22 Shade Fight Preparation

Varaug stood in place as I stepped forward to face him.

"So? How should we do this, young King? I can sense your power. You are worthy of my respect and wariness.....how did you become so strong?!" Varaug asked.

"There are many paths to power. The path I am currently walking is but a prerequisite for my final idea." I answered mysteriously.

"Prerequisite..." Varaug said in thought. "...Evoluti-" he started to say before I jumped at him with a swing of my swords.

"I'd prefer my way stay secret. If you don't mind, of course." I said as I traded blow after blow with the newborn Shade.

"Very well. Such ideas should not be spoken aloud anyway." Varaug said calmly.

For hours, we fought...and for hours, we grew to understand each other.

As we broke away from the fight, I asked a question. "Why do I sense that you are holding back? We are well past the warm-up stage."

"Your...'path'...has made you worthy of me treating you as an equal. You are holding back as well. I will fight you to the death, but I want an all out fight! I don't want you to hold back from th fear of harming 'innocent' lives." Varaug replied.

"You should be strong enough to follow me to an appropriate battlefield. Follow me!" I said as I flew into the sky without another word.

This battle had taught me how to cast spells silently. While I understood why it's said to be more difficult, my understanding of intent superceded that.

After reaching an altitude of five thousand feet, we squared off, waiting for the moment the fight would resume. Before that moment came, we were surrounded by three Dragon's and two Riders.

"Vacate the area. Neither of us can fight properly if you are near." I said without removing my eyes from Varaug.

" 'As you command, your majesty.' " Eragon and Saphira said before moving more than a mile away.

"Be safe, my husband." Arya said.

'Be safe...brother.' Allium said before flying in the opposite direction of Saphira.

'...partner?' Eborsisk asked hesitantly.

"I will be fine, little one." I replied with a smile. "I will face him alone as he will fight me alone."

'Very well. But if things start going badly...' Eborsisk started to say before I interrupted him.

"You will do nothing. Because you can do nothing. This fight is beyond you...for now, partner. Stand aside." I said.

With a huff of smoke, Eborsisk flew off, completing a triangular parameter.

"So...shall we begin?" I asked Varaug as I drew my blades.

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436 words, normally I try for a minimum of 1K but I feel I need to get back into the habit of writing, especially since I'll be trying to write a good fight for this one.