It was a song of fire and ice.

  The glowing bde struck against the bde of frost, the magical steel ringing in the air.

  Jaygak’s heart beat wildly, the adrenaline pumping through her veins, her entire body hot, as though she was walking through fire. Her muscles strained as her bde met with the Princess’, the holy magics bursting into her. Even with the initiative, she hadn’t been able to set the pace of the bout, while the Princess had mao wrestle trol of the tempo with ease.

  ‘One swing at a time,’ Jaygak thought, panting for the cool air, which chilled her lungs. She had realised within their fight that the Princess’ greatsword, which she was borrowing from her family no doubt, was greater than eve Moon. Though they both possessed simir abilities, the greatsword, which was useful in tour, and not against many of the creatures within the North, struck harder and deeper with its chill.

  The pair had drowned out the crowd as they danced, bde striking armour, bde striking shield. One bde left a trail of a glow, another a chill of death.

  As Adam watched, he frowned. He did not frown because he was about to lose a thousand gold, but that Jaygak, somehow, was being forced back with ease. The Iyrman, whose bde had moved with such swiftness in the beginning, had barely mao wind the Princess.

  ‘Jaygak…’ Adam frowned, g his hands together in prayer. ‘Please! She just needs a little more luck, that’s all. Just a little more luck, and she win.’

  ‘I overestimated you, Jaygak,’ Adda thought, her bde fshing white hot with holy magics. ‘You were still a good fight.’

  The greatsword struck against Jaygak’s stomach with such force, the young Iyrman stumbled backwards, before she fell onto back. She gripped her bde in hand, and though she was scious, she was uo fight the blurry vision which seeped all around her. Jaygak coughed out, doing her best to move her limbs, but her body refused to listen. She closed her eyes a out a soft breath. She rexed.

  The cheering around Adam almost deafened, and though he cpped his hands, he remained frowning. ‘Damn.’

  Adam waited a short while before making his way down, waiting in the hallway, his hands in his pocket. Jaygak eventually stepped out of the loser’s area, nodding her head towards Adam.

  “Okay?” Adam asked.

  “Okay,” Jaygak replied, smiling slightly. “It was a bad showing.”

  “Everyone has those days,” Adam said, reag out to pat her shoulder. “e on. I’ll pay for the cheese.”

  “With your winnings?”

  “I lost a lot of gold.”

  “How much?”

  “I don’t want to say.”

  ‘Did you really bet a thousand?’ Jaygak thought, following the half elf out.

  Kitool and Jurot joihem a short while ter, having realised she must have lost, the group drinking together.

  “My sed tour and I’m going to pce?” Jaygak said, raising her brows slightly. “Not quite as good as your tales, but it is enough for me.”

  “Pce? You should e sed.”

  “Sed?”

  “Since I’m taking first, you should e sed.”

  Jaygak furrowed her brows, gng towards Jurot, before sipping her drink. “Sir Roseia isn’t so easy to defeat either.”

  “Huh?” Adam said. “You beat her.”

  “…”

  Adam smiled slightly. “If you don’t, Jirot will call you third pce.”

  Jaygak blinked, suddenly filled with a siess. ‘Jirot, you wouldn’t, would you?’ Deep within her heart she uood that her favourite niece would certainly bully her. ‘Sed pce?’

  “Don’t worry, Jaygak, when I face her tomorrow, I’ll definitely win,” Adam said.

  Jaygak exged a look with the other Iyrmen, before her eyes met Adam’s. She uood Adam had misuood something. “Adam.”

  “Yeah?”

  “We’re fighting tomorrow.”

  “Oh.” Adam stared into her eyes, the awkward silence filling the room. “I’m still going to beat you.”

  “Heh,” Jurot almost ughed, a smile across his lips. He had been taken aback by Adam, who had somehow shocked him, even after all this time.

  Jaygak raised a cup. “If I beat you, then I’ll face her again, and I’ll take first.”

  “We’ll see,” Adam said, raising his cup.

  They drank and ate that evening, though the noisiness stopped within the inn when she appeared. Her hair as bck as the o depths, her eyes dark grey, and at her side, her typical bde. The guard behind her was familiar to all of them, for his name spread far and wide, and even drew fear from the half elf in purple.

  “May I join you?” the Princess asked.

  “You may,” Jaygak said, leaning back slightly.

  ‘Why did you wao speak with her?’ Adda thought, gng aside to the rest of the group, most of whom held greater abilities, reater families. She bowed her head to Stone Sword, who bowed his head iurn.

  After a while, the others excused themselves, Adam doing so most swiftly, sihe air felt too awkward for him. Kitool joined him, while Jurot excused himself to bathe and sleep, while Jane and Stone Sword decided to turn in for the night too, leaving Jaygak and Adda alone.

  “It was a good fight,” Jaygak said, raising her cup.

  “It was,” Adda said, raising her cup. The Princess remained silent for a long moment, while noting how Jaygak sized her up, w why the Princess had e to speak with her. “I was told of the tale of one of your family members who held the same name.”

  Jaygak smiled slightly. “There are quite a few who are named Jay of the Gak family. Which tale did the Grand Duchess mention?”

  “I do not know. Could you speak their tales to me?” Adda poured the young woman a bottle of wine.

  Jaygak, with the thought the wine could be poisoned, sipped it lightly. “A Princess is asking me for my family’s tales? I am honoured.”

  Adda could feel the stress the Iyrman had pced oitle, partly because teically her true title wasn’t quite as high. ‘The Iyrmen are so crude.’ The Princess smiled slightly.

  Kitool followed Adam as he walked through North Amber, the white surrounding them. It was quiet. Cold. The harshness of the North tio batter away at the pair. She wondered if she should speak up, to ease the half elf’s mind. However, the mood in the air remained awkward, even as Adam stopped, staring out at the white expanse across the mountains. He stood, his hands in his pockets, shaking slightly.

  “It’s so damn cold,” Adam said, his teeth chattering lightly.

  Kitool wasn’t sure what he meant by that, whether he was being a fool, or whether he was rejeg his thoughts to speak of his surface thoughts. “Yes.”

  “You feel the cold too?” Adam asked, gng back towards her, rapped up in a heavy cloak.

  “Yes.”

  “At this point it wouldn’t surprise me if Iyrmen didn’t feel the cold.”

  “Jurot feels it less in his rage, and Jaygak does not feel the heat as much, but I am not so fortunate.”

  “Yeah, but you’re scary too.”

  Kitool bowed her head.

  The pair basked in their silence for a long while before returning back to the inn.

  Omen: 1, 1

  ‘Fuck.’

  “Okay?” Jurot asked over breakfast.

  “It’s the thirteenth today, right?” Adam asked.

  “Yes.”

  Adam frowned. ‘Is this Fate messing with me, or is it all a ce?’ “I don’t feel too good today.”

  “Don’t make excuses already,” Jaygak joked, her lips coiling uptwards.

  Adam shook his head lightly, but he remained dour, even as he made his way to prepare for the fight. Jaygak allowed him his peace, heading out to her se to wait for the fight.

  ‘Should I drink a little to calm my nerves?’ Adam thought.

  Meanwhile, Jaygak prepared herself, warming up within her se, ign the gazes upon her. Adda gowards the young woman, decided against b her, since she against her friend. They had spoken about Adam during the st night, along with Jurot and Kitool.

  ‘Adam? He’s an idiot, but his children redeem him, sihey’re so cute… and so troublesome.’ Jaygak’s smile had been gehat time.

  The pair stepped into the arena a short while ter, with Adam feeling his heavy his shield and axe had bee. He almost dragged them up to greet the crowd, barely able to hear them, before cirg around with Jaygak.

  “Adam,” Jaygak called as they circled the arena. “Are we friends?”

  “Of course we are.”

  “Are we best friends?”

  “Of course.”

  “Do you know what I think?”

  “That I’m an idiot?”

  “I’m not sure about that, but…” As they finally stopped cirg around the arena, fag one another. “We’ve known each other for five years, and we’ve fought side by side so many times, and we’ve almost died beside one another almost as many times.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Adam.”

  “Yeah?”

  “You’re not just my best friend, but like a brother to me.”

  Adam closed his eyes tight. “Jaygak.”

  “That’s why I won’t hold back,” Jaygak said, g her shield tight in hand, pointing her bde towards the half elf. “And I know you won’t hold back either.”

  “…” Adam’s throat shuddered slightly, trying to find his voice, but he couldn’t find his words. He raised his axe towards her.

  Battle Order: D20 +1 = 10 (9)

  Mana: 25 -> 24Spell: ShieldDefence: 25 -> 30

  Fighting Spirit: 3 -> 2

  Attack - Wraith (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 20 (10)D20 + 10 = 23 (13)Hit!Wraith: 3 -> 2Mana: 24 -> 23Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 31 (5)(12)(5)31 damage!

  Attack - Wraith (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 20 (10)D20 + 10 = 26 (16)Hit!Wraith: 2 -> 1Mana: 23 -> 22Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 34 (11)(6)(8)34 damage!

  Onward Soar: 1 -> 0

  Attack - Wraith (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 12 (2)D20 + 10 = 30 (20)Critical hit!Wraith: 1 -> 0Mana: 22 -> 19Ability: Divine Smite4D6 + 4D6 + 8D6 + 9 = 74 (18)(13)(34)74 damage!

  Jaygak and Adam stepped forward, Jaygak’s bde and Adam’s axe tearing through the air. Great Moon threateo carve into Adam, but Adam let out a shout, and her glowing bde cttered off the magical shield.

  Jaygak, feeling the magical force deflect her sword, smiled.

  Adam focused pletely on the young woman before him. He thought back to when he inally asked her to join he and his brother on their adventure.

  ‘Great! Let’s aim fold Rank together then!’

  Adam’s axe fshed white hot, and blue cold, battering against the young woman’s bde.

  ‘Gold Rank won’t suit me,’ Jaygak had said. ‘Steel will be high enough for me.’

  Jaygak tried to defend herself with Great Moon, but she could feel it, each strike with the might of an auroch’s full charge.

  ‘Well, I mean, Jurot and I are aiming fold Rank, so you just join us.’

  The third blow, which had been enough to knock out any typical Expert, finally dropped the young Iyrman, who stumbled backwards and crumpled like paper.

  ‘Damn it, Jaygak,’ Adam thought, before his thoughts were drowned out by the cheering of the crowd. The only thing that felt worse than losing ahousand gold was the taste of victory. Adam raised his shield and axe up, letting out a cry into the air, which disappeared into the roar of the crowd, and the cold of nightval.

  Even the knowledge that Sir Roseia had been soundly beaten by Princess Adda didn’t lighten Adam’s heart.

  “You lost ahousand gold?” Jaygak asked over their drinks.

  “What I say?” Adam replied, letting out a small sigh. “If I won, then I won. If I lost, then I won.”

  Jaygak raised her brows in surprise, since even she had bet on herself to win, but it was only a few gold pieces. “Sometimes you’re smarter than you look.”

  “Yeah,” Adam replied.

  ‘It doesn’t feel good to bully him when he’s like this,’ Jaygak thought, before blinking. ‘I’m the one who lost!’

  “Jaygak…”

  “Yeah?”

  “You ’t lose against Sir Roseia.”

  “I know.”

  Adam sipped away at his wine. He wao offer his shield to her, but uood he couldn’t. “You o beat her with your sword and shield, so you give them to Kavgak and Maygak.”

  “I know,” Jaygak replied, smirking slightly, before thinking of her small sisters, who were each so big for their age.

  Adam went for another walk that evening, the chill of the North invading him again, s him up. ‘Damn. Damn, damn, damn. Damn.’ He turowards the two shadows following him. “Yeah?”

  “Let’s drink,” Lucy said, holding up the casks, while Mara revealed the mugs she had brought.

  Adam let out a small sigh. He smiled at the pair, gd that he had such great friends. “Alright.”

  Sad.