Chapter 179: 169. Duelists (II)

The 13th Nemesis bleeped on Jay’s gravity radar.

His spatial gravity sense extended a radius of ten miles passively. It seemed like a lot. But Earth was a big place.

The total surface area of the planet was 197,000,000 square miles. That was an interesting fact Mike had mentioned. Jay’s Intellect dug it up as a reference.

So there was plenty of space around the world for Jay and his nemesis to miss each other. The only reason the 13th Nemesis would be within Jay’s proximity came down to [13th Freak of Freaks: Pre-Teen].

[13th Freak of Freaks: Pre-Teen]: You shouldn’t have survived. But you continue to persist, anyway. This will force the System Admins into more extreme measures. The boon you shall receive is different now. See your Attributes reduced heavily by no more than 75% and gain an incredible increase to your Chance Modifiers and a boost to one specific ability. But in doing so, you will grant the 13th Nemesis the power you’ve reduced and make their Attributes stronger, which will remain in duration until the climactic event with the Nemesis has concluded. This will most likely end with your death.

As for the matter of your continued survival, 13th Freak of Freaks… this is not exactly unprecedented. There have been others who had the horrid potential of becoming the 13th and survived the Infant stage. But there are more measures in place to ensure you will not survive for long.

The 13th Nemesis Program will be enacted. Expect a nemesis to arrive any time between now to the next dungeon incursion. They will find you. And they will kill you. Please understand the Multiverse will not accept a fully realized 13th Freak of Freaks. Especially one beholden to the Godling of Challenge and Change.

Jay sighed wearily.

Casey’s cat ears tilted. She picked up on his lowered mood. They were still on the top deck, looking out into the arctic air. A huge blizzard sent hail, flurries of snow, and gale-force winds at the invisible ships. 

Because of Macy’s ingenuity and Mike’s help, they designed the ships with bad weather in mind. The weather diffuser barriers kept everything inside pretty comfortable while warping reality outside.

From Jay’s perspective, it was like being inside an inverted snow globe. The world outside the barriers seemed unreal and timeless all at once. After all, some of the Miraculous Magic Science was born from studies of Jay’s gravity abilities and his nature to influence space and time.

From an outsider perspective, all the blizzard stuff striking the diffusers passed right through open air. In truth, the barriers were warping the unwanted elements around the ships and masking the process while remaining invisible. This was great stuff from Team Magic R&D. It was a shame Jay’s nature of being a source of triumphs and disasters was rearing its ugly head.

“He’s only got one escort from what I can tell,” Jay said. “A single jet fighter. It has Good Quality materials built into it. The USA might be working on Great Quality weapon systems now.”

Or maybe even Superior Quality.

Leave it to scientists and engineers of the USA to figure out how to push past the Modern Warfare Backlash Principle. YoAnna wasn’t able to pass a measure to raise the difficulty on the creation of automatic magic gunfire, smart missiles, and other technical marvels that push more science while leveraging the magic of… magic. YoAnna had managed to pass a measure with a slight nerf to those products of magic warfare compared to more medieval approaches or the unique approaches Macy took with her magic science crafting.

It couldn’t be helped that the USA would continue posing as a world power.

The USA held it together better than most nations. They had way more manpower with proficient doctrines for training, lots of land for lairs to form for cultivation purposes, and they might have several Rank 4 lairs all over the place they were farming.

In every way that the USA could get an advantage, they got it. And to make matters worse, they had their own [Godling], too, for a good while.

“Let him on board,” Jay groaned. “No offensive measures.”

The ship captain and his aids repeated their commander’s orders. All the ships responded in kind. They held back from deploying anti-air cannon fire and magic.

In no time, a tricked out F-35m Super Lightning slowed to cruising speed beside Jay’s command ship. The jet’s gunmetal gray body glowed subtly with blue spellcraft circles and runes inscribed on its hull and wings. 

Standing on the jet with his arms folded and his platinum white braided hair whipping behind him, a sharp-eared, eight-foot tall, muscle elf laughed haughtily into the icy blizzard winds. Hail the size of softballs bounced off his hyper brolic body and the monk-like wardrobe of gold, orange, and white.

“There is no hiding from me, little gremlin!” shouted Beren of Wonor, a leading scion to the leader of the Multiverse Duelist Pantheon. He was a Stage 2 [Godling] of Duels with the power to destroy all of Florida when using the full might of his divinity. He was weaker in overall power compared to YoAnna, but his Low Divinity ranged from high Rank 4 to high Rank 5.

Jay’s nemesis was probably one of the few creatures on Earth who could kill him until he was dead-dead.

The apparent big shot looked directly at Jay despite the cloaking magic remaining active around the ships. The USA military was going to record as much as they could, so Jay wasn’t going to give them an inch further.

They were most likely planning an attack, no doubt.

Beren didn’t seem to care. He jumped off the jet, causing it to swerve slightly. Beren passed through the barriers unchallenged and landed with a heavy thunk on the top deck. Everyone crowding around the top of the ship raised their weapons and magic.

“Lower your weapons and disable your magic,” Jay ordered with a touch of graven voice, making the air ripple in all directions with neon purple authority.

His graven voice ensured that nobody received a buff to their Conviction. His people would feel Jay’s Conviction, keeping his eager-to-fight Protectorates from starting the wrong fight.

“What? No greeting of arms? That’s a pathetic welcome, you grotesque creature! At least let them blast their little magic rifles to spice things up.” Beren’s voice was as big as himself. And it carried divinity.

The [Godling] of Duels had a heavy draw. Jay could see the temptation in the eyes of his Protectorates.

“We’re not fighting you, scum,” Casey grouched, shifting back to her human form.

And just like that, Casey swept the potential challenge under the rug. If someone like Casey was declaring pacifism, the others had to listen. She was the most fight-hungry Champion anyone knew.

“Scum? Ha! And yet I still look more handsome than you!” Beren quipped.

“I’m not trying to be handsome. That’s for boys.”

“Is that so? I couldn’t tell.”

Everyone on the top deck winced. Casey clenched her jaw and kept her next words to herself. Someone in the back roared with laughter.

“Extra duties for him,” Jay said, pointing at the one who laughed. The ship’s first mate and aids were on the guy in a heartbeat.

“Now be a sensible little toad and let us end this nonsense.” Beren loomed over Jay. “You know what I want. Give it to me, luck-less!”

An aura blasted out from around Beren, thrumming with divinity. It wavered gold with a touch of white. It surrounded him like he was some beefed-up Super Saiyan.

His square-cut jaw and piercing silver eyes struck a fantastic portrait for anyone who would want to paint him a picture. And most artists would probably love the opportunity.

Beren let his divinity flash and sparkle and swirl around him as the world bent to feature him as the greatest creature here. His muscles bulged powerfully without being grotesque. His legs were as balanced as the top of his body– which would make all the gym bros both envious and impressed. And when Beren tossed a look at the girls populating Jay’s ship, they struggled not to swoon under his piercing gaze. Some men openly swooned.

Jay’s little body was a small shadow in comparison. And everything was dimly lit on him. Even his left eye– the silver and gold that defined his corner of divinity– remained darker than usual. His right eye remained a dim purple. And his eldritch eye remained sealed, leaving his forehead bare. He was in ragged training clothes, too, with holes in the front and back of his shirt because of Casey’s mock killing blow. His dreadlocks whipped behind his head from the divine winds of Beren’s aura, dominating the space around the two. And that divine aura was growing bigger and more fantastic and shinier as Beren towered over Jay.

“For more than half a year I’ve waited on your miserable mud ball of a planet!” Beren shouted. “I’ve been patient. And I’ve followed the traditions set forth by my pantheon. But I can’t endure this injustice any longer.” He spread his arms wide, his aura fanning out past Jay and nearly bowling everyone else backward. “I am here to fight you, you little accursed thing. So show me you are more than gutter-trash, eldritch boy, and DUEL me! Here and now! Or on that island they falsely call green! It has all the space we’ll need.”

Jay tilted his head to the side. “No.”

Beren’s silver eyes glinted. “I figured you would take the coward’s way out. But that’s fine. I’ve planned for this.” He stepped closer and poked a finger into Jay’s chest, making the [Freak] sway. “I’m going to stick around you for now on. Wherever you go. I go. Do not fret. I won’t be in the way of your private matters. But I won’t let you move far away from me. I will hound you all across your tiny planet.”

“That’s not fair. To enforce yourself on me is stepping on the toes of my [Godling].” Jay looked up.

His wife’s godly impression appeared on cue. The mere act of YoAnna turning her attention on this matter concerning her commander caused ripples through the fourth dimension. Some of the [Medium-types] knelt down in deference to their [Godling].

Jay remained standing. “You’ve done a lot of harm already, Beren. This is inexcusable.”

“I’ve done no harm!” Beren replied.

“You’ve given the USA access to Multiversal knowledge. YoAnna wanted that reserved for our pantheon,” Jay said.

“They were nice to me! They asked questions. I answered. They were better hosts for quite some time. Better than your pantheon.” Beren crossed his arms.

“We’ve been quite busy fighting every spook and creeper crawling out the corners to kill us and bring ruin to my [Godling],” Jay muttered. “Of course we can’t pay every bit of childish attention you desire.”

“And you’re here to kill Jay,” Emily piped up from among the crowd. Hailey and Dennis stood next to her.

Normally, during long voyages, some Champions would stay on the other ships. Hailey usually had the rearward ship to herself. Emily and Dennis took the forefront ship. Casey stayed on the command ship– the middle ship– with Jay. In a situation like this, Hailey had gone to pick up Emily and Dennis before joining the commotion on the command ship.

“I would like to put it out there that it might be a good idea to keep Beren,” Hailey said. “For the sake that it’ll end any further Multiversal knowledge spreading into our enemies’ hands.”

An impression from YoAnna spread across the crowded top deck. Their [Godling] agreed with Hailey. But she left a more personal touch with Jay and Beren. She disapproved of Beren’s unfounded encroachment upon Jay when there was no plan for a fight. This wouldn’t be such an issue for Beren if the Uk-Guk-Gara dungeons weren’t delayed indefinitely, and if Jay hadn’t planned to wait until the very last moment to deal with Beren.

“This is a cruel and torturous, oh beautiful YoAnna, the arrow lodged into my heart!” Beren reached out toward YoAnna’s impression with one hand, the other laid on his chest. “Please see reason and part ways from this cowardly mongrel of a demented commander. You are above this. We are above this. And my offer still stands to take your hand, of course. I’m of the right age to do so.”

“What’s the right age for a [Godling] to marry?” Dennis asked.

“From what YoAnna told me. Some [Godlings] who are part of traditional pantheons wait until they’re 17,000 years old. Others from the older pantheons wait until they’re 170,000 years old before their elders in the pantheons allow them.”

“Bah, any more than 2000 years is way too long. I’m around 1700 years, one of the fastest [Godlings] to grow around the entire Multiverse. Those other [Godlings] are slow growers. Give or take another 8000 years and I’ll punch my way to Stage 3 and reach [Lesser God]!” Beren declared proudly. “See? Such speed of growth is proof of my prowess. I am to be the rightful husband of a stellar [Godling] such as YoAnna!”

“Dude,” Dennis said, “you’re close to being 2000 years older than YoAnna.”

“And it took me until I was a 1000 years old to reach Stage 2, and yet she’s already close to Stage 2 at a mere 17 years!” Beren shook his head with a self-deprecating smile. “To be so young. To be so powerful. If we were to unite, we would be the strongest marriage in all the Multiverse.”

Beren tilted his head down. Way down. And looked down at wee little Jay standing before him. “But you’re in the way,” Beren said. “You, you, you!”

“Me, me, me,” Jay murmured.

“You shouldn’t have divinity.”

“But I have it, anyway.”

“And you’re an eldritch! And a devil! You’re a twice-damned fiend that should be put down! But yet you exist with not one but two powerful wives who are antitheses to you!”

“Opposites attract is what some people would say.”

“I’ve heard of such madness. It is the duty of the Duelists to end such.”

“And yet, you can’t end me,” Jay said with a smile. “Until it is time for it. So, I don’t have to entertain your encroachment any longer than I need to.”

YoAnna agreed.

“Three challenges,” Beren said quickly.

A shiver crawled up Jay’s spine.

YoAnna’s attention intensified.

“You may choose the challenges,” Beren said. “I shall defeat each one. Do note. It cannot be a challenge involving the monster himself unless we are to truly fight. But the representatives of these challenges will not enact my part in the 13th Nemesis Program.” Beren smiled. “All I ask is that if I defeat each of your three challenges, I get my way.”

YoAnna gave Jay a nudge. She wanted to know his opinion.

“It’s hard to turn that down. I might have to live up to what we stand for, YoAnna,” Jay said, his Commander of Challenge and Change Title humming inside of him.

He could also sense YoAnna wanting to take part. They could only deny so much from the Stage 2 [Godling] of Duels. Beren throwing down the gauntlet and crossing into their pantheon’s conceptual realm was too hard to deny.

Beren’s big, shiny grin said it all. He knew the Protectorates couldn’t say no.

“I accept.” Jay turned to everyone getting their daily due of Protectorate drama. “Back off. Some of you get below deck and return to work. We need space.”

The ship captain, his first mate, the aids, and department leaders barked out orders. Reluctantly, some Protectorates went below deck to keep working for the day. The lucky ones stationed on the top deck kept clear of the middle of the ship where Jay stood with Beren across from him.

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“I know you want first dibs, Dennis. Go on ahead.” Jay looked up. “Where are the tunes? Where are the drinks? Might as well bring food. I want to be as entertained and full and drunk as possible for the rest of this trip.”

His subordinates hopped to Jay’s requests. They brought out a lavishly cushioned chair from his personal quarters and set it down for Jay to lounge. Platters of delicious monster meat, high-quality fruit produce, and the best Superior Quality alcohol on the ship rushed out, the crew placing them down on a table set in front of Jay. Someone brought out their Great Quality guitar, tuned it, and started strumming. It sounded like a devilish and dark country tune.

Jay approved.

Dennis requested for the crew to get two seats and a very sturdy table.

Hailey glided over and sat on an armrest next to Jay’s head.

“Are you here to feed me grapes and wine?” Jay asked her.

“Don’t kid yourself. I’m better than a Dionysus showgirl.” Hailey plucked at the grapes and popped them into her mouth. She hummed with delight. “Pour me some wine, would you?”

“But I’m the commander. You should pour me wine.”

“But I’m your best and dearest drinking partner. And I’ll have you wasted in a wink if you play your cards right.”

Damn. She had a good point. Jay used gravity to pour wine into a goblet and float it into her hand. He didn’t bother moving much, his gravity powers could do all the work for him while he feasted and drank. He was going to need as much hedonistic pleasure as he could get to keep his mood up. Just in case Beren wound up overcoming each of the three challenges.

Challenge One: Armwrestling with Dennis.

“It’s okay to cry,” Dennis said, “when you lose to me. I can ride my boat on your river of tears.”

Beren bellowed with laughter. “I was fresh from leaving my mother’s womb when I faced an entire army of Dense Metal Mountain Gorilla Giants! All on my own! They were said to be some of the strongest monsters one could ever duel at the age of 70. I was ready for my nap by the time I laid waste to all of them.”

“It sounds like stuff you’ve made up to sound tough.”

“Trust me. I don’t need to tell tall tales to know I’m tougher than you.”

Dennis’s affinity fired up. 

Beren’s divinity blazed.

The atmosphere grew heavier as the two sized each other up. Dennis had the Ultimate Affinity going. It transferred Mana to pump up his Strength and Chance. His armor creaked and strained. Dennis visibly grew bulkier and more muscular, surpassing his former brawny appearance back when the Champions were new at this.

Beren chuckled deeply, amused by the roaring golden and orange flames of the Ultimate Affinity flaring from around Dennis. In response, Beren’s divinity blazed even more. His veins sparkled with a gold and white inner power, throbbing along the surface. They looked like lightning bolts streaking across his huge arms. His silver eyes glowed brighter.

Dennis and Beren sat down with a heavy thud that reverberated across the ship’s deck. The crew staggered. They grabbed the nearest thing to support them.

The pressure rose as Dennis continued to pump himself up to compete with Beren. Maybe Dennis could win. He had the Ultimate Affinity, plus his ox spirit, and his [Oppressive Strength II]. The ox spirit remained inside of Dennis except for the spirit horns that sprouted from the side of Dennis’s head. Then Dennis added his aura Skill, [Aura of Brawn and Honor], which would boost his Strength even further.

Dennis reached forward.

Beren reached forward.

Their right hands clasped with the volume and power of a thunderclap!

“Go,” Jay said.

Dennis and Beren’s grunts were the loudest and most manliest noise anyone could hear. From the start, neither could budge the other. Beren’s best against rankers placed him at Low Divinity. And the [Godling] was up against the rising Strength and Chance of Dennis, someone who put his all into his best Attribute: Strength. Dennis would be the ultimate strongman, and there was no place better than here to prove it.

And it showed!

Little by little, Dennis forced Beren’s arm to budge backward. Sometimes their combined arms wobbled. But Dennis would win another inch. And another after that. Dennis was getting Beren closer and closer to the table’s surface. All Dennis needed was another ten seconds. Then he would be victorious!

“Here comes the trick,” Hailey whispered.

“Good eyes,” Jay said before ripping into a piece of Fire Chicken meat. The music turned up right on time.

Beren’s eyes glowed intensely. “I am the one who counters defeat.”

With a surge of sudden Strength, Beren reversed his descent by an inch. He was a long way from victory, but he was not truly trying to out-muscle Dennis. That would lead to defeat for the [Godling].

Beren wanted to shake Dennis’s resolve.

Dennis’s weakness was a small thing. A little doubt appeared inside of Dennis for a scant moment. If he had another moment to recompose himself, Dennis could’ve rallied back to winning. But that tiny window was all Beren needed to reverse the situation completely and crush Dennis’s confidence. And without confidence, the Ultimate Affinity had nothing to stand on.

Beren slammed his way to victory, broke Dennis’s arm, and sent the poor guy flying off to the side like a rag doll. The table fell in shards and splinters, unable to remain standing after enduring such a challenge.

Beren stood with his arms raised, yelling in victory.

A gaggle of healers ran to Dennis’s side. The healers halted and looked to Emily for permission, which was proper since she was the senior healer here. She gave them an encouraging nod for them to heal Dennis and get some levels out of it.

Jay ate and drank a little faster. He motioned for Casey to stop. When Emily raised her hand to go, he waved her forward from his throne of respite. He was like an emperor while the coliseum games were in play.

Challenge Two: Playing Chicken with Emily.

“Is it okay if I test how tough you are?” Emily asked, pulling out one of her biggest and most powerful single-shot pistols.

The Nullifier of Life Mk 2 (Superior) was big, black, and trimmed with bold red lines. It had a bore made for a mini cannonball of a shot. Emily flicked her wrist to snap open the breech. Her bat spirit fluttered into view with a heavy ball grasped by its feet. The spirit inserted the shot for Emily before she snapped it shut with another flick.

“My lady, I’ve walked across worlds with the greatest level of death energy one could find. I’ve tempered my body to the likes of you and can beat death with my mere will!” Beren placed his fists on his hips and stood tall. “Hit me with your best.”

Emily gave the [Godling] a small smile. She waved her free arm around before igniting her body in black and red death energy. Horrid wails and shouts from the beyond made themselves heard to even the crew with the lowest of Perception. Emily’s bat spirit swung out its wings, but she didn’t physically change into a bat. She placed her focus on casting some death related spellcraft that would enhance her deadly abilities. Then she chanted one of her more solo-style incantations, a real boss-killer if she ever had the opportunity to use it. The more she chanted, the more her aura flared out. A deep and creepy coldness swept across the ship. It wasn’t that creepy for Jay or Hailey, but it was creepy for the crew as they endured the powers of Emily before she merged her aura into her pistol and finished her incantation.

“One Shot That Brings Death.”

Emily pulled the trigger.

Time slowed. Emily’s ball shot stopped inches away from striking Beren’s chest. The [Godling] flexed all of his muscles as his divinity manipulated time, which fell under Jay’s observation.

“I am the body that defies death,” Beren said.

Time resumed its regular progress. Emily’s shot slammed into Beren’s chest where a human’s heart should be. A ripple of black and red energy passed over Beren’s blazing aura, nearly snuffing it out. But the [Godling’s] aura surged in defiance, swatting the death energy back. The shot dropped from where it punched Beren, leaving some damage, but nowhere near enough to kill him.

“Hm, you really are tough,” Emily remarked.

“And you are quite deadly,” Beren said with a laugh. “If you weren’t accompanying the lost spawn of a hobgoblin, I would invite you to join my pantheon once YoAnna makes the choice to remarry to me.”

“No thank you,” Emily said. “I like where I’m at now. I’m just starting to find my groove. And YoAnna’s married to Commander Luckrun, and you won’t change that.”

Beren harrumphed. “We shall see.”

Jay stopped Hailey from pouring another goblet of rum down his throat. He gestured for Casey to stop and move back. 

The [Fighter] gave him a look suggesting she was willing to cross the line with him for a shot at Beren. With a burdened sigh, Jay flexed more power than he liked and gave Casey a good squeeze with his Gravity Affinity alone. Casey struggled, unable to fight off his power without being overt, which could cross further lines that a Champion shouldn’t. She glared at Jay hatefully and backed down. Jay released her from the hold of his affinity, feeling untroubled. Casey would only act catty toward him for a little while, but he knew better that Casey was best treated with tough gloves sometimes. That was how you earned her respect and kept her in control.

“Is it my turn?” Hailey said with a pout. “Emily already took the death angle. I’m down to fewer options.”

“Go with the one that’s more creative for you,” Jay said.

“Hm. I think I know the right challenge.” She poured another cup of alcohol down Jay’s throat before leaving his side.

She hadn’t gone four steps before Jay started to miss his drinking partner. An impression from YoAnna blanketed over him, friendly and amused. Jay stopped missing his drinking partner and waved his hand through the air as if he could grasp his deific wife. Now he wanted his wife to share the comfy sofa with him. She would make for a great pillow. The BEST of sofa pillows! The only way to make that better was to have both of his wives here. But they would end up squishing him. Drunk Jay wouldn’t mind that.

Oh, wait… the last challenge was going to happen. Jay should pay attention to that.

Challenge Three: Catching Hailey

Jay blinked with two eyes. It seemed like Beren had already caught Hailey by the scruff of her neck right when the challenge started. Jay glanced through an alcohol fueled haze at his latest goblet of Super Quality alcohol. Whoever made this did a wonderful job. Now that he was adequately drunk, he could press on with his day by screwing with Beren, and then screwing with everyone else that wanted to screw with the Protectorates.

“Congrats. You’ve surpassed the three challenges. Hip hip hooray!” Jay said as he staggered over to Beren.

The deity released Hailey and ignored her promises to curse him with infertility. He frowned at Jay. “Look at you. An absolute embarrassment of a commander. You barely afforded your pantheon members much of your attention compared to your gluttony.”

“Sure, whatever, hey, come with me.” Jay waddled with a full belly of food and alcohol. He stopped at the hatch leading below deck and looked at Beren. “What are you waiting for? Come on. You’ve won. Now you get to reap your reward.”

Beren squinted. “I’m feeling highly suspicious.”

“There is no reason to be suspicious,” Hailey said with a straight face. “No reason whatsoever.”

Beren eyed everyone around him.

The crew looked away and went back to work. Dennis and Emily pointed at the fighter jet that was still flying next to them.

Beren’s eyes landed on Casey who glared back with murderous intent. Sneering, Beren turned his back on Casey and followed Jay below deck.

“I would expect more of a stronger reaction out of you, goblin,” Beren said.

“Watch your head.”

Beren ducked as he stepped down the steps.

“Ha. Joking. Spatial magic has you covered.”

“As it should.” Beren straightened and bumped his head on the ceiling. “What? How?”

Jay snickered. The ships had been on voyage for a good while. Some of the spellcraft had stopped functioning as they should and required maintenance at home.

“Ah, there it is,” Jay said, his eyes of gravity, divinity, and calamity glimmering in the shadows of the passageway. “The weakness of a Duelist. If it ain’t a duel, you’re just one big happy dummy, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m not!” Beren shouted.

“It’s fine,” Jay said. “Your death won’t be by trickery. I will beat you at what you’re good at for the greatest satisfaction.”

Jay could feel Beren’s divine fury pressed against his back. Jay’s body wanted to whip around and attack Beren on the spot. But Jay clamped down on his urges. He dimmed down the parts of himself that wanted to rage and challenge divinity. He could feel Kleo’s hunger echoing through him. Kleo could smell her prey through Jay’s senses despite the distance between them. If they wanted to, Jay could bring Kleo here right now. They could take Beren on. They could hack him to pieces and feed Kleo’s endless hunger.

But there was too much room for error if Jay and Kleo were to fight Beren now. They should get to Rank 5 first to give themselves more assurances. Jay also was waiting for other developments to play out so he could hopefully achieve the best victory.

Jay figured patience was key. At the very least, Beren had shown off some of his abilities to the wrong person.