Arthur stepped into his room his shoulders sagging as he allowed himself to relax. His gold-colored armor was stained with soot from the ash and smoke of the dragon’s breath. Kay and he had barely made it out and Kay was in the hospital ward recovering from the flames and strange energy carried within them. Arthur slowly pulled off his armor, setting it on the stand next to his bed. A sound behind him made him turn a long dagger in hand to defend himself.
Ammerila stood there in a long white shift. She shivered, looking up at him, a look of fear in her eyes. She crossed her arms seeming to shrink into herself.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Arthur said.
“I’m sorry for disturbing you,” she said. “Its just… since the Warlord… I haven’t felt safe.”
Arthur lowered the dagger. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You don’t,” Ammerila said taking a step forward. “If you hadn’t saved me then… I don’t know what would have happened. I wanted to say thank you.”
“Your welcome,” Arthur said suddenly self-conscious of the distance, or lack of, between them.
Ammerila took another step forward and Arthur took a step back his back going up against the stone wall. She stepped in close enough for him to feel her breath against his chest as she looked up at him.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Arthur said.
She gave him a slight smile her hand sliding up his chest. “Do you want me to leave?”
“You should,” he said his body stiffening under her touch.
“That’s not a yes,” Ammerila said leaning forward and kissing his neck.
“We shouldn’t,” he said his voice heavy as he felt his hands clench.
“Tell me to stop,” Ammerila said running kisses up his neck.
Arthur opened his mouth and her tongue slid into his mouth. Losing control his hands slid around her waist lifting her up as her legs slid around his hips. He shoved her up against the wall their breath coming faster and faster. His hands wound around her hair pulling her head back. Their sweat mingled as she let out a cry of pleasure. They collapsed back onto the bed.
“We shouldn’t have done that,” Arthur said.
“I don’t regret it,” Ammerila said running a finger down his chest.
“We’re enemies,” Arthur said.
“Are we?” Ammerila asked.
“We should be,” Arthur said. “I’m on the side of Law you’re on the side of Chaos, this doesn’t end well for either of us.”
“The chances of either of us winning this competition are small,” Ammerila said. “I’m not going to deny myself to appease my goddess ideology. You need to decide if you’re her servant or if you’re a champion.”
“I’m a champion,” Arthur said instantly with heat in his voice.
“Then prove it,” Ammerila said.
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Slowly stirring I opened my eyes, the fire beside us had died down but still had a few goaling coals providing light. Guinevere was still sleeping, her steady breathing like the crashing of waves. Her back was pressed against me, the feeling of her skin against mine still sending an electric current through my body. I traced the lines of her body with a finger pushing back her hair and kissing the skin of her neck.
Guinevere stirred pushing back against me as she shifted in her sleep.
“It’s time to get up,” I whispered in her ear.
Her eyes fluttered open. Rolling, she turned to look at me face to face. My eyes traveled down her body and a rose flush crept into her cheeks.
“Did we do the right thing?” she asked.
“I certainly don’t regret it,” I said. “Do you?”
“No but…” Guinevere said.
I pressed my lips against hers. “No buts,” I said. “I love you Guinevere, I will never regret a moment I spend with you.”
Rolling to the side I reached for my stuff and grabbed my storage pouch. Reaching inside I lifted something out.
“It’s a bit wilted now,” I said with some disappointment. My fingers ran along the silver stalk and leaves pushing mana into the plant. Its stalk straightened out and the violet and amaranth petals flared out spreading wide. Guinevere’s face split in smile as she looked down at the flower.
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“It’s beautiful,” she said. “This is mythic rarity?” she asked disbelievingly.
“Well, it doesn’t have any purpose besides looking beautiful,” I said.
“Thank you,” Guinevere said her smile like the rays of the sun. “But where am I going to keep this?”
I thought about it for a second before grabbing some materials from my storage pouch. “Hell Dragon’s Armory,” I said.
A crystal dome appeared around the flower with a chain extended from the top. The flower wasn’t that big and the whole thing could hang off Guinevere’s belt. She took it and leaned up her lips meeting mine I returned the kiss but pulled back before we could go farther.
“Our enemies are going to be here any minute,” I said. “We need to get ready.”
“You’re right,” Guinevere agreed reluctantly.
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Mira stood in a tent erected outside the Tower far enough from it they would all have warning if the dragon emerged from it. More and more champions were gathering from both sides. The air was filled with uneasy tension as they eyed each other warily. While they had a common enemy it would be just as easy, if not easier, to get rank points from killing members of the opposite faction. People had already been killed over what loot they had gotten yesterday and the griefing on both sides was getting out of hand.
One third of the champions that had entered the Battlegrounds had already been removed permanently after losing all three of their lives. Around half of those who remained now were down to their last life. Mira had two lives remaining, but she knew how easy it would be to lose the other two as well. Lancelot stood beside her, his head turning as he scanned the crowd. He suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her forward.
Mira suppressed a flush to her cheeks as she followed him. Lancelot clasped hands with another man in intricate gold colored armor.
“Arthur,” he said his voice seeming to relax while speaking with the man.
“Lancelot, good to see you’re still alive,” Arthur said clasping his wrist. “Who is this?”
“This is Mira,” Lancelot said. “She’s been my companion throughout the last three Events.”
“If Lancelot trusts you with his back than I trust you with mine,” Arthur said taking her hand and bowing low to her. He was a gorgeous man Mira had to admit but she recalled he was engaged to Guinevere and pushed such thoughts from her mind.
“I’m putting together a group to tackle the Warlord with,” Arthur said to Lancelot. “Are you in.”
“I am,” Mira said. “I have unfinished business with him.”
“You’ve met him?” Arthur asked. “Wait, your one of the Champions who went after him in the Cursed Forest aren’t you?”
“Yes,” Mira said. “He killed one of my party members there.”
“Anyone who has a personal grudge against the Warlord is welcome,” Arthur said nodding in acceptance of her.
Mira analyzed the team already around Arthur. She spotted one woman with light grey skin and snow-white hairs like Guinevere’s, reading the woman’s description she was a little surprised. Arthur must have seen where she was looking and read her facial expression.
“I trust Ammerila to fight beside us,” he said. “She has just as much reason to hate the Warlord as the rest of us. You may not like the god that sponsors her, but she is a powerful ally to have against the Warlord.”
Mira and Lancelot looked at each other, each of them suddenly less sure about this whole plan.
“If your sure about her,” Lancelot finally said.
“I’d like to join,” another person said. Mira turned to analyze this new person.
Vone, Champion of Laveran, Gifted- humanoid/human, Veteran, Rank: 435
She had short blonde hair that ended at the end of her chin. She wore light metal armor made of a combination of scales and chainmail set over leather. A silver glaive was slung over her back, and she carried a small buckler shield no wider than her forearms strapped in place to her vambrace.
“Do you have a grudge against the Warlord as well?” Lancelot asked.
“Only on principle,” Vone said. “I am the Liberator; Laveran stands directly opposed to Kelesa.”
“The god of Freedom and Choice has always been the greatest weapon against the Warlord,” Arthur said taking her hand and shaking it.
“Why are you best counter to the Warlord?” Ammerila asked tilting her head and running her eyes over the rival champion.
“My divine ability lets me remove the effects of all mind control, enslavement and domination abilities and spells as well as making me directly immune to them,” Vone said.
“I don’t know if you’ve faced her yet but the Warlord has an extremely powerful vassal,” Mira said. “Would you be able to remove her?”
“I don’t remove people,” Vone said. “I simply give them there free will back.”
“Do you still have room for one more?” another woman’s voice asked.
They turned to see a lithe woman wearing only a few scrabs of armor and cloth walking towards them. Her bare tawny brown skin was smooth and lustrous and long black hair flowed down her back in ringlets. Her beauty was stunning nearly distracting them from the pair of dark red horns like an antelopes that rose from her head.
Lillyn, the Champion of Ennira, Gifted- fiend/succubus, Hero, Rank: 560
“Not for you,” Mira said, her fingers reaching for her bow. Lancelot put a hand on her shoulder gesturing to the people around them.
“Let’s not be the ones to break the truce,” he said.
“Agreed,” Arthur said. “Why do you want to join us, I don’t recall the goddess of Seduction and Lust having anything against the Warlord, what’s your interest?”
“I’m here for the same reason as everyone else,” Lillyn said shrugging. “To get stronger, the Warlord has been a thorn in all our sides but someone that powerful is likely to provide an excellent ability to the group that kills him.”
“So, your just here for power?” Mira asked snidely.
“That’s what we’re all here for honey,” Lillyn said dismissively focusing her attention on Arthur. “I can be useful, I’ve got powerful debuffing abilities you’ll need if you want to go against Hero ranked opponents, I’m the only Hero here whose offered to join.”
“I’m not allowed to ascend to Hero rank yet,” Arthur said. “I’ve got the abilities and rank points but the Dragon Tourney.”
“Same here,” Lancelot said.
“The Dragon Tourney?” Vone asked.
“It’s a tradition for the crown prince to remember the founder of our Kingdom,” Kay explained. “I’m fine with her joining, I don’t trust her but she’s right that we need more power.”
“Very well,” Arthur said. “I can’t let Ammerila join us and deny you the chance to prove yourself. As long as you don’t try to stab any of us in the back your free to join us.”
“What about everyone else here?” Mira asked still looking at the succubus with distrust.
“We need someone to kill the dragon,” Arthur said. “And chances are most of these people won’t even make it to the tower.”