[999] – Y04.099 – Fools and Honour V

[999] – Y04.099 – Fools and Honour V

Omen: 6, 9

"Are you feeling lucky?" Jurot asked.

"Not that kind of luck," Adam replied, glancing aside to Jaygak. "What about you?"

Jaygak shrugged her shoulders, staring down at her potato, the steam rising from the slit she had cut through. "Just fine."

Adam inhaled deeply. Today was his last fight, and it was Jaygak’s last fight too. Adam and Adda were currently undefeated, just like Jurot and Kitool, and they were each contenders for first place. Jaygak had lost twice, once to Adda, once to Adam. The King’s Sword’s daughter, Sir Roseia, had also lost twice, once to himself, once to Adda. If Jaygak managed to beat Roseia, then she would manage to gain, as the Grand Duchess had promised, second place.

‘Jaygak, please.’ Adam sighed. ‘What am I talking about? Jaygak’s going to win, and if she doesn’t, then it means her weapon wasn’t good enough to keep up with Roseia. She’s...’ Adam understood the maths behind Sir Roseia and Jaygak, and though he didn’t want to admit it, not only did the young lady have a better Defence, she also had a better offensive capabilities.

‘If only we were three Levels higher...’

Adam approached the arena, the damp scent of the snow on the stone filling his lungs, waking him up. His morning bath had been tense, but thankfully hot enough to warm his bones during nightval. ‘The cold in the North really is different.’

Adam and the others made their way to a section of seats, sitting among the crowd. Somehow, Adam, Jurot, and Kitool, each had their fights during the evening, whilst Jaygak’s was during the morning.

Jurot and Kitool didn’t need to think about the Grand Duchess’ influence, since it was great enough for them to assume it. To display some of the best fights during the evening was pretty normal for the masses, but the nobles preferred morning fights, so typically the fights would be mixed. However, today, all the best fights were during the evening.

“How much are you betting?” Adam asked.

“A hundred gold,” Jurot replied, with Kitool nodding.

“Only a hundred?” Lucy asked.

“It is a good amount to bet,” Jurot said.

“I’ll bet a hundred too,” Lucy said, Mara bowing her head slightly.

‘How much should I bet?’ Adam thought. ‘I did lose two thousand gold.’

‘A hundred gold?’ the Marshal of East Port thought, reaching up to scratch the side of his jaw. ‘The rich really live different lives.’ He, who also held hundreds of gold, still remembered the days of his youth.

Jaygak sat within the cold room, along with the other arena’s fighters, each of different segments while their opponents remained elsewhere. She was glad she could be alone from the rest of the group. She held her blade tight in hand, feeling the great magic within. She understood the woman used a greater blade than her own, until Jaygak called forth greater magics within, and that her armour was magical, Greater, meaning their Defence was roughly similar.

“Nervous?” Sir Rory asked, daring to approach the Iyrmen, who was deep in thought.

“No,” Jaygak replied, unsure if she was telling the truth.

“You defeated me,” Rory said. “I’m certain you’ll have a good showing.’

Jaygak smiled. “A good showing, I have no doubt.” Jaygak rested her forearm between her hilt and waist. “I am going to place in the top four whether I win or lose. My cousin will be delighted of the news, she’ll reach over to pat me, tell me that I did good. I can already see my brother’s face light up upon hearing my placing, I’ll see the pride in his eyes. My sisters, they’re too young, but they’ll be swept away by the air around them.”

Rory slowly nodded his head. “Is that why you fight?”

“I am an Iyrman,” Jaygak replied, the only answer she could give to Rory. “If I win or lose, my cousins and my siblings will all hold only pride for me. My niece, Jirot...” Jaygak let out a long sigh. “If I lose, she will bully me for it.”

Rory narrowed his eyes slightly. He had heard that the Iyr had a special relationship with its children, but to see the young Iyrman make such a face, he had no idea they adored their children so much. ‘War is one thing, but affection is another.’

“I will not be able to retreat from her words if I lose,” Jaygak said, donning her helmet, while one of the workers stepped into the room.

“Jaygak! You’re fighting next!”

“Then, for your own sake, win,” Rory said.

Jaygak bowed her head and stepped out into her quadrant, raising her blade into the air. Her heart beat wildly, but soon she blocked out everything. She blocked out the cheering. She blocked out the jeering. She blocked out the throbbing within her ears. She even blocked out the presence of the King’s Sword’s daughter, who was so powerful, only the likes of Adam and an Adda wielding such a great blade, could defeat her.

‘I am Jay of the Gak family.’ She repeated the names of the Gaks who had gone through misfortune, from Jogak and Gangak, those who held the same name as her father and grandaunt, to even the young woman who she had been named after.

‘Will I die for defeating her?’ Jaygak thought, a small smile upon her face. ‘It’s not a duel to the death, and...’ She thought of the trio whose eyes were no doubt glued to her.

“Two thousand gold.”

‘More than ten tens.’

‘Okay, mamo. I will do it.’

‘Would you like a smoke of my pipe?’

‘You cannot trick me, mamo! I am not allowed to.’

‘You are not allowed to hide my sword, but you always hide my sword too?’

‘I think mama is calling me,’ Jaygak had said, quickly trying to retreat away.

Even all those years ago, she had felt the same as Taygak, that she was too weak.

Now?

She had defeated Sir Rory of the Golden Spears.

She had defeated Sir Eliza of the Snow Storm.

She had remained near undefeated, save for the two ridiculous figures. One, a Princess of the North, and the other a fool. Just like the Princess, this figure, the King’s Sword’s daughter, had the strength and the background to defeat Jaygak.

Even so, Jaygak refused.

She couldn’t step back, not even as the thunder rumbled through her, causing her to spit up blood into her helmet.

“One swing,” Jaygak panted.

She stepped forward and swung once towards the stumbling knight.

Her blade did not strike as hard as it had previously, but it struck with enough force to cause the knight to drop her blade. The magical sword Sir Roseia used slipped out of her grasp, clanging down beside her as she fell to the earth. In the North, it was not right to strike a figure who had been disarmed, nor one who had fallen and could still get up.

Jaygak waited.

And waited.

Her body tensed up at the sound, like that of the thunderous explosion which threatened to drop her, but it was not from the great magic of the knight, but the cheering of the crowd. Her entire body filled with an electricity as her heavy arms exploded upwards into the air, the tears dropping down her cheeks. She couldn’t pick out the words from a particular young man, but it was fine, since it was no doubt cringe.

“That’s our Jaygak! If Jaygak has ten thousand fans, I am among them! If Jaygak has one fan, it is me! If Jaygak has no fans, then I am dead! Fuck yeah!”

It was a short while later when Adam almost tackled Jaygak, embracing her tight. “Jaygak! You did it! You did it!”

“Why are you so surprised?” Jaygak asked, wincing as the pain within her body still rocked through her.

“Damn it, Jaygak. Damn it!” Adam held her in a bear hung, swinging her from side to side, howling with laughter. “You did it, damn it!”

“Let me go before I beat you,” Jaygak groaned, feeling the ache within her body flood through her. “You should prepare for your own fight.”

“I’m prepared,” Adam said, finally dropping her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Keep my seat warm, won’t you?”

Jaygak smiled. She pushed him away lightly, before glancing towards Jurot and Kitool, who clasped her forearm.

“It was a good fight,” Jurot said, nodding his head.

“Yes,” Jaygak replied, nodding her head back.

“Congratulations on your placing,” Kitool said, shaking her forearm, holding it for a moment longer.

Jaygak smiled, holding a hint of sadness. “You need to earn first place too.”

“Make sure you bet on each of us, alright? Ah, well, except me,” Adam said, wondering if it was right to bet on him, or if they could get away with it. “Make sure you bet for me too, alright?”

“I’ll definitely bet on the victors,” Jaygak teased.



LET'S GO, JAYGAK! LET'S GO!