This is an old revision of the document!

Dotty had tracked her target to a small village at a crossroads between Octavius and Lepidus in the Sera Sand-Sea, Oxtrad’s vast desert. The tall and broad Orcish woman stood out from the locals. No chance to pass through without question. Almost on queue with her thought, a timid street merchant approached her, almost straining his neck to meet her eyes two heads above his own.

“Ma’am? I don’t mean to offend but you are here on good business, I hope? We’ve seen much excitement in the past week for our humble homes to last us the year.”

“That’s why I’m here. An agent of Avernus hides among you.”

“You must be mistaken ma’am, a knight slew the devil-spawn but two moons ago.”

Dotty focused in on the merchant’s eyes and expression. He winced in cowardice, but told the truth. “Not mistaken. Late.” She looked back at the horizon. “Which way did this knight go?”

“West, ma’am, toward the setting sun.”

“Thank you.” She palmed the merchant a silver piece. As she began her journey through the town to the West road.

The merchant shouted after Dotty “Ma’am, he’s a good and noble sir.”

“Not in my line of work.” Dotty replied under her breath as her brows furrowed, and grip tightened around her sheathed blade.

Marching days and nights it took less time than Dotty thought it’d take to track down and catch up to the knight. The nights in the desert were cold, she wore heavy furs only removing once sun had broke, but tonight she’d found her mark. They still wore full plate and was resting by a small fire, admiring the night sky, occasionally twisting their head to a new section, but never back toward Dotty. She slowly drew her great sword and crept toward the single armour clad figure. Successfully approaching unseen and unheard she pointed her blade toward them.

“Move and lose your head.” She barked. The knight jumped slightly but didn’t make a hostile move. “Who do you serve?”

The knight remained looking into the sky, away from Dotty. Their voice monotone and almost haunting replied. “I work for myself, I am the slayer of fiends.”

“Slayer of Fiends? I’m not familiar. My mark was an agent of Zariel, I serve Dispater.” Dotty noticed that the so called Slayer of Fiends twitched at the mention of the archdevils.

“You serve devils?” The Slayer asked, hand reaching to their side.

“Ah, ah. Don’t move.” Dotty took a half step back in confusion, the knight seemed know of the devils but disgusted at their mention. “I serve, yes. You do not? How did you know of the agent? Your old cursed armour, I can feel it from here. All suggest you serve someone.”

“Folk don’t like fiends in their homes, I clean them up. Curse is another tale, no matter, all who serve the hells that cross my path will die.” The Slayer with great strength, rolled onto and over the fire, out of Dotty’s reach. Within a moment they stood facing each other blades at the ready.

The two moved in almost perfect harmony, reflecting each other’s attack with equal defense. Both sides growingly impressed and frustrated with the other’s skill, neither able to land a strike. This was going to be a fight of attrition, slowly wearing each other down until one makes a fatal slip. The seconds turned to minutes, turned to an hour of a near silent night save for the clashing of swords. The two both stepped back out of reach of each other, catching their breath or so Dotty thought until she focused on the knight, unmoving, not a single sign of exhaustion.

“The hells are you?”

“Not the hells. Aldrun, Slayer of Fiends, Queen Cursed.”

“Queen Cursed?” Dotty panted through breaths. “Really not from the hells?”

“No, but you are.” Aldrun took a step forward, raising his sword. Dotty raised a hand. Aldrun stopped.

“I don’t willingly serve Dispater, I made a deal I shouldn’t have.”

“Let me end it.” Aldrun took another step forward.

“Wait!” Dotty took a step back. “I am Huld Dottir. Friends call me Dotty.”

“Raise you sword, Huld Dottir.” Another step forward.

“So eager. Hold on.” Dotty took another back. “I sold my soul, I want it back, so I have been killing devils, demons, and fiends. Like you, right? You're cursed and seeking something.”

“I died a shameful death, the Queen of Oxtrad bound my soul to this armour. Now I seek a worthy death while carrying my old title, Slayer of Fiends.” The two stood in silence, waiting for the other to speak or make a move. Aldrun spoke again. “I think you are a worthy death.”

Dotty rose an eyebrow as Aldrun started the fight again, immediately matching each other’s moves. The two danced a deadly symphony under the cloud-less and star filled night. Dotty and Aldrun both had grown tired over the years with quick or messy fights, with little time or grace to enjoy the ballad of blades. Now they both fulfilled their desire. They could not only see their opponent’s moves with precision, but perfectly predicted their attacks before they had moved into position. Their minds fighting many seconds ahead of their bodies. The minutes drew on, wordlessly in their strikes, they could feel the other pulling and hesitating. Their complementing strength and endurance forming a bond unfamiliar to both. The fight slowing to a single swing and deflect every few seconds, almost testing each other to see who would end the fight first even though both knew neither wanted to continue. Dotty made a swing, Aldrun blocked and held the swords in a lock.

“Aldrun?” Dotty asked in a quizzing manner.

“Dotty.” Admitted Aldrun

The two sat opposite sides of the fire, swords still by their sides, unsure what their future held with each other. Whatever it held, they were enjoying this moment, sharing tales, laughing, and not so subtly trying to figure out the mind and nature of the other.

“So what exactly is under your helm?”

Aldrun tilted his head inquisitively. “Nothing.”

“Show me.”

“Really, I’m an empty suit.” Aldrun saw Dotty’s unimpressed look in the firelight, hesitated for a moment. “Fine.” He began lifting his visor, shook his head and instead removed the whole helm, revealing nothing but air underneath.

“Woah, can you remove everything and just float around?”

“Almost, I can remove all except chest plate. That’s what I’m bound to. Still feel pain and tire, no need to eat or breath though.”

“Huh really? So that break in the middle?”

“I was exhausted, then we kept going!”

Both laughed heartly into the early morning. The sun had not risen yet but the glow on the horizon made it clear it would soon. Dotty looked to her sword, then looked to Aldrun and smiled, tilting her head as if to say ‘another round?’. Despite being expression-less a simple nod from Aldrun was all she needed. The two rose with their blades. They began not a fight but a sparring match, slow at first as they silently showed each other techniques they’d otherwise rarely use, and adding flare to normal strikes. Dotty and Aldrun picked up pace. To an untrained observer they looked as if they were going to kill each other with the speed and ferocity they had gotten to. An early morning courier from the road saw the sun break the horizon silhouetting the two fighters dancing along the ridge of a dune, a knight in worn full plate fighting an Orc clad in heavy chain and guards. The courier stopped for a few minutes, equal parts admiring and fearing the combatants. The courier continued on, not wanting unintentionally draw the ire of either.