Elektra's Crossed Steel

A pair of crimson wooden batons linked by a slender steel cable rested across the weathered stone balustrade on the belfry. The scarlet tails of my red bandana stirred in the afternoon draft as I stepped close. I recognized the calling card immediately. Lifting one polished red cylinder, I tested its weighted balance, rolling the steel wire across the curved guard of my right sai until both weapons locked in a flawless, resonant cross. No careless chatter—just the quiet pulse of two shadows claiming the same skyline. I laid the batons back against the warm stone, leaving our silent understanding intact.