The earth knocked the wind from his lungs as Ivo collide with it. Dirt rose into his helm in a cloud of dust that coated his throat as he sharply inhaled in desperate heaves to regain his breath. Rolling to his right he feebly got to his knees as the hollow gasps still rasped in his chest. Stars danced across his vision as he stumbled up the wall to his feet. He barely brought his blade up in time to deflect the knife on that Adrian kept the end of her flying hammer chain. She knows me, and I know her. Ivo thought, as his lungs recovered and his heart pounded with the confirmation it was her. Adrienne preferred to throw the blade over the weight. He always assumed she found less expected. Ivo supposed it would be if he weren’t expecting it to be her.

Conflicted emotions tore at him while he dragged his boot across the gravel, taking his stance. His pride was plummeting as he was pommeled by his friends; embarrassment burned up his neck. The reality that Adrienne took his feet out from under him, and the pull of his future tugged his chest toward her as she returned the stance, accepting the challenge. Any feelings of self-pity were chased away by the flutter of excitement when she returned his sentiment. She wanted to challenge him too, and now they would fight for each other.

Darren bowed to the pair before Darren caught sight of a rather tall suit of armor over Adrianne’s shoulder, crossing the passage ahead in the labyrinth. Without hesitation, Darren followed, leaving the pair to their fate. Ivo whispered words of luck to his friend, he knew he was pursuing Giulius. Ivo was eager to see if they bonded or if Darren would choose honor over his heart’s desire. Fear and doubt crossed his mind wondering which one Adrianne was truly after.

The whoosh of the chain cutting through the air as she wound up the weight knocked him out of his thoughts and brought Ivo’s focus back. Regardless of intentions, this was a battle, and it wasn’t one he intended to lose.

Her chains lit up with a golden glow, warm like her eyes underneath that helm. The gold turned to white, and he knew while her armor was forged to withstand that heat so she could wrap the chain around herself, his was not, what little of it he wore at least. If she wanted to go full force, so would he. He twisted his wrist and focused on the grip, willing as much of his energy into his palm as he could spare. The runes were faint when he lifted the blade to parry her knife, but enough magic had activated to create a barrier that sent the knife back at her at thrice the force.

“Keeping you on your toes, Adrianne!” A smug grin crept on his face as he called to there, she dodged her own blade, but he took the weight to his chest which knocked him back against the wall.

Ivo knew she had the advantage and if he wanted any hope of redeeming his reputation and getting a proper branding after this then he better change the circumstances. He would be happy to be bound to her regardless, but would she accept if he kept appearing so meek?

Adrianne wrapped the chains around her dominant leg, so Ivo his shield across the ground. Releasing it with a flip of his wrist and it connected with its target, that lovely ankle she preferred to pivot on. When she fell to her back Ivo brought his sword up over his shoulder to strike, but she caught the blade by wrapping her chain around it. The glow of his family runes flickered off her helm and the runes began to brighten with strength as he focused on bringing his blade to life. Before the runes could summon their full potential Adrianne swiftly lifted her leg at full force, the grieves she didn’t shed catching Ivo between the legs.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

He dropped to a knee. Ivo had always been told adrenaline would take over and this simple weakness wouldn’t be a worry. It was a fucking lie. Nausea took over and he lifted the visor off his helm barely getting it out of the way as he vomited. The acrid liquid did little to relieve him, as shame weighed heavily on him as he gained his wits through the pain. She was back on her feet the wind being cut by her hammer barely registering in his ears. He heard it come sailing for him. No. Ivo thought; he wasn’t going to go down like this. Anger filled his chest and the runes in his blade lit up as he raised his blade deflecting the weight, her weapon went one way, and his flew out of his grasp.

Scrambling to his feet he rose and arm, his greaves deflecting her blade. It melted through the metal and sliced his forearm as it sliced the air by his ear. Before he could regain his position her foot planted against his chest knocking him back into the wall. He tried to stay focused on the fight, to keep out the doubt that she was here to take him down for her own glory. The chain rolled under his foot and they both dove for the knife end laying on the ground at the same time.

Elbows flew, body weight slung to gain the upper hand, and quickly Ivo found himself wrapped in the chains on the ground as she stood above him her foot on his chest. She lifted her visor and smiled down at him.

“I have caught you.” Her voice rang with laughter, but not with the pride of victory, it rang with a giddiness that soothed Ivo’s doubt “You are mine to do with what I please.”

“And what is it that you desire?” Ivo watched through his visor as she slowly pulled the chains through her hand recovering her weight.

“Such a foolish question, your fate belongs to me, you should learn to… relax.” Her words are repeats of his own advice to her when she was wound up from training. “I think I could learn to relax, could you?” She started spinning the weight giving him a coy smile.

“I believe it was you who said relaxing for was for the weak.” When the weight swung forward Ivo rolled to his side as she let go so the momentum didn’t pull her forward, but she didn’t see her foot had been coiled in the slack links and she crashed to the ground on her back. It was her turn to heave for air.

Ivo tried to shimmy out of the chains but the event only managed to tighten them around him and she was quickly pulling the chain. He counted himself lucky that he was able to get one arm out up to his elbow but kept it to his as her chains lifted his torso off the ground as she got to her knees.

“I choose you.” She said with a shaky breath, “What say you?” With her free hand, she unsheathed her metallic strip. “Shall we stop the fighting?”

“I say,” Ivo had already had his strip in his hand and when Adrianne’s hand reached to lift his visor, he took the moment their eyes met to slap his strip across her wrist. “I choose you. May we never raise arms against each other again?”

Adrianne gasped when the band wrapped around her wrist. The one who binds their partner first gets the honor of name rites. Her father was first, she was expected to continue the name forward, but it would be the name of Ivo’s mother to prevail. Anger creased in her eyes before she hung her head. It bobbed, he worried with tears, but then she threw her head back laughing and, with a smile, slapped her band against his wrist. “I bind myself to you. Forever. May we find glory together.”

The metal around their wrists began to glow, the heat seared their skins as the ends welded shut, the bracelets never to be removed. They were a pair. Their victories and failures belonged to each other. She pulled off her helmet, her dark hair braided back and tucked into her armor. Ivo was still stuck in her chains as she removed his helm and kissed him, vomit on his breath and all.

She chose him over glory. Ivo vowed to bring her victory one day.