Welcome back, everyone. Enjoy and review.
The Stone Circle
In the area was a circle of standing stones, older than the Evabon, Labinnac and Nomis civilizations. Were Mumm-Ra, older than either civilization, to see the circle, he doubtless would have recognized it. It was not something he had left but rather something an enemy had.
Gard sat within the circle, axe in hand, awaiting Donalbain's appearance. Lion-O and Tygra were nearby on a ridge overlooking the circle, although Gard believed he would not need their assistance.
Thinking back to the duels of his youth, Gard remembered the law. Killing in a duel had been a crime worthy of banishment. According to the laws of combat, a duel would end with first blood drawn or when one of the combatants had accidentally stepped outside of the circle that the duel was to be fought in. Duels to the death had always been frowned upon by the Evabon, as a dead warrior meant one less to stand in battle. A sore loser may kill or cripple the victor at a later date but the punishment for that was to be whipped and displayed before the clan's populace every day for a year. This was completely different for an individual who had been on trial three times for murder, which was the loss of their dominant hand, and woe unto those who were ambidextrous. The punishment went further but the loss of hands was what everyone remembered first.
From the ridge, Lion-O and Tygra both watched the Old Savage as he sat there. In the shade of a tree they both waited for the appearance of Donalbain and, possibly, Pumyra.
"He waits so patiently…" observed Lion-O, stroking his chin as he stared down at Gard.
"He has had a long time to learn patience." Stated Tygra. "He was old when we came to Third Earth and I am left to wonder if he will still be here long after the civilizations of the animals are no more on Third Earth."
"Why wonder that?" inquired Lion-O, looking to his brother in curiosity.
"Just this fear of what will happen if Mumm-Ra wins." Answered Tygra, grim in tone. "I've been thinking about it and… Wait, look!" Tygra pointed down to the circle where Donalbain had arrived. "He certainly took his sweet time finding Gard."
"As an Evabon he probably has all the time in the world." Commented Lion-O. "I wonder if one has ever died of old age."
Tygra made no comment. He merely thought of living forever in a body that aged as all other bodies did. It sounded almost terrifying. Although Gard seemed eternally sixty-nine, the thought still terrified Tygra.
Gard and Donalbain only stared at one another, neither speaking nor moving. Donalbain made no move to attack and Gard made no move to get up. Both were as still as statues.
"What are they doing?" Tygra asked, puzzled why the two Evabon had not yet begun to fight. "Why are they just staring at one another?"
And then, Gard spoke.