The Bard of Xalir (Complete!)/The Archer of Adelbern (Complete)/Book 3 (Coming Soon)

All the color drained from my face. Fighting Gunner again… I had considered it a possibility. After all, we were fighting in the same tournament. Even so, to fight him alone, I didn't think I could do that.

Thrig and the guard left me alone to stew in my thoughts. I guess Thrig only came to make his intentions for losing the fight clear. Ah well, to the crowds I was the clear winner. Even if I didn't want to be famous for fighting in an underground arena, I did get some enjoyment out of defeating Thrig. At least I wouldn't have to fight him again.

Shaken by Thrig's revelation, I gathered up the destroyed remains of my mandolin. It was time to meet with the others. My body had recovered enough to walk. They were waiting outside the arena, nervously looking around for any sign of me. Well, Beth, Nia, and Valna were looking for me, Greenspring was leaning on his staff with his eyes closed.

"Norman!" yelled Beth, running toward me. She pulled me close and kissed me. I returned the kiss, holding her as tight as I could.

Even though Thrig had thrown the fight, he still made quite the show of fighting me. Watching his axe pierce my Thunder God's Mimic had been a frightful experience. I was sure it was even worse for the crowd who had no idea that I created an illusion. Had Thrig known that when he threw his axe? I tried not to think too hard about it.

While Beth and Valna looked very happy to see me alive and well, Nia and Greenspring seemed to be lost in thought. Both of them were staying silent, eyeing me carefully, but never speaking their mind. It was frustrating, as I'd been looking forward to hearing their thoughts about the fight.

Beth gasped as she noticed my broken mandolin. "Oh Norman, I'm so sorry."

I shrugged. "It was bound to happen sometime."

"How long have you had it?" asked Greenspring, breaking his silence.

"Since we were kids," answered Beth. She took the shattered remains off me and examined them closely. "Thrig did this?"

I shook my head. "No, that was me. Too much lightning, I suppose."

She nodded sadly. "A shame. I really loved this old thing." I held out my hand to take it back from her, but she didn't notice.

"Where have you been?" asked Valna.

"What took you so long?" asked Beth.

"Thrig wanted to talk to me," I answered.

Greenspring stood up straight. "What did he say?"

I looked around us. Most of the crowd had gone home, but there were a few stragglers. "Why don't I tell you on the way," I said, trying to appear as casual as possible. Thrig told me that he threw the fight in private, so I wasn't sure if he was okay with that being public knowledge. Or if Trafford would like people knowing.

"Is something wrong?" asked Nia.

I glanced at the people around us. "I'd like to change my clothes."

Nia eyed me carefully. "So he told you."

"Back at the house, yes, I'd like to change my clothes back at the house."

"Fine then," replied Nia, walking ahead of the rest of us. "As soon as you change."

Once we got back to the house, I brought everyone into one of the empty bedrooms. After changing my clothes, of course. They were covered in dust and very uncomfortable. I told them everything, about how Thrig threw the fight and how he wanted me to fight Gunner. By the time I was done, it seemed everyone was just as confused as I was.

"But you beat Gunner, what would fighting him again solve?" asked Nia.

Beth, who found the news so distressing that she had to distract herself, was braiding Nia's hair. It reminded me of Arienne, as she had done something similar under the Sapphire Mountains. "I don't like this," she said, fumbling one of the knots and starting over.

Valna hung her head. "What can we do? We're no closer to stopping Trafford than when we started."

"What about the box we found in Richard's room? Or the scroll?" I asked.

Nia shook her head, causing Beth to botch another knot. "We're still no closer to solving that puzzle than before your fight."

Greenspring stayed silent. He stroked his beard, staring absentmindedly out the nearby window. I watched him think, trying to read his thoughts through the expression on his face. After a few seconds, his eyes caught mine. The corners of his mustache turned as he smiled at me. It was a comforting smile, the kind that told you everything was going to be okay.

"Norman, do you think Zadona will help you?" asked Greenspring.

"She already gave me that spellbook. I'm sure she'd help in whatever way she can."

"Do you think Zadona and Trafford are close?"

"Where are you going with this?" asked Nia.

"We have been looking for someone willing to betray Trafford, someone on the inside. While Zadona has already helped, she is more like a prisoner. No, we need someone privy to Trafford's deepest secrets. An ally, if you will. There are three people that come to mind. Thrig Paleshield, who I doubt would betray Trafford until after you fight Gunner. If he would even betray Trafford at all.

"Advocate Richard, who we still need to spend more time investigating. Though I doubt he has too much information about Trafford considering Valna's lack of knowledge. And finally, the last shred of hope that we have. Someone we have ignored the possibility of their allyship: Gunner."

"No," said Nia, glaring at Greenspring. "He—"

"Kidnapped our friends and family," said Greenspring, interrupting Nia. "He tortured us. Yet, I do not believe he is fully on Trafford's side."

"Why not?" I asked.

"I do not consider Gunner to be a liar. Not that he is a person that always tells the truth, but he also does not always lie. When he says that he cares about the harska, I believe him. Maybe it is wrong for me to do so, but I do. In his own twisted way, he cares about them. If I was Gunner, I would want to be with them now. Even if that involved staying in prison."

His logic was sound, though it was mostly guesswork. "I agree."

"Well I don't," said Nia. "Gunner is a tyrant with delusions of grandeur. It doesn't matter what he says, all he cared about was gaining more power."

"And yet he returned young Arienne to Norman, and let us go free," replied Greenspring. "That was an act of kindness, of loyalty. If he cared only about power, he would not have done that."

"He's stupid," replied Nia, shrugging. "He made a stupid mistake and lost because of it."

"Do you believe that?" asked Greenspring, staring into Nia's eyes. The large warrior met his gaze for a few seconds before turning away. She bit her lip, the edges of her eyebrow twitching as she held back her anger.

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"Why would he help us now?" I asked, trying to help Nia save face.

"If we offer him a way to return to his people, then I believe he will help us," answered Greenspring.

I turned to Valna. "Do you know where Gunner is now?"

She shook her head. "Trafford escorts him to the tournament matches, but I don't know from where. I would ask, but Trafford has kept his distance from me after I brought you all into my home. While I don't think he suspects that I've been working against him, I do think he is upset with me."

"Why don't we ask Zadona?" asked Beth. "She's been working with Trafford for years. I'm sure she'd know where he is."

While that might have been true, I wasn't even sure how to contact Zadona. Since giving me the lightning spellbook, she hadn't come to talk to me. Save for seeing her before my match. I was sure she was busy, so I wasn't upset, but that didn't mean I wasn't frustrated. She was one of my oldest friends. Even if I didn't need to talk to her, or spend time with her, I still wanted to.

"I can ask her," said Valna, sitting up straighter. We all turned to look at her, causing her to falter slightly. "Zadona and I may not be close, but we have talked a few times throughout the years. I know where she spends her free time."

I stood up. "I'll go with you."

Greenspring shook his head. "We need to find you a new instrument. Can't have a bard without his tool."

"Then Beth can—"

"I really should go alone," said Valna, giving me a sympathetic look. "Trafford might get suspicious if he saw all of us working together."

I raised an eyebrow. "I think he already knows."

Nia stood up and placed her hand on my shoulder. "Leave it to Valna. We've got other matters we need to take care of." A wide grin formed on her face. "I've got a match coming up soon. Can you guess who's going to be my sparring partner?"

All my muscles screamed. I gulped. "Greenspring?"

For that, Nia sent me outside to run around the mansion until I could only crawl. Which didn't take too long as I was still exhausted from my match. While I ran, Valna left to go talk to Zadona. Beth and Nia went into the training room to exercise, and Greenspring sat outside watching me run.

The next couple of days were spent practicing with Nia and waiting on Valna. She wasn't able to get in contact with Zadona, but seemed confident she would be able to sooner rather than later. Thankfully, Zadona was still in town, so it was just a matter of their schedules lining up. I didn't have time to worry about it, Nia made sure of that.

Before I knew it, it was the day of Nia's match. We sat in the foyer, waiting for Nia to finish getting ready. I tapped my foot against the floor, nervously picking at the dirt underneath my nails. Nia was the strongest person I knew, save for maybe Thrig, so I was confident she would win. Still…

Nia walked casually into the room, a somber look on her face. Her otter pendant hung from her neck, hidden under her shirt. Silently, the rest of us stood up before we followed her out of the mansion. There was no laughter, no words of encouragement, none of us spoke. We all knew Nia didn't want to fight for Trafford. None of us did.

I gritted my teeth. This was all my fault. Had I not dragged her to Adelbern, she would be relaxing with Tamara. Instead, she was forced to fight for her life. I had been able to see Zadona after so many years, but that came at a heavy cost. Was it really worth it?

Greenspring grabbed my shoulder, pulling me to the back of the group. "Come with me."

"But what about the fight?" I asked.

The others continued on, only Beth noticed that Greenspring and I faltered. Greenspring smiled at her and waved her forward. After glancing at me to make sure that I was okay, she fell into step with Valna.

"Do you have any doubts that Nia will win?" he asked.

I shook my head. "But we should be there for support."

Greenspring steered me down the street in the opposite direction from the arena. "Another time, under better circumstances, perhaps. No, Norman, we have other business to take care of. It is about time we got you another mandolin."

While I wasn't there for Nia's fight, I can still recount the tale thanks to Beth. She may not be a bard, but she is as vigilant as a hawk. So, with added details from Nia and Valna, here's what happened while I was led away from the arena:

Nia separated from the others, heading into the waiting room for fighters. Beth and Valna entered the stands, making their way to the far end of the arena where there were a few open seats. Trafford had just finished his performance and was waving to the crowd. It was double the size of my fight with Despoina, but smaller than my fight with Thrig. All of them excitedly chatted about the spectacle they were about to witness. While Despoina and I were new to the arena, Nia's opponent was not.

Gunner, Thrig, and Zadona sat at the edges of the announcer's booth, seemingly already bored. Zadona glanced at Beth and gave her a quick wink. Ah, how I wish I could have seen it. In the blink of an eye, Trafford was teleported to the booth. He sat down between Thrig and Zadona and started talking with Thrig.

Once everyone was ready, the opoamer announcer, Isabelle, stood up and raised her hands to the sky. "Ladies and gentlemen! Folks of all kinds! Have we got a match for you tonight. Not only do we have a last-minute addition to the tournament, but we also have the most famous wrestler in the world!"

The crowd cheered, shaking the arena and much of the city. Tom, the gosellio announcer, stood up as well. "Let's start off with our first fighter. She's a native Adelbernion who has spent much of her life outside of the city walls. Today, she's returned to put on an epic bout for you fine people!"

Nia appeared in the arena, wielding her axe in one hand and a spear in the other. Her face was shadowed, giving her a grim appearance. All eyes were focused on her, but only a few recognized who she really was. As Tom took a breath, Nia fixed her gaze on the announcer's booth.

"Introducing, Nia Bl—"

Before Tom could finish speaking, Nia threw a spear at Trafford. Many in the crowd didn't even see her throw it. Only four people in the arena could: Zadona, Gunner, Thrig, and Trafford. While she was still in the motion of throwing, Trafford stood up and reached out his hand. When the spear was close enough, he plucked it out of the air.

The spear burst into flames. They licked at Trafford's hand, but didn't harm him. The crowd gasped. Several shouted insults at Nia, but she only had eyes for Trafford. He looked down at Nia contemptuously. Disgust and hatred were evident on both their faces. Zadona pulled out her bow and aimed at Nia, but Trafford held up his hand to stop her.

"Let her speak," said Trafford as the spear turned to ash and crumbled from his hand.

Nia took a deep breath. She yelled, "I am Nia, I go by no other names."

"Then Nia you shall be," replied Trafford, returning to his chair. "Let the match commence."

Both the announcers turned to each other, unsure of how to continue. Murmurs echoed throughout the crowd. When they reached their peak, Thrig yelled out for them to be quiet. The crowd obeyed. Nia waited for her opponent to appear, brandishing her axe like it was weightless.

"And facing off against Nia, we have the one, the only, Juno Haiop!"

A short man wearing clothes made of leopard furs appeared in the arena. His curly gray hair and pale skin were covered in dirt. What he lacked in height, he made up for in width. Flexing his muscles, he pointed at the crowd and gave a battle cry. The crowd returned the cry, cheering for their favorite wrestler.

"I'm gonna take down this upstart for you, my good people," said Juno, pointing at Nia. "These fists of justice…?" Cupping his hand around his ear, he gestured to the crowd.

"Bleed for you!" finished the crowd.

"That's right!" yelled Juno, pumping his fists. "You best run scared, little girl, you're facing off against the greatest wrestler in the world."

Nia smirked. "You call yourself a wrestler?"

"Greatest in the world!"

"Prove it." Tossing her axe to the side, Nia flexed her fists. "If you can pin me, I'll concede."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Blackhorn," said Juno, showing off his yellowed teeth. He didn't say 'Blackhorn' loud enough for anyone to hear, but Nia read the name off his lips.

"Begin!" yelled the announcer.

Juno moved first. He charged at Nia, aiming to grapple her with his powerful arms. Nia stepped closer to her axe and then kicked it at the wrestler. The unexpected move made him lose his footing, allowing Nia to strike. She moved in, easily slipping around to his backside. Before he could respond, she wrapped her arms under his and grabbed his head.

The crowd jeered as Nia squeezed Juno's head so tight it seemed like it would pop. He tried to break out of her grasp, but she was too strong. Spreading his legs with her own, she was able to weaken his stance and increase the power of her hold. Juno tried his best to struggle, but he'd never faced anyone like Nia.

It didn't matter that the crowd was angry nor that Juno was humiliated. Though Nia enjoyed watching him squirm. All that mattered was winning. Ruining Trafford's fight by destroying her opponent in a single move was just a bonus. Nia allowed herself a second to look at the crowd, searching for Beth and Valna. Both of them were cheering her on, ignoring the annoyed looks from the people around them.

Nia looked down at Juno and sighed. "What a joke."

"Let… me… go… you b—"

"Die."

The sound of his skull cracking cut through the angry crowd, silencing them instantly. As Juno's body went limp, Nia let him fall to the floor. She walked to her axe and picked it up off the floor. There was some dirt and blood on her clothes, but otherwise, she was unphased. With one final look toward Trafford, she walked to the teleportation circle.

"The winner is Nia!"

There were no cheers, save for Beth and Valna. In the announcer's box, the only sound that could be heard was the annoyed tapping of Trafford's foot. Zadona allowed herself a smile. Some people in the crowd booed, but everyone else just shrugged and headed home. The people of Adelbern knew well that their favorites were never guaranteed to win.

It doesn't matter how many times you win, all it takes is one loss.