Destiny Intertwined, The Final Duel
#14 of Destiny Intertwined
Here we go, the very last chapter of Destiny Intertwined. I hope you have enjoyed this story as much as I have. As always, comments are appreciated.
Continued from Into the Maelstrom of War...
Jessica sat watching her love sleep. They were inside a pavilion that had been set up in the plain behind the battlefield. Outside, a dozen soldiers surrounded the tent, along with a trio of strong magi, a hedge against betrayal. Cerule was shirtless, clad only in his trousers. Jessica had cast spells to speed the healing and recovery of his wound while he slept, and she sat watching him, monitoring his wounds. She had one paw on her stomach, feeling the life within her. She had tried sleeping in her lover's arms, but she had found that rest eluded her. So, instead she sat up, wondering if Cerule would survive the coming fight. And, gradually, her thoughts turned to what she would do if he were slain. She shrank back from that thought, for when ever she had thought it the world seemed to press in on her. But, now, a steely sort of resolve gripped her while she sat there and she came to a sudden conclusion. If Cerule fell the next day, then so did she. She would slay herself rather than live without him. She smiled to herself as the weight of worry was lifted from her shoulders. Careful to not touch his wounds, Jessica laid down beside him, cuddling up close. Daylight was coming on soon, and she wanted to take every moment she could to be with her love.
For a few minutes, she lay listening to the quiet breath of her love as he slept on, his body healing itself, hording its strength. By the time he woke up, his wounds would be healed and his body would be as good as new. She smiled to herself and yawned. Sleep wasn't far off for her either. Just when she was about to nod off, she heard a sound that did not belong in the quiet night. It was the quiet twang of a bowstring in the night. It was soon followed by the heavy thud of a body hitting the ground outside of the tent. Jessica was instantly awake. She quietly moved away from her love and crawled into the deeper shadows of the tent, crouching quietly, reaching for her magic. A moment later, she heard the quiet snick of a knife coming free from its scabbard and then a line of moonlight appeared in the side of the tent as the assassin cut his way through its edge. Moments later, a black clad arm pushed its way through the slit, followed by the head and torso of a Scio assassin, blade naked in his hand.
His head turned, sweeping the interior of the tent and as he did so, the moonlight from the new opening washed across where Jessica crouched. The assassin, catching a reflection of white and silver from her fur, turned his head towards her, but it was much too late for him. The magus in the tent had already reached for a spell. The assassin was plucked from the ground as if by a giant fist, pulled through the opening in the tent and into the air. Then his body contracted. In an instant, the guards of the camp, fully awakened by the disturbance, were suddenly in motion. A commotion sounded outside as other assassins were caught by other magi and soldiers. By dawn, their bodies would be hanging from spears between the armies. It was as Cerule had predicted, the Scio had taken matters into their own hands. Jessica smiled to herself once more and then returned to Cerule's side, nestling in under his arm and closing her eyes. They were safe for now...
***
Bright sunlight shone down from a cloudless sky onto the bright armor of the assembling armies. Morphs and humans alike, clad in their armor, were making their way to positions within two semicircles, their points not quite touching. Within the twin crescents, the duel that would decide all would take place. Neither combatant had been seen yet, but it became clear that, during the night, both sides had faced a common foe. Seventy corpses in assassin black were present, impaled on lances on both sides of the field. The Scio had apparently taken umbrage with their leader being held in preparation for the duel. They had tried to assassinate the leaders of both armies during the night, and had failed miserably. The leaders of the morph army were surprised to find a procession of armor clad soldiers marching out into the field, leading a dozen assassins bound at the wrist by ropes. Aden, acting as the commander of the morphic army while Cerule was resting, came forward a short way to hear what was said. The king that had ordered Scio to abandon his efforts the day before came out with the soldiers to meet him.
"What have we here?" Aden called and the king spoke in reply, holding on arm to a bandage on his chest.
"These assassins were caught trying to kill the guards holding Scio to his word." The king explained, surveying the corpses on display on the morphic side of the field. "It would appear that we have had a common foe. We are about to execute these traitors."
"We won't stop you." Aden stated and then walked back towards his line. He turned back to watch the spectacle and to wait for the duelers to come into the field. To their credit, the assassins faced their deaths with absolute calm, saying no word and making no sign as they were lead forward one by one to face the headsman. While they were being killed, Aden wondered where his friend was, and if he really thought he could beat the master of assassins.
In the tent that Cerule and his mate had spent the night in, Jessica was helping the champion prepare for the fight. He was wearing his old dark blue clothing once more, for he would wear no armor in the fight. He would need all the speed he could muster and armor, even leather, would slow him down. When he was fully dressed and his sword and dagger were in his belt, he turned to face his love, his eyes filled with a mixture of emotion. No words needed to be said between them, they both knew what the other wanted to say.
"Fight well my love." Jessica stated, smiling. "Give our child peace."
"I will." Cerule stated, then he embraced her. "I love you Jessica, and I always will, no matter what."
Jessica returned his embrace and then they walked from the tent. A corridor had been cleared through the tents and the crescent of the soldiers for him to walk through, and he held his head up high, pride in his every step. The soldiers were silent as he came forward, his mate walking behind him with measured steps, the only honor guard he needed or wanted. Across the field, Scio was making a similar journey, his attention on his opponent, completely ignoring the bodies of his fallen students. He too wore no armor, but he carried a short bladed straight sword and a kris knife in his belt. No other weapons were allowed to him in this duel and he had been searched thoroughly before he had left his tent. Cerule's eyes were glued to him and when they entered the field together, a hush fell over the field. Not even the wind stirred the air around them. No words of introduction were spoken, and none were required. All knew what rested on the outcome of this fight.
When the slow walk to the center of the field ended, the pair came to a halt, neither pair of eyes wavering. All was still, and silent, so much so that the barest whisper would have seemed a shout. And then, in the same moment, both warriors drew their blades, sending them arcing towards their foe. Cerule caught the assassin's sword on the flat of his own blade and twisted it, driving the locked blades out of line. Scio let the blade twist, then suddenly, he changed the grip on his blade, reversing it quickly. The assassin swiped with his sword and Cerule was forced to take a step back to avoid it. Cerule delivered an answering slash against his foe and the fight began.
Blow and counter blow rang in the still air as the pair fought. It was a bitter struggle, both using all their skill to defeat the other. It soon became clear to anyone watching that they were evenly matched. Though Cerule was much larger and stronger than his opponent, Scio fought with skill and technique that no one had seen before. He moved like a snake through the fight, his blade weaving in and out of his guard. He was more than a match for any normal swordsman, but Cerule was hardly normal. The huge champion answered every blow skillfully, moving faster and faster, his sword like a net of flashing steel around the master assassin. For a quarter of an hour, the two clashed in a never ending stalemate. But it could not last, and everyone knew it. They all waited for the battle to change. And all at once, it did. Scio pressed a hidden stud on his sword hilt and a thin spike jutted out of the bottom of it, dripping with poison.
He stabbed with the spike, but Cerule was ready for the move. In a flash, his dagger was free from his belt, and he delivered a slash to the underside of Scio's arm. The one armed assassin leapt back, getting out of the tiger's reach. The wound was not deep, but his sudden trick had failed him. The duel carried on in a new manner. Scio thrust and stabbed with both ends of his sword, trying to tag the tiger with the poisoned spike, but Cerule was always one step ahead, his sword and dagger flashing, blocking every strike. And then, Cerule made his move.
Catching Scio's sword on his dagger's hilt, he swept his sword high, then down suddenly. Scio moved to dodge, but the blow was not aimed at him. With a metallic crack, Cerule's hand and a half sword cleaved through his opponent's sword at the hilt, sending fragments of the blade spiraling through the air. The master assassin threw the shattered hilt aside and drew his kris knife from his belt all in one motion, stabbing the tiger in his side in the blink of an eye. The curving blade sliced along the champion's side, carving through his flesh. Cerule turned with the blow, rolling away quickly, but he was forced relinquish his weapons in the process, leaving them on the ground. The wound looked deep and horribly painful, driving Cerule to his knees in pain. Jessica felt her heart leap to her throat as he crouched, waiting for the assassin's killing blow. She wanted so badly to reach out with her magic to protect her love, but she restrained her self, knowing that to do so would void the agreement and the battle would continue, likely ending with the destruction of both sides. She closed her eyes, tears filling them as Scio stepped forward slowly, a low chuckle escaping his throat.
"So Cerule, this is how it ends." He said, coming forward to the seemingly immobile tiger, he readied his knife in his hand and prepared to stab. Cerule did not move, remaining where he was, one hand held at his side, the other pressed against the bleeding wound. "I have waited for many long years for this. Goodbye Far strider."
The assassin stepped forward, his knife raised for the killing stroke. But, just as the knife started downward, Cerule moved. He lunged suddenly forward, a dark object in his hand. Cerule came to rest inside his opponent's guard, less than a hand's breadth separating them. Scio's eyes grew suddenly wide and he froze in place, the tiger's face close to his.
"Goodbye Scio." Cerule said, looking the assassin in the eye before stepping back from the assassin. Buried up to its hilt in the assassin's chest was his broken sword, the toxin laden spike deep within its owner's heart. For a moment Scio staggered after his foe, but then, he fell forward, landing face down and not moving. Cerule drew himself up to his full height, his loud voice carrying out across the field of war, all present hearing his words. "This duel is over. Scio lies dead before you. Let this war end here and now..."
***
Jessica sat leaning against her mate on the comfortable wooden bench on the porch, looking out into the warm island sunlight. Out in the field before their house, children wrestled, kicking up dust as they played. Then, the confusing scene resolved itself briefly. Two figures were standing victorious over a pile of wrestling children. One was a pretty female tiger, her fur white and silver. She was already broad shouldered and her aquamarine eyes were lit with the same fire that lived within her father. The other who stood victorious with his friend was a fox and leopard hybrid. He had the fur of a leopard, but the body of a fox morph. The pair stood victorious for a few more moments, then another white and silver tiger, this one smaller than the first, worked himself free from the pile and leapt upon his sister and the confusing brawl continued onward. Jessica smiled, leaning her head against her mate's shoulder. Her daughter was shaping into a beautiful woman, but she was hardly going to be focusing on beauty. She took after her father more than her mother in personality, but Jessica didn't mind. Their son, four years younger than their daughter, was of slighter build, but he had already shown a powerful flare for magic.
While she sat watching her children play with their friends, the tiger woman caught a glimmer of metal out of the corner of her eye, but she did not turn towards it. Within the house behind where they sat, Cerule's silver and white armor rested on its stand, well maintained but unworn for a decade. Above the mantle, the sword he had carried through the war sat on a wall stand. Its blade had been repaired, as had the broken breastplate of the armor, but Cerule had not had need of either since that battle long ago. His duel had ended the war that had lasted for many generations.
Humans no longer hunted morphs and the last of the Scio had been slain long ago. Gradually, humans were becoming more accepting of the morphic people. But it didn't matter to her anymore what happened in the outside world. This island was home for her family now and they had long since ceased meddling in the affairs of the world. Jessica sighed contentedly and then spoke, laying a hand against her stomach.
"Cerule." She said and he looked at her, turning his gaze from their daughter as she rose from the pile, victorious once more. "I have a surprise for you my love." She took his paw and laid it against her slightly swollen gut. Cerule smiled broadly and embraced his lover tightly, giving her a loving kiss. 'Yes,' Jessica thought, 'This is the way things are supposed to be...'
The End