A/N

Life.

Disclaimer: I DIS to CLAIM it.

Chapter Eleven – A Battle of Wits

Prince Alois reared in his horse, observing the area below him with great distaste. He dismounted, and made his way over to the ruins at the edge of the cliff. Careful not to disturb any of the dirt, he traced to footprints that had been left there.

"A mighty duel was fought here," he called over to Claude, "between two masters." His blue eyes scanned the ruins picking up footprints everywhere. "It ranged all over the place!"

"How did it end?" Count Claude asked in return, wrinkling his nose. Something over here smelled like sweaty teenage boys. Alois made a face at him.

"The loser ran off that way" he said, waving his arm in a vague direction. "But the winner," he added, "the one we want to follow, is going this way." He pointed to the way the man in black had gone.

"Should we pursue the loser?" the Count inquired.

Alois shook his head. "No, the loser doesn't matter. We need to follow the winner if we want to find the princess." He placed his hands on his hips and looked flamboyantly out at his guards. "This was obviously planned by warriors of Guilder!" he cried, with great gusto. "We must be extra careful!"

"Your Highness," Claude, said, as Alois clambered back on his horse, "do you think this could be a trap?"

"I always think everything is a trap," the prince replied, looking smug. "It's the reason I'm still alive." And they were off, chasing after the ones who had stolen his beloved – er – princess.

xXx

The man in black dashed over the ridge, never once breaking his pace. He stopped abruptly, as a certain sight hit him dead on.

The man all in white, Ash, was sitting beside Ciel on the grass, a large flat rock in front of them. Ciel was bound and gagged, and had a long slim dagger pointed at his throat. A long, slim dagger that was held in the pale hand of Ash.

"So," said Ash, raising a brow. "It is down to you, and down to me." He raised his glass and took a sip. The man in black edged forward, sword raised. Ash held up a hand. "if you wish him dead, then please, continue forward."

The man in black stopped short. "Let me explain," he said smoothly.

"There is nothing to explain!" Ash interrupted. "You are trying to kidnap what I have rightfully stolen!"

"Then perhaps," replied the man in black, moving forward again, "we can come to some... arrangement?"

"There will be no arrangement." Ash tightened his grip on Ciel's arm. "And you're killing him." A whimper arose from Ciel's throat, as the dagger pressed tighter.

The man in black paused again. "Then it seems we are at an impasse," he commented.

"Yes," Ash drawled, "much like the last chapter of Twilight."

The man in black made a face of disgust that mirrored Ciel's.

"You see," Ash continued, "I can't compete with you physically, and you're no match for my brains."

"You're that smart?" The man in black asked, crossing his arms.

"Let me put it this way," Ash replied, rolling his eyes. "Ever heard of Plato? Socrates? Aristotle? Yana Toboso?"

"Yes."

"Idiots." Ash murmured.

The man black now had his eyebrows raised so high, they were in danger of leaving his face. "In that case I challenge you to a battle of wits."

"For the princess?"

Nod.

"To the death?"

Nod.

"I accept." Smiling, he put his dagger away and folded his hands. The man in black approached, pulling out a small bottle from his clothes.

"Inhale this, but do not touch," he said, offering the vial to Ash as he sat down. Ash took it, gave it a whiff, and blinked.

"I smell nothing."

"What you do not smell is called iocaine powder." The man in black stated. "It is odourless, tasteless, dissolves instantly in water, and Is among the most deadly poisons known to man."

Ash smiled. "Shall I pour the wine?"

The man in black smirked. "You read my mind."

The wine was poured. The man in black took the goblets, and turned around, out of sight from Ash. When he returned them, he had a smug look on his face, and placed one in front of both Ash and himself.

"The battle of wits has begun," he proclaimed. "It ends when you decide and we both drink, and find out who is right, and who is dead."

"But it's so simple. All I have to do is divine what I know of you - are you the type man who puts the poison into his own goblet, or his enemy's?

"Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because only a great fool would drink what was in front of him. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool – you would have counted on it! – so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me."

"You've made your decision, then?"

"Not remotely! Because iocaine comes from Australia, as everyone knows! And Australia is entirely peopled with criminals! And criminals are used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you."

"Truly, you have a dizzying intellect."

"Wait until I get going! ... where was I?"

"Australia."

"Yes, Australia! And you must have suspected that I would have known the powders origins, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me."

"You're just stalling now."

"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you? You beaten my Indian, which means you're exceptionally strong, so you may have put the poison into your own goblet trusting on your strength to save you, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you've also bested my swordsman, which means you must have studied, and in studying you must have learned that man is mortal, and would have wanted the poison as far away from yourself as possible, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me!"

"You're trying to trick me into giving away something. It won't work."

"It already has worked! You've given everything away, I know where the poison is!"

"Then make your choice."

"I will! And I choose-" he gasped, and pointed. "What in the world can that be?"

The man in black turned to look, and quick as a flash, Ash switched their goblets. When he turned back, he saw only Ash with a devious smirk on his face. "I don't see anything."

"Oh," Ash shrugged. "I could have sworn I saw something... but never mind. Come let us drink." He chuckled to himself.

The man in black narrowed his eyes. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing." He snickered. "I'll tell you in a minute. Now." He raised his glass to his lips, and drank.

The man in black drained his glass, and set it down. "You guessed wrong."

"You only think I guessed wrong, that's what's so funny!" Ash exploded. "I switched glasses when your back was turned, haha, you fool! You fell victim to one of the most classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia, but only slightly less well-known is this! Never go in against an angel when death is on the line! AHAHAHAHA-"

And he fell over dead.

The man in black watched him in amusement for a moment, then went to gountie Ciel. As the gag fell from his mouth, Ciel coughed. "To think," he said, clearing his throat, that all that time the poison was in your goblet."

"There was poison in both goblets," the man in black said, as he pulled Ciel to his feet. "I spent the last three years building up immunity to iocaine powder."

"I see," Ciel murmured. Then, without warning, he turned and bolted in the other direction.

"Shit," said the man in black and chased after him.

A/N Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line. It can only end in tragedy.

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