“Alex, wait up!” Alice yelled, hastily following me into the castle’s corridor that suddenly dimmed as a cloud passing overhead blocked out the Sun.

“Thought I asked you to stay. . .” Enraged, I didn’t mind my tone. Hell, I didn’t even look back at her.

My body kept moving, vividly imagining Ron’s injuries: the cuts across his body, bruised-up face, bandaged ribs, and a cracked nose I thought broke at first glance. Poor Alice had nothing she could say that would have changed my mind.

“Funny coming from you. . .” Alice huffed, shaking her head. “Seriously though. . . Don’t get reckless. You know we can’t go to the professors.”

She was right. Ron’s honour was getting in the way of confessing, and without him, we had no proof.

“Yeah. . . Well, guess we need someone else’s confession then,” I suggested, looking back to see Alice’s reaction.

“So we’re going after him directly, huh? Okay,” she said as we stopped, furrowing her brows upon noticing me staring. “What? You didn’t think I’d leave, did you?”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” I asked, taking a good look.

I wasn’t sure if she was aware, though she must’ve been, but I often caught myself staring into her eyes. It didn’t take long for me to figure out her thoughts from gaze alone, and right now, they were quite telling. Usually, her gentle amethyst eyes would convey a feeling of kindness, matched by her angelic voice that soothed my heart and mind, but things were different now. She had that look – that intense readiness I witnessed before each duel we fought.

“Did I?” She looked down at her belt, patting the strapped wand. “No, I think I’m ready.”

“You’re not–” but before chastising her, I shut my mouth and huffed through the nose, knowing she understood the risk. “Fine. . . but I’m taking charge.”

“You’ll hear no arguments from me,” she agreed, catching up to walk shoulder-to-shoulder. “But. . . we’re in this together, okay?”

“Yeah. . .” I sighed, looking ahead and continuing our search.

We had no idea what trouble awaited, but Dustin wasn’t getting away with what he had done.

----------------------------------------

We heard Dustin and his friends laughing from a mile away, chilling by the abandoned tower near the lake. After what happened, what they’d done, I thought they’d lay low for a while, but they eagerly exceeded my expectations; the arrogance. Not only were we far from prying eyes, but they also dared greet us with smirks as we approached.

“Well, if it isn’t the cavalry,” Dustin spoke up first with hands deep in his pockets. “How’s Ron doing? Tragic what happened.”

“Keep talking, bastard,” I warned, clenching my fists, just about ready to smash his head in. It would hardly be the first fight I caused.

“Has some witch hexed me into a mirror, or are you simply delusional?” he asked, probably feeling safe with friends by his side, Elias and Cassian. “What is it you want? Your face plagues the mood.”

“Ha! He even brought the Princess for protection,” Cassian laughed, sizing me up.

Taking a good look at the moron laughing, I realised that there was something about his long dark hair he kept tied up that made me want to grab it by the root and repeatedly drown him in a puddle. And although he was a big guy, he was nothing when compared to the half-orc we’d seen walking around.

“Alex. . .” Alice quietly called my name, reminding me that I wasn’t alone.

“It’s alright,” I said, looking back at Dustin. “Let’s skip the small talk. Will you confess?”

We were out in the open, a field of grass surrounding the tower and covering the lake’s coast. And although it was early in the afternoon with the Sun high up, it was blocked by dark clouds preparing to pour.

“Confess what? I had nothing to do with Ron’s injuries,” he claimed, crossing his arms.

“Got a problem?” Cassian interrupted.

“Easy, big guy. . .” Elias stopped him, showing restraint after keeping quiet the entire time, staying far back while keeping a close eye on Alice. His slender body and the way he carried himself made it clear he wasn’t a fighter, but his skill with magic wasn’t all that bad, ranking just below Dustin, who showed promise. “You don’t want to end up hurting the Princess, do you? We’d get into loads of trouble.”

“You saying you could take me on?” Alice couldn’t hold back her grin as her hand hovered over the wand.

“I never said that, but it’s three against two, and although you ranked first, it means little if we overwhelm you,” Elias explained, glancing at me. “Besides, we’re all top twenty, and he’s rock bottom. Perhaps consider your position a bit before making hasty decisions we’ll all regret.”

Alice couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” Dustin asked, narrowing his gaze.

“Oh, nothing. Just–” Alice played along but stopped herself short the second my hand raised.

“Then how about we make this easy?” I asked, locking eyes with Dustin. “You claimed to be honourable, so let’s settle this like men.”

“Are you suggesting a duel?” He asked, a sly smirk etched on his face.

“Lose, and you’ll admit the truth–”

“Stop, stop. . .” Dustin sighed, interrupting me. “There’s no reason for us to fight. I stand to gain nothing but anger the Duke’s son because I beat up their mutt.”

“Hey!--” Alice was outraged, but I held her back.

“Calm down. . .” I said, although struggled to heed my own words. “Don’t let him get in your head.”

It took a lot out of her, but she managed to get a grip, taking a deep breath before settling down.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, taking half a step back.

“Alright, Dustin.” He had my full attention. In fact, I was so focused on him that I hardly saw anything else. “What is it you wish?”

Everyone present understood that a duel between the two was the safest way of avoiding further trouble. Win or lose, if an elven princess got involved in a fight among humans, not to mention allies, and someone caught wind of it, it’d cause a political scandal. It made me wonder if she knew and perhaps used it to keep me in check. After all, had she not been here, who knew what I would’ve done had rage taken over.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Three things,” He said. “First, you’ll apologise for wasting my time – on your knees and all. Second, you’ll be acting as my attendant for the rest of the month– no, semester. Yes, a semester will do. . .”

“Alright. . . and what’s the third?” I asked, somewhat surprised his request hadn’t been unreasonable thus far, considering we were discussing a presumably fair duel. However, knowing Alice stood nearby made me somewhat uneasy, not because I was worried I’d lose, but because I assumed his last request would get her involved.

“Oh, that? I want you to swear that there won’t be an angry Kallis chasing after me seeking revenge. I think that’s reasonable, wouldn’t you agree?” He asked, crossing his arms.

“It– is. . .” I answered, finding it all too eerie. “And what of the rules?”

“In the spirit of Grimhold, we decide on the proper distance – let’s say ten steps? And we go all out, stopping only when one of us surrenders. How does that sound?”

The clouds ominously flared, followed by a spit of rain.

“Agreed.” I nodded, turning back to Alice. “If they try something–”

“I know,” she interrupted, locking eyes for a few seconds. “Break a leg.”

“Are we doing this or what?” Dustin yelled, taking off his cloak and unbuttoning the top of his shirt. “Seriously though, what’s a Princess doing with trash like you.”

“Keep talking, Dustin. You’ll only make the beating worse,” I said, tapping Alice’s shoulder before turning and walking over.

“Only in your dreams, Bastard.” He cracked his fingers and neck before getting within arm's reach. “Ready to get bent over like a common whore?”

“I’m going to enjoy this,” I warned, staring him dead in the eye. ”And perhaps I’ll do you a favour and fix that hag’s nose of yours.”

“Have you considered how pathetic you’ll look once I’ve beaten the shit out of you in front of her?” His smiling eyes gazed upon Alice, maintaining his confidence.

“Are you two fighting or just mouth off all day?” Cassian asked, letting out a sigh.

“He’s got a point. . .” Alice couldn’t help but agree, getting tired of waiting.

“It seems the crowd is getting impatient.” Dustin sighed. “How about giving them a show to remember?”

“Just stop talking and do the count. . .” I said, allowing our backs to touch as we got into position.

“Looks like someone’s eager to join Ron,” he taunted, smirking upon noticing my hand twitch. “Anyway. . . One, two, three–”

Each step felt like an eternity, but not because of fear or worry. No, those thoughts were deeply buried under the wrath begging to be unleashed, called forth by the thunderous drumming of the beating heart. By the time the count reached seven, my mind had blanked for all thoughts but one – revenge.

“Ten!” Dustin yelled, pulling out his wand and turning to cast a spell. “Arcane Barrage!”

Clusters of mana gathered at the tip, shooting out multiple slow-moving projectiles that spiralled toward me uncontrollably. Initially, I thought of dodging, but I braced for impact, casting Shield with more mana than necessary, reinforcing the barrier that soundly held up against the explosions.

“Arcane Armor,” I heard Dustin chant, obscured by the smokescreen his spell created. “Come on, bastard! Scorching Flames!”

“Thunder Wave!” Blasting a wave of energy in a cone around the same time he cast his next spell, I dispersed the dust and saw the incoming volley of raging flames. “Pillar of Ice!”

Bursting out of the ground was a large chunk of solid ice that began barely showed signs of melting under the heat, giving me enough time to analyse and make plans.

“Is hiding all you know how to do?” He taunted, aiming the wand at me again, his visage distorted by the pillar separating us. “Arcane Barrage.”

Another explosion followed, blasting the ice away and, in doing so, creating another dust cloud that worked in my favour. Dustin had the range advantage, taking a step back toward the tower with each casting of a spell, making sure I didn’t get close. However, he wasn’t ready for me to come sprinting out of the smoke, enhanced by Stride.

“Fool!” He smirked, pointing his wand at the ground where I was running. “Activate!”

He had set up a trap long before we arrived, activating a magically obscured transmutation circle that covered a five-meter radius, causing a small quake which made the ground beneath me break apart, forming a crater.

“Blink.”

Overconfident that his plan had worked, he failed to react to my sudden appearance right up in his face, and soon enough, my fist was already kissing his chin, sending him tumbling backwards. But it wasn’t enough.

“Fuck!” Dustin yelled, holding his chin while slowly getting back on his feet. “What the fuck was that!?” The audacity, as if he hadn’t just set up a trap. “Well, not like it matters. You won’t catch me off guard a second time.”

“So that’s what it does,” I said, thinking about Arcane Armor. “Quite convenient.”

Although subtle, I felt some unknown force wedge itself between us the moment my strike landed, protecting Dustin from being seriously injured. After all, I put quite a bit of power behind that strike, yet all he suffered was a tiny scratch on his lip, bloodying my knuckle.

“Arcane Barrage!” Dustin chanted again but missed as I ducked under. Sadly without a sword, I didn’t have the finishing power to incapacitate him in one hit, forcing me to rely on my fists. “Lightning Whip!”

Sparks of lightning gathered at the tip of his wand before he swung toward me, striking the ground that fractured on impact. But despite its power, the slow-moving whip needed time to withdraw if he intended to use it again, and by the looks of it, he did. However, just as I got close enough, he dropped it and channelled mana into the ring resting on his pinky, conjuring up a dagger before aiming for my neck.

Sadly his skill paled in comparison, making it easy for me to sidestep and grab his wrist. He gritted his teeth and attempted to break free before my elbow met his face, pulling him into it with my opposite hand. Arcane Armor did wonders to negate some of the damage, but I felt it falter as Dustin’s nose drew first blood, the pain causing him to drop the dagger.

“Thund– Argh!” While desperately trying to cast a spell, a sudden surge of pain coursed through his leg and had him groaning in agony. His knee had cracked after I delivered a swift kick empowered by mana. “You–”

Despite barely staying on one knee, he wouldn’t keep his mouth shut, so I slapped him across the face, making him panic as confusion struck. That’s when I knew I’d won.

“Dustin!” Elias yelled while watching me shove his friend to the ground, mounting on top before mercilessly pummelling his face.

There was just something so satisfying about finally letting loose on the scum that not only made my life difficult at times but also insulted me in passing, even going as far as hurting my friend. And yes, I enjoyed seeing his face bruised and a bloody mess while exploiting the freedom he gave us by making it so one of us had to surrender. It was only when I sensed movement to my flank that I stopped throwing, but by the time I turned, Alice was already on them.

She teleported next to Elias, who already had his wand out, kicking him back into Cassian before blasting both with Gust. While they were busy rolling across the ground, trying to figure out what had happened, Alice took out her wand and turned it into a sword.

“P. . . plea–” Dustin pleaded while choking on blood, a sight so ugly it made me question if the gods would punish me had I swung again. “P– please. . . stop.”

He was desperate to catch his breath and probably couldn’t even see me anymore from all the blood. Hardly worth the trouble.

“Dustin,” my voice deepened as I called out his name, coldly staring him down before leaning next to his ear. “Remember today. Today I spared you. But know that if you were to mess with me or those I care about again, you better be begging the gods for mercy because you’ll get none from me.”

Holding him by the collar of his shirt, I took a deep breath and let go, getting back on my feet.

“Feeling better?” Alice asked while keeping a close eye on the fools lying on the ground in defeat.

“Yeah. . . Sorry about that, but if all the training dummies were as punchable as Dustin’s face, we’d all be experts,” I said, contemplating what to use to clean my bloody knuckles, the lake being the obvious choice. “Let’s go. I want to get out of here.”

“Sure. . .” Alice sighed, turning her sword back into a wand, glancing one last time over at the two crawling to Dustin, hoping he was alright.

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.