The Fencers

It began with an argument, the details of which seem lost in the terrible anger it caused the two men. The mansion was lit throughout with candles, casting an eerie glow upon everything. One man picked up the blade in order to defend the honor of another. The other man drew his sword with a sense of pride. The rules were simple, draw blood three times and you were deemed the winner. The rapiers were untipped, and the light dazzled upon the sharp points. The fight that ensued pushed the men around the great mansion's corridors. The quick slashes hissed in the air, and the blood drawn sprayed the walls in thin droplets. Tables were broken and lamps were extinguished. Finally, the men ended in the kitchen. The proud man lay on the floor with the tip of a rapier directly above his chest where his heart beat rapidly. "Do you yield?" questioned the honorable man. "I do." And, with that, the weapon released by the proud man gave a tinny cry as it slide across the floor.