They were in the same room after the fight and they both were exhausted. Their wounds were healed thanks to a few crystals and thanks to the Bourgoistic's personal doctors.

"That was a great fight", said Milhrio, "I'm happy we didn't have to fight each other."

"Yeah, that would have been a shame to kill you", replied Qualt.

"Or to kill you. Fortunately, now that I'll have this money, the old mole will be able to help me more."

"And to help me."

"Yeah, good luck with that darker, by the way."

"Thanks. I just wished I didn't have to kill for that fucking crocodile..."

"That's not how you talk about the ones who help you", said a familiar voice, coming from the door.

They turned their head towards it. It was him, the tournament's organiser. The crocodile. He was caressing his moustache while smiling.

"Qualt and Milhrio, that was a truly magnificent finale that you offered us all."

"I hope you were entertained with all this blood and all those lives that ended", Qualt said with rage.

"Ooooh, go on, spit all your cold words on me", Bourgoistic replied before sitting on the bed where Ironhorns was. "Say everything you want. You won't kill me, nor ice me. You can't. And yet you are two fangs away from me."

His smile was now wide and wild. He was looking at him in the eyes.

Indeed, he was now very close, he could just spit his ice on him, take his iron horns and daggers and plant them into the crocodile's throat, strangle him, eviscerate him… He could make him suffer, he could kill him in just a few seconds. But he was right, he couldn't do it. He needed the gold. He needed to kill Usvork, to avenge his team and mostly his sister.

So he lowered his eyes…

"Très bien. I knew you were a reasonable dragon, my dear Qualt."

He gave him two small slaps, like if he was his child.

"I can't kill you now but I promise I'll come back for you after", said the ice dragon.

"That's just cute. Maybe I'll have a word with Foudre about such insubordination coming out from you. It would be a shame, really, if he knows you are not someone we can put trust into. Just after having the detective's job! Or I can just tell him that you participated to my game."

Ironhorns retained himself: he wanted to jump on him.

"You maybe are strong, Qualt, but it only takes three words to build someone's life or to destroy it. Most of the time, it is I love you for the first and, in your case, you are fired for the second."

"You do know that, if I get fired, nothing will hold me back to find you and then kill you, right?"

"Yes, but you don't want to take that risk, n'est-ce pas?"

There was a long pause, a long silence.

"That's what I thought", replied the crocodile. "And you, Milhrio", he continued while going near him and sitting on the assassin's bed, "I hope you'll remember who helped you when you were in need, when you had no money left and that you really had to eat. I hope you'll remember the good Money Bag and the great Bourgoistic. And I hope you won't forget who made this tournament and who gave you the money at the end, to help you once again."

"I will", he said, knowing he really couldn't reply anything else in front of him.

"Indeed, you will. And maybe I'll need you and your skills, one day. So don't forget."

He got up and began to get out of the room. Then, before passing the door:

"And I hope you both won't forget who let you both fight the darker instead of each other during the finale. If you do, oh, don't worry, I know how I'll help you with those memory troubles... Au revoir et à bientôt!"

And he closed the door.

The next day, a well dressed tiger entered the room where Qualt and Milhrio were, whom health was now completely restored. In his hands were two huge bags of gold. There was no need for words to know why he had that and why he was here with them but it still was a question of politeness to say what he had to say:

"Here is the reward for the tournament. The same amount of gold is in each bag. But you have more that what the reward first was: Money Bag participated and gave you a bit more for the pleasure he found in the show. Now that you have the bags, you both can get out of here. Master Bourgoistic was glad to have you in his game and he hopes you have a good day. Now, follow me."

"I wonder how's the young cheetah is going right now, if the mole helped him recover."

"Don't worry, I did not sent him to Douggy for nothing. I'm sure he took great care of him."

"Well, only one way to find out."

They just got outside the two dragons had this short discussion. Then, Qualt looked around and added:

"And I also wonder where Glo-"

He did not have the time to finish that a red dragonness jumped on him and hugged him:

"I'm so glad you made it alive, I was worried..."

As you probably recognized her, reader, it was Gloria.

"I think I would have been pissed if I was dead", he replied with a smile.

She took a step backward when she finished and turned towards Oster.

"It's nice to see you, Milhrio. I remember you were a very good assassin when you worked for my ex-husband."

"Yeah… but, now, I will try to get away from that job and that place."

"Understandable. Way too much understandable."

"Speaking of getting out of this place, how about going to Harmot's house?"

They were over there in no time, like five or ten minutes. They knocked at the door and waited a few seconds before the mole's voice could be heard:

"Oh, it's you three. Come in, enter."

And they entered.

"I was surprised when I learned about the finale. I thought that one of you was going to die and, in either way, I would have been really sad. Mostly if Mil would have died, sorry Ironhorns. But I am glad that the old Bourgoistic decided to twist a bit his rules. Oh! And about the cheetah you sent me, Œl, he's fine. He just needs to rest. If you want to see him, you can see him, he's in my rest room. Mil, you know where it is, I'll let you guide them. But there also is another person in the room, someone that I also had to take care of, ah ah! A coffee?"

"I would love to", replied the dark blue dragon.

"Same", then said Gloria and Qualt.

"Then I'll go prepare it. I will be back with them in the rest room."

And Oster guided them towards it. He knocked on the door before entering. They could see the cheetah on a bed. This one got up and went into a sitting position. Behind him, there was a white curtain separating the two injured. Œl, then, tried to stood up with difficulties while saying:

"You are my saviours, my mother and I can't thank you enough for what you did for me."

He was about to fall but Milhrio caught him and putted him on his bed.

"Don't worry about that, kid. I did what I had to do. Plus, it's mostly Doug that you shall thank."

"And I didn't want to kill a child", added Ironhorns.

And then came a really familiar voice:

"Qualt?"

It was coming from behind the curtain. The ice dragon went towards it, then beyond it and saw…

… and saw non other than Drer, covered in white bandages!

"What the fuck are you doing here!" Qualt said, retaining a laugh.

"Guess everytime we're gonna meet up when something is over is in the hospital, eh? Even if it isn't really a hospital", he replied, not retaining his giggle.

Ironhorns went right next to him.

"Maybe, indeed, ah ah! But how the fuck did you got in this situation this time?"

"Well, here, it also was kind of… ridiculous. Now that you know that my element is the sound one, after the fight you did against Alagar, I tried to train myself imitating some stranger voices just after listening one time. I was alone, sitting near a stone stair. And I was practising. I spoke with different voices and I had some difficulties on one. So talked with it again, for one or two minutes. But that's where my fucking luck arrives! Because it looked like the one's voice I was imitating was searched by a group of dragons with no pacific intentions towards him at all. And they passed near me. And they heard me. And they just fucking jumped on me in a second, beating me repetitively before one stopped and said: 'wait, it isn't the one we search, I swear I've heard his voice though'. And they all stopped and got away, leaving me on the ground. Funny how unlucky I am, eh? But, fortunately, I was laying on the ground in front of that place. Like, that mole opened his door and saw me, groaning in pain, asking why all of this was happening to me. Ah! I looked great!"

"Yeah, it's a bit sketchy. At least you did not fall from the roof this time. I'm still happy that you're doing well now."

Laughs were coming next to them: Gloria, Milhrio and Œl apparently found it funny too.

"Well, 'well' is a big word but I'm doing okay now. Oh, can you take that curtain out. I feel isolated with it. And I don't like that, to be honest."

"No prob", he answered while doing it, letting him more easily in sight of everyone.

"Also, hi, cheetah, now that we can talk a bit, I've seen you fight at the tournament. You were great. Glad Qualt decided to not eviscerate you."

"Yeah… Thanks..." he replied, not knowing how to take that compliment with the picture he made in his head, seeing the dagger-horns going right through his chest and then through his guts.

"Coffee's here", suddenly said Doug Harmot, entering the room. "I also made some for you, Œl, and for you, Drer."

A few minutes after, the cups of coffee were empty. They all joked and really needed to have a good pause after the tournament. Qualt looked at Gloria's eyes… and he knew what was coming for him tonight. Doug scrape off the rest of sugar in his cup with his spoon to lick it. He then said:

"So, Qualt Ironhorns, before you go, we need to plan when we're gonna go outside the field to hunt Usvork."

"In a few days. I really need a break before", he replied, looking at Gloria.

"And I will come with you after that. You can't change my mind, honey", she replied, giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

Then, Oster spoke:

"And I'm coming with you."

Qualt looked at him, surprised.

"It's not for you nor your darker. I will come with you to help and protect Douggy. It's just the minimum I can do for him after all he did for me."

And Œl also spoke, while standing up with less difficulties this time:

"You saved me in this tournament, I want to help you in return."

"No, you're going to die, out there, kiddo!" immediately replied Qualt.

"Maybe… But I was going to die in there. And yet I'm still here."

"Think about your mother, for fuck sake! She was relieved when she saw that you survived and now you're gonna put your life in danger once again?"

"You know… I put my life in danger everyday: it's the prize of living in the District. Plus, if it's to help you, my mom would agree. And… it would also be the only time, I think, I'll be able to go outside of the District. Coming with you, here, is something I would dream of..."

The ice dragon sighed and added:

"There's no way I can change your mind, isn't it?"

The cheetah, with a smile, confirmed. And then came another sigh from Qualt.

Finally, Dre said:

"Well, looks like we all will go outside the field hunting a darker in a few days."

"No… Drer, don't tell me you're also..."

"I tell you exactly this."

He then continued, with a more melancholic voice:

"Qualt, even if we know each other since, what? A few weeks? You still are one of the very few friends I've made, if not the only one. I have a boring life and my family isn't the best. Letting me come with you will be the best thing you will be able to do for me, even if I have to die. So, please, don't refuse me this request."

The ice dragon looked at him and, after a long silence... nodded.

"Thank you..." Drer whispered before giving him a hug.

Then, Qualt Ironhorns looked at everybody and said:

"Alright, I hope that all of you in this room will be ready to die in a few day. Because that's what's probably waiting us over there. And, most of all, I hope you'll be ready to see some yellow blood squirt!"