Bazil's glower was hot enough to even set the ocean alight. But the man before him stood tall, even though his lip trembled a little.
Salīa got a glimpse from the side from where Bazil was guarding her, and saw it was a young man, maybe a year or two younger than her.
Quite handsome too, not that it would win him any favors with Bazil, who was just about ready to cleave this man's neck off if he even as much as twitched his nose.
Salīa noted he had on some black and gold plating, meaning he was definitely a zazi, albeit a doltish one.
Whatever joke he was making surely needed to be the funniest one the realm has ever heard of if he was hoping to get out of this with all his limbs intact.
All the nearby zazi had long quieted, staring at this silent showdown, and some even gulped.
As this zazi opened his mouth, a commander rushed in and shoved him back, instantly speaking in zākra and common tongue.
"Cousin!" he scowled at the zazi. "How dare you?!"
To this, the zazi scratched at his short, bushy curls, perplexed.
He then glanced at his friends, who were also quiet in the shadows. The commander followed and rolled his eyes, then explained to Bazil.
It seemed some were taunting this zazi of unbridled energy by misleading him.
While he was of the youngest, he easily beat many zazi in matches, and some supposed it would be funny to convince this new recruit that Bazil was a renowned but ordinary zazi that not many can defeat.
All while he had no clue that he was daring to challenge a Commander Guardian.
At hearing all this, this young zazi's eyes instantly widened, and he stood on ceremony, offering an x and kowtowing, although clumsily.
"Apologies, Commander Guardian Vasil."
"It's Bazilani," the commander warned through his teeth.
"Yes, apologies, Commander Guardian Bazilani. I've actually heard many things about you and always found you impressive. In fact, you are—"
His cousin shook his head for the zazi to be quiet.
Bazil sighed and dismissed them.
"But that's even more reason I'd like to ask for the honor of battling with you," the zazi continued, and not even his cousin could stop him. Bazil's scowl deepened. "Obviously, not to challenge, but to learn from you. If you'd permit it."
Many zazi shook their heads and slapped their hands over their face as this zazi dug himself into a bigger hole.
Since no one was going to—or no one could save him - Salīa stood up and said, "A Commander Guardian might be above your rank for now. So why don't you prove yourself by battling me first?"
The air was so quiet you could even hear a shrew crawl. Many thought the zazi would back down now.
But instead, the oblivious young man beamed with bright teeth at this beauty before him and said, "I'd love to have the honor of battling with this fellow zaza. I'll go as gentle or as rough as you desire."
Several bowls, flasks, and jaws dropped to the floor.
The whites of Bazil's eyes had fully flamed into red, and he gritted his teeth so hard they almost cracked apart.
Salīa knew she should've scolded this zazi, but found the matter somewhat funny and chuckled.
It was here that the zazi's cousin whispered, and instantly the young zazi kowtowed and made an x.
"Apologies, Princess—Queen—or is it Princess…uh…"
"Princess is fine."
"Princess Salīa," he let out a long breath, now sweating all over.
Before Bazil could grab him, Salīa stepped between them and said, "I don't have a xira myself, so how would you like to battle?"
Many were thinking, "Surely, he'd realise by now to politely refuse and apologise for suggesting to battle the Queen of their land."
But surely, he did not realise such things. For he smiled once again and said, "If you're really willing, do not fear, Princess. I have a spare bokken, and I promise no harm will come if you'd like to try."
Unable to take it anymore, Bazil yelled, "You insolent—"
"Bazilani," Salīa turned to him, taking his arm and meeting his eyes, which instantly softened at her gaze. "I really would like to try. It's been so long that I was going to ask a zazi anyway if they'd be willing. So please.
We can even do it right here, so you can watch and tell me if I've improved at all. And I'm sure this young zazi, who looks up to you, would find it an honor to be judged by you."
"Oh, yes," the young zazi nodded sincerely. "I truly do admire you, Commander Guardian Bazilani."
Bazil knew that she was partially protecting this recruit, and of course, she was trying to do it in a way that still praised Bazil's rank. But he didn't want anyone near her, especially not in a battle.
But he knew better than to verbally spar with his stubborn friend, especially since to everyone here, her title meant that her say overruled his. And she was actually being polite in still looking for his approval in front of everyone, before acting on her own whims.
"One battle. But if you dishonor your word and harm her, your cousin here will have the honor of punishing you in the way best fitting."
The cousin flinched, uneasy at the thought of having to kill his blood tonight. But the young, clueless zazi stayed beaming and said, "I would never dishonor my word," and ran off to grab his bokkens.
Soon, both were covered properly, and opposite each other, making an x before beginning.
Many lit the unused braziers just to watch this. A lot were whispering things like, "It was nice knowing that new recruit, I wish him the best in his next life."
Salīa could see this poor zazi taking many gulps as he began to realize the gravity of what he was doing. Sweat lined his forehead.
He thought he'd evaded some of the consequences of suggesting a distanced bokken battle over one that just used the body, as was commonly done with zazi, yet many knew that by him even daring to get somewhat close, he was on quite a fine thread.
"Don't worry," Salīa said warmly. "Nothing will happen to you. I promise. You wouldn't doubt my promises, would you?"
"Never," he said immediately.
"Then show me what you know."
He instantly charged forth. Salīa blocked, then swerved her own wooden sword. Quick to it, the young zazi slid back, throwing in another slash.
She countered fast, then cut up, only to be dodged. Though she dove in for his chest and almost hit it before his own sword slapped it back.
He had intended to be quite gentle, yet he soon realized this princess was finding this too easy. She smirked at his widened eyes, and this had him smiling too, as he lunged forth.
He offered rapid slashes, making the watchers dizzy as it slid from side to side, each at a different spot, and occasionally trying for her chest.
Though she was just as swift in parrying each attempt, not even lifting her bokken to do so. She even had a moment to breathe deeply, focusing her core and centering her essence, all between her side steps.
Then, at a rogue thrust of his sword, she struck his up with her own, before lowering to his waist.
He merely deflected it, then stepped back. Eager, she struck at his side, yet he, too, had cultivated his energy, easily binding their swords.
She struggled to pull it away, and others muttered that his skill was in the binding.
He's quite good at this.
Although he could've knocked her sword out, he instead lifted, easily dodging her desperate lunge.
Salīa knew that zazi were in no way ordinary fighters, but she didn't like being pitied, especially not in competitions.
If she had no choice but to go toe to toe with a panther, she'd rather face it head on then have it roll around pretending to be a kitten just so she can be a meritless victor.
"Is that all you know?" Salīa asked bitterly.
It was the zazi's turn to smirk, just as riled up by her taunt. And so, they struck and slashed at another, countering and parrying almost every blow.
At some point, it was as if the swords were forgotten, and they were both dancing through the grounds at a rhythm each tried to lead and break. She was sweating too, but didn't give up, getting more inflamed by each of his feints and even more breathless by each of his thrusts.
He was definitely picking up pace.
Though because she couldn't tell if he was truly giving his all or just giving a bit more than before, she was stirred up to cleave through viciously and swerve even more swiftly.
Her eyes locked in, and her breathing steadied. Euphoria flowed through her, and she lost all else, tuning into the movements before her.
She counter-slashed at each turn and blocked each feint he tried to offer.
There were no longer just ordinary steps. They were both jumping in their strikes and flying around as they slipped out of each other's grasp.
The swords flashed quickly before everyone's eyes, and all they could hear was a sound as crisp as a woodcutter eagerly shredding a tree just before winter.
Both had even forgotten their designated area of combat, having knocked logs and kicked stones ahead. Salīa found an opening as he slid back and cut forth at his chest.
Yet the young zazi was even quicker, slipping back in the other direction. It was here Salīa would've fallen, had her sword been knocked out, and his pointed at her.
Yet he slickly slipped his bokken behind her back, pushing her upright, so fast most didn't even see it.
Before she could realize what happened, he was kneeling before her, just by the point of her bokken, with his own planted into the ground, and bowing.
"Thank you for honoring me with this match. I feel most blessed to have lost to such a worthy champion."
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