Dreiki stood guard next to Luna while she commanded her elementals. She had gotten so much stronger in such a short time on her own. Before, her limit was five summons, but now she could command up to ten after meditation. Watching over her was also a good excuse not to involve himself in the fray. He had never intended to join a direct melee, but without his magic it wasn’t as if he could contribute anything meaningful.
Lucky for him, he could still utilize his Ux to heighten his senses and keep a lookout. With the help of their cloaks, the two of them were just another patch of snow. Ezo was patrolling nearby as well, his ears swiveling atop his head. It was a good opportunity to let the drake rest.
“We’re going to lose, aren’t we?” Luna said.
“What do you mean?”
“I know you pretty well by now. At least, I would like to think so. Even if you’re not that strong, you would still be trying to help them win even now. But you’re here with me.”
“Making sure you don’t get ambushed is part of helping us win.”
“It feels more like you’re worried about what might happen if we fight more directly. I get it, though. Seeing what happened to Rixam…”
Dreiki stayed silent. She was right. Even if he had his magic all he would be doing is using it to protect her from anyone coming. He couldn’t bring up the fact that he couldn’t use his magic. Everytime he tried, that familiar swelling in his throat stopped him. He wished he had never attacked the Osazi. He peeked around the tree seeing Kaara and Vilka tearing through their ranks. He was more concerned with what would happen to them after this game was over. He felt guilty. What had been described as a mere game had devolved into something far more serious as a direct result of his actions.
He knew of only one thing he could do now, but it was always meant to be his last resort. When everyone else had fallen, and his friends were still in danger. Those were the conditions of his last resort.
In order to avoid using that contingency, he had to ensure Tadios stayed in the game. They were in a good place to see the fight going down. Even from where they sat now, Dreiki could still feel waves of heat blowing into him from Tadios’s spell. He could only imagine what it was like to be close to that.
The more Dreiki had fought with them, the more the gap in their powers had been made obvious. Even with all of his tricks, all of his strategy and tactics, Dreiki was still unable to beat them. He thought Luna was a powerful summoner until he saw what Kaara could do. He thought Rixam was fast until he saw what Amaro and Arik could do. It was no wonder Savekio had taken it upon himself to do the majority of their fighting for them. The best they could contribute was a supportive role. Despite all of his training and everything he had been through up until now, he was still hopelessly outmatched by the noble children his age. It was so frustrating.
And yet, his mother had somehow managed to surpass them despite being lowborn. Even among the nobility, she was feared as a warrior. It was the only spec of hope Dreiki had to keep himself from giving up. His mother had achieved so much with less than what he had now.
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Still, there was that voice in the back of his head reminding him that he was not a pure xiozian, nor was he his mother. Rixam had gotten hurt because of him, and everyone else around him would continue to get hurt. So long as the Osazi stalked him, the ones he loved would never be safe. At least now, he could be next to Luna. He could be close by to help her if that misfortune continued.
He just needed to make it until the end of the night. So long as no one else got hurt, he was content with losing.
“You know, Dreiki,” Luna said, “Even though you told me earlier that none of this matters, win or lose, the look on your face tells me it matters a lot.”
“Does it?”
Luna nodded, “To be honest, I hate losing. I hate feeling inferior or powerless. Sometimes, I try to surrender early because I want it to be my choice to lose. But you never do that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you’re always fighting until it’s over. Even when you know you’re going to lose, you’re still trying to find a way to win. It’s the reason I’m here right now. It’s also the reason Rixam and Gornax are with us too.”
“I see, thanks for the compliment-”
“I’m not done. Because right now, I see something on your face that reminds me of myself, and I don’t like that.”
“You don’t like being reminded of yourself?”
Luna shook her head, “Not at all. You look like you’re ready to lose. You’ve already accepted defeat before this whole thing is over. The Dreiki I know would be lost in thought thinking of what to do next in an attempt to win.” She looked over to Tadios as he fought, “Everyone is fighting as hard as they can. You’ve inspired them to make something more of this event.”
“But you guys got hurt because of it.”
“And we’ll heal with some time,” She stood up, “I can’t sit around anymore, myself. I don’t know if it’s the xiozian part of me, but I’m tired of fighting. If we don’t help Tadios now, he’s going to lose, right?” She said, blowing into her silent whistle.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m doing what I can to win this. The moment Vilka and Kaara beat our captains they’re going to go after Tadios,” Ezo rushed over, sliding to a stop in front of them, “The only one who can compete with Kaara and Vilka is Tadios, but not if Tadios loses right now.”
“You’ll get hurt if you fight them!”
“I knew the risks when I joined this fight. And compared to this war game, there’s things far more dangerous and terrifying lurking near this camp. If I can’t be brave here, I know I won’t be brave in the face of a Malaki. I’m going to help him. If you want to sit here and sulk, then go ahead!”
She rode off leaving Dreiki alone with his thoughts. Why was she acting so reckless? Why now of all times? Was it because of the Osazi? Was it because of him? Had she forgotten everything they had come here for in the first place? She was being foolish. So stupidly foolish.
But maybe she was right. In the end, Dreiki had admitted defeat before it was over. If that was the extent of his resolve, then what would happen when they were faced with a real threat to their lives? Would he cower and accept defeat then as well? Was that any way for the final disciple of Savekio Riinukura to think?
Dreiki had a way to win, but it was his last resort. And what better time to use a last resort than when he was about to lose? He unscrewed the pommel of his dagger, pulling the note from its handle. He looked to the chaotic battle between the Tibur and the other nobility. A clash of the elements as bodies were flung into the air by a massive water serpent. He shoved the note into his pocket. He had to find a way to lure Vilka and Kaara away from the battle, but how?