44th day of the season of the scythe 2448

A roar shook the spirit of Azena who awoke startled. Sleepy, she looked around and immediately realized that she was in her own bed and not on the sofa in the common room. Had Teriondil brought her here? She remembered absolutely nothing after falling asleep.

- Blergh, what a deep sleep, she mumbled in a pasty voice.

- Glad you slept well for once, said Fayne, who was already brushing her long, wavy hair in front of the mirror.

- I'm still dead tired, she grumbled, dragging herself out of bed.

With a finger, she tapped her bedside table for a moment, only to realize that she had forgotten to bring a glass of water with her last night. With a dry throat, she picked up her clean uniform and put it on. As she pulled down the collar of her shirt around her head, an important truth came into her mind: Teriondil knew that she was attracted to women. Moreover, she had drunk a lot of that magic tea.

- Oh, dear...

However, she had to admit that apart from the tiredness and dryness of her mouth, she felt fine, pretty much normal.

- What's going on? questioned Fayne, who was tying her hair in a perfect braid.

- Ah... Actually, nothing at all.

She was surprised that for once her friend hadn't realized she had spent the night with Teriondil. She patted her cheeks to recover from her sudden discomfort and hung her elven bow on her back.

- Something seems strange this morning, Fayne commented.

- I don't know what you're talking about, Azena answered quickly. Okay, well, I have to... I have to go give Tyrath a bath. Hey, I mean, I have to go meet Tyrath before school. I'll see you later.

Overcomed by her discomfort, she rushed out of the room and ignored Ariella, who greeted her as she passed through the common room.

- How cheeky! Ariella grunted as she realized that her friend wasn't paying attention to her on purpose.

✦×✦

8th day of the season of death 2448

Azena spent a period with Fiara and Neige every other day without exception, even on days where there were no regular classes, trying to master the element of life, always without success. She understood nothing of it. Even though she was in perfect control of her emotions, nothing was happening.

Ten days since the skotar accident had passed and after her session with Fiara and Neige that resulted in failure, she lost her temper and raged against a desk which she ravaged by creating a small compact tornado.

- At least you're practicing your aeromancy, Fiara joked. And that, clearly, is getting better!

- Shut up! Azena and Neige shouted simultaneously.

In addition to the pressure of her general and her animancy training, she was worried about Umah and Yuzia. Master Ruvior and his group of dragons and riders had gone after them several days ago and they still hadn't heard anything about it. In the meantime, Azena had taken Mistress Nymia's advice and had been transferred to the combat tactics course. She intended to become a marauder, a warrior specializing in attacking on the front lines. It was a risky path, but she was willing to take that choice. In fact, she was quite confident because she had a dragon on her side and the wind element to protect her. As long as she wasn't too impulsive, she assumed that she could defeat any enemy that wasn't a dragon, which was a very unlikely encounter.

Dead tired, she collapsed on her knees and tried to stabilize her breathing. In the meantime, there was a knock on the door.

- Come in, Fiara cheerfully invited.

- We're going to take a break anyway, Neige decided, sitting with her back against a wall.

Whoever the visitor was, Azena had had enough for the day.

- No break, she announced. I'm going to bed. I'm going to fall apart if this keeps up.

The intruder entered the Chamber of Duels and advanced in small, quick steps. Looks like she was charging towards Azena. The alarmed half elf looked up and saw Fayne who seemed to be distraught by something.

- I'm so sorry to bother you when you're training so hard, the brunette said, stopping in front of her. Master Ruvior was looking for you.

- He's back! Azena exclaimed, rising with a leap, completely invigorated by the surprise.

Fayne suddenly appeared saddened. She looked down as if she was ashamed of her actions.

- What? Azena asked. Come on, don't keep me waiting.

- They haven't found Umah and Yuzia, she murmured with sorrow, cupping her hands inside each other as if to comfort herself. So... he agreed to take you with him on his next expedition. While you're away, all your homework, tests, and so on will be forgiven in exchange for a field assessment. And, uh... And...

She burst into tears. It was this reaction that Azena was bitterly waiting for.

- Don't worry, she assured her friend in her arms. I'm sure it will be better next time. I won't give up.

- It's so horrible, Fayne mumbled. What if it happens to you?

- It can't happen to me as long as I have Tyrath with me and believe me, he'll never take his eyes off me!

- You're so impulsive and foolish. You can't predict that it won't happen to you.

Once again, sadness overcame Fayne and she began to cry like a child who had her doll taken away. This time Azena felt a little uncomfortable; she had never been very good at consoling people in emotional crisis.

- The debauchery of the stimilian fang will begin soon, Fiara said.

Azena guessed that the teacher felt her student's anxiety and was trying to help her. She didn't waste this opportunity.

- That's true Fayne. We're going to have fun tonight.

- And... Azena is finally grown up, Fiara mentioned with a mischievous smile. Would you like a little bottle of wine?

- Fiara! cried Neige who seemed disgusted with her twin. Honestly.

- Well, what? It's better than suggesting illegal drugs that are apparently circulating during this festival.

- Fiara! Neige barked, this time in the tone of a mother disciplining with her child. Sometimes I'm tempted to put a magic filter on your tongue.

- It's just a rumor, tried to correct Fiara. People like to overreact. Anyway, go get ready! It's worth it, I assure you. They say that this time it's Erionda Murkwan and Renora Shenir who will face each other during the duel. Two fiery personalities! It's going to be quite a fight.

Fayne still had tears in her eyes, but she smiled and laughed softly at the two mistresses who quarrelled like children. Although she had attracted her sister's wrath, Fiara had accomplished her mission well. However, she had made the mistake of mentioning alcohol, and this was of great interest to Azena's mischievous side. Still, she had to respect Fayne's state of shock, so she refrained from showing too much interest.

- Are you feeling better? she asked.

- Yes, Fayne nodded. Let's go to the festival.

The two friends went to pick up Teriondil and Ariella in the common room of the Tower of Motivation and met their dragons on their way downtown where the debauchery of the stimilian fang would take place. Curious as usual, Azena never stopped asking Ariella questions because she had attended this festival before.

- I was seven years old, I think, said the blonde. That time, it was the mayor himself who had killed a stimilian who had attacked his daughter while they were travelling in the kingdom of Daigorn for a simple cultural visit.

- A stroke of luck, Ella said. Stimilians are dangerous predators that a human would not normally be able to kill.

- Is the mayor a warrior? Azena asked. I know he's never bonded with a dragon.

- He is above all a politician, Ariella explained. But when his wife finally got pregnant, he wanted to ensure the survival of his heiress and trained in sword fighting.

- That's a noble father, Fayne emphasized.

- Hey, who was in the duel that year? Azena asked with interest.

Ariella's facial expression suddenly changed. She dropped her arms limply and sighed.

- Well what? Azena continued. It can't be that bad.

- My mother and father, Ariella replied, hiding her face momentarily in the palm of her hand. It's really embarrassing.

Azena imagined the scene: Nymia kicking Eldarytzan's ass as he is delirious from the poison that infected him. She smiled and giggled.

- I already know who won this duel, she said, crossing her hands behind her head.

- You're probably right, replied Ariella. Not worth mentioning.

Once downtown, the group of friends had no difficulty locating the heart of the festival. There were guests dancing or drinking all over the streets, irritating the bulky carts that could not pass easily. Going by a few kiosks, the merchants had already offered several types of beer, wine and spirits to the teenagers. Only Azena seemed to be tempted by these offers, but she couldn't afford to pay.

- Honestly, this festival is modest, Azena mentioned. Not too many decorations and people seem to entertain themselves. It's no match for the Miracle Festival.

- It's rather last minute and improvised, Fayne reminded her. It's hard to predict when someone's gonna bring a stimilian fang into town, you know.

Then they arrived in the centre of the festival where a few locals were helping each other to prepare a space for the duel. They installed a realistic sized statue of a humanoid that seemed important. Azena approached it to examine it.

- Mmm... what's that?

When they were about one meter away from the statue, Fayne hiccupped, shocked by the surprising appearance of the individual depicted.

- I guess that's what a stimilian is, said Azena. Well, you sure don't want to get bitten by that.

- It's, uh... different..., said Fayne, who seemed to be trying to be polite despite her obvious discomfort.

The figure in question represented by the statue was so detailed that it looked like a carbon copy of the real flesh and blood one, except for the colour of the stone. It was smiling, sticking out its forked tongue and seemed to be affected by a voracious thirst for blood. You could see most of its teeth which were sharp canines of different sizes. One bite and the damage would probably be catastrophic, and that's without mentioning the poison. The second aspect that clearly distinguished the stimilian from another humanoid was the six single-coloured eyes, the four extras of which were positioned on the sides near the temples.

- Well, it looks like some kind of spider, commented Azena. This thing is really odd.

Aside from these features and his claws on his hands, the stimilian appeared human and wore rudimentary fur and leather armour which suggested that they were not very technologically advanced, but were still moderately intelligent.

- I wonder if they can talk, said Teriondil. It would be interesting to learn more about their culture.

- They'll eat you up before they talk to you, Teri, Azena replied. You'd make a delicious little elven bone stew.

Fayne and Ariella winced at this remark.

- You're absolutely right, Azena, Ella emphasized in a stern voice. It won't happen as long as I'm by his side.

- Stay close to him then, said Azena, holding back a laugh, knowing that Teriondil would be serene enough to try to establish a conversation with one of them.

- That is my intention, the green dragon replied proudly.

Azena was no longer paying attention to him; she was rubbing her index finger on the main canines of the statue as if to clean them.

- Azena, growled Fayne, zapping her friend with irritation. Don't touch the statue! Don't you have an ounce of dignity in you?

- Not really, replied Ariella for Azena.

- All right, all right, grumbled Azena, who didn't appreciate the blonde making fun of her. You're not...

The sound of a bottle falling to the ground distracted her. At her feet was a nearly full bottle of wine.

- How did... ? What!? It's a miracle!

She turned her head in all directions and saw a man who had continued on his way without stopping. She could only see his back, but she recognized it.

- Vigoth, she called. Your bottle of wine! Hey!

The Grand Master motioned that he had heard and didn't care. Astonished, Azena took a moment to analyze the situation, then she shouted her contentment, grabbed the bottle and gave the object a hug.

- You're really... ridiculous, said Ariella in union with Fayne.

- You're idiots! Azena replied passionately. Hey Tyrath, we're gonna have a good relaxed night!

Tyrath agreed with a growl and started hopping around his rider like a puppy being offered a fresh bone. The two friends shared the Grand Master's offering while their group waited patiently for the duel to begin. Meanwhile, a good crowd gathered around the designated circle. Melanh'tash didn't show up. Azena imagined that she probably didn't care and that all she wanted was the glory of having killed a stimilian, which was understandable. Or... perhaps she wanted to avoid Vigoth, who was obviously going to be at the event. In any case, Azena was moderately drunk when the wine bottle was emptied.

- How are you feeling, buddy? she asked, lying between Tyrath's two front legs and giving him the biggest of smiles.

In an attempt to get a little more comfort, she crossed her arms behind her head to form a cushion.

- It doesn't taste very good to be honest, admitted the drake, who had to look down to see his interlocutor. On the other hand, it gives me a feeling of well-being and warmth in my stomach.

She giggled and pointed a wobbly finger at him.

- You're too cute, she said in a childish voice as she began to scratch the belly of the drake.

- You two are horribly adorable, commented Ariella as Tyrath began to purr like a kitten.

It was at this moment that a lonely young elf settled a few meters away from the group of friends. As quiet as a sleeping river simply following its path, she sat there among so many others that she paid no attention to. She just seemed to be waiting for the duel like the rest. Although she did not see her often at the academy, Azena recognized her as one of the witnesses during her trial with the High Council last year. However, she couldn't remember her name, only this important detail: when she recognized and thanked her for her bravery. But what was her name?

- Nae, you came! exclaimed another teenager girl.

- Of course, replied Naeshirie. I won't miss your duel like I promised.

Naeshirie. With the mention of her name, the memories of the High Council that introduced all the participants in Azena judgment resurfaced. She suddenly felt a little embarrassed by this oversight. Intrigued by the interaction of the two ladies, she turned on her stomach and observed them directly without question. Only Tyrath realized what was happening. He gave a subtle push to the side of his rider trying to get her attention, but she ignored him.

It was Renora talking to Naeshirie. Her back was to Azena so she hadn't noticed her.

- Well, I have to go, said the human from Elthen as she headed towards the center of the fighter ring.

- Good luck, Naeshirie wished her with a warm smile.

Renora waved her hand as she made her way through the crowd.

A moment later, Naeshirie sighed sadly as she played with one of her braids who was white as freshly fallen snow, then, without warning, she turned to Azena.

- Uh, Azena barked, caught off guard.

That sound was the reaction of sudden embarrassment. Azena had been caught red-handedly staring at Naeshirie. Unable to control her emotions, she quickly looked away. She heard a soft giggle and couldn't help but glance at the elf with the big celadon green eyes. She gave her a smirk and turned to the battlefield where Renora and Erionda were waiting.

- Well, well, said Tyrath.

- Don't add anything, Azena grunted.

The half elf sat leaning against her companion's paw and crossed her arms, concentrating all her attention on the pair of duellists.

- As you wish, replied the drake with a strange smile.

Under the vicious gaze of the statue of the stimilian, Mayor Onni stood in front of Erionda and Renora. He presented each of them with a small knife that looked very much like a canine of the monster.

- An imitation of the poison flowing from the fangs of a stimilian was applied to these weapons, Onni told the crowd. The poison causes a powerful and temporary euphoria and delirium. The aim of this duel is not to kill physically, but to stay sane as long as possible. This is a mental battle.

Onni shook hands with the two young dragon riders combattants and together they screamed:

- For the glory! For Atgoren!

Azena blinked, unsure why they were doing this.

- They're exaggerating a bit, aren't they? Looks like they're going to war...

- Not at all, Ariella said with pride she clearly wasn't trying to hide. It's a great honor to have killed a stimilian. It shows that the city has powerful warriors.

Azena didn't try to win this argument. She found this principle a bit ridiculous, but in a way she understood because she wanted to become an asset to the army of the Guardians of Aerinda. Besides, she didn't even know why she was thinking of such things right now. Her head was spinning and she was having trouble concentrating.

- Fuck, I'd be shit at this kind of fight, she said, hoping to change the subject.

Hoping to alleviate her headache, she put her chin in her right hand and watched the scene in front of her. When the Mayor gave the fighters permission to start, Erionda and Renora pounced on each other. A blurred vision of flames and wind then, a small explosion shook Azena. The crowd shouted their apprehension and the two women continued their relentless attacks. Fire against wind... This duel gave Azena a bad aftertaste. It reminded her of herself and Ariella during their overly aggressive rivalry. Renora had the advantage and took the opportunity to limit Erionda's movements because she didn't want to get burned. One cut and then a second. Erionda was already in a bad position and honestly, Azena was having a hard time accepting the situation. She put everything in parallel with her memories and negative emotions were boiling over inside her.

- Come on, Erionda! she shouted. Use your superior speed and corner her!

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the fighting wood elf nodding her thanks and put her advice into action. She used her aeromancy to move with the grace of a feline and avoided all Renora's attacks with ease.

- Excellent strategy, noted Buhrik. If brute force doesn't work, using agility is sometimes better.

Eventually, Renora appeared confused and out of breath. It was at this moment of weakness that Erionda cut her several times. The human, however,managed to scratch her leg.

The two stood still for a long time and winced at each other.

Azena noticed that Naeshirie had crossed her fingers as if she were praying. However, she spoke no words and her eyes were wide open, absorbed by the tension of the duel.

Finally, Renora started screaming like a madwoman.

- What's going on? whispered one of the spectators. Is it the effects of the poison?

Naeshirie hiccupped and a tear rolled down her cheek. Azena had the impulse to go and comfort her, but she realized that she didn't even know her and chose not to move.

- No father, I don't want to, whined Renora. I don't like this mask! I don't like this festival! I hate these customs and I hate this town!

Renora broke into tears and fell to her knees trembling. Looks like she was having childhood hallucinations. Azena wondered what she was talking about. Probably an Elthen custom.

Erionda, on the other hand, was holding on. She seemed to have calmed down and regained control of herself. She waited patiently for her rival to get up or for victory to be granted. Azena felt proud because she saw herself as Erionda, where one day the oppressed would emerge victorious. On the other hand, she felt bad for Renora and Naeshirie. At this point, that the spectators watched without reacting, was in her opinion cruel.

- Make this martyr stop! she barked, staring at the Mayor. That's enough of that!

Mayor Onni hesitated, shocked by Azena's outburst of anger.

- Victory goes to Erionda, he announced, raising a hand to the sky.

The crowd applauded the wood elf, but Azena didn't care. She watched Naeshirie rush towards Renora and support her in her misery by offering her a reassuring hug. Renora seemed to calm down instantly.

- Thank you, said Naeshirie to Azena.

Once again, the half elf felt appreciated and recognized by Naeshirie and during this moment, she felt a bit fulfilled like when Argent supported her in spite of the fact that their whole family was opposed to their ideas.

- I wonder how Argent is doing, she murmured with a little sadness.

She fixed her eyes on Naeshirie's and smiled shyly.

- It's no problem.

Tyrath uttered a growl that went up and down in intensity.

- Stop laughing, Azena grunted. It's not funny.

She folded her arms and tried to avoid everyone's gaze, knowing that her face was probably reddened from embarrassment.