Chương 1309: [1225] – Y06.125 – The Windy Warhawk V

'What is that ridiculous dance?' one of the mermen thought. Adam swayed from side to side, beginning to limber up upon the ship, which had anchored for the next few minutes in order to allow the spar. The ship barely swayed upon the ocean, as though the waves parted to bow before it, allowing Adam to keep his balance as he stretched.

'Phew! I'm not a sealubber, so thank the Divine the ship is that good,' Adam thought, swaying his entire body, rolling his joints.

'What is he doing?' John thought.

"Taygak, make sure you watch carefully, okay?" Adam called.

"Okay," the young Iyrman replied.

"John, you too, I want you to watch carefully."

"Yes, Brother."

'Should I split it with the pair of them?' the half elf thought.

'I should probably split it with the other four too. Seven ways? Aw, man. No, this time, it should be just for those two, so they can Level Up, then I won't feel too scared to leave them alone. If they're both Level 1, then it won't take too long.'

"Adam, hold back," Jurot whispered in the Iyr's tongue.

"Third Gate." Adam inhaled sharply, since he was still facing a great warrior, but if he wasn't going to rage… Meanwhile, the Captain stared at the half elf, who continued his little dance. There was something off about him, that much was for certain, for he was a queer half elf.

"Ashuk, delay the fight as long as you may. Even if you must gift him the win. A few gold is a small price to confirm."

"I will do as you command, Captain."

"I do not command it, but I will request it," Cumulus said, smiling towards the inasir, who inhaled deeply, stretching out his entire body with his breath, letting the air out long and slow.

'Consider yourself fortunate,' Ashuk thought, and he, Ashuk the Spear, reached for his weapon, spinning it before thrusting through the air, a move he had practised countless times, engraved deep within his body.

"Cousin Adam," Taygak called.

"Win."

"Our Taygak is so grown up now, bullying me like this," Adam said, the half elf clenching his axe tighter, feeling the strain from the back of his hand, all the way to his forearm.

"What am I saying? Our Taygak always bullies me." Taygak let out a small annoyed snort at the half elf, but she could see he stood ever so slightly taller, suddenly filled with a greater urge to beat the great warrior, Ashuk the Spear. She knew Ashuk was strong, stronger than even her grandaunt, but Adam was Adam.

'So much has happened though we have barely left Aldland,' Tanagek thought, for he had never expected to ride upon the Windy Warhawk, nor watch so many spars with such great figures.

"I will bet on our cousin," Chosen said.

"One silver," Tanagek replied.

"You are not confident in Ashuk the Spear?"

"No." Chosen's laughter cut through the air, and while the bets began, the Iyrmen all betting upon Adam, the sailors checked with their Captain, who shook his head, allowing them only to bet a few silvers at most.

"Hey, shouldn't we make this interesting?" Adam asked, eyeing up the monstrous figure before him, his lips a playful smile.

"What do you wish to bet?" Ashuk asked, his heart suddenly stirring.

"I feel like we should bet so it's not boring. Something not too big, something not too small, something just right."

"Your axe for my spear?" Ashuk teased, though he had heard it was only Basic Enhanced.

"That crimson shield of yours?"

"I don't want to steal your spear," Adam replied back in the same tone.

"I'd rather something that doesn't lead to any resentment."

"I am not a lordling, boy."

"Even I'd feel annoyed if I lost a spear as good as yours, plus, I don't have any use for…" Adam paused, narrowing his eyes slightly. A thought passed through his mind.

"Alright, let's bet your spear."

'Why did he change his mind?'

"In exchange, I'll offer something better than my axe or my shield. I will offer you a token you can redeem at our business for a Greater Enhanced weapon, as well as a small chest of silver, as thanks for allowing me to keep my axe, and my cousin's shield, for the adventure east." This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Can I trust you to keep your word?"

"It doesn't matter though?" Adam replied, in a tone that would have gotten him killed if he was speaking to a noble, the half elf smirking to reveal he was his daughter's father.

"Hahahaha!" Ashuk roared with laughter, feeling his body boil, his heart thumping harder within his chest with the excitement to put him in his place.

"Also, in case you have any weird ideas, I'll ask you not to hold back. Do you know how annoying it is for me to hear those excuses? Seriously, man!"

"I will hold back a little," Ashuk said, gripping his axe tighter, before slamming his foot down, taking a wider stance, his body half turned, the spear ready and poised to burst the half elf's head.

"Oh yeah? I'm the one who can't offend you all, so you don't have to, but I will," Adam continued in the same teasing tone, his smile wide.

"I hope your axe is as good as that tongue of yours." Adam grinned wider, gripping Strong Shield tighter in hand, and Seventh Sky in the other. The Captain glanced between the pair, seeing how they were both taught, sprung like coils ready to burst. He raised a hand into the air, the silence falling upon the ship, not even the sea daring to make a sound. Snap.

Battle Order D20 + 1 = 21 (20) Health: 126 -> 103 Seventh Sky: 1 -> 0 Fighting Spirit: 3 -> 2 Health: 103 -> 108 Attack: Seventh Sky (Advantage) D20 + 10 = 15 (5) D20 + 10 = 16 (6) Miss! Adam's entire body sprang forward, though as it did, he saw his life flash before his eyes, as he brought his shield up just in the nick of time, the spear glancing off the shield with a loud clang, cutting bits of his hair, feeling it almost scrape across the top of his skull, his neck straining, the half elf dropping to his knee.

"Not bad, boy," Ashuk said, his eyes narrowed, his forehead creased, his wide smile, teeth like pearls, smirking down towards the half elf.

"Ohohoho-," Attack: Seventh Sky (Advantage) D20 + 10 = 12 (2) D20 + 10 = 30 (20) Critical Hit! Mana: 34 -> 31 Ability: Divine Smite 8D6 + 8D6 + 8 = 57 (22)(27) 57 damage! Onward Soar: 1 -> 0 Attack: Seventh Sky (Advantage) D20 + 10 = 14 (4) D20 + 10 = 16 (6) Miss! Attack: Seventh Sky (Advantage) D20 + 10 = 18 (8) D20 + 10 = 19 (9) Miss!

Ashuk's entire body jolted, the old inasir leaping away from the terrible blow, barely managing to bring his spear up, the magical wood threatening to bend under the force of such a heavy blow, a blow which was among the strongest he had taken in his long life, for there were few across all the lands which could focus the might of two Fireballs, no, more than two Fireballs, into a single swing.

The cut was quick, clean, but those who were above Experts could hear the depth of the quickness, the depth of the cleanliness. Any typical Expert would have fallen to such a blow, while Ashuk glared at the half elf in shock, flexing off the effort it had took to stave off the blow, and yet he could already feel the ripples of the smite flow through his watery body.

"I'm getting used to seeing that kind of face," Adam said, the half elf smirking as he stood before Ashuk. The inasir's face of shock quickly narrowed down into something else.

"That's the kind of face I want to see!" Ashuk inhaled deeply, feeling his body strain against him, for though their blades had clashed for just a moment, the smite had overwhelmed through him. He concentrated, and as the half elf stepped forward, his entire body unfurled, but not in the way of humans, half elves, or inasir, but that of water. Health: 108 -> 64 Strength Save D20 + 9 = 24 (15) Success!

The spear struck with such explosive might, even through the half elf's shield, he could feel it rock through his bones, the half elf spitting up saliva onto the deck, having rarely felt such a heavy blow in his life. He had realised that not even his Shield spell could assist him against such terrifying blows of the inasir, but this blow had struck even deeper through him.

'He definitely didn't Crit, so what the hell?'

'He's still up?' Ashuk thought, his eyes wide, for he had used the magical effect of his spear, that which would have floored a typical Expert, even as he drove his spear forward with a leap, the half elf did not fall back, until his spear flexed under their might. Fighting Spirit: 3 -> 2 Health: 64 -> 69'Nice.' Attack: Seventh Sky (Advantage) D20 + 10 = 15 (5) D20 + 10 = 23 (13) Hit! Mana: 31 -> 30 Ability: Divine Smite 4D6 + 2D6 + 8 = 26 (14)(4) 26 damage!

Attack: Seventh Sky (Advantage) D20 + 10 = 22 (12) D20 + 10 = 30 (20) Critical Hit! Mana: 30 -> 27 Ability: Divine Smite 8D6 + 8D6 + 8 = 63 (25)(30) 63 damage!

"That really hurt!" Adam exclaimed, swinging his axe wildly, the pair clashing violently, their weapons echoing, the ringing in the air clear, deadly, and most importantly, filled with the want to beat the smirk off the other's face, for the half elf and Ashuk both made the same face, their wild grins so eager for more.

"It is enough," Jurot said, standing proudly with his arms crossed beside an O'Shan, for though the half elf was one of the O'Shan family, he was of the Rot family. He had thought about letting the fight to continue, but Adam had held back a little too much, having not taken the chance to regain his breath. However, even then, Jurot estimated Adam would win nine out of ten times in this position, but the issue was, that one in ten would have been too terrible upon Taygak, who had asked Adam to win.

"Ashuk!" Captain O'Shan shouted as the pair made to try and kill one another, and as Ashuk's spear stopped, Adam struck his axe upon his shield.

'I should not have promised to fight without my rage,' Ashuk thought, feeling the regret within his heart, for the bout had ended far too quickly.

"Hmm," Adam groaned, his entire body still tense, the half elf still ready to fight.

"It is best to stop it here, Adam."

"Yeah, but… I really want that spear."

"We do not use such spears, not even the Ool family use such longspears," Jurot reminded him.

"I just wanted a nice gift for little Chimir," Adam almost whimpered, as though here were a boy who couldn't keep playing with his favourite toy. The older Aswadian man inhaled sharply, tensing up slightly to not allow Adam's cringe to overwhelm him, burying it under his… not quite respect, but appreciation, for the half elf of thinking of his daughter.

"A draw?" Jurot asked the Captain, who nodded his head in return, eyes glued to the scene before him, an impossible sight to be sure. Ashuk let out a low sigh, his entire body flexing, but it hurt his heart deeply. The thought remained within his mind.

'If we both fought with all our might…'