Turning his back on them, Niko moves to put himself in front of the caravan, drawing power from his blessing and feeding it into his spear. The Jasiri steps forward, too, pulling a gleaming sword from where it hung by his side. A slight breeze recedes, and a stillness settles as they face each other. A child starts to wail and is promptly shushed. The moment stretches, and Niko suffers an unpleasant prickle of doubt, the fear of facing an unfamiliar foe, of having made a mistake. But when the Jasiri suddenly leaps forward, Niko surges ahead to meet him.
