Artie stared at the moist floor, then glanced at Zora. An icy smile appeared on her face as she tilted her head to the side.

"It seems your mouth is leaking in more ways than one. Maybe I should have it sewn shut."

Eliron sighed internally, knowing that the day would be longer than he wished it to be.

"Oh? This little one actually has a bite. What are you, his dog?" Zora smiled, revealing fangs that pushed on her lower lip.

Artie let out an emotionless chuckle. "Of course a mannerless animal like you will be so willing to add others to your fold."

Zora’s expression twitched, it was slight, barely noticeable, but it was there.

The other members of the oracle stiffened, frozen by the sheer audacity Artie must have had to have to insult a saint.

"I like this one." Zora jabbed a finger in her direction as she turned to the others. "At least despite how weak she is, she has a bite." She smirked, her eyes flickering to Eliron. "The pretty boy is too docile for my liking."

"Zora..." Alexander’s voice came. It was a warning, but Zora did not seem to care. Not even when her vice commander clearly gave her signs to stop.

She folded her hands across her chest and frowned. "He caused a dragon to turn tail and run, and defeated the grand mage with a flick of his fingers." She scoffed.

"I was expecting someone that would spark the embers long dead in me!" Her expression hardened. "Not some model who is a long way from the Donia fashion center."

A statement purely made to get a rise out of him. Zora was a premium rage baiter, and she did get a reaction, only that it wasn’t from Eliron—

Shadows rushed past him, Jade and Yennefer flying toward the woman, but Eliron caught Jade before she could dig her claws into Zora’s eyes, and held Yen before she could do something worse...

Like spitting in her eyes. He knew Yen was not above that level of pettiness.

"Let me go! I need to teach this woman a lesson!" Yen squirmed around in his grip. While Jade just stared at the woman, a growl reverberated in her throat.

"She’s not someone to be taken lightly." Eliron said calmly, as though the woman was not standing in front of him. "Boisterous as she may be, she is still a saint."

Yen was not adept in combat, and even Jade who was the strongest after him, would get cut down in seconds. That was just how powerful she was.

"And if she is to harm any of you..." he glanced at her, blue meeting an icy shade of the same colour.

"I will have no choice but to kill her. That will be bad for the war, you know?"

He had said it so casually, like killing the saint in front of him would be as easy as taking a walk.

The oracles did not seem to like that statement, and neither did Zora.

’Since she started it, I’ll play along with her game.’

"What?" Eliron dropped the girls and walked closer to her, with the sheer audacity to instigate a saint with his hands tucked into his pockets. "Do you think you are above death? Did you think you were strong?"

A heaviness in the air... A faint gust of wind, and then Eliron’s bloodlust slipped out, swerving around the room like a thick mist, a chilling feeling that gripped at their throats and tickled their spines, causing the hairs on their bodies to stand still.

"Lord Eliron." Indra’s voice came low. "Prehaps we should put this behind us—"

Eliron was not listening. "Don’t be mistaken, Zora. If you were really that strong, your dear father wouldn’t have been so desperate to have me here, to have me hold all your hands while you try to be useful."

His words were like poison, each one sipping in and burning like fire. Especially because it was true.

"If the kingdom did not think you were... insufficient." The words played on his tongue like a curse. "I would be sleeping in my bed, or perhaps getting lesser warriors such as yourself try on dresses, in the fashion districts you so gratefully recommended..."

Eliron stepped closer, a mere breath between them. He tilted his head and smiled. "While I lavish the money I scammed from your kingdom, all because their greatest weapon was a little... too... dull."

Crackle!

Zora’s hair suddenly burst into flames, the strands billowing behind her.

Each lock of hair burned viscously and beautifully, and at their ends, the red fire shone like scarlet embers, coloring the flames.

Despite his distaste for the woman, Eliron found himself captivated by it. By the myriad of colours that drifted in the wind, and the scorching heat that emanated from her hair.

It was beautiful.

The room got a tad hotter.

But instead of a nasty glare, an enraged scream, or a curse... There was a wide smile on her face, and a crazed look in her eyes as her cheeks blushed a deep shade of pink.

She licked her upper lip, tongue glistening with saliva that polished the dragon tattoo on her tongue, the fire curdling on it as she cackled.

Alex’s face went pale and he placed his hand on his face, muttering a curse.

From the looks on the faces of the Oracle members, Eliron was sure that somehow, her fervid excitement was far worse than her rage.

"I think I’m in love. Eliron..." she sang his name like a song, in a gentle tone he never knew she could utter. "Why don’t we marry our blades on the battlefield?"

"..."

A second passed in silence.

Eliron blinked. ’Heh? Is this woman some sort of masochist?’

If anything, she seemed to be overjoyed that he had insulted her so thoroughly.

Eliron rolled his shoulders, a grin appearing on his face. "It’s been a while since I fought anyone worth my time. Alright then, let’s see what a saint can do."

Another audacious statement. It was almost as if he was saying the saint was the underdog in the match.

<•••>

A clash between Eliron and Zora, regardless of whether it was a spar or not, was sure to cause considerable damage, even if they held back.

So to prevent damaging the spot they had already made their camp, they decided to pick another location for the fight, a flat plain somewhere in the snow laden forest.

Those that were present were Eliron’s cohort, the Seven Oracles, Prince Alexander, Ciera, his aid, and the grand marshal.

The moment Reginald heard a spar was going happen, he felt a lump in his throat. A spar between his most important assets was never a good sign, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Both of them seemed to have their minds set on fighting, no matter what he said, it would fall to deaf ears.

The least he could do was be there to make sure there were no unprecedented problems.

"Grand marshal." Indra tilted his head slightly in greeting, as he walked up to him.

Reginald replied his greeting with a nod. "Oracle Indra. It’s been quite some time."

Indra turned to stare at the circle that had been marked up for the battle. Currently, the two of them are getting ready for the spar to begin.

After a few seconds, Indra asked, "I understand relocating to a different location because of the damage... but is there a reason no one else was allowed to watch?"

He glanced at Reginald. "Surely, watching people as skilled as them will boost their morale?"

Reginald kept his eyes forward as he spoke. "And what makes you think she’ll win?"