ob. Until that point, it will unfortunately have to remain once a week on Monday of each week. Thank you for your continued time and supper. Cheers.[/author]
The rest of the day progressed steadily. Drake remained in the room with Claire and Sarah. The large mansion that Natto prepared for him was massive to say the least. He never would have imagined rooms so spacious to be his. He recognized most of the furnishings as things from the tutorial, but Drake was told that it would only be for so much longer, before the new craftsmen came up with something for their savior's living quarters.
Natto stopped in frequently to check on Sah Ul' as well as update Drake on the happenings of the settlement for the refugees from the city. Natto made new rules due to the massive increase in population for the city.
But she did complain briefly that while she was made to maintain and govern a territory for Drake, she was not particularly good at nuanced law. Natto made it clear she could only do so much on her own without the input of either Drake or someone in similar authority for the city, whether that be his wives or someone he trusted and appointed himself.
Drake gave a sour look, knowing what Natto was insinuating. He hadn't made any decisions on Aralleen or her younger sister yet. And his mind was still a tornado of repressed problems he'd yet to deal with.
It seemed his life was destined to be interesting. It felt as if he never had a spare moment even when he made time for it. Sitting on the side of Sah Ul's bed, he stroked her head gently as she did her best to rest.
Claire cozied up next to Drake in his other arm as they talked softly and caught up. Claire recalled what happened during her journey back to him. How she met with Leon, Ari, and the rest of the small mercenary group that followed Leon around.
She laughed occasionally at how similar, yet different Leon was to him. Leon would retell the days of them playing games as if it was life and death. Reminding Claire of Drake almost every day. She told Drake how Leon's personality also seemed to help him with dealing with monsters. He was cold and precise but always looking for a more challenging fight.
"Mr. Leon said he was upset when he found out you finished your tutorial before him," Claire giggled.
"He was actually upset?" Drake asked.
"He didn't use those words, no, but you could see from his expression."
"That sounds a lot like him. I used to race him in every game to see who would progress faster and when I won I would rub it in his face. But he never seemed upset, just got really quiet. It's funny to think that he was actually fuming silently to himself," Drake chuckled, "This…" he squeezed Claire closer, running his thumb against her shoulder and looking down at the resting Sarah, "This is nice."
Claire pinched his side, "Not too nice, I hope…." she grumbled slightly, then looked sullen for a brief moment, "The trip here wasn't easy, but to think of everything that's happened to you two. I feel guilty for feeling jealous."
"You're jealous?"
"Just a little bit…" she muttered pursing her lips, "You know how I grew up. I wanted a white picket fence… lots of kids. Our parents would come over during the weekend to spoil them and my Dad would force us to church. Instead, it feels like the world is against us."
She looked up at Drake, leaning into him, "But it doesn't seem so bad now that I'm back here. Seeing what you built for everyone… for us," then she pushed a knuckle into his side, "It still would have been nice if you came and got me!"
"I know, I know. I just… had so many things to take care of. It was one problem after the next. And… Are you absolutely sure you want to come?" he asked.
"Drake," Claire said sternly, looking him in the eyes, "I am coming and there is nothing that is going to change my mind. You already left me behind once with the Ants, but this time unless you plan on locking me up, I'm going and that's final."
Drake wiggled his eyebrows, "Oh you like being tied up huh?" but Claire remained steadfast and Drake was forced to sigh, "I get it. I just hope you don't think ill of me for what happens. Things have gotten much more black and white for me. And that means I will protect you and Sarah at all costs."
Claire smiled, leaning back into him, "I know you will," she brought up his old tattoo ring around her neck, tracing the outside of the black material, "Do you think when we get back we can…?"
"That's pretty forward."
Claire punched him in the arm, "You know what I mean!"
Drake rubbed his shoulder, "Yeah, I know. I think we should. This place needs something good happening I think. But before that. Tomorrow we're going to hold a funeral for everyone that was killed. Then we leave for the Elven City of Avalon."
—--------------
Landin winced, feeling his stomach turn with sharp pain as if someone was rotating a knife into it. His head swimming he struggled to rouse himself. Blinking away bleary vision, it focused to see a hand reaching for his face.
He quickly grabbed for it, snatching the wrist out of the air, a girlish squeal reaching his ears.
"L-Lord Landin! You're awake?"
"W-what…?" Landin groaned, his free hand gripping his side.
"Does it still hurt? It has been a day already but your wounds…"
Landin squinted, blinking to focus his vision. It seemed that it was still bright out and the light from the window told him it was at least the morning after they had returned.
He heard a soft groaning as his eyes swept the room trying to figure out his situation, grabbing his attention. There, Tanya, the elf girl he had saved and that nursed him on the way back, stared back at him.
Her face looked flushed and she seemed to squirm.
Landin noticed he was still holding her by the wrist and released her.
"Sorry! I didn't hurt you did I?"
Tanya shook her head, "No, not at all, Lord Landin."
"Where is everyone? Are we back in the city already?" he asked.
"Yes. We arrived shortly after you passed out on the road. Lord Wallen is caring for Lady Rahk in his room. The rest of your party is resting as well. That is… except Lord Kalik and Miss Mordred."
Landin's brows scrunched together, then suddenly recalled what Charlotte had told him. He struggled to get up, leaving the bed.
"Where is he? He isn't doing something stupid right?"
Tanya looked away from Landin, not meeting his gaze.
"He has been training alone, from what I understand. In a place called the arena? I'm told Miss Mordred is doing her best to have him rest but he will not listen. But please! You must rest yourself. Your status may have recovered but I understand that the pain from a fight will linger for days. Even Lord Wallen is-"
"I don't give a damn," Landin groaned, getting out of bed and going for the door, "I know exactly what that grumpy bastard is thinking and I'm not about to lay in bed while it happens!"
—-----------------------
"Raaaaaahhhhhh!"
Another guttural roar reverberated through the Arena platform as Kalik struck air.
Since awakening he had done nothing but single mindedly train.
He was not allowed to leave the city. Apparently Drake or Natto told the guards at the gates to refrain from letting him pass.
Since he had no option of fighting monsters, Kalik moved to the next best option. The Grand Arena that they fought in a few days earlier. There currently wasn't anyone in it, but here he wouldn't feel the pain of his lingering injuries.
The Arena did not allow one to gain experience to break through to the next level, but it did give a reduced amount of Proficiency for skills.
Every punch, every kick, every breath, every strike was aimed to move forward, but Kalik could only see one thing. His failure to protect his mother. The back of the man he hated so fervently coming to his rescue because he was not strong enough.
He was filled with anger, with regret, and overwhelming disappointment.
Kalik took in a breath, throwing another straight, stepping forward to pivot on his foot to strike with his leg, then dropped to sweep with his other into another striking combination. Stringing together everything he could imagine that he had practiced with Drake.
If I had trained harder… If I had swallowed my damning pride to ask him to train me earlier…If I had listened to my elders, to Sah Ul' to accept Lord Wallen… He thought, abject rage building up in him once more.
He screamed, his fist hitting the tilted floor of the arena, however, the floor won. Kalik's hand snapped, his wrist bent into an awkward angle.
"I understand your frustrations, Monsieur Kalik. Mais ce n'est pas bon… But this is not going to help," Mordred said, stepping into the arena.
Kalik ground his teeth, "What would you know about it?! Losing someone you were sworn to protect! Allowing your own inability to overtake your ambition!"
Mordred frowned, "I know well more than most, Monsieur Kalik," she replied, putting her hand over her chest, "And I do not think what I witnessed during that fight was a person so willing to admit defeat. You fought admirably."
"But I still lost regardless!" he growled, standing up to face her.
Mordred pursed her lips. She wanted to say otherwise but Kalik was adamant to punish himself for not being victorious and losing his mother, despite there being nothing he could truly do.
Adam at the time was several levels above him, as well as having an army of E-Rank Monsters by his side. If anything, it only showed the gap in strength between them and Drake.
"Kalik!" a voice roared from across the room.
Landin glowered at Kalik, storming towards him with a slight limp to his step.
"What do you want, huh? Go back to bed," Kalik spat.
"While you sit here and loathe in self pity? What do you think you're doing, you weren't the only one that lost a fight at Sandal."
Landin strode up to Kalik, getting a few inches from him.
"There is no pity here, it's just the truth I wasn't strong enough to protect my tribe or my family. I couldn't even avenge my own mother…"
Landin grit his teeth frustration painting his expression, "That isn't the truth and you know it! How were you supposed to save someone that you didn't even know the location of?"
"The Patriarch would have saved her…"
"You aren't Drake man!"
"And that is my point!" Kalik growled, "If I wasn't so blinded I could have had a sliver of his prowess! I would not have been bested by some coward! As I am now I can not protect anything…"
Landin's face scrunched in anger and he grabbed Kalik by the collar.
"Stop spouting bullshit! You're not supposed to be someone this weak! Where is that stubborn grumpy dickhead who used to scoff at the sight of me! The headstrong warrior who saved me, Charlotte, Quetz! Countless times in training?!"
Kalik grabbed Landin's wrists, wrenching them from his collar, "He wasn't good enough! Do you not understand?! I am not strong enough! I have no goal… The tribe does not need someone like me, blinded by empty pride, unwilling to improve under a man I loathe."
Landin couldn't take it any longer. He shoved Kalik backwards. Summoning Ifrit to his side.
"Dwell within me, King Maker!"
Landin's body glowed and shifted, growing in height his limbs extended out, hands becoming serrated claws and face elongating to a mussel with razor sharp fangs.
"I won't accept you giving up like this! Even if I have to beat your sorry ass to get you back on your feet!"
Landin rushed forward throwing his clawed hand into Kalik's unprotected jaw, sending him flying across the platform.
"What are you doing?!" Mordred gasped.
"Stay out of it! I'm not going to continue listening to him think he's in this alone! All those days training, fighting for our lives, who do you think we were chasing! Who do you think kept us pushing to get better?! Drake!? No!" Landin growled pointing a finger at Kalik slowly getting up, wiping at his lip, "It was you, you stubborn idiot!!"
Landin splayed out his hands, then dropped to all fours to rush Kalik. But Kalik, despite initially being caught off guard, was now ready for Landin.
Kalik's body grew as he went under the effects of his 2-Gate Prosperity, his skin changing to a light red.
The two clashed with a thunderous impact as they clasped hands, both struggling to overpower the other.
"Do not try to deceive me! I treated you all as nuisances! Children I had to help learn to walk!" Kalik roared.
Landin threw his head forward, headbutting Kalik and separating them. Landin quickly followed up on the temporarily stunned Kalik, putting his hands together to bring them down in a hammer blow, throwing Kalik to the ground with a grunt.
"It's the truth! You were so much better at fighting than the rest of us! You lost your hand defending Charlotte! And when we first were thrown into training. It was you that led the charge when I was too scared to even move!"
Kalik growled, gripping Landin's leg and yanking it out from under him, bringing him to the floor as well. Shooting upwards Kalik moved to strike Landin from above, his fist resonating with power as he brought it down on him from above.
"I was a trained warrior! It is expected!"
Kaliks fist hit the floor as Landin rolled out of the way, sweeping Kalik's legs with his own, dropping Kalik to the floor once more. Landin quickly got on top of him, balling his fists.
"And that's exactly what made us try to surpass you!"
Landin threw fist after fist into Kalik's face, Kalik doing his best to defend himself.
"But if you're going to sit here and pretend we aren't friends! Comrades? Family!? Then I'll just make it so you have no choice but to work hard to beat me!! And maybe then it will remind you of how you wanted to beat Drake! Then maybe you'll go back to that stubborn idiot we all know-"
Kalik threw a punch, stopping Landin's rant in its tracks.
"Enough! I will not be lectured by you!"
Landin was forced back by the blow, but quickly came back for more, foregoing any kind of fighting strategy to win. He just wanted to pummel Kalik.
"Unless you can shut me up! You're going to keep hearing me, dumbass!"
The two exchanged fist after fist. Even long after both their empowerment skills receded and vanished, leaving them striking each other till exhaustion.
Mordred had given up, resigning herself to watching the two beat each other to a pulp for nearly an hour until another person entered the platform. The sharp steps of her heeled leather boots coming closer to the fight.
"What in the world are you two doing? You're both supposed to be resting," Charlotte said evenly, looking at the two splayed out on the floor, still struggling to raise arms to strike the other.
"H-he was sulking…!" Lanin groaned, Kalik's fist connecting to his cheek.
"I-I was training…!" Kalik grunted, Landin's leg striking his side.
"And this is how you deal with it…?" Charlotte sighed, "Boys…."
Charlotte looked over to Mordred, "Make sure they both get some rest. Drake is holding a ceremony for the fallen warriors tomorrow," she looked back at Kalik and Landin, "And if either of you want even the hope of coming with us to Avalon after, you will need to recover enough to fight."
She was cold, but seeing the two still desperately try to hit the other, a slight smile broke her normally icy emotionless face.
Charlotte turned to Mordred again, "It's good he's feeling better."
Mordred looked confused at the pair and then back to Charlotte, "Madame Charlotte. You are telling me this is better…?"
Charlotte walked off, "I've seen enough of how Drake deals with things. I'd say they worked it out."