The atmosphere was still, as if the world itself was holding its breath in anticipation.
Rylis the demi-human stood, his black and blue fur bristling, claws gleaming under the faint light that slipped through the stormy clouds above.
Across from him, Kaelthar held his sabre loosely, its polished blade catching the faint glint of light.
The tension between them was palpable, a storm of unseen forces crackling at the edges of their shared space.
Kaelthar was the first to move.
His sabre cut through the air with a deafening whistle, a blur of steel aimed directly at Rylis's midsection.
Rylis's body shifted in an instant, his silhouette flickering as he dodged the strike.
The ground beneath where the sabre struck trembled, a sharp scar etched into the stone.
Rylis countered with a sweeping strike of his claws, the air humming with mana as his figure blurred.
