Duel's Law





*4:47:00 REMAINING*

Marco was growling and snarling like an infuriated wolf. "Let me go!"

"Are you mad?" Tobias hissed.

Marco pulled at his arms, trying to break free, trying to get a hold with his feet on the ground and push forwards. But then Rachel shifted her grip to grasp his wrist, twisted the entire arm backwards up to the elbow, and pulled back sharply. Marco followed, biting his lip to stop a scream.

Rachel and Tobias shoved him into a corner.

"And stay there," Rachel snapped. "Idiot! What were you planning to do? Jump? If, by some miracle, you survived the jump you'd still be dead before you were back on your feet!"

"No I wouldn't," Marco said, keeping in his corner and rubbing his wrist.

Ax was keeping an eye on things below them. Keep your voices down, he reminded the three. Hork-Bajir have good ears.

Rachel gave Marco a last look before returning to her place by the edge. From there, you could easily see most of the Yeerk pool area - that was easily dominated by the large, ugly pool itself. Almost every single Controller and caged host in the place was focused the same thing; the two Andalites standing further away, surrounded by Hork-Bajir. The usual cries and wails from the caged hosts was missing, and the pool area somehow felt incomplete without it.

"Anything new?" she asked Ax, who had kept a stalk-eye on things below.

Yes, Ax said. The Visser told Larynia his demands.

"That's the part that got nut-case back there upset," Rachel said. "Anything else?"

I was coming to that, Ax said impatiently. There was a faint flicker of stress in his voice. And his stalk-eyes were darting back and forth between the Visser and Larynia. Larynia agreed.

Rachel laughed. "Either she's crazier than me, or she's as nutty as Marco. Both would be pretty impressive to pull off."

Larynia is neither, Ax said. She is smart. Skilled. Just lets anger and pride get to her sometimes. And she is overconfident. She would take on the entire Yeerk fleet by herself if she believed she needed to.

"That's crazy," Rachel corrected. "Like me."

Ax smiled. My estimate is that, if you helped her, the two of you would have half of them blown to pieces by the time anyone stopped you.

Rachel flashed a grin.

"Stopped them? Not that easy, Ax-man. Not that easy." Tobias crawled up to where the two were looking down into the pool area. Marco stayed in his corner. "So. Before Marco explodes again, how about figuring out something to do?"

"That's an easy one," Rachel said with a smile. "From what Ax just said here, we could just leave the Visser to Larynia and have one problem less to worry about."

"Oh, no we won't!" Marco muttered from behind them. "Not a chance in the universe."



Larynia saw the Hork-Bajir form a circle around her and Visser One. The duel circle was usually made of Andalites, but when there were no other Andalites around the Visser had ordered his guards to take their places. Larynia felt a little insecure knowing that the circle guards - that were traditionally placed to make sure the fight was fair - would all attack her if Visser One told them to.

But that worry for another time.

She knew the duels. Any Andalite living on their refuge planet in the future would know them; it was an ancient tradition brought back because there was no other way to get order and laws back. It had been a method of deciding who was in charge.

She relaxed her back legs, then her front legs, and loosened the tension that had built up in her arms and neck. Flicked her tail from side to side to warm it up. Stretched her stalks as far as they went. Straightened to her full height (which really wasn't much to brag about), lifting her tail to defence mode.

She always went into defence first. To confuse, to make her opponent overconfident, if nothing else. Especially when she wasn't sure how skilled her opponent was.

Visser One did the same thing. But not properly; more quickly, as if it was just an annoying routine. But his own tail was lifted into attack.

On Visser One's command, a Hork-Bajir stepped forwards. "First circle," he said. And then, taking a step back to join the circle, added: "Begin."

Visser One began with a strike instantly. But Larynia's tail snapped from defence up to catch it in her blade and swing it away. The Visser FWAPPED his tail out again. Larynia backtracked, registered the flicker of triumph on her opponent's face, and took three steps forwards as she lashed out three times. A CLANG as the Visser blocked the first, another as he sent the second off course, but a thought-speak scream as the third struck his side.

Larynia drew back again to avoid a sudden burst of activity from his tail. She blocked two of them skilfully (if she could say so herself) and then feinted a block that she changed at the last moment to a strike. The Visser was confused, his own strike was aimed to keep going despite being blocked, and now he had to pull back to keep his nose in one piece.

Larynia's tail-blade cut easily through skin but she didn't let it go much deeper than that. The first circle was just like a warm up. If it had been the third circle, or later, she would have cut his face open. Maybe even cut through the bone of his face, if it had been the fourth circle.

Visser One was lucky. But the pain made him roar and he reared up on his hind legs and kicked wildly at Larynia's own face. She sidestepped, turned, and flicked her tail at her opponent's stomach.

Chance wasn't on her side. Visser One kicked with his hoof just at the root of her blade, and knocked it away. Then he spun on a back hoof, still kicking with his front legs, and Larynia received a duo of blows on her chest that made her fold back. At that time the Visser snapped his tail and made a neat slice over her back.

Larynia staggered back. And staggered a few more steps than she needed to. When the Visser followed, her tail flashed like lightening and cut cleanly through one of his stalks. Then quickly back to defence mode. Visser One didn't draw back; he attacked blindly. His strikes were easy to stop because they weren't aimed properly.

The judging Hork-Bajir stepped forwards and gestured for the two to stop. "Fault!" he roared, looking at the Visser who was holding his scalp where a stalk-eye had been earlier. "Illegal strike."

Larynia nodded. Maybe it had been wrong to cut a stalk eye in the first circle. It had been a spur of the moment idea, but maybe not a very good one.

"The circle judges tail penalty," the Hork-Bajir continued. Visser One beamed.

Tail penalty?! Larynia protested. Tail penalty can't be set in the first circle!

Silence, you fool! Visser One barked. You wanted this duel!

According to the rules, yes!

There was a moment of heavy silence. The air felt as if it was hard enough to walk on. Visser One's four eyes narrowed as he looked at Larynia. A part of her wanted to shrink away, but she was too proud and too angry to comply.

The Hork-Bajir who was judging knew nothing of the duel's law. He was just taking orders from the Visser. Visser One was the real judge. And that was going to turn into a big problem.

Look around you, girl, Visser One hissed. Who's word is law here? Yours, or mine? One word from me and this game is off. This goes on as long as it amuses me, and not a second longer. NOW ACCEPT THE PENALTY OR BE DRAGGED TO THE POOL!

Larynia glared. The Visser looked back, annoyed. The Hork-Bajir guards around them tensed, ready to spring into action if they needed to.



"He cheated!" Marco growled, fists clenched. "He isn't following the rules!"

"Marco, who let you out of your corner?" Rachel snapped.

Larynia did not follow the rules either, Ax said . Illegal strike. It does call for a penalty.

"Not a tail penalty!" Marco countered. Rachel pointed harshly at the corner and he retreated back to it with reluctance. "Tail penalties are too harsh for the first circle!"

"Excuse me?" Tobias interrupted. "Would anyone mind explaining 'tail penalty'? Just for us who never duelled as Andalites."

"It is basically the same as a free strike penalty," Marco muttered. "A free strike penalty is a strike not allowed to be blocked or avoided. But the free strike is decided fairly… how deep it should cut, and most importantly where it should hit."

The tail penalty has no such restrictions, Ax continued. Visser One is allowed one strike. And he can cut anywhere and however deep he wants to, as long as it doesn't kill her immediately.

Marco was slowly inching up to the edge again, trying not to be noticed. "Tail penalties are commonly used to hinder movement. You can cut a muscle in someone's leg, or even tail, and then you're as good as guaranteed to win the duel."

"No wonder Larynia doesn't like it," Rachel said.

"She could still win," Tobias said hopefully. "She's been dominating the first part of the fight. If she wins, it'd save us a lot of trouble. And…" he clenched the fist inside the iron glove he always wore "…if she gets in a mess, we're only seconds away."

"Seconds are very long," Marco said, now again peering over the edge and hoping no-one would notice. "Very long."

Let us hope they are not too long.

Rachel drummed her nails casually against the stone edge. "Marco? Corner."



Larynia followed the Visser with one stalk-eye as he walked around her, wondering where to strike. She had to shackle both anger and fear tightly. She had duelled before, of course, but never for her life. Never for her freedom. And if the Visser picked the right spot, she'd lose the duel.

She had a silent agreement with herself not to let any Yeerk infest her. If she lost the duel, she'd cut her own throat and hope the others could make it without her. They'd have to. She had agreed to Visser One's terms, yes; but he was cheating. And in a duel that was already corrupted on one side, she wasn't planning on becoming a host just to keep her own word.

Oh, Visser One said, and stopped where he was standing to her left. He was watching her back. Maybe here. Yes, I think so.

FWAP!

Aaaah! Larynia felt the blade slice straight through skin and muscle next to her spine and couldn't stop the scream. Her left side was numb. She couldn't stand properly on her left front leg - it just folded away under her - and when she tried pain shot like a bullet from knee to where the Visser had cut.

He had picked a good place to strike.

She gave up trying to use it and balanced herself on three legs. A part of her heard the distant "Begin" from the Hork-Bajir posing as a judge.

She blocked the first strike mostly on reflex. The second as well. But then Visser One aimed straight for her blade and knocked it backwards. He rose again on his hind legs, and kicked out with both front hooves.

Larynia tried to pull back. Her right legs responded instantly, shifting backwards as normal. But her left front leg was useless, and when she moved the back left leg the pain in her side made her wobble. And the Visser's hooves slammed into her chest and shielding arms with full force.

The blow was aimed to make her fall to the left. And her left front leg folded neatly under her. Her tail shot out right to balance it, but she fell down to the floor right on her wounded left side. The only thing that didn't hit the floor hard was her head. But when she knew she was down she let it fall slowly to the side and shut her eyes, drawing a deep breath.

She heard Visser One clicking his tail three times to the floor in front of her face. Larynia didn't even think about the possibility of clicking her own back; of giving up.

The Hork-Bajir judge stepped forwards. "Call for second circle," he said. And he kicked on Larynia's side, not that gently. "Get up!"



"Why I oughta..!" Marco snarled, again about to jump over the edge. "I'll teach that Visser how to duel!!!"

Tobias and Rachel pulled him back.

She lost the first circle, Ax said disbelievingly. I cannot see how she could lose the first circle! It's…

"Visser-beating time," Marco muttered. "Just let me…"

Tobias shook his head. "Cool down. You'll help no-one by attacking in blind anger. We need a plan, or we'll be killed. We can't afford being killed."

The Visser has an advantage now, Ax commented. But I am sure… there must be some way Larynia can compensate it. She always has some trick.

"I'm not taking any chances," Marco said. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm…"

"Going to stay right here until you've calmed down!" Rachel snapped.



Larynia was given a minute to stand up. In the end, the Hork-Bajir had to lift her up. Andalites are a bit clumsy lying down, a bit clumsy getting up again, and with only three functioning legs - and of that, only two that she could move freely - the task might as well have been impossible.

Visser One was gloating.

I cannot see how you are going to walk to the pool yourself, he said smugly. I suppose I will have to allow you to break your deal and let someone carry you.

Larynia nodded distantly, deep in her own thoughts. How do you win a fight with only three legs?

First of all, she had to move right. Which meant that she had to keep the Visser in front or to her left. That couldn't be too hard.

The other part was that she had to use her back legs more. She rarely reared and kicked in a fight; her female hooves were small and elegant, sleek and light. They didn't do half the damage of a male's well-aimed kick. And it wasn't worth exposing her belly to strikes for the small damage her hooves did. Now it seemed that if she was going to turn fast, it was going to have to be by rearing up and letting her back hooves do the work.

She would have to fight a lot from defence. And hope that the Visser made some type of mistake. It wasn't her favourite type of fight, but she didn't have much of a choice.

Are you done swaying so we can begin? wondered the Visser.

Larynia steadied herself. Set up her tail in defence. Aimed all for eyes on the Visser. He had his tail in attack, far from defence. If she attacked first…

The Hork-Bajir judge stepped back into the circle. "Begin!"

Larynia shifted her tail to attack instantly and did five quick slashes across the Visser's face. Then she backed away - to her right - and her tail was back in defence again.

Visser One roared in thought-speech and his tail flashed. Larynia blocked all his strikes, switched to attack, backed away (led by her right side) and then leaped forwards and her tail-blade left a deep cut at the base of the Visser's tail.

Visser One turned, aimed, and kicked out with both back hooves. Larynia was too slow to avoid it and it hit her in the side. The left side.

Only by luck did she keep standing. She almost folded double where the hooves had hit. All air went out of her, and she was sure she had a few broken ribs - if nothing more. She gasped for air, steadied herself, and tried to push the pain from the wounded left side out of her head.

Not so cocky any more, Visser One laughed as he turned back to face her. The only thing Larynia noticed was that his tail was back in attack, and that was dangerous. My sweet. I wonder which Yeerk will be worthy of such a weak host?

That woke her up.

Weak?

No.

Not then, not ever. Battered, never beaten. Hindered, never stopped. Never broken. Never defeated.

Larynia clenched her fists, forced the pain from her side to a corner of her head, and attacked.

The attack surprised the Visser enough for him to be too late to block the first blow. By the time his tail was out of attack, Larynia had cut a deep slash on the inside of his front knee. When his tail went down to block it, she swept it out of her way and slammed the flat of her blade into his other knee.

The Visser collapsed, forwards, when his front legs gave way. Larynia swept again to keep him from getting up too soon… now at his neck. The flat of her blade struck, she limped two steps to the right to avoid the Visser's strike, and cut down at his right hock. He fell further, and another flat-side of the blade - now on his head - and he fell the rest of the way, down to his side.

Larynia stood still, swaying violently like a human who has had too much alcohol. She was quivering in every part of her body, exhausted from the burst of energy. The wound on her left side was bleeding badly, as the slash across her back, things were black at the edges of her sight, her front leg was still useless, every breath hurt because of her broken ribs, and…

She clicked her tail-blade against the floor three times. The Visser didn't click back.

"Call for third circle," the judge grunted sourly.

The Hork-Bajir stepped forwards and helped their Visser to his feet.



A little better, Ax said, mostly to himself.

"That's it!" Rachel cheered. "She's up and back in the game!"

Marco, though, was looking worriedly down at Larynia. "She's not in very good shape. She's bleeding all over."

She has been worse, Ax said. And now the Visser is hurt as well.

"Not as bad."

"It'll have to do," Tobias said. "You two know her best. Is there any chance she'll be able to repeat this round?"

"Yeah, but not such a big one," Marco muttered. "If she gets angry enough, perhaps. And if she gets to fourth circle, she'll win. In the fourth circle you're allowed the deadly strikes. Makes the Visser more dangerous, but Larynia's had plenty of chances to kill him so far, but hasn't taken them because the circle is too early."

"So she wins if she manages till then," Rachel said. "Is that what you're saying?"

"Yep." Marco nodded.

I know one thing, Ax said. She will not click her tail in defeat. So if she looses, it will be because she falls when she is worn out and badly wounded.

"When she can't continue," Marco agreed. "Let's hope that doesn't happen."

Ax nodded.

Tobias ran a finger of his iron-clad hand along the edge of the ledge. "Maybe we should try to move closer. To act more quickly if…"

"Closer where?" Rachel said. "Oh yeah, we could join that group of Taxxons. Or that group of human-Controllers. Maybe the Blue-Banded Hork-Bajir. Or, if we're really desperate, we could always join the caged hosts! This place is packed!"

Maybe we should at least tell her that we are here, Ax suggested.

Marco nodded eagerly and began morphing. He would need thought-speech to speak to Larynia.



*4:15:00 REMAINING*

Larynia began the third circle with new confidence. Visser One demanded five minutes of rest. And, of course, he got five minutes. Plus a bowl of water to drink from. That gave Larynia time to rest as well - although no-one bothered to offer her a drink and she didn't think it a good idea to ask. It would have been against the duel's law to morph her wounds away before the end of the duel. But she felt that that would be the first thing to do when it was finished.

Larynia?

The soft call almost made Larynia jump out of her fur. But the voice made new energy seep into her aching muscles; it was Marco. She wasn't alone.

She directed her thought-speech straight at him and snapped; What took you so long?!

Don't even try, Larynia, Marco said. I can see you. I know you're not feeling good. I just wanted to tell you that I'm up here, just a few seconds away. Tobias and Rachel and Ax as well. Call us and we'll be down in a flash.

What do you mean, 'up here'?

Don't look up, Marco warned. But we're near the roof on a ledge on the wall behind you. You won't be able to see us, we're in shadow. But we're here, I promise.

I figured that much out, Larynia replied. I'll tell you if I need help. But don't come barging in. I can take care of myself.

Marco thought-laughed dryly from wherever the group was hiding. Whatever, love, he said. I'm up here. Be careful.

Larynia found herself nodding.

What are you nodding at? Visser One spat. Is there someone here watching? his one stalk-eye circled the room. Fortunately, it didn't look up. If there is, my sweet, tell them that I'll have you both killed rather than you freed.

Don't call me 'my sweet', Larynia snapped, feeling braver now. Or your head will be rolling across the floor. Got it?

Visser One laughed, limping up to his place in the circle. He motioned at the Hork-Bajir judge and the judge stepped forwards. "Begin."

Visser One launched his tail forwards. He was leaning no weight on his right back leg; the one where Larynia had cut above the hock. It was as useless as Larynia's own left front.

Maybe she could use that. Get him to lean on his back legs… push him to the right… and BANG! down he'd go. It was worth trying. If she got a chance.

First, neither of the two moved more than they had to. They remained in more or less the same places as their tails flashed, and flashed, and flashed again, somehow trying to spot a chance, trying to get an advantage. Both of them tried a lot of moves, a lot of tricks, but nothing worked. At one time, Larynia locked the Visser's blade, intending to break it off like her own had been broken by Ax when he was a Controller, but the Visser's tail was much stronger than her own tail, she didn't have the strength to twist it, and if he managed to figure out what she was trying to do… he'd steal the trick. So Larynia gave that idea up and went back to defence position as Visser One renewed his attacks.

Finally, after a millions cuts and bruises and what felt like hours, Larynia saw her chance. The Visser had received a minimal cut across his already badly cut face, and was distracted for just long enough.

She pirouetted on her front legs, used her least favourite move and kicked out with her back hooves at his chest, still spinning around her right front leg. By pure instinct he leaned back; less weight on the front, more back.

Quickly, Larynia spun around again, now on her back legs… but forgot herself and landed on her left front leg first. She fell downwards as the leg gave way, but her tail swept purposefully at the Visser's other back leg as she fell. Then she slammed at the inside of his front knees, and they also buckled and folded.

By then she had used her right front leg to get back up. And she turned again (being careful about her left front leg) and kicked out with her back hooves at the Visser's side.

He fell. Started to get up, but Larynia blocked a tail-blade coming for her left front leg before she flat-sided his head as hard as she could with the last of her strength. Then he hit the ground, hard. She was too tired to care.

Good going! Marco cheered.

But Larynia felt like falling down herself. Her tail-blade clicked three times against the floor because she had to, not because she had the energy. She stumbled to the side and almost went down twice before she had finished the three clicks. Her vision was blurry again; she barely made out foggy shapes….

"Call for fourth circle," the judge announced resentfully.

Larynia? Marco called. Larynia, fourth circle. Could be the last fight. You win this, you've won it all.

…and she barely made out the third voice that cut through the silence.

That was it! Visser One roared weakly as he was helped to his feet. He stood unsteadily, just like Larynia, but he had the Hork-Bajir to help him. He was already morphing, although slowly, to get rid of his wounds. No more fun and games. TAKE THE ANDALITE TO THE POOL!

Tall shadows appeared everywhere around her. Dozens. More. Too many. Strong hands grabbed her arms. Her tail. Her neck and legs. Began half-pushing, half-carrying her in the direction they picked. Pushing at her wounds and kicking at her legs to make her go the way they wanted her to.

And the severely wounded Larynia was easily overpowered.







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Author's note;

Just for the record. This is, so far, the longest chapter in the entire story. And it's all about how Larynia came close to kicking some serious Visser butt!! Talk about boring.

Me, I like variation. But I couldn't stop myself. My fingers typed it all! It's all their fault!! I couldn't stop them! They rebelled! *Translation: I just had to write this chapter, and that's all.*

Anyway. Time's running up for them, and they've still got a number of problems to deal with. Getting Jake out, convincing the Andalites, warning and hiding the resistance, doing something about the Visser breaking his part of the duel's deal, undoing the largest defeat in history... that type of stuff. Nothing new.

And, finally, here comes an order; REVIEW!!! Otherwise, I *sob* might think you don't want me to *sigh* put the next part up...