The crowd's roar still thundered across the arena as Nadia climbed out of the pit, her chest still rising and falling fast. Her arms were faintly scorched, her knuckles trembling, and yet—she was smiling.
Rael met her halfway, waving both arms above his head, a grin stretched across his face.
"Let's gooo, Nadia! That was insane! You actually pulled it off!"
Nadia blinked at him, still dazed. "Pulled what off?"
"The beam!" Rael said, pointing both hands like he was firing it himself. "You learned it that fast?! I just told you about it, and boom — you made it look like you'd been doing it for years!"
Nadia laughed softly, brushing sweat from her forehead. "I didn't even think it'd work, honestly. It just… happened."
"Yeah, well, it worked," Rael said proudly, nudging her shoulder. "And it looked awesome doing it."
Sela joined them a moment later, her composure calm as always, though her eyes softened with quiet approval. "That final attack—whatever it was—was well done. I didn't expect you to adapt mid-fight like that."
Nadia smiled at the compliment. "Guess I had a good teacher," she said, glancing at Rael.
Rael puffed his chest. "Damn right you did."
Sela shook her head lightly but couldn't hide the small smile tugging at her lips.
Around them, the crowd was still wild, chanting Nadia's name as her opponent was carried away for healing. The noise felt unreal — the echo of every cheer washing over her like a wave.
Then the announcer's voice rang clear over the pit.
"Nadia Fier! Please step forward to the wooden platform!"
"Oh right, the prize," Nadia murmured.
"Don't drop it!" Rael teased.
"Don't jinx me," she shot back, smirking.
M
She stepped up onto the raised wooden platform beside the announcer's table. Up close, the woman was older — polite but clearly exhausted from hours of fights. She offered Nadia a tired smile and slid a few papers across the table.
"Name here, please," the announcer said. "Confirmation of your participation and victory."
Nadia took the quill and signed her name neatly: Nadia Fier.
The woman nodded, then handed over a heavy bag tied with rope. "Your reward — one thousand gold pieces. Congratulations."
Nadia's eyes widened a bit as she took it in both hands — the bag sagged under its own weight. "Thank you. Really."
"You've earned it," the announcer said warmly. "Good fight, Miss Fier. That last move was something special."
Nadia smiled, bowing her head slightly before turning to walk back to her friends, arms straining from the weight. "Okay, wow… gold is heavier than I thought."
Rael reached out. "Want me to—"
"Nope," she interrupted. "You'd lose half of it before we even get to the gate."
Rael gasped in mock offense. "You wound me."
"Here," Nadia said, handing the bag to Sela. "You carry it."
Sela accepted it without hesitation, slinging it over her shoulder with ease. "Fair enough."
"See? She agrees," Nadia said with a grin.
---
They made their way out of the pit grounds, the roar of the crowd fading behind them. The afternoon sun was warm, reflecting gold off the rooftops of Kathlyen as they neared the city gates. The streets buzzed with voices — traders, travelers, and soldiers moving through the checkpoint.
Two guards stopped them at the gate, halberds crossed.
"Hold it," one said. "What's in the bag?"
Sela answered smoothly, tone calm as ever. "Just some things we picked up from relatives outside the city."
The guard studied her for a moment — then chuckled. "Relatives, huh? Funny, I could've sworn I saw that girl," he nodded toward Nadia, "in the pit earlier. That last match, right? Glad to see an Ignara win for once."
Nadia blinked, then smiled a little awkwardly. "You saw that?"
"I did. Damn fine fight," the guard said. "Not every day someone pulls that off against an Elyonar. You've got talent, kid."
Nadia smiled, feeling that little rush of pride rise again. "Thank you. Really."
The guard nodded. "Enjoy your evening, all of you."
As they passed through, Rael gave her a look. "You're getting popular, huh?"
"Guess so," she said, grinning. "Feels weird."
"Weird good or weird bad?"
"Good," she admitted.
---
The walk through Kathlyen was slower this time. The streets shimmered with the last glow of daylight, vendors calling out their final sales before dusk. By the time they reached their inn — a small wooden building tucked near the edge of the city square — the exhaustion was finally catching up.
Rael kicked the door open with a groan. "Finally. I swear, I'm gonna sleep for a week."
Sela sighed as she set the gold bag on the table. "No, you're not. We need to decide what to do with this first."
"Easy," Rael said, flopping onto the nearest chair. "We buy a house. No more snoring drunks next door."
Sela turned to him, deadpan. "A small house costs eight thousand gold."
Rael froze. "Eight thousand? For a tiny one?"
"Inflation," Sela replied simply.
Rael groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "The world's rigged, I swear."
Nadia laughed, sitting on the edge of her bed. "You really thought we could buy a house already?"
Rael looked up, offended. "What? A thousand gold is a lot!"
"Not for a house," Sela said.
"Yeah, apparently," Rael muttered.
Nadia smiled, watching them. "We should probably save it. Just in case. I don't wanna waste it all on something dumb."
"Agreed," Sela said. "We have food, shelter, and decent gear. We can keep working, take more requests, and build up slowly. Once we've got enough, we'll have better options."
Rael sighed, crossing his arms but smiling faintly. "Fine. Save now, spend later."
Nadia nudged him with her foot. "There you go. Responsible Rael — rare sight."
"Don't get used to it," he muttered, though there was a grin behind it.
Sela leaned against the window frame, watching the sun dip low beyond the rooftops. "We did well today," she said softly.
Rael nodded. "Yeah. We actually did."
Nadia stretched, letting out a quiet laugh. "Guess we're starting to look like a real team."
For a while, the room was filled with quiet — not silence, but comfort. The kind that comes after a victory hard-earned. Outside, the last light faded, leaving only the glow of the city lanterns through the window.
Sela looked over at them — Rael dozing in his chair, Nadia half-laughing as she fought to stay awake — and smiled faintly.