The story so far:

----Xan learns from Aija what really happened to him; he feels hurt. He wants to warn his family about the experiments to save his siblings. Goldstar finds out Vincent is Ytean-human. And that he was responsible for his reputation. He is upset. He chooses to leave behind 'Goldstar' and be Rei. It is Ze's wedding day. Ruyanir's and Ze's wedding takes place. Ze challenges Na'thwir for the position of Zayr chief. Thieron goes to Zya'ara with everyone. Meets his family after years. The Company is on their way to attack again. Aija and Thieron fight with the Zya'araeans against the Wy'sith. Aija gets dragged away from Thieron. Nala and Luka struggle to shield Eiva and Afe. Nala is losing control over her shield. Zuri arrives to help. Thieron panics when he loses Aija. The ji'var attack him, but Aija finds him. Together they manage to kill the metal-controller, but when the Utzrn withdraw, Thieron realises it's to drown them. Aija calls Tai'un for help, and tells him she'll do anything in return for help. Tai'un uses the Avo to help them. Xan meets Vaughn, they spend time in Sier Ghat. Aa'di Irih'va has lunch with his grandfather, who tells him about his parents.

----Zuri waits for Aija to wake. When she goes to check on Luka, she hears Nala talking to Z'our. Thieron tells Aija he's in love with her. Aija tells him she hates him. Thieron is stunned by Aija's non-acceptance of him. Thieron accepts Irih'va's offer to work for the Crown. Rei gets back with Vincent. Wiet publicly executes Gale members, Rei is upset that he isn't able to do more for his people. Luka speaks with his former mentor and tells him he's quitting the Ithi'hra. Aija and Irhi'va speak in the Throne Room. When Irih'va kisses her she kisses him back but realises she cares more for Thieron. Irih'va is devastated when Aija leaves.

----Ruyanir is scared for Ze. She hopes he wins.

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****28.2 ZE****

Serey z'vo. Promised warrior; half-human, half-Zayr.

Ze felt all human-child in front of Na'thwir. he shivered, beholding the man entering the space cleared off for their fight. Ze clenched his fist over the fh're; his fh're. Aa'di Irih'va had had his name carved over the weapons along with protection-runes.

Ze tried hard not to take account of the big Screen focussed on the fight-circle. The whole of Ierne watched; Ze tried to maintain his equilibrium. He failed, shivering, nauseous. Ru'n Thr'vir and Ru'n On'jir had tried and failed to make him eat breakfast. He'd had a single sip of water since he'd woken before suns' rise and felt like he'd throw it up too.

The fight-circle sat outside the Za'nai palace. It'd been cleared of snow, but the fresh snowfall already dusted it white.

Everyone Ze knew had come to wish him luck.

Aija had warned, "If you don't come back a winner, I'll kill you."

"That doesn't make sense,"

"Do you want to find out how much sense it makes?" she'd threatened, a scowl knitting her brows, her lightning grazing her fingers.

"No," he'd stuttered, scared of her.

"Then, win."

Na'thwir entered the space garbed in green gear, fh're in hand, a sneer on his lips. Two other blades decorated the holster plastered to his torso over his gear. Ze heard the man's boots crunch the snow underneath as silence took over.

Ze gulped. He took one glance at Ruyanir seated between Diya and Za'vyr. Ruyanir had her eyes on him. Zyn uiri zvu, she mouthed. Ze smiled.

Ze sought Aa'di Irih'va, seated between Ru'n Lwr'vyn and Ru'n Thr'vir. Aa'di gave him a grim nod: remember everything I've taught you. Ze returned the nod: I remember.

Na'thwir raised his fh're over his head. Ze accepted with a raise of his own. Na'thwir started by circling the space; Ze followed, keeping the man in sight.

'Remember, the Zayr fight dirty. There are no rules; it's a fight to the death.' Aa'di Irih'va had revealed during training.

"Scared?" Na'thwir taunted.

Ze wanted to yell an emphatic 'yes!' but kept his calm.

Na'thwir attacked. He ran and jumped onto Ze, fh're raised. Ze parried it with a sweep of his staff. Na'thwir went back, sneering; he restarted his circling.

What kind of a man is Na'thwir?

He yells a lot.

Aa'di Irih'va laughed.

He's confident.

Yes, and a man of show, Ze. He underestimates you, a child. We'll use that against him.

Na'thwir clenched his jaws; he'd estimated Ze to fall at first strike. Ze waited for him to attack. The Emperor had advised him to stick to defence for as long as possible. The Zayr chief attacked Ze. Ze followed every move Ru'n Thr'vir had taught him in the technique of the staff to defend himself.

Watch his moves as he attacks; he'll reveal his favourite techniques. Note them.

Ze studied Na'thwir as he struck him repeatedly with the staff and tried to slash at Ze's throat with the blade-end of the weapon. Na'thwir leaned too much to his right, leaving his left unguarded. Ze smirked; Na'thwir caught it and yelled in frustration. Na'thwir put all his strength to his staff to try and get an opening, vexed that he'd not ended the fight already. Na'thwir raised the staff to his right, and when he brought it down, Ze withdrew his fh're from his blocking position, lifted it from the ground up and hit Na'thwir hard on the left side of his head with the metal-ball-end of the staff.

Na'thwir staggered backwards and fell to the snow-covered ground. A collective gasp rose from the crowd seated along the circumference of the fight-circle. For a whole second, Na'thwir stared at Ze, eyes wide. Then, he staggered up, with the help of his staff, seething and spitting blood. It stained the snow bright-red.

Even as Ze watched Na'thwir rush to him, his apprehension quelled, a steady-calm replacing it. His breathing smooth, Ze defended himself from every strike the Zayr man took at him.

Try to free Na'thwir of his weapons. Surprise him.

Ze held his ground as Na'thwir hacked at him with the blade-end, frenzied. He switched to attack, catching Na'thwir off-guard. Ze slashed at Na'thwir and held his hand out. Ze took away Na'thwir's fh're using his powers. Na'thwir stood stunned; Ze grinned, throwing the weapon away and attacked the man. Na'thwir drew out his sword, and as Ze leapt onto him, Na'thwir laughed, causing Ze to clench in fear. Na'thwir drew Ze's fh're away using his powers and slashed at a defenceless Ze. The sword struck Ze across his chest, drawing blood.

Na'thwir caught Ze by his hair, dragging him around the fight-circle. "You want to win? Against me? You filthy human-child!"

Ze took a blade from the holster over his gear and hacked it over Na'thwir's thigh. The man let Ze go, yelling in pain. Ze kicked him in the gut. The man stumbled backwards but didn't fall. Ze took the break to draw his sword. Na'thwir used his powers to take the sword, but Ze held onto the weapon with all his strength. Ze flicked Na'thwir's sword off his hand as the man concentrated on taking away Ze's.

Na'thwir screamed; it echoed through Za'nai's forests. He yelled, running to Ze. Ze raised his sword; Na'thwir hit his wrist. Ze's bones hurt; hand twisting, he dropped the sword. Na'thwir punched him in the face. Ze's teeth rattled. He caught Na'thwir reaching for a blade. He didn't have the time to take his own, so he used his bare hands to stop the tip from piercing his heart. Ze grunted, struggling against Na'thwir's brunt. Ze's hands slipped over the blade; it almost struck him, but he used his powers to give himself a boost. Na'thwir kicked Ze; he fell onto his back.

Na'thwir hovered over him, blade raised to strike. Ze took out his last blade on the holster over his gear, managing to block Na'thwir. Ze used his powers to send Na'thwir's dagger flying; Na'thwir did the same to Ze's. They glared at each other, panting, both currently without weapons.

Na'thwir used his fists. Ze blocked a few hits.

Na'thwir is a man of show. He hates losing, especially in front of a crowd. Make him believe he's winning before you make your last move.

Na'thwir hit Ze with all his strength. Ze tried to cover his face, struggling to keep his hands up.

"You thought you'd win?" Na'thwir shouted. "I'm the best there is! I will never let another rule the Zayr! It's you now. I'll kill the Emperor one day. I'll kill you all! I'll have Ierne's Throne. I deserve it!"

"Why do you deserve it?"

Na'thwir stopped hitting Ze, astonished.

Keep one blade on the holster underneath your gear.

Ze's eyes snapped to the Emperor's, taken aback.

It's an unfair fight, to begin with. It doesn't matter how you win. Give me your hand.

Ze did. Aa'di Irih'va placed a dagger and held it to his own chest.

Here. From here, you'll directly strike the heart.

Ze looked on.

You'll pierce his heart just when he thinks he's winning.

While Na'thwir continued beating the life out of Ze, Ze tried to reach for a blade with his powers.

"Oh, no! You won't!" Na'thwir hit Ze's hand with a clenched fist.

But that was a distraction. Ze pulled out the blade from underneath his gear with his other hand. Ze slid it into Na'thwir's ribs as the Iernei Emperor had taught him.

'You have my permission to kill him, Ze.' Ruyanir had given consent. 'He's not my father. He's a monster. And, monsters must die.'

Na'thwir stilled as Thieron's blade punctured his heart.

Ze hadn't liked Ruyanir replacing the blade on the underneath-holster with Thieron's blade.

A blessing's a blessing, Ze. A blade gifted by Ytai or Iernei is sacred.

Ze had used Thieron's blade to kill Na'thwir.

"Why do you deserve it?" Ze whispered.

Na'thwir's shocked eyes fell on his, and then the life slipped out of them.

The man fell lifeless onto him. Ze pushed him off and rose, lifting the blood-stained blade up for all to see.

The Zayr supporting Ze erupted in cheers. 

It echoed through Za'nai's forests.

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