Watching Cielina and Devona duel.

Many of the soldiers and royal guards within the castle gather in the sparring arena, watching Devona and Cielina prepare for the Stoneskin duel, while you watch at a safe distance, with Vessa joining you by your side. While other Frost Knights and Thessian Amazons leave various weapons on each side of the arena's wooden fenced edge, the two women don their battle clothes and armor, and let some of the other women braid or tie their hair back. You can see the differences that the two woman have in their style of battle. For Cielina, it's supplementing her power with speed and agility, as she puts on a traditional leather suit that is consistent with her kind, and some pieces of light plate armor, including a breastplate that has been formed to her curves. For Devona, it's about power and survivability, as she puts on heavier plate armor pieces, and strap other pieces of plate on her limbs. Both women then put on helmets that are styled in their respective cultures, and pick up a weapon to begin the duel. Devona picks up a heavy greatsword, and lowers the visor of her full helmet, to protect her eyes. Cielina picks up her flamberge, and adjusts her partially exposed helmet so that the nose bridge of the helmet is snug on the bony part of her nose.

You go over the details of the duel with the women, and let Vessa cast the Stoneskin spell over the women. It is not long before the two women go into a fighting stance almost immediately. They walk in a slow circular motion, before letting out a good battle cry, as their swords come together. As you watch them do battle, you can see both the similarities they have in when to go on the attack, when they go on the defensive, and when to take evasive action. At first, whenever one woman disarms the other, she lets that woman grab another weapon. However, as time goes on, and the rain comes down even harder, any sense of leniency goes out the window. At one point in the duel, you watch as Devona uses her weight--combined with the weight of her armor--to knock Cielina down, and try to knock off more of the Stoneskin off of Cielina, with overhead chops to the ground, as the Amazon woman roll away in the forming puddles of mud. More time pass, and you watch as Cielina sidesteps a lunge attempt by Devona, and trips her down with a well-placed leg sweep. With a two-handed mace, Cielina bashes off some of the Stoneskin off of Devona, but Devona is able to parry a subsequential strike, when she senses the pace of those strikes, and knocks Cielina away with the pommel of her battle axe.

You can see just how much they cancel each other out, as they go from weapon type, to weapon type, and then just fighting with their bare hands, to try and knock off what's left of her opponent's Stoneskin. Along the way, the growing crowd of soldiers and servants let out a series of "Ooooo's" and "Aaahhh's", as the duel drags on. Other Frost Knights and other Amazons cheer on their respective leaders, as the two women exchange blows with their fists and kicks. Vessa can sense each other's Stoneskins wearing off with each landed hit, as she leans towards you.

"It will not last any longer, m'lord." Vessa whispers to you, as you watch in silence. "A few more good hits, and one of them should win."