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Nykostra looked straight into the eyes of his second, Verrad. There was something about him that intrigued her although she could not pin it down. He was clearly ambitious but she also sensed a bit of daring in him. As if he would be perfectly willing to step out of his role and do anything, no matter how crazy he thought the task.
    She filed him away for future reference. He was not the kind of warrior that made a good leader, unless you needed a loose cannon. She could relate to that on many levels.
    ***
    Lord Ku'nar was in his room, sharpening his falchion when a knock came upon the old, wooden door. He grunted acknowledgment and went back to his sharpening steel.
    The heavy door creaked open and a cloaked figure glided into the cramped room.
    "Are you ready for the final test, Lord Ku'nar?" the Soothsayer said, his voice gravely and deep.
    Ku'nar nodded curtly as he swept the steel along the medium sized blade. He worked quickly and with a precision that only came from years of sharpening blades.
    "You will let Ketar think that he has the upper hand. This will gain his trust in you further. Only then do you have permission to strike him down."
    Ku'nar looked up at the wrinkled gray face of the Soothsayer and nodded slowly. The Soothsayer's black lips parted in an evil smile that Ku'nar could feel deep inside his bones. He felt compelled to obey the old gray, despite having never met him before.
    "Excellent," the Soothsayer said.
    ***
    The duel was to be held in the main chamber of the Imperial castle. There were hundreds of attendants and dignitaries from every Kastra in the Empire in attendance.
    Empress Nykostra had changed into her formal black gown that she always wore to official events that involved a killing. It was more ornate than even her red and black gown and consisted of many intricate layers of fabric. It took three women two hours to fit her into the gown and double to remove it properly.
    She felt constricted and the fabric caused her skin to chafe in uncomfortable areas. It was her least favorite gown even though putting it on meant that she would soon witness a killing.
    The two remaining contestants stood facing each other in the Circle of Honor. They wore resplendent armor with the colorful designs from their respective Kastra. Ketar's armor was engraved with ornate swirls and floral patterns and inlaid with gold. His Kastra colors were blue and black.
    Ku'nar's armor was less ornate but boldly colored in burnt orange and black with images of fighting Votainion warriors from thousands of years ago when Voton was not a space faring civilization. The audience cheered loudest when he was introduced to them. Ku'nar's traditional armor struck a cord with more people than Ketar's had. Right from the start, Ketar was fighting more than just another warrior. He was fighting for respect from the crowd itself.
    High upon her stone perch, Empress Nykostra's painted face and elaborate gown made her seem above the fray. She raised her hand holding the Imperial baton, symbol of the ruling house of Voton.
    Both warriors flexed their muscles and readied themselves. The crowd of onlookers started chanting, "Long live the Empress, Long live the Empire," over and over in a fevered pitch that got louder with each repeating.
    When the noise had reached a volume that not even Nykostra could stand, she lowered the baton and the crowd howled until she brought it to her side. It became incredibly quiet in the vacuous chamber and she could hear her own heart beat.
    "Fight for your Empire! Fight for your Empress! Fight for your Kastra! And fight for your life!" she yelled.
    The crowd roared back to life again as the two warriors charged at each other, swinging their falchions and locking blades in a fierce blow that nearly toppled both men.
    Nykostra remained standing, her eyes following Ketar, her mind surging forward to push him onward. Inside, he was calm as a still body of water, even as he traded powerful blows with Ku'nar.