AR Chapter 519 (Patreon)

Yesterday's. Should still get all the other chapters done today.

From the moment that I had mentioned the maqana, Trai had been basically vibrating in place. The female adored combat, in a way that perhaps only the original Wisterl had. Even so, there was something different about it. Wisterl enjoyed combat. She wanted to prove herself, to be victorious over another. On the other hand, as far as I could tell, Trai enjoyed killing. Not wholesale murder, but a fight that ended with her ripping the throat out of her enemy.

Though I couldn’t say I disliked the exhilaration of a fight like that, there was obviously something different about Foire’s daughter and how she approached fighting. She’d always been one of the first to volunteer to go out on a scouting expedition before the siege had begun, then once our walls were surrounded, every night she enjoyed taking her post along the most fiercely contested stretches of wall. It didn’t matter how many wounds she sustained, as long as she was physically capable of moving, she would stay there until there was no more possibility to visit death on our enemies.

Now was no different. She had an opportunity to fight and kill, and she was so excited that it had been a struggle to get her to hold still. As soon as the fight was confirmed, she stood tall and went through the motions of warming her body. However, that excitement was, before too long, curtailed.

“For the benefit of Zaaktif Ashlani and his people’s understanding,” Pliet said, “I will remind everyone that the maqana traditionally takes place right as the last light of the setting sun disappears. There will be several hours that remain before the result of the fight will be determined. Until then, the conclave cannot continue. As such, for now, I invite everybody present to partake of the bounty of my range. We have carefully taken steps to ensure that none will be left hungry while the range remains prosperous.”

At that, with dozens of conversations occurring all around the amphitheater, all of the clans dispersed. Most remained only with their own clans, though a few of the clan heads gathered together to exchange quiet words. Shadows wreathed them as they consulted about whatever secrets they held in their hearts, and I simply smiled and enjoyed the time that I had to observe the Misti Hawar.

Before, there had been no shortage of prideful and hateful glances in my direction. Within the bounds of their civilization, they considered themselves safe. Now, with one of their clan heads challenged to a duel to the death and my constant, explicit reminders of my eagerness to kill them to the last, there weren’t any so stupid as to open themselves up to that danger.

The hours passed in conversation I engaged in with a deliberate casualness. Instead of showing worry or even severity about what I had invoked, I was calm and collected. Every one of the Misti Hawar who dared to engage in even the most indirect and quick conversation was quickly left off-put and unsure.

Finally, when the politicking that my mate would surely enjoy died off, all of the Misti Hawar present seemed to rise as one. Evidently, they felt the coming of the night more keenly than we did, and there were no words spoken as we followed them to the very same amphitheater that the conclave had begun in. Nothing there had changed in the past hours, though the space had been left empty. In the center of the inverted pyramid, the shadows were already deep, with the setting sun largely hidden behind the mountains.

The Liertuk clan stood near their clan head, and Inuksuza was the first person to step all the way down into the bottommost ring of the amphitheater. There, his people rallied around him, but only for a moment as I led Trai to the stone stage. It was about forty feet across, and it was obvious from how Inuksuza leaned against the far step that he was trying to get as much distance between himself and us as possible. Even though Trai was smaller than the Hak’Tal, she was still right about ten feet tall. The arena might have been considered a medium sized one for the Misti Hawar, but for Keel? It was tiny.

He started to try to make some complaint about the sanctity of the duel and so on, but Pliet reminded him of some historical turn of events that was similar. Whatever the case was, he didn’t have any room for argument, so despite his anger, it was only delayed by a short moment. Finally, only four people stood in the center of the amphitheater, Trai, Inuksuza, myself, and Pliet.

“This is a maqana. There is no such thing as foul play, other than to use another’s strength as your own. Fight until the other is dead. Now, the night approaches, and it is nearly time to begin.”

Pliet stepped out of the center at that, and I followed her lead. In a few short moments, the last vestiges of light overhead started to drain away. As soon as the sky went purple, thick shadows exploded from under Inuksuza. The thrashed wildly towards Trai, and, seeing she was completely surrounded, she just threw herself forward. Screeching filled the air as the shadows scraped against her heavy scales. He roared in concentration as the thick darkness collapsed in on Trai. It bulged as his face set in a victorious grin. A few of the people nearby seemed to think that a brief entrapment would somehow make the battle turn in their favor, and excitement spread through the assembled ranks.

Then, Trai burst from the trap and closed in on the old male. Shadows reached out under his bidding to stop her, but they were far from as solid as those he’d briefly trapped her with. Without delay, Trai buried her claws in her enemy’s chest. With both hands, she ripped open his ribs and buried her face in his innards. Blood burst from the corpse to coat her body. The young female threw her head back and trumpeted to the air in victory, and I stepped forward in that silence.

“Remember. This is an option available to you if your clan head has decided to sentence you and your families to death by challenging us.”