Part 49 (Patreon)

Luckily, Rylenka seemed to have assessed the odds the same way. “Over there…one on each side” Ingrid gestured with the sword. As Miri scanned the room, she noticed Nimue taking a seat at the table, newly set with a meal, and that a rather extreme change had been made to the other half of the room, presumably by magic. A short wooden rail carved out a square of the floor, and inside the square, it was filled with mud. Miri walked around to the left and took her post, while Rylenka positioned herself on the right.

Ingrid joined Nimue at the table, and took a long draught from a tankard of ale. The mage smiled, “As I said, you’ll entertain us while you remain with us. As you can see, I’ve conjured a ring of sorts. Don’t worry, it’s quite safe, except from the pressures you’ll exert on one another. Now fight fiercely. The loser of the match will be punished with a beating that will make what you suffered yesterday seem like child’s play.”

Rylenka was the first to speak up. “I will yield, then. Miri, do to me what you have to to beat me. I won’t fight back.” Miri for her part said, “No, I will let you win.”

An exasperated Nimue said, “Oh, how cute. I see the two of you bonded last night. I can tell you weren’t that close when you entered this hall yesterday. But I want to see an intense fight here. Instead, let’s say that the WINNER of the match will receive quite a beating, and the loser will get to join us for what’s left of our meal here. Now, FIGHT, or BOTH of you will suffer.”

With that, the two women stepped into the ring. Miri was the first to notice a sort of forcefield that let her step in, but when she tried to put an arm out of it, it held her back. Noticing her attention to this, Nimue said, “No leaving until I declare a winner!”

“Sorry, Miri,” Rylenka said, “I can’t let you win. I don’t want to see you suffer again.”

“That’s not going to happen. This is MY quest, and you didn’t need to be dragged into it,” the half-elf responded.

“Just fight already!” the sorceress called out.