The rise and fall of the mighty monster of old

I stand victorious on the mountainside, the burnt remains of the Hebrew monster still smoldering amidst the blood of my slain comrades. It was a valiant battle, but alas, he stood no chance for the prepared warrior. I spent the morning in solemn meditation, carefully reviewing the battle forms. This foe is largely predictable, yet there exist slight deviations from his normal patterns that require careful attention lest he gain a fatal blow.

I arrived at the appointed battleground early. The enemy had yet to emerge from his lair. A fellow warrior was already surveying the grounds, another had come and gone, avoiding having to face the imminent conflict for as long as possible. Slowly warriors approached, some eager, others wary. Tension bristled in the cool evening air. Emotions charged the air like a summer storm, ready to strike. Then the beast emerged. He walked to and fro before the armies of God, those valiant warriors pledged to do battle this day, taunting them, daring them to face him in one-on-one battle. No one moved. Seeing our apparent lack of conviction, and feeling that victory was his, the beast charged the lines. Some of the warriors, resigned to their own fate, fell quickly and without much fight. Others fought with wild fury, yet none could quell the storm of his relentless attack. The beast then turned to me. His forms were predictable. I anticipated his every move, my preparation guarding me as armor. Lunge, parry, thrust, strafe. He could make no advance that was not easily avoided. Then he tried something tricky. He faked one form and tried to attack with its nearly identical twin. But he couldn’t fool me. I saw the dagesh forte that signaled the intensive Piel maneuver. I made one final thrust, and my blade hit true. The beast made one final cry, reassuring me that he would soon rise again, and fell before me in what can only be described as a fantastic display. A blinding light shone forth from the fatal wound, his eyes turned black and fire engulfed him from the inside out. Something tells me we will meet again, but for now, I am the victor!