[Day 13]

  I sat in front of the inn, looking over the streets. While the demure mood that permeated the streets while we came here still lingered, I couldn’t help but notice that there was an air of hope mixed in as well. The weird-looking humans still mostly looked to the ground, but there were exceptions. The city-guard nodded at every passerby as they strolled from one wall to another, their gambesons dirty from their day work.

  Dusk changed the damn city, somehow. And it only took him so little time that it boggled my mind. How did he do it?

  The downside to his organisation skills was the fact that we basically spent no time together. No time to practice duelling and battle formations when one spent most of his day ruling it over the peasantry.

  “I miss Dusk.“ Crudia mused, as if reading my mind. She sat next to me on the wooden patio in front of the inn, looking at the people the same way I did. Mark and Talisha stood nearby, arguing about some TV-show and whether the ending of it was good or bad.

  Yesterday’s conversation with Talisha was still hot on my mind, but I tried to not let it show. “He’s really busy, huh? I wonder if we can help somehow. Feels wrong to just sit around and not do anything.“

  She smiled softly and nodded. “That’s what I said! But the preparations are almost done, and the last few fortifications are going to be done by this afternoon. Can’t do much work where there’s none left to do.“

  But sitting around was so boring! “I just wish we could duel more, or something. Also, calling Bryga to help lift the rocks instead of me just rubs me the wrong way.“

  Crudia chuckled, holding her hand in front of her mouth. “You want to lift rocks? Really?“

  Rolling my eyes, I stood up. “Okay, maybe not, but these people should be looking at me as their savior! I was the one that brought the goblins to help! And the ants should come too!“

  Even though I said that, I had no clue whether Anthony would come. I believed in the little fella, but starting a new hive was definitely no easy task, and he’d definitely have his legs full of work. But the ants being here would help, and I silently hoped that he’d hold up to his promise.

  Crudia watched me with wide eyes, still giggling. “They do appreciate you, Shrimpie. But they don’t understand the need for the goblins. Not yet, at least. I think they might change their minds when they see a horde swarming around the city, though.“ She stood up, dusting off her behind. “Anyway, why did you stand up? Are we going somewhere?“

  I started walking before she’d change my mind. “Thought we could check the spars between the guard and the goblins. Watching Fink scrambling to defend himself could be fun as well. Oh, and maybe we could duel again as well?“

  She chuckled and hurried to follow behind me. Mark and Talisha didn’t seem to notice our departure, but they’d be pulled along soon enough. “You know what Mark said. No duelling today!“ She looked at me slyly, and changed her tone to mimic Mark’s. It was oddly similar. “No fighting today! You need to rest up before the big fight!“

  I laughed out loud for a solid thirty seconds, to the point of my stomach hurting. I remembered Mark’s speech this morning, and Crudia was really on point. He did say that, didn’t he? “Ugh, Mark and ruining fun. Name a better combination.“

  “Well, I agree with him on that, cause don’t feel like getting beat by you again either!“

  “You won against Bryga though! She’s a strong fighter.“

  “I haven’t won enough. “ Her voice was a bit somber, somehow. The same way Bryga’s was yesterday. The need to win was in all of us, apparently, and losing rubbed them the wrong way. Like it would have rubbed me the wrong way as well, I thought. But I haven’t lost a single one, so the only thing that happened was that my ego was boosted.

  “You’re the second best fighter I know, Crudia. I’d say you would even have given Xila a run for her money.“

  “Who’s the first? You?“

  “Duh.“ I said before I could even realize what I was saying. Damn those goblins! They’d make me feel embarrassed for using the word for the rest of my life!

  Mark and Talisha suddenly clipped through the buildings, churning insults at both of us. I met Crudia’s eyes for just a moment, and we both proceeded to laugh again. This would never get old. If only moments like this could last forever.

  ...

  I leaned on the wooden railing as I watched the soldiers try to surround Fink’s goblin entourage. Try was really a fitting word, since they were failing miserably; every time they tried to attack, one of the goblins would deflect with ease and proceed to counterattack with his own wooden sword. The goblins kept increasing in levels each day since I first saw them, and that almost put them at our own level. They were still weaker, of course, but the soldiers? They had no chance.

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  “It reminds me of stick fighting with my little siblins.“ Talisha mused, smirking. “I beat the shit out of them, of course.“

  “Why does that not surprise me?“ Mark chuckled, and continued watching.

  I was already bored by the training, though. Even Fink looked ready to fall asleep on his feet, judging by the way his eyes drooped. The goblins, for their part, seemed to be having the time of their life. They cheered each other on, taunted the soldiers to inhuman degrees, and basically just played with them like toys.

  I hoped that their vigor would be the same tomorrow.

  …

  The doors of the inn creaked open as I entered the building, the sky behind me already getting dark as night rolled over. Crudia and Fink followed close behind, chatting about the fight practice Fink went through today. Not that Fink had anything nice to say, though.

  Bryga already sat on the ground next to the long table we already occupied, and Even Dusk and Timmy sat there, eating an looking around. The table itself was adorned with all kinds of cured meats and cheeses, their origin unknown to me since I’ve not seen a single cow or animal in here.

  “Come sit! I’m not drinking beer today, sadly, but there’s still a lot to celebrate!” Bryga shouted from the far-end of the room, making several of the other patrons look her way. Nothing new.

  “You always look as if you’re always ready to celebrate, Bryga.” Mark chuckled, and hovered forward.

  “Well, dear blue human, that’s because there always is something worth celebrating!” She boomed as she raised her glass, laughing. Fink scuttled to sit near her, and I followed.

  “She’s really fun. I’m really happy that you found her in that ant cave.” Crudia giggled as she sat near me, opposite of Fink.

  “Fun?” Mark scoffed. “She’s a damn Russian woman caricature, brought to eleven.” He looked to Bryga, talking to her directly now. “I wonder why they decided to make you as tall as you are, really.”

  “Oh, talking about me? I’m really small now, though. I miss my size.” Bryga chuckled, showing off her muscles. She obviously didn’t mind as much as she let on.

  Dusk’s voice cut before I could tell Bryga to stick her muscles somewhere else where I wouldn’t need to see them. What a cheater! I’d soon be bigger, just you wait!. “I wonder on what basis they made us overall. Four out of the five of us here are mammals, yet we don’t look that alike.”

  “You and Bryga kind of look alike. You’re just smaller.” I smiled.

  Dusk huffed, suppressing a giggle. “Our species are not that distant, so that makes sense. But my ears are weirdly pointy. She’s large, but I’m barely taller than Shrimpie, even though I’d dwarf him before. I think there’s really no reason to pay our appearance any attention.”

  “I agree! We all look good anyways!” Crudia beamed, her smile radiant. It was hard to suppress another smile. Of course we were gorgeous! We were the players who’d win this all! The gods expected no less!

  Or, well, end it all, as Majorica wanted. I still wasn’t sure on what exactly she expected though.

  “You know, it’s really weird how all of you actually are attractive.” Talisha mused, switching from looking at one of us and then another.

  Mark sighed. “It was literally on page number one, Talisha. Of the first volume of the guides. They made them all attractive so we’d be more willing to help them, and that they’d be more fun to watch.”

  Talisha just waved him away. “Eh, fuck the written guides. But yeah, that makes sense. Hard to not help someone you wanna fu-” She stopped herself, looked at Timmy, and coughed into her hand awkwardly. “Uhh, I was saying?”

  The others laughed, making fun of her now. Even Timmy was laughing a bit, apparently not clueless to what she wanted to say.

  I watched with a grin as the others continued making fun of Talisha, to which she told them to leave her alone in nice and not-so nice ways. If only I could capture the sight in front of me as a picture. Crudia sitting near me, radiating positive energy. Dusk, his calm demeanor cordial and soothing. Bryga who made every living moment a party. Fink, who remained a bit surly, yet even he joined the conversations now. Mark, Timmy, Talisha, the humans who I thought I’d never care for yet now I found I just did.

  I realized that if there ever was a moment where I was truly happy, it was now.

  It was also why I got more nervous about tomorrow than before. While I didn’t even think of losing any of these guys a day ago, now the thought seemed terrifying. What if Fink’s guards failed him? What if Bryga got surrounded?

  What if I failed to keep my promise to Talisha?

  I felt my chest tighten, my breath get shallow. I.. I’d fight, of course. But was there a way to protect them for sure? Could I somehow get them to hide themselves so only I’d go fight?

  Crudia’s hand suddenly grasped my wrist, squeezing it tightly. “You okay?”

  I raised my eyes, meeting hers. She looked confused, though not scared. There wasn’t a single thought about tomorrow’s battle in those eyes.

  “Yeah, sorry.” I gave her a weak smile, and picked up a drink. The night continued, the meals disappeared, and soon we paid the innkeep and went to sleep. Crudia and Dusk plopped into their beds in our room, and I followed suit. Mark and Talisha said goodnight and moved out of the room, as usual. It took mere moments to hear the two of them snoring, and another moment to feel Bryga’s snoring shaking the wooden floor.

  Mark began talking about the strategy for tomorrow, and I kind of paid attention. Just kind of. The dude was basically interrupting himself with new ideas as they appeared.

  “Want a drink?” Fink whispered, handing me a flask from under the table. That was a surprise. He smiled, shyly. “Just to break the ice, you know? I still feel sorry. Just one drink, so the guides don’t notice.”

  I grabbed the bottle, carefully taking a sip when Mark wasn’t looking at me, and let my thoughts wander again.

  I thought back on the day, on the whole first floor of the tournament. Tomorrow would show if I could protect my friends. I wasn’t scared, but I was nervous. More than I’d like. Sadly, tomorrow would probably be the first such trial of many.