“You know what. I am a bit confused”, said Kyrie.

  Oril looked at her, “What do you mean?”

  “We are in the semi-finals now.”

  “Yes.”

  “And there are eight semi-finalists.”

  “Yes.”

  “And there will be four winners.”

  “Again yes. Are you getting somewhere with this?”

  “Wouldn’t that make those four winners finalists. I thought the finals would be one versus one and not four participants duking it out.”

  “Ah!” said Oril with a thoughtful nod, “I see the confusion.”

  “And?”

  “You are not up to date with the latest news of the tournament.”

  Kyrie tried to hit him but Oril simply sidestepped the attack.

  Oril said, “Initially, at the start of the tournament, there were going to be two finalists who would fight each other in a one versus one match to find the winner. However, Gorin came up with some gorkery and managed to change the rules mid tournament. It was big when it was announced. Because it was not announced on a large scale, but silently in the official tournament forum.”

  Kyrie held up her hand, “Wait a minute. Official tournament forum?”

  Oril looked at her as if she had sprouted another head. Then he said slowly, “Kyrie. Please tell me you have been keeping track of all the messages and notifications in the forum. All the participants were asked to. Even Orin told you to do that.”

  “I honestly don’t remember that.”

  “Do you have a selective attention span? Do it right now.”

  Kyrie asked Oril how to do it and he sighed and helped her. The forum was just a list of messages which contained the tournament rules, the fight lineups, the list of winners and updates of everything that had happened in the succession tournament till date.

  Kyrie did find the message with a change in the tournament rules. She also found a new message which had lineups for the semi-finals and the date for the fights. Kyrie opened it. She read the fights that were going to take place.

  Charles Becker versus Dulnolm Graygift

  Orin Gurnhold versus Letitia Windburne

  Oril Gurnhold versus Grugnor Gurnhold

  Kyrie Shiningstar versus Dunhorne Warsworn

  The matches were going to start in three days. Her match was last.

  “Hey, Oril, the lineup for the semi-finals has been put up on the forums”, said Kyrie.

  Oril opened the forum in his own interface and started to read the message. He frowned at the end of it.

  “I am fighting Grugnor”, he said slowly.

  “A good challenging fight for you then.”

  “I am not sure.”

  Oril looked thoughtful for a long time. Kyrie decided not to disturb his thoughts. She was a little bit worried about her fight after all. It was against Dunhorne. Kyrie knew that he was a good fighter and it would be a fun fight but the problem was Kyrie found him a bit terrifying. She did not know why and she would have to get over this inconsequential fear before the fight.

  “Kyrie, how did you get the information about the tournament before? I mean you did not even look at the forums”, said Oril.

  Kyrie shrugged her shoulders, “From you. Or I used to go to the stadiums for the information. They also announce it on the large magic screens across Karzasham.”

  “You remember Kyrie. You told us you are an adventurer. You reminded us of that. And your interface is a part of you being an adventurer. I mean non-adventurers have them too but it is a very important tool for adventurers. Use it regularly and wisely, Kyrie.”

  “I will”, Kyrie promised.

  Then Kyrie said, “You know Oril. I just realized something. What would happen if everyone in either Gorin’s or Furorin’s faction lost during the semi-finals?”

  “Then the final match would just be a token match and either Gorin or Furorin would be declared heir, depending upon which faction the finalists belong to.”

  “I am presuming that even if three participants of the same faction get to the finals, then it would become difficult for the opposing faction to win the finals”, said Kyrie thoughtfully.

  “One versus three. Yes, the odds of winning for the faction with just one finalist are not good at all.”

  “So, in order to have a good healthy competition, the finalists should consist of two participants from each faction.”

  “In an ideal world, yes, Kyrie. But this is not an ideal world and anything could happen.”

  “Oh! Don’t be a spoilsport Oril. Everything is going to be fine. Just you wait and see!” said Kyrie excitedly

  Oril nodded but did not say anything. Kyrie sat with her friend in silence. Now all that was left was to wait for the semi-finals to start.

  ***

  Kyrie watched all the matches before her match. Charles versus Dulnolm was the first match. Kyrie saw Charles put up a valiant fight. However, he was defeated by Dulnolm easily. Kyrie was a bit disappointed with the outcome and the fight. She had expected Charles to put up a good fight but he had not. Kyrie wondered what had happened.

  The second semi-final was Orin versus Letitia. Kyrie was sure that her friend would win. And Orin did fight well against Letitia. However, Letitia’s spells overwhelmed Orin in the end and he lost. Kyrie was actually shocked by Orin’s loss. She did not understand it.

  Later that night when Kyrie was consoling Orin, she asked what happened. Orin could not say anything. He was embarrassed. He had lost the fight because of overconfidence. He had been so sure that he could take Letitia on easily that he had not considered her seriously and had paid the price. And it was a big price, not only for him but also for Furorin.

  Orin’s loss meant that both Oril and Kyrie had to win their subsequent fights to ensure that there were two participants of Furorin’s faction in the finals.

  The next day Oril fought Grugnor. It was a battle of greathammer versus scimitar and shield. Both Oril and Grugnor fought well. The audience cheered both the contestants very loudly. The fight went on for more than half an hour. It was considered to be one of the longest fights of the tournament.

  Kyrie was glued to the fight. She was sitting on the edge of her seat and had to remind herself to breathe. Oril and Grugnor initially tested each other’s defenses. Then they attacked each other with a speed and ferocity which excited Kyrie.

  The fighters danced through the attacks and displayed an amazing performance of grit and proficiency. It looked for a moment that Oril might be winning and the Furorin faction would get their first victory in the semi-finals.

  However, the hope was shattered when Grugnor turned the tables at the last moment. Executing a maneuver which Oril was not expecting, Grugnor managed to disarm the dwarf and rained blows on the defenseless dwarf. The match ended quickly after that with the defeat of Oril.

  Everyone was cheering at the end of the match. However, the mood in the Furorin faction was sober. Everyone knew what the defeat of Oril meant.

  “Well”, said Orik, “We are gorked.”

  ***

  A meeting was taking place in the private quarters of the Ori brothers. The meeting consisted of the Ori brothers and Kyrie. No one else was allowed. Furorin had asked Orin if she could attend too. She wanted to have a word with Kyrie and the Ori brothers had been protecting her since Kyrie defeated Dollace.

  Furoring was obviously refused entry and so Furorin had sent a private message to Kyrie asking her to meet Furorin. Kyrie was relaying what had happened in the meeting to the Ori brothers.

  Kyrie had entered the room to find Furorin sitting in quite a resigned manner. It seemed as if the fight had gone out of Furorin’s eyes and she had accepted her defeat. Kyrie understood. Even if Kyrie won tomorrow’s match it was going to be one versus three in the final. And the format of the final was still a mystery. Kyrie was not sure if she could win the final even if she won tomorrow.

  Furorin had looked up at Kyrie as she had entered the room. She had stared at Kyrie for quite some time, not speaking anything. Then Furorin had said in the softest tone, “Win or lose Kyrie. I am with you all the way. I don’t care what happens next. Please, give them hell. That is all I ask.”

  Kyrie had simply nodded and Furorin had acknowledged her. Then she had dismissed Kyrie who had gone straight to the Ori brothers’ room.

  “Well that was a gorking weird conversation”, said Orin as he heard Kyrie’s retelling of the events.

  “I did not expect Furorin to give up so soon. I thought she might have some trick up her sleeve”, said Oril.

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  “Well, I can understand her perspective. I mean even if Kyrie won tomorrow, is there a chance that she would win against three participants in the finals? I mean, no offense to you Kyrie but one versus one is your speciality. Are you confident in winning against three?” said Orik.

  “Do not put even more pressure on her you gorking idiot”, said Orim, “We have gathered here to help her not make her even more gorking nervous.”

  Kyrie smiled at the brothers, “Do not worry guys. I aim to win tomorrow. As for the finals. I can’t really tell anything till the format is declared. Although it is true I may not win against the three finalists of the Gorin faction, my fight is not with them currently. My fight is with Dunhorne Warsworn and I am going to completely focus on that.”

  “Alright then”, said Orin, clapping his hands, “Let’s talk strategy.”

  Dunhorne wore a platemail and carried a longsword. Kyrie had the range over him. From his fights in the tournament, Kyrie had concluded that Dunhorne chose an aggressive strategy, hardly giving his opponents time to recover before he overwhelmed them with his attacks.

  Kyrie needed to keep her distance. She and the Ori brothers talked for quite some time as to what she should and should not do during the match. They decided on the spells to be used against Dunhorne, ensuring that they would indeed be effective against the dwarf.

  They did not talk for long as Kyrie had to get to bed on time. She had to be ready for her fight the next day after all. Kyrie went to sleep that night feeling both nervous and excited. She had done all she could do for the fight tomorrow. All that was left was to fight.

  ***

  Kyrie woke up at the resurrection stone.

  “What happened?” she asked, looking around confused. She was in the room where the resurrection stone was placed in the adventurer’s guild in Karzasham.

  “You died”, said someone, “And were resurrected.”

  It was the representative of the guild at Karzasham.

  “How long was I out?”

  “It is morning.”

  “Has the match started?”

  “The semi-final? No. There is an hour’s time, I believe.”

  Kyrie rushed out of the guild. She equipped her equipment as she rushed out. She wondered what had happened last night. She remembered falling asleep in the bed in the room reserved for her at the inn. She had not even remembered dying.

  A mystery she would solve after the fight. She had a semi-final to get to. She summoned Nalana and rode her to the venue. She hoped that she was on time.

  ***

  Galvin Silvershroud watched as Kyrie Shiningstar got on a wyrm and shot through the air of outer Karzasham to get to the stadium where her fight was going to take place.

  Galvin sighed as he sat down in his office in the adventurer’s guild. He had been asked, quite insistently, not to revive Kyrie till the end of the day. She was supposed to be disqualified for not showing up for her match.

  Galvin had not liked it but they had threatened him. They had threatened the wrong person. A plan had formed as soon as the cloaked thugs had left after threatening him. He had made a few calls and called in a few favours.

  Galvin was sure that he was being watched. As soon as he got the clear signal from his friends that the watchers had been neutralized, he had resurrected Kyrie immediately. And on time too. She had an hour for her fight.

  Now Galvin got up. There had been a few captured thugs. Time to find out who they worked for and give them hell. He pitied the person who put these thugs for this job. He was Silvershroud, the head representative of adventurers’ guild in Karzasham. And he had a reputation to maintain.

  ***

  Kyrie reached the stadium on time. There were a few surprised faces which told Kyrie that she was not supposed to show up. That meant this was a setup from Gorin. Kyrie’s anger grew. Focus. She needed to focus on the match. It was not her opponent’s fault.

  Kyrie stepped into the fighting arena and looked intently at Dunhorne as he stepped into the arena. His face was unreadable. He wore an expression of neutral calmness bordering on boredom on his face.

  Soon Loring finished announcing them. The referee explained the rules and asked them to go to their corners before stepping out. Kyrie took her position, an arrow already notched in her bow. Dunhorne also took his position, standing in a defensive pose, glaring at Kyrie.

  The match began. Kyrie shot her arrow and stepped forwards. Dunhorne deflected the arrow and cast a spell which made him faster. He shot towards Kyrie. Kyrie was ready. She cast [Field of Ice].

  Dunhorne’s eyes narrowed as he slipped in the ice but he maintained his balance. Kyrie took this opportunity to shoot arrows in the weak points in his plate armor. Only one arrow went through as Dunhorne dodged her attacks, maintaining balance on ice. Some he avoided while some hit his armor and bounced back.

  Dunhorne had managed to close the distance between them by now and he attacked Kyrie. Kyrie dodged the attack simply and slid away from him on the ice. Moving on ice was as easy for her as moving in the water.

  As she slid away, she shot two more arrows which hit the back of Dunhorne’s helmet. He wore plate mail but his helmet only covered the back of his head. The front was open.

  Durnhorne gritted his teeth and started making his way towards Kyrie again. He cast another spell and Kyrie found that his balance was better now.

  Kyrie did not give him much time to stabilize himself though. She shot arrow over arrow making him either block or dodge them. Some of the arrows still got through and hit him, taking a bit of his health. Many hit his armor and bounced back.

  Kyrie knew this was going to be a long fight. She cast [Enchant Weapon: Poison] and ran toward Dunhorne. Dunhorne readied himself for an attack. Kyrie did not attack as she approached Dunhorne and Dunhorne took a swing. Kyrie slid under Dunhorne and shot an arrow straight into his face. It was a critical hit as the arrow hit his eye and disappeared.

  Dunhorne cried and swung his longsword down at Kyrie who sprung like a spring and shot over Dunhorne, hitting another arrow in the exposed portion in his neck. There was another scream and Dunhorne swung his sword back to find Kyrie take a step on it and jump away from him.

  Kyrie shot another arrow into another eye as she jumped back and smiled as she saw his health starting to drop slowly and gradually. She was successful in poisoning him.

  Dunhorne bellowed a war cry and charged at Kyrie who cast [Summon Water] under his feet. Dunhorne slipped at the spell but he threw his longsword at Kyrie as he fell. The longsword hit Kyrie with force, knocking her back.

  Then Dunhorne cast a spell and the longsword went back to his arm. He stood up and started to throw his longsword back at Kyrie. Kyrie got back up and dodged the longsword which Dunhorne started to swing at her from a distance. Kyrie stepped back and found that she was soon out of the range of the sword.

  Kyrie estimated that Dunhorne could manipulate the longsword about ten feet away from him. Dunhorne called the sword back and charged again. However, Kyrie could see his health dropping because of the poison while hers was regenerating because of her armor.

  The poison would be in effect for a few more seconds. Kyrie needed to finish this fast. She waited for Dunhorne to get up to her and then dodged another attack. She did not attack, dodging attacks over attacks as she waited for her cooldown on [Field of Ice] to end.

  She dodged another attack by jumping backwards and at that time the cooldown to her spell ended. She cast it immediately. Dunhorne stumbled again on the ice that appeared and Kyrie took that advantage to cast [Enchant Weapon: Poison] and shoot Dunhorne.

  Each of her arrows were a critical hit to his face and he got poisoned again. Now it was just a waiting game. Kyrie dodged Duhonrne’s attacks, making distance between them whenever possible. She dodged and weaved through the longsword attacks which he made by manipulating his sword at a distance.

  Slowly and steadily the poison started to affect Dunhorne, reducing his health drastically. He got a few hits in but Kyrie’s armor regenerated the majority of her health.

  Kyrie finally shot an arrow in Dunhorne’s neck, getting his health points to zero. Dunhorne disappeared in a flash of white light and Kyrie cheered. Then she flopped down on the ground, exhausted but still had one arm in the air in triumph.

  She had done it. She had won. She was in the finals now. And now, she had to face three participants.

  ***

  Furorin took a long breath as the results of the fight between Kyrie and Dunhorne were announced. The fight had been long and hard but Kyrie had persevered. She had won.

  A slight smile flickered on Furorin’s face which was quickly replaced with a frown. Yes, Kyrie had won. She was in the finals. But she was the only participant from her faction in the finals. Kyrie would now be facing three representatives of Gorin’s faction and she would be slaughtered.

  Furorin knew what the format for the finals was. She contemplated telling Kyrie. She was going to tell her. She had to do it subtly though. Maybe a word in Orin’s ears. That would be more effective than directly telling Kyrie.

  Furorin then turned towards other matters. Specifically the destruction of the inn that Kyrie had been staying in. Furorin did not like Gorin’s action. He had killed innocent dwarves while trying to get to Kyrie. Then he had hired thugs to threaten Galvin Silvershroud to delay Kyrie’s resurrection.

  She had gotten in touch with Galvin. Discreetly. He was out for blood. And she had indirectly told him that Gorin was responsible for the attack on the inn and for hiring thugs to intimidate him. Galvin had not liked it one bit. He had influence amongst dwarven nobles. Furorin was sure he was going to use that.

  Furorin smiled at that thought. Gorin had made a mistake. She had messed with the wrong person without knowing the consequences of his actions. She needed to take this opportunity and strike when the hammer was hot. Yes, she could use this. Even if Gorin’s representatives won the finals, there was always plan B and Furorin sat there designing it.

  She decided at that moment. It did not matter even if she did not get the throne to Karzasham. She was going to do everything in her power to ensure that Gorin did not get it.

  ***

  Orin looked up from the document he had been reading. There was a noise. He was sure of it. He waited, tense, but there was no more noise. No one barged in through the door catching him. Orin gave a sigh of relief and continued to leaf through the documents in front of him.

  He had broken into Gorin’s office. He had paid a lot of money for the invisibility potions which also took away sound. He had used one before making his way into Gorin’s office. Kyrie’s match was going on. He had hired someone who looked like him to take his place in the stands giving him an alibi. His brothers would help keep the duplicate away from anyone who intimately knew Orin.

  Orin did not have much time. He was sure Kyrie would win and the match would be over fast. And then Gorin would definitely barge in here, furious, because Orin was one hundred percent confident Kyrie was going to win.

  Orin continued to read. The more he read, the more furious he became. The depths Gorin had sunk to to attain the throne were deplorable. And worse, that idiot had kept a paper trail. What sort of an idiot did that? And he thought about the bunch of idiotic supporters who actually wanted Gorin on the throne. He pitied them. Gorin would ruin the dwarves.

  Orin put that thought out of his mind and started to copy the incriminating documents. He did not have much time. He had to be out of the office before Gorin came back.

  Orin did not know how long he spent in the office but he froze at the sound of incoming voices. He quickly put everything back in its place. The voices were loud and were getting closer.

  Orin had run out of time. He heard a key fit in the office door and froze. He had run out of time. The door opened. Orin disappeared, the potion doing its work.

  Gorin entered the office, a bunch of his supporters following him. Gorin was shouting but Orin ignored what he was saying. He shuffled out of the door. Time to get the gork out of here.

  It was when he had gone quite a distance when he heard the alarms. It seemed that someone had broken into Gorin’s office but no one knew who. Orin smiled as he made his way towards his room. Gorin was going down. One way or another.

  ***

  Kyrie woke up with a start. She was living temporarily in Oril’s room after her inn was destroyed. The investigation was still going on. The Ori brothers were sure that Gorin was directly or indirectly the culprit behind the attack but nothing could be done without proof. There had been outrage at the destruction of the inn. Non-adventurers had died after all. The death of non-adventurers was always bad. They did not come back to life as adventurers did.

  Kyrie wondered what had woken up. The room was dimly lit with a single candle burning in one of the corners of the room. There was a window but it was secured with bars. The door to the room was closed. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

  Then why did Kyrie feel something was wrong. She brought up her interface and looked if there were any new messages. There were none. She frowned. She looked around the room. She debated turning on more lights when she froze.

  She had heard a slither beside her. She turned to find someone sleeping beside her. Someone who had not been there before. She tried to get her inventory to get her bow out but the figure grabbed her arm before she could do so.

  The figure turned and somehow the feeling of dread disappeared completely. It was Leyda Lightweaver. The Game Master. Kyrie wondered what she was doing here. Leyda laughed looking at the expression on Kyrie’s face.

  Kyrie said, “Lady Lightweaver. What brings you here?”

  Leyda stood up from the bed and walked up to the window. She snapped her fingers and Kyrie could feel the magic surrounding her.

  Leyda turned to look at Kyrie. She was now wearing a serious expression.

  “Kyrie Shiningstar”, said Leyda in a soft yet forbidding voice, “We need to talk.”