“We have much to discuss,” Jurot said. “There are the Duskval fights soon.” Jurot placed a hand on Adam’s shoulder and nodded. “You must fight well, Adam.”

“Are you going to fight?”

“If there is a need.”

Adam nodded his head. “Alright. I’ll do my best, you know that. If Lanarot watches, then I definitely won’t lose. I’m three for three with her watching me.”

“Three for three?” Jurot asked.

“Yeah,” Adam said. “Well, technically it’s four for four. There’s Shikan, Timojin, Nirot, and someone else.”

“Who else?”

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about it,” Adam said, his lips twitching into a smug smirk. “Let’s go see Lucy. I gifted her the Dragon heart a while ago, and I haven’t seen her since.”

Jurot nodded, following Adam. Dunes remained behind to meditate with the sword and train with it. Jaygak, on the other hand, could smell a story, so followed Adam quickly. Kitool, sensing trouble, followed after her friend.

Jonn and Brittany watched, having been ignored the entire time.

“I didn’t get to show him my Deadwood bow,” Brittany said, holding the bow in hand.

Jonn glanced down at Brittany, before guiding her to shoot more arrows.

Adam wasn’t sure where Lucy was, but it didn’t take long to find her.

“Hey, sorry to bother you, but do you know where the Demon is?” Adam asked a passing Iyrman.

“She’s in twelfth training yard,” the Iyrman said, motioning a hand to the general area where the tunnel was.

Adam glanced back to Jurot, who nodded. “Thank you,” Adam said, bowing his head to the Iyrman, before letting Jurot lead.

The twelfth training yard was pretty much what Adam expected. A large field with plenty of space to train at least a hundred people comfortable, each with their own little area.

“How big is the Iyr?” Adam asked.

Jurot smiled.

They found Lucy midway through training, punching a wooden training dummy. She was growling like a beast, filled with a rage Adam hadn’t expected.

“Lucy?” Adam called out, walking over towards her.

She panted, turning back to face him, a wildness in her eyes Adam hadn’t seen before.

“What’s wrong?”

She glared at him, still panting for breath. It was as though she had forgotten to speak. “You…” she said, trying to keep her voice calm.

Adam cleared his throat. This was not what he expected. There was only one reason why Lucy would act like this.

“You must be having so much fun, relaxing in the Iyr,” she said, staring into Adam’s eyes.

Jaygak exchanged a look with Kitool, who shook her head. This was a matter between the two of them.

“I’m having a fair bit of fun, yeah,” Adam said. “I’ve been working fairly hard, what with all the enchanting, but otherwise, I’ve been kicking it.”

Lucy was wearing the clothes of the Iyr, and she seemed to take to them well. She was so much different than when they first met, and so much different even after she had become a tall beauty.

“Let’s fight,” Lucy said.

Adam stared at Lucy, the wild look in her eye, the way she clenched her fist. He swallowed, finding a lump in his throat. He wanted to ask, but he was unable to. “Okay. Can I get my armour?”

There was an awkwardly long silence before she nodded her head.

Adam turned, wordless, and the other Iyrmen followed him. Lucy made her own preparations too.

“What was all that about?” Jaygak asked.

Adam did not respond.

“Adam, speechless?” Jaygak joked, before Kitool elbowed her side. “What?”

Kitool shook her head, warning her to stop.

Adam returned to the estate, where he found the others currently preparing food, which was almost complete.

“Come,” Sonarot called.

“Sorry, but I’ve got something to do,” Adam said.

“Something more important than eating?” Sonarot asked.

“Yes,” Adam said.

Sonarot bowed her head, noting the aura around him. Adam went to don his armour, all the while Sonarot looked to her son for him to explain.

“There is something wrong between Adam and Lucy,” he said.

“What is wrong?”

“Adam required the heart of an Adult Dragon,” Jurot said.

Sonarot nodded her head slowly, understanding what had happened.

“Oh,” Jaygak said, suddenly full of discomfort.

‘God fucking damn it!’ Adam angrily put his armour on. ‘I should have realised that it wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t just a Dragon heart, was it? The one I got was a little bitch Dragon heart. Fuck!’

Adam was angry at himself.

He couldn’t imagine the relief that Lucy had felt when he had brought the heart. Then, the utter despair she felt when it wasn’t enough.

‘No wonder I didn’t see her for so long.’

He finished donning his armour, and waited in the estate for a short while, thinking. ‘I can’t hold back, can I?’ He sighed.

“Are you ready?” Jurot asked, seeing the Half Elf in his puthral plate, his axe and shield at his side.

“Yeah.”

They eventually returned back to the twelfth training yard, where Lucy had wrapped up her fists, and had been sitting down, her head in her hands, in her own meditation.

Only Jurot had come, Jogak having the foresight to understand that Jaygak would only bring trouble, and Kitool understood that Jaygak would complain if she went.

Adam stood, silent like a statue, waiting for her to take her place for the fight.

Eventually Lucy shifted, standing. She stared at the Half Elf in his puthral, and her forehead pulsed. She took her place ahead of him, holding out her hands, opening them up to reveal her claws.

“Don’t hold back, or I might kill you,” she said.

Adam inhaled deeply, donning his shield, and he pointed his axe towards her. “Try it, if you can.”

The Iyrmen nearby, who had been training Lucy, gathered to watch. They were in their late twenties to their early forties, each of them a different tier of strength for her to practise with.

“The boy should be careful,” an Iyrman said. “She is an Expert.”

“It does not matter,” Jurot said. “He is my brother.”

“Your brother?” an Iyrman asked, noting his tattoo. “Unrivalled Under The Heavens?”

Jurot nodded.

“I will change my bet,” the Iyrman said.

Battle Order

D20 + 1 = 16 (15)

Warrior Spirit: 3 -> 2

Attack

D20 + 8 = 10 (2)

D20 + 8 = 14 (6)

Miss!

Adam leapt into action, but though he had been eager with his words, there was still hesitation in his axe. This fight was for Lucy to get some recompense for what he had done.

“What are you doing?” Lucy hissed. “Is that all you have?”

Attack

D20 + 8 = 10 (2)

D20 + 8 = 12 (4)

Miss!

‘I knew it,’ Lucy thought, gritting her teeth. ‘He was just messing around!’

The Demon took the opportunity, leaping onto him, and sinking her teeth into his flesh.

Health: 65 -> 42

Adam winced as her teeth struck his neck, drawing blood.

“While you’ve been playing around, I’ve been training!” Lucy snarled into his ear.

Adam remained silent, which only added to her suspicions.

Warrior Spirit: 2 -> 1

Health: 42 -> 47

Attack

D20 + 8 = 14 (6)

D20 + 8 = 25 (17)

Hit!

1D6 + 1D6 + 6 = 11 (2)(3)

Damage resisted!

7 damage!

Adam managed to push her off with his axe, managing to strike deep into her mind with his axe. She clutched at her head for a moment, but shrugged off he attack, which did little to dissuade her.

Attack

D20 + 8 = 10 (2)

D20 + 8 = 21 (13)

Hit!

1D6 + 1D6 + 6 = 14 (2)(6)

Damage resisted!

10 damage!

As he hacked down, she caught the axe with one hand, before biting into his hand.

Health: 47 -> 22

Adam grunted as her teeth sank deep into his hand, causing it to twitch, almost dropping his axe.

“Mary is suffering while you’re here having the time of your life making weapons and playing with some stupid baby!” Lucy’s eyes were full of tears, though she fought them back.

‘What’s with this damage?’ Adam thought. ‘Did she really crit me twice?’

Warrior Spirit: 1 -> 0

Health: 22 -> 27

Attack

D20 + 8 = 27 (19)

D20 + 8 = 28 (20)

Critical hit!

Mana: 10 -> 9

Vulnerability exploited!

Phantom Charges: 3 -> 2

2D6 + 8D6 + 6D6 + 6 = 59 (1, 1)(1, 1, 1, 3, 3, 5, 6, 6)(2, 3, 4, 4, 6, 6)

Damage resisted!

55 damage!

“I’m sorry, Lucy,” Adam said, grabbing the back of her head, pulling her off his hand. He clenched his hand around his axe tight, before striking Lucy against her shoulder, using both his Smite and his Phantom to blast her with enough damage to knock her out.

Lucy’s face, which had been contorted into a sad rage, twitched as her eyes rolled back and she fell. She didn’t even have the time to realise what had happened.

Adam caught her, pulling her in to his chest, not letting her drop.

Mana: 9 -> 7

Spell: Healing Word

2D3 + 3 = 9 (3, 3)

“Sorry, Lucy,” Adam apologised, his voice full of healing magic.

The Demon came to in his arms, colour returning to her face, staring up at him, confused.

“I held back,” he explained, though that wasn’t why he apologised.