'You've got to be kidding me.' Adam let out a loed sigh. He had calcuted the group could, if they left swiftly, return bae by the end of the year. 'We o wait until the twenty sed?’

  'The Grand ander is leaving, but if we remain...' Jaygak thought, noting Adam's expression, the half elf certainly annoyed he couldn't return bae.

  "What should we do for the week?"

  "We help prepare the defences.”

  "For the Twilight Month? I guess we could..." Adam sat beside Jaygak, who refused to speak of Jurot and Kitool and their fights. 'What's taking them so long?'

  The North shifted its attention to the oning onsught that was the Twilight Month throughout the st two weeks of nightval. The food stores were triple checked. The farmers worked upon their homes, readying themselves for the Twilight Month.

  "Jimmy, Brown Boots?" an older farmer asked, carrying a rge sack of grain over his shoulder.

  Jimmy reached into his cloak to reveal a rge silver medallion, stamped with the scales of Lady Eveil.

  "Thought you were volunteering?"

  "I was gonna, but Knives got sick."

  "They still got you anyhow?" Limes shrugged his shoulders. "Least you got the silver."

  "Yeah."

  The smiths kept their hours open for any smithing required by the town during the st few weeks of nightval, just in case, as inscribed within its ws. Adam and his panions also assisted, taking on the role of Brown Boots, those who volunteered to assist, sh up the defences of the town and the nearby outposts, making sure items were stocked, and whatever else was required of them by those who made demands of them, mostly those from the clergy.

  "You going to be fighting?" Limes asked.

  "Probably," Adam replied, before Jaygak threw him a look. "I mean, yes, we are."

  "Say, by any ce, are you the purple fellow?"

  "Are you asking if I'm Executive Adam?"

  "Aye, that's it."

  "I am, yes."

  "Thought so. Your axe and shield, reised them from the fighting. Lost a gold on you when you fought against our Bde. I would have sworn she was going to win."

  "She was the toughest fight for sure," Adam admitted, fshing an awkward smile. "I almost lost my bet, and man, my wife would have killed me. Well, not kill me, because, you know, she's from Life's Rose, but figuratively speaking."

  The farmer nodded his head, throwing the Iyrmen a look, sidering Adam's ridiculous words. "Life's Rose?"

  "That's right, she's-,"

  "Limes! Sammy's callin' for you!"

  "Must be wonderin' where I left the salt," Limes said. "I always tell her, in the back, third bag. In the back, third bag." The old man grumbled and peeled himself off the bench, shuffling through to find Sammy.

  Adam's eyes fell across the mass of people, all in their furs and heavy cloaks, moving about in small squads. The Northerners moved with practised effiot quite as effit as Iyrmen, Adam thought, but they moved as though they were familiar with the situation.

  "What's with all the kids?" Adam asked, noting some teens nearby, who were currently being instructed by some individuals Jaygak had pointed out to him. They were those who used to fight iours, or nobles of some renown, the warriors old and grizzled, the nobles young, but disciplined.

  "It's a right of passage," Jaygak expined. "They'll sign up to fight during the Twilight Month, and if they survive, most do, they are sidered men and women."

  "What's the survival rate like?"

  "They only die if grave mistakes are made, which is extremely rare," Jaygak said.

  Fate's Golden tio assist throughout the week, with Lud Mara assisting with the bour, alongside Jurot. Kitool also assisted with her swiftness, while Jaygak and Adam remained beside one ahe half elf assisting with his magic.

  Then it was time.

  The arena was full to the brim, with all the fighters who had decided to remain, and those who ced. Though there were tens of thousands sitting in the crowd, and standing all around the arena, all were silent. The white snow engrossed the people, but not as much as the sight of the old man.

  He was lean, speckled all over with venerability, and the only sound which echoed through the arena was his e striking the floor as he approached the wooden stand. A pair of knight escorted him from behind. The old man was gd that the podium hid most of his body, allowing him to lean against it.

  He gnced around, barely able to spot the faces ahead of him, but he raised his hand, and the cheering began, appuse filling the stadium. It was as though he had woour only moments ago, the h and the cheering. He basked in it for a long moment, before raising his shaking hand, dismissing the sounds, which petered out over the course of another long moment. One of the knights brought a small horn over, which he pced over the old man's neck.

  "Is everyone. Quiet?" he asked, his voice carrying far along the breeze. "These old ears. They're not. What they. Used to be." The old man smiled, allowing the crowd to chuckle for a few moments, before they settled down. He gnced from side to side, smiling at them all.

  He focused his attention upoand, rubbing the wood. "Northern ash. Strong." He raised his hand, g it weakly, smiling wider. "Northern built."

  The crowd hollered at his words, shouting and g their hands, before falling silent.

  He pointed out with a shaking finger. "S'over there. I was beaten. By the Noskan. Wind." He poio another spot, reliving the memory. "By the. By the." He swallowed, gathering his thoughts. "Old William. Yes. Old William." He nodded his head, smiling. "Great Boar. No. Great Bear. Then Mark. Mark. Great Wolf. Bastards. The pair. Of them. So great. They put it. In their name."

  The chug began once more as the old man smiled, his eyes slowly gazing from side to side, before he raised his hand again.

  "If I. Mentioned more. We'd be here. All Twilight." He smiled, and a gentle chuckle followed, with a few cag louder. The old man tio smile coyly, winking. "Been a few. Years. Standing here. Must be bad. For this. Old man. To walk up. All these. Steps."

  He allowed the crowd to ugh again, before he raised his hand once more.

  "The Grand. Duchess. She called me. She said. Old bear. Watch the show. This year. You'll see. I said. I'm too old. To be seeing. Gave me. Some. Spectacles." He raised his hand, f a circle. "Worth. My weight. In gold." He shook his head, gng out across the crowd again.

  "This year. It was. A good year. I saw." He paused, trying to gather his thoughts. "I retired. Twenty years. They took. My sword." He groaned quietly, shaking his head. "This old bear. I'm. So old. But. I still. I remember." The old man stood up a little taller. "I remember the fights. I remember the cuts, the bruises. I remember when I. Struck with my sword!" The old man huffed quietly, panting for air, before slumping slightly. "Those. Those were. The days. The children. After." He shook his head disapprovingly. "Hoaragon? In my era. The era after. Merryweather. Sir Robin. Grand ander." He paused again for a long moment. "Grand ander?" He gnced from side to side. "He heard. The North. A rough Twilight." He shook his head. "Paragon, my ass."

  The crowd ughed, for there were few old men who could dare to speak so poorly of someone of such high repute, and most were found in the North.

  "When I saw. The kids fight. In this. Tour." He took in the sight of all the fighters before him, standily together, as though they were awaiting a and from him. "This geion. The Princess. Nightval Bde. The Iyrmen. The purple boy. I saw. In this geion." He slowly nodded his head. "You! Are not. So bad."

  The cheering and ughter filled the air, the old man basking iention. He smiled, slowly nodding his head, before he raised his hand, sileng the crowd. He eyed it up again, gng slowly from side to side, before he pced his hand down on the ter.

  "There is. No greater. Tour. Than our. Tour." He licked his lips, chewing on his lower lip for a moment, his eyes slightly sharper, narrowed, honing in upon the mood of the crowd. "Fifteen tours. I fought. Fifteen tours. I lost. I fought. With steel. And magical. Steel. I fought. Great names. So many. Warriors. You remember. Old William. Great Bear. Great Wolf. You remember. Many names. You don't. Remember. Iron Akmed. Bone Rock. Kal Rahim. Bck Rukh."

  The old man eyed up the crowd once more, his brows furrowed. "Bck Rukh. He was. Aswadi. He came. Hundreds. Of miles. He fought. In the. Southern tours. Dawnval. Noonval. Duskval. He wasn't. Allowed to. Evehe Southerners. That's how they. Do it." The old man raised his hand, his finger shaking lightly. "When he came. To ours. The Nightval. Tour." The old man swallowed, eyeing up the crowd once more. "I pced. Fourth. He pced. Third. He earhird. The year. Previous. I pced. Sed. But. He beat me. With his. Pike. He earhat pce. Because this. Is the North."

  The crowd cheered again, though quickly stopped when the old man raised his hand to stop them.

  "I didn't. Lose. Fifteen. Fug. Tours. To hear. This. Auroch shit. About our. Tour. Our sacred. Nightval. Tour. Our! Northern! Nightval! Tour!" The old ma his hand up, within his old, cold bones, a fury burned. "Our tour! Is fair! It's always been that way! Drakken. Noskan. Aldish. Iyrman. Aswadi. You win, you win. You lose, you lose. You e to the North. We treat you proper. You kids. You don't know. I remember. My old maold me about the. Wars of his time. He fought against. The Noskans. The Noskans. They came to port. They stepped into our arena! They fought! They left! Not in the South. Not in the South. Not in the South. Not. In. The. South. In the North! Only in the North! they do that!"

  He dropped his hand, allowing the crowd to erupt, shouting, cheering, seeing the passion of the old man, who remained fuming. He allowed the crowd to cheer, and t, and even sing.

  "Only the North! Only the North! Wahey! Only the North!"

  The t repeated again and again, before the old man raised his hand, the t quietening dowhree more shouts. "I saw fights. In this tour. I 't remember. Ever seeing. Before. The kids. The kids who won. They won. Iyrmen. Northern. Southern. Aswadi. They earheir pce. The Princess. Fought well. Just the. Other week. She went out. To sy trolls. You. You're all. Sword droppers. Ungrateful. Shameful. Even our. Nightval Bde. Dropped out. Yoing to. Say ours. Was rigged? the milk. Off your lips. The mud. In your eyes. The South. In your ears. I have. Nothing but. Gratitude. For these kids. They fought well. You earhat honour." The old man held up his hands, beginning to cp, though his cps were drowned out by the cps of the crowd.

  As the old ma down, and the ceremony began, Adam leaned in to his side. "Who was that old man?"

  "Peter the Ram," Jaygak replied. "He fought in the Nightval Tour fifteen times over the course of twenty years. He pced most of the time, and gained sed ten times."

  Adam raised his brows. "Whoa."

  "He beat almost everyone who had woours during his time, but he was never able to cim first."

  "Damn."

  "After he retired from the tours, he tio fight iwilight Months across the North, before he was forced to retire by the Grand Duchess during my father's time."

  "She forced him to retire?"

  "He was growing old. It's better for him to live for thirty years without drawing his bde, than to die with his bde his hand in the wilight."

  "Fair enough." Adam eyed up the old man as he took his pce to the side, leaning back, with the knights beside him. He was definitely a man who had lived a long life, the old man leaning bad almost sleeping right away while the ceremony tinued. 'Damn. Sed pce that many times? That's rough.'

  Jaygak also stared at the old man, uanding the pain of ing sed, especially sidering he had also fought some ridiculous warriors in his time. "The tours during his time were said to be some of the greatest."

  "Yeah?"

  Jayak slowly nodded her head. "He was defeated by several Iyrmen. Greatfather lost to him during a tour."

  "Yreatfather?" Adam asked. "Whoa."

  "It was during the time of Bck Rukh. He was still young, and had pced iop ten. Greatfather fought in six or seven tours, but he always viewed the Nightval Tours of the time was the best. He watched as many as he could."

  "..." Adam wondered what was going through Jaygak's mind, sidering how she was looking through the world and into her own thoughts.

  The speeches began, the various individuals who pced speaking their mind. It soon became Jaygak's turn, and she stepped onto the stage, where the old man had walked. She stood in the same spot as the old man, holding onto the wood that the old man had held. She stared down at the horn that stood in front of her on the wood. It was bone, a wyvern bone no doubt. She inhaled deeply and looked out to the crowd, taking ihousands upon thousands of eyes upon her. She may have worn a hat, but she wore her tattoos proudly.

  "I shouldn't be here," Jaygak began, pletely ign the rest of the fighters, focused on the crowd. "I should have reached Steel Rank in the far future, and then? I should have retired. Sed pce is too high for me, and I will not aim to reach higher. I do not care if you fet my name, Jaygak, daughter of Lavgak and Jogak. I came in sed pce, but no one cares for sed pce. I am not the King's Sword's daughter. I am not the Princess. I am of the Gak family." She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

  'Jaygak...' Adam thought, and so did his panions.

  "I do not care if you fet my name, but you should not fet the name Gak, because soon..." Jaygak gred at the crowd. "She will e! Even if it's against a King's Sword's daughter! She will e! Even if it against a Princess of the North! She will e! Even if it's against a force of nature! She will e!" Jaygak drew her bde, calling forth the glow from the sword. "I leave it to you, Taygak!"

  The crowd remained silent for a moment, before the appuse and the cheering began. Adam cpped as hard as he could, cheering as Jaygak left the ptform, approag the noble, who held out a medallion of silver, pg it over her neck, the young womaepped to the side. Jaygak threw a gowards Peter, who nodded his head in aowledgement to the girl, and she returned a bow of her head.

  It was Adam's tur, but he wasn't sure how he could follow it up. He was half ahey dared to imply he came sed to the Princess, but he was fio e after Jaygak. Adam approached the stand, where Jaygak had stood moments ago. He closed his eyes, before noting all the eyes against him.

  'Whoa. That's a lot of people.' Adam swallowed. He inhaled deeply, feeling the chill of the North invade his lungs. "Virot!" Adam's voice carried far upon the wind. "Did you see? Larot! Jarot! Jirot! Karot! Kirot! Konarot! Did you see?"

  Adam swallowed. "Daddy got first pce!" He eyed up the crowd, before his eyes quickly darted to his brother, realising he was making a fool of himself.

  Then he smiled.

  "Did you see? Daddy! Daddy is the stro!" Adam raised his fists into the air. "Yeah! Yeah! Did you see?"

  The crowd remaiunned by the stark differeween Jaygak and Adam.

  Adam cleared his throat, still smiling, before his face quickly grew ral. "I want to say thank you to a few people too, if you don't mind. I want to say thank you to the Rot family, for... welih open arms. I want to thank the Kan, Ool, and of course, the family you shouldn't fet, the Gak family. Without you, I wouldn't be standioday. I want to thank Aunt Sonarot, for..." Adam cleared his throat. "Everything. I want to thank Chief Iromin, who has always had faith in me. I want to thank..." Adam swallowed once more, reag up to his eyes.

  The Grand Duchess realised Adam wasn't kidding when he said he wanted a while for his speech, but even though she received various looks, she shook her head.

  "I want to thank my brother, Jurot. I 't say anything which truly honour him, so I won't even try. Kitool, who is so scary. I want to thank Jaygak, for..." Adam shrugged his shoulders. "What 't I thank you for? Keeping me alive? I want to thank Lud Mara, who bear with me, even though I'm an idiot. Last, but not, well, I want to thank... I want to thank the Mad Dog, and the Bearded Dragon, Jarot and Rajin, for putting Southerners in their pce earlier this year. Grandaunt Gangak, Fme Brand as some of you might know her, for being my children's favourite nano." Adam smiled cheekily. "Now, I know I took a long time, but, for the sake of all the pouches I filled, allow me one more moment. I want to thank my wife, Ray Vonda. Truly, I am the luckiest husband in the world. Thank you." Adam bowed his head, realising he had so many more people to thank, but he couldn't impose himself for too long.

  The crowd cheered and cpped, though some were mostly fused, they accepted his siy, while Adam stepped away from the podium, only to stop.

  "Oh!" Adam said. "I want to thank the Iyr, the Enter, and the business of United Kindom, for the opportunity that they've given me. If it wasn't for the on which was gifted to me by the business, I would not have done so well. Once again, that's the business, United Kindom, which works alongside the Iyr, and has provided the Duchess Eastsea with magical items, and is currently w for the stelr, the most magnanimous Grand Duchess Bow, oing a on for the Knight of Death. If you have need fical ons, Basic reater, pin or Enhanced, such magical items be bid for at all saned aus, which will also e with a token that one redeem to procure more magical items directly from the business, sometimes creating , boutique ons to your specifications. Thank you."

  Then Adam quickly pulled away, approag the noble, a much lighter set of g following him. He bowed his head to allow the o pce the golden medallion upon him, partly annoyed by the gesture, before he stepped up beside Jaygak.

  Jaygak smiled, and though she was about to speak up, she paused. She smiled warmly. "It was a good speech."

  "I know it was bad, but thank you."

  "I thought it was good."

  "Then it was definitely bad."

  "The ending was terrible."

  "It's paying for my kid's college," Adam joked, shrugging his shoulders.

  The Princess gave her own speech, speaking far mally, but Adam only half paid attention to it. He half paid attention to most speeches, up until a particur tall, strong, handsome, long haired fellow took to the stage.

  "Damrot, son of Jurot," Jurot began. "I have won for you." Jurot raised his axe, and after a moment of silence, he realised he should tihis on was grao me by United Kindom! Without it, I, Jurot, would have found it difficult to face against such great foes. The Iyr has raised me, and I will bring it glory. Mother! I have not shamed you! Father! I have not shamed you! Grandmother! I have not shamed you! Grandfather! I have not shamed you!" Jurot paused. "Granduncle Sarot! I have not shamed you!" He paused again.

  Jurot could have only e this far thanks to his family. From all those who remained in the Iyr, to the brother who had e with him all this way, even so far as sacrifig his own joy. Yes, no doubt, Adam was gd to have woour, but that was nothing pared to the joy he would have enjoyed spending the st day of the year with his wife and his children, especially si was going to be his anniversary. Adam had given it up for him, simple because he asked.

  He turned slightly, ign everyone, but one particur young man. "Adam! I have not shamed you!"

  Adam smiled slightly, feeling his heart stir. He nodded his head to his brother, who brimmed with pride, and glory.

  "Pam, I have not shamed you!" Jurot paused once more. "I! Am the luckiest husband in the world!"

  ‘That punk…’ Adam smirked.

  Jurot sauntered off to allow the o pce the golden medallion upon him, before taking his pce among those he had defeated. He closed his eyes, and thought of the sensation of victory. The man who had e sed had almost defeated him, since he wielded a magical bde that dealt damage to the mind, but with his shield, and with Phantom, Jurot had mao secure the win. He felt the tingling in his heart. ‘The sensation of victory… has not dulled.’

  "Damn," Adam whispered. "That was a much better speech than mine."

  "It's unfair that he's so good at speeches when he's so handsome, strong, wise, and has such a great family," Jaygak joked.

  "Amen."

  Ohe segments for their age range cluded, the act began, with various performers appearing on stage, while the group made their way out, waiting for their st panion.

  "I am Kitool. I have not shamed my family. I thank the Iyr for raising me well, and for my panions, Jurot and Jaygak, who I grew up alongside. Lud Mara, whreat warriors, and I hope the world will accept your softness." Kitool then paused. "I want to thank you, Adam. You are the one who gave me this opportunity, and I will not fet it, even ih." Kitool hadn’t ever imagined she would have cimed victory in the greater segment of a tour, especially not the Nightval Tour.

  Adam smiled, ign all the XP he had earned during the culmination of the speeches.

  "I hope I have not shamed you, Katool. I hope I have not shamed you, Maool. I hope I have not shamed you, Minool." Kitool then bowed her head, stepping off the stage to accept her own gold medallion, to a cascade of appuse and cheering which drowned out even the most ge of thoughts of a fool of a father who thought of what his children were up to at this time, especially one who caused the most trouble.

  Of course, it was that little girl.

  Jirot gasped, hot potato within her mouth, her head snapping to her mother, then to her older brother. "Karot!"

  "Jirot, you should eat first," Vonda said, reag down to the potato which had fallen out of the girl's mouth.

  "Mummy! Mummy! We have to give gift to daddy!"

  "Daddy is not here."

  Jirot reached up to her forehead. "Oh no!"

  "Let's prepare the gift for wheurns, shall we?"

  "Mummy! Karot drew the gift! He must give it today because it is Gift Giving!"

  "..." Vonda blinked, and within the span of the blink, Vonda recalled the se with her son, who pouted up towards his mother upon remembering himself. 'You remembered that?'

  It was only then did Vonda truly realise the trouble her daughter could cause.

  As Adam had once said to Jurot, daughters are truly the scariest.

  There is one more interlude and then I'll be taking a break from uploading until Monday!

  Did I make these chapters into interludes so I could end up on chapter 1000?

  Yes. Yes I did.