“His opponent:” Xilarion drew another token. “Vesma.”
I took a deep breath. So much for chances.
We faced each other and took our bows.
“No holding back,” she said as she glared at me.
“Agreed,” I answered.
“This has to be for real.” Vesma seemed to think I would hold back, but I knew it would be a stain on her honor if I did.
This world was starting to make me think differently. I never would have considered fighting a woman like this—not unless I was getting paid really, really well, and even then, I’d pull my punches. But in the Seven Realms? Honor was everything, and if my feelings for Vesma meant anything, I had to give this match everything I had.
“Let’s do this,” I said with a nod.
“Begin!” Xilarion’s voice echoed throughout the arena.
We circled each other slowly, weapons raised. There was no need to evaluate each other’s fighting styles; after so many hours sparring, each of us knew the other’s strengths and weaknesses, favorite maneuvers, and preferred Augmenting techniques. Victory would come with applying that knowledge.
Vesma attacked first, a charge with spear extended. I summoned a Flame Shield to block the blow, but she swung the tip of the spear around. I knocked aside the leaf-shaped blade while my sword darted at her shoulder. Vesma twisted away and spun her spear in her hands before slamming its flat end against the ground. She used it like a pole vaulter to propel her into the air and flew over my head. She chopped at me with one hand as she passed, a blow that caught the side of my head and made me see stars. I turned just in time to blindly parry her next attack, then took a few steps back.
I’d hoped for a moment to muster my scrambled thoughts, but Vesma had been deadly serious about not holding back. She raised her Flame Shield, stamped her foot, and the flames shot forward as we’d practiced. I leaped aside and rolled across the ground as fire flew through the space where I had been a moment before, then sprang back to my feet.
As long as Vesma kept me on the defensive, she would have the advantage of wearing me down without facing any threat to herself. I had to go on the attack.
As Vesma lifted her shield and her foot, I did the same. Blasts of fire burst from both our shields and exploded against each other in the center of the arena.
Vesma was a powerful Augmenter, so my best chance to beat her was with weapons. I charged, Flame Shield still held high, each step of my left foot sending a small burst of fire from the shield. Those flames weren’t enough to do any real damage, but they kept her busy deflecting with her own shield and bought me a vital few seconds.
Now, I was in close and swinging my sword at her legs. A low blow like that was risky and would expose my sword arm to a counter-attack, but I knew how Vesma would respond under pressure, when it was all about instinct. She leaped over the blade and landed just as I brought my weapon around in a series of attacks against her side.
She moved with spear and shield to parry each attack in turn. Against a lesser opponent, that could have been my opening. I could have used one attack as a feint, then struck elsewhere while her view was blocked by her own weapons. But Vesma was too smart for that, and she moved quickly back to a central stance after each parry. She could tell when I was feinting, when a fresh attack would follow from another angle.
What she couldn’t predict was the feint and the real attack in the same place. She raised her shield to parry a slash at her shoulder, then moved back down, prepared for a low blow. But already my sword was coming in at the same angle, harder and faster this time. I saw a split second of realization on her face just before the flat of my blade smacked against her shoulder.
Vesma grunted with pain, and the spear slipped from her hand. As she crouched to grab it, I kicked and caught her in the stomach. The blow sent her rolling in the dirt, and in two swift strides, I was on her with my sword pointing at her face even as she tried to get up.
Vesma raised her hands. “You win.” She grimaced. “Well done.”
Familiar cheers filled the arena as I sheathed my sword. I reached out a hand, ready to help Vesma up, but she was already on her feet.
Still, she took my hand, shaking it. “You deserve the win.”
“It could easily have been you,” I replied.
She shook her head. “I know my limits.”
We took our seats as the other two semi-finalists entered the arena, Hamon striding in like he owned the place.
“Hey, hey, hey!” Kegohr slammed a hand down on Vesma’s shoulder and made her wince a little. We both turned to face him.
“That was amazing!” he said. “You two should have both been in the final.”
“Maybe,” Vesma said.
“Of course,” I replied. “The question is who I’ll have to fight instead of you.”
A thunderous tumult of cheering rose from the crowd. I turned to see Hamon standing over his opponent, fire-coated swords extended, while the woman raised her hands in surrender.
It was over already. In just a few seconds, Hamon had beaten his opponent. I hadn’t even heard Xilarion announce the fight, nor had I seen what move Hamon had used. I wouldn’t exactly be going in blind, but it would have helped to note his techniques.
Not that it mattered. I didn’t plan on losing to that bastard. Nor would I use the Sundered Heart or my wood and ash techniques to take him down. It would be all fire, and I couldn’t let him win. The
