Another opponent, and this one looked to know what they were doing. Annabelle studied his stance for a moment, thinking on what she should open with. One wrong move could cost her dearly, so she wanted to make certain she did the right choice. With the thought of charging forward not sitting well with her, she decided to go with a more cautious approach. In this place, it never hurt to try and keep your hide intact if you could help it.

“Do not be afraid” she said as she began to circle on his left “the healers here are quite skilled.” Perhaps she could find a hole in his defense, force him to break his stance in order to engage her, then strike in an opening. “I once had a large spike of green gem lodged in my neck, but the healers were able to remove it without killing me.” The scar still throbbed sometimes, but it was a worthy mark of her victory over the spellsword she fought. “Though it helps to still show restraint, as this is just a practice field.”

As she spoke, Annabelle placed a second Mantle of Awakening upon a Memory of Courage. Golden psionic energy burst through her body in between sentences, and she could feel her strength surging. With enough luck and skill it would win her the day, but she needed to be careful. This man did not wish to kill her, but in this place, anything was possible. If Annabelle wanted to become a warrior of legendary renown, she would need to be able to defeat any opponent that came her way. Her dreams were lofty, but she was a talented swordswoman with nothing left to lose.

The crowd watched in silence, the cheering having died off now as they waited for the carnage to begin. At the mention of her previous injury, some of the spectators would chatter about the fight. It was a rather intense and grueling match, one that had people at the edge of their seat. Today it seemed they were hoping for another such match, finding the thrill of gladiatorial combat to their liking. Death wasn't certain amongst the competitors, but if they could see another gruesome injury, then it made it all the more worth it. Not since the death of Selandra Windfall has there been such an emphasis on keeping the combatants alive, as her body has been lost due to unforeseen circumstances, making it impossible to revive her.