hissed. 'You three scatter, but follow my lead.' He clenched his fist. 'I want to give Shar proper homage on the night of my initiation.'
The three man glanced at each other then ducked away. Keph ground his teeth together and stepped around the corner.
Lyraene was only steps away. Her hand darted to her sword at his sudden appearanceand stayed there when she recognized him.
'Keph!' she snarled.
'Did you miss me, Lyraene?' Keph asked. He kept his hand close to Quick, but not on her hilt. Lyraene's friends had their eyes on him, but the half-elf s gaze was darting around suspiciously. 'Looking for Jarull?' he asked her. 'Don't waste your time. He isn't here.'
'That's what I thought last time,' she grunted. She focused on him again. 'We've got unfinished business.'
'Just what I was thinking.' He flicked the fingers of his left hand, gesturing her to him. 'You and me. You know about Quick. I know about your tricks. What do you thinka duel?'
He could tell that she was considering it, trying to guess if he was hiding something.
'Bring your friends if you're worried,' he suggested.
There were four of themtwo men and two women. Talisk, Baret, and Starne would be able to handle them if they tried anything.
Lyraene's eyes narrowed, but she nodded and said, 'Where?'
'Fanter's swaybridge,' Keph said.
Her eyes narrowed even more, but then relaxed. 'Now?'
Keph spread his arms wide and said, 'There's no better time.'
He spun around, boldly presenting his back to her, and started walking.
Fanter's was a tailor shop out near the edge of the Stiltways and up on the fourth level, a quiet and respectable area. Relatively few people went that way after dark. The swaybridge was a railed platform suspended from beams above and tied off to walkways at either end. No strangers would interrupt them and no allies could interfere without being spotted on the empty bridge. If either of them tried to run, there would be no escape in two directions. It was a long way down to the street from the sides of the bridge. Fanter's had also spent good coin having spells of light cast on the posts of the bridgethey burned with a cold, eternal flame. Keph and Lyraene would have good lighting for their fight, but anyone watching would be blind to whatever happened in the deeper shadows around them.
As Keph stepped onto the swaybridge, Baret peered out quickly from a hiding spot near its far end. His hand flashed in the flickering, magical firelighttwo fingers, pointing back the way Keph had come. Talisk and Starne would be hiding behind Lyraene and her friends. Keph gave no reaction, but just walked out to the middle of the bridge and turned. A moment later, Lyraene stepped onto the bridge as well.
A warm wind blowing through the canyon of the Stiltways stirred her blond hair. She drew her sword.
'Since you have a magic sword,' she said, 'I hope you don't mind if I even the odds a little.'
She spoke a word and gestured with one hand. With her other, she stabbed the rapier up into the air. A pure, ringing note shimmered in the night as she cast the spell. The metal of the sword seemed to ripple faintly.
Keph smiled. 'You're full of surprises, aren't you? Don't use up all your magic, though. You may need some later.' He drew Quick and said, 'Storm's lash!'
Lightning crackled up the blade and quickly subsided. Lyraene snorted as she walked out to meet him.
'I could just knock that out of your hand again,' she said.
'You can try.'
He held Quick up in a salute. Lyraene returned the gesturethen lunged.
Keph had been expecting it. He dodged back, then flicked Quick in a fast cut across her torso. Lyraene arched away from it, but only barely, and smacked her back against the railings of the bridge. The platform shook with the impact, but swayed no more than a couple of inches. The ties at the ends held it firmly. Lyraene rolled off the railings, turning to meet him again. Her eyes narrowed.
'Nice try,' she spat.
She swung her sword. He parried.
Their weapons met with a shriek. Blue sparks spat off of Quick's blade. The magic in the rapier guided his hand as he pushed Lyraene's sword to the side and tried to thrust inside her guard while she was out of line. The half-elf was faster though. Her sword came back up and caught Quick. Brushing the rapier aside, Lyraene thrust at him.
Keph gave ground and surged back. Lyraene thrust and retreated. With each blow and step, the swaybridge shimmied.
When Lyraene turned to avoid a blow, he slid past her and threw an elbow into her stomach, then sprinted for the end of the bridge. Lyraene's cronies shouted in surprise and derision.
If they thought he was giving up the fight, they were going to be disappointed. At the end of the bridge, he reached down and slashed Quick at the thick ropes tying off the platform. Lightning crackled with the blow. The ropes parted.
The end of the bridge swung free.
Keph whirled back to Lyraene. She was clutching the rail with her free hand but the shock on her face was — already fading into an angry growl.
'I hope your balance is as good as you think it is!' she yelled.
Lyraene let go of the rail and charged straight along the swaying bridge.
Keph met her with a charge of his own, catching her blow on Quick Sparks showered down on them. Keph leaned against Lyraene, trying to force her back, but she was stronger than she looked She heaved up, forcing their locked weapons away and bringing their bodies closer together. For a moment, Keph could feel her breath on his face.
Her weight shifted as she raised a foot to kick him or stomp on his leg.
Keph stopped straining against her and folded backward, twisting with her weight as he fell. Lyraene gasped and stumbled, falling past him to hit the wood of the platform. She squirmed around, trying to raise her sword above herself in defense, but as soon as she let him go Keph was sprinting againto the other end of the bridge.
He swung Quick and lightning crackled again. The stink of burning rope puffed into the night wind. The whole bridge shook and swung.
'You crazy bastard!' yelled Lyraene.
Keph spun around. The half-elf was kneeling. She thrust her free hand at him and shouted a word of magic.
A shimmering bolt streaked from her hand. Out of instinct, he raised Quick, but it was no good. Magic blasted through his body and left him gasping and staggering. His free hand found a rail and he grabbed it for support. Bright spots of pain danced in his vision. He could see Lyraene, though. She was up stalking toward him, sword out and ready.
Throwing his arm around the rail, he flung the weight of his body backward.
Ropes creaked and groaned as the platform swung forward. Lyraene stumbled with the motionthen staggered and fell as the end of the bridge slammed hard against the walkway that had once anchored it. Her sword flew out of her grasp and slid across the wood.
Keph stepped forward and stopped it with his foot. He scooped it up and advanced slowly on Lyraene. She lifted her head, blond hair falling down around her face, to stare at him.
'Get up,' he ordered her.
The half-elf rose cautiously. With Quick hovering at the ready, Keph held her sword out to her.
'Take that,' he said, 'and cast the cantrip you used at the Mantle on it.'
Her eyes narrowed. At the end of the bridge, her cronies began making nasty sounds.
'Don't try anything or she doesn't get a second chance!' Keph yelled at them. He twitched the sword. 'Cast the cantrip!'
Lyraene reached out and took it. She kept her eyes on him as she spoke the spell and wiped her fingers along the blade, leaving pale light behind. Keph raised Quick to her. She lifted her glowing swordand Keph swung Quick
