Omen: 13, 20

  ‘What? Do you think I’d be tempted?’ Adam asked the world. ‘Just a little, but I’m not that stupid.’

  The nobles gathered within the arena, a rge circle, with eight rge towers, ected by a ring of stone, each housing the various he nobles overlooked the onfolk, who were assaulted by the snow and the brisk air.

  “I see you have sponsored your eldest,” Baron Northriver said, p a drink for his panion.

  “I see you have sponsored a merary,” Baroness Fifthpeak replied, sipping the wihat the Baron had poured her.

  “My eldest, he’s too bored of these tours, so he says,” the Baron said, smirking pyfully, the pair exging a knowing look.

  “Sparring with women, is he?”

  “I am certain of it.”

  As the wine and cheese made its way about, the servants swiftly clearing their ses within the rings, there were many higher nobility who remained within their owioing and drinking away, dealing with other matters than watg the fights. Indeed, for the higher he tour was merely an excuse for business.

  “Boy, e here,” Aeda Bow, Grand Duchess of the North, dared to say to a figure, who perhaps should have anded some respect.

  The Grand ander of the Order of the Thousand Hunts, Sir James Greatwood, stood, approag the Grand Duchess. He sat opposite her, fnked by two knights, each Masters, and eaowhere near his own strength.

  “Have you decided to settle within the North?” Aeda asked, cutting a piece of cheese, pg it upon a cracker with her knife, before drawing back, allowing the Grand ao take it from her.

  “I-,”

  “Eat first, boy! You ’t think right on ay stomach.” The woman dared to interrupt one of the handful of Paragons across the entire nd.

  James bit into the cheese and cracker, gd the cracker soothed the fvours of the harsh cheese, which almost caused him to wince. He sipped down the wine, which was als in the north, like its people. If it was not the Grand Duchess, he perhaps would have asked why it was the South which had raised a Paragon, that being himself, and not one of the many Northern Orders. However, even if the Grand ander could dare to suggest such to the King, he wasn’t stupid enough to suggest such a thing to the woman who had guarahe North’s fortable position for feions, and perhaps five.

  “I inteo settle uhe King’s guidahe Paragon finally stated, having finished an appropriate amount of cheese and wine for the Grand Duchess to feel like a det host.

  “Iral, then?”

  “If His Majesty suggests.”

  “Fihen.” The Grand Duchess sipped away at her tea. ‘I should have expected as much from a Southerner.’

  The crowd tio cheer and shout as the fights tinued, while Adam sat among a group of hters, each readying themselves for their bouts.

  ‘Man, it sure is lucky that Jaygak fights on the off days,’ Adam thought. ‘Looks like my luck is on the rise?’

  “Adam Fate!” called a worker. “e now!”

  Adam donned his shield, feeling the magic within it, aepped forward, leaving through the giant double doors, which the workers opeo a set of groans from those who weren’t use to the cold, before he stepped out into the light, gng all across the circur arena, smiling as he noted all the onfolk he bottom ses, who had paid quite the in order to sit for an hour, while the other, slightly richer onfolk, sat further up, paying for ses of the day, one of the three four hour blocks.

  “ing from the South,” called the disembodied voice, which paused to allow the people to jeer at the half elf in puthral, who had waved his hand, but stopped upon the jeering.

  “He pced third in the Noonval Tour.” At the pause, the figures ughed.

  “Third!”

  “Not even first?”

  “Hah! Sworddropper!”

  “Axedropper!”

  Adam frowned, gng around. ‘Hey, you’re not my daughter, you ’t bully me.’

  “Brother to an Iyrman!” the voice called out, pausing again.

  The crowd remained silent for a moment. Another moment passed. The chill filled the half elf, greater than the chill of the nightval air.

  “Oooooooh?” the crowd replied, unsure of how to take the information.

  “A brother to an Iyrman?”

  “Don’t that mean he’s an Iyrman too?”

  “No, maybe he’s a Nephew?”

  “Ah!”

  “Oooh!” the crowed called out, a little more enthusiastically.

  “Wielding his shield, Strong Shield, once used by the Mad Dog,” the announcer tinued, allowing a moment for the thunderous shouts to fill the arena, some cheers, some jeers, but all excitement.

  As the arena threateo shake, within the ring of stone, various nobles perked up upon the name. Indeed, for though many across Aldnd may have heard of the Mad Dog, he was most active in the North, and so many of the Northern families each suddenly paid keen attention to the half elf in the Iyrman’s steel.

  “Mad Dog?” one asked.

  “The Kid?”

  “Bloody Jarot?”

  “The Undying?”

  “The Rock?”

  “The Rock?” a wealthy mert asked the other.

  “I was thinking of another Iyrman…”

  Some of the nobles called for one of their servants to and them to find out more about the figure wielding the shield of such a promi figure.

  “Wielding his magical axe, Wraith, which had e to blows with royalty of distant nds!”

  “Oooooh!” the crowd shouted, filling Adam with a deep excitement.

  Adam circled the arena, raising his axe and shield, causing nearby onfolk to shout towards him, sometimes with insults, sometimes with praise aement, speaking of their bets.

  “Executive Adam!”

  Adam held out his arms, feeling the thunder of the tless voices echh the arena, basking in the glow. ‘Now that’s what I’m talking about!’

  Everything fell silent.

  Even the wind dared not to whisper.

  The doors opened, only the quiet groan of Southerners leaking into the arena, dist to a growl upon the wind, before finally the jangle of armour broke the silence.

  Standing tall and strong.

  “Born within the North!”

  The crowd cheered.

  She was adorned in full pte, made of simple steel, but engraved with all manner of symbols, heavy furs hiding much of her.

  “Having sin more dragons than one t upon the fingers of one hand!”

  The crowd threateo deafen the half elf, who bowed his head lightly, almost shirking uhe noise.

  At her side, the bde dangled lightly, a bde lohan most bdes, and as she drew it, the patterns glowed faintly uhe nightval sun.

  “Wielding the Shining Drakesyer!”

  The crowd tio cheer, the g also eg through the arena, before the name carried through the shattering noise.

  “Nightval Bde!”

  “Nightval Bde!”

  “Nightval Bde!”

  Her dark cloak billowed over her shoulder, and she turned, grasping her bde with both hands, poised like a wyvern, ready to strike.

  “The Nightval Bde!” the announcer finally shouted, though the magic made sure to dampen the noise so that it didn’t burst their ear drums, but the crowd’s volume increased so loudly, Adam half expected the Iyr to hear of it. The ed Adam for a long while, before finally the shouting began to die down.

  Thousands of eyes all turo the pair, one holding her bde out before her, standing as the picture of a Northerall and proud, while the other stood, almost meek and demure.

  “Draw your shield and axe,” the voice called through the visor.

  “Of course,” Adam said, donning his crimson shield, causing near silent gasps, before he grabbed his axe, swinging it lightly. “I’ve heard quite a bit about you.”

  “I’m sure.”

  “Have you heard of me?” Adam asked.

  “No. Should I?”

  “Do you know who this shield belongs to?”

  “The Mad Dog.”

  “Do you know how it came to my possession?”

  “… Yes.”

  “His grandson gave it to me,” Adam said, holding out the shield. “Would you like to hold it.”

  “… Yes.” The woman slowly undid her stance, her bde pointing to the earth. With a fidenly befitting a Northerner, she walked up to him, and Adam spotted the amulet on her chest, that of a single bde pointed downward. As though she expected Adam not to attack, she held out her hand.

  Adam unstrapped his shield and ha to her, for a moment the pair frozen, before the woman took the shield, feeling the magic within it.

  “I never heard the shield was magical.”

  “It wasn’t.”

  She slowly bowed her head, holding the shield for a short while, before returning it back. “My name is Sir Grace.”

  “Adam Fate,” Adam replied, bowing his head, taking the shield.

  “I will end this quickly, out of respect.”

  Adam smiled. “Sir Grace?”

  “Yes?”

  “Turot. That’s the name of the boy who gave me this shield, and that’s the name I want you to remember when you wake up.”

  “…”

  Though such a frontation seemed somewhat muo most, the fact that Adam had allowed the Nightval Bde to hold onto his shield before their frontation, aher took the ce to betray one another, filled the air with a risiement.

  This was a bout between two true warriors, of bde, heart, and spirit.

  The pair stood opposite one another once more, bde drawn, shield donned, and still. The cool wind passed between them, and for a moment, it seemed as though the world had stopped just to watch them fight.

  A moment passed.

  A seoment passed.

  A third moment passed.

  ‘Ah,’ the pair thought. ‘Now.’

  Battle OrderD20 + 1 = 4 (3)

  Health: 112 -> 92

  Fighting Spirit: 3 -> 2Health: 92 -> 97

  Attack - Wraith (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 11 (1)D20 + 10 = 24 (14)Hit!Mana: 25 -> 24Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 26 (7)(10)26 damage!

  Attack - Wraith (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 26 (16)D20 + 10 = 27 (17)Hit!Mana: 24 -> 23Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 16 (4)(3)16 damage!

  Adam tried to force his body forward, but it had been rare for him to fight in the cold, and so his muscles, still not warmed up, fought against him.

  “The strength of my vi bears down like a mountain,” the woman said, stepping forward, raising her sword. It glowed with magic, a light blue mixed with white, before swinging it down with such foright have thought she was cutting the world in half. Adam raised Strong Shield, but even as he did, he let out a grunt as the pain filled him. As the repared for another swing, Adam inhaled deeply and focused.

  Magical steel struck magical steel, ringing in the clear air, the crowd silent to hear such beautiful music.

  Adam’s axe mao strike against the young woman’s armour, fshing hot, but the pair tio engage.

  ‘Ah!’ Grace thought, realising the heaviness of the axe which struck her. It was unlike most ons she had fought against, the great strength of the axe even managing to wind her. ‘How terrifying.’

  “How scary,” Adam said as the pair cshed.

  ‘What?’ Grace thought, hearing the tone of the half elf’s voice. ‘He isn’t taking me seriously?

  Health: 97 -> 67Strength Save D20 + 8 = 11 (3)

  “My fury is righteous!” the woman ted, filling her bde with her magic, which glowed blue and white once more.

  Adam raised his shield, but as he did, he felt the ripple of magid the thunderous explosion which flung him back five steps, the half elf grunting as he fell upon his back. “Ah!”

  If she had chosen to do so, she could have struck Adam down at that moment, and have struck true with her bde, a…

  Adam panted, looking up, noting the woman waited for him, and the half elf stood, nodding his head towards her, before the pair engaged once more.

  Health: 67 -> 1

  Adam inhaled deeply, but as the pair cshed again, and though Adam mao raise his shield, the bde struck his shoulder with such force, he dropped down to a knee from the fsh of holy fury which rocked this his entire body, causing the half elf to cough up. Arm filled his body as he realised how close he was to dropping down.

  She was certain of it. That blow was one of the mightiest blows she had ever sent through someone, a, somehow, the half elf was still standing, though his legs shook wildly as he barely stood.

  ‘You should not have ui-,’ the thought disappeared into the void as the woman darted backwards, her bde in front of her once more. She hadn’t even realised her body had moved without her will, until she noted her bde in front of her, having taken the basic stance which had beeen into her since she was young.

  Emanating from the half elf, she could sehe desperation, the same desperation the dragons had felt under her bde. The half elf also exuded the same level of danger.

  Omen: 13, 20

  “I’m sorry,” Adam panted.

  Uh oh.