The pair had remained silent for a while. The music was still playing, and the onlookers watched with bated breath.

Adam’s words had made the fight more dramatic, through the real tension between the two Half Elves. There had been a story there, the Iyrmen knew, a story which some had heard, and others had whispered. A story which was ongoing, and they were present to witness.

Battle Order

D20 + 1 = 18 (17)

Warrior Spirit: 3 -> 2

Attack

D20 + 6 = 10 (4)

D20 + 6 = 8 (2)

Miss!

Attack

D20 + 6 = 26 (20)

D20 + 6 = 8 (2)

Critical hit!

Mana: 18 -> 15

Ability: Smite

2D6 + 2D3 + 8D6 + 4 = 46 (6, 6)(1, 3)(1, 1, 2, 2, 4, 4, 6, 6)

46 damage!

Health: 65 -> 44

They leapt towards one another, Jonn with his blade, and Adam with his axe, steel ringing against steel. Their breaths and grunts were muted by their blows, the music, and Lanarot’s squealing.

Adam focused, using his Warrior Spirit to give himself a greater ability to strike, and though Jonn managed to push away an axe blow, Adam forced him back with another slash a moment later. He tapped into his Guardian abilities to smite, his axe flashing white with divine magic.

Adam caught Jonn’s blade, but he was pressed back. Jonn’s smite had forced him away, though the pain passed as quickly as it had come, and soon the pair were circling one another again.

They were a pair of lions, each ready to pounce.

Adam could have, if he wished, ended the bout before Jonn could have swung, and Jonn knew it. As much as Adam wished to win in front of his sister, there was something else which needed to be confirmed in this fight, to the point he didn’t use his axe two handed for the additional damage.

Warrior Spirit: 2 -> 1

Health: 44 -> 49

Attack

D20 + 6 = 22 (16)

D20 + 6 = 15 (9)

Hit!

Mana: 15 -> 12

Ability: Smite

1D6 + 1D3 + 4D6 + 4 = 32 (2)(3)(3, 5, 6, 6, 6)

35 damage!

Adam focused again, using his Warrior Spirit stepped forward, focusing on his axe swing. As he brought down his axe, Jonn swung his blade wildly, narrowly missing Adam, as Adam’s axe cut across the Half Elf’s chest.

Jonn fell back, stumbling down onto a knee. If Adam wanted to, he could have killed Jonn since the man’s life was meant to be his, but there was no need for such a distasteful act.

Lanarot squealed with joy, clapping her hands with excitement, before throwing her hands into the air, growling demoniacally. The Iyrmen joined in her excitement, clapping their hands and calling out their praise.

Victory!

Jonn

XP Gained: +500

XP: 7575 -> 8075

‘Isn’t that less than before?’ Adam wondered. He was sure he had gained so much more XP the last time they had fought.

[Since you are more powerful, you have gained less XP.]

‘Is that how that works?’

[Yes.]

‘Oh.’

Jonn placed his hands against his chest, and with his divine magic, healed himself. It was the magic of a Guardian, one who swore their oaths, one of which was a pool of healing magic which could heal oneself and deal with certain ailments.

‘I should probably get that ability too,’ Adam thought. It was useful to have Lay on Hands, which could pick up someone from near death for a single point of healing.

Lanarot’s squeals of joy brought Adam out of his thoughts, and he picked the girl up. “What’s wrong with you? You little smelly girl.” He kissed her cheek, trying to calm her down from her blood thirst which had filled her.

“It was a good fight,” Sonarot said, noting how Adam had held back. It was crazy to think that Adam could hold back against someone like Jonn.

Jonn was far more nimble than Adam, so he would have been harder to hit. Not just that, but Jonn was more experienced than Adam, as though they were both Experts, Jonn still possessed certain abilities afforded to those who were greater than basic Experts.

Adam used none of his spells, nor did he use the burst of quickness, nor his magical weapon. He may have used his smite, but that was a small matter, considering it didn’t cost him much Mana.

Yet, he won.

Easily.

Sonarot wondered if that was surprising. Adam had gone against Kaygak and Gorot, one after the other, and had fought Mirot. Mirot, who, in a few years, would no doubt be a Master.

He had beaten all three, using all at his disposal. No, perhaps not everything, but he beat them without anyone being able to complain, neither those he faced, nor those he watched. Sonarot placed a hand on his head and brushed his hair.

Adam felt the warmth of her hand and flushed slightly. He was still embarrassed, unsure if he should accept her affection. She was his sister’s mother, but it was awkward to him even now.

The fighting continued, with Iyrmen facing against Iyrmen. Dunes cheered, Vonda healed those who bled, and Lucy admired the muscles of the Iyrmen.

Adam thought about casting his Fireball spell, but decided against it. There was nowhere where he could cast the spell safely, save for the middle. His eyes fell towards the middle, the square which was perfectly sized for a Fireball.

‘No, no. I shouldn’t. I shouldn’t take away the view from the husband and wife, uh, wives.’ It was their day, though he had been a little cheeky before his fight.

“Thank you,” Jonn eventually said.

“For what?” Adam raised his brow, but smiled. Jonn had asked to fight a month ago, but Adam had refused. He had no need. Truly, he had no need now, but he wanted to get rid of any lingering feelings between them, by talking trash and then beating the Half Elf. This time Jonn had taken it in stride.

Jonn sipped at his drink, wordless. He had followed Adam for around half a year. Adam surprised him, day after day, week after week, month after month. When he had thought he had Adam all figured out, Adam would do something utterly ridiculous.

There was no understanding Adam.

He wasn’t the only one with the thought. From Dunes to Vonda, none understood Adam. He adored his sister, and that was all they truly understood.

Once Adam had let Lanarot go to her mother, Iyrmen came up to him. They greeted him politely, as the children touched the axe he had used, and others touched his Wizard’s Axe. He had gotten used to it after fighting several times in the Iyr, usually during the festivals.

Adam narrowed his eyes. ‘It should be about this time he should appear, right?’ Adam thought.

“What is the matter?” Jurot asked.

“He should be here soon,” Adam said, simply.

“Who?”

“Strom.”

Jurot looked around, peeking up at the roofs of the nearby buildings. “He is not here.”

“He should be here, though,” Adam said. “I’m sure of it.”

“Why?”

“It’s like that, isn’t it?”

Jurot, who usually didn’t understand Adam, nodded. Strom seemed to appear at these moments, and yet he was strikingly missing. “Perhaps it is because you did not make a mess.”

“I don’t make messes,” Adam replied, sipping his drink. “It just so happens that messes appear around me.”

Jurot decided against responding to him. Adam was being like Adam.

Fred looked around the Iyr, watching the children all move without a care in the world, speaking to one another about all manner of things. They spoke about the stories of their ancestors, but also about what they had been learning recently from their schooling.

‘Even Iyrmen children are just children,’ he thought. The Iyrmen, who had seemed so alien to him, were much more like him than he expected, other than their views of death. His thoughts trailed away to the thoughts of the Iyrmen and their purpose, wondering if he could find something.

Fred had met Adam coincidentally. He had accepted the eventual sweet embrace of death, but it hadn’t come. Instead, Adam had come, with waterskin in hand. He still wasn’t sure if he should be thankful to Adam for allowing him to live.

His eyes fell to the groom and the brides. Would he get married? His heart throbbed, and he forced the thought away from his mind.

No. He couldn’t.

Jonn sat opposite Fred. He could see how Fred grimaced, and closed himself from the rest of the world. He had been like that too, once. Though, he had been rather angry too.

Fate.

That was what brought them all together. It was what brought them together, with the Priests, the Demon, and the strange Half Elf who could do things which defied common sense.

He wondered if it was that Fate which had caused the massacre of the Humans at Rock Hill by the Elves, which forced him out of his Order, and had slain Fred’s family. How else would they have come together like this?

Jonn poured some wine for Fred. The young Human man stared at the cup of wine. Eventually, he lifted it, nodding his head to the Half Elf, before sipping it.

“I’m glad the wedding was today,” Adam said. “It’ll be easy to remember.”

“Why is that?” Jurot asked.

“It’s our little Lanababy’s birthday tomorrow.” Adam smiled.