“Heya Hunk!”

“What are you talking about?!” Mirio replied with a laugh.

“Lana, stop it, don’t be a tease!” Sina said as she twisted around on her toes to greet Mirio with a smile.

Mirio felt paralysed for a moment as Sina’s hand sat upon the outside of his upper hand, her thumb gently tracing its way over his biceps. Her hair smelled like honey, and brushed across his shoulders like silk as she planted a kiss on his cheek.

“Thanks for picking us up, I thought you were going to bail on us tonight”

“I wouldn’t dream of it” Mirio said with a wink, “I have far too much of a hero complex to turn down a girl in need”

Sina held back a smile as her cheeks flushed red, “You really are… Bold… Aren’t you…”

Mirio glanced over at Marley as she twisted her finger in her golden curls and stared up at him with her blue eyes.

Lana leaped onto Mirio’s other arm and stared up at him through parts in her wild silver hair, “He doesn’t even flinch with two girls on his arms, look”

Marley’s blue eyes shrunk as she felt stuck out of the loop, “Hey, make some room”

“Don’t worry about it Marley, here take my hand” Mirio replied with a warm smile.

She stepped forwards tenderly and held her gaze low, as Mirio reached out and slid his palm into hers. His fingers wrapped around hers and locked in place with a reassuring warmth.

“Are we ready to go?” he said with a warm tone to all of the girls.

The sweet hum of Lana’s voice resonated behind his ear, “Mhm”, as Sina gripped tightly around his arm and tugged on him a little.

“Yeah let’s go,” Sina said as she whipped her hair back.

Spiralling golden light swept across the ceiling above Tarkon as he nursed a glass of brandy and looked over the lake. The moonlight flickered across the surface of the water as a gentle breeze blew in from the mountains. The sweet melody of a golden haired bard echoed in the background.

He looked into the bottom of his glass to see his own eye staring back at him in the reflection.

“Hrmm…”

He placed his glass down on the railing as he heard a stir of commotion behind him. He turned over his shoulder and squinted as he saw Mirio break through the door with a blonde leading the way, twirling as she looked up at the magic display. A girl with wild silver hair was clung to his right arm, as a brunette clung to his left. He focused his vision onto the brunette’s grip as it tightened around Mirio’s biceps.

He traced his eyes up to Mirio’s expression which was a mix of joyful obliviousness and warmth.

*How can he not pick up on their tells? Or is he missing their signals intentionally?*

“Hey girls, could you give me a moment, a friend of mine is ahead” Mirio said as he slid loose of the girls, “Hey bud”

“Hey man, these the broads from before?”

“Yeah, the silver haired fox here is Lana, the brunette bombshell is Sina, and the one gazing up right now is Marley”

“Right, right, hey girls. Please don’t feel the need to wait for us, get yourselves a drink and scout the place out, we’ll all hang out in a bit”

The silver haired girl raised her hand like a stop sign, “Yeah yeah, we’ll leave you to it” before turning to Mirio with a flutter of her eyelashes, “Talk in a bit, okay”.

Tarkon tapped the stool beside him for Mirio to take a seat and spun back to the lakeside as the girls pranced about behind him. He halfway turned to Mirio and slid over a glass of brandy.

“You are a fast learner, I’ve never seen a guy be so green and yet such a force at the same time”

“First time for everything right?” Mirio said as he settled in and took the glass.

“I’ll be honest, the fact you take to things like you do is intimidating, almost like staring into the abyss”

“And the abyss looks back…” Mirio said as his eyes wandered to the horizon, “I think I know the reason why”

“Yeah?”

“It’s because of my motivations…”

“They fucked up?”

“Ha, not in the way you’d imagine. I just look at the world in a different way, and because of it I see a threat beyond the horizon that chills me to the bone. I feel it boiling up inside of me, ready to break loose, and the only way I can keep it at bay is to prepare for the day it does… Some days I think I am losing my mind, like I’m doing something I shouldn’t be, like I’m taking more than what I am due. But the fear drives me forwards, and I can’t stop and wait… I know its something I have to face for myself”

“Deep shit…”

“Yeah. I try not to dwell on it though” Mirio said as flicking his eyes back to Tarkon with a warm smile behind them.

“Good. Too many talented sorcerers lose themselves to the melancholy below it all” he replied as taking a sip.

“You’re spell was incredible man, felt like you could have taken down the whole arena if you’d wanted to, how’d you learn to do that”

“My master taught me to unlock the dragon within my soul back when I was a boy, and it kinda grew from there”

“I saw the workings behind your spell, it was some complex shit, I really admire that level of control”

“Yeah… Structure is as important as the passion you evoke, but you know that already”

“Mhm”

“So have you reconsidered getting into the fighting game?”

“Not yet, but I’ll give it some thought”

“Good”

Mirio turned back to the girls and looked on briefly as they huddled around each other sharing whispers that he couldn’t overhear. His eyebrow rose as he realised he was almost certainly the topic of conversation.

Tarkon turned around and bumped Mirio’s arm, “Are you going to get in there?”

“I don’t know, I don’t really trust they are all that into me if I am honest”

“And what part of them rubbing themselves all over you, talking about you, and worshipping you gave you that idea?”

“I haven’t earned anything from them, and I feel like at any point they are going to realise it and drift away” Mirio said as his face became anguished.

“Then go earn your keep”

“I’ll be honest, I have no idea how. I can flirt, but beyond that I’m completely out of ideas”

“Start by feeling good in yourself, then act carefree and help them do the same. Then be fun, challenging, intriguing. Like a good guard with the sword, maintain that good energy as you flow and move through ideas. Know when to push and when to retreat, that sort of thing”

“Its easier when I am fighting though, its obvious what I have to move my feet, or twist my wrist, but with girls its just a blur”

“Haha, yeah man, you are right… Those girls won’t get with you”

“How are you so sure?”

“Ever see a guy go into a fight thinking too much, barely able to grip the sword without having it rattle around in his hands. Same thing goes when thinking too much about girls. Clear your head, don’t give a fuck, and then just… Do stuff”

“Do stuff?”

“Yeah but make it good!”

“How do I do that?”

“You won’t find out if you don’t jump in feet first” Tarkon replied as he shoved Mirio off his stool.

Mirio stumbled over to the girls with a bashful smile. They all turned and stared at him without saying a word.

*Hrmm, are they waiting for me to take the lead?*

“Thanks for waiting a bit, how’s the music?”

“It’s okay” Sina said as she twirled a lock of her hazel brown hair between her fingertips.

“Feeling the need to dance?”

“Maybe a little”

“Alright shall we go?”

“Nah, we’d love to and all but we are going to settle in a bit first. You can keep talking to your friend”

“Hrmm… To be honest I don’t think he’s going to accept me back, know what. Don’t worry about it, I’ll rustle up someone to have a dance” he replied with a wink.

Mirio lifted his chest and scoped out the room, looking for cute girls that might be willing to dance. He stepped out onto the dancefloor without a clue to his next steps, all he knew for sure was that he needed to show some independence from the girls and their previous flattery.

He rocked his foot to the beat of the music and raised his hand up to the ceiling. His eyes shot over to a woman in a silver dress, and he brought down his finger in her direction. Raising one eyebrow he caught her gaze, and tiptoed over to her like a thief in the night. As he reached her he beamed with a broad and shining smile.

“Come dance with me”

“Ah, huh, what?”

Mirio rolled his head towards the dance floor, “Come on, you look bored, I’m here to get you started on an awesome night out. Come come, hop up for me”

“Really? No… No… You are crazy… You are too confident about this I definitely don’t trust you right now, haha”

“I’m really just a sweetie at heart though I promise, I’ll go ask someone else for now, but I’ll be back”

Mirio held a hand over his eyes and spun slowly in a circle and then peeked out from between his fingers. He dropped his hand and gawked at a gorgeous blonde elven woman in a red satin dress with wide eyed surprise.

“Oh my god its you! You! I’ve seen you before!” he said as rushing over to a girl in the distance, “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me already!”

“Who are you again?” the slender elvish woman replied with unblemished composure.

“I’m the guy who is offering you a moment to forget your worries, come dance with me”

Her sharpened facade cracked for a moment before returning to a steely gaze, “I think you will find someone else to have a dance, I’m just finishing my drink first”

“Come find me when you can and we’ll class up this place”

A bead of sweat pooled at the edge of Mirio’s temple, as he struggled to keep thinking of fresh ways to keep moving.

*How do I keep this up? I feel like the next rejection will break me down… No! Screw that, I’ll go until I’ve asked every cute girl if I have to*

“Hey girls, shall we?”, “I never saw a girl with such grace, but I’ll be honest, its as yet untested, join me for a spell or two”, “Can you believe it, I’ve asked 5 girls to dance and not one had the guts to take me on, guess that means I’m the winner”

Shot after shot failing, things suddenly turned around as Sina, Marley, and Lana lunged from the crowd, dragging him back to the dancefloor.

“You are so funny!”, “We’ll dance with you now!”, “I really love this magic, how do they do it?”

Mirio gripped each of the girls' hands in turn and spun between their bodies. Scooping them up in wide arching motions, and leaving them bent up like ribbons around his arms as he moved them back and forth.

His quick footwork, and lightning fast reflexes made every motion seem like preplanned choreography. Each of the girls' hair grew messier and messier as his dance moves slung them around.

A soft hand slid up along the side of Mirio’s face mid dance move, and drew him to a stop, as the woman in red turned his face towards her.

“You promised me a dance,” she said with a devilish grin.

Mirio looked back at her with confidence in his gaze, “Just one?”

Tarkon looked on and shook his head, “Of course this idiot somehow made that stupid idea work…”

…

Ezee rooted through the brush, darting from tree to tree after the scent of his prey. Silent as the shadows, his silhouette came to a stop in the middle of a small opening in the trees. The ground was soft under foot, the kind of place where even the softest of steps would leave tracks. His nose hovered over the paw print of a large wolf, taking in a deep breath before looking up and into the distant woodland.

He trotted carefully through the trees and made his way far from the city as the moonlight disappeared over the horizon. A gentle fog lingered in the air as Ezee flicked his ears to the sound of a snapped twig in the distance.

The scent of his prey hung heavy on the wind now spurring him to shoot through the trees at full speed.

Silvia rushed through the tree’s covered in muck and blood from head to toe. Her fingers pulled tight on her bow string just before she loosed another arrow.

FWET

“Yaaarg!” one of the menacing goblins chasing along behind her screamed as the arrow dug through its hip joint, before tumbling to the ground.

She hopped through a series of rocky outcrops and pulled taught another arrow.

FWET

A goblin leaped from the peak of the rocks and flipped in a summersault as the arrow shot into its skull from underneath its chin.

Silvia quickly reached for another arrow, and was struck with a sense of panic as only one arrow remained rustling at the back of her quiver. She hesitated for a moment before she pulled out her last arrow and locked it into her bow.

DUN DUN, DUN DUN, DUN DUN

FWOOSH

It was as though the wind itself swept up from out of nowhere as Silvia turned around to a flash of green fur. Her last arrow scattered as the bottom limb off her bow wedged deep into the giant wolf’s throat. The bowstring whipped back at her as her bow shattered between its teeth, slashing across her face and drawing out a line of blood.

She stumbled backwards and crashed to the floor, as the green tinted wolf stood over her with teeth bared.

“Woo! Woo!”, “Yah!”, “Reeku!”

The goblins squabled in the distance as they considered whether it was still worth it to chase now that the enormous predator had entered the fray. A snarl rolling off its lips quickly convinced them to dart off into the woods.

THUNK GRRRRR

Ezee’s jaws sunk around the neck of the strange wolf and tackled the beast to the ground. He darted back up to his feet and stood between the green wolf and Silvia. She looked on with a mixture of horror and surprise, before she grabbed up her things and fled through the woods.

…

The woman in the red dress drew close enough for her lips to graze against Mirio’s cheek, as their bodies fit together like hand in glove. A swirl of magic danced at the edges of their skin as it made contact, letting out a gentle pulse as their breathing merged. Her eyes grew cloudy as she looked up into Mirio’s eyes, lost for a moment in his gaze.

Marley looked on with shock, and was held back by Lana and Sina as she rushed ahead to rip her off of him.

“Don’t be cruel, you know we were just playing with him anyway”

“We were?” Marley replied with a clueless stare.

“Yeah, he was just too fun to ignore, but I don’t know, he’s still too much of a boy”

“What is wrong with that?”

“Nothing, but he’s still a bit too immature, and as a result dealing with him would always end up a bit sour”

“I don’t get it” Marley replied as looking longingly at Mirio as the elven woman drew closer to his lips.

RIP

Buttons sprawled through the dance floor as the woman in the red dress tore open the front of Mirio’s shirt, and gripped her nails tightly against his flesh.

She let out a hot breath, brushing her lips against his ear in a tender circle.

Mirio drew in a short sharp breath and snapped out of the trance he had sunk into with the woman in red. Now aware of his naked chest and a sexual collision course with the woman in front of him it all swelled up as a question in his mind.

*Why am I doing this?*

He let out a slow and tender sigh, and placed his hand on the gorgeous woman’s shoulder, and stood her back up. His eyes became piercing as he smiled warmly.

“I’m going to go… Sorry”

Tarkon watched on with a steely gaze as Mirio made a quick exit from the club. He placed down his brandy glass and calmly walked through the dance floor to the front of the club.

Mirio clutched at his neck as veins in his head were throbbing.

“I think I’m going to be sick” he grumbled as Tarkon approached.

“Take it easy champ, just like a spell, let your thoughts flow, and then slowly guide it back”

“What is this…” he said between heaving breaths.

“A panic attack”

“Why? I’m a guy, why would I have a panic attack about a girl”

“Why wouldn’t you? Do you even realise what you just did?”

“What do you mean?”

Tarkon tilted his chin up to the horizon as he let out a hearty chuckle, “You are a brilliant bastard, but you are also so horribly witless”

“Don’t insult me right now, I feel like shit already” Mirio responded between dry heaves.

“You saw that those girls were playing you, so you proved to them you didn’t need them, and the cutie in the red dress saw it all, and misjudged you as a badass. Which your actions were badass by the way… But, you missed a trick and as a result so did she”

“I missed something?”

“Yeah, you missed that you did all that without any practice, without any foundation, without any character or identity behind it. It was all a facade to change those girls' judgement of you. You didn’t know that, and so the girl in red didn’t know it… So when she got swept up in the idea of you, she also got caught up in that lie”

“I deceived her?”

“She thought you were the man your actions promised you to be, because for a moment you were that man. But you are too piss weak and green with women to actually be able to sustain it”

BLARGH

Tarkon looked off to the side and nodded at a passerby as he gave Mirio’s back a couple of discreet taps.

…

Ezee glared at the green wolf, his vision narrowing as he fought against its vicious intent and the rest of the forest fading away. The great beast lunged forwards with a flash of fangs and a solid kick with its front paw against his chest. He darted to the side of its bite and then swung to an angle to lunge forward with his own.

A series of lunges and parries left the two in a violent stalemate as their lips were bared against each other.

There was something about the great beast’s breath however that felt comforting, and slowly his lips dropped. The green wolf dropped its front paw and returned to all fours as it eyed Ezee carefully.

Ezee was indeed a powerful specimen of his species, rippling muscles under his fur, and a deep and husky snarl.

The green wolf sniffed his scent and flashed a look of recognition for a split second before rushing off into the woods.

Ezee’s fur slowly settled along his spine as his surge of adrenaline calmed. He stepped forward to where the green wolf once stood and sniffed at the footprints in the mud, and then looked back to the horizon where the green wolf had vanished beyond.

…

Several gulls squawked greedily over the top of rocky spires as ships adorned in flashes of silver pushed into the water with a thunk.

“Good work” Rainal said with a nod to a group of commanders.

“We have routed the rebels beyond a point that they can interfere with the operations of the port. Our perimeter is secure”

“And my spies, do they have word of my sister?”

“Yes my lord, the Duke is intending to shelter her, but because of the forests could not find her with his riders”

“Is the team in place?”

“... Like always… They are eagerly awaiting your command…”

Rainal stepped across the board walk and stopped by the water to gaze out at the horizon.

“Let her reach the city. It is like the old saying goes; the last step is longer than all the others combined”