By some miracle of the Weavers, Raith did indeed make it to game day without doing something stupid.

  Well built wooden bleachers flanked the skirmishers field in the First District. Complete with an overhang for shade and encircled by a matching fence. A crowd had already begun to filter into the stands, while others lined up at the food and beverage carts before the game started.

  Widders was gathering the team behind the post at their end and waved him over. Raith was one of the last to show up. As he approached the field, he heard Camillia call his name. Turning, it looked like she was just breaking off from a conversation with Deven, the Gryphon’s first sword.

  What is that about? She never particularly liked him.

  Deven waved to catch his attention over Camillia’s shoulder as she approached. He pointed two fingers at his eyes, then one finger at Raith. After that, he held one arm at shoulder height and the other near his waist and mimed a dancing motion. With a shit-eating grin, Deven concluded the taunt with an insulting gesture and walked off to join his team.

  Looking back to Camillia, he only now noticed her flushed face and tight lips. Warm eyes glistened with barely restrained tears.

  I’m going to kill him.

  “Is it true?” she demanded.

  Raith held his palms out.

  “Listen, I’m not sure what Deven told you, but I have done nothing to betray your trust.”

  “That was not a denial,” she said sharply. “You danced with a pretty woman in the Butcher’s District the other night. And what else did the two of you do, hmm?”

  “Yes, I danced with someone. But it was only to pay for directions.”

  “So you’re a prostitute now?!” She smacked him on the chest for emphasis. A few heads turned their direction at this, and Raith found his face turning red. He looked over to see the Snobs leaning on each other with laughter as they watched the display.

  This was all happening too fast. He just needed a chance to explain.

  “No, of course not. It was only…”

  “I don’t want to hear it. No excuses. No more of your crazy, impulsive behavior. No more anything, Raith.”

  The tears were welling out now, and she lowered her voice so only he could hear it.

  Please don’t say it.

  “We’re through.”

  [Life in Staccato]

  Anger was all he knew for an eternal moment. Not at Camillia. At that worthless noble piece of trash, Deven. Raith was ready to charge across the field and kill him. That asshole had waited to pull this shit until right before the game on purpose. To get in his head. How dare he hurt her like that for a stupid game? The cruelty of it was infuriating.

  His anger turned to Camillia’s parents. She would not have so easily been persuaded against him by Deven if they hadn’t spent months whispering in her ear that he was beneath her. Those arrogant pricks. Screw them and every noble like them.

  But Camillia was her own person. She was no fool. Smarter than him, in fact. This decision wasn’t made solely on Deven’s lies or her parents’ prodding. It had to have been something she was considering for a while.

  And so last, he was angry at her.

  His first love had broken up with him. Looking at her frozen image, so pretty in spite of the tears, his anger subsided enough for him to feel the hurt in his heart. So he grieved, and he raged, then he grieved again.

  When he returned to the world, he felt spent. There was nothing left, and he knew that would hurt her far more than anything she had done to him.

  He shrugged.

  “Alright. Guess I’ll see you around then.”

  Camellia didn't say goodbye, just gave an anguished look of confusion and walked away. Guilt awoke an echo of his pain. It was for the best. She deserved better than him. She deserved to know she had been important.

  The Snobs laughed even harder as Camillia strode crying from the field. Raith clenched his fists.

  Save it for the game.

  He joined his teammates around the post, doing his best to ignore their looks of pity. In a stellar display of leadership, Widders diverted the awkward stares.

  “Listen up, Wildcats. You’ve seen for yourselves how dirty these guys play. Well, now it’s time to give them a taste of what they’ve earned. Not just for us, but for all the teams they’ve shit on and messed with over the past season. So put on your warfaces, get out there and break some legs!”

  It wasn’t the best speech Raith had ever heard, but he appreciated the sentiment. When everyone finished getting ready, the two teams met at the center of the field with the arbiter.

  “You all know the rules. No magic, no enchanted gear, regulation weapons only. When I call a halt, everyone freeze until I restart the game. If you need a healer, call a halt. Three rounds on the drummers’ time. Any questions?”

  The Gryphon’s staff, a broad satyr with huge curling horns flanking his head, spoke up.

  “Can you make an exception for enchanted breathing masks? We’re playing the Stench District, after all.”

  “Screw you, Syd,” Thea said. She took a step forward, but Widders placed a calming hand on her shoulder.

  “Oh look! The little faun has horn envy.” He leaned his head towards her. “Do you want to stroke them, little faun?”

  “That’s it,” Thea tried to lunge forward, but the rest of the team got involved and dragged her back to their side of the field while the other Gryphons snickered.

  The arbiter retreated to the sidelines after placing the ring in the center of the field. Each team got on line behind their post. Everyone tensed, waiting for the drummers’ first beat.

  ONE, two, three. ONE, two, three, FOUR.

  The rhythm fired up the blood and everyone surged towards the center.

  Raith had practiced trying to hook the ring with his rope, but had never perfected the technique. It was a shame, because with his huge reach advantage their team would have won the grab every time.

  This time, he wasn’t trying to grab it.

  The rope blurred in a circle over his head before shooting out at the ring on the ground. It struck well before anyone else had gotten close and pushed the metal directly at Deven’s feet. It was known as a healer’s pass: when you get the ring passed in such a way that you’re liable to need a healer.

  Deven’s eyes grew wide. He thrust his sword down to tip the ring around the top of his weapon and fling it towards his quick. The maneuver cost him precious seconds, and that was all the Wildcats needed to converge. Widders went high and Kaine went low. Deven didn’t know what hit him.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Thea was supposed to be part of the fun, but had her own agenda. Syd focused on the ring, sprinting to defend his quick. He never saw her coming. She blurred across ten feet of dirt with her [Shield Bash] skill. Raith winced, yet couldn’t help but smile as the staff flew through the air.

  Before Syd even landed, Thea hurled her round wooden shield, catching the satyr under the chin. His eyes rolled back in his head as he hit the ground. Thea neatly caught her returning shield off the [Ricochet].

  “HALT.” The arbiter’s voice resounded across the field. The drummers stopped marking time and everyone froze in place.

  Healers rushed onto the field and tended the two downed players. When they’d recovered, the arbiter stepped up to make sure they were still good to play. During the down time, Widders was throwing hand signals to indicate the next play.

  The Gryphon’s quick had the ring, and now they knew what sort of game the Wildcats were about. The next clash wouldn’t be so easy.

  When the healers finished, Syd had to be rotated out but Deven was still in it.

  Good. I haven’t had my shot at you yet.

  Once the alternate staff had taken the field, the arbiter signaled for the drummers to resume their beat.

  Raith sprinted forward and the spun in a complete circle, casting his ball at the opposing quick. The pale, slender man was fast and dodged the first attack. Another spinning cast followed, but the quick disappeared in a cloud of smoke, then came charging out of it in an unexpected direction. A few seconds later, he bound the post for a point.

  On the next play, the Gryphon’s net captured their quick right off the bat. Deven did a grudgingly spectacular job of defending the net from Widders and Thea, which meant two of their players tied up three Wildcats. Kaine couldn’t get through both their shield and staff at the same time. Raith was left to attack the quick, who used that stupid [Poof] skill to sneak in another point.

  What is the cooldown on that cursed [Skill]?

  The speed and complexity of the drummers’ beat sped up as the round progressed, raising tension in the air for players and crowd alike. Several more brutal plays left the Gryphon’s quick and shield having to rotate off. The Wildcats managed to allow only one more point before the drummers’ frantic crescendo marked the end of the round.

  As the Wildcats sat sweating and drinking water in the dirt around their post, Raith heard the arbiter send someone off for replacement healers. The two assigned to the match were reaching their limits, and the second round hadn’t even started. Higher tiers subsided the considerable expense of healers for the lower tiers, and they’d be getting an earful about this match.

  Good. They’ll need to send for more before this is over.

  “We need a solution for that quick.” The question was open to the team, but Widders looked straight at Raith when he said it.

  “I’ve been giving that some thought. Kaine, I’m going to need your help with this one.”

  Kaine nodded eagerly as Raith filled him in on the plan.

  The second round kicked off with a lucky break by the Wildcats’ quick. She snagged an opponent’s pass out of the air with a perfectly timed leap. Raith was in place to clock their shield in the head with a straight cast, then spin his rope into the legs of their staff as he tried to chase her down. First point for the Wildcats, but not the last.

  It took a while for the Gryphons to adjust to the change in strategy. They were still expecting bugbear tactics, but the third point drove it home. The Wildcats were trying to score.

  Deven rotated all the first stringers back out onto the field and they began to play in earnest. It wasn’t long before the Gryphon’s massive wooden tower shield ran a blocking lane with their quick close behind. Raith gave a nod to Kaine, and they took up position far out to the flanks of the oncoming pair.

  With three dancing whirls to build momentum, Raith made as if to attack the quick. The predictable cloud of smoke surrounded the pale man, but instead of attacking, Raith sent the ball spinning around Kaine’s upright staff on the other side of the field. When the quick shot out of the cloud, he ran neck first into the taut rope. Feet left the ground, and his body went parallel to the earth before crashing down.

  “HALT.”

  That worked better than expected, and Raith felt a little bad about taking him down so hard. The quick had seemed to mostly keep to himself around the other team, and hadn’t joined in the taunting. Still, that skill of his was incredibly irritating. Not as bad as the short range teleport [Skills] some tier one quicks had, but still quite obnoxious.

  Even with the alternate on the field, the Gryphons managed to get two more points, putting the score 5-3 at the end of the round. Raith was getting frustrated at not having a shot at Deven, but the guy was just really good.

  The noble had three combat classes and all the [Skills] that went with them. Worse, he trained constantly, which undercut the main advantage Raith often had against pure [Warriors]. As his father always said, [Skills] are no substitute for discipline and practice. Having seen some astonishing [Skills] Raith wasn’t sure he bought into that sentiment entirely, but he mostly agreed.

  Panting and sweating on the dry, hot dirt, there wasn’t a lot of talking during this break. Raith took some time to scheme, and smiled inwardly as an idea finally came.

  “Thea, can you give me a hand with something? It’s about Deven.”

  She flashed a wicked grin.

  “It would be a pleasure.”

  The drummers’ steady rhythms sent everyone into motion for the final round. Both teams approached things a little more cautiously starting out. It looked like the Wildcats were going for more points, but switched to a brutal rush on the Gryphon’s staff and shield. The Gryphons managed to bind the post, but payed for it with another halt as the shield was tended by healers.

  Thinking they switched back to bugbear tactics, the Gryphon’s adjusted their play only to give up two points in rapid succession. It was six to five, and some of the crowd began to think the Wildcats had a chance at winning this.

  Cheering and jeering rose up, gaining energy as the drummers hammered out a more rapid beat. Deven’s face turned red with frustration, and he started yelling at his team to adjust their positions.

  Raith gave Thea a nod. It was time.

  The Wildcat’s quick ran the ring down the field, but was intercepted by the opposing staff. He stuck her wrist hard, and she dropped the ring to the ground. He then deftly flicked the ring to their quick, who was being protected in a classic sword and shield formation. They pressed the post, but Widders and Kaine managed to bog down the shield, leaving Deven exposed on his flank.

  Thea hurled her shield, but Deven deftly parried the missile. Her [Ricochet] brought it back, and she immediately followed up with a [Shield Rush]. Deven used some sort of [Dodge] to step out of the way, landing a vicious blow across Thea’s back as she passed. Her rush had masked Raith’s approach low from behind her, and his balled rope shot straight out with blinding speed.

  Even taken by surprise, Deven managed to sweep down into a parry, but whiffed over the top of the rope as the ball bounced off the ground in front of him, then right up into his groin. The ball lost a lot of momentum in the bounce, but still hit hard enough that the sword doubled over in pain. Raith whirled his body in a complete circle, spinning ball viciously into Deven’s temple. Raith instantly reversed the twirling weapon and struck across the other side of Deven’s face as he crumpled to the ground.

  He wasn’t completely sure, but it looked like a tooth flew out of the noble’s mouth in that last spray of blood.

  Serves you right you piece of shit.

  “HALT.”

  The crowd booed the low blow, but Raith didn’t care in the slightest. Thea rubbed her sore back and tossed her head at Raith from the other side of the crouched healers.

  “Feel better?”

  He looked as Deven limped off the field, face still swollen and caked with blood.

  “Much.”

  The Gryphon’s rotated the alternate sword onto the field, along with the pale quick whose name he learned was Tolliver. The Wildcats didn’t give them time to readjust to the replacements, and managed to bind the post once more. This brought the game to a tie, and the crowd went wild.

  Guess we just needed to get mad enough to beat these guys. We may actually have a chance!

  It wasn’t long before Tolliver had the ring, so Raith and Kaine set up for the takedown. The quick was a fast learner, though. When the smoke went off, he came sliding out of the cloud straight ahead and right under their rope. He leapt back up to his feet and started running.

  Raith recoiled his weapon and prepared to launch an attack. He wasn’t sure how long the cooldown on that [Skill] was, but it wouldn’t be instant. Tolliver glanced back in alarm.

  And that was the moment Raith’s luck ran out.

  As anyone who's had a buzzing insect fly straight into their earhole can tell you, it's a rather difficult thing to ignore.

  Raith aborted the swing to swat at his ear, followed by desperately digging with his index finger to remove the intruder. It seemed that whatever foul creature had been there was gone, yet he couldn’t help but imagine it had just burrowed further and he couldn’t feel it.

  Tolliver bound the post, but Raith paid no attention. He rushed over to Kaine and thrust the side of his head towards the staff.

  “Is there a bug in my ear?”

  Raine flinched away, but didn’t miss the edge of panic in Raith’s voice.

  “Lemme see.”

  He tilted Raith’s head to get the most light and peered intently.

  “What the fuck are you two doing?” Widders demanded. “You just let them take the lead!”

  “There’s nothing in there,” Kaine said, releasing Raith’s head. “Sorry, Captain. That quick’s a smart one.”

  Widders curled his lip and shook his head in disgust.

  “Get your shit together. We still might make the playoffs.”

  The field reset, but the Wildcats lost all their momentum. Neither the excitement of the crowd nor the rising tempo of the drums could reignite the fire. Their best efforts still gave up another point before the final frenetic beats closed out the match 8-6 Gryphons.

  No one on either team was happy. The Snobs had taken a beating they’d not soon forget. Adding insult to literal injury, they had come far too close to losing the game, despite being much favored for victory.

  For the Wildcats, the tease of an upset snatched from their grasp brought them lower than a solid loss would have. Widders seemed to be taking it the hardest.

  “Sorry I let you guys down. This was the last shot at the playoffs for some of you.”

  The man seemed on the verge of tears, and Raith looked uncomfortably at the ground. Mixed emotions warred within him. Of course, he had wanted to see his team succeed. They’d fought hard together and everyone here deserved all the success. But Raith had other plans, and he was reminded of just how close they were as he met Thea’s eyes.

  Tomorrow felt both way too soon and unbearably long to wait. His body needed the rest after today, but a new adventure was so close he could taste it.