about a week before Marlin lost to Bron

“He did WHAT!?” Milly couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She always knew Marlin had a few screws loose but never realized he had none to begin with.

Kotak had tailed Marlin for some time now, always coming back with crazy tactics that got wilder by the day. Milly felt it hurt her pride taking notes, she could never admit that they were copying some of the things he did with his minions, she had begrudgingly come to accept that he was in heart and spirit a natural at all this.

The way Kotak in his, ‘as a-matter of fact’ way, explained how the massive boar had launched Marlin roughly 10 feet through the air while he cackled and laughed maniacally, taunting the boar again for good measure while still flying through the air, was nerve wracking, infuriating and so fucking sexy all at the same time, she didn’t know what she should be more pissed off about. so she chose infuriated, to save face and channeled it.

the fact that when she imagined him turning his head while flying to wink at her, if she was there, made it that much worse, she knew he would totally do that.

”I know we have been taking notes from this fucking guy but i ain’t doing that”. Bron spoke.

Milly had to do a double take almost every day to see if it was really Bron. The transformation had been ludicrous He was still flying off the handle as all warriors did but his newfound focus and zeal had changed the man.

“Not even if i buff you up with titans blessing (combo resonance with Titans fist to give someone blunt and force damage resistance)”

”no”.

”I can further augment that with chants of the titan (chanting combo’d with titans fist to create another blunt/force resistance buff)”

“No, fucking, way Milly”.

”and on top of that i can….”

“No” Bron’s response was final.

Milly sighed and gave Kotak a look of ‘wana try’? He smirked and shook his head, making Milly sigh again.

Bron was 10 years older than her. Always lazing about and due to the inherent natural growth all T’jut had, he had never cared all that much about gaining his proficiencies always saying, ‘someday’, until Marlin almost killed him in reckless, euphoric glee.

The Natural growth inherent to all the Utt, allowed Utt, to gain proper proficiency in things they had as skill within a matter of months instead of years, with the exception of ancient and root magic. Allowing their race as a whole to capitalize on gaining new skills and master disciplines much quicker.

( there are three variants of Utt. T’jut, human sized. N’ut goblin sized. K’jut ogre sized.)

One of the reasons Bron wasn’t concerned about Mindless frenzy, was because it would take him no more then a month if his latent potential had anything to say about it.

it was a closely guarded Secret by the Utt. It made their species exceptionally good at mastering classes such as the berserker, oracle and shaman. The leviathan’s blessing went deep.

Bron had finally, after a month admitted how fucking scary Marlin had been and still was. Itak straight up stopped his training as a specialist and became a potter to calm his nerves. He literally told his master “to go fuck himself” and he was no longer going to get bullied to step into the battlefield.

It had been the first and last time he had used that word. In a strange way Itak’s master had been elated. Potential notwithstanding, Itak was a gentle and kind soul, not made for killing and his master knew that. The soulless, the nameless and the lifeless, sure, but living breathing beings with hopes and aspirations? Not if Itak’s life depended on it.

and he made good pots, so no one complained. Even got himself a cute shy girl that seemed to like him for some reason. She made ropes for a living.

Now there was a skill Mily never understood. Why it was so extensive boggled her mind.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Marlin had said something cryptic, “someday Milly, someday”, whatever that meant.

“Im gonna pester him for a real fight” Bron muttered “i gotta know how that guy ticks”.

“Bad idea, you know how he fights and I doubt you or Milly would take it well if you forced his hand on turning his mocking skills on the mighty Canta”.

”ow come on Kotak! are you not in the slightest bit curious how you would currently fare against him”? Milly asked him with a smirk.

“any one of us, in a one on one fight would currently defeat him. He’s made tremendous progress but hes only a 3rd onto level 2, meanwhile bron and you will hit lvl 3 in about a month or so with our current pace”. Kotak said.

“You won’t gain anything out of it, other then pushing him to the limit and him using everything he has on you” Kotak finished talking and went to sleep.

“Still gonna challenge him” Bron muttered. “Im a warrior thats what I do”.

right after Marlin lost to Bron

Milly looked on with pain in her heart feeling guilt at how she had been treating him today. As she watched Marlin’ back, as he left for his parents. His shield arm still cracked even after the extensive healing.

He had nearly hit stamina exhaustion from all the bruises and internal bleeding he suffered from Bron’s reckless onslaught.

Yes, any one of them could take Marlin in a one on one. Bron’s match with Marlin proved that beyond any doubt. The fight had gone way too far.

Granted it had been Bron who overstepped the rules of the spar at first, but the moment Marlin took the fight serious. She had seen a side of him that she always teased him about and he never wanted to show her, or direct at her. Today it had been squarely directed at her and she was still shaking.

Milly was still fuming over the absolute horror that had come out of Marlin’s mouth, he had warned them beforehand, apologized after but nothing could have prepared her for the things he said to Bron, it had hurt her.

Especially when he told her she needed a thicker skin if she thought this was bad. He had come off as a softy at first but that softness turned to intense hardness that wouldn’t budge or bent, once you faced him life or death.

When it came down to it, he would break you in mind, body and spirit if he felt he needed to. He had insulted Bron’s parents he insulted her indirectly with it and humiliated his overprotective side towards Milly. Bron had lost it, nearly killed him. Marlin’s arm had shattered and was going to take a week to heal proper.

The thing she felt most shameful about was how she cared so little for his injuries. He had been a constant presence of positivity and intense love to her, accepting a lot of behavioral issues that got frowned on.

Marlin had seen how his insults had hurt her and apologized multiple times. But At some point he lost it on her as well, asking what else he should have done? Let himself get killed by Bron?

He pointed out, that without him doing everything he could, including mocking Bron that, that last hit would have killed him on the spot.

He Blocked it with near perfection and Bron hadn't aimed properly it hadn’t mattered one bit, the brute strength had shattered his arm, he would be down for a week.

He needed every advantage he got in this life. He was always going to be trying to catch up. What had struck home the hardest was the last thing he said.

That this wouldn’t be the last time someone would say something like this on the battlefield. Better from him first to get used to it, than someone out to kill her, Bron or Kotak.

Deep down she knew he was right but her pride didn’t let it go. She outwardly apologized and told him to rest well and catch up with his parents and all that but she needed this time alone, away from him. She knew she would regret what she would say otherwise.

She went to her tent, Bron was on his bed staring holes in the tent cover. He hadn’t said much after the fight.

”It doesn’t matter how many fights you win if you don’t win the war” Milly looked up and saw Kotak walk into the tent.

Bron chuckled darkly “yea i heard that when he said it and I thought it the dumbest thing ever, now it feels like the most ominous thing he has ever said”.

Kotak shook his head. “No that would be what he said after”.

Both Milly and Bron looked at him to continue. “Nobody wins in a war”. Kotak let the words hang.

“Im disappointed in the two of you”. Both their mouths fell open. “You are the mighty canta’s brought to humiliation by a man with barely half your fighting attributes Bron, do you feel like you won? And didn’t i tell you, you would win? He fought you with his hands tied behind his back and he almost had you too”.

Bron was about to say something but in a rare case for Kotak to lose his temper.

“Where is your fucking Pride Bron!? You bullied someone into fighting without all his tools just his shield and axe and still basically lost. Why!? Because he said mean shit”?

Milly, spoke up “we are his friends, im his lover how could he say such things”?

“ow you mean those things he was saying so Bron didn’t kill him in his temper tantrum”?

Kotak threw his hands in the air and continued.

”It’s what he does, you know it, I know it. And he was so fucking reluctant the whole way and you still let it get to you”.

Kotak sighed pondered for a moment.

“If we want this group, us. To work, I need to know that in the future you won’t fall to the taunts of enemies who DO intend to kill us. I need to be able to trust you with my back, my life, tell me, is that deep trust that I have for the both of you unwarranted”?

Milly shook her head. “No you are right Kotak, i just need some time to cool off, hearing it from Marlin cut deeper then I thought”.

Kotak looked at her, his face stern. “Do you honestly believe, he would ever have said those things or even thought them, if you hadn’t pushed him”?

Milly felt her own head shaking. No that wasn’t Marlin, she knew that, he preferred to be a softy endlessly more than being an asshole. He had mean streaks and bones but until now, he had reserved those for his enemies exclusively.

what Kotak said next was a dagger to her heart.

”imagine him, not on our side”.