“Mummy! Mummy!” Kirot shouted, carrying Blues within her hands, holding it up to her mother, the girl’s tears streaming down her face. “Boos is hurt.”

  “How did Blues get hurt?” Vonda asked, calling out a prayer, the warmth of holy magics running through the bird.

  “I did not!”

  “I know. How did Blues get hurt?”

  “Wall.”

  “He flew into the wall?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh dear.” Vonda brushed a finger along the bird’s back, feather light. “It’s okay now, Blues.”

  “Teet!” Blues replied, dropping down, hopping about befng up towards the master’s master. “Teet!”

  “Yes, I’m sure.”

  “Mummy speaking to Blues?” Kirot asked, no longer g, while her mother ed up her face.

  “Perhaps I ?”

  Kirot blinked. “Good job, mummy.”

  “Thank you, my dear.” Vonda brushed along the girl’s cheek tenderly. “Are you having fun?”

  “Mummy!”

  “Yes?”

  “Jirot is gone.”

  “Gone?”

  “Gone.”

  “Where has she gone?” Vonda asked, feeling a rising sense of dread, though she remained smiling politely.

  “Baba house.”

  “Oh,” Vonda replied, calming her heart. “Do you wish to go too?”

  Kirot smiled shyly. “Mmm…”

  “Okay.” Vonda go Karot and Konarot, who rushed over, having made sure expin to all the Iyrmen why Kirot had to run with the bird.

  While Kirot, caused a rising panic within her mother, Adam caused a rising panic within his brother. Truly, she was her father’s daughter.

  ‘You should not use it,’ Jurot had said over breakfast.

  ‘I know, but, you know, just in case,’ Adam replied, pouting sheepishly. ‘I’ll only use it in an emergency.’

  ‘It is fine, since Aunt Mirot still has both eyes,’ Jurot joked, which had caused Adam’s eyes to widen, the half elf shutting up, withdrawing into himself. Jurot uood now why Jaygak and Jirot bullied others so much. ‘Sometimes, it is fun.’

  Even from the audience, Jurot se. Whatever modicum of hope the young half elf had held, had quickly dissipated into the air, like steam turning to frost in the nightval air. A bead of sweat ran down the side of Jurot’s cheek, because he khat Adam, with Wraith and his holy smites, could surpass even Phantom’s great ability.

  ‘Sorry?’ Grace thought, holding her bde ahead of her.

  Mana: 23 -> 20Spell: Searing Smite

  Attack - WraithD20 + 10 = 22 (12)Omen: 13, 20 -> 1320 + 10 = 30 (20) Critical hit!Wraith: 3 -> 0Mana: 20 -> 174D6 + 12D6 + 8D6 + 6D6 + 9 = 104 (11)(33)(34)(17)104 damage!

  Onward Soar: 1 -> 0

  Tough Spirit: 1 -> 02D6 + 8 = 19 (11)Health: 1 -> 20

  Lay on Hands: 40 -> 1Health: 20 -> 59

  Adam plucked a Thread of Fate.

  “Fihe young hero said. “It’s not like I have anythier to do. I’ll go find this friend of yours, but if he ends up being weak, I’ll have to kill him.”

  The toddler stared at the young hero, with his pale skin, his blue scales, and his rge horns, and the crackle of lightning and mischief. ‘It should be fine? He must be strong by now?’ The baby se upon the air in that moment, though he was uain if Adam had shifted Fate, to work it better, or worse, for him.

  Thus Fate was forever ged.

  “Baktu, please,” Adam ted, as Wraith sparked, wreathed ihe young half elf marched forward, holding his axe above his head, before swinging it down without a care in the world. Grace held her sword in front of her, but she uood the trajectory was going to miss her, and barely scrape against her armour, so she willed her on forward.

  Her muscles pulled taut, shaking violently as she tried to attack.

  The fmes exploded over the woman’s body, and though she mao flex her muscles, f away the fmes, the fsh of cold, the fsh of holy heat, rocked through her body.

  Adam flexed his muscles, inhaling deeply, before feeling the vigour return, while the body fell in front of him, and onto him. He pced his hands against his chest, feeling the warmth run through his body.

  The crowd fell silent, unsure of what had happened, for one moment, the Nightval Bde stood tall and proud, like the Dragon’s Tail, the mountain range of the North, and the moment, she had fallen into the purple man’s arms, now still.

  Victory!XP Gained: +200XP: 3 500 -> 3 700

  Adam, half embrag the woman, reached up, pg a finger on her cheek.

  Lay on Hands: 1 -> 0

  The woman’s body vulsed for a moment, sparking back to life, and her bde swung over the half elf, though had struck the air.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa, it’s over,” Adam said. “It’s race.”

  Grace pulled away from his arms, staring at him in fusion, trying to uand who he was. Then a fsh of fear struck through her upon seeing the purple, and she gripped her bde, before the memories flooded into her mind, and she gnced around, noting the arena, the young man before her, the bde within her hand.

  “I believe, that’s my win?” Adam said, unstrapping his shield.

  ‘What happened?’ Grace thought, feeling the ache within her body. She barely remembered the half elf before her, nor the situation. ‘We were fighting. I almost knocked him out. Then…’

  Bess.

  The crowd grumbled, whispers and questions passing from lips to ears to lips.

  “Victory! Victory to Executive Adam!” the announcer called, only causing more fusion, but thankfully, they were within the North. “Executive Adam’s axe struightily with his great magid caused the Nightval Bde to fall, but he caught her, and spent his magic to allow her to stand!”

  Upon the announcer’s expnation, the crowd cheered, still fused, but if the announcer said such, then it must be the case. After all, why would the annouake the side of a Southerner in a bout uhey were sure?

  “A great fight, thank you,” Adam said, bowing lightly towards the woman, feeling his body begin to heat up once more, before he forced the risiions down.

  “You as well…” The Nightval Bde stared at Adam, who stepped away, heading out to the winner’s se. She quickly turned when she realised that the arena owner robably getting annoyed she was wasting more of their time. ‘How did he beat me?’

  Ohe matter had been firmed, Adam was allowed to head to his seat, but only once he had hidden away his armour and ons, handed over to the arena.

  “Did you bet for me?” Adam asked, dropping down beside his brn the knowing looks from his panions.

  “I did.”

  “I bet the odds were good, si was the Nightval Bde, eh?” Adam chuckled lightly, but quickly stopped, not only when the gres from his panions intensified, but also he could feel the siess within him. ‘Damn it. Should I have used it? It’s not like one loss would have…’ Even knowing he could have lost ond made it through, he felt sick to his stomach at the thought of losing. ‘I’ve already lost enough.’

  The fights tihough as Adam watched, a servant approached. “Adam?”

  “Yes?” Adam asked, before taking the slip from her hand, reading the paper. “Okay.”

  It wasn’t long before the half elf was sitting before the Grand Duchess, sipping tea. He could feel the gaze of various others around them, from the Grand ander of the Order of the Thousand Hunts, to various other nobles.

  “Did you earn some det ?” Grand Duchess Aeda asked.

  “I bet a lot of money,” the half elf replied, smirking slightly. The Nightval Bde against some random no name? Adam wouldn’t be surprised if the odds were close to three to one. “I hope you didn’t lose any money?”

  “I did not,” the Duchess firmed, and she uood exactly how much a lot of money was for Adam, though he had a lot of moied up in the los. “I have invited you here to introduce you to many others who have taken i in you.”

  “Hello, everyone,” Adam said, bowing his head to each of them, causing some of them to ugh, as though watg a monkey dahe half elf smiled slightly, and though he could feel his annoyance rise, he uood that ohey would e to him for some magical ons, he would cw at their wallets as greedily as Jirot cwed at trouble.

  “Just how strong are you?” a fellow asked, who wore a long bck cloak, whose face reminded Adam of a raven, and whose eyes remihe half elf of a hungry tiger.

  “I’ve only lost three times before. Once against my brrandfather, the very same fellow who once used the shield I possess,” Adam said, smiling politely. “He was missing an arm, aill beat me.”

  “He was? Is he missing the arm no longer?” the noble joked, though he had yet to ect the dots of who the half elf was talking about until the moment. His smile faltered slightly.

  “No.” Adam gnced around. “While there were many hiding within their walls, so beautiful, so mighty as they were, my… brrandfather, Jarot, the Mad Dog, as you might know him, he was out there, fighting. He fought Lord Asa, I believe they call him.” Adam paused, noting how everyone had suddenly tensed up upon the figure’s name. “He lost his leg during the war.”

  “I’m sure he still fights well.”

  “Well, sidering he almost sughtered t Westmoon earlier this year, and he fought not just, what’s his name? Graceful Bde? Gentle Bde? Something like that. He fought a Master, and two Experts, and still almost killed the t. If it wasn’t for another Iyrman, my granduncle, who was once sidered as great as the Chief, Aldnd would have lost another o the Mad Dog.”

  The smile on Adam’s face caused a few of the Northern o smile too, though some, who had felt the sting of the Mad Dog’s bde, frowned deeper towards the half elf.

  “Mad Dog killed my brother,” another noble said, a woman in her fifties or so, who wore a long cloak too, except it was tied by a strap with a rge medallion. “So wipe that smirk off your face.”

  ‘t Westmoon tried to kill my children, so don’t tell me what to do,’ Adam thought, but he ched his jaw. “I’m sure he didn’t have it ing.”

  The woman narrowed her eyes. “Be wary of your words, for in the North, bdes are eager to be drawn.”

  “I’m careful with my words in the Iyr, because they’re strong enough that they kill your brother a away with it,” Adam replied. “I’m not so stupid I think I do the same, regardless of whether I beat the North’s greatest genius, who is years older than me.”

  “If you do not wish to be put down, you should choose your few words carefully,” the Grand ander said, his eyes taking in the sight of the half elf, his eyes full of darkness, and curiosity.

  Adam narrowed his eyes, feeling the great pressure from the figure. “Are you the Grand ander of the Thousand Hunts?”

  “I am.”

  Adam snapped his finger, pointing towards the Grand ander. “You’ve met my brother, haven’t you? Jurot, the Savage?”

  “…”

  “Is that why you’ve called me here, Grand Duchess?” Adam asked.

  “I told you why I brought you here.”

  “Just to talk?” Adam asked. “Just to introduce me, or, is the North like the South, and the Grand ander, just like with my brother, he’s going to-,”

  “Careful, boy/” The Grand ander ched his fists tight, fog his entire gaze upon the half elf, the pressure intensifying.

  Adam remained focused on the Grand Duchess. “I’m really curious. You told me that you’re the North. So very different to the South. I know what my brother said to the Grand ander. I’m not stupid enough to speak up about it, but… I am sponsored by you, Grand Duchess.”

  “You mentioned you have lost multiple times,” the Grand Duchess said, ign Adam’s words. “The first was to the Mad Dog.”

  “The sed was to Lord Asa’s son, Emperor Shama, who is only known as the Lord of Fmes, who es from a nd which is so powerful, they ignore even the Paragons across Aldnd, and my third loss was to the bined fory brother, and two other Iyrmen, as well as a being that even Emperor Shama would not so easily draw his bde against,” Adam said, reag down to sip his tea. “I’m really careful what I say in the Iyr, Grand Duchess, because my Aunt, Jurot’s mother, dared to put Emperor Shama in his pce, while Lord Asa, a dying old man, put the ey of Aldnd in its pce.”

  “What gives you so much ce?”

  “Have you ever heard the tale of the Southke family, Yrace?”

  The Grand Duchess remained focused on the half elf. “You are no Iyrman.”

  “No,” Adam said, smiling slightly. “However, the question really isn’t whether I am an Iyrman or not. It’s whether you’re willing to bet.”

  “What is the bet?”

  “The Mad Dog calls me his grandson, and one of my children is named after him, my little Jarot. I know just how much he dotes on my children. So I’m willing to bet, if I did lose my life due to some Aldish shenanigans, that he would e by again to remind Aldnd why he was called the Mad Dog,” Adam stated fidently, as though it were fact.

  “Also, obviously, any orders the North has pced with our business would be refused, because aive of the United Kindom was killed, and your family would take most of the bme, since I am under your sponsorship, Grand Duchess. Most importantly, I’m willing to bet that the Bow family is greater than a Southerner.” Adam let out a burst of ughter, gng at the rest of the nobles, winking at them.

  The Grand Duchess let out a soft sigh, gd the half elf had realised how to defuse the situation, even if he was still dang on a knife’s edge. Except, she uood, that Adam, though ughing at the ridiculousness, spoke only the truth.

  “Also, I really hope I don’t die, not until I vince my eldest daughter to bee closer to my wife, Ray Vonda, of Life’s Rose.” Adam sighed, dropping the rank of his wife to save him.

  The fusion within the room spread through like wildfire, the whipsh of Adam’s stupidity quickly disarming the tension.

  I rolled to see if he'd die here too.