The first day at Lambda ended with Neoh going back and forth, taking care of Olivia, exploring at times or resting in the city, Jude doing Jude things, Kellen feeling ridiculous for carrying the Blueswan all over the place, Naja completing a couple of books of her immediate interest, Mercedes taking advantage of an opportunity to get some money for the trip, working in a place known as The Shelter, and Candy and Zady still finalizing details for the joke they planned.

As for Olivia and Noctis, the first had already covered more than half the way, having hurried the step as much as she could to make sure not make her friends wait. She had stopped at a well-known pond trough on the side of the city, where she could drink, maybe eat a few mouthfuls of fish, and regain her energy. As she fell asleep, the night loomed over her and Noctis. The lizard could see that Neoh was not yet in sight.

He thought that was his chance. But as soon as he used Forma, his pulse trembled and he leaned back. Then he saw it clear.

He was not strong, he just pretended to be strong. He could never defeat a dragon with just his own hands. He was still an undefeated fighter against kindfolk, but that was not the way to achieve the glory he wanted. In contrast, Olivia, the lizard thought, was not only a physically strong creature, but had strength of heart. And so much was the strength of her heart, he told himself, that he had not only forgiven him on several occasions, but that she was continually forgiving him.

And, thinking about it that way, he could not but admire the wyrm. In the end, he was still loyal to The Tongue but he had decided that Olivia would not be his enemy. Moreover, just as she had offered him protection, he was also determined to protect her instead.

And that decision would be put to the test that night.

An arrow passed very close to his left leg, digging into the ground, inches from Olivia's flank. Noctis turned his gaze to the shooter. He knew him, he was one of the leaders who guided his training, and he was also present when they put his mark on him.

- Darren! - The lizard shouted.

The alluded one was a fruit bat, albino, with both eyes covered by a black cloth bandage, and practically naked except for shorts above the knee, almost as white as him, supported by a black belt. That without forgetting the quiver and the pocket where he kept the bow.

- Do my ears fool me? Or is it the famous Noctis The Crusher in person? - He said with a sharp and strange accent, and a tone between surprised and sarcastic, before planning from the tree he shot

- As far as I knew, you were in Triskelion overseeing a new round of rookies. - The lizard said to the bat as soon as it landed in front of him.

- Well, no, I had a work incident shortly after you left. - Said the bat pointing to his bandages - So Q assigned me to take care of the border. And speaking of duties you should be in Wyynhaist.

- I'm done with Wyynhaist, I'm going to take the booty to the base. - Noctis Lied.

- Oh, Noctis. Do you know why I know you're lying to me? Three syllables

- Ecolocation?

- Yay! And I do not hear loot, just a huge Tuc-Tuc, Tuc-Tuc. - Said the bat. - It's the beating of a heart bigger than a closet, and it's not stopping at all.

- And the bow why? - Noctis tried to divert the conversation.

- Ah! Do you remember that bats are almost blind? Well now I am totally blind! - He said as if it was reason to be happy. - Well, the bow helps me fine-tune my echolocation to compensate. Just a moment! You still do not tell me what you're doing here and why that dragon still does not rest in peace.

- In short, things got tangled in Wyynhaist, and I'm trying to unravel them. The point is that I need it alive.

- Oh, Noctis, I can hear you throb. Remember? You are nervous about something. I do not know what it is, but I can not let you continue.

And there, no more, it started another fight. The bat gave a loud and sharp cry, sending the lizard about ten centimeters backwards.

- Darren, we do not have to do this.

- Sorry, Noctis, but my orders are clear.

The bat took flight while the lizard began to analyze its options. As far as he knew, his opponent had three gifts, Form, Night and Sound. He had the first one, so to balance the odds in his favour he had to somehow disable the second and third gifts.

Night allowed him to move instantly a few meters as long as he did not come into contact with strong light sources, like at night. And Sound, well, he had just used it, basically it allowed him to throw powerful screams as attacks. And it seemed that Olivia was asleep as a trunk, it was difficult to wake her up, even for something like that.

Noctis knew very well Darren's coward style. Surely he would stay away throwing projectiles from high places.

One arrow missed, and then another, one more passed close to his knee, another touched his torso. In case that he ended up hitting his torso completely, his armor would not be enough, so Noctis kept dodging while waiting for his chance, knowing that sooner or later the time had come.

And the moment arrived. The bat had spent all its arrows, and was beginning to make them using Form. How he proved in his own flesh, once a gift was used, there was a space of time when it could not be used again. So the rhythm of the bat's arrows would be reduced.

- If you want to kill her so much, why do not you do it yourself? - Noctis asked trying to decentralize it.

- It is not obvious? I'm on patrol, not as a hunter.

Now Noctis just had to wait for Darren to spend Shape, Night and Sound more or less at the same time. Noctis started running towards the tree where Darren was, knowing that once he was knocked down he would have the advantage. On the other hand, he made a sudden movement from one tree to another, and forcing his gifts to the utmost, he uttered a cry followed by an arrow.

Noctis was almost paralyzed by the scream, but to his fate, the arrow only brushed his armor on the right side.

And after that, he started a race at full speed towards the tree. The bat, sinning confident, did not fly off in time and was knocked down with an impressive jump. As they fell, the lizard took the opportunity to hold his rival's neck with his forearms, and guide the fall so that the bat fell on his back, looking at the sky and with the lizard on top.

A punch later, Darren fell unconscious.