Lucen, who was exchanging blows with Varek back and forth, was getting more and more excited.
The excitement, the rush he was feeling, was more than just because of his battle-crazed state. He knew that the character he was embodying right now was also influencing his state of mind.
It was a good thing Lucen's unyielding blessing helped him resist being fully eroded by the character's personality.
Still, he needed this particular character's style of fighting to impress the Stone Hawk Tribe. Not to mention, he needed to do this a few more times for the other tribes. So he needed to find a way to somehow endure.
Lucen forced himself to breathe, inhale, exhale. Each breath felt heavier than the last, as if the air itself had gained weight and pressed down on his lungs.
His heart hammered against his ribs, not from exhaustion, but from something far more dangerous, anticipation that buzzed through his nerves like wildfire.
