Character junk
This is a brief description of the action at the end of our last HARP session. I deeply apologize for the blatantly plagarized names.
Caladan had to stay awake to drive the dreams away. She was always waiting behind his eyelids with those dark eyes. Those eyes that could pierce his soul. He needed to be centered if he was going to face the nomad woman and win - and to be centered was to be without distraction. The monks had shown him how. Mastering it was another question.
He’d watched her move the night before at the fire. She was liquid, like a flowing stream, and supple like a willow branch. She was dangerous, of that much he was certain.
His candle guttered and he struggled to regain focus. His eyes closed briefly, but she was still there, staring back at him, and he could not face her.
*** ***
Nasheerie bowed and in a voice free of fear, declared her readiness.
Caladan followed suit. The rules were clear and simple. “You will fight until the winner is clear.” No more. No less.
However, as his pale had gripped the familiar hilt of Vimukti, Caladan knew that there was an unspoken rule that he must follow. These were an honorable people who saw trial by combat as a way to gauge the value of a man’s soul and being. Brood or not, Caladan knew what honor meant and understood its importance here. He would win or lose to this woman by the merits of his skill with his blade and the strength and speed in his body.
Then, Vimukti was drawn and all thought disappeared from Caladan’s mind.
The two warriors became blurs of motion, moving too quickly for the eye to follow. Both blades snaked out to attack and pulled in to defend as each warrior tested the other’s skills. The black alloy of Vimukti’s blade made a dull hiss as it struck against the steel of Nasheerie’s glaive, but otherwise, the combat was silent. Each body moved with utmost efficiency and grace. Watching the duel was like following flower petals as they rode the wind - spiraling and swirling in a vortex around an empty center point.
A flurry of motion too complex to take in all at once.
Caladan was immediately impressed with Nasheerie’s skill but even as the contest began, he knew it was over. Her skill and talent were astounding, but she lacked the refinement and discipline that comes with a lifetime of harsh Temple training. So, even as she dropped back and opened up, Caladan saw her plan revealed in her eyes - eyes that had never been trained to harden or lie. It was her undoing. Caladan thrust Vimukti toward her chest, playing into her trap. But even as Nasheerie reversed her grip to disarm him, Caladan drew back and brought Vimukti across and beneath her
now out of place glaive. Realizing her mistake with horror, Nasheerie
threw herself backward. She flowed like water and a slight grin caught
Caladan’s lips.
But Vimukti would not be denied.
Nasheerie spun several times in mid air before landing hard on the sand.
Caladan was already following up. With the uttered word “dulek”, the dueling ring was suddenly pitch dark. A heartbeat later, Vimukti was resting against Nasheerie’s neck.
“Yield”, she said, her voice still strong and unafraid. She was as beautiful and dignified in defeat as she had been before the duel.
Caladan helped her to her feet.