The round room was hushed with anticipation, the air thick with tension. Abby stood at one end, her heart pounding in her chest. Across from her, General Thane, the right hand of Sevas, eyed her with a calm, calculating gaze. The room's circular walls echoed the silence, and only Sevas and the high council of Arvendon sat as witnesses to this duel.

The duel had been granted under the ancient law of Arvendon, allowing a prisoner to reduce their sentence by half if they could survive a duel with the accuser. Since the accuser was the country, and the High King was immune from the duel law, his right hand stood in as a proxy. This was fortunate for Abby, as the person who had taken away her brother and her friend was standing on the other side of the arena.

The arena itself was a grand, circular structure, reminiscent of ancient coliseums, with towering stone walls that echoed the anticipation of the gathered spectators. The air was thick with tension and the faint scent of dust and sweat. Glowing lights filled the edges of the room to allow combatants to see every inch of the room. Some flickered, casting dancing shadows across the sand-covered floor. Abby felt the weight of the High King and Council’s eyes upon her, the collective breath of the audience held in suspense.

Thane drew his sword, the metal gleaming ominously in the dim light. The blade was intricately forged, runes etched along its length, shimmering with a faint, eerie light that seemed to pulse with a life of its own. Abby couldn't decipher their meaning from her distance, but she knew they held power—power that Thane would not hesitate to use against her.

"Are you prepared, Abby?" Thane asked, his voice steady, resonating with an authority that matched the gravity of the moment. His eyes were cold, a sharp contrast to the heated atmosphere.

Abby nodded, her eyes narrowing as she took a deep breath. "More than you know," she replied, her voice firm, though her heart pounded in her chest. She had trained for this moment, every muscle in her body coiled with readiness.

Sevas stood; his voice solemn. "Let the duel begin."

With a burst of speed, Abby launched herself at Thane, her tentacles igniting with flames. She delivered a series of rapid, fiery strikes, her martial arts blending seamlessly with her abilities. Thane parried her blows with his sword, his movements fluid and precise.

"Impressive," Thane commented, deflecting another of Abby's attacks. "You fight with the ferocity of a warrior who has nothing to lose."

Abby didn't respond, her focus entirely on overwhelming Thane. She unleashed a barrage of attacks, her flames growing hotter with each strike. Thane stepped back, giving ground as he continued to parry and dodge.

"You remind me of Erik," Thane said, his voice almost wistful. "He was a truly gifted and noble warrior."

The mention of Erik made Abby's blood boil. The mere sound of his name from Thane’s lips felt like a desecration. "Don't you dare speak his name!" she snarled, her attacks growing even more aggressive, fueled by a renewed surge of anger. Her flames flared up around her, turning the arena into a fiery inferno.

Thane met her gaze, his expression earnest, almost pained. "It's true. I admired Erik. His skills were unmatched, and his heart was pure. I never intended to harm him."

"You're lying!" Abby screamed, her flames intensifying. She conjured a fireball and hurled it at Thane, who deftly sidestepped the attack, the heat scorching the ground where he had stood moments before.

"I know the reason you were satisfied with me as your opponent," Thane continued, his voice calm despite the chaos, a note of sorrow creeping in. "Erik was your family. And Julie was a childhood friend. You were there with Julie. She attacked me first."

The sound of Julie's name hit Abby like a physical blow, her heart aching with the memory of her friend's laughter, her courage. "Stop talking!" she demanded, tears mingling with the sweat on her soot-streaked face. "You don't get to speak about them. You took them from me!"

Thane's eyes softened, a flicker of regret passing through them. "I had no choice but to defend myself. Julie... she was brave, but impulsive. Erik... Erik was different. I respected him."

Abby's mind was a whirlwind of confusion and anger. Thane's words seemed genuine, but she couldn't reconcile them with the man who had caused her so much pain. She pressed her attack, her flames scorching the air around them.

"You expect me to believe that?" Abby shouted, her voice raw with emotion, echoing off the stone walls of the arena. "You killed them both!"

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Thane parried her strikes, his movements deliberate and controlled, his face a mask of calm. "I did what I had to do to survive. But I never sought to harm Erik. He was a warrior, someone who fought and cared for his country, like me."

The more Thane spoke, the more Abby's fury grew. The way he spoke of Erik with such respect, as if they were comrades, felt like a cruel tactic to unnerve her, to break her focus. Her heart pounded with rage and grief, memories of her brother and her friend flooding her mind.

"Enough!" Abby roared, the fire within her exploding outward. Flames erupted from her tentacles, the intense heat radiating in waves. She channeled all her anger and grief into her attacks, her tentacles striking with the force of a hurricane, each movement a blur of fiery destruction.

Thane's sword clashed against her flames, the metal beginning to glow with the intense heat. He struggled to maintain his composure as the temperature rose, sweat pouring down his face. Abby's onslaught was relentless, her tentacles a flurry of burning strikes that seemed to come from every direction.

With each blow, Abby felt the weight of her loss fueling her power. The arena was filled with the crackling of flames and the sound of their clashing weapons. Thane's defenses began to falter under the relentless barrage, his movements becoming more desperate.

"Why are you saying these things?" Abby screamed, her voice cracking with the strain. "You don't get to speak of him with respect! You took him from me!"

Thane's eyes met hers, a flash of something unreadable passing through them. "You think I wanted this? To be the enemy in your eyes?" he shouted back, his voice strained as he parried another fiery strike.

Abby didn't relent. Her flames intensified, the heat scorching the ground beneath them. She poured all her emotions into her next attack, her tentacles glowing white-hot. Thane raised his sword to block, but the metal could not withstand the power of her strike.

With a final, powerful blow, Abby shattered Thane's sword, the pieces flying in all directions and clattering to the floor. For a moment, Abby felt a surge of triumph, a brief respite from her rage and sorrow. She had bested him, broken his weapon, and stood victorious.

But her triumph was short-lived. Thane, unfazed, calmly reached behind his back and drew another identical sword, its blade gleaming menacingly in the flickering torchlight. He twirled the sword with practiced ease, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Did you think it would be that easy?" Thane asked, his voice low and steady, a dangerous edge to his tone. "I've come prepared, Abby. That sword had served its purpose, it was close to breaking last time we met in combat.."

Abby gritted her teeth, her tentacles still blazing. The sight of Thane's new weapon reignited her fury, the flames around her flaring up once more. She wouldn't let him win, couldn't let him walk away unscathed. This was for Erik, for her friend, and for her own freedom.

"You won't leave this arena without feeling the pain you've caused," Abby vowed, her voice steady despite the fire burning inside her. She readied herself, her body coiled with the tension of a predator ready to strike.

The small crowd watched in awe and fear as the two combatants squared off again, the air thick with the promise of another intense clash. Abby's flames burned brighter, the arena bathed in a fiery glow. She knew this battle would not be easy, but she was determined to fight until the end.

Thane advanced, his movements now more aggressive. He swung his sword with deadly precision, forcing Abby to retreat. Sparks flew, and the sound of their struggle filled the arena once more. Abby’s heart sank as she realized the fight was far from over.

She tried to counter with her flames, but Thane's attacks were relentless. He slashed at her, the blade cutting through her defenses. In a swift, brutal move, he severed another one of her tentacles.

Abby cried out in pain, her vision blurring. She stumbled back, trying to regain her footing. Thane didn’t relent, pressing his advantage with ruthless efficiency.

"You have spirit, Abby," Thane said, his voice steady. "But spirit alone won't win this duel."

Abby’s mind raced. She had to find a way to turn the tide. She focused her energy, summoning a large fireball in her hands. The flames danced and crackled, their heat intense.

Thane watched her, his eyes narrowing. "What are you planning?"

Abby didn’t answer. She willed the fireball to grow hotter and hotter, the flames shifting from orange to blue, then to a blinding white. The heat was unbearable, burning her soft flesh, but she didn’t stop.

"You can’t win this way," Thane said, his voice calm. "You’re only hurting yourself."

But Abby was beyond listening. She poured all her energy into the fireball, willing it to become an unstoppable force. The flames seared her tentacles, but she held on, her determination unyielding.

Thane took a cautious step back, his eyes fixed on the blazing inferno in Abby's hands. "This ends now," he said, raising his sword.

Abby let out a primal scream, launching the white-hot fireball at Thane with all her might. The flames roared as they flew through the air, a searing comet of destruction.

The impact was explosive, the force of the blast shaking the entire room. Abby fell to the ground to catch her breath but the oxygen in the arena was minimal due to the fireball, her body trembling from the effort. She could feel her skin burning, the pain almost unbearable, but she forced herself to look up.

Through the smoke and flames, she saw Thane standing, his sword raised defensively, the runes glowing the same white-hot that the fireball had. He had taken the brunt of the attack, his armor scorched and his face covered in soot. But he was still standing, his eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine.

Abby’s vision blurred, the world spinning around her. The heat of the flames and the exertion of her attacks had taken their toll. Her limbs felt heavy, her breaths ragged. She had given everything she had, poured every ounce of her strength and rage into the fight, and it still wasn’t enough. Her tentacles buckled, and she stumbled, struggling to stay upright.

As darkness crept in at the edges of her vision, she heard Thane’s voice, calm and steady, cutting through the chaos like a knife.

"You fought well, Abby. But this duel is far from over."

His words echoed in her mind, a cruel reminder of the relentless nature of her opponent. The arena seemed to close in around her, the cheers and gasps of the crowd a distant sound. She wanted to succumb to the darkness, to let the exhaustion and despair take her away from this endless fight.

But as she teetered on the edge of consciousness, a spark of determination flared within her. She couldn't give up. Not now. Not ever. The faces of her brother and her friend flashed before her eyes, their smiles, their laughter, their strength. She had to fight for them, for their memory, for the justice they deserved.