The Moon Spawn #1 (Waverly Stump and The 7 Realms)

Chapter Nine

Before Waverly could react, Edsel had already cut across the old injury on her left arm. She cried out and stumbled as the blade connected with her flesh, reopening the wound. A spray of blood spilled onto the deck.

"I already killed you once just then. Lucky that my aim was only for your arm." Edsel sneered.

He swung his blade intimidatingly. It was half the length of a spear and flashed dangerously in the sunlight. Waverly could not tell what it was made from and she did not bother to think on it. She unsheathed her Karya as well, brandishing the green blade. Her short sword hung still on her belt and would be of no use for the moment.

"A cultivator's weapon will do you no good against me." Edsel mocked with smug confidence.

Waverly struck but the god moved like he was made of liquid. The weight of his blade nearly knocked her own sword out of her grip but she held on fast enough to prevent it. In this moment, he gave her another cut across her cheekbone.

"Now you have two." He winced mockingly.

He watched Waverly, enjoying every bit of her difficulty. If the duel bored him, he would kill her.

"I reckon no one has ever revealed to you that you talk way too much for a god." Waverly retorted and struck again.

This time she was able to knock him down but he quickly became formless like spilled honey and materialized next to the ship's masts.

"You will be the first and last mortal to realize that." Edsel said, pointing the edge of his blade at her.

He jumped down from the top of the mast and Waverly wasted no time in tackling him. She shoved him with all her might and he collided with the bulwark on the port side of Estoso.

"You have strength, Zanaan. You only fail to use it." He commended.

He placed his foot against the bulwark and shoved Waverly back. The force sent her spiralling uncontrollably but she screeched to a stop before she could topple down the stairwell. Edsel approached with incredible speed and for a moment, Waverly feared he would slice her to bits.

There was a subsequent ferocious sword clash between them for a length of time until Waverly began to tire first. Her arms felt heavy and weak. Her injury burned, disallowing her to switch sword hands. Edsel made mockery of her during the fight by faking to have an injured arm as well and then he would cackle like a mad man and make things even more difficult, biding his time until when he was finally ready to end her.

At last, he knocked her sword away and had his wedged near a sensitive vein in her neck.

Waverly panted as she remained on one knee, her good arm raised in surrender. Edsel did not seem to be out of breath even in the slightest.

"Not so brazen now, are you Zanaan?" He teased. The mad glint in his eyes was still there but then he suddenly hesitated.

"Well, will you not go on and take my head off?" Waverly prodded.

Every bone in her body screamed in pain and she was already willing to give up. She watched Edsel. He had been enjoying his victory until something had suddenly caught his attention.

He was staring at Waverly's wrist with obvious jealousy.

"How have you come to acquire so much wealth as this?" He asked, his brows knitting.

When he was not trying to take her head off, his kind features returned. Waverly scowled at him. She wondered why he looked so nice when he was indeed a violent, insane recluse.

"What?" She asked and risked glancing down at her hand.

The bracelets Judson had made for her jingled on her wrist; tiny rubies knocking against onyx against blue sapphires and other precious stones of incredibly high value.