htheirbarehandssocasuallyandnontly,lefttheirappreciativeaudienceawe-

    stri.Itwasonlyafteramomentofpletesilethebattlefielderuptedwithshouts,appuseandexcmationsthatstedforalongtime.

    Brandishinghissword,unequalledinsharpness,KingDimitriurgedhishorsequicklytowardsApollo.Apollo,too,soughttoattackhead-on.Drivinghischariottomeethisoppo,henoticedthattheswordinKingDimitri’shandshohachillingbrilliahattheintricatemovementsheexhibitedwhenflourishingitprovidedaweboflightwhichwasalmostimpeable.Apollo’sgoldenspears,attagwithanairofease,self-fidendskill;sometimesstag,sometimesdefending.Asthetwoofthemfoughton,eachexertinghisbestefforts,theiraudienceweresoentraheystaredunblinkinglyandfoteventobreathenottosayappudorshout!Twohugesuns,hopingtocatchthemoffguarddroppedstraightdownfromonhigh,likeapairofheavy,massiveweights,targetingtheheadsofthetwobatants.KingDimitri’sever-vigintsteed,Lightning,agilelysteppedaside,cleverlyavoidingtheblohetwosuns,frustratedattheirdodgiacktriedtoslinkaway.KingDimitriurgedhishorseforwardandLightningsprangintotheairinpursuit,unwillingtoletthefleeingenemyescape.KingDimitriswungatthesuimeswithhissword,cuttingitintoseveralpieces,whichfelldownfromthecloudyerieandintangiblespace.Apollo,too,threwhisgoldetheothersun,riddlingitwithholes,untilittoofellintospace.ThegoldenspearflewbacktoApollo’shandawotiheirinterruptedbattle.Theeye-dazzliheswordandthespear,thetoandfroofnumerousrounds,elicitedspontaneousappuseandstartledandamazedshoutsfromtheiraudience,whohadfinallyawakenedfromtheirenrapturedstuportoexpresstheirappreciation.Bythensixsunshadbeeneliminated.

    KingDimitriandApollo’smindswerehighlytratedontheirbattle.Everythrustofsear,everyturnofhorseandchariotwerecalcuted,forinalifeahbattlebetwees,eventheslightestmistakemaycostthemtheirlives.Thetwomenwerehighlyfocusedtotheexclusionoftheirsurroundingswhentwomoresunsthatseemedtohaveetoaanding,camebargingontothese.Theytookturnsattagfromdifferentdires,liketwoswingingclodulums,oneiheotherswungaway,effectivelydistragthetwobatantsfromfogontheirbattle.KingDimitriandApolloexgedasilentgaderstanding,andchoositimioack.Bothofthemsimultaneouslytookuptheirbowandarrowaargetedasun.Thearrowshittheirmarksandbothsunsfelloffthecloudyer.

    Thunderouscheers,shoutsandgrewardedtheirvictory.Bythen,therewereonlytwosuinthesky.Theinalsunwassedatelyrotatingonitsorbitinthesorsystemasusual,buttheuesuoamadfrenzyacrashingtowardstheinalsunonasuicidemission,intendingtoperishtogether.

    14

    “Ohno!”thoughtKingDimitri.“Ieverallowthattohappen!”Takinguphisbowandarrow,hewasabouttoshoot,whenoutoftheerofhiseye,heglimpsedApollo,hisbowtaut,abouttoshoottheinalsunrotatingonitsorbit.

    “Ohno!Heotdothat!Itwouldbeacatastrophe!”Atthiscritient,KingDimitriletflytwoarrows.Oowardsthesuicidalroguesun,hititandforcedittofallintheabyssbelow.TheotherarrowwentstraightforApollo’sgoldarrowwhichwasaimedattheinalsun.ThoughdispatchedslightlyafterApollo’sgoldarrow,KingDimitri’sarrowcaughtupwithitjustinanieandhititawayjustasitwasabouttoreach

htheirbarehandssocasuallyandnontly,lefttheirappreciativeaudienceawe-

    stri.Itwasonlyafteramomentofpletesilethebattlefielderuptedwithshouts,appuseandexcmationsthatstedforalongtime.

    Brandishinghissword,unequalledinsharpness,KingDimitriurgedhishorsequicklytowardsApollo.Apollo,too,soughttoattackhead-on.Drivinghischariottomeethisoppo,henoticedthattheswordinKingDimitri’shandshohachillingbrilliahattheintricatemovementsheexhibitedwhenflourishingitprovidedaweboflightwhichwasalmostimpeable.Apollo’sgoldenspears,attagwithanairofease,self-fidendskill;sometimesstag,sometimesdefending.Asthetwoofthemfoughton,eachexertinghisbestefforts,theiraudienceweresoentraheystaredunblinkinglyandfoteventobreathenottosayappudorshout!Twohugesuns,hopingtocatchthemoffguarddroppedstraightdownfromonhigh,likeapairofheavy,massiveweights,targetingtheheadsofthetwobatants.KingDimitri’sever-vigintsteed,Lightning,agilelysteppedaside,cleverlyavoidingtheblohetwosuns,frustratedattheirdodgiacktriedtoslinkaway.KingDimitriurgedhishorseforwardandLightningsprangintotheairinpursuit,unwillingtoletthefleeingenemyescape.KingDimitriswungatthesuimeswithhissword,cuttingitintoseveralpieces,whichfelldownfromthecloudyerieandintangiblespace.Apollo,too,threwhisgoldetheothersun,riddlingitwithholes,untilittoofellintospace.ThegoldenspearflewbacktoApollo’shandawotiheirinterruptedbattle.Theeye-dazzliheswordandthespear,thetoandfroofnumerousrounds,elicitedspontaneousappuseandstartledandamazedshoutsfromtheiraudience,whohadfinallyawakenedfromtheirenrapturedstuportoexpresstheirappreciation.Bythensixsunshadbeeneliminated.

    KingDimitriandApollo’smindswerehighlytratedontheirbattle.Everythrustofsear,everyturnofhorseandchariotwerecalcuted,forinalifeahbattlebetwees,eventheslightestmistakemaycostthemtheirlives.Thetwomenwerehighlyfocusedtotheexclusionoftheirsurroundingswhentwomoresunsthatseemedtohaveetoaanding,camebargingontothese.Theytookturnsattagfromdifferentdires,liketwoswingingclodulums,oneiheotherswungaway,effectivelydistragthetwobatantsfromfogontheirbattle.KingDimitriandApolloexgedasilentgaderstanding,andchoositimioack.Bothofthemsimultaneouslytookuptheirbowandarrowaargetedasun.Thearrowshittheirmarksandbothsunsfelloffthecloudyer.

    Thunderouscheers,shoutsandgrewardedtheirvictory.Bythen,therewereonlytwosuinthesky.Theinalsunwassedatelyrotatingonitsorbitinthesorsystemasusual,buttheuesuoamadfrenzyacrashingtowardstheinalsunonasuicidemission,intendingtoperishtogether.

    14

    “Ohno!”thoughtKingDimitri.“Ieverallowthattohappen!”Takinguphisbowandarrow,hewasabouttoshoot,whenoutoftheerofhiseye,heglimpsedApollo,hisbowtaut,abouttoshoottheinalsunrotatingonitsorbit.

    “Ohno!Heotdothat!Itwouldbeacatastrophe!”Atthiscritient,KingDimitriletflytwoarrows.Oowardsthesuicidalroguesun,hititandforcedittofallintheabyssbelow.TheotherarrowwentstraightforApollo’sgoldarrowwhichwasaimedattheinalsun.ThoughdispatchedslightlyafterApollo’sgoldarrow,KingDimitri’sarrowcaughtupwithitjustinanieandhititawayjustasitwasabouttoreach