Otkan grit her teeth, her face turning red, her eyes turning white. The grin on her face was a savage grin, one which made Adam understand his place. She swung recklessly towards the Half Elf, who managed to raise his shield in time, but the next blow hammered across through his blade, almost causing him to drop his sword.

Health: 52 -> 37

‘Damn!’

He stumbled back from the force of it, but dug his foot into the ground before charging forward. It was foolish to charge towards an Iyrman, he knew that, but it was even more foolish to allow an Iyrman to hunt him.

Warrior Spirit: 2 -> 1

Health: 37 -> 42

Attack

D20 + 7 = 8 (1)

D20 + 7 = 25 (18)

Hit!

Dunes’ Sword Charges: 1 -> 0

Critical hit!

Mana: 6 -> 4

2D6 + 6D3 + 6D6 + 5 = 50 (1, 2)(1, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3)(3, 3, 3, 5, 6, 6)

Damage resisted!

46 damage!

3D3 = (2, 2, 3)

Health: 42 -> 49

Adam struck her across her side again, blood spraying out towards him as the flaming blade, full of divine power, wounded the woman. ‘The damage is higher than I expected!’ He thought. ‘I can do this!’

Otkan was surprised by the amount of damage she had received, having not expected that Adam would have been able to wound her so deeply in just a few moments. However, her thoughts went blank, and she swung wildly, threatening to cleave off his head.

Health: 49 -> 28

Adam barely managed to miss the blow as it struck across his puthral, but had managed to scratch it, and even slip through towards his shoulder, cleaving off a chunk of flesh, causing his blood to flow down under his armour.

‘Is she trying to kill me?’ Adam thought.

Warrior Spirit: 1 -> 0

Health: 28 -> 33

Attack

D20 + 7 = 8 (1)

D20 + 7 = 25 (18)

Hit!

Mana: 4 -> 3

1D6 + 3D3 + 2D6 + 5 = 23 (4)(1, 3, 4)(2, 4)

Damage resisted!

19 damage!

Adam pierced through the woman’s side, barely managing to find purchase through her skin, which was almost made of steel. The flaming hot blade and the divine magic ran through her, causing her to shake slightly as she felt the heavy blows begin to take their toll.

It hadn’t been long since they had fought, and yet she had suffered such heavy blows that most Iyrmen would have long fallen under Adam’s assault.

She swung wildly again, cutting through the air as Adam ducked, but she slammed her hilt down against his side, forcing him to a knee.

Health: 33 -> 12

‘Damn it! I can’t fall now, not when I’m so close!’ He could see her arm shake slightly with the heavy blows she was raining down on him.

Attack

D20 + 7 = 20 (13)

D20 + 7 = 26 (19)

Hit!

Mana: 3 -> 2

1D6 + 3D3 + 2D6 + 5 = 16 (2)(1, 2, 3)(1, 2)

Damage resisted!

13 damage!

Adam clattered his blade against hers, but slid his blade across it and slashed down the side of her chest, cutting into her clothing and flesh, revealing her wrinkled skin underneath. It was thanks to her reckless swings which allowed Adam to strike true.

“You really won’t go down?” Adam said, his heart pounding in his chest, his arms quivering.

Tough Spirit: 1 -> 0

2D6 + 4 = 9

Health: 12 -> 21

Adam inhaled deeply, filling himself with greater strength. He understood he could be downed in a single blow if he was unlucky, and quickly brought his blade up as she swung wildly down, clattering against his blade, causing him to take a knee before her.

Health: 21 -> 9

“No!” Adam said, raising his arm up as her blade came down towards his shoulder, threatening to cut it off.

Omen: 1, 16 -> 16

The pair clashed together, but it was the heavily armoured man, adorned in plate mail. In his grip was a giant maul, carved out of a gem, which was as black as night. He pulled his maul away from the retired old man ahead of him, the same man whose skull he had almost caved in.

The man stared up at his companion, retired like him. ‘Again,’ he thought. He felt his blade slip slightly during the bout.

Otkan’s blade slid across Adam’s armour, following it perfectly down, narrowly missing his thigh, the blade clattering right next to his foot. She had almost struck his shoulder, almost struck his thigh, and almost struck his foot.

The Iyrmen watched as Otkan, who was one of the oldest and strongest from the entire group, reached for the handle which had slipped from her grasp.

She had felt something. A greater power. It had taken hold of her for a moment.

A moment of respite for the Half Elf, who forced himself up, blade shooting up towards Otkan.

Attack

D20 + 7 = 11 (4)

D20 + 7 = 20 (13)

Hit!

Mana: 2 -> 1

1D6 + 3D3 + 2D6 + 5 = 20 (4)(1, 2, 3)(2, 3)

Damage resisted!

16 damage!

Adam managed to cause her to pull back for the first time in the first, cutting across her cheek, the flames licking at her lick as he thrust his blade upward.

“Come on!” Adam shouted towards her, for a moment seeing the colour return to her eyes, but Otkan grit her teeth harder.

Otkan grabbed her blade with both hands, taking only a moment to gather her strength.

Adam raised his shield, but the blade glanced off of it, almost going up to his helmet.

Mana: 1 -> 0

Spell: Shield

Adam increased his Defence for just a moment, allowing the blade to glance off of the magical energy which protected him. He ducked as the second swing came down towards his shoulder, but once again it clattered off his magical energy.

His heart pounded so hard that he could no longer feel it as he gripped his blade tightly. He was unable to form words as he let out a primal roar, hoping that Otkan would drop. It was thanks to the wild swings from the older Iyrmen which had allowed him to strike true, and he hoped it would be enough this time too.

Attack

D20 + 7 = 11 (4)

D20 + 7 = 19 (12)

Hit!

1D6 + 3D3 + 5 = 14 (2)(2, 2, 3)

Damage resisted!

11 damage!

Otkan brought her greatsword up to protect herself, but Adam’s blade slipped across the edge, and pierced through her shoulder. ‘To think I would lose twice this year.’ She fell down, the black gem cracking as she was filled with renewed life.

Adam, alarmed by her sudden healthiness, stumbled backwards, landing on his bottom.

He wasn’t able to think as a thunderous applause soon echoed through the courtyard, which had shocked him. He had all but forgotten that he was in a bout, surrounded by hundreds of spectators.

“Did I not tell you?” Jarot laughed. He had seen Otkan’s hands slip too, something which shouldn’t have happened, but did. ‘Son of Fate, was it?’

Sonarot clapped Lanarot’s hands together. She had watched the fight, hearing the sounds of weapons clashing, which seemed to delight her. The blood hadn’t done anything to dissuade her enjoyment either. However, when everyone else had clapped, the sudden noise caused her to twitch and cry, frightening the baby.

“Why are you crying?” Sonarot asked, pulling her daughter up to her chest, tapping her back. “Your brother has won.”

Quest Complete: Defeat Otkan

XP Gained: +2500

XP: 7570 -> 10 070

Adam panted, falling back on the floor. His heart was still pounding wildly, and he was half conscious. He was a single good hit away from dropping, and he was sure he had dealt close to 200 damage.

‘Scary! I’m never fighting an Iyrman again!’ He pulled his helmet off, revealing his pale, sweaty face. He covered his face, not wanting to show the terror in his eyes to anyone as he relaxed, trying to catch his breath.

“You fought well, Nephew of the Rot family,” Otkan said, lifting herself up from the ground. She looked completely fine, her wounds having somehow closed.

“Thank you,” Adam gasped, barely able to breathe. “If you had gone all out, I wouldn’t have been able to win.”

“If you had used your Mirror Image, I would have fallen long ago,” she said. She still remembered that one blow, which she had been certain was going to cleave through him.

“Oh,” Adam said. “Mirror Image.” When he had been struck, he had completely forgotten about the spell. ‘That was the plan.’

“I will reward you as promised,” she said. “And there is the matter of the favour.”

Adam continued to pant, unable to joke with her. “Yeah,” he said, simply. “Cool.”

Otkan left him be, allowing Sonarot to crouch beside him, holding her daughter. Adam stared up at the pair, still panting. “That’s two for two for not losing in front of my sister.”

“It is fortunate I left her with others yesterday,” Sonarot joked.

Adam smiled. “Yeah.” He winced. “Everything hurts.”

“How injured are you?” Sonarot asked.

“I’m one good hit away from dropping,” he said.

“Would you like to be healed?” Sonarot asked, clenching her fist.

“What?” Adam asked.

“I can beat you until you are healed,” she offered.

“No, I’m good,” he said. “I just need a nap.”

“Okay.” Sonarot relaxed her hand, staring down at the boy’s confused eyes. “The gem would have healed you if you had fallen.”

“Oh,” Adam said. “That’s what that was?”

“Yes.”

Adam nodded. “That’s cool.”

Adam brushed Lanarot’s hair as she sat on his chest, looking down at his puthral armour. She started to rub all along it, feeling the cool metal under her touch, enamoured by the colour of the armour.

‘Damn,’ Adam thought. ‘If I didn’t have this sword, I would have been bodied pretty quick.’ The blade was powerful, far too powerful. He wouldn’t keep it for long though, as it belonged to Dunes.

‘He’s going to lose his mind when he finds out how powerful it is.’ Adam smiled.