Northern appeared in the Tower, sitting cross-legged as he watched the duel between Jeci and Black Mamba unfold.
Both their spears sliced through the air like streaks of black and red lightning.
The faint sound of steel slicing the wind hummed in the space between them, followed by the rapid, rhythmic clash of weapons meeting in flashes of crimson and shadow.
Jeci's breath came in controlled bursts, her pulse synchronized with the lightning-quick strikes of her spear.
Her movements were fluid—each step barely touched the ground before she sprang forward again, her spear a graceful extension of her body.
Every thrust was met with an answering parry from Black Mamba, whose lithe figure moved like a shadow in water, effortlessly absorbing the force of each blow.
His speed made him seem almost untouchable, like a phantom slipping through the air, leaving only a faint ripple in his wake.
