Meanwhile, Zavet waits for Runner and Alley to come back. He lies down and falls asleep. His eyes open to see a graveyard with mausoleums and tombstones as far as the eye can see. He looks down to see a half-skeleton black-scaled hand.

  Zavet finds himself alone in a dark and eerie graveyard, and the air is thick with a palpable silence. Suddenly, a gravelly voice whispers a name, "Iscariot," and the sound is like gravel being poured over a fiery pit. He looks around to locate the source of the voice, and to his horror, he sees undead creatures crawling out of graves and mausoleums. The creatures stand before him as if waiting for his command.

  The lord of liches, Merek, materializes before him and declares that the undead forces are ready to go. The voice returns, commanding Zavet to "go forth and kill the living." The command fills his mind, erasing all other thoughts. He screams, but no sound escapes his lips.

  Suddenly, he wakes up on the green field, feeling the command still trying to control his mind. He struggles against it, grabbing onto the grass to ground himself. Slowly, the urge subsides, and he stands up with the help of Runner. He realizes he is in a nightmare, but the experience seems all too real.

  Runner and Alley ask what happened, and Zavet is given water. The announcer calls for everyone to take their seats, and the tournament's second round is about to begin. The crowd cheers as the first fight between Alley and Vlad, a fan favorite, begins. Vlad wields a long sword and a medium-sized shield, while Alley also has a sword and shield. The crowd eagerly watches as they take their positions, and the announcer shouts, "Fight!" marking the start of the second round.

  Amidst the crowd's deafening roar, Alley begins to circle Vlad with agility and precision. Her movements are swift and calculated as she tries to find an opening in Vlad's defense. Meanwhile, Vlad's sword emits a fiery red glow, and a massive ball of fire soon forms around it.

  The spectators gasp in amazement as Vlad charges towards Alley, hurling the ball of fire with all his might. However, Alley's reflexes are lightning-fast, and she deftly dodges the attack, causing the ball of fire to explode in a spectacular display of flames.

  The crowd erupts into thunderous applause, cheering for their beloved fan favorite. But Vlad is not deterred, and he continues to face Alley with a confident smirk. With his sword held high, he blocks Alley's strikes with ease, taunting her with a mocking laugh and a dismissive shake of his head.

  "You'll have to do better than that, my dear," he says, his eyes glittering with a cruel glint.

  Alley launches a series of relentless attacks towards Vlad, but he seems to dodge each of her moves effortlessly. As she prepares to cast a spell shield, Vlad's sword emits a red glow again. He wastes no time and throws a ball of fire at her, which she successfully blocks. However, before the first ball hit, he launched another one, shattering her shield. Fortunately, her spell shield prevents her from getting hurt by the spell despite her shield breaking into bits.

  Alley quickly reaches out to her side, pulls out a mace, and prepares herself to face Vlad. She starts casting spell protections and shields to defend herself, but Vlad seems completely unfazed and watches her intently. "Don't bother," he says to her. "I'll end this in just a second." Without hesitation, he charges towards her with his sword at the ready.

  Alley, being no ordinary fighter, swiftly dodges Vlad's attack by dropping and kicking the tip of his sword up. In a split second, she pins his foot to the ground by stabbing through his foot and into the dirt. Vlad tries to turn around to defend his back, but Alley smashes the side of his knee with her mace, causing him to fall to the ground and rip his foot off the sword.

  While Alley was preparing her spell, Vlad was trying to heal himself. She chanted, "I silence you; may your voice be forgotten." However, the spell hit Vlad and reflected to Alley. She panicked and struggled to speak, grabbing her throat.

  "I was able to heal myself," Vlad admitted. "But that was all my spells. I'm not very skilled in magic. I always depend on my companions for spell shields and magic items." He then pointed towards his sword and said, "This is Faust. The best thing about its powers is that it cannot be healed if Faust removes a limb or your head. You would need to go to the healers guild to get it back. Do you have the ability to resurrect? Some people can't. I don't want to end the life of such a well-rounded fighter. If you forfeit the fight, I'll put in a good word for you at the healers guild," he said mockingly.

  Alley and Vlad stood facing each other on a serene green field. As Vlad spoke, Alley took a deep breath, preparing for what would come. She strode confidently towards the center of the field and pointed to the ground, signaling she was ready to fight. Vlad's face twisted into a crooked smile as he chuckled, reminiscing about last year's tournament. "We would have invited you to join Solond, but we thought you were a Mary Sue," he taunted, "So we picked Krunk, the orc."

  Alley couldn't forget humiliating Krunk last year and the night of the tournament when she was killed and robbed of all her possessions. As she turned to see Krunk standing under the Solond balcony, Krunk used the opportunity to distract her by twiddling his fingers. At that moment, Vlad swiftly swung his sword and struck her elbow, causing her to clutch her arm in agony. Before she had time to react, Vlad launched another attack; Alley's response was too slow. Her hand fell to the ground, still gripping the mace.

  Runner warns Alley to move just in time as Vlad's sword narrowly misses her neck. She retaliates by attacking Vlad's ribs, breaking through them and puncturing his lungs. Vlad tries to distance himself from her by rolling back, but Alley charges in to finish the job. The fighting is silent, and the only sounds heard are the wet noises of her sword cutting through his flesh. Three members of Solond intervene, including Krunk, to stop Alley from using Vlad's sword against him. They knock Alley down and take Vlad's sword away.

  The green is now a site of chaos and bloodshed. The announcer quickly sends in the kingdom guards to stop the debauchery. Once everyone is off the green, they tend to Vlad, who was injured during the fight. However, despite their best efforts, Alley's arm remains wounded and unable to heal. The tournament officials scold Vlad for using such a weapon in a friendly match, and the announcer asks one of the royal court members to fix Alley's arm at the cost of the Solond barony. A brown-skinned human named Leyland with white hair steps forward and offers to heal Alley. He draws a circle in the ground and pulls out a Book of rituals, telling her it will take thirty minutes to complete. She sits on the ground as he sets an empty chair beside her and begins to chant. As he does so, the circle begins to glow, and he works magic to heal her arm.

  Meanwhile, the announcer again takes center stage to announce the next match. The combatants are Vexx and Knotley, two of the four brutes who had fought earlier. Vexx is the better fighter and waits for Knotley to tire himself out before taking advantage and killing him with a wild swing that removes Knotley's head. The announcer raises Vexx's hand as the winner, and Vexx cheers as he makes his way to the winner's circle. The healers tend to Knotley with a higher-level healing spell.

  As the next match commences, the reigning beauty of the kingdom, Rowan, steps into the arena to face off against the newcomer Zavet. As Zavet hears his name, a surge of nerves grips him, compounded by a command implanted in his mind by Iscariot, inducing fear and dread. Reluctant to cause harm, Zavet closes his eyes and reflects on his carefree days as a lizard, reminiscing about days spent feasting on bugs and swimming in the streams.

  Approaching Zavet with a friendly gesture, Rowan extends his hand for a handshake. However, the implanted command takes hold, compelling Zavet to unleash all the necromantic magic at his disposal through Rowan's hand. An anguished cry escapes Rowan as the magic disintegrates his skin and muscles, leaving behind a skeletal hand that crumbles to dust as it falls to the ground. Rowan, reeling in pain and attempting to speak, is mercilessly attacked by Zavet, who uses his tail to rip into Rowan's throat.

  As Rowan collapsed, Zavet prepared to deliver the final blow, only to be interrupted by a commanding voice. "That's enough, boy." Zavet's mind cleared upon hearing the voice, and he recognized it as Talich's. Spotting Talich in the crowd of peasants, Zavet waved in elation, relieved to see him after days of separation.

  The healers quickly took Rowan off the green and began treating him, but he started yelling about something; the crowd's cheers quickly drowned out his voice. When they turned around, Rowan was nowhere to be seen. Talich suddenly appeared, explaining that Rowan had walked off, claiming he would finish healing himself. Talich sprinkled some dust on the grass, assuring them not to worry, and said he would make sure Rowan got his things. The healers shrugged and walked away while Talich wiped the sweat off his forehead, glancing around to see if anyone had noticed what he did.

  Zavet walked to the winner's circle, where Runner clapped him on the back and said, "Damn, Zavet. He didn't even stand a chance. Your fights have been the fastest." Zavet laughed, feeling his mind clear. More than clear—he couldn't even remember the words that had made him lose control. Hoat approached Zavet, congratulating him. "Good job. Now you have a target on your back. He's a member of Solond."

  Zavet turned to Hoat. "Why is that?"

  Hoat explained, "Well, you humiliated him, for starters. That's going to be tough to recover from."

  Zavet smiled and chuckled. "Why did he enter the tournament if he wasn't ready to lose? I enter every fight knowing I might be eaten."

  Hoat gave Zavet a strange look. "Eaten?"

  Zavet nodded. "You never know if a bird will fly down and scoop you up. I had an uncle who got taken by birds and pulled apart. They're mean."

  Hoat looked at Zavet, dumbfounded. "Birds? What? Was your uncle a child?"

  Zavet shook his head. "Nah, he was the biggest in my family."

  Hoat tilted his head, thinking Zavet was messing with him, and started to laugh. "You had me for a second. Not going to lie. Birds!" Hoat laughed, slapping Zavet on the back. "I think we're going to get along famously."

  Zavet smiled back, not understanding that Hoat thought he was joking. "I haven't had a problem with them since I became big."

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Hoat grabbed his stomach in laughter, and Runner, Alley, and the others joined in. Zavet looked around at them, confused. "What's funny?"

  The laughter continued, echoing around the winner's circle. Zavet stood there, his confusion deepening. He glanced at Talich, who gave him a reassuring nod, then back at the laughing group, trying to piece together the humor in his uncle's fate. But the camaraderie at the moment, the shared laughter, and the relief of having Talich back made the confusion more bearable.

  The announcer looks at the winner's circle as they laugh. "Do you need a minute? You are the next match at your earliest convenience, Lord Hoat and Runner. The winner of this match will advance to the finals. You will skip the next round."

  Runner catches his breath and makes his way to the green. Hoat sighs and looks at Zavet. "I was hoping to face you, my friend. It's okay though. For the next fight, can you try to make it last longer?" He winks at Zavet before taking his place on the green. The crowd erupts into cheers, chanting Hoat's name. He raises his hand and waves to the spectators, acknowledging their support.

  Runner looks at Hoat with a questioning look. “Where is your weapon?”

  Hoat smiles at Runner and extends his hand as a spear materializes into it. He expertly spins the spear around himself and assumes a fighting stance. Runner rolls his eyes, unsheathing his two-handed sword from his back and mirroring Hoat's stance.

  The announcer glances at both of them, then declares, “FIGHT!”

  Hoat leaps into the air, soaring higher than any average person should be able to. Runner follows his trajectory but is momentarily blinded by the sun. The spear flies through the air, its back end forward, striking Runner in the chest. Hoat lands gracefully in front of Runner, the spear reappearing in his hand as if by magic. Runner darts in with a high feint, then attacks low, attempting to catch Hoat off guard.

  Hoat ignores the initial feint and counters Runner's low attack, beating his sword to its intended target. He stabs the spear into the ground and delivers a high kick to Runner's face with precise execution. Runner spins with a wide, arcing swing, only for Hoat to block it with his spear. Hoat follows up with a back-fist strike to the same spot he kicked. Runner jumps back, nodding in acknowledgment of Hoat's skill.

  The two warriors engage in a flurry of attacks and counterattacks. Runner darts forward, releasing a series of feints and strikes, utilizing his reach to his advantage. Hoat parries each blow with deft movements, his spear a blur of motion as he counters Runner’s relentless assault. The crowd watches in awe, the intensity of the fight captivating their attention.

  Runner swings his sword downward, only for Hoat to sidestep and jab his spear towards Runner’s midsection. Runner pivots, narrowly avoiding the thrust, and counters with a swift side swipe. Hoat blocks with the spear shaft, then spin to deliver a sweeping kick that Runner barely manages to evade.

  Breathing heavily, Runner steps back, reassessing his strategy. Hoat remains calm and composed, his eyes locked onto Runner’s every movement. The crowd's cheers grow louder, and the anticipation of who will win this intense match fills the air.

  Hoat goes on the defensive, and Runner goes on the offensive. Vials of poison hit Hoat without him seeing Runner throw them. The poison has little effect on Hoat as he has grown an immunity to poison. Hoat leaps into the air and goes on the offensive. Runner is hit on top of the head with the blunt side of the spear. Hoat continues to attack, pushing Runner back. His attacks are more precise than what he used to. Runner realizes that Hoat may be the most skilled fighter he has seen and fought against. He stays on the offensive longer than Runner can keep up with. His arms and legs start to give out. He falls but throws his sword up to try a counterattack. Somehow, the sword makes contact. Hoat jumps back, grabbing his thigh.

  “Nice Counter. Very good form. Exilent endurance. Some training on the ships will help with your footwork,” Hoat tells Runner. Runner stands and catches his breath. You are not using magic or any magic items besides the spear coming back to you, which is pretty cool.

  Hoat shrugs. “Would you like to see me do more? I'm not saying I can easily beat you. I was just wanting to see your fighting ability.” Runner smiles, showing his teeth. “Sure, let's see what the second in charge of the most accomplished barony can do.” Hoat laughs and summons a golden, black, and green spear. “Ok,” The spear starts to float by his side.

  Hoat and the other spear dart in faster than Runner's eyes can keep up with. The spear attacks on its own, while Hoat uses his other spear to prevent Runner from blocking the floating spear. The spear penetrates straight through Runner as though he is made of paper. Runner falls to the ground and sees the sky.

  The spear continues stabbing him until Hoat calls it back. The healers rushed to Runner's side and began healing him.”Sorry Runner. The spear is made for killing. I would never use it unless I'm in a dire situation. I was just showing off for the crowd.” Runner sits up. “Yeah, I can see the gap. So magic items can create a large gap in ability and skill.” Hoat shrugs. “Well, magic itself creates the gap. A straight-up fighter with no magic ability has its limits. Now, a fighter who also uses magic will be the most powerful person on the battlefield.”

  Runner stands and shakes Hoats hand. Hoat turns to the members of Krimlond and then looks back to Runner. “If you accept, we will gladly take you in. Maybe one day you can join us.” Runner can't hide his excitement, so he walks to the Krimlond balcony and sits beside the other members on the grass. They all pat his back and start going through his pockets. One of them says, “ He doesn't have shit. “ one of the ladies starts putting stuff in his pockets. Runner laughs and playfully pushes them away. Lina starts throwing stuff at her hooligans. She starts mouthing the words “ Quit”. They all start messing with her back by giving her a surprised look.

  The announcer walks onto the green again. “ Ladies and gentlemen, that was quite the show. Krimlond looks like it has found a recruit. It's been quite some time since they have taken a new member. Congratulations, Krimlond.” He smiles at them and shakes his head. Our next match is Jett and Gnash. These two are the other ones that used brute strength.”

  Gnash walks onto the green, but Jett does not move. He holds his hands up and tells the announcer he does not wish to continue. He walks out of the winner's circle and walks out of the area. The announcer sadly accepts the forfeit. “ Looks like Gnash goes to the next round.

  The announcer turns to face the winner's circle. “Zavet, Alley, you are the next combatants. Let's see a nice, clean match.” Zavet looks to Alley excitedly. “You ready?” Alley looks at Zavet, testing her voice, and clears her throat. “ Yeah, let's give them a good show, yeah. Don't try to win so fast.” Zavet laughs along with Hoat

  Zavet walks onto the green, full of excitement. Alley makes her way to the weapons racks next to the green. She grabs a new mace, a dagger, and a shield. Then, she meets Zavet in the middle of the green. The announcer looks at both. “Are you ready?” They both nod. “Fight,” the announcer takes a few steps back; Alley and Zavet circle each other.

  Alley begins to cast protective magic, creating a shimmering shield around herself. Zavet mimics her, but his shields are darker and slightly obscure his form. Alley, puzzled by the difference, squints to see him better through the magical barrier.

  “Here I come,” Zavet announces, striding confidently towards her. Alley strains to see him through the distortion of his shield, but suddenly, he’s right beside her, striking swiftly. She winces as his tail slashes her side, drawing blood.

  “Uhh, Zavet, the shield is supposed to stay on you,” she admonishes, clutching her wound. Zavet glances at his shield, realizing it has drifted away. “Just a sec,” he mutters, gesturing for the shield to return to him. The crowd laughs as Zavet chases the elusive magic orb around the arena. Alley shakes her head, taking advantage of his distraction to launch an attack.

  She catches him off guard, her blade cutting deeply into his dominant arm. Zavet shows no sign of pain, and his focus is solely on retrieving the orb. He finally grasps it, only to find Alley behind him, poised to strike. In a panic, he hurls the orb at her. It passes through her, causing her eyes and fingers to blacken with decay. She stares at her hands in horror.

  “Zavet, what is that?” she demands, her voice tinged with fear.

  Zavet shrugs, unsure. Seizing the moment, he attacks again, his tail tearing a chunk of flesh from her side. Alley darts back, attempting to heal herself, but the healing magic only intensifies her pain. She screams, her eyes filled with desperation. “What did you do?”

  Zavet looks at her helplessly, gesturing with his hands in confusion. Desperate and angry, Alley launches a ferocious onslaught, her attacks fueled by pain and panic. Zavet dodges and counters, but her expertise leaves him with numerous wounds. His left leg is barely attached, hanging by tendons and muscles.

  Alley’s condition worsens rapidly. Her eyes and nose turn black; her breathing becomes labored. “Zavet, you need to pull this out of me before they see. I don’t know what it is, but I don’t want you getting into trouble if it’s what I think it is,” she whispers urgently.

  Alley begins a theatrical display of attacks, intentionally missing Zavet by narrow margins. He catches on and starts working to extract the dark magic from her. With each attempt, dark liquid oozes from her pores like black sweat. Her face and hands gradually clear as the malevolent substance is expelled.

  The crowd, unaware of the true nature of their struggle, cheers wildly, believing they are witnessing an intense and skillful duel. Zavet focuses intently, using his knowledge of necromancy to draw out the last remnants of the dark magic. Alley’s breathing steadies and her skin returns to its normal color.

  “Thank you,” she whispers, her eyes filled with relief and gratitude. Zavet nods, his wounds severe but his determination unwavering. The two warriors, now allies in their secret struggle, face the crowd with the appearance of fierce competitors, their true battle hidden beneath the spectacle.

  She wipes her face and starts attacking again. Zavet falls as she cuts off his leg. He rolls and attacks with his tail, knocking her sword out of her hand. He pulls her in, and they start grappling on the ground. She manages to pull out the dagger and starts stabbing him. He gets his tail around her neck and starts choking her. She stops fighting and goes limp. He keeps choking her. After a few moments, the healers tell him she is out, and he wins the fight.

  Talich walks up to Zavet, pulls him off the green, and begins healing him. “Boy, Do Not Use Your Magic Here. I will pull you out of this tournament. You understand me.” Zavet cowers, never being scolded like that. “I'm sorry. I don't know how to use it very well.” Talich pats his head and waits to see if anyone approaches them. After five minutes, no one approaches them. “No one noticed the magic was necromancy,” he says quietly. “You took some heavy hits. She stabbed you a bit in the ribs. Zavet, that dagger was pretty long. How did you manage to stay alive, sustaining that much damage? “ Zavet shrugs. “ I don't know. I know it should have hurt, but something was pushing me forward. “

  Talich used four higher-level necrotic spells to heal Zavet. He whistles in amazement. “That's a lot of magic to heal you. Something is changing within you, getting stronger. If I gauge your endurance, you would be around the power of a death knight, the strongest undead you can create without being a lord of necromancy. You are not undead, though. But you are healed by necromantic magic. If I were you, I would lose the next match on purpose. We don't need the royals taking an interest in you.”

  Zavet listens but starts shaking his head. “I don't want to lose. I want to fight Hoat. I can smell necromancy on him. Watching his fight with Runner, I don't know if I can beat him. I want to find out.” Talich grins and laughs a little bit. “ You may be able to. I don't know anyone besides myself who can take a death knight alone. Last year, It took six of the strongest members of Krimlond to kill one.” Zavet laughs and starts acting tough with his arms, as if he is swollen with muscle.

  The announcer calls Gnash and Vexx to the green. Vexx walks up, waves to the crowd, and meets Gnash. The announcer gets them in the middle of the green and yells, “Fight!”

  Vexx and Gnash clash as they both furiously charge each other. The two begin to exchange blows. Both of them use brute strength.

  The two combatants continue exchanging blows. After a few minutes, they are exhausted yet push through, trying to get the upper hand. Gnash falls to his knees as Vexx stands, looking down at him. Both men are breathing heavily. Vexx musters up the last bit of his strength and kicks Gnash in the chest. Gnash lays on his back motionless. Vexx drags himself over to the other combatant. Vexx delivers a devastating blow to the chest of gnash. He slowly steps back, waiting for the healers to do their part. They run in and begin casting healing spells on both combatants.

  The announcer yells, “I think we have a winner. That was a great display of strength for both combatants. Vexx has shown us he is here to win. We will see Vexx and Zavet in the semi-finals. We will take a short break to allow Vexx to catch his breath. “ Vexx sits in the winner's circle, away from the others.

  Zavet sits with Talich as they wait. Alley walks over to them with some food and a cup of water. “You were something else out there, Zavet.” he looks up at her. She hands him fish and water. “A little something to keep you going. I am looking forward to this being over. I want to get to know you and Runner. You guys are fun. I think I'll go places if we become friends. “ Hoat Interrupts Zavet as he is going to reply to her. “You were all great. Don't worry. Win or lose, I will give the four of you tokens of our barony. We will include you in our missions and jobs. Just to feel you out. You hear that vexx that counts for you, too.”

  Vexx turns to Hoat “I would not join your little group of stuck-up elites. You are a laughingstock of the kingdom. Your group is as strong as it is because you keep a small number of members. The spoils of your missions and wars spread out equality.” Hoat nods and gives Vexx an apologetic smile. “ I'm sorry, that's what it looks like from the outside. The real reason we keep low numbers is because we have been betrayed multiple times. Each time, they have taken very valuable rituals from us, along with magic items we loaned to the members. So yes, we are very cautious about who we let join us. It takes years to gain our trust now. every barony has gained power in one way or another because of our ex-members stealing info or other valuables from us.” Vexx just stares at Hoat for a long minute. Then he stands up and walks away.