《Hollow Core: School of Swords and Serpents (Book 1)》


 Chapter 1 – The Champion

    The appearance of a full-fledged member of the Resplendent Suns in the arena had whipped the crowd into a frenzy. He was larger than life, a mountain of a young man with channels so filled with jinsei that his blonde hair practically stood on end from the energy coursing through his flesh and bones. His white gi shone like a beacon against the ancient polished wood beneath his calloused feet, and the bold scrivenings that ran down each of his sleeves blazed with so much sacred light they seemed to have been poured from molten gold.


    I¡¯d never seen an Empyreal before, but now I understood why the defender clans thought they were better than the rest of us.


    They were.


    But that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t defeat one of them. And if I ever wanted to earn a place at the School and heal my wounded core, I¡¯d have to beat the man at the heart of the arena.


    The trip from the undercity had taken far longer than I¡¯d anticipated, and by the time my mother and I had reached the arena, it was already packed to the rafters with rowdy spectators who¡¯d overflowed their seats and formed a human traffic jam in the aisles between the bleachers. While it wasn¡¯t the most honorable thing to do, I forced my way through the crowd and ignored their angry shouts and curses. These strangers could be angry at me, I didn¡¯t care. My only chance for a brighter future was to reach the registrar before the challenger window closed.


    For a fatherless son from a disgraced family, that chance was too valuable for me to miss.


    ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going!¡± A fat man shouted at me as I brushed against his back on my way down the steps toward the arena¡¯s floor.


    ¡°I am!¡± Before he could shout another insult, I¡¯d already pushed three rows deeper into the crowd.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to hurt someone.¡± My mother didn¡¯t shout, but her sharp, crisp voice reached my ears with ease, as if we weren¡¯t surrounded by thousands of howling fight fans. ¡°Slow down. Move through the crowd, not against it.¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t time!¡± I¡¯d begged my mother to please, please let me register early for the Five Dragons Challenge. Unfortunately, she¡¯d refused to even consider letting me take the challenge until after she¡¯d drilled me relentlessly on the defensive techniques that we¡¯d already worked on for most of my life. We¡¯d spent years preparing for this day, but when the time came to leave for the arena she still wasn¡¯t satisfied with my progress. I¡¯d had to threaten to leave without her before she¡¯d agreed to come with me, and now we were almost out of time. ¡°There¡¯s only twenty minutes left.¡±


    I clutched the coinpurse under my shirt tight to my chest and pushed my way another row closer to the arena. We were still ten rows above the arena¡¯s floor when another roar swept through the crowd. The challenger, a guy my age with a face prematurely lined from too much time spent in a labor camp and a whipcord thin body to match, had made his way into the ring. He was a good foot shorter than the Resplendent Sun and gave up at least thirty pounds to his opponent. Despite their size difference, the challenger exuded an aura of street-hardened confidence that I¡¯d seen often in the undercity.


    The Empyreals kept the best food for their warriors. As the defenders of the mortal realms it was imperative that they be well-fed and rested to face the incursions of hungry spirits who tried to devour the Empyrean Flame that fueled the word. A lifetime of extra calories and better medical care made the clan members bigger than the rest of us, stronger, and gave them the time they needed to practice and perfect techniques that we laborers could only dream about.


    I knew why the laborer was confident, because he and I saw the world through the same eyes.


    Despite all the advantages the Resplendent Sun possessed, the challenger had spent most of his life fighting for anything he wanted or needed. The challenger didn¡¯t see an oversized mountain of a man in front of him, he saw a soft Empyreal who¡¯d never had to knock out a neighbor for a scrap of maggoty bread to keep himself from starving. The clans fought because it was their duty and their honor. We fought because our lives demanded it.


    ¡°Honored guests!¡± The announcer unleashed the words in a jinsei-boosted shout that reached every ear in the arena. He must have put something other than simple volume behind the greeting, as well, because a wave of calm rippled through the crowd. Rowdy voices were lowered, and every eye focused on the black-robed speaker who stood between the two combatants. I recognized the man as Ben Oolou, a local politician who hailed from the Disciples of the Jade Flame clan. ¡°Welcome to the Five Dragon Challenge! Our first contender is Hau-Lin Gray, who hails from the harvest camps outside our fair city.¡±


    Mr. Oolou paused for a moment, and the hometown crowd offered their contender a few feeble shouts of encouragement. Sadly, most of the spectators were from the overcity, and they did not really want any of the laborers to succeed. Every one of us who escaped the labor camps thanks to the challenge would damage the profits of those who watched us fight, and to them even a miniscule loss was too much to bear.


    ¡°And here we have the School¡¯s champion, Hank Eli, straight from the overcity of the Resplendent Suns. Give it up for Hank, who¡¯ll face all of our contenders today.¡±


    The Empyreal initiate thrust both fists toward the sky, and the scrivenings on his sleeves crackled like living flames. He turned in a slow circle, letting every member of the crowd soak in his glory, and then stopped facing his opponent. Hank¡¯s aura flared up from his shoulders like fiery wings, and I marveled at the intensity of the jinsei that surrounded him.


    Hank bowed low to his opponent, eyes never leaving Hau-Lin. It would be dishonorable for the challenger to strike before the bout had officially begun, but the champion wasn¡¯t taking any chances. Those of us who had no clans were already considered without honor, and a desperate man might hope to strike the champion down and succeed at the challenge even at the risk of his reputation.


    Hau-Lin, it turned out, was an honorable man. The challenger returned the champion¡¯s bow so deeply his forehead almost bumped the arena¡¯s wooden planks. He maintained this posture of deference for long seconds after the Resplendent Sun had straightened, then rose into a wide-legged stance with his arms raised like a boxer. It was an unorthodox combination of a traditional grounding stand to gather jinsei from the earth and a street fighter¡¯s defense.


    ¡°His training is poor,¡± my mother whispered. She took me by the elbow and guided me through the crowd to the next row. Where I¡¯d stomped and shoved, she flowed through the crowd like water. ¡°And his stance will not gather the power he needs to withstand the fury of the Resplendent Sun. Do not make the same mistake when your time comes.¡±


    Members of the clans had great experience accumulating and cultivating the jinsei, or life energy, that surrounded them. As children, they were trained to focus this mystical energy in their cores and used it to power their powerful techniques.


    Those of us outside the clans never received such advanced training. A few of us could still bend jinsei to our will for small things, and a handful of clanless prize fighters had even mastered some basic jinsei art techniques to give themselves an edge over their less-skilled opponents.


    But jinsei was tricky, and a master could turn a student¡¯s own energy against him. If Hau-Lin relied on his life energy to defeat the Radiant Sun, it would be like trying to defend himself from a forest fire with a matchstick.


    Personally, I had never mastered a stance, my fighting style was intended for children, and the only technique I¡¯d mastered was a foundation breathing technique. I was so overmatched by the champion that he could kill me without breaking a sweat.


    Fortunately, I¡¯d planned ahead. I still had a chance.


    The five dragons painted on the floor of the arena began to glow with vibrant colors. By the time my mother and I were five rows from the raised platform, the red and green dragons were already filled with brilliant light. When all five of the dragons were lit, the contender would be in for the fight of his life.


    Both combatants watched the dragons and focused their breathing into smooth and even cycles. Every breath they drew into their lungs brought jinsei with it, and every exhalation expelled impurities from their cores and strengthened their bodies for the battle ahead. Even at this distance, the expansion and contraction of their auras was plain to me, as was the fact that the ghostly light that surrounded Hank was many times brighter and more expansive than Hau-Lin¡¯s.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The crowd was thicker near the bottom of the rows of seats, and my mother and I had to force our way through ever-tightening knots of spectators who had no desire to give ground. My mother was a gentle woman, but I saw her hands jab into the sides of several people who wouldn¡¯t let her pass. The blows which seemed more like gentle taps than any punch I¡¯d ever thrown, had just banished a yelping group of college kids when a gasp rippled through the crowd.


    The last dragon had blazed to life, and the challenger and champion were surrounded by a circle of neon-bright spirits. The representations of the five sacred dragons who had formed the Empyreal clans were hungry for jinsei to be spilled, and they licked their chops with forked tongues as they prowled the edges of the fight.


    In the undercity, the first man to strike is often the only man to strike. The challenger¡¯s experience in street fights had taught him that lesson well.


    With an explosive cry Hau-Lin thrust the jinsei from his core out into his legs. The burst of sacred energy pushed his muscles past their normal limits and hurled him toward the Resplendent Sun with astonishing speed and force. The instant the challenger landed in front of Hank, he squared his shoulders and unleashed a brutal uppercut.


    Hau-Lin put his entire body and every shred of jinsei he could muster into that blow. Serpents of crimson light exploded from his aura and reinforced his arm and fist with strands of sacred energy that sparked and twitched with supernatural life. It was a powerful, beautiful attack, and I couldn¡¯t imagine how the School¡¯s champion could survive its impact.


    The Resplendent Sun didn¡¯t try to block the attack or deflect its force. One moment his chin was a hairsbreadth from shattering violence, and the next he twisted his body away from the attack in a blur. The devastating strike that could so easily have shattered his skull instead passed by his chin with inches to spare.


    Hau-Lin could only watch in horror as his all-or-nothing assault whiffed through his opponent¡¯s aura with a crackling hiss, like a splash of water dropped into a red-hot iron skillet. The serpents of light around his arm and fist faded to pale ribbons as the jinsei he¡¯d expended in the attack dissipated into the air. The challenger was twisted so far out of position, I knew there was no way he could erect a defense in time to stop Hank¡¯s counterattack.


    The Empyreal¡¯s torso flowed back into position over his planted feet with a sinuous, predatory grace. His hands dropped until his knuckles were even with his hips, and the crowd went silent as we waited for the strike we knew was coming.


    Hank¡¯s left hand speared forward to strike under Hau-Lin¡¯s exposed ribs. The perfect blow hammered the challenger¡¯s core and concentric rings of jinsei blasted out of the defenseless man¡¯s body like a supernatural shockwave. The sacred light fueled the dragon spirits, and they whirled into frenzied flight to catch every thread of jinsei before it could fade away.


    With the last of his sacred energy driven out of his core, Hau-Lin went limp. His knees buckled, his eyes closed, and he collapsed like an empty garbage bag. The seasoned fighter had thrown the most powerful punch of his life, and it hadn¡¯t been enough to defeat his foe.


    Before Hau-Lin¡¯s body reached the floor, Hank¡¯s other fist drove up into the challenger¡¯s midsection. The strike landed with a crunch that echoed through the arena, and the power of the attack folded the challenger over the champion¡¯s fist and lifted his feet a full yard off the polished wooden floor.


    Hank unleashed a furious blast of fire-aspect from his core. It traveled through his torso and arm in a pulse of hellish power so bright it made my eyes water. Every scrap of power in Hank¡¯s body poured through that punch andslammed into Hau-Lin¡¯s core like a lance of white-hot lava.


    Jinsei channels blazed like the forked tongues of flame under Hau-Lin¡¯s skin as the fire jinsei overloaded his core and rushed through his system. For a moment, every channel in the challenger¡¯s body shown through his skin. The pure white life energy that filled those channels was driven out by the flood of fire, and Hau-Lin screamed in primal agony.


    Dozens of the sacred life channels flared with a light as bright as a sun, then fractured with a sound like a hundred mirrors breaking and went dark.


    My mother¡¯s hand tightened around my wrist. We both stared wordlessly at the fallen challenger and tried not to think about how severely he¡¯d been damaged.


    A chill ran up my spine at the realization that Hau-Lin had been a much stronger fighter than me. Suddenly, my secret weapon no longer seemed adequate to defeat the Empyreal champion. My thoughts chased themselves in circles as I desperately sought a new plan.


    The announcer rushed across the arena floor past the fallen Hau-Lin to grab Hank¡¯s fist and raise it into the air. The crowd roared their approval at the stunning display of martial prowess while the spectral dragons who¡¯d surrounded the fight nosed at Hau-Lin¡¯s wounded form in search of any stray scraps of jinsei that might still be left within his unmoving body.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t right.¡± My mother¡¯s eyes narrowed and flashed like twin chips of polished jade. ¡°The champions are not supposed to permanently damage the contenders. That boy¡¯s core may never be whole again. His channels may never recover.¡±


    As much as I hated to admit it, my mother was right. That savage display went far beyond any of the televised Five Dragon Challenges I¡¯d watched growing up. There¡¯d been plenty of bloody noses, chipped teeth, even a few broken limbs, but never anything more serious than that. These fights were supposed to let those of us from outside the clans prove our worth to the School and earn our spots as students. No one was supposed to get hurt, much less have their jinsei channels obliterated.


    ¡°Eve is right, Mr. Warin.¡± A man dressed in the ornate robes of an Empyreal clan elder had appeared in the row below his, and the weight of his aura had forced the crowd to shy away from him. His iron-gray hair and matching wedge of a beard sparked with threads of sacred power strong enough light up half a city. The scrivenings on his lapels told me this was Grayson Bishop, the headmaster of the School of Swords and Serpents.


    He was one of the five sacred sages, the most powerful men in the world.


    And he spoke my mother¡¯s name like he¡¯d known her for years.


    ¡°Why?¡± My mother held her ground as Grayson stepped so close that his aura surrounded hers. ¡°What purpose does it serve to have your champion break a child?¡±


    ¡°The School wishes to raise the caliber of our students.¡± Grayson gave a slight shrug, as if to say the fate of those who found themselves injured or killed by the challenge didn¡¯t bother him in the slightest. ¡°This seems the most certain way to weed out the pretenders and fools before they can pollute our fine institution with their degenerate ways.¡±


    Grayson¡¯s eyes focused on me with the intensity of a spotlight. His attention burrowed into my aura and plucked at the edges of my core like a man inspecting the quality of a tool he planned to buy.


    It took every ounce of willpower I possessed to stand firm next to my mother. I wasn¡¯t about to let any man, not even the head of the school I so desperately needed to attend, push me off the path I¡¯d chosen.


    For a moment, the elder¡¯s gaze wavered, and his forehead wrinkled with concentration. My mother had warned me that my core might be evaluated, but she had also told me few Empyreals would be able to understand the wound inside me. But as Grayson¡¯s face darkened, I wondered if my mother had been wrong.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡± Her hand closed around my wrist like a steel noose. ¡°I did not bring my son here to be butchered for your amusement.¡±


    ¡°Then why bring him here at all, Eve?¡± Grayson¡¯s smile hardened into a thin, dark line across his face. ¡°His core is weaker even than his fathers, and we both know how that ended. Did you really think this pup would stand a chance against my champion?¡±


    A fiery tornado of thoughts whirled through my skull. One of the five scared sages, men and women so powerful they might as well have been another species from the rest of us, knew my mother. He knew my father.


    He knew me.


    ¡°Because I thought you were a man of honor, Grayson.¡± My mother pulled me past the School¡¯s headmaster, with no more care than passing a beggar on the street.


    ¡°Listen to your mother, boy,¡± Grayson called after us. ¡°My champion will break you even more easily than I broke your father for his crimes.¡±


    The words stung my ears like a swarm of angry hornets. Shame reddened my cheeks and forced me to lower my head. My mother never told me what my father had done to earn death for himself and exile for what remained of his family. My father was a ghost that haunted our family, a spirit that had cursed us with a dishonor my mother had never been able to purge.


    And, now, when I was so close to my chance to move beyond his sins and make a new life for myself, his specter had appeared again to turn the School¡¯s headmaster against me. A cold certainty settled over me, and I knew that if I left the arena there would be no escape from the chains my father¡¯s crimes had wrapped around my throat. This was my one chance to prove that I was worthy of something more than exile in the undercity, that I was more than my dishonored father¡¯s weak shadow.


    Fighting Hank Eli might get me killed, but leaving without even trying to win the challenge would leave me trapped in a life without hope or possibility. I¡¯d spend the rest of my life as a virtual slave, my body breaking down under the strain of the thankless labor that would consume my days.


    I¡¯d rather die.


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving.¡± My words were as cold and unmoving as the floor beneath our feet. In all my fifteen years, I¡¯d never defied my mother before that moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this.¡± My mother held my wrist so tight her pulse pounded against mine. ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°You deserve more than this.¡± I leaned in until our foreheads touched. I needed her to understand how important this was to me. I needed her to know what it meant. ¡°I deserve more than this. And you taught me I can win, despite everything that¡¯s wrong with me. I can bring honor to our name. I have to.¡±


    ¡°I would rather have a dishonored son who is alive, than a dead son who is exalted.¡± My mother¡¯s eyes pleaded with me to hear the sense in her words before I got myself killed. ¡°There is more to a man¡¯s measure than his honor, Jace.¡±


    ¡°If I run from this, how will I ever know if that¡¯s true?¡± My hand slipped out of my mother¡¯s nerveless grasp and I left her there, alone, to face my fate.

 Chapter 2–The Clans

    The medics had removed Hau-Lin from the arena and carted him off for treatment by the time I¡¯d reached the registrar. Their grim faces told me all I needed to know about the fallen challenger¡¯s status. If he was very lucky, the wounded fighter would spend the rest of his days unable to cultivate jinsei.


    If he was at all unlucky, the challenger would be dead before sunset.


    ¡°Tough break.¡± The registrar shot me a bleak smile and jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the retreating medics. ¡°You sure you want to climb in there after that?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t come all this way to quit.¡± I reached under my shirt and popped the catch on the coin purse strapped across my chest. ¡°One hundred oboli.¡±


    The registrar took the cracked and faded vinyl purse from my outstretched hand. His eyebrows shot up with surprise when he unzipped the pouch and revealed its contents.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you get these?¡± He pinched one of the radiant soul coins between his index finger and thumb and raised it to his eye for closer examination. The obolus shown with a pure silver light that seemed to be more felt than seen. ¡°Not even a single iota of aspected jinsei. I¡¯ve never seen oboli so pure.¡±


    ¡°I made them.¡± It had taken me most of five years to distill enough jinsei through my wounded core to create the coins. I¡¯d thought their basic silver hue would make them worth less than the colorful, swirling oboli that circulated in the undercity. Apparently, there was a lot I still didn¡¯t understand about the jinsei arts. ¡°Where do I sign?¡±


    The longer I stood in front of the registrar, the harder it was to keep my composure. My only shot at succeeding at the challenge was to stay calm and focused. If another fight began, and I had to watch the School champion tear apart another challenger, I¡¯d be hard pressed to keep from panicking. My odds were long enough without adding that complication to the mix.


    ¡°Sure, sure.¡± The registrar pushed a heavy, leather bound tome toward me. ¡°Sign right here.¡±


    The book¡¯s pages were wrinkled and warped from the imprints of hundreds of signatures. It smelled ancient and feral, like an immortal beast that had crawled up from the depths of the earth in search of fresh blood. It had a power far beyond any inanimate object I¡¯d ever encountered before, and its translucent aura rippled around it like waves of heat from a sunbaked highway.


    While the registrar counted my money, I found the last page with names on it. There were dozens of cramped signatures between the narrowly spaced lines, and I couldn¡¯t read any of them. The ink flowed and twisted like angry serpents when I tried to focus on it, evidence of the jinsei charms that guarded the book and its contents.


    The pen next to the book was almost as ancient as the tome. It had been carved from bone aged to a rich ivory hue and worn smooth from decades of handling. I lifted the pen from the pot of crimson ink, and its nib dragged my hand onto the page. Every stroke I made pulled at my core, as if the book searched within me for jinsei I didn¡¯t have to give. I had to wonder what signing the book would have cost me if my core had been healthy enough to store soul energy.


    ¡°All done.¡± The registrar snatched the pen from my hands and dunked it back into the pot. He stabbed a finger toward a dark opening between two sets of bleachers. ¡°Ready room¡¯s over there. Grab something to eat and drink if you need it and wait for your lot to be called.¡±


    A pair of Empyreal initiates guarded the shadowed passage the registrar had directed me to enter. They blocked my path as I approached, eyeballed me for long seconds, then decided I wasn¡¯t worth their trouble to hassle and stepped aside.


    ¡°Go home, camper,¡± one of them whispered as I passed between them. The raw contempt in her voice reminded me of what I had at stake. If I completed the challenge, I¡¯d be an Empyreal, too. No one would dare speak to me like that, ever again, without risking a duel of honor.


    If I lost, though, it would be back to the undercity labor camp for me. Back to a life of vacuum-formed algae ramen and recycled greywater. Back to shame and misery, until the end of my days.


    The passage between the bleachers led to the back wall of the arena where a stone-lined opening waited for me. The portal looked out of place in the modern setting, as if it had been plucked from an ancient forest somewhere and plopped down in the heart of St. Louis. The gaping archway was surrounded by moss-choked stones that glowed with the spirit energy contained within. Like people, inanimate objects could absorb and cultivate jinsei. Plants, especially trees, were efficient at harvesting the soul power, but stone took a very long time to accumulate any appreciable amount of energy. The amount of jinsei that emanated from the archway would¡¯ve taken millennia to accumulate.


    That was impossible. The city of St. Louis was only a little over two hundred and fifty years old. This archway couldn¡¯t have been here for any longer than that.


    And yet, as I passed through the stone-lined opening, I felt eons of ancient power around me. This place was far, far older than it had any right to be.


    The tunnel beyond the archway was shorter than I¡¯d imagined it would be and opened into the ready room after a couple of yards. The cozy chamber was richly appointed with solid wooden furniture polished to a warm glow, the floor was a ceramic tile mosaic that featured the five dragons of the arena, and heavy oaken beams supported a low, arched roof. Everything in the room was so inviting, I instantly felt welcomed.


    Until I saw the rest of the challengers.


    There were three Empyreals inside the ready room, a dark-haired young woman in a blue gi emblazoned with stark white scrivenings, a bald and dark-skinned guy wearing long, gray robes that wouldn¡¯t have looked out of place in a museum,  and a shorter man with a shock of red hair sprouting from the top of his head like a torch¡¯s flame. The trio were all seated together in the center of the room, and my arrival had clearly interrupted their conversation. They briefly eyed me with interest, then continued as if I weren¡¯t even there.


    While the other challengers were an intriguing bunch, they couldn¡¯t hold a candle to what I saw against the wall nearest to me. My attention was immediately consumed by the sights and smells of fresh fruits, pastries, and small sandwiches piled high on silver serving trays atop a broad wooden table. Crystalline pitchers of water so clean and clear I at first though they were empty rested between the platters of food, their surfaces dripping with beads of condensation. After a lifetime spent eating the undercity¡¯s excuse for food and drinking runoff from the overcity these refreshments were a feast.


    A feast I didn¡¯t dare eat.


    I didn¡¯t know how long I¡¯d be in this waiting area, and I didn¡¯t want to face my opponent with a belly stuffed with rich foods my system might not be ready to handle. A glass of water, though, that couldn¡¯t hurt me.


    The crystal goblets on the table had wide, round bases and broad mouths encircled by a wide golden band. Just one of these drinking glasses would be worth a month¡¯s rent in the undercity, and the table held dozens of them all as clean as if they¡¯d never been touched by human hands. I plucked one of them from the formation and winced as its base jostled against its neighbors with a wind-chime tinkling.


    ¡°You¡¯re not from around here.¡± The Empyreal had sidled up on my left so quietly I hadn¡¯t even noticed her until she spoke. Her voice was smooth and pleasant, though I caught a teasing edge in her words. ¡°Let me help.¡±


    She prodded the goblet in my hand with her fingertip and pointed at the spout near the bottom of the heavy pitcher.


    I held the goblet under the spout like it was normal for a no-name camp laborer to be waited on by an Empyreal. I watched her push the trigger on the side of the spout and hoped I¡¯d remember how to do it myself when the time came.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, because I didn¡¯t want to offend her. We were both challengers, but she was of higher status and would have been well within her rights to call for a duel of honor for any slight she detected.


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome.¡± She straightened her sky-blue gi, and the white scrivenings flickered around her waist like lightning across a storm cloud. ¡°My name¡¯s Clementine Hark, representing the Thunder¡¯s Children clan.¡±


    ¡°Jace. Jace Warin.¡± I didn¡¯t have a clan name to tack onto my own, which left an awkward silence between us. ¡°I¡¯m from here. St. Louis, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She poured herself a glass of water, then clinked it against mine in an impromptu toast. ¡°Best of luck in the challenge.¡±


    ¡°And to you.¡± I took a sip of water and savored its cold, clear lack of flavor or texture. I tried to imagine what it would be like to always drink water this pure and couldn¡¯t wrap my head around it.


    ¡°What¡¯s your style?¡± Clementine asked. Amongst Empyreals, that must¡¯ve been a common question.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    But I didn¡¯t know how to answer it. I couldn¡¯t reveal my style without also revealing that I had a hollow core. And if anyone found out I was damaged, I¡¯d never be allowed into the School. There were no rules, specifically, against those of us who couldn¡¯t store jinsei learning to become mystic artists, but that didn¡¯t mean we were respected or valued. And after what Grayson had said about the School wanting to improve the quality of its new initiates, I had no doubt he¡¯d reject me based on my inner wound.


    I couldn¡¯t let that happen. There was a chance, a slim one, that what I learned at the School could heal my injured core. That would allow me to adopt a more traditional style and become a powerful Empyreal in my own right. Once I was cured, no one would dare to challenge my right to attend the School.


    But until that happened, no one could know about my hollow core.


    ¡°Oh, you wouldn¡¯t know it. It¡¯s a laborer thing.¡± I took a deep drink from my goblet and hoped Clementine would get the clue and wander off to pester somewhere else.


    ¡°Oh, mysterious. I¡¯ll make you bet.¡± She motioned toward the other challengers she¡¯d been seated with. ¡°Abi, Eric. Come here for a second.¡±


    The other challengers shrugged and walked over to join us near the refreshments table. The taller man¡¯s dark gray robes were shot through with veins of purest black that gleamed against the cloth like fresh oil. His dark skin was a marked contrast to his clothing, and his bald head gleamed under the jinsei-powered lights hidden in the ceiling¡¯s recesses. His friend was clad in a pair of white shorts and a loose-fitting vest embroidered with gold scrivenings that flashed like embers with every step that he took.


    ¡°Guys, my new friend here has a secret.¡± Clementine threw her arm across my shoulders and turned me square to the Empyreals. ¡°He doesn¡¯t think I can guess his style. I bet that I can.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a fair challenge, Clem.¡± The robed challenger gave his friend a disapproving frown. ¡°You know more styles than anyone I¡¯ve ever met.¡±


    ¡°Abi¡¯s right.¡± The challenger in the vest, who had to be Eric if the other one was Abi, shook his head. ¡°Clem¡¯s eye for the jinsei arts is an instinct.¡±


    ¡°Spoilsports!¡± Clem chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, then raised her index finger into the air. ¡°I¡¯ll make it a challenge for myself. I¡¯ll guess your style based solely on your breathing technique.¡±


    Abi and Eric both looked unimpressed by this handicap. Clearly, they¡¯d seen this party trick before, and were sure that Clem could figure me out with even a scrap of information about my style.


    ¡°I have nothing to bet.¡± There was no sense in dragging this out. I didn¡¯t want anyone to have even a chance to figure out my problem and crying poor seemed like the easiest way out of the situation. Surely these wealthy Empyreals would understand that I, a lowly camp laborer, couldn¡¯t afford to gamble my few meager possessions.


    ¡°That is a problem.¡± Clem stroked her chin and her green eyes sparkled with mischief. ¡°But even if you have no money, you must have something of value to offer. Let¡¯s say I wager two hundred oboli against two hours of your service to me.¡±


    Clementine¡¯s offer was shockingly extravagant. Two hundred oboli wasn¡¯t a fortune, but it was a start. That much money could get mom and me out of the undercity, at least for a few months. We could rent a place in the outskirts, find work beyond the labor camps. With my mother¡¯s martial arts skills, she might even be able to get work training clan supplicants for their entrance exams.


    An older man emerged from the shadows across the room. He wore a long coat emblazoned with powerful scrivenings that identified him as a prominent member of the Disciples of the Jade Flame. He must¡¯ve been there all along, keeping an eye on the challengers. He caught my eye and gave me a single slow nod.


    What did that mean? Why would an elder jinsei artist take any interest in the foolishness of challengers?


    Maybe he knew that I was odd enough Clem wouldn¡¯t be able to identify my style. Or maybe it was a trick to humiliate me in front of his fellow Empyreals.


    Two hundred oboli against my one and only chance to claw my way out of the labor camp. I didn¡¯t believe Clem would know the obscure style my mother had taught me, and I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to identify my hollow core from my breathing technique. If I was right, then that two hundred oboli wager was as good as in my pocket. If I took the bet, I could leave the Five Dragon Challenge with twice the money I¡¯d entered with, even if the champion snapped me in half.


    But if I was wrong, then I lost everything.


    ¡°You first.¡± I said, stalling for time. ¡°All of you show me your breathing technique, and then I¡¯ll show you mine.¡±


    Abi crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head.


    ¡°It is forbidden. My clan does not allow the display of our sacred techniques to outsiders.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Eric closed his eyes and raised his hands to the level of his solar plexus. He formed a triangle with the tips of his index fingers and thumbs touching and drew in a deep breath.


    Because of my hollow core, it was often difficult for me to focus on auras. But Eric¡¯s energy surrounded him like a cloak of flames, and his core glowed like a bowl of molten gold. His jinsei flared ever brighter around him as he inhaled, and when he finally let the breath out it carried dark flecks of corrupted energy that drifted away like ash on the wind. With every breath, his jinsei glowed brighter until his core was full of sacred energy and his aura had shed all but a fraction of its corruption. It was an impressive display, but Eric¡¯s style was painfully obvious to anyone who¡¯d ever studied the jinsei arts.


    ¡°Cloak of Fire style.¡± All three of the other challengers seemed surprised at my knowledge, which annoyed me. Eric was a member of the Resplendent Sun clan, who flaunted their styles and techniques on televised tournaments all over the world. There were very few jinsei artists who wouldn¡¯t immediately recognize that style.


    ¡°Well, we have a scholar here.¡± Clem placed her goblet on the table. ¡°I won¡¯t ask Abi to ding his honor, but I¡¯ve got no problem showing you mine.¡±


    She let her arms fall to her sides and shook the tension from her hands. She stared deeply into my eyes, but I focused on her aura and not her startlingly green gaze. Clem opened her mouth slightly, her lips parted just enough to reveal the tops of her slightly uneven teeth, and drew in a deep, cleansing breath.


    Jinsei swirled into Clem core like a whirlpool of power. It flowed through her body¡¯s channels and into her aura in a turbulent rush, and the air around her churned into frothy white and blue strokes of power.


    She exhaled, and droplets of corrupted jinsei dripped from the tips of her fingers and formed shadowy puddles around her feet. Clem¡¯s aura obscured her face and twisted around her body like a waterspout, a powerful and deceptive shield that I was certain could transform into a deadly weapon in the blink of an eye.


    I struggled to recall the name of this sacred art. My mother had explained most of the clans¡¯ styles to me, and I¡¯d seen more than a few of them on TV or the local arenas. But this was something different, a mysterious force I couldn¡¯t decipher.


    ¡°No guesses?¡± Clem banished her aura and wisps of jinsei drifted off her skin like steam.


    I took another drink of my water to buy myself a few more seconds to think and saw the Jade Flame elder swirling the water in his goblet while very pointedly not looking in my direction. He casually pulled the glass toward his body and tapped its round base against his chest.


    ¡°Come now,¡± Clem said. ¡°You can¡¯t be that thirsty.¡±


    ¡°We never get water this clean in the undercity.¡± My words struck home, and the three Empyreals glanced at one another uneasily. It was one thing to know that a hidden lower class of virtual slaves worked in labor camps so your family could live in relative opulence. It was another thing entirely to be faced with that reality.


    That bought me another few moments to gather my thoughts and consider what the elder had showed me. It obviously had something to do with water, and the way he swirled the contents of his goblet reminded me of the rotation of Clem¡¯s aura. We had tornadoes in St. Louis, but they were called hurricanes when they spun up at sea. And he¡¯d touched his chest, but Hurricane Chest didn¡¯t seem like a very poetic name for a style.


    No, not his chest.


    His heart.


    But if the other half of the style¡¯s name was hurricane, then heart didn¡¯t make much sense. Eye would¡¯ve been more accurate in this case, because Clem stood at the calm center of her aura. It had to be something else. I remembered an old show I¡¯d seen about a storm off the coast of Japan, and the name sprang into my mind like a flash of lightning.


    ¡°Heart of the Typhoon style.¡±


    The three Empyreals were obviously surprised, and even the elder seemed a bit shocked that I¡¯d put his clues together.


    ¡°Impressive.¡± Clem recovered quickly, but there was a glint in her emerald eyes that told me she wouldn¡¯t underestimate me again. ¡°You¡¯ve seen mine, now show me yours.¡±


    The look on Clem¡¯s face told me I was in too deep to back out now. She wanted this challenge, and if I backed out after correctly guessing her style she had every right to take offense and demand a duel, right then and there.


    I was confident I could defeat one Empyreal with the tricks I¡¯d brought with me that day, but I¡¯d never get past two. And if Clem and I fought, her status was so far above mine no one would blink if she tore my arms and legs off and beat me with them in front of the whole arena.


    I looked to the elder for assurances that I wasn¡¯t about to step into a trap, but he was suddenly very interested in the contents of his goblet. He wouldn¡¯t meet my eyes, and if I kept staring at him the other challengers would notice.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. There was no point installing any further, either this was going to work, or I¡¯d failed.


    My only hope was that my breathing technique was so unusual that Clem had never even heard of it, much less seen it in action. My mother had adapted it from a very old, seldom-taught style that channeled jinsei through the practitioner¡¯s core without storing it for later use. It was a complicated and difficult style that allowed me to cleanse my aura of impurities and corruption, but it was useless for cultivating my core¡¯s strength.


    I filled my lungs with a deep breath that harvested the jinsei from the air that surrounded us. Bits of Clem¡¯s watery style collided with energetic sparks from Eric¡¯s fire style and it all tumbled into my core in a chaotic mess. Before I¡¯d even begun to exhale, though, the elemental aspects that the other challengers had infected the jinsei with were stripped away and drained out of my pores like beads of sweat.


    The clarified jinsei in my core picked up crystallized clots of corruption from my aura and leaked out of my mouth in a slow and steady stream. My breath became a circular stream, flowing into my lungs and back out again in an endless loop. It had taken me years to perfect the technique, and now when I fell into the cycle, it was impossible to tell whether I was inhaling or exhaling at any given moment.


    I stopped after a few seconds and tried to hide the smile that crept across my lips when I saw the confused look on Clem¡¯s face. My technique wasn¡¯t as powerful as the Empyreals, but it was obscure and unusual enough that they had no idea what I¡¯d actually done. I felt a spark of hope flare in my chest as I realized that the champion wouldn¡¯t have any more idea what to expect from me than my fellow challengers hand.


    And, it looked like I¡¯d just won two hundred oboli.


    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± The elder rose from his seat in the corner and stalked across the room to the refreshments table. ¡°Jason Warin, your lot has been pulled.¡±


    ¡°But I ¡ª ¡±


    Before Clem could pay up on her lost bet, the elder seized my shoulder and steered me away from the other challengers.


    ¡°She lost, she owes me two hundred oboli,¡± I protested.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay you at the school!¡± Clem called after me, and her confidence that I would pass the challenge lifted my spirits. If an Empyreal thought I had a chance, then maybe I did.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± the elder of the Jade Flame whispered into my ear as we passed through a veil of darkness at the end of an archway. ¡°Or perhaps not.¡±

 Chapter 3–The Challenge

    The crowd roared with a single voice as I made my way up the steps to the ring at the center of the arena. They didn¡¯t shout for me as much as at me, and I knew they didn¡¯t care whether I won or lost. They¡¯d come for the violence, and they didn¡¯t care who fed their craving.


    The champion nodded to me as I entered the ring, and I returned the gesture emphatically. It was always wise to honor an opponent, especially one who could punch a hole straight through your core.


    The announcer gestured for the two of us to join him at the center of the arena. I was surprised to find the dragons were warm beneath my feet. Their bodies had a solidity I hadn¡¯t expected, and the texture of their scales imprinted itself against my soles. The spirits of the challenge were restless, and eager to feed on the jinsei we were about to spill. The dragons wanted the fight to start.


    I wholeheartedly agreed with them. The anticipation of this moment had scraped my nerves raw, and the longer I waited for the fight to start, the harder it would be for me to focus on what I needed to do. This was my sole shot to earn a spot in the School.


    To repair my family¡¯s shattered honor.


    To maybe, somehow, heal the wound that weakened my core.


    The announcer shouted my name, but he might as well have been speaking a foreign language for all the attention I paid to him. His words stirred up the crowd, and they howled for the violence to begin. The champion raised his hands as his name pushed the spectators to even greater heights of frenzy.


    Through it all, I breathed a circle of jinsei through my core and hoped I knew what I was doing. I had a small bag of tricks for this fight, and if everything went exactly right, I could defeat the champion. I¡¯d rehearsed this moment in my mind, over and over, for what felt like an eternity. My muscles were primed, and the precise series of movements required had been imprinted in their memory over countless hours of exhausting repetition.


    I could win this fight. I just had to stick to the plan.


    Light surged through the fourth dragon and its spirit rose to join the others that surrounded us in a whirlwind of furious color.


    The champion¡¯s aura scorched the surrounding air, but the real threat was the energy he¡¯d gathered into his core. An enormous concentration of fire-aspect jinsei filled the center of Hank¡¯s body like an out-of-control bonfire. He followed the Spear of Magma style, a combat art so renowned for its power that it was banned in many competitive circles. Unrestrained, the power the champion had gathered could burn out an enemy¡¯s core with a flood of flame jinsei.


    This close, Hank¡¯s power battered me with a solid wall of heat. It was like standing in front of a raging fire that wanted to add me to the fuel in its belly.


    My mind wanted to run from that power, but I stared deep into Hank¡¯s core and embraced the power there. He was strong, and I was a weak, but there was a part of me that no one else could understand. That was my only chance to survive.


    To win.


    Light flowed under the soles of my feet like warm honey. Jinsei energy tingled through my legs and swirled through my hollow core before it carried the last dregs of corruption out of my shapeless aura. I was as pure and clear as I¡¯d ever been, and in a handful of heartbeats I would know whether that was enough.


    Hank and I locked gazes and readied ourselves. We didn¡¯t need to see the color ignite the final dragon, because we felt it. The champion¡¯s eyes narrowed as he tried to decipher my technique, and the faint twitches of concern tugged down at the corners of his mouth.


    The School had prepared their champion for every conceivable challenge he might face.


    Except for a boy with a broken core and nothing to lose.


    The final dragon erupted in a blaze of crimson light.


    Hank hurtled toward me, his aura trailing behind him like a comet¡¯s tail. His core was a blinding ball of white-hot power, his fists were surrounded by powerful serpents that transformed them into twin fireballs at the ends of his arms. Sparks leaked from his eyes as the power at his center pushed against his control.


    Jinsei cycled through my core in an endless loop. In the space between heartbeats, I found an impossible silence. For one endless moment, nothing in the universe existed save for my infinite breath and the champion¡¯s brutal power. A cold, clear calm settled over me then.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    I¡¯d prepared as well as I could.


    My arms fell to my sides. I was defenseless.


    It was time to find out whether I¡¯d live or die.


    In the split second before the champion¡¯s left fist slammed into my body, he unleashed a burning spiral of flame-aspected jinsei into my core. The inferno of soul energy jumped between us with the speed of electricity arcing to close a circuit. The power was terrifying in its intensity, but I felt no heat from the fire aspects that tainted it. As fast as Hank poured his power into me, my hollow core stripped away those aspects and left behind only pure jinsei.


    And that power left my body as part of the endless cycle of my circular breathing technique.


    Hank¡¯s plan had prepared him to push jinsei into his foe until their core shattered and they were left defenseless for his follow-up attack on their channels. But my core was hollow and couldn¡¯t be overfilled. Hank poured every bit of his core¡¯s stored jinsei into me, and most of it flowed through me and bled out of my damaged core and into my aura without effect.


    The power that filled my core seemed to slow time to a crawl, and my thoughts latched onto the exact steps I needed to follow to survive the second half of this split second. I funneled Hank¡¯s purified jinsei out of my core and into the channels that encircled my torso. The sacred energy hardened the skin over my stomach into an iron-hard shield. The internal channels that surrounded my organs and bones swelled with energy and stiffened into a cage I prayed would protect me.


    Hank¡¯s powerful blow slammed into my solar plexus. The attack should have crushed my lower ribs and shattered my sternum. The power of his attack was so great it should have crushed my stomach and pulpled my aorta.


    Instead, Hank¡¯s clenched fist stopped as if he¡¯d punched the side of a battleship. The jinsei that protected me was burned off by the attack and burst from my aura in a spray of ephemeral sparks.


    The crowd¡¯s raucous cries cut off instantly. They¡¯d expected to see my body hurled across the ring by that attack. No one had anticipated the attack would leave me unmoved and the champion would stumble back with his wounded hand cradled against his chest. Blood leaked from between Hank¡¯s fingers and his face was a tight mask of agony. Thousands of mouths held in breaths as they all waited for what would come next.


    It was time for my surprise.


    Before Hank could recover from the shock and pain from his wounded hand, I closed the distance between us with a gliding side-step advance called Sliding Shadow. This was the first step in the Dancing Child style that my mother had taught me. It was meant to narrow my profile and make it more difficult for my opponent to focus his attacks on me. The maneuver was weak and never used by those with solid cores who had far more effective and powerful styles available to them.


    For me, though, it was the only style I could use. I shifted my feet and swiveled so my right shoulder faced Hank. With my left arm shielded from the champion¡¯s view, my fingers darted into the side pocket of my ratty cargo pants to retrieve my ace in the hole.


    The champion sensed that my core was empty, and there wasn¡¯t any jinsei left in my channels to power an attack. He didn¡¯t even try to push jinsei into his aura to defend himself, instead focusing every shred of energy his breathing technique could gather into a serpent of light around his left fist. Hank was confident that I couldn¡¯t harm him without jinsei in my core, and his counterattack would destroy me. With a smirk, he raised one flame-wreathed hand and curled his fingers at me.


    ¡°Come, then, camper,¡± he snarled. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you¡¯ll be so lucky the second time.¡±


    Before the last syllable of his insult could die away, I switched from the Gliding Shadow stance into the Darting Minnow charge and shot across the ring¡¯s smooth boards at a dead run. I opened my right hand and straightened my fingers into a Stunning Slap form and unleashed a sweeping blow at Hank¡¯s left ear. The attack was clean and quick, and if I¡¯d been on the street, my opponent would have been down before he knew what had hit him.


    But the Empyreal was far faster and stronger than any street fighter. His empowered left hand crashed into my right wrist with a powerful block that sent a painful shock up my arm. The deflection pushed me out of line and forced my body to spin hard to the right.


    It was a perfect response, but it left Hank with no good hand in position to defend his torso and gave me extra acceleration as I threw my weight into a wild Tantrum Flail strike. The uncontrolled blow looked so desperate and weak that Hank didn¡¯t even try to raise his wounded hand to defend against it. To his eyes, it must have looked no more dangerous than a fly about to land on him.


    My clenched fist landed in Hank¡¯s solar plexus, and the jinsei crystal hidden within it shattered. The explosion of raw soul energy added weight and power to the aura around my hand, and the attack landed with sledgehammer force.


    With no jinsei in his channels or his aura, Hank had no way to cushion the blow. His ribs splintered like dry kindling and his sternum cracked into a dozen pieces. The jinsei unleashed by my attack pierced his jinsei channels and speared through his body to detonate against his spine. Every nerve in the champion¡¯s body was jolted, and his body froze in place.


    ¡°Impossible.¡± Hank¡¯s eyes, wide with disbelief, stared off into the distance.


    Pain washed across the champion¡¯s face, his knees buckled, his eyes fluttered closed, and he toppled to the wooden floor. He lay motionless on the floor and the five dragons swooped in to devour whatever traces of jinsei leaked from his body.


    The announcer wrenched my arm into the air and bellowed my name to the astonished crowd.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you did it, kid,¡± he had to yell into my ear to be heard over the near riot that surrounded us, ¡°but I hope you¡¯re ready for what comes next.¡±

 Chapter 4–The Verdict

    Hank wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d been damaged by my trick with the jinsei crystal. The sudden eruption of energy inside my clenched fist had dislocated two of my fingers, an injury I hadn¡¯t noticed until after I¡¯d been removed to the recovery area. I¡¯d been too focused on claiming my admission to the School to care about so trivial a wound.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡± My mother had appeared at my side almost as soon as I¡¯d left the ring. She¡¯d immediately noticed the damage to my hand, and now that we were safely away from the crowds all she could think about was fixing what I¡¯d broken. ¡°This will hurt.¡±


    A haze of blue-white sacred energy gathered around her hands, and spurts of liquid light danced across her fingertips. I¡¯d never seen my mother fight, but the little displays of power like this one told me she¡¯d had more training with harnessing jinsei than she¡¯d ever let on.


    ¡°How does Grayson Bishop know you?¡± I hoped her answer would distract me from the pain I knew was coming.


    My mother¡¯s only response was to grab my wrist with her left hand and the tip of my middle finger with her right. She took in a deep breath, then exhaled in a slow, steady stream across my swollen knuckles. Without warning, she jerked her right hand straight away from mine.


    A flash of agony speared up my arm and into my brain like a fiery orb from a Roman candle¡¯s. A wave of nausea sloshed through my guts, and it took me a moment to catch my breath.


    ¡°After all your talk of honor, you risked everything with that stunt of yours.¡± My mother directed a flow of spiritual energy from her hand into my wounded finger, and the pain subsided. ¡°Do you think Grayson will let such a tactic slide?¡±


    She didn¡¯t give me a chance to answer before she wrenched my damaged ring finger back into place. The wet pop of the joint sliding into alignment made my eyes water, but the pain wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as what I¡¯d suffered from the first finger.


    ¡°I did what I had to do to win.¡± I slid my hand from her grip and flexed my fingers. They were both straight again and only a little sore. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re the one who said it would be better to have a living son in disgrace than a dead son with honor.¡±


    ¡°And what of a dead son in disgrace?¡± Grayson Bishop swept into the room. Hank trailed behind him, his damaged hand bandaged and supported by a sling looped around his neck and shoulder. ¡°That little trick was something your husband might have done, Eve. I thought you would¡¯ve trained the boy better.¡±


    ¡°You cheated.¡± Hank¡¯s eyes burned with righteous fury. ¡°You have dishonored the ring. You¡¯ve dishonored yourself. And you¡¯ve dishonored me. I demand satisfaction.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t cheat.¡± The recovery room was small, and the Empyreal¡¯s fury made it feel even smaller. But I wasn¡¯t going to let the Empyreals push me around with accusations that I¡¯d cheated. I¡¯d studied the rules of the Five Dragon Challenge for years leading up to my shot in the ring and knew I hadn¡¯t broken a single one of the dozens of regulations that governed the contest. ¡°There¡¯s nothing in the rules that says I can¡¯t use a jinsei crystal in the ring.¡±


    Hank took a step toward me, but Grayson slid in between us. The sacred sage¡¯s face was twisted with rage, but even in his anger he knew that letting a member of his clan attack someone of my low status would be the height of dishonor.


    ¡°No cheat will ever pass through the doors of the School. You can say whatever you want about the rules, but there is more to the traditions than what is written on a page.¡± Grayson took a deep breath and cycled the jinsei through his aura to remove the flecks of angry corruption that had sprouted within it.


    My pulse pounded in my ears and my thoughts churned into a hurricane of anger and confusion. I¡¯d followed the rules. I¡¯d defeated the School¡¯s champion in a fair fight, and I¡¯d earned my place in among its students. No one, not even one of the five sacred sages, could deny me what was rightfully mine.


    ¡°There are no rules against using jinsei boosters of any kind.¡± I struggled to keep the emotion out of my voice, but every word crackled with anger. ¡°In fact, it¡¯s explicitly allowed to use serums and crystals to restore your aura in the event of a lengthy match that can¡¯t be decided on points.¡±


    ¡°No true jinsei artist would ever need such a crutch.¡± Grayson towered over me with his fists clenched so tightly I heard the tendons creak. ¡°The rules were written with honorable men in mind. The dragons couldn¡¯t possibly exclude every degenerate strategy a camper¡¯s sick mind could dream up.¡±


    ¡°Then you admit I didn¡¯t break any of your rules.¡± My mother tried to grab my wrist and stop me. But I jerked my hand away from hers and went after Grayson like a mad dog. ¡°You¡¯re just looking for a way to keep me out of the School because of something my father did. Or is it my mother? I don¡¯t know why you hate them, but this isn¡¯t fair. It isn¡¯t right, and you know it.¡±


    Grayson eyed me with surprise. He wasn¡¯t used to anyone, much less a teenager from the labor camps, coming after him like that. What he didn¡¯t understand is that I had nothing left to lose. If I didn¡¯t get into the School, my life was over, anyway.


    ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t technically break rules concerning jinsei boosters, you certainly broke the rule about weapons.¡± Grayson fixed my mother with a withering stare and, for the first time in my life, I saw her back down from a fight. ¡°Even your own mother can¡¯t deny that.¡±


    ¡°It was definitely a weapon.¡± Hank peered at me around Grayson¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You are far too weak to have penetrated my aura on your own.¡±


    ¡°I only used the crystal to power my own attack. Your aura was so weak by that point it couldn¡¯t have defended you against a gnat, much less ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°My aura was only weak because you tricked me into depleting my core. I don¡¯t know how you did it, but your core should never have been able to stand against my technique.¡± Hank was so infuriated by my suggestion that his aura wasn¡¯t strong enough to protect him that he almost pushed past Grayson to get at me. ¡°I put everything into that attack. I pushed enough jinsei into that attack to kill you.¡±


    ¡°Grayson, tell me I didn¡¯t just hear your champion confess to the attempted murder of a  challenger.¡±


    The speaker¡¯s words were calm and collected, but they cut through the air of the recovery room as cleanly as a thrown blade.


    I immediately recognized the elder who¡¯d given me advice during my challenge with Clem as he entered the room. A younger version of the man followed him at a respectful distance. They looked so much alike the younger man had to have been his son.


    ¡°This is none of your concern Tycho.¡± Grayson spun to face the new arrivals so quickly his robes flared out and the embroidered hem nearly struck me in the face. ¡°The Disciples of the Jade Flame have no standing when it comes to the challenge. This is the domain of the Resplendent Suns.¡±


    My jaw dropped when Grayson said the new man¡¯s name. Tycho had to mean Tycho Reyes, patriarch of the Disciples of the Jade Flame, one of the few men in the world who would dare challenge Grayson Bishop as an equal.Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°The fate of the next generation of initiates is a concern to all of the clans.¡± Tycho Reyes glided across the floor until he stood only inches away from Grayson.


    The two men couldn¡¯t have been more different. Grayson was an imposing figure, broad-shouldered and tall, with striking blue eyes and a devilish beard waxed to a gleaming point. Tycho was slender and shorter, his gray hair tied back in a tight ponytail to reveal the stark lines of his hairless face and piercing black eyes. Yet, for all their differences, these two powerful men were alike on a fundamental level. They were fierce, determined, and ready to go to war for the honor of their names and their clans.


    If anyone had told me I¡¯d one day have the heads of two of the five sacred clans ready to fight over my fate, I would¡¯ve called them a liar. I could scarcely believe what I was seeing even as it unfolded mere feet away from me.


    The two elders glared at one another and their auras swelled to fill the recovery room. Jinsei cracked and popped around us like jolts of static electricity trapped between twin thunderheads.


    My mother caught my hand and pulled me back from the impending battle, and I let her.


    Hank and Tycho¡¯s son also moved to the edges of the room, though they kept their distance from one another.


    Jinsei artists, especially ones as powerful as these Grayson and Tycho, valued precision and restraint in all things, even battle. But if they used even a fraction of their power and struck with pinpoint accuracy, violent jinsei would flood the room like lava from a magma vent. The rest of us would be lucky to escape from that small room with our lives.


    ¡°I assure you,¡± Grayson said with a smirk, ¡°that I am as concerned for the future of initiates as you are. Which is the reason why the Disciples no longer have jurisdiction over the challenges. Or have you already forgotten the dishonor that made this decision inevitable?¡±


    Tycho bristled at the insult. Serpents of black light rose from his dark robes and surrounded him like a veil of living spears.


    ¡°My memory is long, as I¡¯m sure you are well aware. I do not defend the actions of my forebears, and I¡¯m sure you meant no dishonor by insinuating that I was responsible for them.¡± Tycho folded his hands in front of him, fingers interlaced in a complex knot of skin and bone. ¡°But if what your champion said is true, this is not merely a matter of challenge etiquette. Your boy tried to kill a child of low status without provocation. As a concerned clan elder, I must question why he would do such a thing.¡±


    Hank¡¯s eyes flickered from Tycho Reyes to me. All the bluster had gone out of the champion when he realized the elder might condemn him for his actions.


    ¡°I only¡ª¡± the champion started, but Grayson cut him off with a sharp snap of his fingers.


    ¡°Mr. Eli was overzealous in his attack, certainly.¡± Grayson offered me a conciliatory smile and an insincere shrug. ¡°Boys will be boys. Hank had already defeated three opponents, and the heat of battle was upon him. I¡¯m sure he merely wanted to add a fourth victory so we could move on to a real challenger.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Tycho gave Grayson a sarcastic shrug of his own. ¡°And yet he lost, even after giving it his best effort. Give Mr. Warin the prize he¡¯s earned.¡±


    Grayson¡¯s fury flashed through his aura with such intensity that everyone else in the room flinched and looked away.


    Everyone, that is, except for Tycho Reyes.


    ¡°This is not a fight you want, Bishop.¡± Tycho¡¯s voice had dropped into a menacing register. That serpents of light that crawled around his body hissed angrily at anyone and everyone. ¡°And it is not a fight either of us can afford. There is shame enough for your clan based on Hank¡¯s actions. Your grudge against the Warin family is unseemly. Do you want to add to your dishonor by fighting another elder and risking the safety of these bystanders?¡±


    Jinsei is a powerful tool, but it can also be dangerous. It picks up aspects of emotions, of other energies, and it amplifies them in ways that sometimes escape the control of even masters. Grayson¡¯s rage had infected his aura, and now it threatened to spill out and ignite a mortal combat that even he had to know was a bad idea.


    All I¡¯d ever wanted was to attend the School of Swords and Serpents. And now my attempt to do just that had triggered a series of events I could never have imagined. I had to do something, before these two Empyreal titans of went to war.


    ¡°I am not my father.¡± It was important to me that Grayson understand that I didn¡¯t want to dishonor him or his students. Whatever crimes my family had committed in the past weren¡¯t mine to bear. I wanted to be better. I wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the clans as they held off the hungry souls and protected the Empyrean. ¡°And I have earned my place at the School of Swords and Serpents. There is no need for any of this. Let me attend the school and prove myself to you.¡±


    ¡°Never.¡± Grayson¡¯s words were as cold and flat as the marble floor beneath our feet. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you did it, and I don¡¯t care. You may have tricked your way past the challenge, but I am not deceived. You are disqualified from the Five Dragons Challenge. My judgment is final.¡±


    His words were like nails driven into my coffin. Disqualifications were rare, but not unheard of, and they were left entirely up to the will of the judges.


    And there was no judge higher than Grayson Bishop.


    I¡¯d taken my shot and lost. Disqualified contenders never got another shot at the challenge.


    All the training I¡¯d done had been a waste. My life was over.


    ¡°That is not fair, Grayson,¡± Tycho said with a disapproving cluck of his tongue. ¡°The boy deserves his reward.¡±


    ¡°He deserves nothing.¡± Grayson motioned for Hank to follow him as he headed for the door. ¡°Which is exactly what he¡¯ll get.¡±


    ¡°I will not have the reputation of all Empyreals sullied by your pointless vendetta, Bishop.¡± Tycho turned his back on me and his aura flared toward Grayson. ¡°Reconsider your decision.¡±


    ¡°Never.¡±


    ¡°Then you leave me no choice.¡± Tycho withdrew his aura and folded his arms across his chest. ¡°As is my right as a clan elder, I formally invite Jace Warin to attend the School as a guest of the Disciples of the Jade Flame.¡±


    Grayson froze. His aura intensified and barbed wire threads of rage entwined themselves into a halo above his head.


    ¡°You would sponsor this boy, knowing what it will mean for you and your clan when he fails?¡± There was a cunning edge to Grayson¡¯s words, and I wondered what hidden dangers lay beneath them.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Tycho Reyes smiled broadly and bowed to me. ¡°Jace Warin, if you accept my offer to attend the School as my guest, I will be responsible for your words and deeds. Your successes will honor my clan and my name, and your failures will bring shame to me and mine.¡±


    ¡°My mother¡ª¡± I started, suddenly worried that Grayson might go after her while I was away at the school.


    ¡°She will be compensated for your absence, certainly. The disciples will help her find work more fitting to her station, for as long as you are attending the school.¡± Tycho¡¯s smile glowed like an incandescent bulb, and I couldn¡¯t believe the generosity of his offer. Just like that, my entire family had been pulled out of the shadows and thrust into the sunlight.


    ¡°I accept.¡± I bowed so low I thought I¡¯d touch my toes with my nose. ¡°Your gracious offer honors my family. I will do my utmost to honor you and yours in return.¡±


    Grayson¡¯s eyes flicked from me to his rival elder and back with obvious disgust. He pinched the bridge of his nose, sighed, and then shrugged.


    ¡°So be it. He will be your responsibility, Tycho. Whatever shame befalls him, shall be doubled on your head and that of your clan.¡± Grayson and Hank left the room without a backward glance, and an ominous silence descended upon the rest of us.


    ¡°You did not have to accept his offer,¡± my mother cautioned me. ¡°Gifts of the disciples often carry a heavy price that won¡¯t be revealed until far too late.¡±


    ¡°Your mother is right, Jace,¡± Tycho said. He crossed the room to stand before me with such fluid grace that his robe scarcely stirred around his thin form. ¡°There will be a great cost to be paid for what I have given you this day. But I know accepted this great gift in a moment of excitement. I do not want it to be said that I tricked anyone into accept my offer. Do you wish to reconsider?¡±


    Something flickered behind the elder¡¯s eyes, and I couldn¡¯t shake the image of a spider patiently waiting in its web for a fly to stumble in for dinner.


    My mother¡¯s hand tightened around mine, and I knew she wanted me to reject the second chance I¡¯d been given.


    And I did fear what the Disciples would ask of me. Legends about this clan were not kind, and most were cautionary tales about accepting gifts from strangers.


    But my fears of Tycho Reyes and the traps he might lay were far less than the fear of spending the rest of my life in a labor camp, watching my mother waste away, my own life cut short by bad food, dirty water, and soul-crushing work for far below a living wage.


    ¡°I humbly accept your most gracious gift.¡± I bowed before the elder, and he placed his hand on the back of my head.


    ¡°Then our compact is sealed, Jace Warin. I will send for you when the time is right.¡±


    I didn¡¯t dare rise from my bow until I heard the door of the recovery room close behind the Disciples.


    When I did, my mother threw her arms around my neck, and her tears soaked my cheeks.


    ¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re doing,¡± she whispered.

 Chapter 5–The School

    The next two months were an exercise in excruciating boredom and anxiety. My mother and I still had to work at the camp, and I forced myself to put in as much overtime as I could to stockpile some meager extra funds to help see my mother through the time that I would be gone. Tycho¡¯s offer would pay my mother something, but I didn¡¯t know what that meant. Better for my mother to have more money than she needed than too little.


    As the September first start date for the School¡¯s new initiate class approached, I found myself nervous that this was all some sort of elaborate hoax meant to humiliate my family once again. No one from the Disciples of Jade Flame or Tycho Reyes¡¯ family had contacted us since the day of the challenge. The patriarch had promised to send for me, but as the last week of August arrived, there¡¯d still been no word.


    The School was on an island somewhere in the southern Pacific Ocean. I didn¡¯t know exactly where it was located, but I knew it would take days, at least, to reach its shores. And, yet, the sun set on the last day of August without so much as an email from Tycho Reyes.


    ¡°You can¡¯t trust Empyreals.¡± My mother tried to soften the blow of disappointment I¡¯d suffered, but the pain was too raw and fresh for me to accept her help. She put a bowl of algae ramen noodles on the chipboard table in front of me, but I didn¡¯t have any appetite.


    ¡°He promised.¡± The words caught in my throat like jagged fish bones. ¡°I earned that place at the School. I don¡¯t understand why he would lie to me about that.¡±


    ¡°Because,¡± my mother explained, her voice soft and patient. ¡°They don¡¯t see us as people. We work for them, like mules or cattle, while they sit in the overcities and pretend to protect us from threats none of us have ever seen.¡±


    ¡°Pretend?¡± That was the first time I never heard anyone expressed doubt that the Empyreals were the thin bright line that stood between an army of hungry spirits and the rest of us.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡± She stared into the tepid bowl of algae ramen noodles on the table in front of her. ¡°Let¡¯s just eat and go to bed. Morning will come too early.¡±


    We finished our meal in silence. I was too angry and confused to add anything to our conversation, my mother had run out of ways to try to comfort me. The algae was somehow both sticky and slimy, as always, and it stuck in my throat every time I tried to swallow. My bowl was still half full by the time my mother had emptied hers, but I couldn¡¯t eat another bite. I cleared the table, dumped my uneaten food down the disposal before she could chide me for wasting it, and busied myself with the dishes.


    I¡¯d just put the last plastic bowl on the drying rack when there was a knock on our door.


    The hollow plastic barrier rattled in its frame, and I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound.


    ¡°Jace Warin,¡± a rough voice called from the other side of the barrier. ¡°It is time.¡±


    I rushed past my wide-eyed mother and crossed our tiny apartment to reach the door. I shot the bolt and yanked it open, my heart pounding.


    ¡°I need a few minutes,¡± I said. ¡°Let me grab ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°There is no time. You have thirty seconds to say your goodbyes and then we must depart.¡± The man wore a simple black suit and chauffeur¡¯ cap. His eyes were covered by a mirrored band of sunglasses, even though the sun had gone down more than two hours ago.


    ¡°Go,¡± my mother said. She followed me to the door and hugged me from behind, her arms warm and strong around my waist. ¡°Hurry, before I change my mind.¡±


    ¡°I love you,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be back, soon.¡±


    We both knew that was a lie. The School didn¡¯t release initiates for semester breaks or holidays until the end of the first year. It would be ten months before I saw my mother again, and that was if nothing happened to me in the meantime.


    The man at the door turned sharply and walked off at the precise moment my thirty seconds ran out. I hustled after him, my ill-fitting work shoes slapping on the concrete balcony outside our apartment. My eyes soaked up the details of our block building, and I stared over the railing at the labor camp fifteen stories below. Men, women, and children scuttled about like beetles as the third shift began. I¡¯d expected to be down there with them come morning.


    ¡°Will we get there on time?¡± I asked the man. ¡°Classes start tomorrow, and I¡¯d hate to miss¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already tomorrow at the School. But you¡¯ll be there on time.¡± The man responded without looking back. ¡°The Disciples keep their promises.¡±


    I didn¡¯t see how that was possible. We couldn¡¯t get to the airport in less than a couple of hours, and no plane I knew of could cover the distance between the Midwest and the middle of the Pacific Ocean before morning.


    Maybe Tycho had decided to string me along until the very last second so his cruel joke would sting more. Or Maybe Grayson had interfered.


    The chauffeur descended the staircase at the end of the walkway at a rapid clip. His feet beat out a sharp staccato rhythm as we descended, but his breathing remained as slow and steady as if we were standing still.


    I couldn¡¯t wait to have that kind of effortless power. I wondered how long it would be before my mastery of jinsei hardened my body and lent me the legendary endurance of the Empyreals.


    ¡°Here we are.¡± The chauffeur stopped at the third floor, took a left and briskly walked along the balcony in front of the apartment doors. They were mostly identical to my own, though each of them had been damaged and worn in unique ways. Some were dented by the pounding of angry fists, others had grown brittle under the merciless light of the sun and were now chipped and cracked, and still others had been cut or burned. The blue paint that had covered the plastic had long ago chipped away, to reveal the dull, gray slabs of polymer that was all that stood between the occupants and the harsh, outside world.


    ¡°Where?¡± I asked.


    The chauffeur responded by grabbing the handle of one of the apartment doors and wrenching it open.


    ¡°Get in.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s someone¡¯s apartment,¡± I objected. ¡°We can¡¯t just go in.¡±


    The chauffeur let out an exasperated sigh, shrugged, and walked through the open door.


    A flash of light burst onto the balcony as he vanished.


    I peeked around the open door, and my heart stopped.


    I¡¯d expected a dingy, cramped apartment. What I saw was a white sand beach drenched in golden sunlight. Exotic trees I¡¯d never seen before sprouted from the rich soil further inland and flanked an enormous building I recognized from television. Even as my brain struggled to take in all the details of the scene before me, the image began to waver.


    It was now or never.


    I closed my eyes and stepped across the threshold.


    The wild, salty perfume of the ocean invaded my nostrils. Warm morning sunlight caressed my face, and a gentle breeze tickled my skin.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be late if you don¡¯t get moving,¡± the chauffeur said.


    I open my eyes and found him standing next to me. His sunglasses reflected my confused stare, and a faint smirk twitched the corners of his lips. He nodded toward the School and made a get moving gesture with one hand.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I bowed deeply and took off across the sand.


    Everything around me was a marvel. It was hard to believe that this place and the dingy labor camp where I¡¯d grown up belonged in the same world. It was no wonder the Empyreals kept the rest of us away from their domain. If we all knew what we were missing out on, there¡¯d be a revolt.


    I shook my head at the thought. There be enough time for politics and revolutions later. For now, I just wanted to get into the school and claim my place among the student body.


    A stone walkway led from the edge of the beach up the gentle slope of a grass-covered hill to an enormous torii that appeared to have been carved from a single piece of redwood. The ornate archway loomed over me, and the dense scrivenings that covered its legs shimmered with a rainbow glow as I passed beneath it. A sudden sense of calm and well-being coursed through me, and a warm tingle circled through my core like a sleepy cat making its bed.


    For the first time since Tycho Reyes had promised me a place at the School, I actually believed I belonged there.


    I covered the rest of the distance to the School¡¯s front doors at a dead run. I¡¯d no idea what time it was here, or how long it would be until classes started, but I didn¡¯t want to be late for any of it.


    The enormous building towered above the trees that flanked it. It was a mishmash of different architectural styles that somehow all worked together. The lower floors were constructed of heavy river stones with seams of stark white mortar holding them together. Narrow, barred windows lined those walls, allowing light to penetrate the interior without sacrificing security. The front doors were heavy iron-banded wood, their faces studded with bronze spikes and enough scrivenings to stop an army.


    The upper floors were half-timbered like the cozy cottages I¡¯d seen on Oktoberfest postcards. The framing elements were inlaid with metal sigils connected by deep red scrivenings, and I knew those were every bit as secure as the heavy stones in the bottom floors.


    The very top of the main building had an elegantly sloped roof like an enormous pagoda. Golden statues of dragons and other fantastic beasts lined the roof¡¯s edges, and translucent spirits swarmed around them in dizzying numbers. The pagoda¡¯s raised ends were at least twenty stories above the ground, and the structure was far wider than it was tall.


    I¡¯d never seen anything so imposing or amazing.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s the mystery boy!¡± Clementine darted down from the crowd of students who had gathered in front of the School. Eric and Abi followed Clem down the pathway and all three of them gathered around me with uncertain smiles on their faces.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t sure you¡¯d actually be here,¡± Eric said. ¡°That was quite the scene you caused at the challenge.¡±


    ¡°I was just trying to do my best.¡± I shrugged and offered them a sincere smile. They were the only people I knew here, and I needed every friend I could get. ¡°Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d be here either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you are!¡± Clem said. ¡°I¡¯ve been tearing my hair out trying to find you so I could pay up on our bet.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not necessary.¡± I shook my head and raised my hands as she untied a small coin purse from her gi¡¯s belt. ¡°I really couldn¡¯t take it.¡±


    Eric and Abi exchanged glances, and Clem bounced the heavy purse in her palm.


    ¡°And why wasn¡¯t that a fair bet?¡± Clem tilted her head to one side and studied me curiously. ¡°I¡¯m the one who suggested the terms, not you. It was my guess to make, and I whiffed. You won, fair and square.¡±


    ¡°I just,¡± I stopped, unsure of how I really felt. It had been a fair bet, and I had won. But taking that much money from someone I wanted to befriend seemed wrong. ¡°That much money for a guess just seems wrong.¡±


    Eric stifled a laugh, and Abi stomped on his foot.


    ¡°Of course, it is a significant sum, and some less scrupulous students might try to take it from your quarters.¡± Abi nodded gravely as he spoke. ¡°Perhaps Clem could send it to your home, where your family could keep it safe for you until your return.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± I agreed a little too emphatically. This money would do wonders for my mother, and Abi had given all of us an easy way out of the situation without losing face. ¡°I can give you my address, or you could send it straight to her account?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Clem assured me. ¡°You sure you won¡¯t let me in on your secret, though?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡± Clem seemed nice enough, so far, but I didn¡¯t trust any Empyreal enough to reveal my hollow core. ¡°When do classes begin?¡±


    ¡°Oh, not until after the assay.¡± Eric gestured toward the small mob of excited students waiting outside the building. ¡°That¡¯s what all of the new initiates are waiting for.¡±


    ¡°Nobody told me anything about an assay. What do I need to do?¡± Tycho Reyes had secured me a spot at the School, but he hadn¡¯t given me any information or details on what to expect. I had no idea if I should¡¯ve brought supplies, and my work clothes were a disgrace next to the immaculate gis and robes of the other students. I didn¡¯t see a single initiate other than myself who was not wearing clan colors.


    ¡°Oh, my,¡± Clem said. ¡°They really didn¡¯t tell you anything, did they?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡± I lowered my voice to a conspiratorial near whisper. ¡°My admission wasn¡¯t exactly traditional.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement.¡± Eric deftly moved his foot before Abi could stomp on it again. ¡°You¡¯ve already got quite a reputation. I¡¯m not even sure it¡¯s safe for us to talk to you.¡±


    Clem rolled her eyes and stood next to me. She draped an arm over my shoulders, swept her arm out to encompass our surroundings, and leaned her head against mine.


    ¡°Eric¡¯s being a baby, don¡¯t mind him. Let me give you the lowdown on the assay.¡± She pointed a finger at Eric, who wore the same vest and shorts I¡¯d seen him in at the challenge. ¡°He is one of the Resplendent Suns, very honorable, very scared to break tradition. It¡¯s a nice enough clan, if you don¡¯t mind following every little rule all the time. They also get pretty hung up on rank, which is just annoying.¡±


    ¡°And I am from the Titans of Majestic Stone,¡± Abi said with obvious pride. ¡°My clan has upheld Empyreal Law for centuries, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re also goody two shoes,¡± Clem said with a grin for her friend. ¡°There¡¯s no one I¡¯d trust more to have my back than Abi, but you can¡¯t tell him anything even a little shady, or he¡¯ll be forced to rat you out to one of the wardens or a professor. It¡¯s just in his nature.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay Abi,¡± Eric said. ¡°We all know you mean well. You¡¯re just trying to keep us out of trouble. And at least you¡¯re consistent.¡±


    ¡°That better not have been a jab at me,¡± Clem said. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that the Thunder¡¯s Children are extremely consistent in our inconsistency.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the one you have to watch out for,¡± Abi confided. ¡°Her clan isn¡¯t happy if they aren¡¯t sowing chaos and confusion wherever they go.¡±


    ¡°Gotta keep things fresh,¡± Clem admitted. ¡°See that one over there in the black?¡±


    The girl she was talking about was a good head taller than the Empyreals surrounding her, and her sleek black robes only accentuated her height. A ruler-straight line of scrivenings ran down her spine and splintered the sunlight into shards of prismatic radiance.


    ¡°She¡¯s a warden. They¡¯re upperclassmen who keep an eye on the rest of us in the dormitory towers and teach some of the classes. She¡¯s also a Shadow Phoenix,¡± Eric said in a near whisper. ¡°They¡¯re bookish and smart, for the most part, but they don¡¯t care very much about their honor. They¡¯re the youngest clan, and the least trustworthy if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not very charitable, Eric,¡± Clem said. ¡°But it¡¯s mostly true. Phoenixes were reformed from the ruins of the New Moon clan and they don¡¯t much care about the things other clans hold dear. It makes them difficult to predict. Or trust.¡±


    That was interesting. I¡¯d seen the other clans at contests and on television, but the Shadow Phoenixes were new to me. And I¡¯d never heard of the New Moon clan, either. The longer I stayed here, the more I understood how little I actually knew about Empyreal society.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any Disciples of the Jade Flame,¡± I said. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t there be some in the initiate class?¡±


    ¡°Oh, they¡¯ll be here,¡± Clem said. ¡°But they¡¯re exempt from the assay because they¡¯re evil.¡±


    ¡°Clem!¡± Abi called. ¡°You can¡¯t say that. You can¡¯t judge an entire clan based on the actions of one of their ancestors.¡±


    ¡°Have it your way.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Evil or not, the Disciples never get assayed and no initiate ever gets assigned into their clan. The rest of us have to go through the test, to determine which clan we¡¯ll be assigned to.¡±


    ¡°But you already have a clan,¡± I said. ¡°Won¡¯t you just go into the Thunder¡¯s Children?¡±


    Eric shook his head and frowned.


    ¡°If you¡¯re raised right, you¡¯ll most likely be measured and assigned to your own clan. But there¡¯s no guarantee that¡¯s how it¡¯ll go.¡± He lowered his voice. ¡°It¡¯s a shame if you¡¯re removed from your parent¡¯s clan, but it¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of, if you know what I mean.¡±


    Well, that was an interesting twist I hadn¡¯t expected. I¡¯d never even considered how people were assigned to clans, and I¡¯d certainly never thought that the School would split up families by assigning children to an entirely different clan from their parents.


    ¡°How do they decide which clan to assign you to?¡± I asked.


    Given a choice, I would¡¯ve chosen the Resplendent Suns. They were the most honorable, and most public face of the Empyreals. Movie stars, professional athletes, and even some politicians hailed from that clan, and all were held in high regard. The clan would give my family¡¯s name a much-needed boost out of the miserable dishonor my father had left us in.


    ¡°That¡¯s what the assay is for. They measure your jinsei, probe your core, and figure out exactly where you belong.¡± Clem said with a grin. ¡°I guess you won¡¯t be able to keep your style secret from them.¡±


    My stomach clenched, and it took every ounce of effort I had not to vomit onto the stone walkway. No one had ever told me they probed your core when you came to the School. What would happen when they found out that mine was hollow?

 The Release!

    Hey everyone, just wanted to let you all know that the book is out on Amazon. I had to pull most of the chapters since it is enrolled in the Kindle Unlimited Reading program (which requires the book to be exclusive to Zon), but I want to thank everyone who read the story. If you enjoyed spending time in the School of Swords and Serpents and want to read more books with Jace, please, please, please consider picking the book up on Amazon (it is edited and there is a bit of new content) or just stop by a leave a short, honest review on either Amazon, Goodreads or both¡ªthey really help new indie authors like me. Thanks again, and I hope to tell a lot more stories set in this same universe!


    ***


    Jace Warin never wanted anything more than to attend the School of Swords and Serpents to escape the labor camps and restore his family''s stained honor.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    But the determined young martial artist soon discovers the school he''s always dreamed about is teeming with secret plots and sinister designs. To survive, he will have to master long-lost jinsei techniques, repair his wounded soul, and face down a most unexpected enemy: The Academy''s ruthless headmaster and cunning professors.


    Hollow is the first book in the School of Swords and Serpents series, a tale of wuxia adventure, cultivation mastery, and lurking threats.


    ¡°Wow, this book is crazy-good. If the Harry Potter series were somehow violently smashed together with the characters from Mortal Kombat, you might have something that comes close to the School of Swords and Serpents.¡± ¡ªJames A. Hunter, Bestselling Author of Rogue Dungeon, Bibliomancer, and the LitRPG epic Viridian Gate Online


    Get it Here: www.Amazon.com/dp/B07WWZ4V4M</a>

 The Return

    The School of Swords and Serpents seemed smaller when I returned for my second year.


    Three months of traveling around the world as the School¡¯s champion had shown me towering skyscrapers and sprawling neon-lit cities. The Five Dragons Challenge had taken me to the overcities of Kyoto, Ulaanbaatar, Moscow, Dallas, London, and more in all their lavish glory. I¡¯d also visited the undercities of New York, Cairo, and Paris. The world that had seemed so large when I was trapped in my work camp had become a tiny place, its far-flung cities connected by portal networks that let me cross continents with a single step.


    It wasn¡¯t just the School that had shrunk in my eyes.


    Everything seemed smaller now.


    ¡°Thank you for your assistance, honored Officer Fezal.¡± I bowed low to the Portal Defense Force escort who¡¯d overseen my speedy jaunt from the Atlantis overcity back to the school. ¡°I am in your debt.¡±


    ¡°It was my pleasure, honored champion,¡± Fezal responded, with a low bow of his own. ¡°It is not every day I provide transport to the undefeated warrior of the Five Dragons Challenge. Twenty-five cities and not a single loss. Most impressive.¡±


    My bow went a little lower to hide the flush that rose in my cheeks at Fezal¡¯s praise. I still hadn¡¯t gotten used to all the changes that had come with my rise to champion. I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d ever adjust to being treated not as an outcast, but a treasured member of Empyreal society.


    ¡°Be well, Officer Fezal,¡± I said. ¡°And thank you again.¡±


    ¡°Be well, Champion Warin.¡± Fezal stepped back through the dark gateway and his portal vanished.


    Relieved to be alone, if even for a moment, I took a deep breath and cycled sea air through my recently advanced core. I¡¯d gone from a child¡¯s foundation-level core to the more advanced initiate-level core during my time on the tour. That had increased my core¡¯s ability to store jinsei for later use and further refined my already advanced skills at purifying the sacred energy. I split the salt and water aspects from the sea jinsei, and the purified sacred energy settled easily into my eclipse core, as secure as water in a bottle.


    My eyes burned with unshed tears at this simple miracle. I¡¯d spent my whole life with a hollow core, unable to hold on to even the smallest wisps of sacred energy for longer than a handful of seconds. Then I¡¯d gained an eclipse core, and everything changed. I¡¯d become stronger than I¡¯d ever imagined, more powerful than most of those who¡¯d ridiculed me when I was weak.


    Those memories stirred the coals of old anger, and my fists clenched into white-knuckled knots. I¡¯d already beaten one of my tormentors, Hank Eli, during my first fight as champion. The duel had been a lopsided mess; the old champion had never had a chance against me. Neither would the others who¡¯d stood against me.


    Hagar.


    Rafael.


    Professor Ishigara.


    Dark thoughts of revenge swirled out of my core and filled my head with dark images. This is what The Manual of the New Moon had called ¡®the Eclipse nature¡¯ and what I hoped to master during my second year at the School of Swords and Serpents. Because if I couldn¡¯t control the dark urges that had haunted me throughout the Five Dragons Challenge, I was a terrifying danger to myself and everyone around me.


    Serpents of light burst from my core and plunged into the sand at my feet. A patch of scrubby grass at the beach¡¯s edge blackened and crumbled to ash. The sea breeze blew their dark remains away, leaving no trace there¡¯d ever been anything there at all.


    ¡°Welcome back!¡± Niddhogg called from beneath the torii that framed the path up to the school. His stubby wings flapped excitedly and lifted him a few feet off the ground. He waved both his front claws at me, and I couldn¡¯t help but grin.


    I banished my hungry serpents and let the sea breeze wash through my core a final time. When I exhaled, I let go of the bad old memories and the rage they¡¯d ignited. Experience during the tour had taught me the fires of that black rage would only burn me if left unchecked. Better to focus on the future and leave the past behind me.


    Because the eclipse core had already claimed a high price for the power it had granted me. I didn¡¯t ever want anyone to pay it again.


    ¡°Coming,¡± I called out to Niddhogg, and raced the first rays of dawn¡¯s light up the path to meet him.


    ¡°How¡¯s my favorite dragon doing?¡± I rubbed the ruff of bristly scales between the dragon¡¯s nubs of horns.


    ¡°Not as good as you, apparently,¡± the black dragon said with a lopsided grin. ¡°I¡¯ve been stuck in this dump while you¡¯ve been out showing off for the crowds. I must have watched you beat a hundred contenders.¡±


    I blushed so hard I thought my cheeks had caught fire.


    ¡°You watched me fight?¡± I¡¯d done my best to pretend the cameras and castcrystals weren¡¯t there while I was in the ring. The only person I¡¯d hoped would see me was my mom, and her only because I¡¯d thought she might come to one of the fights. Niddhogg¡¯s admission that he¡¯d seen so many of those fights made me want to crawl into a hole and die.


    ¡°Everyone watched you fight.¡± The dragon chuckled and jerked his head toward the School. ¡°Kitchen¡¯s open. Let¡¯s get you some breakfast before the initiates arrive for their induction. Anyway, after what happened in Singapore, your ratings went through the roof.¡±


    Singapore.


    My stomach tied itself into a knot at the memory. The contender with the jinsei weapons hidden in the folds of his gi. Those twin blade of pure sacred energy had stabbed straight for my heart.


    I¡¯d never been so scared.


    Or so furious.


    ¡°There were some good contenders.¡± I pivoted the conversation away from that horrible day. ¡°A couple of them almost took me down.¡±


    ¡°Bah,¡± the black dragon scoffed at the idea. ¡°A few of them made you chase them around the ring. None of them really had a chance, champ.¡±


    Champ.


    I had something in my eye again.


    ¡°Who else is here?¡± It was time to talk about literally anyone else. My cheeks would burst into flames if the dragon said anything else nice about me.


    ¡°The Disciples of Jade Flame showed up a couple of days ago with their new initiates. Resplendent Suns showed up yesterday morning with the new headmaster. Most of the Shadow Phoenix upperclassmen came in last night,¡± Niddhogg said. ¡°Including Hagar.¡±


    That name made my blood run cold. She was the warden who¡¯d nearly killed me, then exposed my misdeeds to the world. If Hagar had her way, I¡¯d have been bounced out of the School and straight into prison. She, and the rest of the Shadow Phoenix clan, had hated me for refusing to bow down to the people who wanted me to fail.


    Thinking about the warden and what she¡¯d done threw me into a foul mood. A hunger took root inside me, and I knew the buffet wouldn¡¯t satisfy it.


    ¡°Sorry, Nidd,¡± I said to the dragon. My voice was tight and sounded unnatural even to my ears. ¡°I need to take a raincheck on breakfast. I¡¯m not feeling great.¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Ah, man,¡± the dragon pouted. ¡°I knew I shouldn¡¯t have said anything about Hagar.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I lied. ¡°I never really adapted well to portal travel, and all the jumping around has me off my game.¡±


    The miniature black dragon eyed me for a moment, then shrugged.


    ¡°Suit yourself, kid,¡± he said. ¡°If you change your mind, I¡¯ll be in there stuffing my belly with bacon.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± We¡¯d reached the school. I gave the dragon another scratch on the head, then opened the heavy front doors. ¡°We¡¯ll catch up later.¡±


    ¡°Take it easy.¡± Niddhogg flapped its wings and floated past me toward the dining room. He glanced over his shoulder as he went, and I gave him a fake smile and a little wave to send him on his way.


    I bolted out of the main entryway the instant the dragon had turned his attention away from me. My muscles cramped and my molars ground together. Reckless thoughts tumbled through my head, and it was a dark test of my self-control to resist them.


    The urges had been coming closer together since Singapore.


    Worse, they were getting stronger.


    I willed myself to find a courtyard, and the School¡¯s shifty architecture twisted around me. Instead of leading me outside, the hallway funneled me down a rickety set of stairs and into a narrow, stone corridor. The only light came from narrow slits of windows up near the ceiling, and most of that was obscured by thick blades of grass. I was underground, somewhere below the school. I¡¯d never been there before, but there were hundreds, maybe thousands, of other places in the school¡¯s sprawling campus that I¡¯d never discovered.


    A curious chittering sound plucked at my attention. A black rat, fat and juicy, emerged from a hole in the wall. It perked up on its haunches and stared at me.


    My Eclipse nature surged to the fore of my thoughts. Its hunger made my jaws ache and my stomach growl. I knew what it wanted, and I struggled to refuse its demand.


    ¡°Go away,¡± I pleaded with the rodent. ¡°Please, just go away.¡±


    The creature had other ideas. It sensed something familiar about me, and scampered down the tunnel, sniffing the air as it bounded along. The little beast was so excited. It must have been one of the rats I¡¯d bonded with last year. We¡¯d been friends. Now it was coming to play.


    I wanted to run away from the little guy before he got too close. My darker nature, however, had other ideas. The ache in my core cemented my feet in place.


    When the rat was fifteen feet away, I crouched down and held my hand out to it. The urge was too strong for me to resist.


    ¡°Come here,¡± I whispered in a shaky voice.


    The rat stopped and reared up on its hind legs, as if sensing danger. Its whiskers twitched, and it licked its paws nervously. The black marbles of its eyes were glued to mine.


    For a moment, I hoped it saw the Eclipse nature that stirred within me. If the rat ran away, I could resist the urges. I could do that much. If it got any closer, though, I wasn¡¯t sure my willpower would hold out against my core.


    The rodent dropped back to all fours and rushed toward me. Its bounding steps carried it to me like a puppy, eager to beg treats from its master.


    My Borrowed Core technique forged a connection to the curious rat in the blink of an eye. Our breaths fused before I was even aware of what had happened. My time in the arenas had honed my instincts and reflexes to a razor¡¯s edge. For the first time, I regretted just how fluid my control over my techniques had become.


    ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± I whispered to the rat. The promise was a plea to my Eclipse nature to please, please behave. A heavy pressure built behind my eyes, and I knew they¡¯d turned as black as a shark¡¯s.


    Images of Singapore flashed through my mind again, as fresh and raw as if they¡¯d happened just moments past, not two months ago.


    His name had been Thomas N¡¯gaori, a promising young martial artist from the work camps outside the overcity.


    It had all happened so fast.


    Thomas had lunged forward with a double palm strike aimed at my chest. Twin blades of jinsei had erupted from the simple cord bracelets around his wrists in the same instant he¡¯d thrust a clumsy serpent strike from his palms.


    My mind had registered the attack a split-second too late to defend against it


    My Eclipse nature, however, was faster than the speed of thought and reacted to protect me before I could stop it. The truth I¡¯d hidden from everyone, even myself when I could, was that I wouldn¡¯t have stopped my core even if I¡¯d been fast enough.


    The contender come into that ring ready to kill me. And in the moment when he¡¯d revealed that intent, I¡¯d been beyond furious. If he¡¯d only used a different tactic, some trick that would have immobilized or stunned me so he could score a point, it all would have worked out differently.


    But that¡¯s not what the contender had done. He¡¯d elevated the stakes in a stupid attempt to defeat the School¡¯s champion.


    In the instant before his death, Thomas had looked at me with the same open, hopeless eyes as the rat crouched at my feet. He¡¯d seen his death coming like a freight train and hadn¡¯t been fast or strong enough to avoid it.


    ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± I promised the rat.


    My aura filled with the rat¡¯s feral and animal aspects as our breaths cycled through my core. I licked my lips at the taste of the creature¡¯s essence. It would be so easy to pluck out its core. No more than a moment¡¯s thought.


    Just like Thomas N¡¯gaori.


    Alive, vital, one moment.


    A dead husk the next.


    No.


    Killing was too easy. I wouldn¡¯t give in to that urge again. I was the master of my core, not the other way around.


    I forced my body to obey my command, lowered my hand to my side, and stood up.


    The rat squeaked and rushed off, frightened by the exuberant footsteps headed down the old passageway.


    ¡°What are you doing down here?¡± Clem called out.


    Beams of light fell across my back and cast long, distorted shadows down the hall. I took a deep breath and pushed the urge down deep. That had been far too close. I waited until the pressure behind my eyes had retreated and then turned around.


    ¡°Looking for Hahen,¡± I said. ¡°I thought the alchemy laboratory was this way, but I guess not.¡±


    There was a kernel of truth in that. I wanted to see the ancient rat spirit again to thank him for the training he¡¯d given me. There hadn¡¯t been time to hunt him down at the end of last year, and I¡¯d regretted it ever since.


    ¡°He¡¯s definitely not down here,¡± Eric said. When he wrinkled his nose like that, the diagonal scar he¡¯d earned in last year¡¯s final challenge really stood out. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here and find something to eat before the newbs arrive and get all the bacon.¡±


    ¡°Buffet¡¯s open,¡± I offered as I headed toward my friends.


    ¡°We know that, silly,¡± Clem said. ¡°When we didn¡¯t find you there, we came looking for you. It¡¯s a good thing you stopped moving around, or we¡¯d have never found you.¡±


    Clem passed through a shaft of early morning sunlight that highlighted all the ways she¡¯d changed over the summer. She¡¯d chopped her dark hair off short and dyed the remaining spikes neon pink. She still wore the sky-blue robes of the Thunder¡¯s Children clan, though this year she¡¯d added bold scrivenings that glowed with shifting white and pink patterns around her waist. Her robes¡¯ style was also far from traditional, with no arms, and a skirt slit far up to the hip on both sides. She wore bright pink knee-length bike shorts under the robes, and a pair of rugged black jika-tabi with glowing white laces and chunky soles that added an inch to her height.


    ¡°You look awesome,¡± I said. She really did. The look suited her more than I would have expected.


    ¡°And how do I look?¡± Abi razzed me. He¡¯d grown over the summer and seemed more like a full-grown man than the tall teenager he¡¯d been the last time I¡¯d seen him. His smile lit up his face when he spoke, even though it didn¡¯t reach his probing eyes. His robes were far more utilitarian than Clem¡¯s and didn¡¯t look anything like the gear of the Titan¡¯s of Majestic Stone he usually sported.


    ¡°You¡¯re in the Portal Defense Force?¡± I asked when I recognized the white and gray uniform as the same style Fezal had worn. ¡°I didn¡¯t know they allowed students to sign up for that duty.¡±


    ¡°You made things very interesting when you discovered the emissary from the Locust Court,¡± Abi said. ¡°And the anti-Flame protests have everyone on edge. The school staff and the Empyreal Council decided it was best to have a junior force here on campus until we were sure there were no other hungry spirits lurking about.¡±


    My Eclipse nature stirred at his words, and I faked a cough to hide the darkness I knew had flickered across my eyes. I¡¯d defeated the Locust Court spirit by pulling a part of it into my core. A part I still battled every day.


    I was very close to being one of the hungry spirits they were all worried about.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat,¡± I said with a forced smile.


    ¡°Finally,¡± Eric let out a long, melodramatic sigh. He spun on his heel and headed for the stairs.


    Clem snorted with laughter and followed after the Resplendent Sun, while Abi and I took up the rear of our little group.


    The Titan eyed me as we headed back to the dining hall. Finally, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    ¡°Something bothering you?¡± I asked, more sharply than intended.


    ¡°My friend is unhappy,¡± he said, clapping a hand on my shoulder. ¡°And that bothers me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the happiest I¡¯ve ever been,¡± I said. ¡°Honestly, Abi, I¡¯m doing great.¡±


    My friend¡¯s dark eyes probed mine as we walked, and I felt the weight of his attention fall across my aura like a damp towel. For a moment, I wondered if his senses had penetrated the veil wrapped around my core.


    ¡°Ah, Jace,¡± Abi said. He squeezed my shoulder firmly, offering his support. ¡°No man can be truly happy until he is at peace with himself.¡±


    We¡¯d reached the main hall and were suddenly surrounded by other upperclassmen who¡¯d arrived ahead of the new batch of initiates.


    ¡°I¡¯m good, man,¡± I said to Abi. ¡°Honest.¡±


    ¡°You are good,¡± Abi said, a strange emphasis on the middle word. He tapped his finger against my chest. ¡°You are not, however, at peace. Those two things may be related. Tell the others I had to check in with my squad. I¡¯ll catch you at lunch.¡±


    He winked and backed away from me, swallowed by the crowd.


    I was glad that Abi seemed to have forgiven me for what had happened last year. But something about his words chilled me, and I wasn¡¯t sure what he meant.


    I shook my head and headed to breakfast, glad to be back at the School and unsure of what the year would bring.

 The Headmaster

    Food helped keep my eclipse core¡¯s urges at bay. It was as if a full belly tricked my core into thinking it was full, too. It was a close call between Eric and me to see who loaded up the most bacon, sausage, eggs, and fluffy waffles.


    ¡°You two won¡¯t be able to walk if you eat all that,¡± Clem said with a wrinkled nose. ¡°There¡¯s a table over there.¡±


    We followed her pink hair through the crowd of other upperclassmen. I spotted Rafael across the room and couldn¡¯t help but smile when he ducked his head and looked away from me. He¡¯d clearly watched my fights and knew that the next time we crossed swords, there¡¯d be a very different ending from what had happened last time.


    ¡°Where¡¯d Abi go?¡± Eric asked. ¡°I thought he was right behind you.¡±


    ¡°Portal Defense Force stuff,¡± I said around a mouthful of bacon. ¡°He¡¯ll catch us at lunch.¡±


    Several of the other upperclassmen gave me uncertain waves when they passed by. It was hard to get used to all these people who¡¯d shunned me last year being suddenly friendly. On the one hand, I knew they weren¡¯t sincere, they were just sucking up to the School¡¯s champion. On the other hand, the attention really was nice.


    ¡°¡ªthe trial¡¯s not even going to happen until the end of the school year,¡± Clem said as she took her seat. Her plate was mostly fresh fruits and berries, with a sprinkling of crispy-skinned fried donut holes covered in a sugar glaze. ¡°Grayson¡¯s convinced the judiciary he needs more time to prepare his case because he¡¯s had so much trouble getting a lawyer to take him on as a client. What with the assassins and the anti-flame stuff.¡±


    Clem rolled her eyes at that last, like it was the most ridiculous thing she¡¯d ever heard.


    After he¡¯d been arrested and hauled off to a holding cell awaiting trial, Grayson Bishop had insisted his life was in danger. He blamed me for upsetting the pact he¡¯d made with the Locust Court and insisted the hungry spirits would kill him before they¡¯d let him testify. That had severely limited the number of lawyers willing and able to defend him in court. If there really were spirit assassins coming for the former headmaster, anyone close to him would be in danger.


    ¡°The hungry spirits won¡¯t kill him,¡± I said. ¡°Though they¡¯d kill me if they got the chance.¡±


    My friends looked at me like I¡¯d sprouted a pair of horns.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that!¡± Clem said. ¡°You¡¯re safe here. They¡¯ve got all the portals on lockdown. No one can come in or out of the school without security knowing about it.¡±


    I shoveled in a fork full of syrup-drenched waffles and chased it with half a sausage patty. I hid my disagreement with Clem¡¯s thoughts behind an unnecessarily long drink of orange juice.


    Everyone insisted the emissary I¡¯d killed last year was the only member of the Locust Court who¡¯d made it past the Far Horizon portals. Of course, before I¡¯d ripped the corer out of that hungry spirit, everyone had insisted there were no members of the Court on this side of the portals at all.


    If the headmaster of the most prestigious Empyreal martial arts school had been in contact with renegade spirits, anything was possible. That¡¯s part of what had sparked the anti-Flame protests and attacks. We¡¯d been promised we were safe after the Utter War. That didn¡¯t seem like much of a guarantee after what I¡¯d uncovered.


    A loud chime rang through the dining hall, saving me from any further conversation on the subject.


    ¡°Oh, man,¡± Eric groaned and shoved his plate back. ¡°I¡¯m still starving.¡±


    ¡°Then keep eating,¡± Clem said as she popped a doughnut hole into her mouth. Sugary crumbs clung to her pink-glossed lips for a moment, and she licked them away with a quick swipe of her tongue. ¡°That wasn¡¯t the end of meal chime.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    We didn¡¯t have to wonder about the bell for long, because the dining hall¡¯s doors flew open a moment later to reveal a flood of new initiates. They rushed in, eyes wide and mouths hanging open as they tried to take in every detail of their surroundings. They were only a year younger than me, but their rambunctious entrance made them seem like children.


    "There are so few of them," Clem grinned at me. "You did your job too well."


    Eric laughed, and I grimaced. Beating the School''s champion was a sure way to gain admission, or higher ranks if you were an upperclassman, but no one had gotten past me during the whole Five Dragons Challenge. Even Hank, one of the school''s most famous former champions had been beaten, and not just by me.


    Of course, he''d also seriously injured dozens of other contenders on Grayson Bishop¡¯s orders.


    I''d only killed one.


    "I was just following the rules," I said to Clem. "Maybe this year''s contenders just weren''t very good."


    "What about that one?" Clem asked and speared her fork over my shoulder.


    I twisted in my seat to find an initiate waving at me from across the room. The girl was very short, less than five feet tall, with sharp, elfin features, and long, smooth black hair she wore braided over one shoulder. I vaguely remembered her from Dallas and realized she was one of the contenders I''d beaten most easily. I gave her an offhanded wave and turned my attention back to Clem.


    "I''m not sure why she¡¯s here," I admitted. "I dropped her in the first ten seconds."


    "Doesn''t look like she has any hard feelings toward you about it," Clem said and harpooned a raspberry on the tines of her fork. "You really were something out there, Jace."


    "I''ve never seen anything like it," Eric agreed. He washed his pancakes down with a gulp of milk so cold condensation rolled down the glass like beads. "You''re going to have to teach me some of those moves."


    I chuckled nervously at the request. To those who¡¯d watched me fight, I¡¯d seemed faster, more agile, and stronger than my opponents. From the audience¡¯s point of view, they saw flashing serpents, careful blocks, and stunning strikes that dismantled my opponents with skill and ease.


    I wondered how they''d feel if they knew the truth.


    No, I wouldn''t be teaching Eric any of my tricks.


    ¡°We''ll see,¡± I said. ¡°Remember, most of my fights were against newbies who didn¡¯t have any training at all. I probably could have¡ª¡±


    ¡°Greetings, initiates and upperclassman,¡± a tall, slender woman with a mane of fiery red hair called out as she entered the dining room behind the flood of initiates. ¡°As I''m sure you''re all aware, Sage Bishop will not be joining us as Headmaster this year.¡±


    She paused for a moment to let the Resplendent Suns clan grumble and the Disciples of Jade Flame cheer, before she continued.


    ¡°I will be stepping into Sage Bishop''s shoes for the year.¡± She nodded and smiled easily at the uncertain applause from the rest of us. ¡°As I''m sure you''re all aware, the circumstances surrounding the School of Swords and Serpents have not been, to put it mildly, well received. As a result, the Adjudicators have assigned me to help restore order to our campus and ensure there are no repeats of last year''s unfortunate events.¡±


    ¡°So, she''s the one,¡± Clem said with a frown. ¡°Mother told me they were sending a disciplinarian to crack down. That explains the Portal Defense Force presence.¡±


    ¡°My name is Morgan Cruzal,¡± the woman said. ¡°I will be your new headmistress. In order avoid any further unfortunate events at the school, we have implemented several new rules this year. You will find curfews posted for initiates, restrictions on techniques, and other safety codes posted in the common areas. Please review and remember them.¡±


    That drew groans from most of the upperclassman.


    ¡°But, first,¡± Headmistress Cruzal said, ¡°I¡¯d like to take a moment to congratulate our champion for his perfect record during the tour of the Five Dragons Challenge.¡±


    The headmistress crossed the dining room with flowing steps that carried her to me far more quickly than I would''ve thought possible. Her long, thin fingers closed warmly over my left shoulder, and I couldn''t help but return her beaming smile.


    ¡°Initiates, this is Mr. Jace Warin,¡± she gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze, and pulled me closer to her side. Her ornate gray robes did nothing to shield me from her warmth. It was like standing too close to a working stove. ¡°Mr. Warin served the school better than any champion in my memory. We would all do well to follow in his example this year.¡±


    She stepped back form me, and I was struck by just how beautiful she really was. When she smiled at me, I felt the first glimmers of something I''d been searching for since the first day I stepped through the school''s front doors.


    Acceptance.


    She put her hands together with vigorous applause. I basked in the warmth of her praise, then felt my cheeks redden as the other students stood from their tables to join her. Everyone was looking at me with what seemed like real warmth and pride.


    For the first time in my life, I didn''t feel like an outsider.

 The Rooms

    While the new class of students scrambled to grab their food before they were yanked away to get their clan assignments from Mama Weaver, the upperclassman finished our breakfast at a much more leisurely pace. We didn¡¯t have classes the first day back, which left my friends and I free to do whatever we wanted.


    What Eric and I wanted to do was eat.


    ¡°Will you two finish stuffing your faces so we can go look at our rooms?¡± Clem asked. ¡°I''m so excited to see where we¡¯ll be staying this year.¡±


    ¡°We saw the dorm towers last year,¡± I said. ¡°They weren''t very exciting.¡±


    ¡°You saw the initiate dormitory towers,¡± Clem corrected me. ¡°Rooms for upperclassmen are much nicer.¡±


    That was news to me. I''d been expecting to return to the same narrow room I''d lived in last school year. Whatever the upperclassmen dorms were like had to be better than that uncomfortable cell.


    ¡°Well, now I¡¯m excited,¡± I said and pushed back my empty plate.


    ¡°I guess I''ve had enough.¡± Eric leaned back in his chair and patted his hands on his flat stomach. ¡°Hard to keep my girlish figure eating like a horse.¡±


    ¡°More like a bull,¡± Clem teased. She pushed back from the table and I gathered up the plates.


    ¡°You don''t have to do that,¡± Eric said.


    ¡°It''s not a big deal,¡± I said. ¡°The staff has more than enough to worry about with the new initiates and the new security. Dumping our plates into the bus buckets by the door won''t kill me.¡±


    I headed across the dining room, nodding and waving back at my fellow students. This felt like a dream. For the thousandth time, I wished I could share it with my mother.


    Unfortunately, she was still in hiding, worried about what the Disciples would do after I''d defied Tycho Reyes. I was sure that danger was behind us, thanks to Adjudicator Hark, but my mother had no way of knowing that. Even with the School¡¯s help, I hadn''t been able to get word to her during the Five Dragons Challenge.


    I considered asking Clem if her family could help me find mine. As a member of the judiciary, her mother had resources I could only imagine. That seemed a little greedy, though. Her mother had already kept me out of prison and had me named School Champion. Asking for more might be pushing it.


    I dumped the plates in the bus buckets next to the door, then turned to follow Clem and Eric out of the dining hall.


    ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going!¡± Rafael boomed at the initiate who¡¯d collided with him.


    The scrawny girl who¡¯d waved at me bounced off the Disciple, who give her a hard shove. Her feet slipped out from under her, sending her crashing toward the floor with her black braid whipping through the air.


    I dropped to one knee and caught the girl¡¯s shoulders before she could hit the tiled floor. I helped her back to her feet, then lunged after Rafael as he tried to escape into the crowd. My fingers closed around his collar and dragged him back to the girl with me.


    ¡°Apologize for that,¡± I demanded of him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not apologizing to her,¡± Rafael started, but the rest of his sentence died on his lips when he saw my dark glare.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°For what?¡± I said.


    ¡°For knocking you over.¡± Rafael forced the words through gritted teeth and glowered at the new student.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, and patted him on the shoulder. I leaned in close, so only he could hear the rest of my words. ¡°I catch you doing anything like that again, and we¡¯ll duel again. Understand?¡±


    He nodded, and I squeezed his shoulder to make sure he got the point.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± The girl I¡¯d saved called after me.


    I waved over my shoulder and hustled to catch up to my friends. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to fight Rafael, but I also wasn¡¯t going to let him bully younger students. I¡¯d suffered with that enough, no one else would have to while I was around.


    ¡°Oh, there you are,¡± Clem said as I stepped up beside her on the stairs from the main hall. ¡°Like I was telling Eric, the quarters are still divided by clan. We all share a common area, though. They used it for duels a lot, but that¡¯s been banned this year. Along with the challenges.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Eric asked. ¡°No duels or class rankings?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Clem confirmed. ¡°Mom says the Sages decided we weren¡¯t doing any of that this year. I guess the big focus is on working together in harmony, not competition.¡±


    That made sense to me. The clans were all in an uproar after what had happened last year. The anti-Flame protests hadn¡¯t helped matters, either. The Sages needed to pull the Empyreals back together, not push us further apart with competitions.


    ¡°That sucks,¡± Eric said. ¡°This was going to be my year to be the top ranked student.¡±


    ¡°Sure it was,¡± I teased. ¡°Did you forget I was here?¡±


    Clem laughed at that, and Eric snorted.


    We walked in silence until the school finally took pity on us and dumped us out into an open chamber the size of our exercise yard. Eight hallways led off it, like spokes from a wheel. Other students had gathered in small knots all over the room, friends renewing their acquaintances, rivals sizing one another up. I didn¡¯t recognize most of the students, and realized just how many more upperclassmen there were compared to the initiates. We had to outnumber them at least a hundred to one.


    ¡°Hey, Warin,¡± a harsh voice called out.


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± Clem said.


    Hagar stomped across the room toward me. She wore the same, tight-fitting black robes as the rest of the Shadow Phoenixes, a stark contrast to her shocking red hair. Hagar had shaved the sides of her skull down to the skin over the summer, transforming her once long, curly mane into a wavy Mohawk down the center of her skull.


    ¡°Yeah, you.¡± She stormed through the room, and I remembered our fight from the year before. I tensed when she reached me and tapped my chest with a red-lacquered nail.


    ¡°What do you want, Hagar?¡± My Eclipse nature urged me to strike first and take the threat out before she could strike. I almost gave in.


    ¡°Welcome back,¡± the warden said with a devilish smirk. Before I could react, she threw her arms around my neck, and squeezed me into a tight hug. She lowered her voice, her lips only inches from my ear. ¡°We should talk. Later. Alone.¡±


    She clicked her teeth next to my ear, a sharp snapping sound that made me jump.


    She pushed back from me, her hands on my shoulders, and winked.


    ¡°Seeya around, champ.¡±


    Clem and Eric watched her go, jaws hanging open.


    ¡°Well, that was not what I expected.¡± Eric said.


    ¡°I thought she was going to kill you,¡± Clem confessed. ¡°You must be pretty popular with your clan to warrant a hug from Hagar.¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± I said, confused. The last time I''d spoken with any member of the Shadow Phoenix clan, they''d made it clear I was persona non grata. They¡¯d been running a long con on the other clans, pretending to be weak while they built up a hidden power base, and my display during the final challenge of the previous school year had disrupted that plan. I''d assumed that my showing in the Five Dragons Challenge tour would have further cemented their anger at my displays of strength.


    Not that I cared what the rest of my clan thought. I¡¯d spent my whole life getting kicked in the teeth by people stronger and richer than me. For once, strength was on my side, and I wouldn¡¯t pretend otherwise. It was time for the world to see what a camper could do.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Clem said, excitedly. ¡°Let¡¯s check out our rooms.¡±


    I was amazed at the number of scripted items we passed on our way through the common room. Instead of lighting fixtures, there were floating rings of pure jinsei bound in place by scrivened anchor points on the walls and ceiling. A lounge chair lifted itself into position behind a Disciple whose tight green robes made it difficult for her to behind her knees, much less sit. She reclined back against the chair, a contented smile on her face.


    Complex scripts also surrounded the common area¡¯s many windows. When we passed from one side of the room to the other, the scenery changed dramatically depending on which way you looked through the windows. To the north, the terrain was dominated by snowcapped mountains. To the east, enormous sidewinders shimmering as they made their sinuous way over a shifting sandscape of towering dunes. And to the south, a jungle loomed just outside the window. Curious monkeys peered from their perches, and jewel-plumed tropical birds zipped from shadow to shadow, their raucous sky cries only slightly muted by the glass. The west wall didn¡¯t have any windows, but there was a wide passage that led down to a pair of enormous double doors that were also heavily scripted.


    ¡°This is unbelievable,¡± I said. ¡°I''ve seen some nice places on the tour, but nothing like this.¡±


    ¡°This is one of the school¡¯s best-kept secrets,¡± Eric said with a grin. ¡°After the Portal Defense Force, the tax that most Empyreal¡¯s complain about is education. The luxuries you see here cost the rest of our society a pretty penny.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    As we left the common area and headed down a long hall, I thought about what Eric had said. We were the next generation of Empyreal society. Every citizen had invested their taxes in the School of Swords and Serpents. These luxuries were a constant reminder of that cost, and the return the rest of society would want on their investment.


    Suddenly, Tyco''s machinations seemed much greedier than they had before. He hadn''t just been stealing my time to make himself rich, he¡¯d also taken away from the time I could''ve spent perfecting my martial arts and becoming a better member of Empyreal society. He¡¯d hurt everyone, not just me.


    I¡¯d always considered attending the School to be a privilege. Now I saw those luxuries for what they really were. A reminder of the debt I owed to those who¡¯d paid for all this.


    ¡°The Thunder¡¯s Children clan dorms are just ahead,¡± Clem said. ¡°Try to behave yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Are we allowed in here?¡± I asked.


    The previous year, the clans had been engaged in cutthroat competition. Going into another clan''s dorm hadn¡¯t just been forbidden, it had been dangerous.


    ¡°Oh, sure,¡± Clem said. ¡°We¡¯re not initiates anymore. No one¡¯s going to challenge you to a duel or ambush you here.¡±


    ¡°Not even the wardens?¡± I asked.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any wardens for upperclassmen,¡± Eric said. ¡°Geeze, you must have missed out on a lot of stuff last year if you didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    I frowned ruefully at that and tried not to imagine what else I hadn¡¯t learned while Hahen had me stripping down aspected jinsei.


    The thought of the little rat spirit stung. My frown deepened, and it was a struggle to push the dark thoughts away. The last time I''d seen him, Hahen had seemed unsure of our future together. Maybe I couldn¡¯t find him because he disapproved of my becoming an Eclipse Warrior and he didn¡¯t want to be found.


    I vowed to find the little rat and make it up to him. Somehow.


    ¡°Here we are,¡± Clem said and pushed open the double doors to her clan¡¯s dormitory tower.


    It was even more lavish than the common area had been. Tiny, fairy-like creatures flitted up and down the hall, sprinkling the students with glittering powder that sizzled and popped with electric sparks where it touched them.


    ¡°Oh, thunder sprites!¡± Clem cried with glee. She clapped her hands together excitedly. ¡°They say it¡¯s very lucky if they dust you.¡±


    Just then, a trio of the agile creatures swooped through the air above us and unleashed a storm of fine, glittering particles. Most of it landed on me, and I yelped in surprise as a hundred tiny shocks erupted across my scalp and down the back of my neck. My skin tingled after the surprising pain died down, and threads of jinsei spun down into my core


    Clem and Eric both squealed with surprise, too, and grinned. The sprites gave me another dusting for good measure, then zipped away laughing as I yelped.


    The other upperclassman in the hallway pointed and shouted with delight as the sprites approached them, turning their faces up toward the dust clouds and beaming with pride. Clearly, they thought a little pain was worth a blessing from the tiny creatures.


    ¡°I don''t recognize any of these people,¡± I pointed out to Clem. ¡°Are they new?¡±


    ¡°New to you!¡± Clem shouted to be heard over the laughter and surprised yelps from the other students. ¡°Last year, we only saw the other initiates and second-year students. Third years on up through adepts keep their distance from the newbies. Less chance of an accident that way.¡±


    It was hard to wrap my mind around what Clem said. Students spent seven years at the School. We¡¯d seen less than a third of our classmates last year. If the other students and professors had a whole other section of the school to themselves, just how big was this place?


    As it turned out, the answer to that question was very, very big.


    The dormitory hall was fifty yards long, with thick wooden doors spaced evenly down each side. Scripted name placards projected the names of the occupants onto the floor in front of each door. I had to resist an urge to take off my soft boots and curl my toes in that thick carpet.


    ¡°This is me!¡± Clem called out. The placard projected ¡°C. Hark¡± on the carpet.


    ¡°It''s perfect!¡± She exclaimed as she threw the door open and burst into her room. She raked her nails through her short pink hair and turned in a slow circle to take in everything. Eric and I shrugged and followed her inside, curious about just how special a dorm room could be.


    Everything in the room perfectly matched Clem''s personality. The jet black floor was splattered with pink swirls of light that crisscrossed it like strokes of random graffiti. It wasn''t carpeted, but it was soft and had a slight give to it, like a training mat. The walls were covered with moving images of giant thunderheads that flickered with silent flashes of cloud-to-cloud lightning.


    A queen-sized bed dominated the far corner of the room. A mountain of fluffy pillows was piled on top of gray sheets pulled so tight you could have bounced an obolus off them. A closet on the room¡¯s left side was open to reveal neat wooden hangers that held a variety of clan robes, from formal to the new casual style Clem was wearing. A desk occupied the wall between the closet and the bed. A sleek laptop had been placed in the center of the desk¡¯s dark wooden surface.


    ¡°Is that one of the quantic models?¡± Eric asked. He was halfway across the room, his hand reaching for the smooth rectangle of what appeared to be polished copper.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you touch it,¡± Clem called. ¡°I bet you have one in your room, too.¡±


    ¡°Let''s go see!¡± Eric called. His excitement was infectious, and after we¡¯d all spent a few more minutes admiring Clem''s room, we took off for the Resplendent Sun¡¯s dormitory tower.


    The Resplendent Sun¡¯s dorm hall lived up to the clan¡¯s glorious tradition. Instead of carpet, the hall had dark wooden floors sanded to a satin-smooth finish, varnished with a translucent red lacquer that gave the wood a mysterious inner light. Copper candlesticks mounted on the walls shed artificial flames from scrivened wicks to give the hall a somber, yet somehow cozy atmosphere. The walls were finished with a rustic plastered treatment that had a surprising depth of earthen hues and made the hall feel as if it were an ageless relic from another time. Crouching stone tigers with manes of crimson fire had been placed between the doors, and they watched us with inscrutable granite eyes as we made our way down the hall.


    Eric hustled from door to door, his eyes scanning the nameplates. The impressive doors were solid pieces of black metal with heavy, ringed handles set into their centers. Unlike Clem¡¯s dorm hall, the placards didn¡¯t project the names onto the floor, but glowed like a fire above the doorways.


    ¡°This one!¡± Eric called. The lion growled and rose from its crouch as we approached the doorway. It didn¡¯t settle back onto its haunches when Eric glanced at it.


    ¡°No sprites, but we¡¯ve got some killer guard dogs,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°Make sure you knock before you try to open the door if you come visit me.¡±


    ¡°I''m not coming here without an escort,¡± Clem said. ¡°These lions look too dangerous to have loose in the school.¡±


    ¡°More dangerous than open portals to each of the overcities?¡± Eric asked with a wry grin. ¡°Your clan would shut all those down if they were really worried about security.¡±


    ¡°It''s not the same thing,¡± Clem protested. ¡°|The portals the Children operate are for the good of the school. We couldn''t get supplies in or out of here without them. My clan also pays for most of the Portal Defense Force, so I think we''ve taken more than our share of responsibility for security while the rest of you enjoy the rewards of our risk.¡±


    ¡°Settle down,¡± Eric said. ¡°I''m only kidding. Come on, don''t spoil the mood.¡±


    Eric flung his door open, and for a moment I had to double check to make sure we were still in the School. The square bedroom bore little resemblance to the traditional and almost primitive hallway. The floor was a smooth, stone tile etched with the clan symbol of a white circle surrounded by a fiery corona. A thick layer of resin covered the floor as smooth and even as a freshly groomed ice-skating rink. The bed against the wall opposite the door was flanked by a pair of chests of drawers secured with what looked like a digital lock complete with the thumbprint scanner.


    A sleek black floating desk was attached to the righthand wall. As Clem had predicted, it was topped by an exquisite laptop. Eric ran to it as soon as his eyes landed on the machine.


    ¡°I¡¯ve wanted one of these puppies forever.¡± He took a seat in the task chair in front of the desk and pressed his hand to the top of the slender laptop. The copper slab shifted and shimmered under Eric¡¯s hand, individual keys emerging under his fingertips. A vivid green glow shone from between the keys, and my friend started tapping away with a wide grin across his face.


    ¡°Where''s the monitor?¡± I asked.


    ¡°In Eric''s core,¡± Clem said. ¡°I''m not sure why they keep including the keyboards on these, honestly. We don''t need them. Once the laptop is attuned to you, everything happens in your core.¡±


    I¡¯d never seen anything like the quantic laptop. Almost nobody in the labor camps had been able to afford any kind of computer. The few I¡¯d seen around the undercity now seemed hopelessly archaic next to the device Eric tapped on.


    ¡°You think he cares about seeing my room?¡± I asked. ¡°Or should we just leave him here with his new girlfriend?¡±


    Clem giggled and shrugged.


    ¡°Let''s go see what you ended up with.¡± She hooked her arm through mine and led me out into the hall.


    We closed the door behind us and strode down the empty hallway arm in arm. I felt a sudden rush of emotion when I realized this was the first time she and I had been alone since last year. Before I could stop myself, a jumble of words poured out of my mouth.


    ¡°I missed you,¡± I said. ¡°While I was on the road, I mean. I was so busy, though. Every time I thought of reaching out to you, we were already on our way to the next city.¡±


    ¡°I saw you,¡± Clem blurted out. ¡°In Kyoto, I mean. My mom wanted to make sure you were okay after¡­ everything. We tried to get passes to come backstage, but security was too tight. There¡¯d been another anti-Flame attack in the overcity, and they weren¡¯t letting anyone near you.¡±


    The stone lions watched us move down the hallway, eyes half-lidded, yawning and swiping lazily at the floor beside our feet. The weight of the constructs¡¯ awareness was heavy against my aura, and I knew they were far more prepared for a fight than they appeared.


    ¡°Your mom?¡± I asked, masking my discomfort with curiosity. ¡°You didn¡¯t want to see me?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not, I mean, yes,¡± Clem stammered and blushed. ¡°Of course, I wanted to see you!¡±


    There was a moment of uncomfortable silence as we wrestled with the implications of what we¡¯d both said. Whatever there was between Clem and I was too big and complicated for me to get my mind around. We were friends, I had no doubts there. Clem had stood by me during the worst time of my life. She¡¯d never stopped believing in me.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± I said, finally. It seemed the easiest and least obnoxious thing to say. ¡°That you came. If I¡¯d known you were there, I would have made the guards let you in.¡±


    ¡°You were busy,¡± Clem shrugged. ¡°You had twenty fights that day, I think. I¡¯m surprised you could stand up when it was over.¡±


    ¡°Some days I couldn¡¯t.¡± I said, glad she¡¯d steered the conversation toward safer ground, ¡°They had trainers and medics keeping an eye on me every day and night. Massages, saunas, ice baths, jinsei treatments¡ªyou name it, they used it to keep me going. It was nice, but man it was tiring.¡±


    ¡°That must have been something,¡± Clem said, her voice distant and distracted.


    Had I said something wrong?


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s Abi!¡± Clem pointed her finger down the hall, her voice suddenly bright with relief.


    We¡¯d entered the common area at the same time as our friend. His white uniform stood out in stark contrast to the other students, and when he waved all eyes turned toward us.


    ¡°My friends,¡± he said as he met us in the center of the room. ¡°You caught me on my way back to the portal station after my break. How are your rooms?¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± Clem said. ¡°At least mine is. We were on our way to check out Jace¡¯s digs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure mine won¡¯t be as nice as Clem¡¯s,¡± I said. ¡°The Thunder¡¯s Children are of much higher status than the Shadow Phoenixes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a dork,¡± Clem said. ¡°All the clans are treated equal.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, but we all knew that wasn¡¯t true. Even if the Phoenixes had gained popularity since I¡¯d become Champion, they¡¯d spent years getting the short end of the stick. If my rooms were even half as nice as Clem¡¯s, I¡¯d be shocked. ¡°Hey, Abi, I bet the portals are way more interesting than my stupid bedroom. Wanna give us a tour?¡±


    My friend took a moment too long to respond. He stared intently at me through the silence, as if looking for a secret I was holding out on him. Finally, he let out a faint sigh and shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s not allowed, I¡¯m afraid,¡± he said. ¡°Security is the tightest it has ever been. I¡¯m scarcely allowed to view my assigned portal, much less show anyone else around. Maybe when the protests calm down.¡±


    His scrutiny prickled my nerves, and my core wanted me to strike him down for the raw suspicion I¡¯d seen in his eyes. Abi had been pleasant enough earlier in the day, but he clearly didn¡¯t trust me.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, struggling to hide my irritation. ¡°Well, we won¡¯t keep you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he sketched a hasty bow and took off toward a hallway on the other side of the room.


    ¡°Busy guy,¡± Clem said.


    I nodded and tried to push the anger aspects out of my aura. Abi had every right to be suspicious of me after what had happened in Singapore. He wasn¡¯t the only one who watched me with wary eyes since that day.


    I just wished he¡¯d be more open with me. His secretive stares and cryptic comments were already getting on my nerves and the first day of school wasn¡¯t even over yet.

 The Cottage

    The Shadow Phoenix dormitory tower surprised me in a lot of ways. I¡¯d expected the same sort of gloomy, dark wood walls and floors that had dominated the new initiate¡¯s quarters. Instead, the main hallway was lit by bars of ivory light shining from the ceiling. The walls were a pale cream color, covered in a faint pattern that reminded me of both scales and feathers. As Clem and I walked down the hall, the pattern took on a rainbow sheen of blues, greens, purples, and reds.


    ¡°This is different,¡± Clem said. ¡°I don¡¯t see your name on any of these doors, though.¡±


    She was right. Each door had its occupant¡¯s name emblazoned across it in letters that glowed with the same hypnotic hues as the wall. We were three quarters of the way down the hall, and I hadn¡¯t seen my name yet.


    ¡°Maybe they kicked me out,¡± I teased.


    ¡°That¡¯s not very funny,¡± Clem frowned.


    ¡°It is, now,¡± I said with a grin. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t look very good for the school to kick out its champion after a record-breaking winning streak, would it?¡±


    ¡°They could still try,¡± Clem said, her voice low and urgent. ¡°Winning a bunch of fights isn¡¯t the same as winning people over. You think Grayson Bishop¡¯s friends are willing to let bygones be bygones after what you did?¡±


    That question had haunted me throughout the Five Dragons Challenge. Every city we stopped was another opportunity for an enemy I didn¡¯t even know to take a shot at me. And, yet, no one had.


    Maybe security had been tight enough to scare off would-be assassins or anti-Flame thugs.


    Or, maybe they were biding their time until my guard was down.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said to Clem. ¡°You¡¯re right. I should keep my mouth shut about stuff like that. There¡¯s probably a line of people waiting to knock me down a few pegs.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Clem said, suddenly excited. ¡°There¡¯s your name.¡±


    The only doors that remained were a pair of ornate ivory slabs at the very end of the hallway, their surfaces engraved with an elaborate scene of a fiery bird engaged in mortal combat with a serpent of some sort. There was a nameplate to the right of the doorway, and Clem was right.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it, but this was my room.


    I traced each letter of my name, one at a time, and the illusory fire changed color as my finger moved through it. A wellspring of emotions bubbled up in my chest, and I bit the inside of my lip to hold it back. This wasn¡¯t the time to go to pieces over seeing my name in lights. Clem wouldn¡¯t understand how much it meant to me to have proof that I was worthy to be at the school. I¡¯d look like a blubbering fool.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s inside,¡± I said.


    The doors opened at my touch, sliding back into the walls on either side in utter silence. I¡¯d expected a room like Clem¡¯s or Eric¡¯s.


    Instead, I saw no room at all.


    The double doors had opened to reveal a shaded walkway that wound its way between serpentine rows of tall, slender trees. Curious creatures somewhere between a squirrel and a fox perched on branches, their enormous amber eyes fixed on Clem and me. The air that gusted out of the unexpected forest was clean and clear, a faint, crisp chill on its breath.


    ¡°This day is just full of surprises,¡± Clem said. ¡°Ready for a walk?¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a portal here.¡±


    I stepped onto the walkway first, unsure if there were any defenses that might bother Clem if she tried to go in ahead of me. There were no stone lions, but that didn¡¯t mean something else wasn¡¯t lurking on either side of the path. There was plenty of shrubbery and undergrowth to hide a snake, or even something larger.


    When we reached the first bend in the walkway, I looked back and found the doors to my private sanctuary closed behind us. No one would be following us.


    More of the squirrel fox things peered out from the tree branches as we continued down the path. They were soon joined by birds with jewel-toned plumage, butterflies with wingspans wider than my chest, and swarms of tiny creatures I¡¯d originally thought were hummingbirds, but which turned out to be tiny dragons.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be real,¡± I said. ¡°Thumb-sized dragons?¡±


    ¡°Niddhogg¡¯s not much bigger than your thumb,¡± Clem said with a giggle. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of ittybitty dragons, though. Or those squirrel things.¡±


    ¡°It must be an illusion,¡± I said and reached out towards the nearest tiny dragon.


    Most of the swarm buzzed away from my hand. One of little creatures, though, zipped over closer to me. The wind from its wings was cool and gentle against the backs of my fingers. Its tiny tongue, ruby red and forked, flickered out to taste the air. Golden eyes with slit pupils focused on me, and then the creature landed on the tip of my right index finger. It weighed less than a feather, and its tiny claws put scarcely any pressure on my skin at all.


    ¡°That is a convincing illusion,¡± Clem said.


    The tiny dragon puffed out its chest as if in pride, tilted its head back, and unleashed a thin thread of violet fire. Despite the flame¡¯s small size, its heat warmed my face and ruffled my hair.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s an illusion,¡± I whispered.


    Satisfied with its display of dominance, the tiny dragon leaped out of my hand and zipped away from me. It circled once around Clem¡¯s vibrant pink hair, then buzzed away to join the rest of the swarm deeper in the forest.


    ¡°The school must really like its champions,¡± Clem said with a laugh. ¡°I wonder if Hank had a room like this last year.¡±


    Hank and I had spent a lot of time together during the tour. After I¡¯d beaten him during the first fight of the challenge, he¡¯d tagged along to keep me company and helped me navigate the etiquette that surrounded the tournament. There were a surprising number of political leaders and entertainers who wanted to meet the school¡¯s champion, and Hank had saved me from making a fool of myself a hundred times that past summer.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    But in all of our talks, he¡¯d never mentioned any of the perks of this position.


    ¡°If he did, he never said anything about it to me.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Maybe I got it because I went undefeated.¡±


    The pathway spilled out of the forest onto the banks of a small lake. A bridge extended from the shore where the walkway ended all the way out to an island in the center of its dark waters. There was a quaint and cozy cottage perched in the middle of the island, its front porch no more than three yards from the shore. Like the School itself, the little building was a mishmash of styles common and exotic. I¡¯d never seen anything quite like it, from its solid porch to the walls ringed by Roman-style friezes, to the pagoda-like roof.


    Clem and I stopped for a moment, just to stare at the thing.


    ¡°They gave me a whole house,¡± I said at last. ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°You know what they say about gift horses,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t look in their mouths or they¡¯ll bite you.¡±


    Getting bitten was exactly what I was worried about. This could all have been some sort of elaborate trap designed to lure me away from the School of Swords and Serpents. Clem and I had no idea where we really were. If we disappeared, how long would it be before someone noticed?


    My Eclipse nature surged to the front of my thoughts, and I had to take a deep cleansing breath to keep from snarling. Clem would certainly freak out if my eyes went black and serpents burst from my core. I had to control myself.


    And the urges that came from the darkest part of myself.


    There was no point in worrying about hidden dangers. If something dangerous popped out of the lake or sprang an ambush on us inside the house, I¡¯d deal with it. I was much stronger than anyone suspected.


    Fortunately, no one tried to kill us as we crossed the lake. Enormous Koi fish glided through the water under the bridge, white bodies dappled with patches of red, gold, and black scales. The smallest one we saw was at least five feet long, and the largest had to be triple that size.


    ¡°I wonder what they eat,¡± Clem asked.


    ¡°Curious Thunder¡¯s Children,¡± I said with a wink.


    The island was covered with a thick blanket of lush, green grass. Tiny flowers the color of the pale blue sky over our heads poked up from the emerald blades in scattered patches. Ladybugs bigger than my fist took to the air on either side of the path as we made our way up to the porch. Their wings stirred up faint breezes, carrying the scent of the lake to my nostrils. It was hard to believe a place like this existed, even harder to believe it was my home.


    At least temporarily.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what we¡¯ve got,¡± I said and opened the front door with a flourish.


    The room inside the door took up the entire width of the cottage and was about ten feet deep. The walls were covered in cream-colored plaster divided by heavy wooden beams that joined the supports of the arched ceiling. Globes of light floated in the air, unconnected to anything we could see, not even a script to power them. They drifted around the room, adding a warm, comfortable light that left few shadows.


    Six comfortable-looking easy chairs were arranged in a perfect circle around a low, wooden coffee table in the center of the room. There was nothing on the table, but I imagined a coffee or tea set would fit perfectly there. It was a nice space to sit with friends and relax away from the bustle of the school.


    An imposing stone fireplace dominated the wall to the right, and a wide picture window took up most of the front wall. A wide trophy cupboard filled with pictures and memorabilia from past Five Dragons Challenges took up most of the left wall. A quick glance showed me that, yes, there was a picture of me in cupboard. That was embarrassing.


    I glimpsed the kitchen through a doorway on the far wall and motioned for Clem to join me. I¡¯d rather have her with me than staring at the trophy wall. I¡¯d feel like a moron if she thought I¡¯d had anything to do with putting my picture up there.


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s some food in here,¡± I said.


    ¡°Do you ever think about anything else?¡± Clem asked.


    I stopped at the question, and she bumped into my back. I turned around, just inside the kitchen, and leaned my hand against the doorway.


    The pink top of Clem¡¯s head was just below my chin. She looked up at me with wide eyes, surprised that I¡¯d suddenly stopped. Her lips were the color of bubblegum, slightly parted to reveal the even white lines of her teeth. Her fading grin lingered in the upturned curls at the corners of her mouth.


    I didn¡¯t know why I¡¯d stopped. I just stared down at her, frozen in place.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said.


    She blinked, cleared her throat, and arched her eyebrows quizzically.


    ¡°Yes what?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I think about other things,¡± I said.


    Before I could embarrass myself any further, I spun on one heel and headed deeper into the kitchen.


    I wouldn¡¯t be cooking any award-winning meals in the small space, but it was more than enough for a student. A refrigerator stood in the far corner, next to a tall, narrow window that looked out over the lake. Granite countertops lined the wall next to the appliance, broken only by four burners on a stainless steel plate and a microwave that was so clean I wondered if it had ever been used. Cabinets covered the wall above the countertops, and a quick peek inside showed they were full of spices, boxes of food, and a coffee set.


    ¡°Oh, they stocked the fridge, too,¡± Clem said from its open door. ¡°They put steaks in here. Good ones.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to figure out how to cook them,¡± I said with a grin. ¡°Let¡¯s check out the rest of the house.¡±


    A single door to the right of the refrigerator led into a narrow hallway. A carpet runner ran down the center of the hall, its surface stitched with a big, black bird with fire around its eyes and wings locked in a battle with a black serpent.


    A staircase off the kitchen led up to the cottage¡¯s second floor. Every one of the steps creaked under our feet, a chorus of squeals and groans that filled the house with unexpected noise. We both laughed at how surprised we were by the noise and shook our heads at how jumpy we were. There was no one here to hurt us, no traps waiting to spring on the unwary. The cottage was exactly what it looked like: a nice and cozy place for the school¡¯s champion to relax alone or with friends.


    This year was suddenly looking up.


    The upper floor of the cottage was an open bedroom. The king-sized bed was situated at the back of the house, under a wide picture window. The wall to its right held a closet with wide sliding doors. I took a peek inside and saw a selection of sleek black robes draped over wooden hangers suspended from a rail. A small shelf above my clothes held my personal effects, including the Manual of the New Moon. I slid the closet¡¯s doors closed before Clem spied the book; she¡¯d go crazy trying to get a look at the thing. I didn¡¯t want to go down that road.


    A heavy desk of dark-stained wood crouched at the front of the house under another window. A laptop, clearly one of the quantic models, sat in the center of the desk¡¯s uncluttered surface. A black-covered notebook sat to the left of the laptop, and a red-lacquered pen lay on the desk to its right.


    What grabbed my attention, though, was the golden envelope on top of the computer.


    ¡°Oh, that looks intriguing,¡± Clem said. ¡°Open it!¡±


    I didn¡¯t need any further encouragement. Maybe it was a reward for being the only undefeated champion in the past hundred years. Maybe it was a letter from my mother.


    Excited, I snatched the envelope off the laptop and turned it over in my hands. It was surprisingly heavy and sealed by a thick disk of black wax. There was no monogram or sigil pressed into the seal. With a shrug, I cracked the stamp and collected the brittle black remnants in my left hand.


    The envelope didn¡¯t so much as open as unfurl. Its top flap curled away from the bottom flap, and the other seams unfolded so quickly I scarcely had time to realize what was happening. In less than a second, the envelope had opened into an origami Phoenix, its beak slowly opening and closing, its wings gently flapping up and down.


    ¡°We humbly request the presence of the school¡¯s honored champion,¡± the Phoenix said in a deep, sonorous voice. ¡°Would you do us the kindness of joining the Elders of the Shadow Phoenix clan?¡±


    My breath caught in my throat. The Elders of my clan had sent Hagar to kill me less than a year ago. But my standing in Empyreal society had changed since those dark days and the power that had gone into creating this elaborate invitation could just as easily have gone into a simple bomb that would have blown me to shreds the instant I opened the envelope.


    ¡°You should say yes,¡± Clem advised. ¡°Seriously, not everyone gets to meet their clan Elders.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said. ¡°Yes, I will join you.¡±


    The world unraveled around me, opening and unfolding just as the envelope had. The cottage vanished, its simple walls suddenly replaced by darkness. The smell of smoke and fire filled the air, and when I spun around, Clem was gone, too.

 The Elders

    The world spun around me in a dizzying whirlwind of sights, sounds, and smells. The rich scents of seared meat, exotic spices, and wood smoke replaced the clean, clear, scent of my island cottage. The bright walls of my bedroom had transformed into dark wood paneling with heavy, velvet curtains the deep red of wine. I no longer stood on a wooden floor, but on a carpet so thick and deep I sank half an inch into its pile.


    Most alarmingly, I was no longer alone with Clem.


    ¡°Ah, here he is,¡± said an older man with a wispy gray beard waxed to a sharp point.


    He sat at the head of a long table, an empty plate in front of him, his fingers steepled against his chest. Though I¡¯d never seen the man before, the raw power that radiated from his form made it clear he was one of the clan Elders. He appraised me with sparkling gray eyes and his attention bore down on my aura like a hydraulic press.


    There were other powerful men and women at the table, as well. The three chairs on the left side were occupied by a striking woman with tightly braided black hair who looked like she could have stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine. Her robes clung to her curves in ways that made my heart race and my thoughts stumble over one in the other. She smiled, a dazzling expression that sent a rush of warmth through the chamber. Her dancing amethyst eyes sized me up much more gently than the old man¡¯s had. I scarcely felt the touch of her against my aura, before she shifted her attention away.


    The man next to her did not wear the traditional black robes of our clan. His pinstripe suit barely contained his muscular bulk, and the heavy gold rings on his fingers clattered against the tabletop. His tailored clothes and fashionable haircut couldn¡¯t hide the danger in his black eyes, or the tension that held his body ready to leap into action at a moment¡¯s notice. His stare was as rough and abrupt as a chokehold, and my core writhed in protest at its unrelenting pressure.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Claude,¡± the next man on that side of the table said. ¡°He¡¯s our guest, not a threat.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too trusting, Brand,¡± Claude said. ¡°This boy nearly destroyed our entire clan with his antics last year. I¡¯m not ready to disregard the damage he¡¯s done just yet.¡±


    Brand rolled his eyes and adjusted his robes. His clothes were stiff with embroidered scrivenings, and power radiated from him like a bonfire¡¯s heat. No matter how he turned his head, his face seemed wreathed in shadows that made it impossible to make out his features. His eyes might¡¯ve been brown, or blue, or green; I couldn¡¯t tell.


    ¡°Welcome to our little club, Jace,¡± Brand said. ¡°Don¡¯t mind Claude, he¡¯s paid to be paranoid.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s paid to keep us safe,¡± said the only person seated on the right side of the tables.


    The elderly woman towered over the rest of the elders. Her long, slender torso was perched on a collection of skeletal, mechanical legs that splayed out around her, taking up more of the floor than the table. She did not even look at me, instead focusing intently on Brand across from her. She shook her head, and the long mane of her gray hair danced around her shoulders.


    ¡°Mr. Warin,¡± the man at the head of the table said. ¡°Please, have a seat while I make the introductions.¡±


    The only chair that remained was at the table¡¯s foot, and I eased myself into it. My legs were still a bit wobbly and my head spun from the unexpected jump through a portal, and I was glad to get off my feet before I fell off them.


    ¡°I am Elder Sanrin,¡± the man said, his tone surprisingly informal. ¡°This lovely woman on my right is Elder Hirani. Elders Claude and Brand have already introduced themselves to you, and the last member of our illustrious counsel is Elder Ariana. It is our pleasure to welcome you here, to our private meeting room. I do apologize for the abrupt method of transportation, but the Portal Defense Force has been finicky, and it was easier to use our private resources than attempt to negotiate the unnecessarily complex public alternative.¡±


    ¡°And, this way,¡± Claude said quietly, tugging at his bushy sideburns, ¡°no one knows you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Quite right,¡± Ariana said. ¡°Discretion regarding our conversation here is quite important. In fact, before we continue, will you agree to a geas of silence regarding everything said at this meeting?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what a geas of silence was, but it was clear I wouldn¡¯t get anymore answers without agreeing to be one.


    ¡°Of course, honored Elder,¡± I said with a slight bow in her direction.


    A coil of jinsei wound itself around my core the instant I said the words. It was terribly uncomfortable for a moment, then faded away to a vague throb. It only took me a moment¡¯s examination to understand what it had done. I simply wasn¡¯t able to discuss anything said in this room with anyone. My core rebelled at the idea, but it was a little late for it to complain.


    ¡°Can we at least eat before we beleaguer the poor boy with our demands?¡± Brand asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what time it was when we snatched him, but I haven¡¯t eaten in what feels like days.¡±


    ¡°It was getting on toward lunchtime,¡± I said. ¡°And I¡¯m hungry, myself.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s eat.¡± Sanrin snapped his fingers and unseen hands suddenly pulled one of the velvet curtains aside by to reveal an open archway.


    Young men dressed in black pants, white shirts, and black vests, immediately entered the room. They each held a sword-like skewer of steaming meat, the pointed ends resting on trays supported on their other hands. Without a word, each of the men took up a position next to all of us at the table, placed their trays on the table, and drew long knives from their belts.


    I was the only one that flinched, and I barely restrained my Eclipse nature from lashing out at the weapon nearest me. That would have been extremely embarrassing, at best, and deadly at worst. I couldn¡¯t imagine how the Elders would react if an Eclipse Warrior suddenly appeared at their dinner table.


    ¡°Easy, Jace,¡± Brandon said from my left. ¡°They¡¯re just going to carve the meat.¡±


    I blushed and stared down at my plate, too embarrassed to say anything. I¡¯d never seen this much meat in one place outside of the School¡¯s dining hall, and maybe not even there. The servers quietly announced the names of their dishes, sliced meat from the skewers, and then moved one position to the right to repeat the process.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    In a matter of minutes, my formerly empty plate was stacked high with thick slabs of herb-crusted prime rib, slices of picanha so thin I could practically see through them, bundles of bloody rare filet mignon wrapped in crispy bacon, and hunks of pork loin crusted with a layer of seared Parmesan cheese. Another set of servers, women wearing black skirts and white tops, swept into the chamber behind the meat course and deposited small dishes containing mashed potatoes sprinkled with chives and swimming in butter, spears of asparagus lined up like soldiers next to them, carrots glazed with the sauce that looked both spicy and sweet, and tiny loaves of bread.


    ¡°May the Shadow Phoenix bless us all,¡± Elder Sanrin said.


    The Elders dug into their food without another moment¡¯s hesitation. As nervous as I was, my stomach goaded me into doing the same. I devoured bite after bite of succulent meat and savory side dishes, stuffing my belly to help calm my suspicious Eclipse nature. It sort of worked until the elders began speaking.


    ¡°Who veiled your core?¡± Claude asked without preamble. ¡°No one¡¯s been able to penetrate it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I responded. ¡°It¡¯s been like this my whole life.¡±


    Half that statement was true. Zephyr had strongly suggested that Tycho Reyes had veiled my core, though I had no proof that was true. Even dragons could be wrong, and I wasn¡¯t sure why the elder of the Disciples of Jade Flame would have gone to such extravagant lengths to protect my secret from everyone.


    Elder Ariana skewered a nugget of filet with her fork. She fixed me with a cold stare, pulled the meat off the silver tines with perfectly white, even teeth, then chewed slowly as if considering my answer.


    ¡°He is telling the truth,¡± she said at last. ¡°I think. The veil is insidious, and it is difficult to read the boy.¡±


    Elder Sanrin idly stroked the waxed length of his beard as he considered this.


    ¡°The veil is a work of considerable skill and immense power,¡± he said. ¡°It is hard to believe someone would do such a thing without a very good reason. And yet, no one will admit to being the mastermind behind it. Perhaps that will work in our favor.¡±


    The other Elders watched me patiently, as if expecting some sort of reaction. When I kept right on eating, they turned their attention back to their own plates.


    The silence stretched over the table for an uncomfortably long time. The only sound was the quiet clink and scrape of cutlery against plates and teeth, and by the time I¡¯d cleared my plate I was afraid if someone didn¡¯t say something soon, I¡¯d burst.


    ¡°That was amazing,¡± Brandon said. He dabbed at the corners of his mouth with his napkin, pushed his plate toward the center of the table, and sat back further in his chair. ¡°As always, my most sincere compliments to the chef. I see our guest has finished, as well. Perhaps it¡¯s time to get down to business.¡±


    He said that last in a tone that was either ominous or joking, and I couldn¡¯t tell which. The other Elders glanced at one another, then at me, and also pushed their plates away.


    ¡°You gave us quite a scare last year, Jace,¡± Elder Hirani said in a voice as smooth and soft as silk. ¡°We do hope you forgive us for sending Hagar to¡­ deal with the issue. But we really had no choice. You seemed rather intent on disrupting our plans.¡±


    ¡°Because he wouldn¡¯t bend the knee?¡± I was surprised that Claude jumped to my defense so quickly. The man hadn¡¯t seemed to like me at all. ¡°You can¡¯t fault the boy for doing his best.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s water under the bridge,¡± Ariana said sharply. ¡°We did what we had to to protect ourselves and our long-term plans, Jace. Unfortunately, your discovery at the end of last school year has done more to unravel those plans than winning challenges ever could have.¡±


    I carefully placed my knife and fork on my empty plate. I really wanted to ask for more picanha but decided that would have been rude. Instead, I settled for the thing I wanted next most in the world.


    Answers.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, honored Elders,¡± I said, choosing my words carefully. ¡°I don¡¯t understand any of this. I know I attracted a lot of attention to the Shadow Phoenixes last year, and that was the reason why you sent Hagar and Deacon to kill me. Honestly, I was more than a little worried that you planned finish the job today. What¡¯s changed?¡±


    Sanrin chuckled at my question and leaned forward to eye me down the length of the table.


    ¡°Jace, I want to be very clear about two things. First, Deacon was not acting on our orders. He¡¯s been relocated to another educational facility this year to learn the error of his ways. Second, everything has changed since our botched assassination attempt. You discovered a member of the Locust Court hidden within the School of Swords and Serpents,¡± he explained. ¡°You revealed one of the most important members of Empyreal society was a traitor and a heretic.¡±


    ¡°Which embarrassed the hell out of Claude,¡± Brandon said with a smirk. ¡°He¡¯s been hunting heretics for decades without as much success as you had without even trying.¡±


    ¡°I am not taking the bait, Brand,¡± Claude said. His hand tightened around his knife, knuckles popping loudly. ¡°Jace was lucky, and Bishop was lazy and careless.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand.¡± The combination of so many powerful cores and a belly filled with delicious, rich food, had me feeling dazed and slow. ¡°I don¡¯t understand anything about heretics or the rest of what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Ah, we don¡¯t have much time. I¡¯ll give you the short version,¡± Elder Hirani said with a warm smile. ¡°Our forebears committed a horrible crime Jace. We¡¯ve been trying to undo that wrong ever since. We have agents scattered throughout Empyreal society. They are tasked with finding and eliminating threats to the Empyrean Flame. Since the discovery of the Locust Court¡¯s emissary last year, those threats have become more active.¡±


    She had to mean the anti-Flame activists. Protestors had vandalized government buildings and temples. The news I¡¯d seen about the attacks never offered much information on what the protestors hoped to gain or even meant. There¡¯d been some rumors of protest marches in the undercities, but I¡¯d never seen one.


    ¡°It¡¯s a difficult and demanding job,¡± Elder Ariana continued. ¡°Primarily because our agents risk discovery with every mission. If an operative is revealed, they become useless to us as covert assets.¡±


    That made sense. Once a secret agent¡¯s identity was no longer secret, they weren¡¯t much good.


    ¡°Our adversary has also gotten much cleverer these past months.¡± Sanrin scratched his beard and entwined its fingers in front of him. ¡°Their surveillance has become more sophisticated and relies heavily on jinsei techniques we haven¡¯t been able to counter. A single glimpse of an agent¡¯s core is often enough for them to identify him or her.¡±


    A cold hand of dread closed around my heart. I knew where this conversation was going, and I didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°You want me to be one of your agents.¡± I said. ¡°Because of my veil.¡±


    Anxiety welled up inside me at the thought of working so closely with the Elders. The veil had hidden my core from others, which was the only reason no one knew I was an Eclipse Warrior.


    But if I had to work side-by-side with Elders, I wasn¡¯t sure I could keep the truth from them. They were decades, maybe centuries older than I was, armed with skills I could scarcely imagine. They might figure out how to crack my veil. Or I could lose control of my Eclipse nature and reveal myself in a moment of stress. This was an incredible opportunity that was incredibly dangerous for someone with my secrets.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Hirani said. ¡°You can be a great help to us all, Jace. The anti-Flame activists threaten the very fabric of Empyreal society. We¡¯ve kept the worst of their actions out of the public eye, but if we don¡¯t find their leaders and stop them, soon, things will spiral out of control. We need your help to stop them, Jace. It will be dangerous, don¡¯t let anyone tell you otherwise. But your work will save lives, and there are other, more tangible rewards, as well.¡±


    Every eye in the table was fixed on me. My core stirred, restless as a nest of hungry serpents. Even the amount of food I¡¯d shoveled down my gullet couldn¡¯t calm it when I was so anxious. My Eclipse nature worried this was a deadly trap that would expose it to others. Neither of us wanted that.


    ¡°I need some time to consider it,¡± I said. ¡°This is a big decision.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Sanrin agreed. ¡°We don¡¯t want to rush you into anything. Take your time, Jace. When you make your decision, tell Hagar and she will convey your answer to us.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, honored Elders,¡± I said. ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°I must also remind you that you are bound by a geas not to speak of this meeting, to anyone other than Hagar,¡± Elder Sanrin said. ¡°We look forward to working with you, Mr. Warin.¡±


    And that was the end of our little meeting. Sanrin waved his hand in my direction, and the world dissolved into darkness.

 The Arts

    It was late afternoon when I returned to to the cottage on the lake. My bedroom was empty, and when I called out for Clem, there was no answer. Not that that was much of a surprise. She¡¯d probably gone down to get some lunch for herself.


    That left me with a few hours until dinner to occupy myself. I looked around the room for inspiration as to what to do next and spotted a scrap of paper on top of my laptop.


    ¡°Sorry! I borrowed some of your notebook,¡± I read to myself. ¡°I got too hungry to wait anymore. Come find me when you get back from your meeting. I want to hear all the gory details!¡±


    I chuckled at Clem¡¯s enthusiasm and boundless curiosity. Then I grimaced when I realized I couldn¡¯t tell her anything about what had happened. My expression deepened into a sincere frown at the thought of how Clem would respond to more secrets. She would dig and dig at whatever I didn¡¯t tell her until I¡¯d want to scream.


    It would be awesome to not have to carry around a bunch of secrets.


    The fact that I was an Eclipse Warrior.


    The fact that what had happened in Singapore wasn¡¯t exactly self-defense.


    The fact that the Shadow Phoenixes served the Empyrean Flame as covert operatives.


    And, of course, the fact that my clan wanted me to recruit me as one of their secret agents.


    Those dark thoughts churned up dark worries from my Eclipse nature and set me pacing the confines of my tiny bedroom. That wouldn¡¯t do. If I didn¡¯t calm down, soon, I¡¯d spend the rest of the day fighting dark urges. It was time to center myself.


    I crossed the room, opened the closet, and pulled the Manual of the New Moon off the shelf. I hadn¡¯t had access to the Internet the entire time I¡¯d been on tour. The trainers and handlers hadn¡¯t thought it was a good idea to clutter my mind with current affairs or social media, so I¡¯d spent my nights reading, hanging out with Hank, and working out. I¡¯d been dying to do some research about Eclipse Warriors, and now I finally had a chance.


    It took me all of ten minutes to reread what I¡¯d been able to understand from the Manual. Most of the book was just indecipherable to me, and I wasn¡¯t sure what would let me understand more of it. Armed with what the little information I had about the Eclipse Warriors, I turned my attention to the quantic laptop.


    The computer was far more advanced than the crappy desktops I¡¯d struggled to use in the labor camp schools. My worry that I wouldn¡¯t understand the operating system turned out to be baseless. The laptop instantly joined with my core when I laid hands on it, and my vision shifted to show me a dark background littered with icons. I mentally selected the browser symbol, and the whole Worldwide Web was at my fingertips.


    With the sparse information I had from the Manual of the New Moon as a guide, I was able to research some more information about the Eclipse Warriors and the Utter War. The information I could gather was scattered all over the place and it was hard to verify how much of it was true, but one thing was obvious: the Empyreals had been terrified of the warriors they¡¯d created.


    I finally found a report of a battle involving a small squad of Eclipse Warriors that helped to understand why the other clans were terrified of their defenders. It was frustratingly vague, but included a line that filled me with a mixture of excitement and dread.


    ¡°Alone and faced with impossible odds, the Warrior made his last stand at the portal. While the Expeditionary Shock Force from the Resplendent Suns retreated from the Far Horizon, the lone Eclipse held the portal against a host of Locust Court warriors for seventy-three hours before reinforcements arrived. Though the name of the heroine of the Dire Portal battle has been lost, her deeds will never be forgotten.¡±


    I tried to imagine that battle and couldn¡¯t see it. Even with a fusion blade and serpents, one Eclipse Warrior would have been torn apart by so many enemies. There had to have been some technique known only to those with an Eclipse Core. Something that would allow them to survive a horde. I made a note to look for that, later, and went on with my research.


    After the Dire Portal conflict, the handful of Eclipse Warriors that had remained on Earth were kept on military bases or in research labs. And, then, they¡¯d been betrayed by the people they¡¯d saved.


    Frustrated by what little I¡¯d been able to unravel of my real clan¡¯s past, I headed to the bed. I sat cross-legged on the mattress, the Manual in my lap, hands on its cover, and began focused breathing to initiate my meditation.


    The process was difficult at first. My Eclipse nature was built for action and didn¡¯t like the quiet introspection of meditation. Even with the Manual nearby, it took me most of an hour to settle into the calm rhythms that pushed jinsei through my core in steady pulses that cleansed my aura and emptied my thoughts of worries and fears. In the darkness behind my closed eyelids, I filled my core a little more with each inhale and exhale cycle. The sacred energy pushed against the walls of my core, swelling it, pushing it to capacity.


    My Eclipse nature roused itself and demanded I do something with all that power. It wanted to hunt and kill. There were enemies out there that needed to be destroyed.


    Rafael.


    Professor Ishigara.


    Hagar.


    The jinsei I¡¯d gathered during meditation fueled the urge to lash out at those who¡¯d wronged me. Before I could stop myself, I shoved the Manual off my lap and lurched to my feet next to the bed. I¡¯d made it halfway to the stairs before I regained control of my body and froze in my tracks.


    ¡°No,¡± I said, loud and clear. ¡°I¡¯m in charge here, not you.¡±


    My Eclipse nature raged at the words and nearly broke free again. The jinsei at its disposal made it so strong.


    With a shout of frustration, I forced the jinsei out of my core and into my body¡¯s channels. I poured it through my aura and into powerful serpents. My fusion blade consumed more of the sacred energy, leaving my core only half full.


    That was better. My Eclipse nature receded into the shadows at the back of my thoughts. Satisfied my darker self wasn¡¯t going to rip free of my control and go on a rampage, I banished my serpents and blade and flopped back down on the bed, frustrated and worried.


    I¡¯d struggled with this all summer. To advance my core, I had to fill it with jinsei beyond its limits. But when I tried to do that, my Eclipse nature forced its way to the surface. Every time I thought I was close to a breakthrough, I had to break off my meditation and fight back the urge to do something horrible. It was a frustrating cycle that I didn¡¯t know how to break free from.


    The problem tumbled through my thoughts as the light of the afternoon sun faded from golden red to the velvet purple of dusk. I was still no closer to an answer and closed my eyes to rest them. Just for a moment¡­


    A shrill bleating exploded next my head. The sound jolted me up right, and I bounced off the mattress and onto the floor in a fighting stance. My Eclipse Core churned inside me, eager to fight off whatever had surprised it. Serpents burst from my core, and my fusion blade appeared in my hand unbidden.


    The alarm clock on the nightstand next to the bed unleashed another shrill tone, and I groaned. I¡¯d fallen asleep.


    It took me a few moments to figure out how to shut off the alarm clock, by which time I was ready to kill the thing. At least I¡¯d never have to worry about oversleeping and missing class with that obnoxious noise blasting in my ear.


    ¡°Five in the morning?¡± I groaned. Who had set my alarm clock for such an ungodly hour?


    A dull booming echoed through the cottage. I went to the front window of the second floor and peered out through the glass. The booming repeated, and a faint flash of yellow-green light washed across the terrain outside my cozy little home. I couldn¡¯t see through the trees, but I instinctively understood the origin of the noise came from someone banging on my door.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± I growled. The rich meal from the day before had left me feeling sluggish. I wanted to crawl back into bed and sleep off the meat hangover.


    The booming came again.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming,¡± I grumbled.


    I shrugged out of the robe I¡¯d fallen asleep in and crossed to the closet. There were an even dozen sets of robes inside, and I flicked through them to find something suitable.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Three of the robes were long and formal, my name scrivened down the left lapel in glowing thread and the words ¡°School Champion¡± embroidered down the right lapel. A double string of glossy black buttons ran down the front of these robes from the high-collared throat all the way down to the hemline. Fancy, but impractical.


    The next three robes were still long, but the buttons only went down to the waist, and they had a pair of matching black pants, perfect for more casual occasions.


    The third set of robes were also opened in the front, with a shorter skirt that would have hit me just above the knees. Rather than buttons, they had a concealed zipper that vanished when they were closed. The pants that went with these were loose-fitting and comfortable, perfect for everyday wear.


    The final set hardly qualified as robes at all. They didn¡¯t even have sleeves, and the skirt was so abbreviated, it barely dropped below my waist. There weren¡¯t even buttons or zippers. The super casual robe was made from a fabric so stretchy I could just pull it over my head. The pants were knee length and made of the same material. Those must have been meant for workouts.


    A sudden rush of excitement ran through me at the realization of what those were for. I snatched the exercise gear off its hanger, pulled it on quickly, and slipped my feet into the short black shoes on the floor of the closet.


    The booming came again, and I rolled my eyes and took off down the stairs. The cottage¡¯s door had no lock, and it didn¡¯t need one. No one could get into my private quarters without going through the dormitory tower¡¯s front door, and that wouldn¡¯t open for anyone but me.


    The booming came twice more as I ran across the bridge and wound my way through the forest. The trip back to the dormitory tower was much shorter than the trip to the cottage had been. I wasn¡¯t sure if that was because I was more familiar with the area, or if there was some sort of time and space bending weirdness going on. It wouldn¡¯t have surprised me either way.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to make us all late for our first martial arts class,¡± Eric said when I threw open the tower¡¯s door. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Clem and Abi both gave me a sympathetic shrug from behind Eric. I waved at the three of them, stepped into the hall, and the door closed behind me with a sharp click.


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± I said. ¡°Far be it from me to keep anyone waiting.¡±


    Eric took off, and Abi fell in beside him. Clem and I followed the two of them, and she slowed down until a little space had opened between the pair ahead of us.


    ¡°Where did you go?¡± She asked. ¡°I saw the portal suck you away, but not where you went.¡±


    I wanted to be honest with Clem, but the geas would only let that go so far. I mulled over what I could tell her for a moment, then rolled out an abbreviated version of yesterday¡¯s events.


    ¡°The portal took me to a fancy meal with the Elders,¡± I said quietly. ¡°They want me to work for them.¡±


    Eric¡¯s single-minded determination to get to class on time pushed the school¡¯s shifting architecture harder than I¡¯d ever seen it before. We didn¡¯t take a single corner or go down any steps. The hall rearranged itself just ahead of us as we made a beeline from my dormitory tower to the dojo. I filed that little tidbit away for later experimentation. If it was possible to get through the school faster, I wanted to learn that trick.


    ¡°What do they want you to do?¡± Clem asked her eyes wide with curiosity.


    ¡°I learned a lot of stuff working for Tycho last year,¡± I said honestly, then lied. ¡°They want me to do the same sort of stuff for them.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to do it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, which was also the truth. ¡°It would take so much time, and I don¡¯t want to spend another year slaving away. I want to enjoy at least some of my time at school, you know?¡±


    ¡°This is a big opportunity for you,¡± Clem said, thoughtfully. ¡°Working directly with the Elders of your clan will be a prestigious feather in your cap.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said with a shrug. Everything I did would be a secret. I wasn¡¯t sure how much of a reputation boost that would give me. Still, it would help people, and that was important, even if it was dangerous. I just wasn¡¯t sure what I should do.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll make the right choice,¡± Clem said. She threw an arm around my shoulders and gave me a quick squeeze. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re here.¡±


    The School¡¯s dojo had an elaborate, arched gateway instead of a door. The wide opening in the stone wall revealed an open floor covered in a soft, somewhat springy material. Older students were already practicing with one another, while the younger upperclassmen had gathered in small groups where they chatted nervously.


    While no initiates ever saw the dojo, we¡¯d all heard stories about what went on there, and spotted upperclassmen with bruised faces and bandaged limbs at mealtimes. This room was where Empyreals truly learned how to harness their martial capabilities.


    As soon as we passed through the gateway, a gong reverberated through the dojo. A tall man with his long, gray hair pulled up into a topknot entered through a door across the room from us. His robes, like those worn by the rest of us, were clearly intended for comfort and ease of movement. His gaze swept across the fifty students gathered in his domain, then returned to meet mine.


    A faint smile quirked his lips, and he gave me a short nod.


    ¡°Welcome to the dojo,¡± the man said. ¡°I am Professor Song, and I¡¯ll be instructing you this semester. Please, form a semicircle around me. I¡¯d rather not shout to be heard.¡±


    The Professor waited until we¡¯d gathered around, then launched into the first class¡¯s teachings.


    ¡°You should all be familiar with your aura, serpents, and swords.¡± He crossed his arms as he spoke and paced back and forth inside the semicircle. ¡°Your aura is your defense against jinsei attacks. Your swords are your most potent offense and will become moreso as your cores advance. Finally, your serpents are the most flexible tool at your disposal, capable of attack or defense, and so much more. My goal for this semester is to help you understand how these three work together to become more than the sum of their parts. Today, we¡¯re going to start by having you integrate your serpents into your defensive maneuvers.¡±


    While all of this was interesting, I¡¯d already covered most of it with Hank and my trainers during the Five Dragons Challenge. While Professor Song explained how to summon serpents quickly, an art I¡¯d mastered weeks ago, my mind drifted back to the conversation with the Elders.


    Their offer was an opportunity for me to do real good for Empyreals. Stopping the anti-Flame protestors would make everyone safer and stabilize a society that had been dangerously upended by my actions last year. And, if I did a good job, maybe the Shadow Phoenix Elders would help me find my mother. Now that the danger from defying Tycho had passed, I¡¯d like to bring her in from the cold. She deserved a better life.


    There were so many dangers to the job, though. If anyone discovered who I was, they could go after my friends or the school. They might even hunt down my mom to use against me. And then there was the very real danger that someone would discover my Eclipse nature.


    I had no idea what I was going to do.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve explained the concept to you, let¡¯s see it in practice,¡± Professor Song said. The weight of his attention on my core had dragged me out of my internal. ¡°Mr. Warin, would you care to help demonstrate the use of serpents as a defensive measure with Mr. Vilrose?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be honored to be part of your demonstration,¡± the Disciple of the Jade Flame said as he stepped out of the semicircle and up to Professor Song. ¡°I will be the aggressor.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, honored Professor.¡± My friends clapped me on the shoulder as I stepped forward. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll be on defense.¡±


    Everyone chuckled at that, including the professor. He stepped back, letting the Disciple and I square off with one another. It had only been two days since my last fight, and I fell easily into a read stance.


    The Disciple¡¯s eyes burned with excitement as he raised his hands and raised his clenched fists to protect his head. Aspects of energy and anticipation flickered in his aura along with a few dark sparks of fear. He was looking forward to his chance to prove himself in front of the rest of the students. If he could land even one punch on the undefeated School Champion, his clanmates would consider him something of a hero.


    That wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    ¡°Jace.¡± I offered my opponent my hand.


    ¡°Kyle.¡± He gave my fingers a squeeze but decided not to try to crush my hand when I squeezed back.


    ¡°Good, good,¡± the professor said as he stepped into the space between us. He raised a hand to each of us. ¡°This isn¡¯t a fight, it¡¯s a demonstration. Mr. Kyle, your goal is to strike Mr. Warin at no more than half strength. Mr. Warin, you will defend yourself using only your serpents. Ready?¡±


    We both nodded.


    ¡°Begin!¡± The professor shouted and leaped back.


    The Disciple pushed jinsei into his legs to fuel a gliding step that covered the space between us more quickly than I¡¯d expected. More of the sacred energy glowed around his right fist, which was cocked back to his shoulder. The power grew in intensity as he approached until the entire length of his arm shone like polished gold.


    That was a lot more than half strength.


    My Eclipse core responded to the threat instantly. The Borrowed Core technique lashed out to rats beneath the dojo¡¯s floor. The connections clicked into place easily, and I cycled beast aspects through my core and into my aura with a single breath. My training during the Five Dragons Challenge had made me much more efficient with my use of aspects, and I used the minimal amount I¡¯d gathered to conjure a pair of thin serpents.


    The Disciple planted his feet, and his fist rocketed toward my face. The golden glow around his arm shifted to a deep shade of red as he activated a potent striking technique. He grinned with wild glee, sure there was no way my meager defense could block his powerful assault.


    My Eclipse nature raged at this unwarranted attack, and my serpents struck without conscious thought on my part. One of them looped around the disciple¡¯s arm, the other speared into his core.


    My blood ran cold. It was Singapore all over again.


    The Disciple tried to power through the coils of the serpent around his arm. He leaned into his punch, beads of sweat sprouting from his forehead as he poured every ounce of effort he could muster into the attack.


    Against most opponents, that might¡¯ve been an effective tactic.


    Against an Eclipse Warrior?


    It was pointless.


    My serpent leeched the jinsei out of his arm¡¯s channels before he knew what had happened. My unique power stripped the aspects from his technique and used them to harden my aura. In the same moment, my other serpent hit his core and began to siphon away the jinsei it found there.


    If I didn¡¯t stop it, my Eclipse nature would suck every ounce of sacred energy out of the Disciple. He¡¯d be dead in a heartbeat.


    Darkness erupted across my vision. I blinked hard to drive it away and willed my core back into submission. The urge raged against me, hungry for the sacred energy in my opponent. It was confused and hurt by my unwillingness to finish my foe. The Disciple had attacked me, it was my duty to defend myself to the utmost of my ability.


    The Disciple gasped and fell to his knees. His face was white, and his eyes rolled back beneath fluttering lids. His breath came in shuddering gasps, and he collapsed onto his face.


    I banished my serpents and severed the connection between me and my opponent. Denying the urge sent a shock of visceral pain through my core, and I stumbled away, hands over my face to cover the darkness I knew had flooded my eyes.


    ¡°Give me room,¡± Professor Song shouted.


    ¡°It was an accident,¡± I choked out. ¡°He was going all out. I had to defend myself.¡±


    ¡°Class dismissed!¡± Professor Song barked.


    My heart raced as I pushed my way through the semicircle of students and headed toward the dojo¡¯s door. Clem called my name, and Eric and Abhi echoed her.


    I didn¡¯t stop. My control over my Eclipse nature felt weak and uncertain as the stress inside me mounted. Denying the urge had felt like tearing my core in half. I wasn¡¯t sure I could do it again so soon. I needed space.


    I didn¡¯t want to kill anyone else.

 The Offer

    My core thrashed and churned within me as I stormed out of the dojo. It urged me to go back, to make sure my fallen foe wouldn¡¯t rise again. To the Eclipse Warrior, winning wasn¡¯t enough. Any foe who still lived could be a threat again in the future.


    I was beginning to realize why the other clans had been so terrified of people like me. Every time I slipped up, someone got hurt.


    ¡°Jace!¡± Clem called as she raced up behind me.


    ¡°I need to be alone,¡± I said. ¡°Please.¡±


    Clem ran ahead of me, then turned around and planted her feet in my path.


    ¡°Jace, what happened?¡± She asked. ¡°It was over so fast.¡±


    Eric and Abhi caught up to us and flanked Clem. Eric looked confused and upset, Abi just looked angry.


    ¡°He activated a technique,¡± I said. ¡°Two days ago, I was fighting in the Five Dragons Challenge against contenders who didn¡¯t follow rules like half-strength. When I saw that attack coming at me, I overreacted.¡±


    ¡°You saw him activate a technique and reacted before it could hit you?¡± Eric asked. ¡°No wonder you won all those fights. All I saw was a flash of light and then Kyle was on the ground.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s all any of us saw,¡± Abi eyed me with open concern. ¡°Will he be all right?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine,¡± I said, defensively. ¡°I used my serpent to deflect the jinsei from his technique. It stunned him, but he¡¯ll recover. Won¡¯t even have a bruise.¡±


    That explanation was mostly the truth. I¡¯d done a lot of reading on the road and had learned there were several techniques that could temporarily disrupt jinsei. That had been a relief, because it made it easier to hide what I was really doing.


    I hated lying to my friends, but no one could know the truth. I¡¯d be dead before dawn if it came out that I was an Eclipse Warrior.


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown very strong since I last saw you, my friend,¡± Abi said with a rueful chuckle. He seemed to have accepted my explanation. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful not to surprise you when we are sparring. I¡¯d hate for you to take me down like that.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t happen again,¡± I said, too quickly. It couldn¡¯t happen again. ¡°I guess I¡¯m still not wound all the way down from the challenge. Would you guys mind if I took a little time alone? I need to meditate, clear my head. I¡¯ll catch up with you at breakfast if that¡¯s all right.¡±


    The three exchanged concern glances, then gave me slow nods.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Clem said. ¡°Take however long you need. While we were all enjoying our summer, you were fighting contenders all over the world. Sorry, I should have been more considerate.¡±


    She blushed a pink that almost matched her hair and threw her arms around my neck. She squeezed me tight, and the hug caught me by surprise almost as much as Kyle¡¯s technique had.


    At least my core didn¡¯t respond to the surprise as a threat. That was a big relief.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see you at breakfast, man,¡± Eric said as Clem released me and stepped back. ¡°Take it easy.¡±


    He offered his fist for me to bump, and I brushed my knuckles against his. Abi extended his hand, too, fingers open for a firm shake.


    ¡°I feel your turmoil,¡± he said as our hands clasped. ¡°If you need to talk, you know where to find me.¡±


    He held the shake a few seconds longer than was comfortable, then let go with a sharp nod of his head.


    ¡°Thanks for understanding, guys,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    We all headed off in different directions, my friends dispersing along with the rest of the students who were clearly glad to have some of their early morning free after I¡¯d disrupted the class.


    I caught more than a few curious glances tossed in my direction and ignored them. Let them wonder about what had really happened. It might make all of them think twice before taking a shot at me to prove they were tougher than the champ.


    I headed back to my room where I could be sure I wouldn¡¯t be disturbed. I threw out connections from the Beggar¡¯s Core to the School¡¯s rats as I walked. Some of them recognized me and were eager to help. Others were from new litters, small and spry, curious, but cautious.


    I passed the same message to all of them: Find Hahen.


    The rats scampered off to do my bidding and spread the word to their friends. Hopefully, the entire school¡¯s population of rodents would soon be searching for my old mentor.


    On a whim, I changed course and headed for Tycho¡¯s laboratory. I focused my thoughts on my goal and fell into a light meditation in an attempt to mimic Eric¡¯s earlier speedy travel through the building¡¯s shifting structure.


    I made good progress at first. The school returned me to the main hall in record time, and I slipped into the shadowed corner where Tyco¡¯s hidden doorway had been.


    Had being the operative word.


    The wall there was now completely solid, and a tall vase took up most of the corner. It was as if there¡¯d never been a door there.


    I scratched my head, shrugged, and checked in with the rats. They were searching, but it would take them a while. For all their speed and agility, their legs are still only a couple of inches long and the school was enormous. It might take them days to search the school, and that was if they didn¡¯t get distracted and forget what I¡¯d sent them to do.


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s down in the stacks,¡± I muttered to myself. It was a long walk to my former prison, and every step stirred up ghosts of the past. I¡¯d spent weeks locked up with dusty books and rats, with only Hahen to keep me company.


    It took me little time to reach the older part of the school and the barred door that I¡¯d once been trapped behind. My control over the path the school chose for me was growing stronger. Unfortunately, my control over the dark urge was still tenuous at best.


    It reacted to the sight of the prison door with a flurry of furious activity. It lashed connections to the rats beyond the door, then used their beast aspects to rip the bar from its brackets. It smashed the old wood to splinters against the stone before I regained control.


    The outburst left me so shaken I had to lean against the heavy door to catch my breath. My hand shook, and beads of oily sweat oozed from my forehead and back. Old fears and dark memories clawed their way up from the dark spaces at the back of my thoughts, and it took me long minutes before I was able to steel myself enough to open that door.


    The barrier opened easily despite its size to reveal¡ª


    Nothing.


    The stacks of books that I¡¯d dutifully organized into neat categories were gone, as if they¡¯d never been there at all. The black spots I¡¯d used to open the subterranean chamber where I¡¯d found the Manual of the New Moon were gone, too. Even the strange hole in the floor was nowhere to be seen.


    I summoned an orb of jinsei to serve as a lantern as I entered the chamber for a closer look. My feet stirred up clouds of dust from the thick layer that covered the floor, filling the air with shimmering particles that made me sneeze and cough. It was as if someone had replaced the stacks I¡¯d spent so many weeks in with an identical, but very empty, chamber that had not been disturbed for decades.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Finally, after minutes of searching and wheezing on dust, I found something. Small footprints near the part of the room where my cot had once been. No, not footprints.


    Pawprints. Two of them with a small round spot cleared next to them, as if a stick, or a cane, had rested there.


    Hahen had been here.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I called out. ¡°Anyone here?¡±


    The only answer was the echo of my voice. There was no one here, and no way to tell how long ago my former mentor had been around.


    The last time I¡¯d seen the rat spirit, he¡¯d seemed distant and worried about the choices that lay ahead of me. Then he hadn¡¯t brought me my meals on the last day of school.


    I¡¯d spent the entire summer worrying that something happened to him, or that he¡¯d gotten disgusted by the fact that I¡¯d embraced the Eclipse Core and abandoned our friendship. The idea that I might never see him again stung, and I quickly pushed it aside and headed for my room.


    Other upperclassman waved and nodded in my direction, and I did my best to be polite in return. I¡¯d spent my whole first year at the School with my head down, trying to avoid fights and stay out of the way the people who hated me. Now that everyone was friendly, I was having a rough time adjusting.


    Rather than risk an awkward conversation, I nodded to everyone who waved at me, and hustled back to my room.


    Where Hagar was waiting.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been in the champion¡¯s quarters before,¡± she said. ¡°Want to give me a tour?¡±


    Hagar had literally tried to kill me last year. Now, she acted like we¡¯d been lifelong friends. That was a rough adjustment for me to make.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said cautiously. She was, after all, a warden and one of my clan¡¯s respected students. The least I could do was be polite, despite the growing urge from my Eclipse nature to make her pay for the pain she¡¯d caused me last year. ¡°Let me get the door, honored warden.¡±


    The engraved barriers slid out of the way at a touch from my hand. Hagar gave out an appreciative little gasp.


    ¡°You first,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get zapped.¡±


    ¡°Good point,¡± I said with a chuckle. I still had no idea what kind of defenses protected this place, but I was willing to bet they were impressive.


    The warden followed me into my private territory, and I led the way to the cottage. Our conversation was light and breezy, like we¡¯d never fought before. It was jarring, and I had to keep checking myself because I really wanted to blurt out questions like, ¡°you do remember trying to kill me?¡±


    ¡°This place is great,¡± she said. ¡°I knew the Champion got something special, but I¡¯d never imagined it was so awesome. I wonder if it¡¯s the same for all of you.¡±


    ¡°No idea,¡± I said. ¡°Hank never said anything about this to me.¡±


    After a quick tour of the cottage, I busied myself with the coffee set in the kitchen while Hagar leaned against the doorway and watched.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you learn to do that?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I made coffee for my mom, all the time,¡± I said. ¡°Back in the camp.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s easy to forget where you came from, champ. Things are sure a lot different for you, now, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°In so many ways.¡± I dumped beans into the grinder and pressed the power button. The clatter of the conical burrs drowned out any hopes of conversation for the next few seconds. Finally, the last of the coffee grounds emptied into the receptacle in the grinder¡¯s base, and I gave it a quick tap to make sure none of the vines would cling to its lip when I removed it. That would be a hell of a mess.


    ¡°About our fight,¡± Hagar finally decided to poke the elephant in the room while I dumped the grounds into the French press and put the water on to boil. ¡°It wasn¡¯t personal.¡±


    ¡°It felt personal,¡± I said, not quite ready to let her off the hook so easily. ¡°You would have killed me.¡±


    ¡°It was a job,¡± Hagar insisted. ¡°Like the one the Elders offered to you.¡±


    ¡°A job,¡± I said. ¡°Lots of people have done horrible things for a job. That doesn¡¯t make it all right.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Hagar said. She raked her fingers through her crimson mohawk. ¡°I want you to know I¡¯m sorry about what happened. It turns out you were right, and we were all wrong. Even the Elders admitted that.¡±


    While it was nice that Hagar and the rest of the clan no longer blamed me for everything that had ever gone wrong, it was hard to shake the anger at what had happened. My Eclipse nature wanted them to all pay for hurting me. It wanted to smash the coffee pot into Hagar¡¯s face and ¡ª I took a deep breath and shoved those dark thoughts aside. It hurt to deny the urge, but it was the right thing to do. Hagar and the Elders had gone after me because they wanted to protect Empyreal society, not to hurt me, in particular. Revenge would gain me nothing, while cooperating with them might help a lot of people.


    Including my mind.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°I accept your apology. Is that the only reason you came to see me?¡±


    ¡°I also wanted to be sure you were okay,¡± Hagar said. ¡°Word spread fast about what happened in Professor Song¡¯s dojo.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I didn¡¯t want to talk about that. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to discuss the Elder¡¯s offer,¡± Hagar said. ¡°Before you made your decision.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even really know what the job is.¡± I checked the temperature on the gooseneck kettle and saw there were still a few minutes left before the coffee would be ready. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much I¡¯m allowed to tell you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me anything,¡± Hagar said. She opened and closed the cabinets until she found a couple of mugs, then came over to rest against the counter next to me. ¡°I¡¯ve been working with the Elders since I was an initiate. They knew there was something going on at the school, they just didn¡¯t know what. I kept an eye on things for them, did a little snooping.¡±


    ¡°And assassinations?¡± I said with a grin I hoped would take some of the sting out of my pointed question.


    ¡°Just you,¡± she said, her cheeks glowing red.


    I¡¯d never thought I¡¯d see Hagar blush.


    ¡°And this is what, your fourth year?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she said. ¡°I spent almost four years looking for heretics, and you found them in one.¡±


    ¡°They found me,¡± I corrected her. ¡°If Grayson hadn¡¯t come after me so hard, I probably would¡¯ve never figured out what was going on.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind my asking, why did he hate you so much?¡±


    ¡°My mother and father knew him before I was born,¡± I said. ¡°Honestly, that¡¯s all I know about it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t feel the need to tell Hagar about my family¡¯s disgraced past, the fact that my father had been exiled before his death. That was personal, and I still didn¡¯t completely trust the warden.


    ¡°Family stuff,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°I know how that goes. My parents were both Resplendent Suns. They weren¡¯t very happy when Mama Weaver made me a Shadow Phoenix.¡±


    I¡¯d never considered the fact that Hagar might have not been born a Shadow Phoenix. The Resplendent Suns were the exact opposite of my clan, proud and noble, well-respected and treated like royalty pretty much everywhere they went. To have a kid ripped out of that sort of privilege and dumped into the lowliest group of misfits in Empyreal society had to have stung.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you had a choice,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, sort of,¡± Hagar frowned. ¡°I could have¡ª¡±


    The kettle¡¯s shrill whistle interrupted her. She stepped back to give me space to pull it off the stove top and pour it into the French press.


    ¡°You¡¯re right that I didn¡¯t get to pick my clan, no one does. But, if I¡¯d been a little more like my parents and maybe less nosy and skeptical about everything, who knows where I might¡¯ve ended up.¡± She handed me a mug, and I filled it with coffee. I handed it back, and she gave me the empty which I also filled.


    ¡°There¡¯s cream in the refrigerator, and I saw some sugar with the rest of the coffee gear.¡± I put the kettle on a cold burner. ¡°If you want anything in your coffee, that is.¡±


    ¡°Black is fine,¡± Hagar said with a wink. ¡°It matches our robes.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± I said and took a sip of some truly excellent coffee. I¡¯d gotten use to having the finer things on the challenge tour, but I had to admit that this brew was something special. I¡¯d have to find out where the beans came from and make some for my mom. Whenever I found her again.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Hagar said in a sudden rush. ¡°I just wanted you to know that working with the Elders is important. There¡¯s a lot of bad people out there who aren¡¯t what they seem on the surface. The Empyrean Flame has a lot more enemies than you might think.¡±


    ¡°How is that even possible?¡± I asked, suddenly skeptical. ¡°The Flame is the source of all our power. Why would anybody endanger that?¡±


    ¡°Because some fools believe the Empyrean Flame is blocking our true source of power,¡± Hagar confided in me. ¡°And, because the Flame didn¡¯t do a great job of protecting us during the Utter War. If it hadn¡¯t been for¡­¡±


    She left the half finished thought between us, and I didn¡¯t pick it up. Most Empyreal¡¯s knew nothing about the Eclipse Warriors, or at least pretended they didn¡¯t. I guess when you blow up an entire clan, it¡¯s easier for everyone to pretend that it never happened than to own up to what felt like a dangerously dishonorable act.


    I hid my thinking face behind another drink from my oversized mug. Working for the Elders would be a giant pain, I knew that. I¡¯d be running all over the place, constantly exhausted, struggling to keep up in my classes.


    I¡¯d also be protecting everyone from threats they didn¡¯t know existed. I¡¯d be doing good work.


    And, maybe, working so closely with the Elders I might learn something that would help me control my core and keep everyone safe. Maybe they¡¯d even be inclined to do me a favor if I joined the team.


    ¡°They need you, Jace,¡± Hagar said. ¡°They won¡¯t tell me why, but the Elders think you¡¯re our best hope at finding the next big problem before it blows up in our faces like the thing with Grayson.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± I realized I wanted to be a good guy, use my powers to do the right thing. But that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t get something out of it for myself. ¡°On one condition.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t promise you anything, but I¡¯ll tell the Elders what you want,¡± Hagar said.


    ¡°I want to find my mother,¡± I said. ¡°I want her taken care of.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Hagar asked, her tone vaguely suspicious.


    ¡°Yes.¡± There was nothing else that mattered as much to me as that.


    ¡°I think we can do that,¡± Hagar said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me why you don¡¯t know where your own mother is, Jace, but you will have to tell someone, eventually, if you want her found. If you¡¯re good with that condition, then I¡¯ll do my best to fulfill your request.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯m in,¡± I said.


    Hagar put her mug down on the counter and pulled my mug out of my hand to set it down next to hers. She wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled me into a tight hug. Her breath was warm against my neck, and the stiff ruff of her Mohawk tickled my nose.


    ¡°You won¡¯t regret this, Jace,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re going to be a hero.¡±