Dreiki was worried for Rixam and Gornax, not because they were weak, but because Vilka was strong. Even if Tadios was there to protect them, Vilka was clever enough to know how to focus them down and take them out.
The two of them were confident in their abilities, though, and wanted to test themselves, so Dreiki trusted them to come back with their horns in tact.
That trust was not misplaced. As they met up again, Rixam, Gornax, and Tadios all showed up with their heads held high.
“Eyes were thoroughly distracted, Argo,” Rixam said with a devilish grin, “but man she was tough. Those ‘eyes’ could stare daggers if you know what I mean.”
Dreiki nodded, “Good, then let’s hope Sancta and Tulos have done their part.” The final piece of tonight’s plan was to have their only noble members convince the newly conquered nobles to betray Deka.
Sancta alone was popular thanks to her beauty, her family name, and her rare magic. Until now, she had abstained from the war games, but now that she joined their side, she was a proper ambassador to their cause. Sancta seemed to prefer that role more than a combative one, and it was a role she did not serve alone. Tulos knew exactly what to say to get people riled up at any moment. He had a talent for getting under people’s skin, and getting them to do exactly what he wanted.
Those talents were useful for speaking directly to the injured pride of defeated young nobles. Granting hope and opportunity that they could reclaim their good names instead of being shunted to the side as pitiful conquests of Prince Deka.
Even if the two could only convince them to bicker and debate among themselves, that chaos and division was all Dreiki needed to cripple Deka’s forces.
“It’s about dinner time, right?” Gornax said, “I hope they were able to make due without me tonight.”
“The timing works out well. Fighting stops when dinner starts, so they’ll be trying to collect themselves overnight.” Rixam said, “I can only imagine the look on that Prince’s face when neither Vilka nor Fealux can tell him why so many good fighters just lost their horns.”
“Y’all did well, so let’s get back to camp with our heads high tonight,” Tadios said, “I worked up an appetite fighting Vilka, so let’s eat!”
“What did you think of her by the way?” Dreiki asked.
“She was strong! I’m glad I didn’t fight her like I was trying to take her out. I might be too tired or injured to fight tomorrow.” He stretched his arm across his chest, “But she was a good warm up. I got all the pent up energy I had from not fighting the past week. Now I can fight smarter.”
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“Glad to hear it. Tomorrow we’ll be relying on you a lot, so fight your heart out.”
“Oh I plan to, believe me. I can’t wait to show off all the new tricks you taught me.”
Rixam clapped his hand atop Dreiki’s head, “let’s keep our heads, though. Things went well today, but we’ve got plenty left to do.”
Dreiki nodded, “Rixam’s right. It’s far from over, but this is a step forward. Tomorrow is going to be the most difficult day for any of us.”
“I plan on making the most of it,” Tadios said, his eyes sparking with excitement, “I don’t even know if I’ll be able to sleep tonight.”
“Ugh, I’m probably in the same boat for a different reason,” Luna said, “There’s so much at stake, I feel like I’m going to screw up.”
“It’s alright if you do,” Dreiki said, “In the end, this is all a game, right? They already expect us to fail, so proving them wrong is the only thing we have at stake in the end.”
Luna smiled to herself, “Strangely enough, that makes me feel better.”
Dreiki smiled back. He heard a bark, turning to see Ezo catching up with them, “Hey buddy.” He chuckled as the drake greeted him by rubbing its body over him like an oversized cat. Ezo had been in charge of helping the Tibur corral the retainers. According to the rules of the game, Ezo could not be taken out unless its owner was taken out.
Because of this, it was often better for the two of them to be separate. Still, Dreiki worried a noble might get frustrated and end up hurting Ezo or worse. Bat drakes were often sturdier than xiozians, but they were not as resilient. It took a lot more to hurt him, but when it happened the injury took longer to heal.
Luckily, it looked like Ezo was unscathed. The six of them spent the rest of the night together. Waiting in line for food, eating together, Tadios even joined them to sleep in the same tent. Luna helped Gornax and Rixam nurse their wounds. She chewed them out for not telling her sooner about them. She ended up filling burlap bags with crushed ice and tossing it to them. The magical ice would not melt as long as she maintained the spell.
Having others use her magic to heal themselves was Luna’s way of getting past her limitations as a healer. What resulted was an incredibly useful magic item that did not require her to be present to help them.
Dreiki noticed how she always fiddled with her horns. It made sense, considering she did not usually have them grown out. He wondered why she filed them down, but knowing her, Dreiki already had a couple good guesses. Her horns looked a lot like Rixam’s. Of course, her tail was feathered while Rixam’s was forked, but what about her wings?
It took a long while before Dreiki could fall asleep. Just like Luna, he was afraid of tomorrow. He reminded himself of what he had told her. There were no stakes. It was okay to fail.
And yet, remembered Amaro. He remembered the way everyone looked at them. His stomach boiled with a determination to prove them all wrong. In truth, there was a lot at stake, and it was all on his shoulders. Even if he could not take credit for it in the end, he would be blamed for it if they failed. Ezo curled around his head, and Luna crawled into his sleeping bag. It helped him fall asleep.
The next morning, they would rise before the sun in preparation to slay the giant.