Aloe blinked multiple times then after she gave it half a thought, all the stupefaction left her body. "You know what, that does not surprise me at all."
The scribe dedicated a short gaze to the naked swordswoman, still moving at vertiginous speeds regardless of her sweat-laden body. She's going to dehydrate before she tires out, huh?
"Quite indeed." Nesrine's eyes glittered in… a mixture of awe and respect. It was hard to make a distinction even with acuity. "The barracks got plenty agitated those days. I only exchanged swords with Captain Jamal, nothing else, nothing more. The imperial soldiers were so pressed for time and opponents that I could not be granted a first-blood duel. But even in a back-and-forth, I could feel the pressure of his blade. I wish you could have seen it, venerable scribe. I am sure his blade could bisect an assassin with a single swing."
The female guard talked with childlike glee at the notion of cutting people in half.
"I am rather inclined to thank my luck for not having seen his skills." The scribe of commoners replied diplomatically. "That was quite the… image."
Aloe could see the picture clearly with her eyes. The blood. The gore. The exposed bones. Why… why I see it this clearly? I… never seen a man's insides… Her heart rate became erratic for a single blink, the blood and death being all too familiar to her. She didn't allow herself to show that weakness to Nesrine.
"Going back to Naila…" She continued with a halfhearted attempt. "I suppose they allowed a sultanzade to fight them to a true duel, right?"
"I… guess you could say so, yes."
"I smell doubt at that response." Quite literally. Acuity didn't make her able to smell deception, but it was true people smelled differently when nervous.
"Well, Her Highness has fought the imperial soldiers alright, and to a duel at that, but I do not know if I could call it a true duel…" The guard diverted her gaze to the maelstrom of a girl.
Naila's blades cut through the wind in mechanical yet organic movements, uncaring of the gossiping women.
"Ah," Aloe grunted in understanding, "I believe I understand what you are implying."
"If your thoughts are that she fought the four imperial soldiers at once, then you are correct."
Aloe too glanced at the sultanzade wielding the speed stance. "I do not want to sound repetitive with this much reiteration, but that does not surprise me at all."
"I knew the sultanzade were blessed with the strength of Sultanah," That's one way of putting it, yes, "but her speed left me awestruck once I saw it in action. Princess Naila is faster than thoughts, and she showed that to us all."
Considering she has three and a half-ish times the amount of vitality of a normal adult… no, she isn't faster than thoughts. For that would mean Aloe too would be as fast. But at the same time, much like strength, the speed stance is a multiplicator. And Naila is way faster than me by default. If I could, I would train. If there was someone conscious of the multiplicative effects of the Nurture stance, it was Aloe Ayad. That was the sole reason why she was confident in her toughness and acuity, for those were things that couldn't be trained and she was born with.
"The princess managed to keep at bay all the four soldiers at once, though at the same time, they were all at an impasse. Princess Naila was faster, but certainly outnumbered and not as strong. If she lunged for a soldier, an opening appeared for the three others to exploit. But at the same time, they couldn't get to draw blood on her. Her mastery of her dual tulwars is significant for her age, and she knows that with such weapons it is better to parry or deflect than to outright block attacks."
The scribe understood the words, but they didn't much sense to her. She lacked the battle sense that Nesrine boasted in her exalted description. Haste. If I get to the point where I can switch between haste and toughness in a blink, I would be untouchable. It was easy to dream, but Aloe was too pragmatic to lead herself to delusions. Unfortunately, with my current vitality – let alone the state of my hips – I would fall to the ground in less than three steps. The increased factor of speed would be too much for me to process.
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Aloe wasn't amazed at the young sultanzade's martial prowess or swordsmanship. No. What surprised her was her control and finesse in the speed stance. For in Naila's hands, such blurry movements to the eye appeared nothing more than a casual stroll.
Nesrine continued dictating the imperial scribe's prowess, but soon enough, said girl had enough of her practice. They had been watching her, but if they hadn't, they would have known the instant the sound blades ceased ravaging the skies.
Finally, silence was made.
Only to be promptly substituted by heavy panting. Naila slouched her back forward, breathing hard from her mouth. Not only her uncovered chest raised up and down but also her whole body. Her eyes pointed to the ground in exhaustion but with the crack of her neck, she unceremoniously dropped her weapons to the ground and slouched backward, her face pointing to the skies.
Ah. Aloe admired the girl's exhausted posture. Much like her hasty katas, it was an image worthy of a picture. Her skin glistened with sweat, leading the scribe to look at the puddle on the ground. It was as if someone had dropped an amphora, but she knew all had come from the sultanzade. Arched backward and panting from exhaustion, Naila Asina looked like the epitome of endeavor.
"Nesrine, water." The princess commanded, her voice hoarse and dry.
"On my way, princess!" The guard unlatched from Aloe's side and rushed to Naila, not before grabbing an amphora along the way. Looking by the way she grabbed the pottery with difficulty, it was clear it was full to the brim.
The moment Nesrine was next to her, Naila snatched the full amphora as if it was nothing and poured it over her body, opening her mouth to let some of the spilled water enter her body. It was obvious to Aloe that Naila had switched to strength. Not more than half a minute to switch stances, though that's barely surprising if she's known stances longer than I. Even in a month of pure, uninterrupted stance-switching training, Aloe had only managed to bring a single stance to less than half a minute, namely defense. Though that stance was far from being able to be counted in seconds now.
If Naila wasn't soaked before with all that sweat, she definitely was now. But the difference in panting was instantaneous as the exhaustion vanished from the sultanzade with just a refreshment. Naila shook her head alike a wet cat would do, then peered directly into Aloe.
"So what do you want, woman?" The princess looked over the commoner's shoulder.
They had similar heights before, but now the wheelchair did a disservice to Aloe. The scribe of commoners maintained her composure, her hands still hidden from sight, and her internal infusion switched to acuity.
"I had the impression that it was you who wanted to see me, princess." She didn't smile at Naila. Not only because she didn't want, but because she knew people like her took it as an offense.
"I do not know where you have gotten such ideas." The sultanzade swiftly kicked one of the tulwars on the ground with her bare foot and launched it upwards, masterfully grabbing it midair. "What has given you such an impression?" Then repeated the same motion for the other.
"I guess the blame falls on the attention you have given to me." An aggressive message hidden under the pretense of a personal and subjective guess. She avoided mentioning that Rani herself said that Naila wanted to see her as that felt like the 'wrong' answer. If she hadn't addressed the summon, it was for something.
Naila blew some air and clicked her tongue. She gave Aloe her back and directed herself to a nearby bench whilst she carried both blades in the same hand.
"Nesrine, would you mind?" Aloe pointed with her head at the wheelchair.
"Of course not, venerable scribe." The guard pushed the petite woman towards the bench.
Aloe didn't need to be pushed around – even if the uneven and sandy terrain of the patio made wheelchair-bound movement difficult – but it gave the image of weakness. Naila had been observing her all over the week, even passing in front of her office more than one time without ever entering. She didn't know if the sultanzade suspected something, but the best she could do was undermine herself.
The princess donned a linen shirt and pants – something expected more of a commoner – along with a heavy leather belt where she sheathed her weapons. She left the shirt unbuttoned, which gave her a certain allure, especially with her still-wet body as the thin clothes adhered to her skin.
"It is true that I have been observing you, Aloe Ayad." Full name, that's never good. "But you are overstepping if you think that means I want something from you." Aaand she wants something from me.
"Then what can I do for you to be of assistance." The wheelchair-bound woman smiled at the armed girl on purpose.
Naila became a blur. Her body disappeared from her previous position, no longer in a relaxed posture, but right in front of her with a blade unsheathed. Aloe didn't react to the tulwar, not out of lack of reflexes, but precisely for a surplus of them. She had nothing to fear, for she had already donned a stance of her own.
It took a full second for Nesrine to process what had happened as she announced so with a yelp, but the guard didn't intervene.
"I do not believe I can be your sparring partner, Scribe Naila." Aloe dropped a degree of formality with her honorifics. "Not only my current predicament makes it difficult – if not outright impossible – but I lack any formal martial training."
She didn't allow herself to be intimidated. She was no longer wielding acuity, but she could see it in Naila's eyes. She was toying with her. Even with a sharp edge next to her neck, Aloe kept her cool. She had experienced worse. Far worse. The worst.
"No reaction?" The sultanzade mussed and withdrew her blade. "Where is the barely-a-woman that shed tears when I grabbed her? What happened during your absence?"
"You know it very well." Aloe's tone turned darker, the corners of her mouth raising to maddening degrees. "I found someone who actually scared me."