‘Who does he think he is?’ Hope Thomas thought, his eyes narrowed towards Adam, who strapped on his gauntlets, stretching out his hands, before the young man started to… dance? 

‘Wouldn’t be a good idea to pull a muscle in front of the kids,’ Adam thought. ‘I haven’t lost in front of my kids before, and I can’t embarrass myself by having these kids tell their future bosses about their old man being a loser.’

“What’s he doing?” a child asked.

“He’s praying cause he’s a priest.”

“That’s not praying.”

“It’s Iyrman praying,” the child said, as though it was true. 

“Ooooh.”

Amira sipped her milk, eyeing up the young half elf in purple. “How can he be like that when he’s so terrifying?” 

“He is Adam,” Sara replied, simply.

“I just hope he doesn’t cause too much of a mess,” Korin said, glancing to the side to Dunes. “Out of the desert into the storm.”

“He will hop out of the storm and enter the whirlpool,” Amira added. 

“Then he will swim through it only to be swallowed by lava.”

“What is after lava?”

“The mountains?”

“Let us hope it is not Black Mountain,” Sara joked.

Amira thought about Adam and his effect on Black Mountain. ‘Lady Arya, we will do our best to keep him away, but please forgive us if we are unable.’ “No, after the mountains, it will be Adam.”

Korin didn’t like how it made so much sense.

Nirot let out a low groan, her arms crossed. Naqokan pat her back gently, understanding the frustrations of the young Iyrman. Her grandfather had been spoken ill of and she was not the one to fight. However, there was something else, the reason why Nirot was shaking ever so slightly. It was not the shaking of anger, but that of excitement.

“Hoo!” Adam said, having calmed himself down while warming up his body. “If I’m going up against the Seventh Hope, I think I’m going to need some help.”

“This is a duel between you and I under the watchful eye of Mother Soza,” Hope Thomas stated. “Do not sully the duel with any outside interference.”

“No,” Adam said, pointing his hand past the Hope. “Since my opponent is so powerful, I’m going to need some help. Who is going to support me with their prayers? Copper, will you support me with your prayers?”

The boy looked between Adam and the Seventh Hope. “Mister Adam, he’s a Hope.”

“Ack!” Adam reached for his heart. “Copper, you’re not going to support me?”

“I am supporting Mother Soza,” the boy said, clasping his hands together. The other children followed after him, all clasping their hands together.

“Ha! To think you would turn the children against me! Alex, will you pray for me?”

Alex flushed slightly as he was called out. He glanced around at the eyes of all the people looking around towards the boy Adam had called out for. “Good luck, mister Adam.”

“Ha!” Adam flexed his muscles. “I feel so much more powerful now! Thank you, Alex, I knew I could count on you. Do you feel that, Seventh Hope? That pressure upon your shoulders are the expectations and the…” Adam smirked wide, “hopes places upon my shoulders.”

“…” Hope Thomas could feel something stir within him. Adam, though acting the fool, had slipped through his armour, and his skin, with that stupid voice of his. ‘We will see how long you can joke for.’

Lucy winced deeply. ‘If he’s being this cringe, then does that mean everything’s going to be okay?’

“Cobra, Viper, Python,” Adam called, placing on his helmet carefully, his playful eyes and smile still able to be seen before he hid them away with his visor. “You might want the kids to cover their ears, but make sure you all watch carefully.”

The snake sister, unsure of what Adam was planning, decided against ignoring his warning. They, as well as the other elder siblings, made sure the children were at least partly covering their ears, though they didn’t entirely block them.

“Are you done with your theatrics?” 

“My theatrics? Hope Thomas, I-,”

“Adam, you still need to show respect to the Seventh Hope,” called a stern voice from nearby. 

‘Since Jaygak’s speaking like that…’ “Apologies, let us begin.” Adam held out his axe towards the Seventh Hope, and the area fell silent. 

‘What is this fool up to?’ 

“…”

“…”

Hope Robert cleared his throat. “You may begin.”

Battle Order
D20 + 1 = 8 (7)

Mana: 25 -> 24
Spell: Thunderous Smite

Attack - Wraith
D20 + 10 = 26 (16)
Omen: 19, 20 -> 20
19 + 10 = 29
Critical hit!
Wraith: 3 -> 0
Mana: 24 -> 21
Ability: Divine Smite
4D6 + 4D6 + 12D6 + 8D6 + 9 = 114 (3, 4, 4, 5)(3, 3, 5, 6)(1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6)(2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5, 6)
114 damage!

“You shouldn’t have talked smack about the old man or my grandaunt,” Adam said, darting forward, calling forth a prayer. “By Lord Sozain’s might!” He felt the rush of magic through his arm and into his arm, while his axe started to vibrate, the young half elf didn’t even bother to aim. 

Adam plucked a Thread of Fate. 

The figure stepped into the seemingly abandoned home within the large city, his blade out, holding it ahead of him. The building was made of wood, and though it seemed boarded, up, he was certain that the fugitive had stepped through this way. Somehow, he hadn’t left a trail of blood from killing one of the Black Lions already. However, this building seemed to hold no life, and the dust betrayed it had been undisturbed for years. 

‘Noor take you,’ the Black Lion thought, turning around. As he stepped out, for a moment, the world turned silent. As it did, he heard something drip right behind him, before his blade blurred through the air, and narrowly cut the Aswadian’s side. 

“Bloody Viper!” came the shout, echoing out from the outskirts of the city, and the pursuit was on once more, but this time with a Bloody Viper who held even greater injuries.

Thus Fate was forever changed.

The thunderous roar of Adam’s smite filled the air as Wraith clashed against the longsword of the Seventh Hope. Wraith struck with such violent force, that the Hope’s blade swung backwards wildly, while his entire body followed afterwards, tossed like a used rag as his body crashed onto the ground.

The explosion rocked through the temple, the thunder even reaching beyond the temple, even gently rumbling through the town proper. The children’s faces were stuck in a permanent shock and awe from the thunder, which caused them to clutch at their ears harder, while their gasps had been drowned out long ago by the rumble of might which emanated through the temple.

A second passed.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

The body of the Seventh Hope remained still on the floor. 

Victory!
XP Gained: +1000
XP: 11 800 -> 12 800

“Hoo!” Adam exhaled, before raising his axe. “Thank t…” Adam noted the heaviness within the air. 

Hope Robert clutched the blade at his side, almost ready to draw it. The older man had reached for it instinctively, and he only realised he was grasping the hilt of his blade when Adam’s gaze fell upon him.

“Oh ho, what’s this?” Adam asked, noticing how several of the Hopes and Rays had turned their attention upon him, a darkness seeping out of them. “To think I would feel such… murderous energy coming from the likes of the Hopes and Rays right within the Holy Temple of Our Great Mother.”

The shock rippled through the temple even harsher than the thunder. Though Seventh Hope Thomas was young and though he was the weakest of the Hopes, he was still a Hope, at least holding the strength of a Master. A Master in full plate, with the magical equipment afforded to all Hopes, those which had clashed in countless battles from his predecessors. His speciality was also his defence, for the young man was harder to strike than his peers, even if he bore no shield.

“You wicked fiend,” First Hope Robert called out. “What kind of sorcery is this?”

“Oh, come on now, surely you have something better than that,” Adam replied, casually putting his axe away, before motioning a hand to Thomas. “Might want to take a look at him, just in case he had a heart attack tanking that kind of blow.”

One of the Rays prayed, sending out waves of warmth magic towards the Seventh Hope, whose body jolted awake, his vision returning as he groaned, feeling his body tensing and relaxing repeatedly. 

Adam wanted to make a joke, but feeling all the eyes on him, he let out a sigh.

“Mister Adam, are you fighting the order?” Leah asked, the smallest of the children.

“No, no, of course not,” Adam said, stepping towards the young girl to one side, before Robert stepped around, hiding her away from view behind his form. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Adam heard the shifting of the other Hopes and Rays, forming multiple layers of circles around the half elf, almost like a Rose unfolding, each with Adam in their sights. 

‘…’

---

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How predictable.