by T. C. Edge
She stood to her feet again, and heard Rufus' voice echo in her ears.
"Keep moving, Kira. Always keep moving."
She did so, circling Redmane now, keeping him away as he drew more cold from the air and filled his lungs to the brim. His chest heaved and expanded, and suddenly he came again, blowing out his cloud of frost to the air as he charged upon his opponent. Kira knew to expect it this time, and was gone by the time the mist swept down upon her. Swinging hard, Redmane found himself battling alone again, until a sharp spike clanged against his armour.
He swung around, and Kira was there, probing with her daggers and seeking a way through the vulnerable point around his middle. He bellowed loudly and spat out another cloud, the fog washing over Kira and icing her armour. It closed in fast and seemed to tighten her up and tie her down, her body momentarily fixed in place. Her green eyes popped as the giant sword bore down on her, falling from on high under the guidance of Redmane's lengthy limbs.
With a surge of her speed and power, she ripped herself free of her cold constraints, avoiding the blade by inches as it slammed into the dirt at her feet, cutting deep. She retreated, feeling foolish.
Don't get too close, she told herself. Listen to Rufus. Don't get too close!
Repeating the words in her head, she chose to remain at arm's length as the giant from the north continued his attack. His huge sword swung with increasing ferocity, but Kira was wise to the attack and far too fleet of foot to be caught.
Bellowing with a pent up anger, Redmane determined to discard the blade. He didn't fix it to his back, but merely tossed it to the floor, happy to be without its weight and knowing Kira didn't have the strength to properly wield it. She saw it clang to one side as he drew out his two swords, sleeker and sharper, and lifted them aloft.
The crowd knew phase two of the bout was set to commence, and as they cheered, Kira felt a new pulse of air press against her side. She glanced to her right and noticed that the machines blowing air across the arena were now doing so with a greater speed and intensity, their settings dialled up to aid Redmane in the bout.
It was growing cold now, and worryingly so. Kira's limbs were beginning to stiffen despite her refusal to stop moving, and her speed was being affected. As Redmane came again, unhindered by the frigid conditions, she had to contend with the double threat of her decreasing speed and his escalating pace.
With his lighter more mobile blades in hand, he swung with more ferocity than ever, forcing Kira to maintain her retreat and continue to dodge as two swords, rather than one, came calling for her flesh. The only benefit she saw was that their weight allowed her to parry more easily, her scimitars just about capable of deflecting strikes that couldn't otherwise be avoided.
The crowd now were growing more manic, the fight intensifying. Redmane kept coming, bolstered by the growing chill as Kira was so hindered by it, his limbs seeming to loosen, not stiffen, his powers seeming to swell.
She glanced at Rufus when she got the chance, and saw the narrow framing of his eyes. He was worried. And Dom, too, displayed an anxiety he couldn't conceal, leaning forward as far as he could, his own frame stiff like a statue as he watched the bout, unmoving.
The advice her instructor gave her had been sound. Were conditions different, and the arena warm, she would have worn down her opponent slowly but surely, and eventually found a time to strike.
But now, all advantages were laid out before the giant standing over her. The strategy had been built on different circumstances. Now, it needed to change.
Taking a moment to consider her options, Kira put as much space between herself and Redmane as she could. The crowd settled into a short lull, with a fair few boos beginning to sound as Kira was forced onto the back foot. They wanted blood, and had had their fill of all this flirting. If she didn't engage, they might just turn against her. And that she couldn't abide.
With her hands growing so cold they could barely unravel off the hilt of her swords, she quickly gathered a warm blast of air in her lungs and spread the contents over her skin. Her fingers thawed enough for her swords to be placed back in their sheaths, and two throwing knives were drawn out in their place.
She did this covertly as Redmane lumbered towards her, turning her back to him so he couldn't see. But she could hear his steps and his hurrying breath. She could smell his scent as it drifted from his pores. She didn't need her eyes in this fight. Her supreme senses allowed for blind battle if required, a trick she'd so regularly employed back home.
So crouching low, with her back to the giant, she lured him in and allowed him to prepare a strike. The crowd murmured with confusion as she appeared to give up, sacrificing herself to the inevitable as she awaited the giant's dual blades. Rushing towards her, the fog appeared to gather and thicken, further limiting her opponent's ability to see.
He reached the frosty sand where she crouched, and down his blades came. Drawn into her web, she wasn't there when they flashed by, his balance teetering as both swords went rushing into the solid earth.
He grunted loudly, and tried to regain his footing, standing tall again. His neck began to twist left and right to find his prey, opening a small gap in his defence as the exposed flesh of his jugular came into view.
Kira was crouching still, but now she was facing him. As he looked left, she appeared on the right, her eyes lighting as his pale skin glowed like a target before her. With her throwing knives in hand, she launched the projectiles right at him, just as his thick neck began to turn the other way.
The first knife was just off, her fingers too cold to throw with full accuracy. It connected against the metal of his armour, a mere inch from the spot she'd sought, and bounced off into the sand. The second came just after, and curved a path the other way. It caught Redmane's flesh, but only just, slicing through his skin and drawing a red line across the front of his throat.
The giant's hand reached up instinctively and he drew his shoulders up into a protective stance. Kira stood ahead of him, tall as she could, cursing loudly to the wintry air.
She'd missed her target, and missed her chance. She wasn't sure if she'd get another.
Checking his wound with meaty fingers, Redmane's expression quickly went from fear to relief. He fingered the thin slice upon his flesh and inspected the minor trickle of blood into his hand. Then he looked at Kira, and smiled.
It was an expression that said, "Good try. But not good enough."
Kira took a step back, then another. She had to keep moving, but her mind was starting to blur. She looked up to the gallery again, seeking some guidance, but saw no fluttering on Rufus' lips. And even if she did, she couldn't take the time to focus on his words alone. Among the din, it would take too much concentration, and distract her from the terrifying foe now hunting her down like a lion stalking its prey.
In a slight state of panic, she drew another knife and tossed it straight at him. It bounced feebly off his breastplate, cutting into the whitening sand. She threw again in desperation, and this time the giant flicked his mighty arm as the knife came, rebounding the blade and sending it flying across the arena.
Kira watched it go, slicing through the air. It landed, not with a dull puff, but with a glint and a clang. She frowned, and then saw that it had connected with Redmane's discarded sword, the huge blade now lying unused across the arena and slowly being hidden in a thin layer of frost.
She saw it, and hesitated.
And an idea began to form.
10
It was a long shot, and she damn well knew it. But right now, she didn't have anything much better.
Luring Redmane as far from the blade as she could, Kira set about rushing left and right, drawing up as much misty, frosty air as possible. The giant watched curiously without engaging, perhaps wary of the tactic. Before long, a growing cloud was forming, and her frame was hidden within it.
Redmane looked closely but didn't venture forward. His eyes stayed right on the swirling fog, waiting for it to settl
e and for Kira to reappear. And that was just what The Red Warrior wanted.
With Redmane's attention elsewhere, she crept quickly but quietly away, moving around the perimeter of the arena and reaching the other side in a flash. The crowd appeared equally transfixed as the giant, the mist mesmerising them for just a moment as Kira came upon the gigantic, discarded sword.
She reached down and took possession of the handle, hauling the blade from the earth with both her arms. It was heavy, far too heavy for her to use in combat. Yet with her supreme speed and short bursts of power, she'd be able to manage a single, hefty swing.
One at a time was all she'd need. At least, that's what she hoped.
She had seconds only before she was found. And during those seconds, the crowd began to see her, and the murmuring grew with ten thousand whispers. Redmane would surely follow suit in moments, and those moments were precious.
Dragging the blade along the earth, Kira made quickly for the closest fan. It was all but blowing ice and snow now, turning the battlefield arctic. She glanced around at Redmane, who was now probing forward into the quickly dissipating mist. Then, turning back, she lifted the great sword, rested it upon her shoulder, summoned all the power she had within, and swung.
It sliced through the air with tremendous speed, Kira's augmented velocity allowing her arms to sent the sharp metal right at the weakest point at the front of the fan. The blade crafted a devastating path through the outer shell, crashing straight into the spinning blades as they rotated, around and around. The machine coughed violently upon the connection, sparks and bits of shrapnel flying as it chugged and faltered. The noise filtered right through the stadium, the loud crash sending Redmane turning quickly on his heels.
He looked upon the machine, and saw that it was destroyed.
A huge gasp spread among the stands, but Kira was already on the move. She hauled the blade to the next fan, and lifted it high once more. With a second swing, she cut right into its heart, sending further shrapnel spinning off onto the white sand and pinging off her armour. One piece found its way towards her exposed flesh, cutting her right cheek. She flinched and shut her eyes, and felt the warm flow of blood.
It was glorious.
Wise to her game, Redmane now came charging. She dropped the sword to speed her movement, and sprung away as his own blades came crashing down. Across the arena, the other two machines continued to spin, but the effect here was immediate. The chill began to fade as Kira retreated from Redmane's furious advance, and as it did, her limbs thawed, and her smile rose.
Imbued by a fresh hope, she danced beyond the reach of her foe's blades, and saw that the fog puffing from his mouth was growing more extreme. His breathing was strained now, his frustration growing. She let his steam begin to run out, moving and sniping where possible, pricking at any vulnerable point she could find.
She connected several times, the tip of her blades sneaking into his flesh and drawing drops of blood. From his midsection, a short flow of crimson began to seep onto his white robes and heavy, ice toned armour. The crowd began to warm once more as the sight of red appeared, their bloodlust requiring quenching, their wild eyes opening bright.
But Redmane was smart, and not ashamed to withdraw. For the first time in the bout, it was he who ventured away from Kira's sniping thrusts, bounding off towards the far side of the arena where the two remaining fans continued to blow.
He moved right up to one, as if protecting it, the fierce flow of freezing air only serving to strengthen him when, with anyone else, it would turn them to cold stone where they stood. Kira moved now with greater confidence, striding across the sand towards him as the crowd roared her name.
She gazed about, now with a moment to take stock of the situation, and looked once more to the gallery. Dom continued to lean forward, a strain of belief now infecting his face. Rufus' eyes were wide, and she could see him nodding, his lips whispering.
She allowed a second to focus on his words, and heard them cut through the clamour.
"Keep going," he said. "The other machines...destroy them!"
She grit her teeth and moved her eyes along, and found the Empress' placid countenance upon her. A set of flat eyes gazed down, and Kira took great pleasure in the look. Vesper hadn't expected this. She hadn't planned for this.
And once more, Kira was defying her.
She turned, and rather than moving towards Redmane, worked her way back towards the great sword. She hauled it onto her shoulder, and marched across to the unprotected fan. Redmane stood firm, and didn't approach. Kira lifted the blade high and swung, and another loud crack resonated through the air.
Now, there was only one. The loud, incessant blowing had quietened down significantly, leaving the roar of the crowd alone. It dominated Kira's ears now, echoing heavily through her head. She focused once more and locked eyes with Redmane, the wildness within his sky blue irises fading and being replaced by a show of primal fear.
Kira feasted on the look, and continued towards him, carrying his mighty blade on her shoulder. She was a sight to behold, drenched in red armour and robes and with a flowing waterfall of fiery hair pouring from the top of her head. Against the now white sand of the arena, she was dazzling, radiant, hoisting a blade as long as she was on her shoulder, stamping ominously towards a giant of a man who now huddled against the fan, his midriff dribbling blood from several minor wounds.
As Kira approached, she let the sword slip from her grasp. It landed with a heavy thud and a puff of white. She drew her scimitars instead, and with the main flow of cold air halted by Redmane's frame, stood right ahead of him, inviting him forward.
The crowd now were firmly on her side. The chants had grown louder and louder, and the jeers and boos as Redmane refused to engage spread through the tiers and out to the city beyond. Kira, swept up in the moment, opened up her arms and stretched her blades out beyond her flanks, as if to say, "Come on then, are we doing this or not?"
The masses roared their approval. Redmane's eyes worked left and right, unsure of what to do. No doubt, he'd been fully informed by Lucius that the arena would be frozen stiff for the fight. That the conditions would be altered to suit his style and gifts. That his opponent, just a girl, would have no knowledge, and no answer.
Yet he won't have expected this.
He made a tentative step forward, and stopped. Each movement away from the cold air appeared to weaken him now. Kira waited, a short stalemate ensuing. Both warriors stared at each other, neither willing to venture to where the other was strongest. An impatience spread among the throng as the tension began to build. Kira looked down at the huge blade at her feet, the gesture enough to cause a reaction in the stands. They cheered at the sight, and Kira gave them just what they wanted.
She set her blades back to their sheaths, and stooped down. Lifting her opponent's great sword, she returned to her full height, and driven on by the clamour, began moving forward. Redmane shifted his weight and primed his weapons. Kira, dragging the sword through the white sand, appeared vulnerable.
It was an appearance she wished to portray. A show, only, and nothing more.
Drawn in, perhaps by desperation, Redmane suddenly took flight, lumbering forwards as Kira approached. She was quite aware that he would make the move before it came, the imperceptible triggers of his muscles informing her of that. His heart, hammering wildly, suggested an attack was incoming too. And the slow intake of air, filling his lungs to the brim, was further evidence of his imminent charge.
When it came, Kira was two steps ahead. The shape of his thrusts were well telegraphed, easy enough to avoid. The pace of his body, surging fast away from the fan, made it clear that he'd be momentarily off-balance. The electrical triggers within his brain, picked up by Kira's preternatural senses, told of a man who was growing wild and exhausted, and prone to making errors.
The evidence was gathered within a split second, and then instinct took over. Dropping the sword to the sand, Kira's motion was too qui
ck. The double thrust from Redmane missed its mark, and exhausted and off-balance, the tiniest chink appeared in his armour. As Rufus had told her: wait for him to tire, and then strike hard.
And that's exactly what she did.
In a moment of pure brutality, Kira drew her powers together and set them to the task. As Redmane faltered, the opening appeared and, through it, came two scimitar blades.
Kira wasn't going to miss this time, not from such close range. As the giant sword hit the earth, two more emerged from their scabbards. Both thrust up together, pinpoint accuracy required. Slipping between the top of his breastplate, and the lowest part of his helmet, Kira's two blades met the flesh of Redmane's neck. And this time, they cut deep.
Flesh, jugular, and bone alike were severed by the speed of the attack. From sliced veins, a pour of blood flowed right down into Kira's face as she looked up and completed the job. She shut her eyes, but it didn't matter. She could see it all anyway.
With her two scimitars embedded in Redmane's neck, cutting right through the middle, she ripped her arms to the left and right and took the blades with them. She opened her eyes up and blinked away the blood, and right before her she saw a headless man. To his side, the missing piece of him lay, face pained and gormless in the white sand, bookended by a flaming beard and curls of fiery hair.
The reaction of the crowd wasn't quite immediate. A moment of shock and awe seemed to tremble through the masses, before a disbelieving earthquake of raucous applause began. Kira sent her eyes away from her defeated foe, and looked up towards them. Her chest swelled, and her arms raised, and as their roars grew ever louder, a feeling of invincibility began to navigate through her veins.
Then, with a smile of dripping blood, she looked towards the royal balcony, and bowed as low as she could.
And all through the squares that night, her name was added to song.
