Why did we have to find a dragon?
"So what are we to be confident against mortal?"
Why couldn't it have been a vengeful god? Maybe a unit of demon knights?
"We are to be confident in the face of all-out attack by my colleagues, they know not of our challenge yet. You are welcome to call upon your own to test my confidence if you wish."
"No mortal, I trust you and yours to be fair, confidence must include command."
Why can nothing be easy. Now I have to convince Kayla to do the same to me that she does to the dragon. Not that I couldn't take it, that would be easy, but getting her to shoot my eye with such a strong arrow will have her all up in arms.
"So be it, Lyness. Though do call me by my name, Gregorian Gaia, if we are to continue."
"So be it, Gregorian."
A shrill whistle should be enough to signal an attack. And sure enough it was. Lils won't be doing much besides distracting the dragon, she couldn't get through the scales in any case. The real test comes from Kayla. Now, can her well placed arrow make the dragon react.
"Is this pet the best you have for a test of confidence Gregorian? For one of 30 by Onos of the ArchBlaze, this certainly does not im—"
There's the arrow, and to decent effect. A storm of Icicles exploding out of her eye and spinning to stab into her scales around it. My own design, and I must say it exceeds its expectations. Lyness's head whipped around from the blow, a clear showing of her lack of confidence, at least in the terms of dragons.
"—press."
Didn't stop her speech though. That makes it much more difficult when it comes my turn.
"Are you and yours done, Gregorian?"
"Kayla, Lils, stop fighting!"
"Greg, are you okay? Are we retreating?"
"No. Both of you come here."
Even if Kayla constantly makes fun of me and picks on me, she still listens when it comes down to the wire. She's a bright girl.
"Kayla, I've negotiated with the dragon, but we aren't done yet."
Now the hard part.
"I need you two to attack me just like you did her."
"WHAT!"
"If you don't, we all die. Or at the very least me. If you do, I can bargain for your safety at least, but I'm forfeit to the dragon as the loser of a duel."
"What kind of crazy conversation did you two have in that growl-fest before."
"I challenged her to a duel, and don't call it that, it's called Draconic, it's their language. And Lyness can understand Common, so she could take offense if you mislabel her language again."
"It is to be expected from an untested mortal."
Please don't take the bait Kayla.
"So team lead. What do we do?"
"Simple, you and Lils go at me the same way you went at Lyness. Don't hold back, it would tarnish my honor."
"And cost you all your lives."
Gulp.
"Yeah, that too."
"Whatever you say, team lead."
Well while they get ready, I have some prep work too. I need 2 spells, 1 to stop Lils's claws and fangs, and one to negate Kayla's arrow. And neither can be overt. And neither can hurt Lils. All I have to do is stand near perfectly still, while having a conversation with Lyness, while being attacked by a Direwolf and shot by an Icicle storm arrow. Easy. I hope. First enchantment needs to be something simple… I think a flexible barrier about an inch from my skin should do. It will stop Lils's attacks without risking chipping her teeth, it's hard to notice without the proper knowledge, and it will stop the physical arrow from stabbing my eye, even if it won't do anything against the icicles. Now, the Icicle Storm. I can't just negate the spell, it would be a lack of confidence in Lyness's eyes. A secondary superheated barrier along my skin? That couls work actually. It would melt the icicles when they hit my skin. And it isn't something my opponent is incapable of, so it doesn't reduce my confidence in Lyness's eyes. It's decided then. A flexible barrier an inch from the skin and a superheated barrier along it, making sure it doesn't burn me to a crisp with the Icicles.
"Okay Greg, we're ready!"
"Your signal, Lyness."
Dragon's whistle almost like a shrill roar. It's deafening.
Lils is first, she isn't holding back, good. I don't think my barrier is hurting her teeth either, even better.
"You see Lyness, I've won these battles before, on less even terms even. I am of 30 for a reason, and though you may see me as inferior, I can assure you I am not. Do you know of Jester, Giant of the Ages and Victor of 1? I've faced him. I was nearly his—"
God my arrows are good. The arrow didn't even hit me and I felt it like a punch to the jaw. If I wasn't expecting it, it probably would have snapped my neck. And It seems my secondary plan was somewhat flawed, cause the steam from these Icicles burns like fire, and I'm a smaller target, so it's all over me.
"Second."
"You failed against Jester's standards?"
"No Lyness, he was my Eighteenth."
"I see. Does this make me your 31st? It would be an honor."
"No. You are not worthy to stand with my victories. I will have passage for me and my party in these lands, as victor of the duel."
"Understood, Gregorian Gaia. It was an honor to challenge you."
"It was a nuisance to challenge you, Lyness. May your next victory come soon."
"Thank you."
"Kayla! We have passage, Lyness will allow us to roam her forest in peace."
"I don't know what you did, but I guess it worked, huh."
"Something like that. Before we leave though. Lyness, have you heard of a wedding to take place in these woods?"
"A wedding?"
"A joining of two."
"Ah, yes. My daughter was to join with the bastard son of a nearby human."
Oh. Oh that's bad.
"Lyness, can I ask that you adopt the one your daughter is to join with under your clan name?"
"My clan has no room for gutless cowards like him. He only passes here at my daughter's victory."
"… If he were to be victor against me, would you allow it?"
"He could never be victor to you. If he was I would have him myself before my daughter could."
"Would you take him under your clan if he were victor to me, Lyness?"
"If it were possible, yes."
"May I speak with your daughter and her soon to be joined?"
"Go, they are a mile west of here, preparing a ceremony for this 'wedding' you mortals use."
"Kayla, Lils! Things just got a lot more complicated, but I think I know how to solve our quest because of it. Let me do the talking."
"Given what just happened, I'm content to stay quiet for a while."
I can't believe the man stole the heart of a dragon, and a young one at that. How is he not dead?
[You approach me? Have I done you a disservice?]
No, you have not. Are you daughter to Lyness?
[My mother has met you? Does she still live?]
Yes, she does. Your husband to be, I have things to discuss with him.
[With my husband? I can't let you! I will not have him taken from me!]
I have no intention of that, but his mother does. I must have words with him, and I intend to challenge him under draconic terms. We will discuss further when I arrive.
[You are to challenge him!? That is absurd, he couldn't hold a candle to you, I can't let you!]
Hold your tongue girl, before I do so for you. I'm trying to help you both, before his mother decides to send someone who will kill you both, and your mother.
[…]
Connection is gone. Hopefully that means she is waiting for us in person, rather than running with her beloved.
"Kayla, don't look threatening, we come to talk, I won't have a fight."
"You really are taking charge today, Greg. Taking this whole Adventurer's Guild pretty seriously."
"Can it."
"Fine, but don't complain that we walked here in silence."
The Adventurer's Guild my aunt set up… I don't think it would have corruption like this quest. Though this new grand guild master seems to have some bright ideas.
"We're almost there. I can see the lanterns for the ceremony."
This quest is just one issue after another. I can't set foot into the ceremony grounds. He worships my mother. If I stepped on her holy ground, she would end the world to get me back.
"Kayla, I need you to go in and ask the lovely couple to meet me out here, I can't go any further."
"You need to fix your parental issues captain. I'll be right back."
"Not the time Kayla."
"It's never the time Greg."
Nosey half dwarf, not like you have much room to talk. You haven't said a peep about either of your parents! And I doubt your father was a genocidal maniac.
"Okay Greg, the love birds are on their way."
She's a tall woman, beautiful too. The kid is definitely marrying up. But nobility will always be nobility, so illegitimate children will always be harassed by the people that should love them.
"Have mercy great one!"
"(Here we go…) I'm not here to hurt either of you, if anything I mean to save him. Kid, your step-mother wouldn't tell us your name, but I challenge you to a duel on your terms. Choose anything, something you can do much better than me preferably. If you win, you get to marry this wonderful woman you love, if you lose, I have to stop you. Now, state your terms."
"U-um, a-anything?"
"Anything at all. You could challenge me to milking cows if you wanted, but it must be fair."
"Uh. Do you know how to catch catfish?"
"What's a catfish?"
"I have the terms of our duel."
"So be it."
"The winner will be the first to catch 3 catfish in a nearby creek."
"We start by your wife's signal. Acceptable?"
"Of course."
I've never been Catfishing. This should be something he can win. I'm just glad he didn't choose anything violent, that would have ended poorly.
"*Cough*, Gregorian, victor of 30, are you ready?"
"Yep."
"Daniel, victor of none, are you ready?"
"Yes."
"Begin."
So like, do I just throw out a line and wait? It's the approach I'll take. I do wonder why he is jumping into the creek though. What is he trying to do, shoulder deep in the creek? Is he using Earth magic to dig his arm into the earth? What's the point of that?
"Hah!"
He already got his first fish! That's amazing, how did he manage it?
"Ah!"
Not much longer and he got number two. Does he use Earth magic, are the fish bottom feeders?
"And three!"
"Daniel is the victor!"
"Good, call your mother Dracoid."
"It is done great one."
"Stop calling me that, I'm far from great."
"You are a victor of 30, and someone far beyond myself. To me, you are great."
"And your husband to be is victor to me, therefore I am below you."
"…"
"You called Vivia?"
"Gregorian has asked for you."
"Gregorian? Here to inform me of your victory over my daughter's mate?"
"Mother!"
"Is it not true, child?"
"That is not the point mother!"
"Yes, yes. Gregorian, what is the reason you summon me."
"To tell you that your new clanmate is victor to me."
"WHAT!"
"Daniel is victor to me by witness of your daughter. He is now Daniel, victor of Gregorian Gaia."
"Impossible!"
"It is true mother. Daniel has bested Gregorian in fishing."
"… I will keep my word Gregorian. You have bested me once again."
"I will call this my 31st, Lyness. I hope it is compensation enough for Daniel."
"More than enough. Thank you, Gregorian Gaia."
"Of course."
Now to face another angry mother. A noble with a cold heart. The scariest of the challenges today.
"Kayla, Lils, our work is done here. Vivia, Daniel, my blessing."
I thought my blessing was white light, not white and gold. That's new.
"Thank you, great one."
"Stop calling me that."
Now to find my way out of this forest.
"Hey team lead, you wanna explain the light show?"
"I'm a god, remember? My blessing is more than words, it holds power, meaning."
"I mean, I thought you were really only a god in name. I mean, you always say you don't wanna embrace it."
"Yeah, I run the risk of some people finding me that wouldn't be the best."
For example the god that is currently turning the sun green.
"Speaking of, we have another issue before we can get paid."