No Holding Back

Sael's first stop was the Adventurer's Guild, luckily the place was open around the clock. There he managed to find an advanced skill to use his voucher on before Duke Douche could revoke it. He'd been a bit overwhelmed at first but thanks to a helpful worker there named Dinn, he was able to select one he thought would be perfect. After that there was still Silver to deal with. Luckily his absence had given the girls time to get her a real outfit and for her to run some energy off bouncing around town apparently.

"Ugh, I changed my mind. I don't think I need a kid." Beth plopped down on the bed exhausted when he arrived and Silver abandoned her attempts to strip to try pounce on him.

Sael managed to dodge and was holding her by the collar of an outfit that looked a lot like a jumpsuit, he noticed it looked like safety pins had been applied to keep it buttoned up. "Papa they are mean to me! They make me wear this silly stuff!"

"Your papa wears it too. So be a good girl and maybe he will praise you." Nee added, the only one of the three girls who didn't look totally exhausted.

Silver stopped squirming and hung in place giving him big puppy dog eyes, her little bottom lip slowly creeping out to tremble in the hint of a pout. "You have to be a good girl and wear clothes or you can't come with us when we leave tomorrow. Do you want to stay in this room alone again?"

"No." Her entire body went limp and dangled including her head.

"Um good." He looked at the others not sure what to do but they weren't of much help so he scratched her head like she normally liked. In response he got a purr like normal. "Ok then. If I put you down, you better behave." He lowered her down and she stayed put although she leaned her head in his direction. Rolling his eyes he patted her head before sitting down to open his menu, planning on reviewing all his new skills.

"Well?" Beth sat up on the bed to glare at him.

"Hmm? Oh I picked up an elemental style attack skill. Thanks to having access to a fire ability I can combine it with…" He was cut off by Beth.

"What? No, not your new toy. What happened with the Duke?" Sael stopped moving through his menu while Silver crept up to sit next to him before gently stroking the fur of his sleeves.

"Oh him. Ya he wanted to pay me to lose the fight tomorrow." He went back to flipping between his skills thinking of ways to use them.

"So are you going to do it?" Ara asked.

"What? No way, give that asshole son of his the pleasure? Never." He didn't bother to tell them he'd been more than a little tempted until the Duke proved how disgusting he was.

After that things devolved into the girls trying to get more details, Sael trying to work on a strategy, and Silver just wanting attention before he gave up and went to bed. Which only became a bigger issue when Silver demanded to sleep in his bed like normal. A problem that was only resolved when she turned back into her Conri form and he relented that they could all cram into one bed.

**********

Sael was yawning as he marched into the arena the next morning. "What, you don't get good sleep? Too many women!" Glancing up he found the familiar bald giant form of Granite Fist waiting with the Amazon.

"Ugh, you're more right than you might expect. Twin sized beds aren't made for four people and a damn Conri cub. Who gets jealous of an animal!" Shaking his head at the confused expression of the others he held out his hand for a handshake. "That was one hell of a fight, man. You come to watch me win this thing?"

Granite grabbed up his hand in both of his huge meaty paws while grinning a huge smile, his teeth having been repaired with magic the day before. "Yes! I must thank you again for such a glorious fight. The mountains will sing! Our tribe will all know the name Twilight King!"

"You can call me Sael." The big man was so exuberant it was a bit contagious and Sael found himself grinning too.

"Then you may call me Beinn! This is my sister Aoife but you call her Aoi. Will you come to the village? They would be so excited to meet such a warrior." Beinn's words started to run together as he spoke faster.

"Eh calm down you big lug. I'll bring him back to the village for sure. Sorry for my brother he was just so excited to be bested in battle by someone other than myself for a change." Grinning Aoi interrupted.

Beinn somehow looked bashful as he piped up, made even more awkward by his huge size. "Er no worries. Just never met anyone so excited to lose a fight!"

"Ahh he's just hoping you will go to war so he can march under you. It's the Grey Mountain tradition. The men seek strong fighters they can follow and us women seek men who can give us stronger children. Ha!"

Beinn nodded excitedly "I would be honored to fight under you, Sael. Should you ever need me just call, your enemy is my enemy!"

"Hey Sael." Beckett appeared next to them out of thin air, he was pleased by the two hulking figures startling but annoyed that Sael didn't. "Damn I thought I'd catch you off guard…. Do you just always have super senses or whatever?"

"After being ambushed in my own room last night, I figured it would be best to keep it up." Sael shook his head exasperated.

"You were attacked? Was it the Duke?" Beckett asked while Beinn looked… giddy.

"No, it was a little girl.. dog...cat… nm ambushed isn't the right term. Either way it wasn't anything bad."

"There you are! I am glad I could see you before the fight." Min with his moustache brushed out in all it's glory strolled up. "What did you think of my fight yesterday?"

"Oh, um it was pretty amazing. Sorry you lost." Sael lied, he'd missed the fight Min had against the Duke's son.

"Bah, If he fought like a man I would have won." Min shrugged. "You will give him one for me and my moustache, yes?"

"Definitely! But I have to get going. You all should sit with the girls and Dego. Peter should be with them too!" He excused himself and entered the waiting rooms for fighters where he was met by Aarun and his sister. 'Damn being popular can be annoying, sucks to be me.' Mentally he gloated but waved to the duo.

"Sael! I wanted to wish you luck before you fight. This is my Sister Avi, She wants to wish you luck in pummeling that bastard." His sister elbowed him.

"I can talk for myself." she glared at her brother before giving Sael a small bow. "But yes, please give that arrogant ass a good beating. If you do we will treat you and your party to dinner at my Grandmother's place."

"Sure thing! Free food sounds great." Silver's appetite seemed to have grown exponentially since she learned to shape shift making Ara even seem like a small eater. If he didn't get his winnings soon they might eat him out of house and home.

Eventually he made it to the arena, standing once again in the sand filled fighting pit. The arena was packed by so many people they had used scrying magic to broadcast the fight to various waiting rooms and even the area outside. People were cheering excited by the prospect of the fight to come and curious who would win between the two stand out fighters. Just like the day before Sael waved to the crowds though this time he wore only the light pants and shirt normally reserved for under his armor. It was a stark contrast to his opponent who entered in his fancy full plate while carrying his helmet under his arm. He'd even added a billowy cape to his outfit as if his armor wasn't already at the edge of gaudy.

Though the arena cheered it was more subdued and less energetic than for the Twilight King. Alan still waved to the crowd but his smile was through clenched teeth in annoyance. His father had told him how the Twilight King had shown up trying to extort money in exchange for a loss from his father. 'Such an arrogant fool, does he really think I couldn't win. Just you wait.'

Once both fighters were in position the arena became deathly quiet as everyone held their breath. Swallowing hard the moderator counted down before yelling out Start as he bolted out of the arena. The Godslayer swung his sword out letting the bone blade turn to dark crystal before screaming out "Endless Slash!" as he slashed forward. The air ripped as the attack cut a swathe through the sand of the arena towards his enemy.

People watched unsure what the Twilight King planned to do unarmed and unarmored as the attack streaked towards him. Yet suddenly a large spear of beautiful craftsmanship appeared in his hand while his familiar armor appeared out of nowhere to encase him. "Meteoric Thrust!" His spear was engulfed in a brilliant crimson flame before he thrust forward. A huge gout of flame in the shape of a spear careened across the arena turning sand into glass in its wake. When the two attacks collided they exploded with enough force to shake the entire arena as dust and smoke hid the fighters.

Before anyone could complain the cloaking mess was blown clear revealing the two fighters there weapons clashed together. In a flurry both weapons clashed together sounding like one long ringing of metal. Both fighters leapt back gaining some distance before activating their respective abilities.

"Hasten!"

"Time Grasp!"

Many of the crowd stood up trying to figure out what was going on. Both fighters had disappeared but huge sections of the arena were being destroyed. Giant gashes were appearing as if a huge unseen blade was cleaving the arena apart while great bouts of fire would appear to glass the ground before being blown apart. Despite not being able to see what exactly was going on all those watching realized an intense battle was raging below.

When a huge crater formed they finally saw the Godslayer laying in it, his armor was dented and cracked while the Twilight King appeared smashing into one of the arena walls a deep slash cut through his armor across his chest. Both fighters stumbled up neither seeming out of the fight as despite the damage to his armor the Godslayer was mostly unhurt while the Twilight King's wounds healed in a few heartbeats.

Sael launched another flaming spear thrust towards his enemy while out of his other hand a dark chain of shadow followed hidden in its wake. The duke's son flared up his cape and the fire attack disappeared into it, before he could follow up though the dark chain wrapped around his wrist. With a tug Sael pulled his arm in the opposite direction he'd tried to move it and the fire attack that reappeared from his cloak slammed into his back instead of being redirected. "Ha, I already figured that trick out. You're going to have to try better than that." Sael gloated as Alan cleaved his shadowy chain in half before too much of his strength could be sapped. Still, crimson flames danced across his armor blackening it before they disappeared.

"Don't get a big head! You nobody!" Lightning crackled along his blade as it turned crystal before he launched another attack that moved much faster than before towards Sael.

Wrapping his arm in shadowy chains he blocked the blow with his spear and the lighting that traveled down his hand was absorbed by the chains. "I've figured out how to counter that one too. I thought your Daddy said he had some new tricks for you to try when he begged me to let you win."

Enraged Alan flew forward as wings appeared on his boots while a spectral image of himself swelled before shrinking. Sael parried the straight forward attack directing the force downwards to cleave the ground of the arena before flowing into a kick. Instead of hitting him with just his normal foot, one of shadows formed like the talons of a bird of prey. When he kicked him the larger shadowy foot grasped him and Sael reversed directions to throw him down to crash into the ground. "That's for Aoi, She'd have done the same thing."

In the crowd the Amazon yelled out "I do love a man who remembers his promises!"

Shaking his head he lunged forward as the Duke's son started pushing himself to his feet. With a spin of his spear he used his attack Skyward Lash to send him up. Sael followed right behind him leaping up before doing a forward flip "This is for her brother. Stone Breaker!"

Alan crashed into the ground bouncing across the glassed sand before Sael landed next to him to circle him. In his mind he kept picturing starving broken women of other races and occasionally the ugly makeup covered bruises. "You know I think you might be the weakest fighter I've faced during the entire Adventurer's Ball. Even with all daddy's toys you are nothing, I can't imagine what you would be without them."

With an angered cry Alan thrust out his fist and a bolt of lighting lashed out. Sael literally reached out and caught it before slamming his crackling fist into the Godslayer's face. Though both of them suffered the discharge one of them seemed completely un-phased while the other seizured on the ground. "You can say that one was from Avi."

In the stands Beth frowned watching the fight "Don't you think he is acting a bit strange. I've never seen him be so… cruel."

"I would not pity the Duke's son. It would be a waste of kindness. I for one am even more impressed with your lover." Aoife commented sitting with the others, her comment making even the concerned Beth blush a bit.

"Beth is right. He always fights hard but normally he would have ended it quickly if he could or fought with everything is losing. I've never seen him get the upper hand and act like this before." Ara chimed in.

Most of the others had only known him for a few days and their dislike of the duke's son tainted their judgement so they simply shrugged.

In the arena Sael was literally prying Alan's helmet off him before tossing the torn up metal aside. Then he picked up the young man by his hair to bring him up to his face. Alan reached up holding onto Sael's wrist to keep his scalp from being ripped off while cursing at the man. "You can't treat me like this! Do you know what my father will do to you? What he will do to your little monster whores?"

Alan realized his mistake only when he crashed into the wall of the arena before a blow that punched a hole in his armor slammed into his gut. With the air knocked from his lungs he was put in an even more dire situation as shadowy chains twined around his neck. "You know what I've learned from this tournament?" Alan gasped his eyes bulging and veins throbbing as he choked for air. "I never knew that it was so much harder to fight someone while trying to make sure not to kill them. It is kinda freeing not having to worry about holding back. Hell, I hadn't even realized I was holding back.. Until I fought you." When the moderator started to enter the arena Sael flung the Duke's son away freeing him from the chains to gasp out. "Oops, almost got carried away and let things end."

Turning to the crowd he ignored the gasping Godslayer and he yelled out. "So what does everyone think of the Duke's Son? Pretty pathetic isn't he. His daddy was so worried about his widdle boy he tried to pay me to let him win." Sael used a mocking baby voice which made the arena burst into laughter. "Look at him, wearing all that fancy stuff probably paid for by your hard work while he thinks himself better than all of you. What do you think I should do? Should I end the fight now? Or make him suffer a bit more? I wonder, should I have him grovel and beg? Would you all enjoy that?"

As the crowd went wild in excitement elsewhere sitting in his manor and watching through his scrying mirror the Duke's face was purple with rage.