Duel

Alexis quickly realised she was not facing any ordinary swordsman.
The way the man held himself spoke of skill and confidence that was matched by his posture.

He was economic with his movements, there were no grand statements that he would kill her or destroy her, only the unnerving white pupils looking straight at her although she could not tell if he was blind or not. Stranger still was that he did not reply to her jibes. He was focused on the task at hand.

He moved around her, keeping his sword loose in his right hand and the red stone on his left. He looked like a shadow moving in the light of the blaze.

As the two circled each other her eyes were drawn to the people behind him. Sudden realisation struck her when she saw Voah Sahnsuur standing outside then burning building and a woman holding a spear.

In that split moment of surprise Amalu's sword flashed like a snake towards her throat. She barely parried his strike, moving back, using her weapons to deflect the flurries of attacks he rained on her trying to get through her defenses.