Whether it was him and Ezo, Rixam and Gornax, or all four of them, Tadios made them look like hopeless amateurs. A day was all it took to understand how wide the gap was between them. Tadios had dispatched them so effortlessly that he still had more than enough energy to deal with the occasional challenger that interrupted their sparring matches. Dreiki could tell the losses were starting to frustrate Rixam and Gornax, but he was used to outcomes like this. Even though they were in the dead of winter, Tadios made the battlefield so unbelievably arid that they had to shed their warm clothing during combat. It was for the best, seeing as the new clothes the Tibur had traded them would likely get torn up otherwise.
Rixam and Dreiki were taking a breather while Gornax and Ezo were doing their best to survive.
“How are the other refugees?” Dreiki asked.
“They’re doing fine. That medicine you swiped was pretty helpful, and Luna’s using them to practice her healing magic. On top of that, some of the Tibur tend to their wounds from time to time too. Less work for us.”
Dreiki nodded, “The Tibur are very kind at their core. I would have thought they would treat refugees as lesser.”
“In a way, they do. We’re still mostly separated from the rest of them.”
Dreiki remembered his interaction with the Tibur kids yesterday, “Yeah, they still have assumptions about us here.”
“All the more reason to keep working hard and proving them wrong.”
“Maybe, but sometimes I wonder if it should be our responsibility to work harder just for being born different. Shouldn’t they have to work to accept us too?”
“Aint nothin’ we can do but work hard, and it’s not like there aren’t some who lend a hand every now and then.” Rixam looked at Tadios, “But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t piss me off from time to time. Always having to justify to other people why I should exist just like they do. But that’s exactly why I need to get stronger. So I can take control of that and make it easier for people who follow me.”
Dreiki shifted in place,“If you don’t mind me asking, why did you leave yesterday?”
“Oh that? I dunno, guess I started thinking about my sister when you were telling us about what happened with Luna…I thought ‘Why am I staying here right now enjoying myself when my sister is out there probably getting tortured or worse’.”
“I see.”
“But fighting Tadios like this made me realize somethin’: I wouldn’t be able to do shit even if I knew where she was.”
“For the things we can’t control we focus on the things we can.” Dreiki said, quoting Savekio, “If this is all we can do, then we’ll just have to do it the best we can.”
Rixam nodded, “There you go putting things into words I just can’t.” He hopped up to his feet, stretching his arm across his chest, “Looks like it’s our turn.”
The morning melted away into the afternoon. No matter what they tried they could hardly contest Tadios’s might.
“We’ll take a break for lunch and get right back to it. Looks like ya’ll have some strides to make, but I think we can close that gap within next week! I know it.”
Dreiki caught his breath, “They were talking about other Tibur who had joined the opposite team earlier. Do you think we could stand up to them as we are?”
“Nope, I’d say they’re closer to me in strength than you are to them,” Tadios said candidly, “but I think we can still win in the end! I know it.”
Dreiki didn’t like that. There was a difference between optimism and denying reality. At the moment, Tadios’s idea of winning was to brute force his way to a victory. While he had no doubt someone like him could accomplish a lot with brute force alone, the four of them could not.
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“Are we sure we’re taking the right approach here?” Dreiki said, “I’m grateful you’ve decided to help in our training, but the reality is we are not going to be able to close that gap within a week or even two weeks.”
“Not with that attitude!” Tadios said, his hands on his hips.
Dreiki raised his hand, “I’m not suggesting we give up, I’m saying it might be worth looking at this issue differently. We have beaten opponents greater than ourselves in the past, and I don’t see this as any different. However, I also don’t think the four of us would be able to win in a direct confrontation with the other team.”
Tadios crossed his arms, “What did you have in mind?”
He paused. Did he even have something else to offer? Before Dreiki could answer they were interrupted by a couple of xiozian nobles marching towards them.
“You there!” the short, white haired xia shouted as she marched forward.
“Another challenger?” Rixam said.
“Might be, the boy over there is the heir to the Xirxus clan, and he’s on the other team,” Tadios said, barely hiding his grin, “Here for a fight?”
“Not even in the slightest!” The xia said, “Amaro is just my bodyguard, I won’t have the two of you duking it out while I have questions that need answering!”
“If it’s all the same to you,” Amaro said, “My brother Anitus would be more interested in fighting you than I would.”
Tadios deflated, “Ah man. Guess that’ll come later. What questions did you have erm… what was your name again?”
The xia seemed to take grievous offense to that, “I am Sancta Xirxus heiress of the Xirxus name and inheritor of-”
“Gotcha, Sancta. You’ll have to forgive me, I got trouble rememberin’ names, so just your name’ll do for me.”
“I guess that’s to be expected of a Tibur. Fine, then address me by my name, and don’t forget it or I’ll be reconsidering my neutrality in this whole war game,”
Unsettling beauty was the best way Dreiki could have described it. Sancta had such a cold, piercing glare. Her violet eyes betrayed a harsh exterior unbefitting of someone who looked to be about his age. Dreiki looked from her to her brother. The two of them carried an intimidating aura about them that he couldn’t quite put to words. It was as if they could snap his neck on a whim and feel nothing from it. He felt like a rabbit in front of them.
She sneered at him, “Take your vulgar eyes off of me, will you? Stare at the ground if you know what’s good for you, cur.”
Dreiki looked at his feet. Rixam paced forward, but Tadios stopped him, “What are your questions, and what business do you have with me?”
“None. My business is with Noxa, actually.”
“What do you want from us?” Rixam asked.
“Mind your tone, and remember who you’re speaking with,” Amaro said, resting a hand on the hilt of his sword.
Rixam’s eyes hardened, “I see, my bad then. What is your question, milady?”
“It’s quite humbling to hear the accent of a Noxa. Let’s not expect civil tones from the uncivilized, Amaro.”
“...What is your question, my lady?”
Sancta pulled a vial from her pocket, it was a potion from their cart, “Do you know anything about these, Noxa?”
“I know about healing potions, yes ma’am.”
“Don’t be so obtuse. I’m asking if you know how these potions came to the camp. Who brought them here?”
“Why do you wish to know this, milady?”
“Do not answer a question with a question,” Amaro said, “Unless you are attempting to hide something?”
Why were they being so confrontational? Has someone poisoned the potions they made?
“Noxa often don’t know the law, but I think I should remind you that it is treasonous to knowingly lie to nobility. So I will ask this again, and you will give me the truth without using your devil’s tongue to say anything but the truth, is that clear?” Sancta said.
Rixam nodded, his jaw flickering.
“Do you know who brought these potions to camp?”
“...I do.”
“Good. And was it you?”
“It was us, but why-”
“Quiet!” Amaro shouted.
“Did you steal these potions from someone?”
“We did not.”
“Who made these potions?”
“I cannot say, Milady.”
“And why not?”
Rixam said nothing.
“Is it that your master is secretive, or that you have falsely claimed ownership of these potions, Noxa? I am here to tell you that if you do not say who is responsible for making these potions, I will have to assume you have broken the law. Do you understand that?”
Dreiki stepped forward. There was no point in hiding this from them if they were going to cause trouble regardless, “That potion you’re holding in your hand, milady,” He said, “That one was made by me.”