Light Dragons 03 - Sparks Fly

Gabriel does, ghost.”
    “I am a shade, not a trivial, unimportant spirit,” Constantine said with much dignity, straightening his shoulders. “And you have no choice in the matter. By the laws that govern the sept, I, Constantine of Norka, do hereby issue a formal challenge of transcendence to Konstantin Nikolai Fekete, who falsely claims the title of wyvern of the black dragons. You will not refuse if you have even a shred of honor to your name.”
    “I have more than a shred, but I’m not going to fight you for my sept. You aren’t alive. You can’t be a wyvern,” Kostya said, looking somewhat pugnacious now. I couldn’t blame him for that-Constantine tended to have a one-track mind, and was currently clearly obsessed with the idea of fighting Kostya.
    “You are a base coward,” Constantine said in an obnoxious voice, waving a hand toward Baltic. “Baser even than Baltic, who at least was not afraid to fight me.”
    Baltic snarled something rude.
    “I’m not afraid of you,” Kostya said, looking irritated.
    “Oh, come on, Kostie-fight the ghost and then you’ll prove you’re the big bad wyvern,” Cyrene said, yawning and looking around the hall. “Which room did you say was mine, Ysolde? I’m a bit tired since the hotel was incredibly noisy.”
    “What is this?” Baltic asked me, just as I was about to tell Cyrene where Maura had been staying. “Mate, I insist you stop inviting everyone you meet to stay with us!”
    “I didn’t exactly invite her,” I said in a low voice.
    “Fine!” Kostya bellowed, drawing our attention back to the two men who stood toe-to-toe in the middle of the room. “I accept your challenge. You will meet me body to body. I name as a second ... I name ... er ... ” He looked around the room. His gaze lit on me for a second, and I thought he was going to demand I act as his backup for the challenge, but with an annoyed click of his tongue, he finished, “I name Baltic.”
    “What? You can’t name him,” I said, wrapping an arm around Baltic in case he was about to charge Kostya. “You guys don’t like each other.”
    To my absolute surprise, Baltic didn’t say anything right away. He looked hard at Kostya for a few seconds before his gaze shifted to Constantine. “I accept,” he said with a smile that had Constantine looking wary.
    “Good,” Constantine said with one last look at Baltic. “Then I name Ysolde as second.”
    “No,” Baltic snapped.
    “Why not?” Constantine asked.
    “Yes, why not?” I asked, prodding Baltic in the side. “I’ve never been a second before. It sounds rather dashing. I think I’d like to do it.”
    “A second must be prepared to fight in place of the principal,” Baltic answered, his eyes flashing something unreadable at me. “Constantine may not care if you are injured, but I do.”
    “Oh.” I thought for a moment, then nodded. “I’m sorry, Constantine. I don’t want to seem like a coward, but I wouldn’t be an effective second. Kostya doesn’t fight women, and he definitely wouldn’t fight me. That wouldn’t at all do if I was called upon to fulfill my duties as your second and fight in your place, and, of course, if Baltic was fighting for Kostya ... well, you must see that it just wouldn’t work.”
    “Very well,” Constantine said with an annoyed sniff. He waved his hand toward Cyrene, who was looking somewhat bored. “I’ll take the naiad as my second.”
    “Me?” Cyrene squeaked. “But I’m a woman, too, and Kostya wouldn’t fight me.”
    “I’d make an exception for you,” Kostya told her with a grim smile.
    She looked indignant for a moment, then straightened her shoulders and gave Constantine a quick nod. “All right, I accept the position. I’ll be your second. But I get to beat the holy hell out of Kostya.”
    “The gloves are off now, I see,” I said softly, elbowing Baltic. “You needn’t look so anticipatory, my darling. I’m sure Kostya will have enough spleen venting to do on Constantine to make your assistance unnecessary.”
    “Kostya is weak. He will fall quickly to Constantine. I will not.”
    “We will conduct the challenge now,” Constantine announced with a grand gesture. “A body-to-body challenge can take many forms. Which do you choose, Kostya?”
    “Swords are always good,” Kostya answered, flexing his arms.
    “We don’t have any swords,” I said, distracted when Cyrene tugged on my sleeve and said, “I need a bath. Which room is