"We're going back." Vin unequipped his armor in a hurry.

Shill protested. "But the explora--"

"Screw the exploration!" Vin found himself raising his voice. That gathered some stares from the other guild members. This was the chance he had been waiting for, a way to reclaim his spot as number one. If he missed it he'd regret it forever. It was only natural that he felt agitated. "Let Keith stay behind.” He turned to the man without waiting for an answer. “You can lead, Keith, correct?”

“Yes, Leader, but--”

“It’s settled then.” Vin gazed back into the forest, trying to remember where the portal they had come from was. “You,” he said and pointed at Shill, “are coming with me.”

Shill shot Vin a suffering glance as he took his own armor off. “Did you mean what you said?” he asked. "That we are friends?"

That caught Vin by surprise. “Of course,” he replied. “We’ve been through so much together during these last two years. Haven’t I treated you as a friend during that time?”

“Yeah…” Shill fidgeted with the hems of his clothes absently.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing.” Shill scurried up to him. “Let’s go.”

That’s all Vin needed. He broke out into a run and made a mental note to reimburse Shill for all the missed loot. It's not just my vanity, he told himself. If I win, the guild will benefit greatly. If I lose… He pushed those thoughts away. He couldn't afford to lose, for Sophia’s sake.

The clearing where the force had originally gathered appeared between the webbings of roots. Vin sped through it like a madman. Even after fighting the guardian, he knew no exhaustion. He glanced over his shoulder, making sure Shill had managed to keep up. There was some distance between them, but the man was there. Vin jumped through the portal.

Cecilia was waiting for him in the guild hall, draped in anxiousness. "They're at the gates."

Vin caught his breath and wiped the dirt and leaves from his body. "Why didn't you invite him in?"

"I did…" Cecilia trailed off. "Just make yourself presentable." She scanned the guild hall quickly. They were alone. She pulled Vin in for a quick kiss. “You’re not allowed to lose. You hear me?”

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

Vin smiled warmly and stroked her hair. “I won’t.” He switched to his clean, town clothing and quickly fixed his hair. He still looked a bit disheveled, but that was all he could manage for now. It didn't matter in the end. People would remember him vividly after he won. He stood before the large twin doors that led outside for a few moments, trying to compose himself. The familiar pressure and tingling returned under his arms as he pushed the gate open.

There, basking in the brilliant light of the afternoon sun, stood the object of Vin's envy. The two men locked eyes under the gaze of hundreds of players and Asire granted him a smile. "How are you, Vin?" Asire's voice was soothing to the ear; didn't suit a man who killed hundreds every time the sun fell.

Vin regarded him with a faint smile of his own.

Asire was more legend than man. The sword strapped to his waist was engraved and stylized, shaped like waves in motion. Each Dusk and Dawn he’d face hundreds of enemies using only this single blade, and each night he’d come out unscathed. Vin thought him a fool for not wearing armour, until he saw the man in battle. Invincible, they called him. Dawntouched.

He felt the uncertainty surface one more, digging a pit inside his stomach. “Keeping up,” Vin replied, mostly to himself.

“The guild leader has come in person today to issue a challenge for a ranked duel.” A man by Asire’s side spoke up. He wore a suit of red armour that beggared even Vin’s own. “Would your Lordship be willing to accept?”

His tone was either very amiable or mocking. Vin couldn’t tell. He felt a lump form in his throat. The man seemed certain of his guild leader’s victory and Asire himself betrayed no emotion. Suddenly the whole affair felt like a ploy against him. What sort of stunt were they trying to pull? His hands trembled rebelliously. In the absence of hilt and shield, they felt empty.

Shill burst through the door, perhaps with more urgency than he'd like to show. He spent a few moments trying to hide his panting and collect himself. “My guild leader has some business to attend to today."

Vin shot him a murderous glance. “Allow me to confer with my colleague for a moment.” He grabbed Shill by the shoulder and they turned their backs on the crowd. “What do you think you’re doing?” he whispered. “Since when do you get to decide what I do?”

Shill winced and tried to control his breathing. “Please listen to me.” He stole glances at Asire’s aide and lowered his voice. “The disaster of last Dusk’s battle is still hanging over our heads. We should give it time to blow over before risking more bad publicity. I’m gonna release the footage of the guardian raid tonight. You can fight after that.”

"Bad publicity?" The words infuriated him. Who cared about publicity? More importantly… "Do you think I'll lose?"

"Can't say the odds are in your favour. No one's won before."

Even with his pride at stake, Vin found himself agreeing. The chances of victory were slim. Just how he liked them. Besides, he could use some time for research, and to prepare himself. He turned back to face Asire. “In three days, we duel. How about it?”

“Of course, your Lordship,” Asire’s aide delivered a practiced half bow. “Yet we came all this way. Would you deny us a few exchanges? I’m sure my guild leader is itching for some practice before today’s Dusk.”

That struck a nerve. So that’s what they viewed him as: practice. Still, he kept up appearances. “Give me a few minutes to get battle ready.”

“Naturally.”

With that, Vin retreated back inside the guild hall with Shill close in tow. Anger used to creep up on him before he understood it, like an invisible fire burning in his chest. Each time he’d burn like that, whoever stood on the other end of his blade died. This time he felt the anger surface, more clear than ever before. He even fanned the flames.