SilverPaw

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

Ineraz Evrenarth

_{Husband of: Sera @Pupperr and Zeldria @Saltwater Thief
Interacting with: his brides}

Zeldria had been oddly quiet even though Ineraz had done his best to present the appeal of hunting, which she had asked about. At least Sera expressed an interest for it – who would have thought that a Gem might find something so “violent” fun? As expected, both brides had trouble eating, but managed at least a little; about as much as a bird might. No wonder their race was so frail and weak if this was any indication of their usual eating habits. Though the girls were probably exhibiting some sort of a stress reaction after being removed from their former environment. Such withdrawal was something Ineraz had seen often enough with animals when he first relocated them for taming, though those just as often reacted aggressively. Would these female Gems eventually show their teeth and claws, too? The male Drakkan was rather doubtful of the pair’s capability to do such a thing. However, even the weakest beings usually had some way to at least trick their predators. Whatever could his own pretty flames come up with? These were some of the thoughts Ineraz had as he watched the refreshed brides enter his bedroom and observed their course of action.

Ineraz noted that Sera, for one, did not take the dress she had been wearing with her, so perhaps she preferred plainer outfits just as he himself did. The tunics might not emphasize their physical appeal as much as the dresses had, but he thought the way they showed realistically just what his brides had was far more natural. Besides, finery or not, these Gems were certainly not lacking in femininity and base attractiveness. Ineraz couldn’t help his sly grin, nor how he licked his lips in quiet anticipation.

He saw the way Sera’s eyes flicked to the bedrolls and was honestly a tad disappointed, enough so that he might have pouted were he a few decades younger. His eyes tracked her movements and he was intrigued by the seemingly habitual fashion in which the little one set her bedding – facing the door, as if expecting some sort of danger to come from the outside. Did Sera not realize that she shared a room with someone who was a much likelier source of threat to her than some unknown outsider would be? Or had he managed to gain a modicum of her trust so soon?

Ineraz blinked in surprise as the small fire Gem neared his bed and stood within arms-reach, observing him. They practically stared into each other’s eyes (he, with his glacier blue, she with her blood red), and Ineraz cocked an inquisitive eyebrow when Sera cupped his cheek. What exactly was she trying to accomplish? What a strange Gem. Before he could decide whether to react and how (possibly by petting her or offering her a kiss), Sera had already returned to her bedroll on the floor and apologized softly.

Ineraz sighed quietly, but did not let the minor setback discourage him. “No matter,” he said calmly. “We have many nights ahead of us, my sweet,” the endearment flowed easily and earnestly from his tongue. He certainly wasn’t embarrassed to give his brides appealing nicknames, and if they ever decided to do the same for him when in private, he would not mind greatly. Either way, judging by her reaction, Sera was definitely curious at the very least. Ineraz could barely contain the lustful rumble building in his chest from turning into an outright growl, especially because he was convinced he caught her eyeing him, or rather, certain parts of him.

Then he turned to Zeldria, who would hopefully decide to slake his ever-growing lust. If not, he would simply have to take himself in hand. And if his brides would be disturbed by being watched, asleep or not, well…He wouldn’t let it deter him. It would be their own fault really, refusing such a charming offer. Perhaps they would even be convinced (aroused) by such obvious want, as voyeuristic as it would be of him.

Ineraz remained sitting on the bed, to all appearances very casually looking at Zeldria, his best seductive smirk reserved now only for her, his hand proceeding to stroke his thigh slowly. In truth, he was barely holding himself back, and if the remaining Gem did nothing soon, he would take his pleasure from his own flesh, and he wasn’t above exaggerating his enjoyment either, though he was usually quiet in such solo pursuits.

Summary

Ineraz considers some of his brides’ actions and reactions through the day. He is then slightly baffled by Sera, excuses her non-participation and refocuses on Zeldria. Like the creep he is, he’s seriously thinking about touching himself lewdly while watching his Gems and hopefully being watched by them, intending to put on (even more of) a show if Zeldria doesn’t join him either. Feel his heavy gaze of expectation!

Magic RP (Open to new players)

"Much better, thank you, Aerta. I will handle the training perfectly fine, no need to worry. And I would be absolutely thrilled to see your collection. Have you ever written any journals or anything similar of your own?" Yssil turned to Aerta, his attention now wholly on her; he wasn't concerned with the guests any more as they obviously had their own business to take care of.

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

Ineraz Evrenarth

_{Husband of: Sera @Pupperr and Zeldria @Saltwater Thief
Interacting with: his brides}

The little one looked up at him with those pretty red eyes of hers, though Ineraz couldn’t decide if she was afraid or not based only on her current posture or demeanour. Then, before answering, her face smoothed into a peculiar non-expression. Ineraz took that to mean she either calmed herself or was hiding behind a brave façade. A rather hopeful indication for certain pleasing traits, such as respectfulness or perhaps even vigour.

“Sera,” he tested the name, then raised his eyebrows in amusement at the Gem’s next question. Whether she was simply reckless or socially awkward, Ineraz found Sera to be endearing more than irritating so far, and was thus not bothered by the slight disrespect of the query, which could be construed as containing a hint of a challenge. Still, his brides should know his first name and some rules of conduct, so he proceeded to give both. “You may call me Ineraz. When in a public setting, you should add a ‘sir’ when referring to me, at least occasionally,” he cocked a considering eyebrow, then added “Or ‘master’ if you’re feeling particularly formal. And as you’ve already guessed,” his tone acquired the slightest note of mockery, though it could be very easily mistaken for levity “calling me husband or Lord husband is perfectly fine too.” And because he could, he offered Sera a very quick, small smile.

“And Zeldria,” Ineraz turned his attention to his taller slender beauty, who seemed content to be compliant so far. Quite pleasing. He rewarded her with a smile that had some more honesty behind it than his previous one did, though it was doubtful that either girl would be able to tell the difference.

“You are correct, I am known to some Drakken as a Beastmaster because hunting is my way of life and my business. Taming as well. Canids are a good example; some have been domesticated by Drakken for a while, however choosing certain wild ones and training them as I see fit has brought some very satisfying results. The same goes for several other varieties of animals as well.

“You would be surprised how profitable it all can be. Admittedly, not many Drakken see hunting as a worthwhile affair. However, I can assure you that it is rather necessary and provides plentiful learning opportunities. In fact, if either of you happens to be interested, I am willing to offer you first-hand experience in tracking, trapping, killing and preparing game. Don’t worry, you’d be relatively safe with me. No need to be afraid of refusing either, because I don’t expect you to do something so…I suppose you as Gems would consider it distasteful?” he ended the explanation with a query. Though if they declined or did not answer at all, he intended to extend them future opportunities for expressing such an interest.

“We’re leaving,” Ineraz told them shortly after answering their questions. There wasn’t much reason to stay beyond the feast and that was not something he was greatly interested in. As they were both still facing him, he gently turned them around, then placed a hand on the mid-back of each girl, so that Zeldria was on his left and Sera on his right. In this way, he guided them back to his family’s manor house. The physical contact he maintained with his brides insured the girls wouldn’t stray. It also gave them a light push to continue in his desired direction, should they need it. During the minutes long walk in the rain, Ineraz did his best to match his pace to the Gems, though the height difference made it a bit of a challenge. It caused the walk to be longer than it would have been otherwise and Ineraz watched a bit regretfully as his brides got soaked – their dresses, while pretty, hardly offered much protection.

“The Evrenarth – my family’s – estate,” Ineraz offered as an explanation as soon as they arrived at their goal. He stopped for half a minute, despite the drizzle, and let his brides look upon the greyish-yellow manor house. As soon as they came inside, Ineraz took the time to dry off his brides – and also himself – by way of creating a warm breeze of air which enveloped them for a while.

One of the Drakkan guards at the estate notified him that his own subordinates returned just recently, and were currently dining, so Ineraz took Sera and Zeldria to dinner and then graciously allowed them to eat in peace – though he did insure that they did, in fact, eat – while he conversed with his Drakken colleagues about the wares they sold, the purchases they made, some notable fights at the tournament they had missed, and any business matters which had to be resolved. When they all finished eating, Ineraz beckoned two of the Drakkan males to follow him, while he himself yet again led the brides to another room.

“You may have some time to take a bath. A servant will bring you spare clothing, though these dresses, however unpractical they may be, are now yours. I might take you shopping tomorrow if you behave,” then they entered the room together, most of which was occupied by a wooden tub, large enough that it could accommodate both Gems at once. To the side, there were three barrels filled with water and Ineraz transferred the contents into the tub, then warmed the water to an almost uncomfortable degree. Then he left the room and closed the door almost fully, leaving it open only a crack. His Gem brides would be left be alone, but any illusion of privacy was easily broken by the two guards standing just outside the room.

Ineraz addressed the two male Drakken in a quiet voice. “Ensure that they don’t get harmed in any way,” he specified this only because he knew that some Gemmenite women were so distraught after being taken from their homeland that they attempted to commit suicide, and sometimes succeeded. “One of you fetch a servant and have them try to find two cloth tunics that might fit my brides. When the Gems are done, lead them to my rooms. Make sure someone refills the water barrels after. Then take your well-earned rest,” he left, trusting they wouldn’t dare do anything to his possessions without his permission.

Ineraz went ahead to his room, though not before charging a servant to bring two bedrolls and a washing bowl for him. In his chambers, he removed his armour and weapons and brushed his hair. When the requested items had been delivered, he quickly washed off the light sweat he had worked up during the day, set the bowl aside, and put on a black cloth tunic. He then set the bedding for his two brides in a corner of the room, opposite from the door and far enough from his weapons that were still openly displayed where only Ineraz could easily access them if he so needed.

The bedding on the floor would be comfortable enough, though not as much as if his darling little Gems decided to sleep with or next to him. The thought of his new brides naked and possibly washing each other right now made him ache uncomfortably. But he did want them to be willing for any bed activities…Ineraz only hoped his patience and lust could hold out long enough. Oh, but the mere thought of simply ravishing them! Don’t lose your resolve so easily, now. Ineraz knew he could seduce them, and do it well. Think of the long-term benefits…Mmm.

As soon as his guards delivered his refreshed brides and left so the three could have their privacy, Ineraz spoke to them. “I will give you three options for how this and any following night in your new lives could proceed. One, you may choose to sleep in a corner not unlike a dog,” he nodded in the direction of the bedrolls, “Two, you may sleep next to me,” he patted the bed he was currently sitting on “And three, you may sleep with me,” he grinned at them lasciviously and eyed their bodies tellingly. He then redirected his gaze back to their eyes and made one last prediction. “Either way, you will eventually get used to my presence and the idea of being with me. And I assure you, I will show you the kinds of pleasure you wouldn’t have had chance to even dream of until now, much less experience,” the last sentence, Ineraz practically purred out sultrily, making a rather suggestive movement with his hand; stroking down his chest slowly and ending at his thigh, his fingers playfully inching closer to the prize his brides could get.

Summary

Ineraz introduces himself to both brides, answers their questions, then leads them to the Evrenarth estate. The dinner and subsequent bath time are an opportunity for Sera and Zeldria to interact, if you two want them to. After you have the brides finish washing up, they will be led to Ineraz’s room, where he invites them to either sex or cuddling, though they will still be required to at least sleep in the same room if they refuse that offer. Also, he’s secretly hoping that his form-fitting black tunic might entice his two brides by way of showing off more skin and musculature than his armour did.

Also, because I didn’t want to rewrite too much of my post: Assume Ineraz left either before Rynek caused that scene or went around it and avoided the whole spectacle (however unlikely that might be).

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

Ineraz Evrenarth

_{Interacting with: Zeldria @Saltwater Thief and Serafine @Pupperr}

There were plenty of interesting fights as far as Ineraz was concerned, but apparently the Princess didn’t agree, as she stepped out into the arena herself and challenged all of them to do better. She just wants some fun herself. Even though he knew better than to be goaded so easily, he couldn’t help feeling that extra rush of drive to fight some more (and kill – if only the tournament were set that way!), to hold nothing back, and thoroughly subjugate a worthy opponent.

The collective shouting of Drakken who wanted to prove her wrong quieted down as the princess was attacked. Ineraz automatically tensed, his hand going to the handle of his weapon, more than ready to cut down the infidels who chose to oppose the royal family with such blatant dishonour. However, there were guards much closer to the princess who could help and it was obvious that she wanted to deal with the threat on her own, so Ineraz relaxed as much as he could in such a circumstance, and enjoyed watching the female Drakkan best three fighters on her own. They weren’t prepared as well as they could be, but the way the princess won was still magnificent, despite the fact that she was also injured during the proceedings, and Ineraz felt a rush of desire arise for her.

As if you could get a wife of royal blood for yourself, idiot boy. Ineraz grimaced sourly as the tone of that thought was much too like his father’s for his own liking, however true it might have been. She would only bring endless inconveniences, I’m sure, he exhaled resignedly, knowing his attempt to convince himself not to lust after her was half-hearted at best. I wonder what kind of a Queen she would make. A sudden image of that possibility appeared in his mind, even more appealing than he might have expected, and Ineraz shook his head to regain his focus. There are more important things to consider here. Such as the fact that someone attempted to kill her, he chided himself. The question was – was it really a sign of an uprising as she suggested? For now, it doesn’t affect me, he concluded, although his thoughts did turn to what his family members would have to say about this event.

~

The evening arrived, and with it, their prizes. A procession of numerous Gemmenite girls entered after the high prince, most of them emitting some level of disquiet, but collectively they brought a beautiful colourfulness into the room. What a feast for the eyes! Who could say now that Drakken had no sense for the aesthetics?

The current heir to the throne gave a short speech, after which the guards began leading Gems to their new owners. Ineraz observed lazily as group by group was escorted. Several minutes passed before a guard made his way toward Ineraz, and the girls’ escort was obviously displeased at what he had to do. The guard’s mocking tone infuriated him even though Ineraz had been expecting this kind of attitude after his father’s brilliant idea; in fact, the level of disrespect for what would surely be considered unworthiness in the eyes of others had been almost suspiciously non-existent until now. However, Ineraz didn’t let such simple jealousy as the guard exhibited diminish his mood, and simply offered the other male a smug smirk. The tournament was held for precisely this reason – if anyone saw themselves as being worthier of a bride (or two, he eyed the pair happily), they were free to challenge him.

The guard rudely pushed his new property toward him, causing them to stumble. Before either girl could fall, Ineraz stepped forward to stabilize them. For a long moment, he remained there, with a hand on each of the girls’ shoulders, and although his grip was gentle, his possessiveness was evident. The disrespectful guard long forgotten, he gave each female a quick look-over, then stepped back and returned his arms to his sides. The smaller of the two Gems was wintry white, her hair with a silvery sheen over it, her most outstanding characteristic her intensely red eyes. The taller of the pair had a healthier complexion, though she was still relatively pale, the almost dull brown of her eyes contrasted by her wine-red hair.

“Are you both fire Gems then?” Ineraz murmured – they would both hear the question, but it was fairly rhetorical. Surely, there would be future occasions where he could find out what their elements were. It would simply make for a nice set if they were both blessed with fire, considering the similar shade of each female’s most catching feature. He assessed the bodies of each, and found them satisfactory, though the shorter Gem seemed a bit frail. But that was probably just a general Gemmenite trait.

“What are your names?” Ineraz asked this question more clearly, expecting both to answer. Having a proper name to call them by would make things simpler, though if they refused to answer, there were certainly other methods available as well.

Summary

Lusts after the Drakkan princess in his mind. Greets new brides in the evening.

Magic RP (Open to new players)

"I've studied formally for some time Aerta, but the fey are too rare a subject to have come up. It will be best for you to rely on Smith's mother in this case," Yssil replied.

Word association Game!

Paste

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

Ineraz Evrenarth

Ineraz’s first opponent in the Pit was a 6’9 brute of a Drakkan, who like many of their kin likely intended to rely mainly on pure brute force. The other’s armour was very light, a combination of leather and cloth, showing off what might in other circumstances be an appealing amount of bare skin and bulging, defined musculature, its dark grey colour accented with a modest amount of black war-paint. Kytho, as he had learned the other’s first name was – not that Ineraz intended to remember it after the match unless the male managed to impress him – wielded a huge two-handed battle-axe and nothing else, though he could probably swing his weapon with one hand if he was pressed to do so.

The grounds were a simple circular dirt enclosure, surrounded by a stone wall which extended upwards into an area where the many Drakken spectators could either stand or sit as they pleased (the few Gems, though they were hardly worth mentioning, would be forced to obey their masters’ whims and as such unlikely afforded the luxury of sitting down, or indeed, expressing their free will in any other significant manner). There was one exit into the underground prep room, now already closed by thick iron doors and guarded by a Drakkan ready to intervene should there be hint of an unhonourable killing about to occur. Relevant to Ineraz, there were four wooden troughs filled water, each standing close to a wall in one of the four cardinal directions. Kytho didn’t even offer a glance to those, so either water wasn’t one of his elements, or he intended to fight primarily with his weapon.

The fight started suddenly; one moment the warriors were staring at each other, Kytho seriously but with a manic gleam in his eyes, Ineraz with a grin reflecting the other male’s hidden joy openly, both having a weapon drawn. As Kytho dashed forward in his direction, Ineraz became almost unaware of the crowd’s noise, his focus narrowing to the Drakkan in front of him and the small arena around them. When Kytho was close enough that he already begun a swung that could easily deal a killing blow, Ineraz sidestepped and managed to sneak in a slash to the bulkier male’s side with his sword, creating a long but shallow gash. Kytho snorted contemptuously and lifted his axe from where it hit the ground, already making a second swing, now horizontally in Ineraz’s direction.

Ineraz managed to duck in time, but as soon as he took a step backwards and stood up, his opponent struck a hit to his right bicep with the blunt side of his axe. Although the leather armour protected him some, Ineraz still felt a momentary numbness in his right arm and his grip on the weapon loosened slightly. Almost reflexively, Ineraz threw a strong condensed gale of wind at Kytho, barely pushing the massive Drakkan a step backwards, and by the sights of it, also enraging him. Kytho snarled furiously and unleashed a flame ball unto him. Ineraz protected his head at the expense of his left arm, damaging the sleeve of his armour and leaving behind a rather painful burn. Seeing as his move proved to be effective, Kytho called on more flame smugly, but Ineraz was more than capable of thinking through his pain, and swiftly called water from the nearest trough. The opposite elements clashed, creating an area of steam, and while Ineraz could push it safely away from him and toward Kytho, his opponent apparently did not have that ability, as proven by the shrill scream he uttered as soon as he literally got a face full of hot steam.

Vindictively, Ineraz kept the steam right there at its current temperature, until Kytho dropped to his knees. In case it wasn’t yet clear to the other male, he stepped forward calmly and held his sword to the neck of his downed foe. Despite a minor injury, the victory was his. The Drakkan referee also declared it as such, stepping forward to see the state of Kytho. Showing as much nonchalance as he could while his rush of adrenaline subsided and the pain in his left forearm made itself known, Ineraz left the arena to tend to his own wound. A patch of skin on his left arm was red and blistery, but Ineraz was confident enough that it would mend easily and soon enough, especially if he applied some sort of a salve.

In the privacy of one of the preparation rooms, he touched the burn and winced. Fortunately, pain was a good sign in this case. Ineraz frowned as he acknowledges the fact that he would also have to replace part of his armour. With a sigh, he took his dagger and carefully cut off the leather sleeve at his elbow and peeled it off his wound. Conveniently, the pit prep rooms also held several basic medicinal substances for the combatants, and Ineraz applied one to his arm, then wrapped a thin strip of cloth around the appendage. Confidently and without a seeming concern to his injury, he walked towards the spectators’ area. If the matches proceeded swiftly enough, he might have to fight again. Whether he did or not, Ineraz intended to enjoy watching how others fared.

Summary

A pit fight ensues. Ineraz wins, but suffers a (2nd degree) burn to his left forearm, which he tends and wraps in a cloth bandage. He then joins the other spectators to watch the rest of the fights.

𝓒𝓲𝓽𝔂 𝓸𝓯 𝓦𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓼

Eleonara woke up in the very early morning, several hours before sunrise, as was her habit in the summertime. She didn’t much care for the heat and enjoyed the times of the day she could naturally enjoy the relative coolness, such as late evenings, nights and early mornings. Her roommate Kim was still sleeping soundly on a hammock above her, snoring softly, her usual cuteness somewhat ruined by the saliva steadily dripping from the side of her mouth and way she scrunched her nose as if she were disgusted by something. Possibly she was just dreaming. Ceasing the observation of her unfortunately very straight female flatmate, Leona shucked off her thin long sleeping shirt and put on a jogging outfit, stashing her weapons in the pockets-refitted-into-holsters; their usual place. She had very few trousers without those pockets and whenever she wore one of those (or a skirt), she still had several belts she could use for her precious offensive gear. Being armed in Korven, after all, wasn’t something one would get a second glance for.

So outfitted, she went for a jog, sunlight still nowhere in sight, though the sky was steadily getting less dark. Eleonara ran, following a twisting route from her flat, which was smack in the middle of the Kings’ territory and also fairly central as far as the whole of Korven was considered, and to the studio which she owned bordering on Eden, not strictly (officially) part of her gang’s territory, but often used for their business anyway. Along the way, she had the privilege of observing all those other people, who already had to get ready for their day, though unlike her, most of them wallowed in some degree of misery. Leona cherished the sight, smug to feel so good when this many others didn’t. So what if that made her kind of a bitch? Those other people just needed to learn to take pleasure into their own hands, however they could. Really, they should take her as an example.

Pleased from the hour-long exercise, she arrived at her studio, stretched, then took a shower and put on some spare clothes. Having a personal water source for bathing was a luxury she enjoyed; the flat she had in the center had a communal one she was forced to endure occasionally. And the fun that could be had from observing other naked bodies (those well-shaped ones, at least) was outweighed by the feeling of filthiness sharing a resource with so many others invariable caused. Besides the additional space, this studio also had the perk of somewhat cleaner air, always a nice addition, though something she could just as easily do without. At the end of the day, she was a true born and bred Korvenite, well used to the sanction’s various quirks. She spent the next few hours managing her finances, checking her existing investments, exchanging some stocks etc.. After that dull but productive chunk of time, she took a motorbike, which she had Robert take to the studio the previous night, and drove back to her flat in Korven, saw Kim was gone already, and went to one of the Kings’ bars/clubs on her own.

Word association Game!

Factory

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

Ineraz Evrenarth

Ineraz woke approximately two hours after the sun had risen, feeling well rested. Knowing this day was the start of the tournament his body was in high spirits, his mind as clear as the purest of crystals, his blood feeling the anticipation in the way it did before a hunt. Ineraz put on his armour and took a minute to admire himself in the mirror; if he couldn’t appreciate himself, who else would? Since his hair would get in the way otherwise (it reached almost to the half of his back), he tied it in a tight bun at the nape of his neck. Now, all he was missing was a helmet, always a tricky piece for a Drakkan.

First, he took a long and thin piece of leather to wrap around his head and horns’ bases, which would not only serve as cushioning but would also stabilize the headgear. Ineraz felt that his horns were especially annoying; his right one was longer and thinner and had an awkward shorter offshoot to the back, which made it look as if he had three horns. His left horn on the other hand, was somewhat shorter but much denser, strangely but thankfully balancing the right one. When he was done with the leather piece, he put on the helmet, which was welded together from several metal places in such a way to provide a space for his horns. It also had a tough letter buckle to secure it under his chin. In Ineraz’s opinion, it made him look slightly sillier, but it was a vital piece of protection nonetheless.

He still had a few hours until he would have to make his way to the Pits, so after belting his sword and dagger, Ineraz went to one of the estate’s training rooms to have a very light preparation session. He thoroughly stretched his muscles, then engaged in several brief practice fights involving imaginary opponents – first barehanded, then adding his weapons, and finally his elements as well. He moved fluidly through various maneuvers, slashing, stabbing, blocking, evading, kicking, punching, elbowing, incorporating air and water attacks – there was indeed a nearby source of water in the training room, and there hopefully would be one in the pits as well – against various enemies his mind construed to spice up the otherwise solitary activity. Ineraz finished off with a series of stretches again, feeling content now he had worked up a light sweat. And he still had an hour or two to rest and get to the tournament in peak condition.

When it was nearing noon, he finally made his way to the pits, excited but attempting and mostly succeeding to appear collected. The streets were crowded with Drakken, and Ineraz found the density rather uncomfortable, but ignored the feeling. There was a Gem here and there; most likely those were the brides who’ve survived from previous years. There would also be some Gem pleasure slaves for those bride-earners not participating in the tournament, but Ineraz saw no reason to forsake a good match for a shared commodity, when he would be soon getting a bride or two all for himself. Moving with the throng, he soon came to the Pits and entered the part where all the contestants gathered, surrounded by heated sweaty bodies much as he was before. But at least every Drakkan here was someone who could become his opponent, and that made their nearness easier to bear. The well-known female noble, the first prince’s daughter, gave a short but captivating speech, and Ineraz let the slow thrum of excitement build in him.

Summary

Ineraz goes to the pits, as prepared for the tournament as he can be.