It took Lone hours to fall asleep on the eve of the Championship. All he could think about was the different ways to block, parry and strike. Also, having Kilroy lecturing him in his form or footwork could drive a man insane. With the sun rising, Lone did not think it was wise to lay about. He could not hear Pela, so it might be his turn to cook breakfast.

Chucking on some clothes, Lone left his bedroom and a dark open space. Pela’s and his standard room held the kitchen, a table, a washroom and nothing else. These apartments were typical in any developed town or city but had little room beyond the basics.

The kitchen had water drawn up from the lake and stored above the building so the pressure would stay steady. Hot water was pumped up from the boiler room in the basement. Each cycle allowed more water to be syphoned and stored in the above container. Most of the lights in the hallway were gas, and one main one in each unit. They were sealed, so no gas escaped. This was how the ovens and stove tops worked, having gas pumped into them. Made it more accessible to maintain each kitchen with no wood for cooking.

Lone headed toward the pantry to see what he could cook up. There were oats and honey. With a little bit of salt, that would make a hearty meal. There were also some dried fruit, sultanas and apricots. They would be nice to add to the mixture.

Humming while he grabbed the water and oats, lighting the stove with a handy sparker made by some engineer. Water, oats with dried fruit. While that was coming to a boil, Lone checked the cold box for any cream or milk. Jackpot, there was even some bacon as well as the cream. Gripping out a pan, Lone decided that a bit of bacon on the side of porridge would be nice.

Being absorbed in the cooking of breakfast, he did not hear Pela’s door being opened. “Wow, you are up early, Lone,” Pela noted.

“Could not sleep, too nervous about today. So I decided to make breakfast, porridge and bacon.” Lone said without turning around.

“Sounds good,” Pela then sat at the table, “Why are you so nervous?”

“No real reason. If this was a life or death battle, that is something I am used to, but this doing-by-the-rules thing is outside my wheelhouse,” Lone replied.

“Why not treat it like a life or death fight? Your weapon will be magically blunted by a Blue inquisitor. You are trying to defeat your opponent.” Pela pointed out.

“It is not the same, thinking it will be life or death, not a good state of mind,” Lone said.

“That is true,” Lone grabbed two bowls from the cupboard and ladled half into each bowl. Finished it up with a bit of honey and cream. As he placed it on the table for Pela, she said, “Thank you.”

“Welcome, dig in,” Lone said as he sat at the table with his bowl.

While having the first few spoonfuls, there was silence in the room. Not much was said while eating breakfast. Lone and Pela sighed at the taste of the honey. “Might need to buy some more honey at the market and a bag of oats; we are nearly out,” Lone pointed out.

“I grabbed them on the way to work. Do you think we will be going for a job at the Hall soon?” Pela asked.

“I have been out of the loop for the last few weeks, and I assume that Joan would be thinking about it once the tournament has finished,” Lone replied. A thought popped into his head, and he asked Pela, “How is practising with Way going?”

“Okay, he and I are on different paths. He has helped me with some control, but as you noticed yesterday, I have flare-ups.” Pela replied.

“You did get a little hot under the collar,” Pela gave Lone a look that could melt steel, and in her case, it was possible, “I mean, um, that. I am sorry for embarrassing you.”

“It’s fine. I just wished that you let me say yes to Dave. He was so embarrassed to ask me out. Such a sweetie,” Pela gushed over the stocky man.

Lone rolled his eyes internally at Dave being cute or a sweetie. In his experience, guys like that were never nice to him. If he does right by Pela, I will not say anything, but if he hurts her, there will be people lined up to give him the smackdown.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Pela looked at Lone’s face. Her face became annoyed, “Are you thinking of warning Dave. If you hurt Pela, much wraith will be dealt down to you,” Pela mocked.

“You are one of the Rejects. You think it will be me who will put Dave in his place. Stillwater will be the one dark alley, or even Gunnar or Kil, Sabastian. Dang, you have a lot of protectors,” Lone laughed.

“They won’t jump in to protect me, would they?” Pela demurred.

“Of course they will; you are our mascot of sorts.” Lone laughed.

“See, you are teasing me,” Pela falsely pouted, “We need to finish so we are not late for the drawing.”

“Let us just put water in our bowls and clean them later,” Lone stood with a spoon in hand, “I will, saying, head straight to the arena.”

“No, I will do them, and you head off. You don’t want to miss your meet-up with the other Rejects.” Pela pointed out.

“I have not forgotten. They would be just as excited as me for the tournament.” Lone rambled.

“I think they would be. Good luck today.” Pela chimed as she turned to the sink.

As Lone headed out the door, his mind went to stances, cuts and guards that Kilroy had been drilled into his brain for the last few months.

Weaving through the crowd, Lone cannot believe how popular the competition was this year. He was there the previous year while on leave from the army. Solo only got to see the first day before being called back to the last tour of the Wild Lands and the death of his unit. Today, he still has blank spots from the encounter. All he remembers, and that is only due to his Kilroy’s enforced sobriety, was him standing in a clearing covered in blood with his comrades all dead around Lone, or as he was known then, Corporal Orphan.

Lost in his thoughts of that day, Lone did not hear the call of Joan Stillwater or Kilroy Jankson until Kil’s partner Sebastion grabbed his shoulder, “Hang on there, Hoss, you nearly walked into the wall.”

“Huh,” Lone, bewildered, looked up at the scared man, “Sorry, Seb, oh hello, everyone.” He looked around, “No, Gunnar or Way today?”

Joan responded, “No, Way nearly has a breakthrough with the alloy and Gunnar, well, said he had better things to do than watch, in his words, ‘That fool Half-breed get his teeth kicked in’.”

“Bah, my student will not lose on the first day, or he will be taking laps around the city.” Kilroy retorted.

Sebastian swung his arm over his lover, “Come on, Kil, he will do good. You have praised his progress in only a few months.”

With a cloudy face, Kilroy’s long braided moustache twitched at Sebastian’s suggestion, and he grumbled under his breath for only his partner to hear, “Love, you didn’t need to say that.”

With that, a booming laugh rocketed out of Sebastion. His mirth was contagious, with Lone and Joan joining in. Joan then commented to Lone, “It seems that I might have to bring my ‘A’ game this year, hey Lone?”

“Nah, do not worry. I still do not think I am up to snuff yet.” Lone fretted.

Joan shouldered Lone, which caused him to nearly trip over. “You don’t know how it will go. Trust in your progress, Lone.”

Lone and Joan watched the other two men talking under their breaths to each other. Joan wondered what it would be like to have that sort of love. Looking down at Lone, her face was dusted with a slight blush.

Looking back at Joan, Lone remarked on her flushed face, “It is a little warm today for this time of year, do not you think, Stillwater? Hope it does not make the fights overtly harder.”

Coughing slightly, Joan gulped, “Um, yeah, it is much warmer this year.” Divertering her eyes up, she said, “It could mean a storm later today or tomorrow.”

“A storm?” Lone looked around, not seeing many clouds, “You were born and raised here, so you would know better than me. Damn it, I hate fighting in the rain!”

Sebastian let Kilroy go and turned to the two others. “Looks like there is a small pile up at the gate.”

Looking ahead, the Watch was trying to navigate the amount of travellers trying to leave for the arena and the farmers from outer farms coming in with produce.

“Wonder why that is?” Joan wondered as she pushed past the three and the crowd.

Kilroy looked back at Lone, “Don’t you get involved too.”

“What, me? No, my Watch days are far behind me. I am not like Stillwater. She is old blood Watch despite quitting it over that Zlata scandal.”

As the three of them watched Lone gently push her way to the front of the line, Sebastian remarked, “Because you were involved in the whole thing, did they find out what caused her to melt into goo?”

“I think that is still being investigated, and I am out of the loop, but Way got a hold of it from a little information. It was a sort of potion that destroyed the body for two hundred years in one minute. Whatever it was, it was rank.” Lone responded with a bit of a green look on his face.

Seeing Lone's look, Sebastian boomed out laughing again. Even Kilroy joined with a slight chuckle. “Looking green around your gills there, Lone,” Sebastian smacked Lone’s shoulder.

Rubbing at his shoulder from the wack from the powerful swordsman, Lone looked forward and exclaimed, “Well, it seems that Stillwater still has some pull with the Watch.” As the line coming in and out became organised, “She is a marvellous woman.”

Kilroy looked at his student, “Don’t go goofy on me, Lone; she is a participant. So focus, boy.”

“Leave him be, Kil, he likes the girl.” That statement from Sebastian made Lone blush.

“No, I do not think she is a fantastic, smart, talented, wonderful and determined woman. And she is also my leader, so I will not go there.” Lone insisted.

Joan talked to the new Watch members as they approached the gate, gesturing at the city's entrance. Lone watched her expressions and marvelled at how the light caught her blond hair and the apparent smile talking to people from her old job.

Lone wished that the whole incident of last year had not forced Stillwater to leave the Watch but that life. He will make it up to her one day.