Chapter Thirty

“The Games flourish on the fuel of raw emotion. Fans dedicate days to watching and learning about these new heroes. Courage, lust, and betrayal are all magnified by the intimacy of the events." – Tournament Games Director.

Earlier

Nadia and Tuck

"So wait, you're telling me you just close your eyes and bam, you can block out the world?" Tuck asked Nadia, a hint of jealousy in his voice.

After their daily activities supporting the village, Tuck and Nadia chose a scenic hillside west of the village to set up camp for their training. Will's regular infirmary visits post-training often left Tuck and Nadia alone, leading to more one-on-one interactions. These encounters gradually developed into frequent joint training sessions during the day, eventually becoming a routine of daily companionship.

"Don't you remember the professor's words? You are as much your energy as your energy is you. How else would you expect to really understand its dynamics without turning your mind inward?"

Tuck thought on his response, before returning, "Professor Williams has always been more of a coach than a professor. My whole life and even more so within the Games, it’s been about taming or enhancing my emotions. Waiting for the right moments to unleash my abilities or holding down my feelings until I can get to a safer environment. Meditating just hasn’t really been my thing… I mean, come on, Coach's first lesson for me was pushing me to the ground to trigger my talent."

"I think you are more than that," Nadia spoke softly, her eyes locked on Tuck's.

Tuck and Nadia had grown closer over time. Their daily training sessions, free from the social pressures of Frank or Will, allowed them to bond. Both had begun to feel that their respective environments—the infirmary for Nadia and the warriors' "clique" for Tuck—were no longer benefiting them as much. Nadia had to conceal much of her talent, while Tuck's unique fighting style clashed with the tribesmen's. To keep up with them, he would resort to hitting harder or enhancing his offensive strength. However, this approach was discouraged as it could cause more damage than what healers could remedy overnight. Agile movements were not part of his skill set.

"And I appreciate that. Believe me, I do. It's just hard to believe that my biggest area of improvement should be meditation and finding myself after all these years. Yet, my gut tells me you’re right."

"What's your plan? I feel like you're only helping me with all this. It feels a bit one-sided."

"Oh," Nadia blushed, knowing her response. "While I'm unsure if there's much to gain by meditating together, I do know that I don't want to be alone," she said matter-of-factly, surprising herself with her bluntness. She continued, "I've been at this for quite some time now, and although meditation and body sculpting remain my main focus, spending hours in darkness only to open your eyes and find yourself alone with no one to share your successes with isn't the best experience."

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"I think I can help with that," Tuck said softly and then smiled. "But I get that. Trust me, I’m more than happy to hang out without talking. Just ask Will. He hates it."

With smiles at each other, they both found dry spots on the hill overlooking the village, just out of sight, and sat down. Closing their eyes, they searched within. Nadia quickly entered her mental trance while Tuck tried his best. It took effort to resist adjusting his seating position every thirty seconds as discomfort settled in. Still, Tuck pushed himself, staying committed not just for himself but also for Nadia. Hours passed before Tuck relaxed his mind enough to venture inward.

Moments later, a communication over comms made their eyes snap open. It was James.

Hearing the news from James, Nadia and Tuck raced towards the nearest vantage point to witness the fire type and alliance of northerners crossing the river Divide. They stayed silent from their elevated position with a full view of the village as they watched the group approach the main gate with carts similar to those Frank used for ore runs. Warriors now lined the walls, and as the gate opened, the leader and most of the visiting party entered. The gate remained open, with several northerners standing guard.

"This is crazy," Will updated from inside. "It's clearly the chief's daughter. Just reduce his height and replace his grey hair bits with some red streaks, and I'm not sure if I could tell them apart."

"Will, stay focused," James directed.

"This is important," Will replied, continuing to provide details on the exchange. "There was some arguing over the timing of this exchange. Elric believed it was too soon, while his daughter insisted that the mountain grows hungrier. Outside of the opening exchange, the chief conceded. No one is talking now, just staring at the Smithy folks loading the carts with weapons and armor. I'm fuming just watching this, and I know I'm not alone."

"Not yet, Will. No moves," James reiterated the team's objective.

After providing more details on the volume and quantity, Will noted that they were now leaving.

"Sansa. His daughter's name is Sansa. He called to her as she turned her back to the gate, but she ignored him. They are moving," Will finished.

Tuck and Nadia watched as the gates closed, with warriors still watching from the tops of the walls.

"Tuck, Nadia, stay on them. We need to gather as much intel as possible," James instructed.

Tuck and Nadia ran unseen through the forest, stopping at a higher vantage point before ducking behind the final ridge.

"We have eyes on them," Nadia stated. "They appear to be a mix of types, not just fire. They look like they are preparing a water type to make an opening through the Divide... Wait, what's that?"

"Nadia?" James quickly followed.

Nadia and Tuck's voices caught as a void opened before the northerners. The void expanded until it resembled a doorway, no different from the three entrances to the Trials on the 3rd level. However, this one soon stabilized, and a figure walked out. A girl.

"Emy?" Nadia's voice let out the words as her voice caught.

"What's going on over there?" James struggled to keep his tone down.

"EMY! NO!" Tuck shouted, pushing himself over the hillside as a blaze of fire roared through the air. He scrambled to avoid the blast, which narrowly missed him but grazed Nadia, who had been fixated on the scene for too long. Nadia quickly rolled to extinguish the burns and flames on her legs, then looked up to see Tuck surging forward toward his friend. Despite the blast, Tuck's movement didn't slow; he tumbled but caught himself as he sprinted down the hill, with Nadia now struggling to catch up.