In the cool air of dawn Nova strode into the garden where the sun painted the horizon in bright pinks and oranges. She breathed deep, mentally preparing for the day's fight.
Six guards stood at the gate as usual but just outside the walls a crowd milled around the entrance, peering into the garden with stretched necks.
"Finally you're awake," Omi said from behind her.
Nova twitched, and clenched her fists before turning. "Finally?"
"Customarily such fights would begin at the first sign of light," Omi nodded to the horizon. "Clearly, another courtesy that you barbarians don't observe."
Nova opened her mouth but he cut her off before she could speak.
"At least you're here now. The fight will be held outside. Your competitor, Nori, is already waiting."
Nova swallowed, throat dry, and looked down. She was still wearing one of Meeka's tight dresses and it pinned her legs together so that she couldn't run properly. Her bare toes wriggled beneath the hem, she hadn't bothered pulling on her boots just to breathe the fresh morning air.
"I have to get ready," she said.
"There's no time for that now," Omi said, pushing against her upper arm. "Once you've made an appearance you can't leave; that would be the same as surrendering. So unless you want to lose?"
"No! Of course not," Nova said, looking around for some kind of help. "I just didn't realise we'd be starting now, and I'm not dressed for it."
"You should have been better prepared," Omi said.
He gave her another hard shove in the back and she stumbled forward. The dress kept catching at her legs and threatened to trip her every few steps. Her heart fluttered as her mind raced, she had to delay, had to find time to prepare.
Sharp rocks and pebbles dug into her bare feet, forcing her to hobble. She'd be dead in seconds if the fight went ahead now.
Omi led her out of the gate and into the crowd of people. They stepped aside to let Nova and Omi pass, creating a seething tunnel of people that opened up some distance from the gate into a rough circle surrounded by spectators. A man in a black cloak with pitch black hair and hard eyes stood in the centre of the circle, back straight and eyes fixed on Nova.
"Nova!" Meeka called. She rushed forward and placed Nova's boots on the path.
Nova didn't think she'd ever been happier to see her shoes in all her life. She could have hugged Meeka right then if it hadn't been for Omi's growl of disapproval.
Nova stopped and pulled on her boots as quickly as she could, ignoring the indignant muttering of the crowd, and nodded to Meeka as the other woman melted back into the sea of people.
Nova strode forward but despite her boots the dress tugged at her legs, making her strides small, useless. She'd never be able to avoid Nori's attacks or get to him with her legs practically tied together.
Omi gave her a final shove, sending her stumbling into the clearing without a solution.
"The Stranger," Omi said, his voice silencing the crowd. "Has requested help for her companions. She must win the right in a fair fight, in accordance with our traditions."
The crowd cheered.
Omi gestured to two young boys. One dashed to Nori whilst the other ran to Nova. He held out a thin sword in one hand and a sharp knife in the other. Nova took both and nodded to the young man. He dashed back to the edge of the clearing.
She held her weapons at her sides and faced Nori; he was similarly armed.
"The fight will continue until one yields or one dies," Omi said. More cheers erupted from the crowd.
"May the gods smile upon you. Begin!"
Nori held his sword in front of his body. It looked light and fluid in his hands; very unlike Nova's which felt unwieldy and unnatural. She'd never had much reason to use a sword before now, hadn't expected her life to depend on it.
Nova held back, gauging, analysing. She refused to make the first move; not only would it reveal just how untrained she was, she was also afraid of tripping over her dress. It would be better for her if Nori attacked first, then maybe she could get in a killing blow before he could tear her to pieces.
She didn't have to wait long. Nori stood staring at her for only ten seconds before dashing across the arena and slashing his sword in an arc towards Nova's neck. She dove for Nori's abdomen and caught him in the ribs, sending them both tumbling. His sword swung behind her, well away from her neck and then they were both on the ground.
The crowd gasped as the two fighters rolled in the dirt. Nori's knife caught Nova's arm and sent a hot line of pain to her elbow. She gasped and threw all of her strength into rolling on top of Nori and pinning him beneath her, his arms locked under her knees. He writhed but his small body couldn't get out from under her.
She lifted her sword above her head, heart pounding.
His face twisted into a look of hateful spite as he struggled and kicked.
"Surrender!" she yelled, her sword poised.
"I would never surrender to such a pitiful fighter who relies on brawling tactics," Nori said. He drew back his head and spat in her face.
The globule splattered into Nova's left eye. She whipped her hand up to wipe the spit away, the cool liquid leaving a trail down the side of her face. While Nova was distracted, Nori lifted his leg, swung it around, and caught Nova in the side of the head. She sprawled sideways and Nori rolled free, lifting his sword as he went.
Nova sprung to her feet, trying to ignore the cold path on her cheek. Her dress caught as she got up and made her stumble. Nori lunged at her, slashing left and right with his sword. Nova ducked and weaved, only just managing to keep her balance.
Nori flowed from once stance to the next, leaving no openings for Nova to make her move. His sword made a silver blur in the dawn light, arcing down at Nova.
Each time she only just caught the blow with her own sword, or shambled out of the way. Her breaths came in laboured gasps and her dress threatened to drag her down.
Nova drew her arm back and threw her sword forward like a javelin. It sailed through the air straight for Nori's chest. His eyes widened as it got closer and he only just had time to spin out of its way as it shot through the air and clattered to the dirt a few meters from the crowd.
In the distraction, Nova took the dagger she'd been given and cut a long line from the bottom of her dress, all the way up her side to her hip. The sound of tearing fabric ripped through the arena and made the crowd stare.
The side of the dress flew open, revealing Nova's leg. She ignored the stares and leapt at Nori. He gaped at her, barely getting out of the way of her swinging knife. He turned and swung his sword, slicing through the air. Nova had no way to block it so she ducked and rolled, coming to a crouching stop three paces away.
Her torn dress fluttered in the breeze and the crowd gasped, some covering their eyes.
Nori came at her again, sword swinging. She jumped to her feet and sidestepped. He swung with practiced ease, his sword cutting through the air, swaying back and forth like a cobra. He didn't hesitate when she moved, adjusting his aim mid-strike. Nova stepped back, forced into retreat with each slash. She scrambled backwards and ducked, snatching her sword off the ground and rolling away from Nori's slashing blade.
Adrenalin fuelled momentum carried Nova's blade to meet Nori's in a rapid exchange of ringing blows. Her arms shook under his blistering downswing, knocking his blade to the side so that it hit the dirt to her right. A second later his dagger came up, slashing for her midsection. She danced back, jutting forward with her sword but Nori spun out of the way.
Sweat sprung out on her forehead as the hot sun beat down on her shoulders. The press of the crowd seemed to be smothering her and their cheers beat at her eardrums. None of them were cheering for her; they wanted to watch her bleed.
She refused to give them the satisfaction.
Nova took a deep breath and feinted left. When Nori went to swing she darted right and got in under his sword arm. He clutched his knife in his left hand but it seemed forgotten. Nova dashed under his sword and thrust her knife to his neck, stopping just short of his flesh. With her free hand she knocked his knife loose and it clattered to the ground amongst the shocked murmurs of the crowd.
Nori froze. His sword was still mid-air but there was no way he could bring it down on Nova before she cut his throat. His black eyes glazed over as he stared past her and into the crowd, straight at Omi.
Nova took a deep breath, keeping the pressure on the knife steady.
"Surrender," she hissed.
Nori pursed his lips and stared past her. He hadn't yet lowered his sword.
"I've won!" Nova bellowed. "Submit!"
Her voice shook as she stared at him. Her muscles ached and she yearned for a hot shower to wash the dirt and sweat off. She had no idea what Nori was waiting for; she just wished he'd end it.
"Submit!" she said. Her hand shook so badly that the knife jerked and drew a fine line of blood from Nori's neck.
He gave no indication that he'd even felt it.
"If you wish to win you will have to kill me," he said softly.
"What?" Nova nearly dropped her knife. She risked a glance over her shoulder at Omi. His face glowed red and storm clouds seemed to seethe behind his eyes, but he didn't make any move to end the fight.
"It's my right to die in battle. I do not submit," Nori said.
"Look," Nova said, her heart thundering in her chest. "Just submit and then you can go home and I can get out of this damned sun."
Nori didn't reply.
Nova bit her lip. She argued with herself over what to do; she could kill him and be done with it, but she didn't know if she had what it would take to kill in cold blood.
The crowd shuffled, the cheers replaced with disgruntled murmurs and the occasional yell to move on. The onlookers seemed uncertain; they watched Nova with equal measures of fear and respect, and none of them would meet her eyes.
"I can stand here longer than you, and I won't hesitate," said Nori.
Nova looked back up at him. She didn't want to kill him but then thoughts of Orion and Tanguin flashed through her head. She thought about how helpless they'd looked down in their hovel; they were being treated worse than animals. She knew that the only thing standing between them dying and them surviving was Nori. When she framed it like that, the choice was easy.
She drew a deep breath and shoved her knife upwards. At the last instant Nori's eyes flicked and stared straight at her. He blinked once. Nova's knife sliced through Nori's carotid artery and sent a gush of blood shooting out. It poured over Nova in a warm shower that splashed up her arms and onto her face. She ripped her knife out and stepped away from the body as quickly as she could.
Nori collapsed to the ground in a pool of his own blood. The red liquid spread out and stained the dirt crimson.
The crowd fell silent.
Nova stepped back and watched them. A mixture of emotions glared back at her, but most prominent was Omi. A cloud of fury spread out from his body and seemed to encompass the nearby crowd. Those closest drew back from him, leaning away. He stomped forward and stood over Nori's body.
"It appears we have a winner," he said in a flat voice.
A few in the crowd clapped a half-hearted applause.
"The fight's over. Get going," Omi said, flicking his hand.
The villagers disappeared in a rush. They pushed past one another to get away from the fighting grounds and back down the hill to the village. They whispered to each other as they hurried down the winding path but Nova couldn't make out what they were saying.
"You," Omi said, pointing to a nearby guard. "Feed him to the pigs."
"My Lord," the guard said, rushing forward and dragging Nori's limp body away from Omi's feet.
"What?" Nova said. "The pigs? Why would you do that?"
"He shamed me by losing to someone like you. He should have done better. He should be honoured that I'm feeding him to the pigs and not throwing him into the river."
"He lost a fight, that's all," Nova said.
"And it's lucky he refused to surrender. If he'd done that I would have made sure he spent the rest of his life regretting the decision."
"That's ridiculous! He didn't do anything wrong."
"If you want to fight for his rights too then it will cost you another victory," Omi said, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.
Nova bit her lip but said nothing.
"I won't even begin on you. Starting with such a disgraceful move and then revealing yourself to the entire village. Disgusting. I will give you what you asked for, but one whisper of trouble from you and I will kill all of your companions, and I'll make sure you're there to watch."
Nova nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
"Good. Your people will be moved into a better house this afternoon and I will send for a healer from the Capital. Leave me this instant before I change my mind."