oppositum [a (maybe) Nikolai Lantsov story] (currently being reviewed)

V

Hey! I'm back, hope you all are well. I just put in media the representation I have of Sturmhond (left) and Nikolai (right). Of course the picture is not mine and the copyright belongs to the creator. Thanks again for following my story and have a nice day/night!

The fights started slowly, most of them reaching the time limit and the victory went to the one who put his opponent down the most times.
A few people had caught Nix's attention, as their fighting techniques or brute strength could be a problem if she was in front of them. As she thought about her own fight that was coming faster and faster, a voice pulled her out of her trance.

"Are you ready?"

She looked up into Sturmhond's mischievous smiling face.

"But, I don't have too much to worry about, Slezy won't want to see his princess lose and if you're having trouble, he'll let you win."

Nix frowned and glared at her future opponent who was in the middle of a discussion with another man. She turned her gaze back to Sturmhond and huffed, standing up and crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't want him to bridle. I want to see his potential and have a real fight."

Sturmhond placed a hand on her shoulder and took on a mock desperate look while giving her a wink.

"You better win anyway, I've got a small bet on you winning."
"On this fight or on the tournament?"
"This fight. Don't forget I'm participating too, I wouldn't bet on my own defeat."

Nix gave him a questioning look before judging him with her eyes.

"Really? I hadn't noticed you volunteering..."

Sturmhond chuckled and moved his hand to the top of Nix's head before gently ruffling his hair. As she tried to get out of his grasp, he brought their faces relatively close together, catching Nix's flabbergasted gaze in his. He made her a seductive smile and put his hand gently on her cheek, the thumb close to her lips. Nix opened wide her eyes before blinking at full speed, taken of short by the event but surprising itself, it did not make any movement to move away, having however all its chances to escape from him, because it did not hold her prisoner in its arms.

"Do you really think I was going to refuse a kiss from you my dear?"

Nix remained silent in front of him and he took advantage of this muteness to slowly move his hand, giving Nix the shivers, until his thumb landed on her lower lip.

"That promise..."

He contemplated her lips with a slightly haggard look, Nix doing the same her eyes being as if locked on the moving lips of her interlocutor.
Sturmhond's voice dropped an octave and was almost a hushed whisper.

"motivated more than one man, darling..."

Nix came to her senses and while mentally arguing with herself, looked up into Sturmhond's eyes.

'By Djel, what's going on there!'

"Shall I consider you a potential opponent then?"

The fact that she spoke again brought Sturmhond back to earth and, as if he had just realized where they were, stood up and put some distance between the two of them.
His smile became a bit wobbly for a few seconds before his face returned to its usual state.

"I think so Nix. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a fight to prepare for. You see, I pass after this one."

Fleeing like a thief, he made his way to the other end of the ship, putting as much distance between himself and Nix as possible. She looked around at the crew and realized that many of them were staring at her, witnessing their interaction. Just as she was about to turn and head back to her cabin to seek a distraction and purge her mind of the image of Sturmhond's lips, a hand stopped her and she was pulled to a place safe from prying eyes.
In front of her stood Koira, his eyes flashing at her.
He let go of her wrist but stood in the way.

"What were you thinking?"

Nix frowned, confused.

"What?"
"Your little game with Sturmhond is far more dangerous than you think Nix."
"My little game?"

Suddenly she realized and her face turned a scarlet red. Nix shook her head to refocus on Koira and not on Sturmhond's lips.

"It's absolutely not what you think."
"Even if it isn't, I'm not the only one who witnessed your little scene. I believe you. But others will believe what they want. And probably not the best version of the story."

Nix placed a reassuring hand on Koira's shoulder.

"Nothing has happened, and nothing will happen. Don't worry about me Koira, I'm a big girl."

He blew out his breath and took her in his arms.

"Nix...you're only 16. Young girls your age shouldn't be on a boat running away from their own homeland."

She returned his hug, nestling her head on his chest and letting herself relax into his warm embrace.

"And you know you can talk to me. I'm here for you and I always will be."

She nodded and then they stayed like that for a moment longer before Koira gently pulled her away from him.

"I'd stay with you, but Galasy is going to have an anxiety attack if I leave him alone for a few more minutes."

His sentence lightened the mood and Nix chuckled.

"I'm not holding you back. Anyway, I have something to do too."

They said goodbye and then Nix headed for the kitchen, arrived, she poured herself a glass of water and instead of drinking it, put it on the table and sat down opposite.

'What could be better than a little training to take your mind off things...'

She stared at the water and imagined the air around it losing its heat to make ice. Slowly, under her concentrated gaze, Nix's crippled hands turned a quarter turn and suddenly the glass surrounding the water exploded into a thousand pieces. Taken by surprise, she stood up abruptly and tried to avoid the pieces of glass. Someone managed to get small guts on her face and arms, but Nix didn't care because she admired her success. The liquid water had become solid and because the volume of the ice was greater than the liquid water, the glass had exploded. She took the piece of ice in her hands, watching her countours.
Her observation didn't last very long, because a voice interrupted her contemplation.

"Princess? What happened here?"

She turned around abruptly, the ice still in her hands.

"Slezy?"