Arcadia's Ignoble Knight: The Sorceress of Ashtown

Stairs, a Man's Worst Enemy

"Ga... this is absolutely... ridiculous... just how many of these staircases are left?!"

"I think... ju... just... a few more..."

"How many... are a few?"

"... Eight or nine dozen."

"... Damn it..."

Caspian and Cassidy ran up another flight of stairs. He'd long since lost count of the number of stairs they'd ascended. His lungs burned from breathlessness, and his chest ached, a sharp sting that made it feel like someone was stabbing his heart with a needle. Yet he didn't stop. He couldn't stop―not when the Sorceress he'd been tasked with protecting was in danger. He had to reach Erica.

Unfortunately, Caspian's bedroom was one-hundred floors below Erica's, which meant they had to climb a lot of stairs to reach the bedchamber of their resident Sorceress.

His breathing coming out in a heavy rasp. With blood pounding in his ears, Caspian rushed up the stairs two at a time. He could only thank the Spirits for all the exercise he'd been forced to endure at the academy. He wouldn't have had the stamina to run up the stairs like this otherwise.

Although that did make him wonder about how Cassidy was keeping up with him. She was a civilian, wasn't she? Should she have this much endurance? Then again, she was also a maid in this place. She'd probably climbed these stairs so many times that her body had built up an innate immunity to stair climbing.

Before they could climb another step, a window situated to the left shattered, and a shadowed figure swooped in. Cassidy screamed and nearly fell down the stairs, but Caspian caught her and forced the girl behind him, protecting her from both the glass and the figure.

She landed lightly on her feet, her form unveiled, her long, pointed ears visible for him to see. Eyes like daggers stared at him from beneath coarse bangs of hair. It was the elf that Cassidy had knocked unconscious.

"Not you again!"

"Caspian!"

"Cassidy! Stay back!"

Caspian glared at the elf as she stood before him, his teeth gritted in annoyance. She hadn't bothered putting her mask back on, probably because he'd already seen her face. There wasn't much point.

She held her two daggers in a reverse grip, the golden pommels bathed in moonlight. Her eyes were narrowed in a fierce expression. Caspian could sense her determination and her intent. She was invoking a clear challenge to him. If he wanted to reach Erica, then he would have to go through her.

If that's how you wish to play, then fine. Challenge accepted.

"Cassidy, please get to safety."

"What?"

"Go now! Run to safety!"

Caspian rushed up the stairs, while the elf rushed down the stairs at the same time. They met in a whirlwind of blades. Steel clashed against steel. Sparks flew as their weapons ground against each other. Crescent arcs were cut through the air in intricate patterns as the two danced a waltz of death.

Caspian did the best he could against the two daggers lashing at him from all sides. He angled his sword just as one dagger came at him from above. The smaller blade ground along the edge of his larger sword, then slid off. Caspian then twisted his blade until the tip pointed towards the ground. Clang! Sword met dagger in a fierce confrontation of sparks.

While at first they almost appeared even, it became clear after another moment that the elf still had an advantage over him. She might have held an even bigger advantage than before because of all the running he'd been doing. He was tired from running up those stairs, and she looked fresh-except for the large bump on the back of her head from where Cassidy had hit her.