I immediately turned and drew my sword.
The sound of metal leaving the sheath broke the silence of the place.
My body reacted before my mind. The exhaustion was still there, the pain too, but instinct screamed louder: I wasn't alone.
I couldn't see the figure in front of me clearly. The darkness of the place, mixed with the swamp mist and the fatigue in my eyes, made it hard to distinguish details. Even so, I knew one thing with absolute certainty.
It wasn't a monster.
Monsters didn't speak. And when they did, their voices were clumsy, distorted, difficult to understand. The presence in front of me was different. It moved with intention. With awareness.
When I focused my sight a little more, I could make out her silhouette better.
It was a woman.
Or at least that's what it seemed from the shape of her body. She wore a hood that completely covered her face, preventing me from seeing her features.
In her hands she held an enormous axe, so large that for a moment I wondered how she could carry it without losing balance.
The weapon seemed even bigger than she was.
Without warning, she lunged toward me.
Her movement was fast, direct, without hesitation. She gave me no time to think. I lunged toward her at the same time, closing the distance in an instant.
Our weapons clashed.
The impact was brutal.
A metallic crash echoed through the entire place, so loud that I felt the vibration run through my arms up to my shoulders.
My feet sank a little into the ground as I resisted the blow.
I clenched my teeth.
I tried to see her face, but the hood didn't move. It stayed hidden. I couldn't read her expression, couldn't know what she was thinking.
So I jumped back immediately.
I needed distance.
I wanted to use my sorcery. The habit was automatic. But as soon as I tried to gather magic, I felt the emptiness.
Nothing.
My body wasn't responding.
I had spent all my magic using that new technique. I had nothing left. Not even a spark.
That meant one thing.
If I wanted to defeat her, I would have to do it with only my body and my sword.
I swallowed hard and adopted a defensive stance, waiting.
I waited for her to attack first.
But she didn't.
She stayed still, observing me. Her breathing was steady, controlled. She was also waiting for the right moment.
I had no time for games.
Every step I took on those contaminated waters made my legs hurt more.
The poison continued to affect my body, draining my strength little by little. I couldn't afford a long fight.
So I took the initiative.
I lunged straight at her, breaking our distance in a single movement.
She responded immediately, swinging her enormous axe with brutal force.
I felt the wind pass close to my face.
The blade of the weapon passed so close to my eyes that it forced me to stop dead. If I hadn't reacted in time, that blow would have split me in two.
Now she was the one advancing.
Her movements were fast. Faster than I expected. Each attack was heavy, but well calculated. I could barely block the blows with my sword.
Metal against metal.
Again and again.
My arms began to resent the impact. Each block made my hands tremble. If this continued, my sword wouldn't hold much longer.
Then I heard it.
A loud, unpleasant sound.
A metallic creak.
For a second I thought it was my sword breaking, but it couldn't be. That weapon had withstood worse things.
Even so, the sound set my nerves on edge.
Taking advantage of a small gap between attacks, I lunged toward her once more.
For an instant, the darkness seemed to part, and I could see her raising her enormous axe above her head.
That blow was aimed straight at me.
Straight at my head.
I knew that if it hit me, I would die.
But I also noticed something else.
Her breathing.
It was heavier now. More forced. Her endurance wasn't infinite.
I clenched my teeth.
In the last second, I jumped to the side.
The axe crashed into the ground with brutal force, sending fragments of stone and earth flying. The impact shook the entire place.
I took advantage of that instant.
Gathering all the strength I had left, ignoring the pain coursing through my body, I launched a direct cut toward her ribs.
She reacted quickly.
She blocked the attack with the axe handle.
The clash was so strong that I felt my arms vibrate violently. The pain shot up to my shoulders, but I didn't let go of the sword.
We both retreated.
She stood firm, now breathing with more difficulty. I could barely stay upright. My legs burned. My vision blurred a little.
The blows were no longer as strong as before.
The first one to receive a clean hit… would lose.
I couldn't waste time.
—It seems you are strong, undead —she said at last—. This is getting interesting.
Her voice was firm, calm, as if the fight didn't worry her.
—Really, thank you very much —I replied with a tired little smile—. You are too.
She said nothing more.
She lunged again.
This time she spun her enormous axe in circles, creating an impenetrable defensive whirlwind.
The weapon cut through the air violently, forcing me to retreat and dodge without being able to counterattack.
My legs were at their limit.
Every movement hurt.
But I saw the opportunity.
Her breathing was irregular. She was getting tired.
I lunged immediately.
But it was a trap.
She raised her weapon one last time, using all the strength she had left. We attacked at the same time.
I felt an intense burn in my right arm.
Her cut grazed it.
But my sword was already at her neck.
We both stopped.
Silence fell abruptly.
—You won… —she said upon seeing the blade pressing against her throat.
My body was destroyed. I could barely keep the sword raised. My vision blurred. My breathing escaped little by little.
—It seems I won… —I replied in a tired voice.
She didn't seem fazed.
—Well, you know the rule —she said calmly—. The winner decides the loser's future.
I thought for a moment.
Her strength, her skill… I could make use of them.
—Then you will have to become my companion.
She didn't seem surprised.
—All right —she replied—. If that's what you want, so be it.
—Then I'll see you in the sacred forest —I said—. I'll wait for you there.
Immediately she took her weapon.
I couldn't see clearly how, but I felt her presence disappear from the place, as if she had never been there.
And I stayed alone, barely standing, breathing with difficulty in the middle of the darkness.