Inside the an expansive cave within the Notia mining settlement stands Loc, Rivna, Gidget, Gust, Bolt, Lightning, Hannah, Heldine, and her six Rose Palyths.

Heldine hugs Loc, giving him an uncomfortably tight squeeze.

Loc: Would you let me go, Heldine?! I can hardly breathe!

Hannah: Yeah don’t kill him.

Heldine: Oh shut up Hannah, I know what I’m doing.

Heldine leans forward, closes her eyes, and puckers up her lips.

Heldine: Did you miss me, darling?

Loc picks up Hannah and holds her cheek up to Heldine’s lips.

Hannah: Hey!

Heldine opens her eyes, and backs away coughing while wiping her mouth. Hannah wipes her cheek as Loc lets her back down. Rivna snickers. Loc keeps a straight face.

Hannah: Eww! Big Brother why did you do that?

Heldine: Why do you have to be so mean to the love of your life darling?

Loc: What are you two doing here?

Hannah: I’m part of the Flying Broom crew remember? Your question is better directed at Big Sis.

Heldine smiles at Loc.

Heldine: What would you do without me, darling? I came all this way to show you my pretty face and warn you about the impending confrontation with Prince Abaal.

Loc: Prince Abaal?

Heldine: He’s the no good son of Queen Amelia, and he’s set his sights on vanquishing you. He’s apparently not too fond of your recent deeds at Massadah.

Loc: Ha, let him try.

Heldine: I think not. He’s not one of those little tough bounty hunter goons you’ve encountered. The blood of a queen flows through his veins. That means he’s well beyond witch tier.

Heldine pokes his chest--

Heldine: Meaning well beyond your current strength.

Rivna: No power is greater than his divine purpose. And as his sword I will cut down any who’d dare to challenge his fate.

Heldine grimaces at her response.

Heldine: Why don’t you keep this thing muzzled and on a leash, darling? I honestly have no idea how you’re able to tolerate these…monsters, on a daily basis.

Hannah snickers. Rivna grunts.

Heldine: Listen here Loc, Mother has pried Prince Abaal’s thoughts and he’s planning on staging a duel at his mother’s banquet.

Loc: I don’t have time to accept a frivolous duel.

Heldine: Darling, I don’t think you understand. Mother is going to sanction this duel, and I’m attending this banquet as her representative. I have no choice but to sanction it in her stead, and as her representative not even the queen of this land can override my edict. There’s no walking away from this one Loc.

Loc pauses to take a deep breath.

Loc: I came to this land to retrieve one item…

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Gidget: Well look at it this way Captain, at least you have a good excuse to practice with your new toys some more.

Heldine: Mods will not be allowed.

Everyone looks surprised.

Loc: No mods?!

Heldine: And no steam either. All you’ll have are the clothes on your back, although, you don’t have to wear a shirt while you fight him.

Heldine gives him a lustful smile. Loc averts her gaze while subtly blushing.

Gidget: Well, that just complicated things. I hate to be the one to say it but without your mod, you aren’t as dangerous as you could be.

Rivna: (Well that’s putting it rather lightly. Without a mod Loc isn’t nearly as capable as any other fighter of a similar Combat Rank. He’s been relying on me and the others for so long until he must be overlooking his own shortcomings. As his sword I must find a way to battle on his behalf.)

Loc: So all I’ll have is my own vyrkra to work with. Very well.

Lady Agatha: (Your faith is strong Young King, however you have much to learn if you ever hope to survive a bout with a Magi.)

Loc: A Magi?

Heldine: That’s right. Prince Abaal is a Magi and a master Vuardra. That means he prays to my Mother for power. Power she benevolently gives to those that are faithful and deserving. And let’s just say Abaal has been on her good side for quite a while now.

Loc: Something isn’t adding up here. Why would he wish to have to duel with me all of a sudden? Is it simply because I’m visiting this land for my family’s relic?

Bolt: If he is a master Vuardra like you boast, then that means he would not enter battle without his ever trusting dragon steed.

Heldine looks surprised.

Heldine: I suppose you have a point Veguhl. I forgot that each participant in the duel will be able to bring into battle one partner.

Rivna: Then--

Heldine holds hold her palm to stop her, as if already expecting her response.

Heldine: Not so fast Witch Tier. The partner must be the property of one of the participating parties, and above all the Witch Tier cannot participate. It would lead to too many controversies regarding the outcome of the duel.

Loc: No mods, and no Rivna. Just the shirt on my back.

Hannah frowns up.

Hannah: I don’t like this. Why do the rules have to be so unfair? Prince Abaal is a thousand times stronger than Big Brother without the Witch Tier.

Heldine: Mother is adamant about testing Loc’s resolve. Believe when I say I’ve done everything in my power to prevent this from happening.

Gidget: What are you going to do Loc? I’ve heard rumors that Prince Abaal can slay a thousand men with a single swing of his spear. And his dragon Drellax ten thousand with the embers of its breath. He’s almost as powerful as his mother.

Lightning: Not to mention the battle will most likely take place in the Iarlec’s Palm, a coliseum residing in a very high altitude. Which means the bout will be a rigorous affair for anyone who has yet to master Vyrkrial Breathing.

Rivna: But that would be the least of his troubles. The match will be two against one. How can one possibly overcome these odds?

Loc doesn’t respond, deep in thought.

Heldine: Did I mention that it will be a bout to the death unless one concedes? And if you decide to concede or forfeit the match, Mother promises to destroy all of Massadah and all of the inhuman members of the Flying Broom crew.

Loc: She will be doing no such thing because I intend to stand victorious in the incoming duel.

Everyone pauses awe of his words.

Loc: As I have said, there is nothing that will get in the way of me fulfilling my destiny. No matter the odds. And I will do whatever it takes to overcome them.

Bolt looks slightly moved by his words.

Heldine: That’s why I love you darling.

Heldine gives him an other hug. Loc tries to push her off.

Loc: Heldine! Let go of me.

She ignores his request.

Bolt: Your Majesty, you need not fight the Prince of Iarlec alone. I know a way in which you can greatly level the odds.

Heldine lets go of Loc in curiosity of Bolt’s words.

Loc: How so?

Bolt points to his chest with his thumb while revealing a subtle smile.

Bolt: The clause says that you may bring one steed into battle correct? Then allow me to fulfill that honour.

Lightning: Bolt, you don’t mean…

Loc looks taken aback.

Loc: What do you mean?

Bolt: As an Innokian we can pledge the rest of our days to a human master. And doing so would strip us of what little rights we already have. In other words I would become…

Loc: My property…

Bolt: Precisely. And as your property I would be able to join you in this damnable assassination attempt.

Lightning: But Brother!

Gust: But this is madness.

Bolt: Is it truly? This is what we’ve trained for. To serve The Will and his Sagi. I can’t think of a higher calling.

Hannah tugs on Loc’s shirt.

Hannah: Wait, does that mean he would become a permanent member of the Flying Broom?

Loc sighs.

Loc: Yes, it would.

Hannah: Great, another monster I have to look at on a daily basis.

Loc: Hannah!

Rivna: (That means Bolt will become similar to me. Except it wouldn’t be an official Soul Pact of the Massadan days of old.)

Heldine: Well, you have exactly ten days to prepare darling.