Slow steps, round and round the court:
Measuring. Watching. Waiting.
Quicker steps: weaving, dodging, deflecting.
Spells like heat lightning, slow and bright,
Simmering tension rising and then -
Snap! Flash! A furious volley, thunderous noise,
Stone exploding into dust, a burst of fire.
And as the dust settles, only one remains standing.

Poet's note: This was inspired by “Fortune Plango Vulnera� from Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. It was originally meant for a Magic in Music challenge, but then I realized as a choral song, even in a language I don't understand, it didn't count. And I am going to kill the archives if I don't meet minimum word count soon.