235/1/26.
The school had three duelling arenas, one of them larger than the others with more room for spectators. Nava was not sure whether to be pleased they were using that one or not. The basic setup of an arena was the same throughout the Clan Worlds, not that Nava had ever entered one before anywhere. There was an open area – a rectangle with rounded corners – in the centre. This was the arena proper. Around it there was seating for spectators, the adjudicator, and the seconds of the combatants. Two lines twenty metres apart marked the starting point for the fighters. Most magical duels ended before anyone had closed the distance, but there was more movement where the duel was to use melee weapons. The spectators were protected from misfired magic, or bullets in some cases, by a barrier spell which surrounded the fighting area. That also theoretically stopped spectators from meddling with the duel. The duel began when the adjudicator said it did and ended when the appropriate conditions were met.
Nava was on her line five minutes before the designated time of the duel. At sixteen thirty, they would begin and, if this duel went as most blood duels did, it would be over in the first couple of seconds. Devin would want to drag it out a little, hitting her again and again until her internal organs were soup, but she had no intention of allowing that to happen.
The rules were simple enough. In a magical duel, no magical devices or other weapons were allowed into the arena. The duellists relied upon their own power and nothing else. It was illegal to cast spells prior to the start of the duel; if a duellist wished to protect themselves, they had to raise a barrier as soon as the duel began. Most went straight to offence in the hope of drawing blood with the first strike and obviating the need for defence. Nava would go straight to the attack because she was sure that Devin would and because she was sure she was faster.
Devin walked out onto the arena floor a minute before the appointed time. He was smiling, all confidence. He paid no attention to Nava, but he did spare a glance to the seats where the seconds and the adjudicator were sitting. His second had just arrived. Courtney was sitting in the adjudicator’s seat having decided that she needed to oversee this personally. Melissa had agreed to be Nava’s second and was sitting beside Courtney, looking really nervous. Devin probably noticed Melissa’s state of mind, because his smile broadened. He took his place on the line and his attention turned to Nava. He said nothing, because smack-talk was not allowed, but his expression spoke volumes.
‘Magicians,’ Courtney said, rising to her feet, ‘you are here to settle a matter of honour through a duel to first blood. Fight honourably.’ She paused, probably because she wanted the last two words to sink in. ‘Raise the barrier.’
There was a flickering of space around the outside of the fighting area as the magical barrier went up. Courtney waited for a second to be sure it was active. ‘Duellists, indicate that you are ready.’
‘I, Devin Girard Sonkei, stand ready to defend my honour.’ Devin’s body tensed as he prepared himself for what was to come.
Nava did not move a muscle. ‘I, Nava Ward, am ready.’ She had no honour to defend and was not going to say that she was there to do that.
‘On my word, begin,’ Courtney said. ‘Go!’
Devin began to move, but Nava was half a second ahead of him. Her right hand flew out in a slashing motion and a disc of white light shot from her fingers, crossing the distance between the combatants in an instant. It slashed through the arm of Devin’s uniform tunic and the flesh beneath. Blood flew and Devin clutched at his arm. The fight was over; Nava had drawn first blood.
Except that Devin did not consider it to be done with. ‘Bitch! You’ll pay for that!’ He raised his right hand once again, aiming his palm toward Nava.
Rising to her feet again to declare Nava the victor, Courtney changed what she was about to say. ‘Devin Girard, stand down! You–’
‘Die!’ Devin shrieked and something left his hand. It was nothing which could be seen, but it distorted the light as it passed from Devin’s hand to where Nava had been until she sprang sideways and rolled to her feet in a single, smooth motion. The bolt of concussive force Devin had launched struck the barrier behind Nava and impact energy rippled violently across the invisible wall.
Nava raised her own hand before Devin could try again. A pulse of white light left her hand and shot across the gap to hit Devin in the forehead. And then a ball of white light exploded out in a perfect sphere, enveloping Devin’s body and continuing out to hit the barrier which flared brightly under the impact of the released energy. Then the light bubble popped, and everyone could see what was left of Devin Girard. His head, shoulders, and arms were entirely gone. The rest of him looked as though it had been tossed into a blender filled with acid. Skin and other tissues were left in ragged streamers. Huge rents in his uniform showed huge rents in the skin beneath all the way down his legs. If there was anything left of his internal organs, that would have been a surprise. Devin Girard was very definitely dead and no technology or magic was going to bring him back.
Without a word, Nava turned and started for the exit.
~~~
Of course, that was not the end of it. Nava was back in SSF HQ and they were not pleased. ‘That was meant to be a blood duel,’ Courtney said. ‘You killed him!’
‘He tried to kill me,’ Nava replied evenly.
‘You can’t know that. If a participant in a duel refuses to acknowledge that they’ve lost, you allow the
