Kip felt-

  “Wrathful bite,” Ironwood spoke.

  Kip had no time to feel. He had no clue where the voice came from, but he knew he had to get out of there. He jumped up but when he twisted his body, he saw that Ironwood was waiting for him. She slashed him along the end of his shoulder. He did not even skirt along the ground like last time, he was hurled through the air across the field, toward the bleachers. The people in the stands attempted to run away as he blazed toward them like a comet.

  One person said, anxiously, “Could I just scooch past ya?”

  Kip crashed back-first into the metal seats.

  “Is the dark lord dead?” the announcer asked.

  The crowd huddled around the little kobold as they waited for movement. Kip’s eyes slowly opened and he gave a little shaka-brah that said he was alright. He climbed out of the bleachers and hobbled down the stairs. He jumped across the field of lava and landed onto the onto stage. He looked up at the opponent. Ironwood was on the other side of the field. She stuck her sword out.

  “Next one’s going to tear through you like paper,” She called out.

  He reached into his bag and pulled out another bomb. This one was a metal cylindrical canister. He pressed the button at the top. Nothing went off. No sound or fuse. No ticker. Nothing. He rolled it down the center of the stage.

  Ironwood stared at it expectantly, “Seems like something should be happening right about now.”

  “Sure.” Kip said as he wobbled up slowly.

  Ironwood walked toward him, her sword up, “Like I said. Sorry about your dumb grenade, but don’t think I’m going to take it easy on you.”

  Kip shook his head, “Wouldn't dream of it.”

  She moved her feet, her speed so ferocious that she, once again, dissapeared. He knew this game. He tumbled forward, closer to the center. A slash rang out behind him. Dust was kicked up into the air again. She stopped and turned to him, launching herself at him with her blade. He dodged to the right. He slashed forward and she swiped at his arm. He pulled himself back to the left. Stepping back. She kept trying to stab him but he managed to escape, using his predictive motions to guess her next move.

  “You’ll eventually step back so far that you get forced off the field.”

  She slashed again, it landed on nothing but ground. Then he was in the center of the stage and she slashed directly downward. The sword pierced the canister in the center of the stage. Ironwood lifted her sword, the bomb was stuck to the end of it. “Ahh, was that your plan? Try to get the grenade to go off again? She plucked the canister off the end of her sword, “This is just pathetic. Also, not to be too mean, but your dumb grenade smells like rotten eggs.”

  Kip said, “That’s not rotten eggs you’re smelling. That’s natural gas.” Since he pressed down on the grenade it had slowly been exhaling the natural gas stored inside the pressurzied oncatiner. When Ironwood had stabbed into it, it released the rest of it all at once. With that, he released his wimpy fire breath and ignited the area all around him and Ironwood. The ball of fire consumed both of them, now her without her fire-resistant armor.

  Kip’s crew watched the explosion from the skybox.

  “What happens if everyone dies?” Stormbristle asked as the red and orange of the explosion reflected on the glass.

  “Lala still goes to me,” The king said with a smile, “Should we eat pork chops? I feel like a feast.” he snapped his fingers and two servers walked in holding both ends of a fully prepared table, placing it in front of the king and Lala. He grabbed some of the wings and ate them, “Feel free to have as many as you’d like. Maybe you’ll be eating like this for some time!” He handed her a chicken wing with barbecue sauce on it. She smiled at him nervously and nibbled on the wing on the part of the wings he didn’t touch.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  He smiled at her, then brought her in closer. The whole time, Akun stared from the couch. Watching him. He looked at the door as both Tamas and Jasssper walked in, “Welcome to the show,” Akun said to them.

  Once the smoke had cleared, he looked over. Ironwood had been fried. She was covered in soot and tossed in the air. She landed on her feet with one small stumble and brushed herself off. “You think you’re pretty smart with those little toys.”

  “Thanks so much,” Said Kip, “It was all I had for a while. I appreciate you.”

  She sighed and said, “I don't care.” She grabbed her sword and said, “Demonica stride”

  Kip reached into his bag again, fiddling for something but Ironwood was too quick. She sliced at Kip and he leapt back. She severed the strap on his knapsack. The garlic bomb he’d reached for was sliced in half.

  Ironwood held up her sword and pointed it right at Kip, having him crawl backward, placing herself in between his knapsack of goodies and him.

  “Not so strong without your precious kit, ay, artificer?”

  “I know you don’t want to kill me. We had the making of friends!”

  “That’s not nearly as important to me as my sister’s safety.”

  She took another step closer. Kip scuttled back, until he was at the edge of the stage. He heat from the lava warmed his back. Ironwood placed her sword right to his neck, pressing until blood leaked onto the blade.

  “She’ll never forgive you.” Said Kip.

  “Are you sure about that?” Ironwood said, “It’s a complicated situation.”

  “N-no.” Kip said, “It’s like you said, it’s complicated.”

  Ironwood could not see it under his palm, but Kip had managed to take something out of the bag before the garlic bomb. He had been feeling around in his bag for it when he found it and managed to hide it. When she took her blade and plunged it forward, he placed the token of his first cardinal sin on his finger, ironically, thinking about how he’d need a soak in the hot tub after this.

  Akun glared at the king, watching as his hand never left Lala’s shoulders while he ate. Sezami dipped his chicken wings in a pot of ketchup and ate from it. He was engrossed in Kip’s fight. He said, more to himself than Lala, “Best match we’ve had in ages. This is what the people want. They get so pissed when you take too many taxes, when you send their fathers and sons off to die. All that stuff, but for moments like these? They forget. And I’ll admit it… even I forget too. Moments like these are what being a kingdom is all about. Wouldn’t you all agree?”

  He turned to the others. They stared at him, uncomfortable with the amount of guards in such a limited setting.

  “Yeah,” Akun said, “There ain’t nothing better than watching a good fight. Except for being in one.”

  “But…” Jasssper said to Akun, “We’re not going to get into unnecesssary fights are we?”

  “What defines unnecessary?” Akun asked.

  “Is this about me? Do it. My guards would put down their lives if I told them too. My dear, why are you not eating?” He asked.

  She stared at the king and said, “Why… I think you’re right. I really should be eating. In fact, Akun… there’s no need to fight. Let’s just dig into this delicious food. I’m quite famished, aren’t you? No need to test our mettle and for things to heat up. Get it?” She then grabbed a the biggest wing on the plate and took a big crunch out of it. She dipped it in the bbq sauce and chewed down on it so ferociously that the sauce got all over her face.

  “Thatta girl!” Said the king, “I knew you were hungry when I first set eyes on you!”

  She took the mozzarella sticks and dipped them into the marinara, plunging them into her mouth so fast that she missed entirely and hit her cheek, splotching the marinara all over it.

  She looked at Akun, who was staring at her in disbelief. She pointed the mozzarella stick, digging the sauce into her cheek.

  Akun nodded his head, “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry, I got all full of bluster. Truth is I can still barely move. If you all don’t mind, I have to clean my chain hook.” He reached for his chain hook and held it to the flame on his head.

  Her sword stabbed into air. Her mind needed a minute to calculate where he’d gone. Kip was no longer on the ground in front of Ironwood.

  She writhed in pain as his claws raked along her back. She fell down on her knees and looked back up at him, anger in her eyes, “How the hell did you get so fast?”

  He held up the ring on his hand, “Teleportation.” he clawed her against her chest, once again landing a good blow on her. She fell to the ground and kicked his legs and dropping him to the ground. She jumped up and slapped her palms together, “I can’t believe it but your little tricks are keeping you alive longer than I thought. I’m not going to let him keep my sister forever. I’m going to have to pull out a move I wasn’t expecting.”

  Kip pulled back and held his claws up, “If there were any way for both of us to get out of this alive, I’d take it. But… I can’t sacrifice myself when I’ve got a kingdom to protect.”

  She swished her hands into a series of proclamations and called out:

  “Boon: Missing Twin.”

  She split into two people, each with angry swords and each as fast and strong as the other.