoping to cut him in two. Matching the arc of the axe Adaris pivoted to Verdane's left just out of harms way slicing through the man's arm at the elbow causing it to dangle uselessly from the stump. Verdane screamed in agony and rage.

Adaris, taking a final step, places himself behind his opponent. Gripping the sword with both hands the sword cleaves through the air severing Verdane's head from his shoulders making the body quiver and shake. A dark red fountain erupts forth from the gaping wound as Verdane's body collapses forward.

Silence again took over the battle ground. The fallen leaves no longer swirled but poured like a rain from the branches of the trees. Adaris looked upon the corpse and closed his eyes whispering a prayer to summon Verdane to the halls of the dead. To even put him to rest despite what pain he'd caused others. Adaris wiped the blade clean with a cloth and replaced his weapon into the scabbard.