Duel in the Night
1106 Words
Toyama, Alexander, Marjory, and Kontessa sat around the small table in the apartments belonging to the two women discussing the nights happening, the duel having been told to the Ronin, Toyama. They now sat in silence as they waited for the second from the Duke Altair.
A knocking came at the door.
Toyama got up to open the door.
“This is for Kontessa Eldeman.” A leather scroll was handed to Toyama by a man in torn scarlet clothes consisting of tunic and hose. "She will be there, or her woman will pay."
Toyama took the scroll and closed the door. “What does it say?” he asked, sitting down.
He unrolled the scroll to see the barely legible chicken scratch on it. He read it out loud.
“To be met in the city square at two am on this night. Kontessa Eldeman and the son of Duke Sean Altair. The challenger offers all rights to property and life if the challenger losses. The duel is to the death to satisfy the need for an honorable revenge. A second will be advised, but a contest will be fought regardless.
Signed Duke Sean Altair, Of House Altair, of the city Kason
“Well, it seems you will need a second tonight,” stated Toyama. “I will be that second.”
Kontessa turned her head toward the window at the darkness outside. “I Don’t even remember the man he is talking about. This duke’s father, it’s been twenty years since I was in this Kason. I think. All those cities, all those places. You know, I’ve been out of the Hell's for close to two hundred years, and I've never met a man so intense on revenge. There was a surety about this one. A coldness in his eyes. I’m not sure I can beat this man, Marjory.”
“Write me a poem,” Marjory said. “Write me a poem that I can take to the cleric to read for me.” She stood and walked over to the walnut desk of Kontessa’s and opened the draw-down top. She grabbed the parchment there along with the silver pen and ink.
Kontessa took the pen and ink, dipped the pen tip in ink, and wrote.
Dear Love, I may go to my death,
But you asked for a poem. I don’t feel in the mood for poetry
And since you can't read this, I'm going to simply tell you how
Much I love you. Better than all the rest. I have not always been faithful
To you, but I will love you forever. And if this man tonight has this cold iron blade like I fear
For he was just too confident in his challenge. If he has this cold iron, I will be
Banished to oblivion for 1001 years.
Perhaps Alexander should take care of you; maybe it is better that you have a
Child while you’re young. I’ll tare this up if I make it, but I had to write this. Alexander already
told me that he would take care of you if anything happened to me. It was a silent agreement.
Signed Kontessa Eldeman, Demon extraordinaire
· * *
Kontessa stood in the chilly rain that seemed to be stopping. Yes, it stopped now. The puddles ran from the hill that held the city fountain with its four copper dragons spewing out water from their mouths. Toyama stood next to her as they waited alone in the light of the city torches lighting the city center court as they did all the major streets. The taste of the rain filled her mouth and filled her nostrils with its freshness. It hid, for a time, the stench of the fish from the piers and fishing wharves.
"Hello," came the duke's voice behind them. “I was hoping that you would not show. So that I might take you and your Love."
“Shut up,” she said. “let’s just get this over with. To the death, you say?”
"The rules are that if you kill me, you get all my wealth. But we must strike ten times before a death blow can be struck.”
“What,” Kontessa scoffed. “If I see an opportunity to kill you after one swing, I'm going to.”
"Well, barbarian, so be it."
With that said, he turned to his second and drew two blades, a long dagger, and a short sword.
That is when Kontessa saw that they were made of what she feared. Horror took her. She felt a chill take over her body, and for the first time since she could not remember when, she felt fear of losing everything.
“You see, don’t you demon." The duke made a few practice swings.
“What do you see, my demon friend,” asked Toyama, taking Kontessa’s scabbard.
"Ruin-covered cold iron, both blades."
“So?”
“If he kills me with those, I'll go back to the Hells. I'll never escape again.” Kontessa watched the man practice swings. “After I spend an ungodly time knowing in oblivion that I’ll go back to my father’s house.”
“Enough,” said the duke. “Let’s begin!”
Kontessa took a fighting stance with the blade forward. "Ok, let's dance, boy.”
They circle for an instant.
The duke was the first to attack with a combination swing of the sword the dagger.
Kontessa block the blades.
The duke thrust the short sword forward three times.
Kontessa backed up across the hill next to the fountain three times and then swung twice.
Both times the duke blocked the swings.
With the last block, he trapped the cold iron long sword by crossing the crossguards of the dagger and short sword.
He kicked the demon in the stomach. She doubled over but managed to back up and draw her sword from the trapping cross guards.
He came forward again, but this time the demon disarmed him of the short sword. It flew into the fountain.
He yelled.
He backed up.
Kontessa recovered from the blow to the stomach and stood straight.
Now it was her turn.
She swung.
Blocked.
She swung.
This time the duke stepped back and then quickly took a long step forward. Avoiding the longsword then stepping back for a s***h to the ribs.
A searing pain took Kontessa as she spun around out of reach.
He followed, opening himself for the next blow Kontessa had planned. She had known he would follow.
The arching blow came from the demon.
The duke lost his head.
- Writer
