InsaneJournal

Day 14 Duel
Who: Xena and Kadaj
When: Day 14 morning
What: A challenge of swords
Where: Outside between resort and river
Rating: pg
Status: Finished



Waking early and eating alone in his room, Kadaj went out to the balcony afterward. He stared through early mist in the direction of the mountains, sitting still as silence on the railing with his feet hanging down over the grounds below. While the day brightened the mist seemed to retreat far up into the sky. Whispy clouds hung high over the mountains, perhaps even over the desert beyond. He lifted his face into a lightly stirring breeze, closing his eyes while the scents of Mirage teased him. Flowers and plants from the garden -- too sickly sweet, a salt tang from the beach area, drier air from the heights -- all of it seemed fresh and new.

After a moment, he leapt from the railing. Had anyone seen this, they might have thought a piece of sculpture suddenly came to life. He landed lightly, slowing down just before touching ground. What followed was anything but slow. Kadaj ran around the dorm buildings the moment he landed. He ran until he found himself in the middle of a large expanse of grass. The resort waited on his right while to his left a river flowed.

"Show yourself, Mirage!" he yelled without warning, brandishing his double-bladed katana. "I want to meet you!" He twirled around, swinging the sword with a great roar disturbing the clean air. Following a succession of different swings and imaginary blocks, he decided to leap up high high higher until he was well above the scenery, much further up than the roof of the resort. There weren't any ruins of tall city buildings for him to see so it was all too easy spotting the golem-thing that had arrived.

Kadaj landed nimbly. He crouched down immediately and took a low slash at the golem with the pebbled face. The creature had been sent with its own sword so Kadaj exploited his practise partner. Stabbing, thrusting, dodging, he yelled again: "Is this all you sent, Pebbleface? I want to talk... to you... Planet! Not Pebbs!" At least the golem moved better than one might expect so he did get a good workout for an hour, maybe longer.

"Do you give up, Loz? Surrender, Yazoo! At my feet, Pebbs!!" he roared in imaginary combat and suddenly stopped, for a moment frozen like a statue. Kadaj was in a fighting stance, Souba raised high to strike. The golem didn't have to look in the direction of someone watching; Kadaj had already sensed the presence of a real person.

He lowered his sword without sheathing it. Kadaj whirled to observe his observer, who turned out to be another person he hadn't yet met. He bowed his head deeply to greet a woman who commanded immediate respect.