"Are you even worth fighting?” Adam asked, eyeing up the Half Elf. “You are just an empty husk of a man. If I fought you, I’d feel like I was bullying you.”

The Half Elf stranger sneered, pointing his spear at Adam. “You are but a coward! I am Iron Rank, not so far from you. You are all talk, like I said, nothing but a coward.”

“You might not know this, but I’m a lot stronger than I look,” Adam said. “Isn’t that right, Vice Master Paul?” Adam glanced over at the Vice Master and winked, though Jurot and the others probably knew his true strength.

“You aren’t wrong, Adam, but your cousin is much more powerful,” Paul said. Though Paul could easily deal with the stranger, but Adam would have a much more difficult time. “He’s an Expert.”

“Is he?” Adam asked, before glancing back at the other Half Elf. “Is your spear magical?”

“No,” the man replied. “Where would I find a magical spear?” His arm guards and shin guards were of decent make, and his spear was fine too. However, that was all which was decent, as everything else was shoddier, his clothes well worn. He, a Half Elf, probably wasn’t able to gain much wealth, and considering he hadn’t been an Adventurer for long, he probably had more pressing matters to attend to.

“No magical spear,” Adam said, nodding to the spear of decent make. “And you’re wearing furs, which provides a decent amount of protection but nothing compared to my puthral plate mail. You’re a Guardian, so you know, what, Second Gate spells?”

The Half Elf Guardian nodded his head slowly, his eyes narrowed.

“Just like me,” Adam said, smiling. “I have a magical sword, this puthral plate. I think if I was a smart man, which I fancy myself as, I’d bet on me, dear cousin.”

“Then let us fight,” the Half Elf said, gripping his spear tighter in hand, wanting to deal with the rage and envy swirling within him.

“Why?” Adam asked. “What’s in it for me?”

“To show that you aren’t a coward,” the Half Elf said.

“Jurot knows whether I’m a coward or not,” Adam said. “I’m sure many have heard of my tales. Why do I need to care about some pathetic husk of a man’s opinion of me?”

“If you win, I will swear myself to you,” the Guardian said.

Adam raised his brows, blinking at the Half Elf. “For real? You’ll swear yourself to me?” Adam’s lips coiled upwards.

“Yes,” the Half Elf Guardian replied.

“And if you win?”

“You will give me that sword by your side, and your armour,” the Half Elf said, who was slimmer than Adam by a fair amount, but it was nothing some padding wouldn’t fix.

“My sword and armour for some empty husk of a man,” Adam said, tapping his chin.

The Half Elf narrowed his eyes at Adam’s words, but remained silent, waiting.

Adam looked to Jurot. “Am I allowed to trade away these items?”

“They are yours to trade,” Jurot replied.

Adam hummed quietly. “You’re more experienced, but I have better armour and weapon,” Adam said. “You’ll swear yourself to me, for the very same better armour and weapon. You won’t ask me to drop my armour and weapons, will you?”

“That is fine. I am much stronger than you think.”

Adam narrowed his eyes. “Give me a second.” ‘Hey, Bell, how much for the ability to smite?’

[1000XP]

‘That’s a steep price, but give it to me.’

XP: 1020 -> 20

“Will you fight him?” Jurot asked, staring at the Half Elf.

“I am,” Adam said.

“He is strong.”

Adam smiled. “So am I.”

Jurot stared at the Half Elf. He had recalled what Adam had shown to him so far, the great abilities he possessed, the strength he had shown when he faced two Iyrmen.

Jurot glanced to the Guardian, knowing that if he himself were to fight the stranger, he’d have a four in ten chance of winning. Adam, though, was stronger.

The Iyrman caught Adam’s eyes, and slowly nodded his head.

Adam and the other Half Elf stood, eyeing one another up, as the stranger put on his helmet, his Grey Tiger skin covering him, providing him some protection. The pair wielded their shields and blades, ready to fight.

Battle Order

D20 + 1 = 7 (6)

“I call for fire to smite my foes!” the Half Elf Guardian chanted, calling forth his own magic. The Divine Magic poured through his spear, and he leapt forward to attack Adam, his spear gliding through the air.

Adam raised his shield, which shuddered under the heavy blow as the fire scraped across it, fire nearly licking across his face. The heat caused his eye to wince, and he pulled back, before he raised his sword to catch the second swipe of the fiery spear.

“That’s quite the spear you have,” Adam said. “Don’t need a magical spear when you have magic, eh?”

The Half Elves pulled apart, ready to engage in battle again.

Warrior Spirit: 3 -> 2

Attack

D20 + 7 = 27 (20)

D20 + 7 = 15 (8)

Critical hit!

Mana: 8 -> 6

2D6 + 4D6 + 6D6 + 5 = 53 (2, 3)(3, 4, 5, 6)(3, 3, 3, 5, 5, 6)

53 damage!

As the Half Elf Guardian stepped forward, ready to bring his fiery spear down on the Half Elf before him, Adam’s blade cut through the man’s shield and through the man’s side, right into his gut, flashing white hot with divine force.

The Half Elf Guardian gasped, feeling the hot blade pierce him like it was cutting through cream. “How can you use the Divine Smite of the Guardians?” The Guardian coughed up blood, feeling his strength quickly fade away. He grit his teeth, trying to remain conscious.

Onward Soar: 1 -> 0

Attack

D20 + 7 = 26 (19)

D20 + 7 = 21 (14)

Hit!

Mana: 6 -> 4

1D6 + 2D6 + 3D6 + 5 = 29 (4)(4, 4)(3, 4, 5)

29 damage!

“This,” Adam said, grinning wide, “is my conviction.” Adam’s body filled with adrenaline as he shoved his blade through the Half Elf Guardian again, who felt the flashing heat of the blade cut through him again, before his eyes rolled back, and he fell to his knees, half dying as he dropped.

Victory

Fallen Guardian

+800XP

XP: 20 -> 820

The audience stared at the Half Elf, who had won the bout within moments. No one would have guessed that Adam would have won so easily, not even Jurot, who had seen Adam’s crazy abilities before, would have guessed his Half Elf brother would have won so easily.

Aizaban threw a look to Lanban, who slowly nodded his head, brushing his chin with a hand, before staring back at the dying Half Elf.

Adam stared at the half dying Half Elf, his attire, which was of decent enough make, though well worn, and the lack of companions around him.

‘Thank you, Mistress Fate,’ Adam thought, both for winning the fight, but also because he had the chance of ending up like this man, but he was lucky enough to avoid the situation.

‘The Half Elf was definitely an Expert,’ Paul thought. ‘Even with your magical weapon and your puthral, it shouldn’t have been so quick.’ Most importantly, Paul didn’t realise that Adam could use the same smite abilities as the Guardians. ‘He’s definitely not a Guardian, that’s for sure. Adam is yet to be an Expert.’ Paul sighed, unable to keep up with the son of Fate.

“You are stronger than I thought,” Jurot admitted, staring up at Adam.

“Am I?” Adam asked, chuckling.

Jaygak and Kitool were glancing between one another.

‘Did you know?’

‘No, did you?’

‘No.’

Even though they knew almost as much as Jurot, they were shocked by his great abilities. They hadn’t expected him to be so powerful, no one had, but they noted that Jurot hadn’t known either.

Mana: 4 -> 3

Spell: Healing Word

1D3 + 3 = 6 (3)

“Hey, get up,” Adam called, chanting his spell, healing the Guardian.

The Half Elf’s eyes fluttered open, and he rolled onto his back, reaching down to his side, where Adam had skewered him. His skin was soft, red, having just knitted over from Adam’s healing.

He stared up at Adam, his face full of confusion.

“You lost,” Adam said, squatting down, trying to hide his smile. “So? Are you going to swear yourself to me?”

“Would you have given me your sword?” the Half Elf asked, squinting his eyes.

“Of course,” Adam replied, simply. “Blade and armour, right? That was the deal.”

“I doubt it.”

“Ah, so you are someone who likes to break their word, huh?” Adam chuckled, rolling his eyes.

“I am already an Oathbreaker,” the man said, staring at the others around him, noting their looks of disgust.

“And? Are you going to choose to live your life like that? You have your chance now, to swear yourself to me as you had offered, and to change your path in life.”

“Are you good enough for me to swear myself to?”

“Well,” Adam said, glancing back to Jurot and the others for a moment, “I beat your ass, didn’t I?”

The Half Elf remained silently, clutching at his side.

Adam pulled back. “Well, if you don’t want to keep your side of the deal, whatever.” Adam retreated back to the group, humming to himself.

“You say you didn’t swear an Oath yet?” Dunes asked, noting how the Half Elf had definitely used the Divine Smite of the Guardians.

Adam nodded. “Jurot, did you see?”

“I saw,” Jurot replied.

“Don’t you think that’s a great story?” Adam asked. “I can’t wait to return back to the Iyr. Will you tell Aunt Sonarot and our little sister?”

“I will.”

“You aren’t going to kill him?” Paul asked. “You duelled and his life was on the line.”

“No,” Adam said. "Why would I kill him? He broke his word, but it wasn't like I was hurt or anything." Adam shrugged his shoulders. "Since I would have given him my sword if I lost, I have the moral high ground."

The downed Half Elf remained staring at Adam, unsure of who or what he was. He had every right to kill him, one of the only ways that he could find the sweet release of death. ‘You won’t even give me that, boy?’

“Don’t you feel ashamed?” Dunes asked. “You made a deal and broke it. I didn’t expect that from a Guardian. You bring shame to your Order.”

“I’m an Oathbreaker,” the Half Elf said. “That Order and I have nothing to do with one another after they abandoned me.”

“They gave you a chance to live and you squandered it.”

“Leave him,” Adam said. “You shouldn’t beat a man at his lowest.”

“If you let him go like this he won’t learn,” Dunes said. “You need to at least shame him so he does not forget.”

“As much as he should be shamed, you and I don’t know his story. You and I would be the same as him in his shoes, so leave him be. He’s done nothing wrong, even if his actions are shameful. He has an opportunity now, and he if doesn’t want to learn from it, then that’s how it is. If he does learn something and he decides to turn his life around, naturally he’ll come to find me.”

Adam glanced over towards the stranger. “I’ll wait for that day when he comes to me with life in his smile and purpose in his eyes, and hopefully, words that would bind him to me, but I won’t hold my breath.”

“You can say manly things sometimes,” Dunes said.

"If you compliment me too much, I might end up with a bigger ego than I currently have,” Adam said, chuckling.

The group made camp for the night, taking watch as they had. The stranger remained by himself, wrapped in his Grey Tiger skin and sorrow.

Sir Frederick and Sir Enna kept a suspicious eye on Adam, wondering just exactly who he was, and why he was here.