"Huh?" Vera was dumbfounded. It wasn't like she had thrown out a great proposal or anything like that. But Zach gave off the air of someone who liked to fight. His abject refusal surprised Vera.
It surprised his comrades as well, but only until they saw the expression on his face. They recognized that devious glint in his eyes.
"Why should I?" Zach eventually asked after a few moments of awkward silence.
There it was.
Zach wasn't questioning why Vera asked him for a fight. He was literally asking why he should go along with it. What was in it for him?
Vera understood the subtext, and her eyes widened as her hammer sank slowly.
"Uh…" Was there a reason for them to fight? Didn't they both like fighting?
"I'm the Hammer of Friebel, the Goddess of Smithing. If you agree to fight with me, I'll make you a weapon," She eventually said decisively.
Zach bobbed his head to the side once, as if he were considering it. But then he helplessly raised his hands.
