Chapter 27 – Red Sand
Two more days of defeat. Due to the tonic I was not able to fight as much, but it was clear I was preforming better. I was not being defeated immediately anymore but in the back of my mind I knew it wasn't the potion giving me this edge. I was simply learning Raheli's patterns. She had always kept her movements small, swift, and difficult to read. But thanks to the potion I was able to follow them easier. I was not getting stronger. I was simply getting used to Raheli as an opponent. Using this training as means to get stronger is becoming pointless if all I am doing is getting used to the patterns of my opponent. That will not help at all against a new one. In a real fight I would only have one chance.
It had also become more apparent, thanks to the tonic, that Raheli was not even wearing down. This tonic is helping me see very clearly the difference between us in these duels.
'I can not beat Raheli, not while holding back... but I wasn't the only one holding back. I'm doubtful I can beat her in a serious duel. But I should give it a shot.'
That is what I thought earlier in the day. I went in with the intent to injure Raheli. To fight her seriously, or as serious as I could. I still did not want to truly harm her, I had no reason to. This is only training. With the only ending conditions 'win or give up'...
"Win or give up...? I get it now..." I say to myself realizing what I should have from the result of the first duel. 'They don't expect me to win. They're waiting for me to give up.'
As I was left to my thoughts as I sat in the library I came to a conclusion for the training. I picked myself up and walked to Raheli who had been my escort once again.
"Once more."
Picking up on what I meant immediately she responded with simply leading the way to the apparent designated area for our duels. Drawing our wooden blades she asked, "You sure?"
Nodding, I downed the potion again letting it's effect take hold. There was no audience this time, just the two of us.
Not wasting any time I rushed the warrior in front of me circling my way slightly to her left in an attempt to gain an advantage as I arced my blade horizontally to the left.
My blade being parried, I force myself to a stop and brought my right hand level with my right shoulder and aligned the blade forward and made a slight thrust for Raheli's neck. Side stepping, the tip of my blade slightly grazed the fin/ear on the side of her head. The close call enticed a smile from Raheli as she made for an underhanded vertical arc for my right wrist. The distance between us being fairly smaller than usual I step forward and use my left hand to block her swing at her wrist.
Not letting the chance slip away I enact my plan and remind myself to apologize later. I swiftly bring my left knee up aiming for her left kidney. But was blocked by Raheli's own knee. Not giving up I bring my blade in my right hand from my blind spot hard in a vertical swing inward but feel a vice grip on my wrist tell me Raheli had stopped that too. Making a final gambit before she can break the lock I readjust my left hand and deliver an empty palm thrust into her lower ribs, to which Raheli responds with lowering herself enough to result in me striking the stronger upper ribs.
The next thing I know I feel a sharp strike to the back of my head and then it's all black.
…
I awoke some time later in my room, the sun had already set and darkness enveloped Gray Gardens save for the few torches that were alight. Ione was asleep already, but I couldn't see Silvia nor Iva in the room.
Not feeling like sleeping after my forced 'rest', I left the room and began to wander as I tried to figure out what happened.
After running a few possible results through my mind, I assumed I was simply struck on the back of the head. Whether by Raheli's hand or elbow I had no way of knowing without asking.
Finding myself looking out towards the western sky I began watching the clouds as I sat on the sand contemplating the events of the last week.
"Is your head alright?" spoke Raheli as she approached from behind.
"I'll live."
"You came close that time."
Looking at Raheli it was clear she was not teasing me, but I knew she was not being honest either. She was in full control. Taking my silence as no comment she continued with, "So I assume we shall be going at it again tomorrow?"
"No, I can't beat you like this."
"Like this?"
"Holding back. Fighting with a handicap." Raheli's expression began to look annoyed as I spoke before I added, "Fighting with a weapon I am not proficient with and pulling my punches, or rather swings, to avoid delivering any real harm. My prefer blade is a whole foot longer that the wooden sword, the weight and actual edge of a real sword wold change a great deal in a fight in comparison to a training sword. Not to mention I also prefer to dual wield. I'm not using this as an excuse as to why I lost, I'm saying they are simply factors why I have zero chance of beating you in a sparing match."
"You believe you can best me in a real battle?"
"No I don't. To put an outrageous number to it, I was fighting at maybe 60% ability."
Raheli had taken a more relaxed stance leaning against a wall as she responded, "Well if I were to put an outrageous number to it myself, I'd say I was at maybe 45%."
As she said that Raheli had averted her gaze toward the stars above us. While I only had one thought to that, 'Bullshit. You were only using 30% at most.'
"What do you plan to do now?"
"One more, but not a spare this time." Standing I turn to properly face Raheli, my expression dead serious. "I want to challenge you to real duel, with real blades."
Raheli's disposition hardening as she leaves the wall and closes the distant between us she replies, "You sure you want to do that?"
"I know I probably won't win, but I need know how I truly compare in a real fight. If I ever get into another fight, chances are it won't be practice. So yes. I, Ryan Montgomery, challenge you Raheli... Darkstar?... to a duel."
"I will not go easy on you." She said with heavy finality.
I walk past her before turning half way to reply, "You'll lose this time if you do." From what I could see, I felt I saw a hint of a smile as her tail appeared to flick anxiously. I then made my way to the library to put together my strategy on how I'd claim a victory against an opponent I can't beat.
…
As walked down an outdoor hallway I heard a pair of voices talking outside.
"What do you want?" I hear Silvia ask, her voice hinting towards annoyance.
"To confirm a few things, and give you a warning." The second voice says, whom I pick out as Iva's voice.
The hallway I was in was fairly dark even at night as neither of the two seems to noticed me as they continued.
"How long do you plan to hide your past from him?" Iva inquired.
"What do you mean?"
Letting out a sigh of mock frustration Iva continued, "Some time back during a tournament there were a couple of twin werewolf pups, one with pure black fur the other with pure white fur. During that tournament nobody took them seriously, and yet they both defeated every opponent through a combination of their tenacity and being underestimated. Having grown and adapted to the world which is Kaori, it truly was impressive. By the final fight it was only the twins. The fight between the twins appeared to be to the death as neither was willing to give up."
"Shut up."
Continuing Iva added, "In the end the black one won out. The white pup was badly beaten but still lived. They even left the area together. A handful of years later it would have seemed that the pups ended up in the ranks of the Slave Hunters. As the next Grand Blood tournament arrived the white pup returned but not the black one. Needless to say as a previous runner up, at such a young age nonetheless, the pup was able to get through the early rounds with ease. And with a fair amount of effort eventually took the title just like her sister ten years before. Except this time, the pup had a reputation and even a title to her name."
"Shut. /up/!" Silvia's voice carried with it a vicious low growl.
"A simple yet fitting one, Silvia, The White Hunter."
That was apparently the final straw as Silvia made a lunge for Iva. However Iva simply flicked her wrist as the sand around her began to move. Multiple tendrils of sand wrapped around Silvia stopping the claw meant for Iva's throat by a mere 3 inches.
"Unfortunately for you, manipulating sand for a Prodigy Geomancer is not a difficult task."
Silvia appearing unable to move simply growled menacingly at Iva who simply continued, "He will learn about your past eventually. What will you do then? You are already fully aware that you are one of the very few who have escaped the Slave Hunters even fewer who were once a hunter themselves. Do you plan to keep it hidden while you keep protecting him the way you have? Just how many encounters have you saved him from without him even knowing? What is going to happen when he gets into a fight and you are not able to take his place? How long are you going to lie to him about being a defenseless pup?"
The sand began to fall back into the desert as Iva walked past Silvia saying, "I won't tell him, but you should. Otherwise everything might just come crashing down." and with that Iva had left the clearing.
The thought to walk out and let my presence be known crossed my mind, but I decided against it. Decided to try and forget I heard anything as I continued on my way to the library. Silvia apparently never noticing me.
…
Once in the library I puled out the anatomy book I had found on my first day and flipped through the pages until I came upon my target. /The Lizardman./ After bookmarking the page I searched the rest of the book with hopes for an entry on human anatomy. Thankfully I had found it as I began to study up refreshing myself of my own anatomy. Taking mental notes on the various ligaments and tendons I could make use of, I began cross referencing each between the human entry and the lizardman entry. Removing the notes of certain tendons and ligaments that are covered by much muscle or scales. Next I began imagining Raheli's leather armor, further striking off locations that would be protected. Eventually I came to zero in on the thighs, knees, biceps, shoulders, and neck as my optimal targets.
Afterwords I began to formulate plans and tactics, various 'what if' scenarios and responses. Pulling from memory all of the habitual movements I had begun to notice from Raheli. With each new plan I made an effort to cut off my emotions of empathy. Singling Raheli as a target, and nothing more than a target. Tearing down my own personas and bringing forth my apathetic personality.
…
-Ione's perspective-
Feeling the soft warm light of the morning sun I begin to rouse from my sleep when I hear the sound of foot steps in the room. Opening my still tired eyes I see Ryan picking up and attaching his sword to his waist. He hadn't seemed to notice I was awake as he held the blade in place to muffle the sound. When he turned back towards the door I caught a glimpse of his expression, it appeared... dead. I could not pick out anything from it. As he left the room, I got up and dressed as I made to follow him. Seeing his expression left me with an uneasy feeling.
Not taking too long to find him I saw he was standing before Raheli while others had gathered around to watch. Silvia and Iva were there. And a few of the Gray Gardens' guard as well as the Anubis, Beset.
Ryan removed his trench coat this time after drinking the tonic and then they both drew their swords.
'Why are they using real swords?'
Moving over towards Iva and Silvia, I hear Iva say "Would seem it happened already. What will you do White Hunter?"
Silvia gave turned to Iva giving her a quick growl at the name she had been called before looking back towards Ryan and Raheli with a torn expression.
'White Hunter?'
-Ryan's perspective-
Aligning my right arm with my torso, I turn my wrist 90 degrees and await Raheli's reaction whilst I begin counting in the back of my head.
Raheli takes up her usual guard as she waits for me to make my move, intending to wait out my timer again. Raising my arm slightly I break into a run heading slightly off to the left. As I bring my blade to meet with her's I continue past her 3 steps before roughly pivoting to face her again. The force of my sword's impact slowing her turn as she only just begins. Raising my sword parallel with my shoulder I thrust aiming for her right shoulder. Raheli swiftly parries my blade with an upward swing and takes a step back putting roughly 6 feet between us.
Raheli's sword being a standard longsword of around 38 inches in length was considerably shorter than my own Odachi, being at 49 inches. Both Raheli and my own arms reaching little over 2 feet our reach was 5 feet and 6 feet respectfully.
Taking half a step forward I begin making short swings striking Raheli's sword and occasional passes at her hands while taking small steps forward. My sword being longer giving me plenty of room to safely move and strike while keeping Raheli at a distance. My swings not having much power behind them Raheli began to stop parring them fully and simply made sure they never turned into full swings.
Taking a full step forward with my left foot I strike the flat side of my blade against her's and pause for a moment. Raheli picks up on what I was aiming to do and jumps back as I begin to trust my blade forward. Taking another step I manage to extend my reach a bit further hoping to reach before Raheli has a chance to land and react. As my tip gets closer, Raheli's foot meets the ground as she kicks off it once more but only managing to jump back a few inches this time. But they were enough by about two.
Straightening myself once more Raheli does so as well, her expression housing a smile. Sixty seconds had passed since the start of the duel, and I had yet to land a clean hit. But the same can be said for Raheli whom had been on the defensive the entire time. A mistake I was counting on.
Closing the distance again, I deliver several swings one after another but never allowing my blade to go more than a foot past her's. As Raheli meets each with enough force to keep me from aligning another thrust like before, I continue the swings in attempt to wear her down building a pattern.
After about a minute of this Raheli looked as though she was about fed up with the pointless barrage as I brought my blade in for a leftward horizontal swing, but this time I tilted the blade back. As Raheli made to parry her sword met nothing but air as my sword was brought to my right side. Not missing the chance I grabbed my hilt with my left hand and swung at her now displaced sword two-handedly forcing it further left. Attempting to redirect the inertia I circle the blade into a upward strike sending her blade above her head.
Collecting myself I bring my blade back and make for a swing toward Raheli's left ribs but pause before I put any force into the swing. Raheli see my intent and moves her sword downward to block the incoming strike. Reacting immediately, I pivot on my left foot around her right side. Being a step behind me Raheli made to swing her blade to force some distance between us but I was now in the longsword's 'blind spot'. All I was currently in danger of was a swing from an elbow not meant to strike anything. Completing my rotation, I brought the butt of my hilt in full swing ready to strike the small of Raheli's neck when I saw Raheli looking at me from the corner of her eye over her shoulder.
Making a diving motion to the left, Raheli attempted to dodge my strike and my hilt struck an area where her shoulder meets the torso. Pivoting herself, I suddenly feel something strike me on my left as I am sent flying roughly 4 feet.
Bringing myself into a kneeling position I look over to find out what had hit me but saw nothing but Raheli in front of me. Seeing my look of confusion Raheli intentionally moves her tail around her leg to make known my attacker.
'Her tail? Her tail sent me 4 feet?'
As Raheli went to raise her blade in attempt to make a counter strike her arm stopped very short as she winced from some unknown pain. She continued to try to raise her blade but the more she did so the more her expression became bothered. About half way up she brought her arm back down and looked towards me with partially perplexed expression.
Attempting to recount where I had actually hit, I estimated I struck Raheli's right axillary nerve. Switching her hands, Raheli goes into a new defensive stance as she awaits my next move. Almost four minutes had passed.
I needed to distract Raheli for the next part of my plan and was running out of time.
-Ione's perspective-
The fight has been ongoing for over four minutes, everyone was watching the duel calmly and silently up until the last attack made by Ryan.
"He actually landed a hit." said one of the guards.
"Raheli got careless, he won't get another." said another.
"She may have let her guard down, but I doubt she was being reckless. He earned and took that strike on his own. You children should learn to give credit where credit is due. Don't you agree White Hunter?" Iva said as she watched the battle.
Silvia remained silent as she watched the battle unfold before her.
As I looked back towards the two I saw that Ryan had yet to make a move from his kneeling position. He seemed to be waiting for something as he watched Raheli.
Unsure why he would just sit there as time went on I noticed a change in the air. Looking towards the sky I saw dark clouds rolling in. Filled to the brim and eager to give the parched sands moisture. As the area began to be covered in shade the winds began to pick up randomly kicking up some sand here and there. When Ryan suddenly made a move. At some point it would seem he dug his sword's length into the sand and with the sudden wind used his sword to kick up a small sandstorm towards Raheli.
"Using such a cowardly tactic!" one of the guards said.
"Using a tactic that can turn the direct..." Iva began but stopped when she saw what Ryan had begun doing. His back to us, only Raheli was currently blinded by a wall of sand. Ryan had pulled out a phial of what seemed to be the tonic and began to drink it, quickly tossing the phial aside before the sand had settled.
Everyone was speechless except Silvia who began to say, "We need to stop them his body can't handle tak..."
"Be quiet... Do not give his opponent free information. It'd be disrespectful to intervene." Beset said simply interrupting Silvia.
"Indeed, he made his choice, and he will deal with the consequences of it." Iva added.
Silvia had looked as though she wanted to jump in and stop the duel but Iva was giving off a feeling as though she would thwart any attempts to do so.
-Ryan's perspective-
The sand had settled as I looked at the result of my surprise sand attack. Raheli appeared as though it really had no effect as she looked at me waiting for my next move. The ground had now darken due to the over head clouds and the air became cooler. Checking my sheathe at my side, I reminded myself of how much time I had left before things my plan either succeeded or failed. Almost five minutes had past since the start of the duel when I raised my arm horizontal to my body and charged at Raheli.
Counting down the seconds I began to lean forward too much and to the left. Catching a glimpse of Raheli giving me a 'good try' smile as I seemingly fall to the ground next to her I return my own 'checkmate' smile that I could no longer hold. My sword following my body's trajectory on a path to her right knee Raheli swiftly reacts the my unnatural behavior to block the blade. Quickly correcting my body I turn my landing into a roll and maneuver myself under Raheli's tail to her undefended left side. Pulling my sheathe free of its loose binding I bring it in for a full force swing with my left hand aiming for the middle outside of Raheli's thigh forcing her leg to give out and claim victory.
Raheli reacted by attempting to jump away. But the action was a bad choice, the result made me miss my intended target, and instead, fully striking her left lateral collateral ligament in the knee.
The jump being a decent one landing her some fair distance between us. However upon landing the full extent of her injury made itself known. Her left leg almost entirely giving out from under her, Raheli was no longer able to maintain the stance she had been the duration of the duel.
Straightening myself out I face Raheli to offer her the chance to surrender, her injuries possibly becoming severe should we continue. But my voice caught in my throat. As if on cue a loud lightning bolt cracks overhead briefly illuminating the area but all I could see was the lizardman before me. Wearing a wild ecstatic smile assuming a new position I wasn't familiar with and an expression that seemed to be daring me to come.
I was momentarily paralyzed, in awe, in intimidation. Raheli was showing me she was dead serious now. Even with the tonic in effect my mind had been thrown into brief disarray for a good while, I had lost count of my timer. Attempting to compose myself I reminded myself of the fact Raheli was incapable of any complex movements with her right arm and left leg. She was most likely intending to make this a 'last stand'. I was unfamiliar with her stance but it was apparent most of her weight was in her right leg while wielding her longsword wit her left hand. Taking in the sight of what I could only describe as mountainous, I felt a smile creeping on my face as well. My body not necessarily shaking but I was definitely excited for what was to come.
As the illumination from the lighting bolt faded, I began my charge before my eyes had readjusted to t he dim light we were in. Slowing a few feet before my intended strike range I turned into a full spin swinging both my sword and sheathe at Raheli from her weaker right side. Despite the added inertia to my swings, Raheli met them head on with her own not only stopping them but practically sending my body spinning in the opposite direction. Moving to strike before I could recover Raheli brought her blade down and up in an upward cut barely grazing the inside of my left thigh. Finally recovering some balance, I struck out at Raheli's blade in attempt to forge a path but my blade simply bounced off her unmoving steel as I follow the initial strike with a similar one from my sheathe forcing her blade to move slightly showing she couldn't handle consecutive strikes at the moment.
However the inertia from my strikes were not through carrying my arms as Raheli took the chance making a shallow cut for my forearms which were now parallel with each other. Managing to jump back a bit I managed to evade by moving my left arm but under estimated the length between my right arm and her blade resulting a grazing cut on the inside of my forearm. The exchange went on for almost two minutes with grazing blow after grazing blow exchanged alike. When eventually I had managed to fully evade a downward slash from Raheli, seeing a chance I make for a trust with my sword for Raheli's right shoulder. But Raheli bring her sword in an upward swing bring both our blade above our heads.
Bringing my left arm in for a swing into the right side of her ribcage Raheli counters by grasping and twisting my wrist almost 90 degrees locking me to the spot. With me unable to evade anymore I was open for a definitive blow. Making a final gambit I brought my sword downward as did Raheli each aiming for the other's neck, when another lightning bolt crashed over head. Followed by a torrent of rain unto the parched sand.
The sand greedily absorbing the first moisture it has likely received in a long time. Even if the first drops were red...
