Chapter 6
The Final Bout
Zak's shock was only stopped by his quick reactions, otherwise he would never have been able to recover from seeing his opponent. Malice! Great, he thought miserably. Now, I have to win without hurting her, else I want to become minced spider food. He walked to the starting neutral ground and bowed respectively to Malice.
Malice, however did no such thing. She glared past Zaknafein to her mother.
"Well... I thought you were picking someone Malice, not fighting yourself..." Matron Do'Urden smiled as Malice smiled. "Looks like Zaknafein has a challenge. Fight is to first blood."
Malice grinned devilishly. She knew Zak's problem. If he lost, he would probably die. But if he hurt her, then he would die. It was a Lloth-damned situation that Zak never wanted to be in. Zak however, just smiled, and never extracted his blades from the respective sheaths. After a moment, Malice growled and grabbed her whip, and snapped it, sending the snake heads out at Zak's face. But, Zak was not there. Using the same move he previously used, he had already snuck behind Malice, but instead of cutting her arm, he stood passively and waited.
"What are you waiting for, fool?" Malice taunted. "Just make me bleed. You will win."
"You are planning something, Malice," Zak said softly, only so Malice could hear, and looked her in the eye. "And I know that fighting me was the last thing you wanted to do." Malice rocked back on her heels. He was more observant that he looked, she realized. She studied the fighter more carefully. His pifawai (sp??) was missing, and the blades were too nice for a commoner to own. His boots were standard Do'Urden issue, but he had a pair of gloves on, something Daernon Nashez'baernom never handed out to commoners.
"Fine, you damn male. I am planning something," Malice growled again, unhappy that the common male had outsmarted her. "Just let me get a shot at you when my mother is close by. I am planning to use a spell. I will reward you if you survive, but know that I won't help you if you get hit!"
"Of course," Zak responded with a smile. "Asanque."
He suddenly rushed her, weaponless, and before reaching her, he dropped into a tackle and slide tackled her lightly. She, no novice to fighting, barely dodged and snapped down the whip. In a flash, Zak's one blade swiped out, and the flat side of the blade knocked four of the six heads unconscious. His other blade wrapped around the whip and smacked Malice's wrist slightly. The other two heads, however, scored hits on his uncovered face and forearm, and he felt his face and left arm start to numb.
He jumped back towards the matron. His left arm drooped, and he looked at Malice cross-eyed, however not at all affected. Malice understood however and grinned impishly. She started casting a spell and Zak tried to clear his head, but Malice had finished before he could fully clear his unaffected head.
"Zeernnoth... Ilbhit!" Malice screeched, the words to her newest spell, one Lloth had told her to use in just this situation. Zak instantly saw the ghost fly impossibly fast at him, and he screamed a true scream of fear. Malice looked on without emotion. She watched as Zak jumped to the left and impossibly dodged the attack. However, even if he had not moved, it would have ignored him. The ghost flew right at the matron and it entered her black heart. Almost instantly, it expanded, bigger than a heart should be, and before anyone could react, Matron Do'Urden was dead.
The Final Bout
Zak's shock was only stopped by his quick reactions, otherwise he would never have been able to recover from seeing his opponent. Malice! Great, he thought miserably. Now, I have to win without hurting her, else I want to become minced spider food. He walked to the starting neutral ground and bowed respectively to Malice.
Malice, however did no such thing. She glared past Zaknafein to her mother.
"Well... I thought you were picking someone Malice, not fighting yourself..." Matron Do'Urden smiled as Malice smiled. "Looks like Zaknafein has a challenge. Fight is to first blood."
Malice grinned devilishly. She knew Zak's problem. If he lost, he would probably die. But if he hurt her, then he would die. It was a Lloth-damned situation that Zak never wanted to be in. Zak however, just smiled, and never extracted his blades from the respective sheaths. After a moment, Malice growled and grabbed her whip, and snapped it, sending the snake heads out at Zak's face. But, Zak was not there. Using the same move he previously used, he had already snuck behind Malice, but instead of cutting her arm, he stood passively and waited.
"What are you waiting for, fool?" Malice taunted. "Just make me bleed. You will win."
"You are planning something, Malice," Zak said softly, only so Malice could hear, and looked her in the eye. "And I know that fighting me was the last thing you wanted to do." Malice rocked back on her heels. He was more observant that he looked, she realized. She studied the fighter more carefully. His pifawai (sp??) was missing, and the blades were too nice for a commoner to own. His boots were standard Do'Urden issue, but he had a pair of gloves on, something Daernon Nashez'baernom never handed out to commoners.
"Fine, you damn male. I am planning something," Malice growled again, unhappy that the common male had outsmarted her. "Just let me get a shot at you when my mother is close by. I am planning to use a spell. I will reward you if you survive, but know that I won't help you if you get hit!"
"Of course," Zak responded with a smile. "Asanque."
He suddenly rushed her, weaponless, and before reaching her, he dropped into a tackle and slide tackled her lightly. She, no novice to fighting, barely dodged and snapped down the whip. In a flash, Zak's one blade swiped out, and the flat side of the blade knocked four of the six heads unconscious. His other blade wrapped around the whip and smacked Malice's wrist slightly. The other two heads, however, scored hits on his uncovered face and forearm, and he felt his face and left arm start to numb.
He jumped back towards the matron. His left arm drooped, and he looked at Malice cross-eyed, however not at all affected. Malice understood however and grinned impishly. She started casting a spell and Zak tried to clear his head, but Malice had finished before he could fully clear his unaffected head.
"Zeernnoth... Ilbhit!" Malice screeched, the words to her newest spell, one Lloth had told her to use in just this situation. Zak instantly saw the ghost fly impossibly fast at him, and he screamed a true scream of fear. Malice looked on without emotion. She watched as Zak jumped to the left and impossibly dodged the attack. However, even if he had not moved, it would have ignored him. The ghost flew right at the matron and it entered her black heart. Almost instantly, it expanded, bigger than a heart should be, and before anyone could react, Matron Do'Urden was dead.
