Empires of Faith

Chapter 16: Ya Ikhwati

3 Ramadan, 1663

The blowing winds shifted the yellow dunes of sand, increasing some, decreasing others. The leaves of a single standing palm tree rustled and palm fibers fell from the trunk to the ground. Beneath the shade of the tree, Muhammad Ibn Sulayman sat, watching his two companions going a third round of sparring. Already they had competed in a wrestling match, -which Imran had won- and a foot race -which Usama had won. Now they were engaged in a three round weapons sparring in which they were tied one-to-one. Usama was using his two curved blades and Imran was using his bow to prove that it could be useful in close combat as well.

Imran grasped his bow with both of his hands, but kept a blunt-headed arrow in his quiver over his shoulder just in case. He eyed Usama intently as they circled around each other. Beads of sweat trickled down their bearded faces and dripped to the ground below where their feet were shifting through the sands. Their heavy breathing betrayed the exhaustion they felt, even though they painted smiles on their faces. Each carefully watched every movement of the other, waiting for the right moment to strike. One simple mistake could provide a perfect opening to finish the match.

Leaning forward, Muhammad could feel the tension between the two. He watched anxiously, waiting for a victor to be determined. The competing was not only for sport and fun, but also to keep the three warriors in good shape and sharpen their combat skills. The victor of this day's three part competition would compete against Muhammad in the next day, and the victor then would face the loser from before the next day. In this way, all three men would have an opportunity to challenge themselves and keep prepared for the upcoming battles on their journey.

As the two fighters circled around each other, Imran made a small misstep and when his eyes shifted to check his footing, Usama darted forward, swinging down his two swords. Imran quickly raised up his bow, blocking the attack. He spun the bow sideways and pushed Usama away before spinning around and dropping low to swing at Usama's feet. Usama leapt into the air and did a forward roll in the sand. Imran rushed at him, swinging down the bow, but Usama clashed his two swords together in an X and blocked the attack. He then kicked Imran in the stomach, causing him to fall back onto the ground.

Imran rolled over onto his feet just in time to evade a mid-section attack from Usama's two blades. He dodged the attack and kicked Usama's right hand, knocking the blade out of it. Usama quickly transferred the sword in his left hand to his now empty right hand. He swung the single sword and Imran ducked. Imran swung his bow again and Usama parried the attack with an upward slash of his sword. Coming back down, Usama swung at Imran's feet, forcing him to jump back a few steps.

Usama dashed side to side as he charged after Imran, now grasping his sword with both hands. Imran planted his feet firmly in the ground and braced for impact. When Usama got near enough, Imran spun his bow over and swung toward his shoulders, making benefit of the arm's reach advantage he had over Usama. Usama quickly parried the attack and rushed into Imran with his shoulder, knocking him back a few steps.

When Usama came forward again, swinging his sword upward, Imran swung down with his bow, catching the sword between the bowstring and the actual wooden bow. He quickly spun and twisted the bow, catching and effectively trapping the blade. He yanked at the blade, pulling Usama closer, before he struck out his elbow and jabbed him in the chest. Usama stumbled backwards, releasing his sword in the process. Imran saw this as his chance to finish the match. He stepped forward and jumped into the air, kicking Usama in the middle of his chest.

Usama further stammered backward and Imran stepped in to finish him. He pushed Usama down, wielding the bow with both hands. Usama just barely managed to latch onto the bow with both of his hands and he immediately tightened his grip as he pulled as hard as he could. While falling over, Usama managed to successfully pull Imran down with him. As he landed on his back, Usama raised up his bent knees and kicked Imran over himself, snatching away his bow from him.