1. Jeden

The tension that girded my shoulders like a cloak fell away, my lips tugging upward in an easy smirk. It was electrifying, I could feel the heat of the arena beneath my feet yet at the same time, I felt strangely detached. I allowed myself to revel in the moment, tentatively holding onto it as though it were a fragile bird ready to fly away at the drop of a pin.

My opponent stood at the far end, clothed in leather garments such as I had, only she wore a pauldron of burnished bronze, intricate designs too small for me to see carved upon its surface. There were no weapons between us, and I was thankful for that. I knew that would come later, however.