《City of Wraiths》


 Chapter 1: As We Lay Dying

    The sun shone brightly on the soldiers'' silvered helms as they rode the cobble-studded track about a day''s ride from the city of Arkhen. All around, the hills of the westernmost reaches of the Arkhen territory hid the sight of the legion''s headquarters; if the soldiers held their current speed, they would make it to the legion before dark. The sky was cloudless, but a slight breeze allowed for some comfort from the weight of the heavy dark grey uniforms they wore.


    Marcellus Sulli, Archon of the thirteenth legion, rode with his young ward and cousin, Lukas. He held himself tall with a silvered chest plate carved with extremely delicate ornaments that showed his high birth to one of the city''s most powerful families. He wore a light purple silk shirt under the chest plate and fine black pants tucked into well-made leather boots. A black sword hung on his waist, indicating his position as Archon. The sword was a gift from his father, when he became an Archon of the city, but the black gem that had been added to the sheath of the sword indicating his power and position. Only the nine Archons of the city, the welders of the echoes, were given such a gem as a visible symbol of their power. Marcellus brushed his fingers over the blade; he still felt excited whenever he saw the weapon or felt the power of his god''s wraith flow through him.


    His young ward wore similar armor, though not nearly as decorative, and his clothes were of lesser quality. That would have to change; no Sulli would be seen as a lesser noble in the legion or in society at his side. Marcellus noticed Lukas brushed his long blond hair out of his eyes and kept focused on the road ahead, ignoring his cousin''s attention.


    I have no idea why I agreed to this. But Lukas, having finally turned sixteen and made his first wraith pact, the boy''s father convinced Marcellus to take his cousin on as a ward and train the boy to use his wraith in battle. Thank the echoes that he had the legion. He could have the men help with the lad''s training. Marcellus already had a few ideas about who might be the best trainer for his young cousin.


    Marcellus saw Lukas call up his wraith out of the corner of his eye. The slight crimson glow of a battle-worn man floated next to Lukas. The wraith looked down at him with a fierce glower, a set of cards in one of his hands.


    That Damn Kid. "Now, Lukas, what did I say about calling up your wraith?" His voice was stern as he talked to the boy. It still surprised him how lucky his young ward had been with his first pact. There was power within the wraith; anyone with any experience would be able to notice it in moments.


    The wraith disappeared in a puff of crimson smoke as Lukas turned to his cousin before quickly ducking his head down and adverting his eyes. Marcellus tried to keep his face apathetic, but he knew his annoyance showed in his eyes. Ah, he quickly remembers the lesson.


    "They do not appreciate being summoned without a purpose. They are our partners, not servants or toys," Lukas recited each word perfectly.


    Marcellus nodded. This had been the first and only lesson he had given the young boy a week ago when Lukas''s father had dropped him off at the family manor.


    "Better. If I see that again, I will put you on latrine duty with the others. You are a Sulli, not some common Arkenite. Follow the rules I set forth," Marcellus lectured. "I know you are young, but your father asked me to teach you how to control the power you have gained. Follow my rules, or I will send you back."


    Lukas kept his head held low. Marcellus could see the young boy trying not to look at the others in embarrassment. Marcellus glanced back to examine the men; the soldiers all had small smiles that disappeared as soon as they noticed the Archon''s attention. These men were the best of his legion, his elite guard of twenty soldiers, and the ones he completely trusted. Each knew well not to gain his displeasure or wrath. The third legion was considered one of the best, and he would not allow such lax manners to poison the discipline of his soldiers. While it had been reasonably peaceful these last few years for the legion, they could never let their guard drop.


    They continued down the road steadily, with Marcellus and Lukas at the head of the column. Following them were two soldiers who rode with the White wraith banner of the city of Arkhen and his own Sulli blue raven banner held high in the air. Their group was returning to the legion after a quick visit to the city to see his wife and daughter.


    "I apologize. It will not happen again," Lukas said, finally pulling his head up and looking at his cousin.


    "Good. When we finally get to the legion, I will have a trainer assigned to start your training. We will have to see exactly what power that wraith is blessing you with," Marcellus responded. "By the look of it, you made a sound pact."


    Lukas''s hand twitched, and Marcellus could see the struggle in the boy''s eyes. He had almost summoned the wraith again. Marcellus had to control his urge to laugh and cuff the kid on the back of his head.


    "Why do you say that, cousin?" Lukas asked.


    How much to tell him? They still had close to half a day''s ride before they reached the legion, and he would have to explain everything he had guessed from meeting Lukas¡¯s wraith for the first time.


    The wraiths of the city of Arkhen¡­ how long ago had he made his first pack with such a weak wraith? It had been what forty, fifty years? Now, he held command over one of the Echoes of the dead gods. In an era long past, Thirteen gods were killed within the City of Wraiths. No one knows how these gods were trapped in death; it remains a mystery within the city''s history. Only nine echoes still endure today within Arkhen, forevermore working with the city''s humans to keep it from falling. He could still remember the thrill of winning the contest and the power that flowed through him when the pact was made. But these were not the only pacts made within the city; many other wraiths of varying power lay waiting to claim their pact. He, Lukas, and all of his soldiers had such deals. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Your wraith exudes power; you may not feel it, but your father did, and so do I. This shade must have been powerful in life, and as you know, what we did in life echoes into eternity," Marcellus explained. Now, the question was how powerful the wraith would end up being. It would certainly be more potent than a regular Arkenite wraith or the soldier''s battle wraiths. But beyond that, they would find out, and then the proper training would begin. ¡°We shall see; I could only guess at the moment. More powerful than my first pact, that is for sure.¡±


    "So, how will we know?" Lukas asked, looking back at the soldiers for only a moment.


    Before Marcellus could respond, the wind picked up, crashing into their group with fierce power behind it. Red sand or dust picked up and flowed around them; Marcellus''s vision was lost as he tried to see where this had come from. The valley they were in could not have sand such as this.


    Marcellus summoned his wraith, Sorana. But just as the power flowed, something smacked into him, forcing the breath out of him. His left arm went numb, and pain spread through his chest. He looked down to see a black arrow with yellow fletching sticking out of his breastplate. He might have died had his echoes'' power not flowed through him.


    He had the power flow even more, and a veiled woman in a shadowed dress came to stand next to him. He began to work his magic.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    What in the abyss? Lukas looked wide-eyed at his cousin''s chest, where an arrow stuck out. Horror and fear flooded through Lukas¡¯s body. He could barely understand what had happened before a wraith stood beside Marcellus''s horse, her hand barely touching his cousin''s thigh.


    "Cousin, who are they?" Sounds of horses and men surrounded them beyond the steep hills that formed a valley. They seemed trapped between forces bearing down on them. The dust calmed enough that Lukas could see hundreds of soldiers armored with silver-plated mail, swords, and spears in hand on the road in front. A crescent moon on a black banner was held high.


    "Lukas, stay at the ready." Marcellus held one hand at his wound and sent bolts of shadow at the attacking soldiers with the other. Screams and shouts reverbed as men and horses died. Dust and rocks hid the carnage from Lukas''s view. However, more came, and the lines finally met as the fight came within sight. Marcellus sent more and more power forth as magic began to fly everywhere.


    Lukas sat frozen on his horse, unable to calm himself enough to call forth his wraith, even though he saw dozens around him as the soldiers fought and died to hold the line.


    The fighting droned on. Lukas, plastered to his cousin''s side, watched the bright flash of swords. The odor of blood seeping into his nostrils, he had to fight to hold back vomiting from the smell of it. Somehow, Marcellus remained unflagged, sending bolt after bolt into the enemy. Finally, a red bolt shot forth from the dust and cut through Marcellus¡¯s side. His screams cut through the sound of men fighting, and the pain in his cousin''s voice broke the seal on Lukas¡¯s fear, and he rushed to his cousin''s side.


    "Cousin, are you alright?" He asked, helping Marcellus to sit up. What can I do? What can I do? His cousin''s face was wracked with pain as Lukas steadied him on his horse. Power blossomed around the two of them - the shadows of a void holding a barrier between them and the fighting, shielding them from more red bolts slamming into his shield from beyond the mass of men. Marcellus¡¯s soldiers continued to fight and fall, their wraiths bolting into the sky and disappearing as they died. Lukas tried to find who continued to send the bolts of crackling power, but they remained hidden from view.


    "Be prepared¡­ to ride as soon as I say." Marcellus grabbed Lukas''s shoulder hard and spoke in a strained voice. "I¡¯m going to open a corridor for you to escape. Ride hard and fast to the city and tell them about today''s events. They will know of my death before you reach the city, but you must let them know someone has made their first move." Marcellus held the arrow between his fingers, keeping his other hand on Lukas''s shoulder, speaking as loud as he could. Lukas was forced to lean in close to hear him. "I do not know who, but remember all that you can. The city must be prepared for what comes next."


    "No! What are you saying? How am I going to do this?" Lukas screamed, trying to form all the questions he wanted to ask but unable to get most of them out.


    Marcellus cringed as another bolt rocked the shield. Almost all of the soldiers that had ridden with them were either dead or dying¡ªonly one of the bannermen still fought multiple soldiers with the white wraith banner, his grey wraith at his side. But he, too, was dragged down within seconds, his shade disappearing with his death.


    "You must, for the city and our family, make it to them. The families must know war is coming," He coughed. Lukas could see frothy blood on the back of his cousin''s hand. "Be ready. Ride out of the valley."


    Marcellus coughed more blood. He wiped the blood with his shirt before he spoke again. Enemy soldiers were slashing at the shield, trying to force their weapons through. "Don''t stop for anything. Ride through the night. They will follow you."


    Marcellus took his sword off his hip and handed it over. "Be prepared to fight if you must."


    Please, no, I can''t. Fear held Lukas tight to his horse as he looked sadly at Marcellus. Power again blossomed around him, and his cousin held his hand out back towards the city. The violence unleashed by Marcellius almost forced Lukas from his saddle; he held the reins with all his strength. Black power destroyed all in its path, leaving the enemy soldiers dead or dazed.


    "Ride now!" Marcellus screamed before turning to face the mass of men.


    Lukas''s horse moved, and Lukas held on for all it was worth. He looked back to see waves of darkness sweeping over men before another bolt of red magic shot through, cutting through his cousin. A streak of shadow shot into the sky and rushed east into the sky as his cousin''s body fell from the horse.


    "No," Lukas cried, turning back with tears running down his face. He had no time to mourn, as multiple horsemen had turned and were trying to chase him down. Lukas grabbed hold of his horse''s reins and rode as fast as he could back towards the city.

 Chapter 2: Arkhen, City of Wraiths

    Marius Reza quickly ripped a loaf of cinnamon bread in two. He placed one half back on the kitchen counter while shoving the other half into his mouth as he left the Reza Manor. The cook and her wraith gave him a disapproving glance before grabbing the other half of the bread and slicing it up as Reza quickly unlatched the kitchen''s back door. He took one quick look outside to see if the coast was clear and slipped through before putting his grey uniform jacket on and quickly moving through the garden, finishing his stolen breakfast. Looks like I got out just in time.


    He passed the few servants already up and working to get the gardens ready for the Anceslia. Having helped for the last few days, Reza had had little care to help this morning with the preparations and was attempting to sneak out into the city to train and have a little fun before his sisters he was found.


    Reza had been given leave from the seventh legion for a week to return to the city for his family''s Anceslia, a celebration of the Reza family''s ancestors. This one was particularly significant because it would be the first since their mother''s passing and his first as head of the household. His sisters had been working for weeks on the entire event, and over the last two days he had been back, they had made him do dozens of tasks around the house, mainly the heavy lifting with the other male servants. They knew well enough that if he could escape into Arkhen, he would not return before he was forced out of the city at dark and would most likely be useless the next day.


    Marius passed the gardener, Damon, who was hunched over, cutting the cultivated bushes and vines that lined the main entertaining area of the garden. Damon''s wraith was out, moving along with him, glowing light green as they moved with precision with their blades, working the garden''s flora with their magic to perfect it before the party. They worked slowly, ensuring each bush was perfect before moving on to the next. Knowing Damon, he would be at it the next three days before he would be satisfied with how it looked.


    The man and his wraith were beyond focused on their craft. He could talk about every decision that was made to keep this garden perfect. And Reza¡¯s mother had given him free rein of the small estate to work his craft and the money to keep it that way. Marius continued to provide Damon with the funds, not only to remember his mother but also because of the fantastic work the gardener did. Damon had been very proud of the almost perfection of the estate''s gardens, even in the coldest winter; his care made it known across the surrounding estates. More than a few neighbors had attempted to get Damon on their staff, but he was ever loyal to the Reza family and his garden.


    Reza nodded to the man as he quickly moved through the back gate and onto the road towards the city. If he hustled, he could be there within the hour and might be able to make it through the city before the crowds made it almost impossible to move on the main city roads. Checking to ensure he had everything, his coin pouch held a respectful amount of gold ghouls and silver shades. His dagger and sword hung balanced on his hips.


    Ready, Reza turned to walk down the road, but within seconds of leaving the estate, he was stopped by the familiar voice of his sister, Octavia. "Now, Marius, you didn''t think you''d get away that easily."


    He turned around, trying to keep his face neutral to not show the guilt flowing through him. "Tavia, I need a break. You''ve had me working since I returned from the Legion and made me work harder than the Legion makes its soldiers do on campaign. I''m going to take the morning to go train and have a proper lunch with friends."


    Tavia stood at the gate in her work clothes, sweat already beaded across her forehead. Her black hair was pulled back out of her face.


    She looked him up and down, and it seemed she was not going to relent. Reza prepared to summon his wraith to escape. He would take the break today and deal with her wrath later tonight.


    But she surprised him, waving her hands towards him in defeat and turning to return to the estate. "You¡¯ll owe me, brother. When you return, please stop by the Breanors first and get their response to the invitation. I need to know if Marsi''s betrothed is coming."


    Reza gaped at the closed gate. Tavia had just disappeared behind, surprised. Tavia was not known to back down on what she thought needed to be done. Marius groaned, knowing there would be a list of chores a mile long for him to complete when he returned. This break better be worth it.


    Though he was the head of the household, with him in the Legion and barely able to return home, Tavia was indeed the de facto head of the estate and the family. Only a few years younger than himself at twenty-five, Tavia used this power to push the family''s interest. She had already begun building quite the merchant portfolio for the estate. She was ruthless in her dealings and wouldn''t let anyone push her around; he''d invested a lot of the family resources with her and felt very confident in her abilities to help the family and his own purse grow. Marius often trusted and looked to Tavia for direction on how best to steer the family, especially after their mother had died two years before.


    Reza started to move down the road quickly and kept a wary eye when he looked back towards his estate. He had escaped Tavia but had to ensure his other sister and the youngest Reza, Cassia, wouldn''t track him down and force him back home.


    He moved quickly towards the city, its bright walls gleaming in the morning sun as he crested the hill that hid the massive city from his family''s estate. Though they could not be seen from this distance, each stone that made up the formable walls of Arkhen had dark runes carved into each in an unknown language. For centuries, many different people and groups attempted to find even a hint of what they were. Much research had been done to find answers and translate the runes. But no answers had ever been uncovered¡ªone of many mysteries of this great city he called home.


    The city was located on the banks of the Venerik River, with his family''s small estate just north of the city. The river flowed through the city and into the harbor before finally reaching the narrow Miska Sea.


    "I''ll never get tired of this sight," Reza whispered to himself, walking towards the northern gate. And he hadn''t yet; the mighty city was the greatest of its kind. The city''s rune-covered grey walls gleamed in the day''s early sunlight. No city within the Remnant Kingdom of the old empire held a torch to its brilliance. And even though its population was half of what the city could hold, it was still the most populated city within the former empire. Only Gettan, a city far to the southeast, was rumored to be more populated. Reza had never traveled so far south to confirm such claims; the closest he had come was when he visited Terrik, a city half the size of Arkhen and a week''s ride south. It was the closest Remnant Kingdom to Arkhen, which had formed from the Old Empire when it fell.


    Keeping a steady pace, it took Reza longer than he had hoped to get into the city through the northern gate as he was forced to move around a large caravan that had just arrived from some of the Northern kingdoms. Having finally made his way around the train, Reza did not waste any time, moving up to walk through the small gate used to allow individual people or small groups to enter the city. The larger one was still down, not allowing large crowds nor the caravan to enter.


    The guard stopped Reza as he reached the front of the line, holding his spear in front of the small gate. "What''s your business?"


    Reza looked down and indicated his uniform jacket. I might be in traveling clothes, but how does the man not recognize a legion-issued jacket?


    "I¡¯m going to train at one of the barracks and have a meal with some friends. I''m just coming from the Reza estate an hour north of here," he said, trying to keep his annoyance at a minimum. He knew the man had a job, but it wasn''t like he was a foreigner or, worse, a wraith pilgrim.


    "Fair enough. Carry on; the gate closes at nightfall, so if you plan to leave, give yourself enough time, or you won''t be allowed out." He moved the spear out of the doorway, and Reza went through.


    Reza made his way slowly through the city. Unfortunately, because he had been waylaid on the road, there were thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of people on the streets already with thousands of wraiths floating with them. Each was different; their color, dress, and the items the wraiths carried made each a sight to see in the city. Multiple caught Reza''s eye as he crossed into the city''s center. A glowing red wraith dressed in only his loincloth moved with their pact holder, a young man who carried a stack of scrolls in his arms, rushing through the street. At the same time, another female wraith in a toga glided slowly next to a carriage carrying a young noblewoman through the crowds.


    He held the urge to call forth Elana, his own wraith. However, it took power to summon them, and he had always been trained since he first gained the pact to never wastefully use his power in case something went awry. Too much of his soldier instincts kept him wary, even in the city. In fact, he thought it was probably more dangerous here, where he could become complacent. Arkhen, while reasonably safe, still had its places where you did not want to find yourself alone at night. Waiting, Reza watched the young noblewoman smile at him as she finally passed by in her carriage. Reza gave a quick smile back but kept moving. There''s no time for that right now.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    He continued to cross one of the main bridges leading to the main island that formed the city center, trying to make his way to the best training grounds, about a twenty-minute walk from the forum. Reza kept moving; he knew the route he needed to take, allowing his mind to wander.


    He thought about the noblewoman again. Did she know who he was? While he was not a noble of the ten families, he still held rank and was an Optio in the seventh legion. He might even be able to rise to Centurion soon if he could convince Tavia to spend some of the family''s money. He would also likely need to use many of the family''s favors they had with several different noble families when a spot opened. However, that could be years before an opening came; none of the ten centurions of the seventh were close to retirement and were unlikely to leave unless one died, but he could maybe transfer to another Legion.


    It''s not likely to have a war anytime soon. The Remnant Kingdoms of the Old Empire were satisfied with the land they controlled. We had bloodied their noses enough in recent years that they were content enough to allow the city to live on with its small territory left under its control. The Northern Kingdoms never bothered the city, while the Gettan Empire had been fighting wars on their Western border for the last three years and hadn''t looked East in that time.


    His mind elsewhere, Reza had to abruptly stop before he crashed into a small crowd blocking his way into the forum. He looked up. Many of the people holding him were older; their clothes traveled worn, and a heavy layer of dust still covered their cloaks.


    Wraith pilgrims. People who traveled to the city of wraiths for the possibility of dying within its walls. A strange quirk of the city, something within its runed walls stopped souls from leaving the world, allowing them to live on as wraiths and touch upon the natural world through a pact. In exchange for creating a deal with a wraith, the living person would gain some ability connected to their shade, be it more strength or something grander in scope.


    Reza personally did not see the appeal of becoming a wraith, but many people, from the lowest farmer to the mightiest king, journeyed hundreds or even thousands of miles to die within these walls. Knowing what their life would be like after death within the city held great comfort for many, even if, in Reza''s eyes, it felt more like a prison. Wraith Pilgrims still chose to die within the walls.


    Reza skirted the crowd, passing through into the forum proper. Large stone buildings stood tall around the forum, much different from other neighborhoods within Arkhen, where wooden buildings and homes dominated the city. The forum was encased with these buildings with only a few streets that ran into the massive open area that took up most of the island. It had large polished marble slabs that formed the floor of the entire place; close to a hundred thousand people could comfortably fit in the area. Though crowds of that sort rarely gathered beyond essential holidays, it was a thing of the past before Reza''s time in which past emperors and empresses would address the public, and such crowds would gather for them. The white palace lay quiet, and the throne within was empty. Only the Archons lived there now; the royal line had died out long ago, and no noble family had been strong enough to take their place. Likely, only the steward and her servants roamed its halls currently, with all of the Archons out in the field with their Legions.


    Reza looked around at the thirteen black stone towers of the echoes; only nine still stood tall, encircling the forum and its buildings with four broken towers, only remnants of the past. Nine white beacons shown brightly at the top of the nine intact towers, though soon with the sun rising the light would dim considerably. Still, early in the morning, Reza was forced to hold his hand to shade his eyes from the light. He moved up closer to the palace, using the shade of the massive building to protect him from the brightness as he looked to skirt around the milling patrons to get through the forum. However, he stopped hearing his name called out behind him.


    ¡°Reza, is that you?¡± Cain, an old family friend and soldier in the Sixth Legion, walked through the crowd toward Reza. He was easy to pick out, for he was almost over a head taller than most people, including Marius.


    "Reza, you bloody fool. How long have you been in the city?" They embraced, grabbing each other¡¯s forearms before Cain brought him in for a massive hug.


    "Not long. I only just got into the city. I came from the legion about two days ago. Unfortunately, Tavia and Cassia kept me working for the Anceslia. You? I thought you were with the sixth." I looked around to see if he was with anyone, but the massive man seemed to be alone. Moving closer to the palace, Reza and Cain sat down on the large marble steps leading up to it, allowing an excellent vantage point to look down into the forum.


    Reza could see the people and their wraiths milling about at different vendors that used the forum as their place of business. People shouted their wares while shoppers made purchases. Guards walked through, making sure people followed the city''s laws, and even a tiny play was happening for children at the bottom of the stairs. The guards at the palace''s entrance did not seem to mind the people using the stairs as seats, though they kept wary eyes on the people below them.


    "I am, just home on leave. How''s Tavia doing? I haven''t seen her in years; the legion has been a grind lately, even without fighting." He laughed, though a bit strained. Cain had a bit of a crush on Tavia for years, but she held no interest in him. He''d taken it pretty well, but Reza knew he hoped she''d change her mind.


    "The boss, as always, you''d think she was the elder sibling. I guess she has to act that way with me gone. You''d think we''d get more leave. It was damn difficult to get this much off. It''s the first time I''ve been back in two years. It gulls me that the legion has been a five-day march from the city for two years, but we could not return," Reza complained. All the thousands of soldiers of the legions felt a profound frustration with the situation in the army, and these small breaks had only recently been installed to keep the men happy. No more than fifty soldiers could be gone at any moment, and only two officers were allowed to leave at a time. It has been a year of him waiting for his time to come.


    "It''s as it always is. I don''t mind; the city has too many people and wraiths. I like the Legion Fortress; it¡¯s quieter out there. I only returned because my younger brother is making his wraith pact. Mother asked me to come to support him." Both Reza and Cain looked across the forum to a very different building opposite the palace. It was a ruin of a place that contrasted starkly with the gleaming white palace. The black stone walls were cracked, and spider webs covered most of the windows, while the walls barely held a half-collapsed ceiling in place. Everyone kept away from the building, making it easy, even from this distance, to see a ghostly wraith sitting at the entrance to the building. The same wraith was ever-present for the pacts, and anyone wanting to attempt to make a pact had to be first judged by the wraith before they were allowed passage into the ruined structure.


    Reza memories of his time going into the building came back to him. His father had brought him on his sixteenth birthday, with Tavia and Cassia joining to see his first attempt. Reza had cautiously moved slowly to the wraith; every step was grueling as he wanted to turn back and run from the haunting spirit. Yet he forced himself to take another step closer to the white shade, the fear unable to stop him from his desire to make a pact. The wraith was more frightening close-up, with a broken crown lying on its head and clothes tattered beyond any recognition of what they could have been. The shade''s face was extensively scarred, with fierce eyes boring into Reza as the wraith looked cruelly at him from his throne. Reza had frozen when the eyes focused on his, not knowing what he must do next.


    "Move closer, Marius," His father had called out.


    Reza, gritting his teeth, moved towards the wraith standing within a foot of the throne he sat upon. The ghost sat unmoving, examining him until one hand waved him forward, allowing Reza to enter the building. The seconds it took to make his decision felt more like an hour, the wraith''s eyes never leaving his.


    "When does he make his way?" Reza asked, the memories of facing the wraith still played in his head. He could still feel the fear he had when he looked at that scarred face. He shuddered slightly. No one to this day has any idea why the wraith performed his job or why people failed to gain entrance from him. But Damn, that ghost still gives me the chills to this day.


    He''d never tried to make another pact, so he was lucky that he had not made another journey to him.


    "An hour or so. I tried to advise him, but you know the stories people tell of that wraith." Cain laughed as he stared towards the broken king. "I wonder how long it will take him to build enough courage to make his attempt.¡±


    Reza nodded. There were dozens of stories of kids and adults alike being eaten by the wraith, their souls ripped from their bodies¡ªold tales to make sure people were prepared to make their pact and not just do it lightly. Even so, the fear was ever-present when you thought of him. He held such a strong aura around him, leaving quite an impression in your memories.


    "Say nothing more; I know what he must be feeling. I wonder what wraith will offer him a pact?" Reza asked. It was always the first question on anyone''s mind when someone made a new pact. What wraith would come, and what powers would they grant?


    "Nothing better than our own, I hope. I couldn''t live it down if he gained a powerful pact with his first wraith." Cain laughed, putting up a quick prayer to the echoes. He touched a pendant hanging from his neck before making a quick symbol in the air with his fingers.


    Reza laughed. He had been more than lucky when Elana had chosen him. She¡¯d kept me alive in more fights and battles than could be counted. He never thought of releasing his pact for a different one. Many would if they did not get the desired wraith power, but it was risky. It was not guaranteed that a second wraith would offer a pact. There were many stories of people who failed to secure a new pact, with just as many stories where the individual gained a much more powerful pact. No one could ever explain why someone succeeded or failed.


    "Well, hopefully, your brother''s pact goes well, and he doesn''t get an artist or cook. We can always use a few more soldiers with us." Reza said, standing up on the stairs and adjusting his weapons.


    "Of course, we should get a drink or something before we both leave. I have another two days of leave. You?" He asked, holding his hand up. Reza grabbed it and helped him to his feet.


    "Another four. Then I''ll head back. Of course, I''ll stop by your family''s estate tomorrow, and we can have a drink. I can see your brother''s wraith and see if we must be jealous." Reza said before leaving Cain on the stairs and returning to the crowd. He had only a few hours to get a bit of training in and enjoy his time in the city before Tavia expected him home.


    However, Reza didn''t make it very far before the people around him started to panic and yell, many pointing to the sky. Looking up, Reza saw a shadow cross over the forum from the west, cloaking it completely in darkness for a moment before the light returned. Unable to figure out what was happening with the crowd in an uproar around him, Reza was ready to summon his wraith.


    "Look at the tower," Someone yelled just behind him. Everyone turned to the tower many in the crowd were now pointing towards.


    One of the nine black towers of the echoes circling the forum had gone dark. Everyone knew what that meant. One of the Archons was dead.

 Chapter 3: Above the Walls of Arkhen

    Reza stared out into the dark world beyond the city with his thoughts on recent events; concern laced his face as he gripped the edge of the wall tightly, feeling the runes carved deeply into the stones beneath. Though it had been only yesterday that one of the towers of the nine great braziers had gone dark for the first time in over a decade, it felt like it had been days. The cold, moonless night had been the longest night of his life; second by second, Reza waited, waited for the enemy to appear, and waited for the fear to stop building within the city.


    It had not stopped. As soon as the Arkenites realized what they had seen, chaos erupted around the forum. Citizens screamed and tried to escape from the island, seeking to get away and find safety. Reza, knowing he needed to report to the city guard''s main training ground, kept his head. Using his wraith, he had removed himself from the chaos on the island, hoping to find any other military officers or guards to see what plan was to handle the crisis.


    Thankfully, the response was swift, and the ten families called up any and all soldiers within the city to guard the wall until answers had been found. And so Reza was pulled from his quiet leave and joined the other soldiers on the wall.


    Reza, an Optio and thus an officer, was automatically one of the few given a section of wall to guard and a small group of soldiers to command. Not knowing how long the crisis would continue and unsure how long he would be needed, he found someone willing to get a message to his sisters for a king''s ransom. The messenger, several gold ghouls richer, brought Reza word of the events and of his orders to guard the city to Tavia. Reza gave no promises of his return, as there was no certainty when he could.


    For the rest of the day, Reza and the other officers found themselves on top of the wall, with their few soldiers waiting for the worst to happen. Horses and men were dispatched, and as the day turned to night, Reza continued to get a semblance of order among his men and rotate them out for brief periods of rest. However, he could not give himself even a moment of rest; not an officer on the wall did.


    Fortunately, while he mostly had older men well into retirement, they knew their job well, handled the long stretches with little complaint, and kept their composure well.


    Reza nodded to each soldier as he returned to the small fire, hoping to warm his body while they all waited for reinforcements and their time on the wall to end.


    Thinking back on the night, Reza remembered the rumors starting to spread among the soldiers and citizens, with multiple Archons named as having died. Namely, Helton and Wholcraft were the most common whispers. Neither was surprising, as both were well over a hundred years in age and the oldest of the Archons. He had tried to keep everyone calm, but only so much could be done, and he could not stop them talking when he was not around.


    The rumors, however, were proven to be false. In the early hours of the morning, an official message from the Prefect was sent to every officer to announce that Marcellus Sulli, Archon of the thirteenth, had fallen. The priests of the echoes had finally been able to confirm the death after Sorana, the Echo of Marcellus, had recovered enough to make her presence within her tower known. No other information had been given beyond the confirmation of the death.


    Such a good man and soldier. Reza had fought with the Archon when the man led their Legions several years back. The Archonless Seventh Legion had joined the Thirteenth to push back Bastion, a Remnant Kingdom that had threatened Arkhen¡¯s Northwestern province. He''d been a good man, popular with the soldiers, and considered to most in the city the finest fighter and general they had. Marcellus''s death would be a blow to the thirteenth if it still survived. And that was the one thing on Reza¡¯s mind that he had to worry about: Did the legion still stand?


    Deaths of Archons happened, but another would rise in their place. Echo¡¯s had even fallen in history, the four broken towers evidence of their deaths. But the legions endured. They were the backbone of the strength of Arkhen; the destruction of one left the city weakened and possibly defenseless against an attack. The legions were the men that held back the enemies of the city, and if one was in trouble or gone, everyone should be concerned. This unknown held a fog of fear over the city, one which would be dispelled soon with word from the West.


    A shadow cut through the light of his fire, pulling Reza from his thoughts. Turning, he saw the slight outline of a woman standing in the shadows behind him.


    "Sabine, why the hell are you stalking my shadow?" Reza asked, holding out his hand. She took his forearm, and they pulled each other in a tight hug. It had been too long since they had seen one another, Sabine having transferred out of the Seventh years ago.


    She hadn¡¯t changed much in that time and was still a good half-head shorter than Reza, though her body and muscles were honed tightly like a bowstring. Her blonde, almost white hair, which shone silver in the firelight, was pulled back out of her Amber eyes. Strangely, her eyebrows were a stark contrast to her hair, raven black in color.


    She was nearly Reza''s opposite in every way. Sabine was much more outgoing than he was, as her personality could fill any room she was in, and no one could miss the bright smile she always had on her face. Meanwhile, he was more likely to keep to the small number of people whom he trusted.


    "It''s good to see you, too.¡± She smiled. ¡°I was coming to relieve you of your post. But I can come back later if you''d like to stay."


    She turned to go, but Reza grabbed her shoulder, swinging her back to face him. She had a broad smile as she returned to the small fire.


    "No, no, you can stay. I''m looking forward to a bed. I haven''t been on watch in years. It''s weird when you get used to being one of the people issuing the commands." Reza laughed. He''d been an Optio, second in command of a unit of men, in the seventh for a couple of years now, having gained the position despite a lack of powerful allies. Merit, Reza knew, had done it, though merit could only take someone so far. Sabine and her family had been among the few who had helped push for Reza''s appointment, though her father would not have done it had he not believed in his skill. Most of the city government and Legion positions were often reserved for members of the ten families. And while Reza could claim to be distantly related to a few of the ten families, he was not included in such an elite group. The Reza Family was considered minor nobility and well below the great houses.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "We need everyone we can get. The Prefect forced every person who has ever been a soldier, even for a day, to be on these walls. Half the people on the walls aren''t even active soldiers." Sabine said, grabbing a flask from her jacket and taking a small sip before handing it over. ¡°With all the chaos and uncertainty, any good soldier was kept on the walls. I only got into the city from the family estate an hour ago with some of the houseguards. They just now were able to start pulling some of the officers off the wall to rest.¡±


    Reza nodded and gratefully took a sip and tasted a lovely red wine. It was likely one from her father¡¯s wineries in the south. This probably cost more than my jacket. Reza kept his thoughts to himself, just pleased to have the warm wine warm his body.


    "I saw old man Tiberius an hour back. You know how bad it is if a hundred-and-fifty-year-old soldier is taking his place on the wall." Reza returned the flask, and Sabine took another sip before putting it away. "You''d think the families would keep a legion nearby even if they aren''t allowed to be housed in the city or increase the size of the city guard."


    "I doubt any of them expected the death of one of the Archons. We haven''t been at war with either the empire or the remnants in how many years?" Sabine sat up on the wall, her legs hanging over the edge; she adjusted her bow and quiver to make it more comfortable. "Marcellus was riding for his legion in the west. They have riders looking for what might have happened, and two legions, yours included, are already returning to the city. I think they have done all they can."


    No matter her friendship with Reza or the gross miscalculation of sending their armies away from the city, Sabine was part of the ten families and would defend them. Her father was the head of the powerful Rewan family, and his brother was one of the Archons and general of the first legion. It occurred way too late into the conversation to Reza of the frightful thoughts that must have gone through his friend''s mind for the morning, waiting to hear if her uncle was alive.


    They stayed silent momentarily, Reza looking for a different topic to end the uncomfortable silence.


    "Enough of this unpleasant talk. Who do you think will go for the Echo? What is it, four families without one Archon of their own?" Reza asked, changing the topic. The ten great houses of Arkhen always fought each other for the right to have one of the archons be one of their own. Currently, all the archons are part of ten families, with two having multiple. The Sanderns had a father and son as Archons, while the Crichtons had the twins holding another two echoes. It left four families of the ten great houses, including the Sulli, without one.


    "Yeah, but all the families, about another fifteen lower houses looking for their chance to take a spot within the ten, and just about any desperate fool will vie for the position. I wonder what the Echo will choose to test the contestants this time?" Sabine looked down over the wall, leaning precariously over the top and looking down towards the flat plains on either side of the Verenik River. Reza wanted to grab her before she fell over, but he knew Sabine was playing with him; she had better balance than him by quite a measure.


    The city held little land now; you could ride only a few days from the city and leave its territory. That never changed the Ghost Plains outside of Arkhen. Law and custom would not allow them to be farmed or used to house any of the citizens. Those plains and their ruins were still sacred land, not to be destroyed, and only used for the legions to gather in desperate times. Reza would likely find himself with his returning legion in camp in only a few days.


    "You never know with the Echoes. They never stick to the same one. I still can''t believe the last contest to choose who held the power of a god was a puzzle." Reza could still remember the contest a little over a decade ago, around the same time he made his first wraith pact. One of the Archons had passed in her sleep peacefully within the city. The echo decided that the first person to complete the puzzle they created would gain their pact. Thousands had attempted it, but Zander of the Aren family was the first to finish the puzzle and take control of the Echo. What would this contest be? Depending on what the echo decided, maybe?


    In the back of his mind, the idea of trying for the echo had been forming for the last few hours of silently guarding the walls and likely had been in everyone¡¯s mind. Maybe he would compete in the contest. I could do the impossible and place myself in history. Set my family on a course for generations.


    Reza shook his head. It would be wild to attempt such a thing and unlikely to succeed; the great families almost had complete control over who would gain the hallowed position within the city and would do anything to stop any outsider from winning. Though it had happened in the past, the echo decided the winner, not the families. The echo chose who held their power in their hands. However, that didn''t stop them from ensuring it stayed within the ten.


    Never mind that you have three days before the legion will return to the city, and you''ll have to rejoin them¡ªno time for fanciful thoughts.


    "Anyway, thanks for the drink. I''m going to go find a bed and sleep as long as they allow me," Reza waved, looking at the rising sun and road following the river to the city gates. He froze, seeing movement in the far reaches of his vision. Riders were moving fast, dust in their wake as they burst onto the plain.


    "Sabine, look there; what do you see?" He asked, pointing to the riders.


    Sabine turned her attention to where Reza pointed, and a low purple glow appeared to her right. A young man in an ancient military uniform stood with a Spyglass. Sabine moved an eyepatch over her right eye, and keeping her balance, she kept her eye intently on the riders. Her wraith held the spyglass aloft towards the riders.


    "Eight riders chasing down a lone soldier. It looks like one of ours from the uniform he wears. I don''t recognize the others," she responded, never taking her eye off the horsemen far out in the distance. "The lone rider''s horse is faltering; it¡¯s limping pretty badly.¡±


    Even from this distance, Reza knew the rider had no chance of making it to the city before the others caught him. Without more thought, Reza prepared himself. He pulled his black hair out of his face before grabbing his dagger and sword from their sheaths. Drawing on the power within him, he waited for an alarm to blare. When it did not come, he placed one foot on the capstone next to Sabine. She glanced over at him.


    "Sound the alarm. It seems no one else has seen this," Reza stepped up on the capstone and let himself drop towards the ground. The air rushed up around him, tugging at his uniform as he fell ever closer to the hard stone of the main road into Arkhen. Reza waited a second longer to summon his wraith, and she appeared on the ground below. Glowing ghostly silver, she was dressed in ethereal, close-fitting military clothes with long laced boots and a long jacket coming down to her knees.


    Reza flared his power, and he switched places with the wraith. Just as he felt the stone slabs of the road below him, he started running towards the riders with his wraith gliding ahead. Every time she got well ahead of him, he flared his power, switching places.


    It''s time to see what we can do, Elana.


    Elana glanced at Reza and smiled. They began their dance, switching spots. She flew quickly ahead of Reza every time they switched positions, moving with such speed that he closed in on the riders, coving the miles between them within a minute, ready for the fight.

 Chapter 4: Fight among the Ghost Plains

    Reaching the riders, Reza took the last few seconds to read the enemy. Fortunately it became quickly clear, none of them had a hint of magic. Though not to his surprise, the lone rider held a pact with a wraith confirming that he was from Arkhen. Unfortunately, the young rider''s aura was weak; Reza had almost not noticed it in its state.


    Aura¡¯s were a reflection of the magic and power an individual held. The more powerful the individual was, the stronger and more potent their aura would be. It held many uses, but its basic feature was to show how powerful an individual was, making it either a warning or invitation. Reza¡¯s ability to see the aura was rare, but among the best of the pact holders or mages, it was commonplace and was one of the reasons he had risen as high as he had. Knowing your enemy was imperative to have as an officer, and major combatant.


    Mages or pact wielders could make anyone feel their aura when they wanted, making it bear down on the people around them. A common citizen would not be able to stand their ground and would fall to their feet if an Aura geared down on them. If an Archon were to flare their aura, it could force even powerful magic users to be forced to their knees.


    Aura¡¯s could also be hidden, users could control it enough that they could walk the streets and not bother a soul, nor would another mage know they had magic. This took a great deal of practice, and was one of the first skills pact wielders were taught. But Reza and the others like him could circumvent people when they attempted to hide it. He could still feel the echo of their aura at all times, see the color of their power. He would not how strong the individual was, just know they had some level of magic. Stronger individuals like Archons could still hide it with their overwhelming power gap between them and someone like Reza, but few could do it perfectly.


    Knowing all this, Reza needed to finish the fight quickly. The young rider was dangerously weak, the crimson color of his aura precariously flickering in and out of existence.


    Finishing the last hundred yards in seconds, Reza could see the riders focused solely on their target and had not yet noticed him. The early dawn light was not enough, it seemed, for them to take notice of a single man in the early light.


    Without warning, Reza flared his power and appeared on the back of one of their horses, his dagger snaking into the rider''s neck. The rider fell silently with his vocal cords cut through. Reza looked for his wraith and, finding her, flared his power again. He appeared above the next rider, stabbing down into the head of the second rider to the base of his dagger blade before again switching with her. Within seconds, half of the eight riders were dead, and the rest scattered from what probably felt like a monster within their ranks.


    By this time, the rest had figured out they were not alone and had let go of the chase, keeping a wary eye for him. Reza waited a moment, feeling his power ebbing slightly though he had plenty to continue the fight. Unfortunately, having been awake for over a day and being forced to move at his top speed to catch them before they killed the lone soldier, he had left himself with a smaller pool of power than he would like entering a fight.


    He held both blades to his side and prepared for the rush. Two came at him, but he flared and appeared to the right, throwing his dagger, catching one of his opponents just below the ribs. The man collapsed silently off his horse, a bowstring snapped, and reflexively, Reza flared and saw an arrow shoot through his wraith¡¯s ethereal body, harmlessly disappearing.


    Falling to the ground as another arrow shot towards him, the hard paving stone forced the air out of his lungs and momentarily left him vulnerable. Allowing himself a moment to catch his breath and quickly regain his wits, Reza flared his power, jumping. Horns blared in the distance, confirming that reinforcements were on their way, but it would still take time for them to reach the fight.


    With a lull in the fighting around his vicinity, as there were no soldiers alive close to him, Reza got his bearings and looked for the lone soldier. It did not take long before he saw the last three soldiers surrounding the young man, with his horse nowhere to be seen. The soldier looked worse for wear, with his aura in constant flux. The exhaustion was even more evident as he attempted to defend himself with a black sword held shakily in defense, the time of the blade dropping low, his eyes barely able to stay open. Standing right in front of him was a crimson wraith, protectively guarding him.


    Elana, Reza¡¯s wraith, quickly joined the other wraith, and he flared, taking her place and cutting at the closest soldier, joining the young boy.


    "Keep close, and we might just survive this," Reza said, glancing at the teenager, he realized. The young man nodded and kept his hands tight on the sword. The crimson glow of the wraith caught Reza''s eye. "What powers do you have? And can you help?."


    He shook his head. "I just made my pact. I don''t even know how to use this sword." The exhausted soldier looked like he was about to cry, tears welling in the corners of his eyes. "My cousin was going to teach me."


    "Give me the sword," Reza ordered, and the young man handed it over. The sword was probably the best weapon he had ever held. The black sword felt perfectly balanced in his hand, like an extension of his arm. In his hands, Reza felt as if this could slice through anything it touched. Beyond that, within seconds of holding the blade, Reza felt the power emanating from the blade; something else lay deep within the weapon, something aware of him. There was no time to understand what he felt from the blade nor to try to know how to use such power. "Keep behind me."This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Reza prepared to finish the fight with the young man hiding right next to a small stone column at the edge of the main road. They didn''t give Reza much time to react, forcing him to flare to escape their attack. One seemed to understand what he was fighting better than the others and smartly stayed close to Elana.


    Damnit. Reza was forced to use his sword to block the man''s blade, and they continued to fight for a few moments, the enemy keeping up with Reza disappearing, countering each time he attacked. Unfortunately for the man, his skills with the sword were not enough in the end, and Reza used the black blade to cut smoothly into the man''s sword arm with ease as if nothing was stopping its path. The enemy soldier roared in pain, holding the stub of his lost limb before a well-placed kick to the chest brought him to the ground.


    Reza flared and attacked the final two soldiers. They had tried to use his distraction with the other soldier first to try and kill the exhausted young man. Knowing the fight was all but over, Reza first used the black blade to easily cut through one of the two soldiers before switching with Elana again.


    Turning his wrist at the last moment, he slammed the flat of his sword into the soldier''s ribs, breaking them. The soldier collapsed to the ground from the strength of the blow and was grasping for air. Reza kicked the blade out of the man''s hands and kept the black sword close to the man''s neck, just in case the man tried anything stupid. By this point, Reza could hear more riders thundering down on them, fortunately, this time from the direction of the city.


    "It would be better if you just lay there, please," Reza kept his attention on the downed soldier, expecting him to do something stupid, and the man did not disappoint.


    "Die, heathen." The soldier spat blood at Reza''s boot, trying to pull a dagger out.


    Stepping close, Reza kicked into the man''s broken ribs and leaned in closely. "Now, why did you follow my directions? Before I end your life, I need you to answer a single question: Who sent you here?"


    "Dernadan will send you to the Abyss." He choked a shuttering breath before he could speak again, but Reza waited with the sword leaning against the man''s throat lightly. With another harsh breath, laced with pain, the man spoke again. ¡°He will have this city burned."


    Dernadan? He did not recognize the name, possibly the general or leader of the enemy force coming to attack the city or some ruler declaring war against them. Each was quite a leap when it came to guessing the identity of Dernadan and his purpose in KIlling Marcellus and his young cousin. Unfortunately for Reza, the name was nothing to him. He would report it to his superiors and the ten families, and maybe one of them would know. If not, they would still have this soldier to get more answers.


    But with an answer having been given, Reza was satisfied for now.


    "Be a dear and just lie there," Reza growled and punched the man, feeling the nose crack under his knuckles before the man went still, unconscious.


    Checking over the unconscious man, Reza was pleased to see that the enemy soldier would likely survive the wounds he had inflicted on him, unlike the others who had ridden with him. Examining the scene around him, it was clear that the seven other soldiers had died of their wounds. Unfortunately, Reza had not been focused on getting more prisoners during the brief fight. His safety and the safety of the young soldier had been first and foremost in his mind. Reza was still pleased with his work this morning; saving the young man and one prisoner was better than none.


    Having tied the prisoner¡¯s hands up with a bit of rope, Reza turned his attention to the rapidly nearing horses and the young man, though they were still a few minutes away. The soldier was spent and could barely keep himself conscious with his head held low, leaning against a small stone column at the edge of the main road to the city.


    Reza asked the first question that came to mind. ¡°Who are you? And why were these men chasing you?"


    The boy looked up at Reza, the exhaustion more evident, his eyes barely able to stay open. "Lukas Sulli.¡±


    Reza''s eyes were wide, but Lukas didn¡¯t notice, continuing to answer Reza¡¯s question.


    ¡°My cousin Marcellus is-was, an Archon and General of the Third." Lukas stopped for a moment before starting to speak again. "He saved me and told me to ride for the city."


    Reza wanted to whistle, but he knew better than disrespecting the dead. If true, this was indeed a feat by the young man. It had been more than a day since the boy had to have left his cousin''s side. This boy must have been riding in the dark with those men following for that entire time.


    Damn, impressive. Reza had more than a few more questions about what happened to the young man''s cousin, but there would be time for that later. He honestly was surprised he got that much out of him. Lukas had to be running on pure remnants of adrenaline; his aura was barely identifiable, though it felt stronger than it was when Reza first set his sight on it.


    He''d have to get him to the city as soon as possible. The Sulli family was probably at their wit''s end with the events of the last day and would likely be very happy for some good news in these dark times.


    It took only a few moments to gather a couple of horses, knowing he didn''t want to walk back to the city. Lukas¡¯s horse was unable to walk properly, and no one would be able to ride it before it was healed and cared for. It deserved every bit of care it could possibly get for what it had done to bring the lad back to the city.


    Taking two of the enemy''s horses, Reza took one for himself before helping Lukas into the saddle of the other. He waited until twenty soldiers approached them before jumping into the saddle.


    "This one¡¯s still alive," He called to the officer of the city guard, who came close, pointing to the man still unconscious next to the road. "I''m taking him to the city."


    Without another word and leaving the guards behind, Reza turned his horse and moved to the Lukas''s side. His head was held low, and it looked almost like he was asleep before he moved to look at Reza.


    "Let''s get going. I''m sure there are a great many people who will be mighty pleased to see you alive." Reza grabbed the reins and, with a light squeeze of his legs, had the horses start towards the city.

 Chapter 5: Returning the Young Master

    Marius Reza continued going through the city towards the forum and Palace Complex. The sun had fully risen as they entered the city, and there was still a noticeable chill in the air as the horses continued to the destination. Lukas lasted only to the city gates before he fell unconscious into a bone-weary sleep. Luckily, Reza reacted quickly to the young man''s situation when the reigns of Lukas¡¯s horses dropped from his hands. Reza could stop Lukas from falling off his horse and now guided both horses as they made their way deeper into the silent city. Where to go now?


    He had two options that came to mind as they rode. Reza¡¯s first option was to report to Praetor Tiberius, the man who ran the city for the noble families, not as a king by any measure, just the bureaucrat who made the small daily decisions. He also was the one everyone had looked to set up the city''s defense with Marcellus''s death. Yes, the families had stepped in also, but Tiberius held the command. The Praetor could return Lukas to his family, finally allowing Reza to find a bed.


    The other option was bypassing Tiberius and returning Lukas to his family. The Sulli Estate was in the noble district, and Reza knew generally where to go. The district was a smaller secondary island surrounded by the Arkhen city harbor at the mouth of the river. The island was only connected to the city by a single bridge leading from the Forum. Even if the Lukas¡¯s parents did not live within the estate, they would know how to get word to them. Making his decision, Reza continued.


    There is no need to go to the Praetor. Reza reasoned to himself; Tiberius had more important matters on his mind than getting Lukas to his parents. They continued through the Forum, passing by the Praetor headquarters.


    The streets had been noticeably empty, strange for this time of day; it should have thousands of people already awake. And yet, Reza had seen no one as he passed by houses, shops, and even a few tenement buildings before crossing the bridge into the island forum. The Arkhenites had hidden within their homes, likely afraid of the rumors that had spread within the night. He hoped this would soon change, and the citizens would feel comfortable returning to their everyday lives; for now, time would only tell.


    Just as the city changed with Reza riding into the Forum with the stone buildings surrounded by the Echoes towers replacing the wooden structures of the rest of the city, so too were the now people in the streets with soldiers running to and from the Praetors headquarters. Reza nodded to several soldiers that ran past, but none stopped him or asked about his business, and they quickly made it through the island and into the noble district. Again, the city was transformed, with buildings turning into gated manors and estates.


    Now where was the Sulli estate again? Reza found the street he needed to go down but kept his eyes moving as he rode deeper into the noble district, ensuring he did not ride past their destination. The noble district seemed the least affected by recent events; the streets were busy as servants moved everywhere, and they had already begun their work for the day. Several were turning off the many lanterns that lined streets in the district, providing light for the people at night. As he passed by, each group of servants or the lone worker had some job they were doing with messages being delivered or buying items for whatever chore they were doing. It felt like a typical day within the district, and the only strange part was that almost every gate had guards posted outside of them. Every estate had guards, but on an average day, maybe one guard would be posted at the gate, or there would be an indication of how someone might announce they were there. Most guards stayed within the estate grounds. But not today, and the guards seemed more on edge than normal, many muttering and eyeing Reza and the unconscious Lukas suspiciously. Thankfully, they gave little trouble as he rode past; likely, the soldier''s uniform made them think twice about asking questions.


    Finding the Sulli Estate took a few more minutes, but thankfully, Reza did not need to ask for directions. Though he had never been there, Reza had frequented the district with Sabine many times and thus knew the location of most of the estates of the several power families that held claim to part of the island; her own family''s estate stood very close to the Sulli¡¯s.


    The manor was more subdued in its grandeur than the others around it. The main estate was hidden behind a tall, unadorned stone wall with a single plain metal gate, subtle compared to many of its neighbors.


    Where are the guards? Reza realized it was one of the few with no guards posted outside, not even one that could announce his presence. Reza tried to spot if one was hiding, but alas, no one was near enough to be considered part of this estate.


    Dropping down from the horse, Reza guided them near the gate, trying to figure out what to do. How did others announce themselves?


    Reza quickly realized they may not want visitors and purposely had no one out there. The heir to the Sulli family and their Archon had died not a day ago, and they were likely grieving for the loss of not just Marcellus but also Lukas. Yet, while Reza would usually turn back now, he felt confident they would want him to disturb them this morning.


    Not knowing what else to do, Reza knocked heavily on the gate, loud enough that if someone were on the other side, they would hear it.


    It took little time before Reza heard movement on the other side of the gate, and a well-hidden window opened on the right side of the gate.


    "Who are you? And what''s your business?" A gruff and tired-sounding voice called out.


    Reza shuffled to stand before the window and saw a much older-looking guard. He wore a polished metal helmet that hid most of his features. It looked like it was an older model of the ones worn by the legionaries. The man''s eyes went wide at the sight of Reza.


    ¡°Sorry to disturb you and the Sulli Family,¡± Reza said firmly, bowing his head. I have a young man here who was just rescued outside the city. He said his name was Lukas Sulli."


    The older man looked past Reza to Lukas asleep on the horse, and recognition was evident as he saw the boy. No other words were exchanged before he quickly closed the window. Shouts and noice came from behind the gate, and he could hear more voices heading towards him. Unfortunately, Reza was unable to catch any of the conversation from outside.


    The gate opened, and three guards appeared from within. Two took the horses from Reza, though not before he made sure to grab the sword that had been strapped to his. The older guard came to his side and motioned to the gate. "Come in. I''m sure Lord Sulli will want to meet with you. We will make sure to get Lukas safely into the house."


    Reza followed as the guard turned and walked up the paved walkway to the massive manor. It was a beautiful red brick building with only three stories, with the entire front porch covered by an overhanging roof. The estate was subtle but beautiful, with distinct features that showed the family''s wealth without blaring it for everyone who stepped through the gate. The stone that formed the garden''s paths was likely more expensive than Reza¡¯s entire estate. The garden was quiet, though he noticed several guards walking the various paths that split off from the primary¡ªquite amazing the number of guards still within the noble district. I would have expected more to be on the walls.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Reza let the thought drop. The noble families likely had sent many of their men to the walls, as Sabine had mentioned her family having done so.


    Pulling him from his thoughts, the guard placed a hand on his shoulder. Stepping to the side, he pulled a rag from his pocket and poured some water from his water skin. "You might want to clean yourself up, " he said, handing the wet cloth over to Reza.


    How bad must I look? Reza wondered. At this point, he likely looked terrible, having been awake for more than twenty-four hours, unable to rest the entire time, and fighting multiple enemies on the Ghost Plains.


    "My thanks," Reza responded with genuine feeling.


    He feared what a mirror would show and started to do his best with the cloth. Scrubbing hard at his face to get everything possible off, Reza took several moments. The fabric came away with light red blotches. Knowing more was likely there, he took another minute to wash his face and hands as well as he could.


    Looking to the Guard, Reza turned his head back and forth. "Did I miss anything?"


    "It''s better.¡± The guard answered, but his facial expression showed that Reza was still not presentable. ¡°I would still get to a bath as soon as you can. But it''s better than before."


    Continuing, the guard walked upright to the front door and opened it without knocking.


    While the outside was subtle, the manor itself indies was much more grand. Just as Reza walked in, his eyes were brought to the center of the entry where a tall statue stood of a man made of grey marble, the features were as if the individual had been transformed into the cold stone. It held a beautiful sword stabbing tip down into the ground in its hands with another individual standing just behind the first made of some black stone. The second''s body was formed like smoke, barely indicating a human form. Reza stood there in the atrium examining the statue, it was obviously an artists expression of a man and their wraith.


    It was quite the visual. Entering the Sulli household showed a measure of power and wealth. The rest of the entry was perfect. The floors were white marble, silver spidered through them, and various paintings lined the grey walls of different men and women. All were likely famous or important ancestors of the household.


    "Wait here, " the guard said, pointing to the door. I''ll be back in a moment."


    The guard disappeared as Lukas was brought in on a stretcher by the two other guards. They started to move towards the stairs, but they were intercepted by a woman walking through the door the guard had entered.


    "Lukas," a younger blonde-haired woman in a black dress said softly almost in disbelief. She composed herself almost instantly, exchanging soft words between herself and the guards.


    She turned suddenly, and rushed back through to the room she had entered from. Gone only a moment, she returned with two men in black uniforms, likely more servants joined her, and they took Lukas from the Guards and rushed him up their stairs while the young woman stayed behind. With Lukas gone, her attention turned to Reza and made her way over to him.


    "Who are you?" She held an air of importance that marked her as higher in the household than a common soldier or servant. If he had to guess, Reza marked her as likely part of the family.


    Reza bowed slightly to the woman. He could feel the muscles in his back tightening. The battle had taken much more out of him than he''d realized. "Lord Marius Reza. I was on the wall this morning, and saw Lukas riding for the city. We rescued him and brought him here."


    Reza kept the story light on details, firstly because he was not sure who the woman was for certain. Second, Lukas could fill in the blanks when he awoke, and Reza did not feel it was his place to tell the young man''s story; he did not flout his own. With his words, the woman seemed to soften her guard slightly.


    "I''m sure there is more to that story. Helton went to inform Lord Sulli. I''m sure he will want to meet you. Would you like something to drink or eat while you wait?" She asked politely.


    "Something hot to drink if possible, there¡¯s a chill in the city right now," Reza answered, keeping his eyes on her. He was distinctly aware that he had dried blood on his clothes, and he was standing in a high noble''s home in front of one of his family, it seemed. Echoes, I wish I''d thought this through a bit more.


    Reza thanked the echoes. The guard had enough of a mind to hand him the washcloth, unlike himself. He could have at least taken some time to make himself presentable before he walked into such an important household.


    "We have some warm cider in the kitchen. The lady likes a glass at night on these colder days. I¡¯ll have a glass of that brought," She queried as she waited for an answer.


    "That would be lovely. Miss... I''m sorry, I fear I did not catch your name," Reza said politely in an attempt to hint that she had not introduced herself.


    "I apologize. My name is Marie Sulli, Lukas is my cousin,¡± Marie poked her head through a door beside them. ¡°Eleanor¡­¡±


    Reza stood almost to attention as she walked away and through a door to another room. A Sulli, I was wise to keep my words neutral.


    With his thoughts running, Reza missed Marie''s conversation, but there seemed to be another woman by the sound of the second voice within the room. Marie finally returned and guided him to a small table at the side of the atrium with two comfortable chairs. ¡°It will be out momentarily."


    Taking one seat, Marie motioned for Reza to sit.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I should, I wouldn¡¯t want to destroy the lovely furniture with all the dirt and grim on me,¡± Reza said, motioning to the obviously dirty clothes.


    ¡°Nonsense, have a seat. We have someone on staff who can easily clean that away in moments. I could even have her come and have those clothes cleaned; she wouldn¡¯t even need to have you take them off.¡± Marie answered, again motioning for Reza to sit. ¡°Actually, no, if Lord Sulli wants to talk with you, I think it''s highly recommended you have Amelia do her work.¡±


    Following her direction and not wanting to argue further Reza leaned the sword in his hand against the chairs and sat. The chair may have been the most comfortable item of furniture he had ever been in, likely most of that was from the fact he had just fought several men, and stood for almost an entire day on top of the wall. But it could have easily been that the chair was just that comfortable. He could fall asleep here and now if he allowed himself to close his eyes, but alas he made sure to sit up straight and focus on Marie instead.


    A servant, who had to be Eleanor, set two steaming glasses between us moments later.


    "Thank you," Reza said. He took a sip of the cider, which had a lovely cinnamon flavor. The lady was proper. This did hit the spot on a cold day.


    Marie nodded, smiling. ¡°Eleanor, fetch Amelia for me; we need her magic before this man meets with Lord Sulli.¡±


    Eleanor bowed before rushing away without a second look. With her gone, Marie¡¯s attention was back entirely on him.


    ¡°Thank you again for the drink,¡± Reza said, taking another sip of the cider.


    "I think it''s more likely that we have more to thank from you. We all thought Lukas lost to us...just like Marcellus." Marie stopped, just holding her cup in two hands.


    Reza was not sure exactly what he should say. He had no idea of her relation to Marcellus, but she was part of his family somehow. "I''m sorry for your loss. I knew him during our time in the Legions, when he led the seventh for a time. He was a good general."


    The man, indeed, had been an excellent general and loved by his soldiers. Whoever replaced him would have difficulty taking his place in their minds.


    She stayed silent, her eyes focused on the cup of hot cider in her hand. She finally and looked at Reza. "Thank you."


    Before Reza could change the conversation, the guard returned to the atrium. He looked between the two of us before first giving Marie a low bow.


    "Lady Marie," He said before returning his gaze to Reza. "Come with me. Lord Sulli would like to speak with you."


    Reza stood, leaving behind his half-empty cup of cider. He was about to say his goodbyes, but Marie stopped him.


    "Is he in his study?" She asked.


    "Yes, my lady. He is waiting now for him," He answered curtly.


    "I will take him. Return to your station, Mr. Helton."


    He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but he quickly closed it before bowing, and making a quick exit through the front door. He glanced briefly over his shoulder with a neutral expression at Reza, before disappearing.


    Reza stood as she began to move down the hallway. "Come along. You don''t want to make him wait." She said wryly.


    Reza stood there, concerned for the upcoming meeting. Meeting with head of the Sulli family was a daunting prospect for anyone let alone a mere soldier, but he had no other choice.

 Chapter 6: Meeting with Lord Sulli

    Reza drained the last of his cider and left his glass, knowing that he could not escape the situation without hurting his own honor and that of the Sulli Family.


    Following Marie, they were just about to leave the entry when Eleanor and another young servant intercepted them.


    ¡°Perfect timing, Amelia. Please do your thing with Lord Reza here,¡± Marie ordered.


    Amelia nodded, and an orange wraith appeared by her side. The man was dressed in a long, flowing robe, though there were no sleeves, leaving his arms bare. Amelia''s hands glowed a soft orange as she came closer to Reza.


    Reza looked at Marie, and she smiled slightly. ¡°Let her touch you on the shoulder; it won¡¯t hurt.¡±


    Nodding, Reza stood still and allowed the servant to touch him. A warm feeling spread from his shoulders over the entirety of his clothes. Looking down, they were as clean as the day he was given them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to touch your face to clean that properly,¡± Amelia said, her hand held up to his head, waiting.


    ¡°Go on,¡± Reza said, allowing her to touch his cheek, the warm feeling spreading through his whole body this time. Again, looking down at his hands, there wasn¡¯t a hint of dirt or blood on them. ¡°Amazing, quite the power you have there.¡±


    Amelia smiled briefly, allowing her Wraith to disappear. ¡°Thank you, Lord Reza.¡±


    She and Eleanor bowed again before retreating.


    Marie did not speak but started towards what he expected was Lord Sulli¡¯s study. They walked in silence down a well-lit hallway with paintings covering each wall. All had similar featured faces; the many Sulli ancestors looked out from those frames.


    She knocked at the last door at the end of the hallway.


    "Come in," a gruff voice from inside the room called.


    "Good luck," She said, opening the door.


    Reza walked through and gave her one last smile.


    The room was sparsely decorated, its red stone walls bare of ornaments except for a blue banner with a black raven in flight hung behind a white marble desk. An older man sat in a leather chair as he stared at Reza in the doorway.


    "Thank you, Marie. You may go," He ordered.


    Reza looked back one last time to her, but the door had already quietly closed, hiding her from view.


    He turned back to Lord Sulli. He was a stout man with minimal lines on his face. He knew that Marcellus had been well into his fifth decade of life, so likely, this man had to be past his seventh. But it was difficult for Reza to tell. The man''s hair and well-groomed beard were the color of iron. His blue eyes showed no signs of mourning or even tiredness. He never let his eyes drop from Reza before indicating one of the two empty seats on Reza''s side of the desk.


    "You may sit," he said in his gruff voice.


    Reza hesitated for a moment before taking the seat. He set the sword against the chair, focusing directly on Lord Sulli.


    "Marius Reza, is it?" He asked.


    Reza nodded. "Yes, sir."


    "Optio of the seventh cohort of the third legion? I believe, if my memory serves me right," He asked, removing a few papers from his desk and placing them in a drawer.


    The man''s knowledge took Reza aback and left him unsure how to proceed. How did the man know his position in the army? Did the man have a dossier on every officer?


    "Yes, sir. How do you know that?" Reza asked before hastily adding. "If you wouldn''t mind telling me."


    Sulli placed his hands in front of his mouth, again not dropping his eyes and barely blinking. In two sentences, this man had Reza on the back foot and had little idea how this conversation would go now.


    "I make it my business to know every officer in the legions, including anyone that may be promoted. Especially ones with your skill." He answered. There was a hint of appreciation in his voice.


    What was he trying to say? Reza was unsure if he meant Elana or his ability to sense auras, but either way, one of the heads of the ten families knew a lot about him.


    Quickly thinking through the situation, while it was still scary for such a powerful man to know even this much, it was not a leap that many of the ten families could have a similar understanding of the officer core. Just about every officer in the legion was from some noble family. Most came from the ten or one of their cadet families, with the few outsiders usually well-connected to one of the families.


    Echoes, this was not the time for this meeting. Reza''s mind was not working well enough due to his lack of sleep and the amount of power he had used to fight the men on the Ghost Plains. Reza chose not to speak but instead nodded in response. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "And what are you doing in the city, Marius? Your Legion is at least three or four days march from the city," He said. There didn''t seem to be any malicious intent, but it still worried him now in front of the man to answer his questions.


    "I was given leave to attend my family''s Anceslia this week. I was meant to return in a couple of days," Reza answered. "Though ''ll have to ask the Praetor now. He will probably want to keep me here until the legions return to help guard the wall."


    Sulli nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer.


    "Of course, you are correct about the Praetor''s likely course of action. We need every good soldier in the city for the time being, though from reports, there is no enemy lurking near the city. However, let''s get to the real conversation. I was told you brought back my nephew Lukas," he said, his tone sounding as if it wasn''t an important detail. I''d like to hear how this happened."


    Reza nodded, relieved by the little bit of knowledge Lord Sulli had given. Some of the stress built up over the past day was released, and his body and mind felt better. Calmer, Reza retold the events to him, keeping some details vague, such as his powers. Reza wasn''t secretive about Elana per se. But he never flat-out told people how she worked or what they really did. It was better to keep his powers unclear so no one could find his weaknesses should they ever become enemies.


    "One should still live. I wasn''t thinking very clearly when I began the attack. I should have tried to keep more alive for questioning." Reza said. He shrugged, realizing he was babbling a bit.


    Sulli grunted. "One is enough to question. I will also talk with my nephew when he awakens. But my thanks for saving him, many feared he held the same fate as... Marcellus."


    The brief pause was the first sign the man had shown grief for his son. Throughout the story, he made no comments or indications about the events, only a brief pause regarding his sons'' names.


    "We can only hope the man gives more than just the name Durnadan. That doesn¡¯t give Praetor Tiberius and the families much to work with,¡± Reza answered. ¡°Lukas may know more, but by the time the fighting was over, I couldn¡¯t really get more than his name. I think the escape took everything out of him. I was impressed with Lukas; he was ready to go down fighting, even in his condition. He had this sword and his wraith out, ready to fight back. Like a proper soldier."


    He''d seen older soldiers with less nerve when it came to being outnumbered. Leaning down, Reza grabbed the black sword against his chair, placing it between himself and Sulli on the desk. The feeling of the sword was strange. Reza did not like allowing it to leave his possession, nor did he think the weapon did either, as odd as it sounded. It was one of the best weapons he had ever laid his eyes on, and he wanted to learn more about the mysteries he knew the weapon had.


    Sulli stared down at the sword, one hand grabbing the hilt of it. "This was the sword my son carried. I gave it to him when he became Archon, an ancient weapon the family acquired a long time ago.¡°


    Sulli held the sword for a time, almost clutching it, while Reza sat uncomfortably quietly. Sulli finally placed it back down softly onto the desk, pushing it back towards Reza.


    "Please keep the weapon. I think it might do you well," Sulli ordered. ¡°Though the priests will likely request the gem back, I will contact you if they ask, or they may come directly.¡¯


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Reza asked in disbelief. This sword had to be a precious artifact of the family. It was beyond any reward Reza felt comfortable accepting.


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Lord Sulli said with no hesitation.


    Reza nodded and took the sword back, placing it on his lap across the arms of the chair. He hadn¡¯t taken the time to examine the sword or sheath, but he now saw the black gem embedded in the sheath about an inch under where the hilt sat snuggly against the black leather. The diamond gem looked like a raindrop and was unnaturally black. It was uncomfortable to look at the gem for long, and Marius knew part of the mystery he had felt with the sword lay within the gem.


    ¡°Now, that cannot be the only reword I will allow you to accept for saving my nephew,¡± Sulli said as he stood and walked to a shelf at the side of the room. He pulled out a large bag of coins, the clinking metal inside identifying the contents.


    "No need. I was only doing my duty as a soldier, and the sword alone is too much." Reza held a single hand up, waving away the offer of coin. He had never thought about a reward when he had saved Lukas. The sword alone and the possibility of learning more about it was enough of a reward in his mind.


    "Nonsense, I must. Lukas is my nephew; you saved his life; I will not take no for an answer." He said sternly, his softness from a moment before gone.


    "Again, I must decline. No further reward is required," Reza said, trying to sound as sincere as possible. He knew that if the man tried to reward him again, he would have no choice but to accept. This was one of the city''s most powerful and influential people, and Reza would be a fool to dishonor such a man by denying further compensation.


    "If money is not an option, I must find another way to repay you." He sat down again, leaving the bag on the desk. His eyes lit up as an idea came to the man. "You mentioned your family was having their Anceslia?"


    "Yes, my sisters are probably still getting ready for it right now, even in these times." He said. He had only received a curt response from Tavia when his messenger returned. I expect you back by the Anceslia, even if you have to desert your post.


    "I suggest a compromise, more of a showing of goodwill between our families for the service you did," Lord Sulli said. "If Lukas recovers in time, I will send him with a few of my family members as guests of your Anceslia. It will give your family a point of pride and recognition from my family."


    Reza was taken aback, and it was good he was sitting at that moment. His legs felt very weak. One of the ten families of Arkhen, who had no connection to his family, was openly offering to attend his Anceslia. If such a thing happened, it would be the talk of the countryside. It could also open doors that had not been there an hour ago.


    "I thank you. While I believe I do not require a reward, I will accept such a generous offer," Reza said. He would not deny his family this opportunity because of his opinions on the matter, and this was an acceptable compromise he could accept as a reward.


    Sulli stood holding his hand out. "Good, then it''s settled. Have someone send party details, and I will have Lukas or someone else be there."


    Reza briefly held the man''s hand. "Thank you. My sisters will look forward to it."


    Sulli sat again. "You may go. I suspect Marie or someone will be waiting for you to show you out."


    He was already pulling the papers out again and reading from them as Reza opened the door.


    A guard stood across the hall and guided him to the gate. Having gathered his new horse, Reza left and rode towards the Forum and the barracks where he could sleep. He would have to send word to Tavia and Cassia to be prepared for a few Sulli representatives. The Anceslia had become a much more critical party than ever before.

 Chapter 7: Changes within the House of Sulli

    Lukas awoke, quickly attempting to ascertain where he was in the first few seconds of his renewed awareness. He tried to move, but his body was unwilling to answer, nor could he even open his eyes. It was as if he was suspended within the darkness of the void, his body held by layers of shadow, the chill never reaching him. Something protected his body and mind, if only for a moment. The fantasy lasted only a few more moments before the weight and pain of the last few days slowly returned, Lukas savoring the last few remnants of peace and comfort.


    Unfortunately, reality returned, and the fear of what he would return to began to spread through him; he knew he would have to open his eyes soon. Taking a deep breath, Lukas felt his body ache with the attempt, his ribs burning with every breath he took, feeling his revenged body.


    Knowing he was in no shape to do much, Lukas allowed himself more rest; he instead listened to his surroundings for a time. It was eerily quiet. Lukas heard no voices, not even the movement of people in the building where he had awoken. There should have been servants or soldiers busily working into the late night hours, but nothing. His surroundings were too silent; none of the fighting or screams that had plagued him since his cousin''s death, none of the fear of being ridden down by the men chasing him for so many hours.


    Pushing back at the fear building up and feeling he had enough control, Lukas opened one eye and saw the blurry grey ceiling above, and his vision became clearer as the seconds passed. It took some time, but as he moved his eyes slowly, unable to move his body, Lukas recognized the sizable room as the one he had stayed in before leaving with Marcellus. Relief and confusion swirled in Lukas¡¯s mind. Had everything just been a dream? But alas, Lukas knew in his heart and mind that no matter how much he hoped that sentiment to be true, there was only one cold, hard truth bearing down on him now: Marcellus was dead.


    Questions marred Lukas as he lay in the Sulli Estate, his brain trying to understand everything that had happened to him in the last few days. Lukas had expected to be with his cousin at the Legions fortress, learning to control his Wraith and training day and night until his fingers bled and he dropped from exhaustion.


    But now everything had changed; the exhaustion was there, but nothing else of the plans that had been paved before him by his father and uncle. Lukas took control of what he could and focused on the few questions that mattered. How had he gotten here? Who was the man that saved him? And finally, and most importantly, how long had he been gone to the world?


    The first was answered reasonably obviously with the memories of a man appearing and disappearing as a shadow through his pursuers playing through his mind, cutting each down with such ease. These were not some fanciful dreams but the reality. The power he displayed was something Lukas had expected only the Archons could display. But some stranger had been able to cut down so many within mere heartbeats, set his mind ablaze with the need to know more. He would have to learn the man''s name from his Uncle or someone. He was sure they would know or would be able to find out.


    Having heard no one come near his room, Lukas attempted to make his body sit up to get someone¡¯s attention. But no matter how much he wanted to move, His every limb, muscle, and bone protested in their very core. Lukas tried several times before, but finally, he was forced to give up the attempts. He lay there staring up at the ceiling, barely able to make a whisper. His entire body felt like he''d been pulled from all his limbs by galloping horses.


    How long would he be like this? Lukas did not know and tried not to dwell on the nightmares that began to creep into the back of his mind; even the thought of never being able to move again had no place within the confines of his mind. He would not allow such thoughts to plague himself any longer.


    Minutes passed, and the only thing changing in the room was the movement of the small light elemental slowly within its glass prison. Lukas continued to watch as it kept the room light with its body of pure light, one of many that lit the entire estate¡¯s many rooms and buildings. Time continued to pass until Lukas felt a little energy flicker to life within his body, just enough that he could start moving a single finger, then move his head back and forth with slight discomfort from his many sore muscles. But as time passed and he regained movement, thirst finally made its way to the front of the line of the many pains and annoyances that plagued him. Wine or water, Lukas did not know how long he had either, but he needed something to quench his thirst.


    The door opened before he could look for a cup or pitcher in the room or try to raise his voice to have someone hear him. Slowly turning his head, Lukas saw a young woman dressed in the grey dresses of his uncle''s household servants. She was no older than himself, her lengthy hair tied into a braid almost touching her waist.


    "Water, please." His rasping was barely louder than a whisper; he wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if she had not heard him.


    She looked up from the folded blankets in her hands before dropping them as her hands covered her mouth. Without a word, she ran from the room, and Lukas could hear her yelling loudly, "He''s awake, Lukas is awake."


    I just wanted water, Bloody Echoes, and the Fae be damned. Lukas sensed a change with another spark of power forming within his core. It was just a little spark, but enough, he thought, to attempt to raise himself up. Moving his arms slowly, Lukas used every muscle, each burned from the effort, to raise himself to a sitting position when someone familiar opened the door again minutes later.


    Marie rushed through the door and sat on the edge of the bed, hugging Lukas hard.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "You''re finally awake." Marie cried. Lukas could hear the tears in her words as she spoke into his shoulder.


    He flinched from the fire running through his ribs as she held him.


    Marie let go of him before she backed away to the far edge of the bed, her hands up to her mouth, her eyes full of concern.


    "I''m so sorry. I should have realized you would be in pain. How are you feeling?" She asked, eyes examining every inch of him that wasn''t covered.


    Lukas felt his skin burn as he realized he was very much underdressed and shirtless. He pulled the covers up with difficulty, covering himself so she couldn''t see anything.


    "It''s alright," He croaked out, and again, barely a whisper came from between his lips.


    "Oh, you need water. Hold on." She jumped up and rushed to the dresser on the opposite wall, pouring a glass of water from a stone pitcher. When she returned, she handed the cool cup over.


    "Drink slowly. You''ve been out too long and need to take your time." She ordered, reclaiming her seat at the end of the bed.


    Lukas slowly sipped the ice-cold water, the coolness going bone-deep. It felt refreshing, and even his muscles felt better for it. "Thank you."


    The words came out stronger with less of the rasp he had since his awakening, but still only a whisper. As he took further sips, he felt a little more strength return, his muscles drinking in the refreshing water with all their might.


    The door opened, and Lord Sulli strode into the room with purpose and stood at the end of the bed. "You may go, Marie."


    She stood, turning to face the man in an almost protective posture. "He''s just awakened. You shouldn''t push it too far." She argued weakly.


    He didn''t acknowledge her words. "Close the door behind you."


    Marie nodded in defeat, giving Lukas one last hug before she retreated from the room and closed the door behind her. Lord Sulli gave her no more attention, his eyes only on Lukas.


    Lukas kept himself sitting straight, trying to hold a measure of composure in front of his Uncle and head of the family. He lasted only a moment before he slipped back down into a more comfortable position on the bed. He waited for Lord Sulli to speak but only continued to watch. Lukas finally broke eye contact and looked down into his mostly empty water cup. He wanted more, but it would have to wait.


    A visit from Lord Sulli was never just a conversation. The man would analyze every minuscule detail of the conversation down to the emphasis of each syllable. Based on your reactions, the man held every detail and decided his next move. Lukas was not prepared for such a meeting.


    "How are you feeling?" He asked, hands clasped behind his back, standing firmly at the end of the bed. His voice was also harder than Lukas would have expected such a question to sound.


    "Weak, but feeling slightly better already. The water helped," Lukas said. His stomach also growled. When was the last time he had eaten? Two or three days ago, maybe. He had not yet figured out how long he had slept. It could have been weeks for all he knew. "I would love something to eat."


    Lord Sulli''s face did not change. "I''ll have one of the servants bring something to you. You need to rest and recover quickly. You¡¯ve been asleep a full day, and there is no time to lose."


    Time? What was he talking about? "Can you explain? I don¡¯t understand. What do you mean by no time to lose?" Lukas said. Time to lose? He had woken up barely a half hour ago. Cryptic half-answers were not what he needed in the shape he was in.


    "Lukas, things have changed with the death of Marcellus. Our family was not prepared for such a situation." Lord Sulli gave no hint that he was talking about his own son¡¯s death. There wasn¡¯t a hint of emotion in his words, just cold, hard facts. How did he stay so composed?


    Lukas looked down into his cup, remembering the final sight of Marcellus falling from the house. Damnit, keep it together. He saved you by doing that.


    "I have no other sons, Lukas. My granddaughter is only six months old; she is too young to succeed me as the head of this house. So I must name a new heir." Turning away, Lord Sulli walked away, his eyes painting hanging on the wall across from the bed of a family sat on a richly decorated couch, two young children and their parents.


    Why was he saying this to him? Lukas was not important enough for such conversations. His father was Lord Sulli¡¯s younger brother. They were a secondary family, and his father never tried to influence or be part of the family politics. He kept to the family estates outside the city, away from everything. It took more time than it should have in his weakened state, but the realization of what those words meant came to Lukas.


    "I see you understand, so I''ll not tarry any longer. You will be my heir," he retook his spot, his hands gripping the wooden bed frame, looking down at Lukas. Your father has already agreed to this plan. You will live, study, and train here, and in time, you¡¯ll succeed me as head of this family."


    What could he say? There were no words to speak. How was this even a thought that went through his uncle''s head at a time like this? It would have been one of the last things so soon after Marcellus''s death. Lord Sulli waited, and the silence began to grow between them until Lukas finally broke.


    "I''m honored. I don''t know what else to say," Lukas responded.


    "Nothing at this point. You have two days until I expect you to be up and about. The healers will arrive in the next hour to help with your recovery. Until then, rest. You have much to do after that,¡± He turned to go.


    "What''s in two days?" Lukas asked. He didn''t feel like, even with a hundred healers, he would be up for much so soon. Just moving a single arm felt as if he was pushing it through water, the weight forcing it down.


    "You''ll be my representative and someone else in the family to the Lord Reza¡¯s Anceslia. A reward for the soldier that saved your life outside the city." Ending the conversation, Lord Sulli turned and walked from the room.


    Lukas¡¯s mind went back to the memories of the fight. Reza had been a blur, jumping around the fight and killing the soldiers with such skill. He and his wraith, a partnership that brought forth so much deadly skill.


    Reaching out, Lukas summoned his own Wraith with his little power. The crimson figure of his Wraith appeared, standing next to the bed. He looked down on Lukas with a wicked smile, the cards dancing through his hands. The rush of power through his limbs felt wonderful, giving him a rush of energy that allowed him to freely move if only for a few precious moments.


    "We need to figure out what you can do," Lukas told his wraith. "I won''t be that useless the next time I''m in a fight."


    But these were plans for the future; for now all he had to do was rest and recover. Lukas would have to use every moment in the next two days to be prepared. He would do his duty as heir, and then he would get to work. Lukas closed his eyes and placed the water cup on the side table. He lay down under the warm covers. "I won''t be useless again."


    He let the power of the wraith go and fell back to sleep.

 Chapter 8: Anceslia

    Reza emptied the glass of wine he had been drinking before searching for one of the servants moving through the crowds with more refreshments. The Anceslia, in his opinion, was going quite well. Tavia had used the rumor of one of the great houses attending the party to great advantage in convincing even more people to come and see the family.


    A servant passed by Reza''s group, and he quickly traded his own glass for one from the man''s tray. The servant gave a slight nod and continued his route without comment.


    "Reza, are you there?" A voice brought him back to his senses. Cassius, a friend and officer of the third Legion like himself, was standing with several officers from different legions. The third and fourth legions had returned to the city, combining their forces into three camps guarding its gates.


    "Yes, yes, what were you saying?" Reza asked. The last few days had been exhausting with the additional prep Tavia had required for the party. Fortunately, his leave had been extended, allowing him several days of rest before returning to the Legion, but this placed him in a bind after the party. Reza had plenty of time on his hands but was not allowed back with the Legion. This did not help him as he tried to work up the ladder to becoming a centurion; time off would not help in the endeavor. And having his leave extended for what he had done on the Ghost Plains would not sit well in the camp. Likely, many soldiers were grumbling about it already.


    "We were talking about Sorana and what she would choose for the contest. It''s been days since High Lord Marcellus died. She''s bound to make her choice soon." He said, looking at the other officers. All nodded in agreement.


    "Kelmonas had the priest make the announcement two days after the death of their Archon,¡± said one of the officers. Reza thought his name was Darren. Unfortunately, Reza couldn''t quite remember their names after Cassius introduced them.


    While he had known Cassius since they had joined the Legion, Reza had not met the officers, as Cassius had brought them with him to the party. Reza had not complained with the additional guests as all of them were nobles. Each added to the prestige he and his sisters would gain from the party. It also gave him pleasure that so many were willing to join them in honoring the Reza ancestors, specifically their mother, who had passed last year.


    "Different circumstances," Reza responded. "That Archon died in her sleep; we all knew she wasn''t long for this world, and the Echo had time to decide after the two days of mourning. Sorana and her priests will make the decision in time."


    Everyone nodded in agreement, sipping their cups of wine.


    "What do you think the contest will be?" asked Cassius. He grabbed a piece of bread with what looked like patte atop it and swallowed in one bite.


    Reza thought for a moment, though the question had been on his mind for days.


    "I think many people hope for a contest of will or might. The last one had many hopefuls¡¯ dreams be dashed because of Kelmonas''s tricky ploy in their champions trial." Reza took a small sip of wine and continued to talk. "But I truly don''t know what it will be. Every idea that comes to mind seems as likely as the next. Abyss take us if some Echo makes it a pie-eating contest. We''d all be screwed with Cassius here."


    Reza laughed, and the rest joined in. Cassius froze with a piece of bread halfway to his mouth. He was by no means fat; his colossal bulk was more muscle than anything, but the man was well known for his ferocious appetite. "Hilarious, Marius, you might all laugh, but I surely would win such a contest." He scarfed down the bread and smiled mischievously.


    Everyone laughed again, and Reza loosened his tie, pulling it from his neck and relieving himself from the uncomfortable clothing Tavia had required him to wear. It had been years since he put a suit and tie on. Though the suit was well tailored and fit him well, he thought it would not be something he wanted to wear consistently. The suit was such a dark purple that it was black under the night sky, with bone white threaded throughout the clothes. Likely had cost his coffers a large amount of golden ghouls.


    "Marius," a voice from behind him called out. He turned to see Tavia standing on the deck just below the canopy. She was dressed in a beautiful midnight blue dress with earrings and a necklace with rubies studded in each. She talked with one of the servants hired for the night. Finishing her orders, Tavia caught Reza¡¯s eye, motioning for him to join her.


    "Excuse me, gentleman, but it seems I am needed," he said, and he shook Cassius''s hand before he left, nodding to the rest.


    They all turned back, returning to their conversation. "We won''t stand in your way if that is the contest. We wouldn''t want to be eaten."


    Laughter came from the group again, and Reza had to smile at that jab. They all seemed amiable and looked to be enjoying themselves. Unfortunately, Reza had to be a bit careful around such a group. All, including Cassius, were from more prestigious families than his own. Reza had to tread a fine line between being the head of his house, and it being his party while also showing a measure of respect to them.


    Thankfully, they had taken everything in stride, and none pushed any major formalities within his home. They weren¡¯t the only ones that had shown up unexpectedly. With the rumors Tavia had spread, many people were here already that he had not anticipated to come or assumed they would only send a representative to the party. And yet several heads of houses and whole families had come. Tavia had taken it all in stride, and no one looked to be lacking in food, drink, or entertainment department. The band played in the garden, and multiple people danced on the cobblestones that formed the party''s center.


    Reza glided past several groups, and the suit jacket strained as he tried to move his arms. I could never fight in this. It keeps stopping my arm movement. Why anyone felt the need to wear such a restraining garment was beside him, the military made a better overcoat. While they could not be considered fashionable, the uniforms were well made and could withstand a lot of wear and tear, unlike this suit.


    "Get the extra case from the basement, and tell Crista she needs to double the output. Our guests are hungry," Tavia ordered the servant. The man rushed away with as much dignity as he could.


    "What do you need, Tavia?" Reza asked, taking a spot next to her, leaning against the railing.


    "It''s already a mess. We didn''t order enough drinks, and the food is subpar. And where are the Sulli''s its been two hours and no sign." She glanced towards the manor at the open doors where guests entered the garden. No one seemed to be arriving, but a servant stood ready to help if someone did.


    "As you said, only two hours. Did you expect a member of one of the ten families to come at the start of the party? We have hours to go. I wouldn''t worry. I don''t think Lord Sulli will go back on his word," Reza said. However, the same thoughts had gone through his head the last two days. He wouldn''t believe this would happen until he saw a Sulli walk through the open doors. Had he not been so exhausted during the conversation, he would have offered to have a driver, or himself escort the guests to the party. But alas, he had been too slow in thinking through the honor he was getting.


    "Also, the party is going great, the best you and Cassia, wherever she went off to, have done yet. Nothing is going wrong, and the guests are enjoying themselves. I wouldn''t worry about the Sulli''s, they will come," Reza chuckled and took a sip of his wine glass. "We spent plenty to gain much tonight. I¡¯m sure you already have half a dozen deals settled, even though you should be enjoying yourself.¡±


    Tavia gave a mischievous smile, the stress gone for the moment. "Of course, but that''s beyond the point. I could have more if I didn''t have to put out every fire. Cassia is flirting with every boy at the party and doing nothing to help the family." She looked across and glared at our sister. Reza could see Cassia talking with a young boy, maybe sixteen or seventeen.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "My darling sister, you seem to be off tonight. Cassia is playing a game all her own, for her and us. That boy she''s talking to is the heir to the Gredicar family." Reza explained though he felt annoyed by his youngest sister. It was quickly coming upon Cassia at the time when she could marry if the family found the right match. Reza, of course, would have to facilitate such a union, and usually, these were done to create an alliance or pact with another family. He cringed at such an idea as he would not want such a life for anyone he married and thus allowed Cassia to find someone she felt something for over anything. He could worry about everything else after.


    "That boy is acceptable, I guess. Quite boring, to be honest. He tried talking to me at a party last year. He kept rattling on about fighting and the Archons." Tavia said. "Cassia needs someone much more interesting."


    "Hmmm, we can worry about that later. We have company," Reza straightened noticing a few new arrivals to the party. Reza quickly tightened his tie and straightened his clothes, checking how he looked.


    Two figures came out between the doors, and Reza walked up to meet them with Tavia at his side. Lukas Sulli was dressed in a very finely cut black suit, and Marie was dressed in a flowing black dress. Both were in black mourning colors for their cousin, but still fit for a party.


    Reza met them as soon as they reached the deck of the back of the manor, bowing to both. While this was his house, the Sulli¡¯s were at the peak of society, and he would not let down his family by acting in an ungrateful manner.


    "Marie, Lukas. It¡¯s a pleasure to see you again. Welcome to my estate," Reza said respectfully, leaning down to take Marie''s hand and kissing it quickly.


    He stood and held out a hand and shook Lukas''s hand.


    "Of course, I''m sorry we''re late, but time got away from us," Marie said, with a slight nod of her head to herself and Tavia.


    "No problem at all," Reza asked, looking at Lukas. "How are you feeling?"


    "Good, but still a bit tired," Lukas replied with a strong voice. His cheeks were still sunken, and he still had light purple circles under his eyes, the only indication of his troubles from days ago. Pushing the obvious signs away, there was power in his eyes, and the grip he gave Reza¡¯s hand told him the young man was well on his way to recovery. Better than Reza would have expected after riding for an entire day and night with soldiers hunting you down.


    "Good; I''m sure you will make a full recovery in no time. Lukas, Marie, this is my sister Tavia," Reza indicated to his sister, who stood with a calm expression on her face. Reza noticed her eyes grow slightly wide before she schooled her expression again, and neither Sulli noticed her nervousness.


    "It''s good to finally meet you," Tavia bowed slightly to both. "Marius told me about everything, and mentioned both of you several times over the last couple days. We weren''t sure who was planning to come."


    Lukas shared a glance with his cousin before Marie set her eyes on Reza. Were they surprised I had mentioned them? That couldn''t be. They had to know I would tell my siblings something.


    "I see. We weren''t sure who would come either. Lukas was still recovering and only felt strong enough this afternoon. And I asked to come to thank Marius for saving my cousin again. We were already mourning both him and Marcellus. But he brought one of them back to us." She gave Reza a small curtsy. Reza could feel the back of his neck getting red. He had to find a way to turn the conversation away.


    "Of course, let''s find both of you seats, and we can continue this more comfortably," Reza guided them to a table and pulled out a seat for Marie and then Tavia before taking his own.


    Reza motioned for a servant and leaned in when the man came close, keeping his voice low so none of the others could hear his orders. "Find my sister Cassia and have her join us. Also, bring our best wine and five cups."


    "Right away, sir." The servant moved through the crowd, sliding through the guests with minimal issue.


    Reza turned back to Marie and Tavia, who were already in conversation with each other.


    "I must say I''m very impressed with this party. Everyone seems to be having a lovely time," Marie said, her eyes taking in the elemental lanterns, music, and people laughing, talking, and dancing throughout the garden.


    Though Reza noticed many of the people at the party eyeing the group, whispering conversations all around them, he ignored them, keeping his attention on his new guests.


    "Thank you, my sister, and I have been working hard to make sure this party went well with little help from Marius," Tavia laughed, and Marie joined in, looking towards Reza.


    "What''s this fiction? I gave up my leave to help and you spread such lies," Reza argued with a smile, defending himself. Tavia just had to poke at me in front of guests and important ones.


    "Yes, yes, he helped a little. I guess," Tavia laughed again.


    "I''m sure he did plenty," Marie said as she placed a hand on his shoulder for a moment, defending him.


    He looked at it, but she returned her hand to the table before he could do anything. She had already returned her focus to Tavia.


    "Beyond Parties, what do you do?" Marie asked.


    "Oh, I have several business interests that I handle for the family in and around Arkhen," She answered earnestly. They began to discuss all the different businesses and trading Tavia handled, but the topic was quite dull to him.


    Reza turned back to Lukas. The young man had been quiet so far tonight. Maybe he should not be here. His energy already looked to be fading a bit.


    "Do you need anything, Lukas?" Reza asked.


    "No, I''m good, just I haven''t been to many parties, and I don''t really know what to do," He said.


    Reza chuckled. He had to remind himself Lukas was pretty young, though it was surprising. He was a Sulli and knew the ten families held many parties beyond her tonight.


    "Most of it is talk. Tavia will use this time to make deals with potential partners and clients while they will help us celebrate tonight for our ancestors. Everyone wins."


    He looked up at me. "You don''t seem interested in what they are discussing," he said, nodding toward Marie and Tavia.


    "An accurate statement, I fear my skills never right for buisness and numbers, not like Tavia. I was always good with my hands, and the soldier''s life suited me, and it''s an honorable profession." Reza said, shrugging. For many in the lower nobility, it was one of the likeliest careers, that or joining the city''s bureaucracy.


    The servant returned, placed five cups on the table, and brought two bottles.


    "Would you like me to cut the wine?" he asked, placing the red bottle on the table while keeping the clear one in hand.


    "Yes, make it half water. There''s no need to get drunk off the wine. I want to enjoy it," Reza said. "Is everyone good with that?"


    He looked around, and each one, in turn, nodded their agreement. The waiter opened both bottles, hastily poured the two liquids, and handed a cup to each of us. He took a small sip and tasted the lovely wine. The spice was just enough that it didn''t overpower the taste.


    Marie also had a small taste. "Lovely wine, where is it from?"


    Tavia answered quickly, "It''s out of Terrick. I partnered with a wine merchant who imports it to the city last year. I always try to keep as many bottles of it in the house as possible. It''s popular among the family."


    Tavia had kept some big guns ready for their guests; he had not realized they had any of this wine left within the house. Each bottle of this wine could cost close to fifty ghouls. For most wines, a bottle was closer to three.


    Marie glanced over, and Reza took a quick sip of the wine. "Tavia gets good rates if the family ever needs wine." He smiled and gave a wink. Hopefully, Marie understood his joke. It wasn''t the worst thing to get the notion that the Sulli''s could make deals with the family.


    "Lord Sulli is never against having contacts, and I would love to talk more with Tavia about her dealings." Marie gave Reza a knowing smile before turning her attention back to Tavia.


    Reza let them go. Their conversation was animated, and he knew Tavia had everything in hand. Returning his gaze to Lukas, Reza tried to gauge the young man. He had held the sword and didn''t flinch when looking death in the eyes, but he didn''t have the skill to defend himself. How was a noble so inept at fighting at his age?


    "Do you know much about fighting?" He asked.


    Lukas looked up, his eyes on Reza a light shown in them for a moment. "Um, no not beyond the basics everyone is taught. My father was never the martial type, more focused on the family''s estates south of the city. That''s why I was sent to my Cousin''s Legion. To learn how to fight and use my wraith. I''m unsure what will happen now with my training, but Lord Sulli probably already has plans, and we have not had time to discuss them since my recovery."


    Very interesting, there¡¯s something here. Lukas had something, the instinct that so many soldiers did not have. His words showed Reza a little more about the man within, and he was impressed. "I''m sure Lord Sulli does. From the little time I was with him, I was very impressed with him. And your family has done well over the last few decades of staying in power." Reza said, finishing his wine.


    "Brother, why are you questioning the young man with such boring topics," a voice behind him said. He turned to see his youngest sister, Cassia, joining the conversation


    Reza quickly stood and gave her his seat. Cassia was flushed as if she had rushed to the table when the servant finally found her. Taking the seat, Cassia placed herself next to Lukah. She turned to give him her full attention, already smiling at him. The young man looked up, and his neck reddened.


    "I''m sorry you feel that way, Sister. Some people would argue against such a notion.¡± Reza responded, smirking, taking the seat next to Tavia. ¡°Lukas, this is my sister, Cassia. Cassia, this is Lukas Sulli, heir to the Sulli Family," Reza said.


    Cassia gave a bemused looked at Reza before she held her hand out to Lukas. "A pleasure to meet you."


    Lukas took the hand and gave it a quick kiss.


    Already making your mark, sister. Careful. Reza felt his stress building as he tried to catch his sister''s eye, but she refused to drop her gaze from Lukas.


    "No, the pleasure is mine." He said, glancing at him before his attention returned totally to Cassia.

 Chapter 9: Anceslia pt. 2

    She is beautiful. Lukas couldn''t take his eyes off Cassia. Something about her made the garden seem a little brighter, more welcoming. The stress and fear of the last few days were a great deal more manageable than they had been a moment before she arrived. She was much smaller than her brother and dressed in a tight-fitting emerald dress that flowed down her body with a slit running up the dress, ending just above her knee.


    "I''m sorry my brother was boring you," She said, grabbing the last cup of wine and tasting a small sample. "He always talks about fighting, the Legion, and the lot. He really has nothing else to talk about."


    "Honestly, I wasn¡¯t bored. I was joining my cousin''s Legion before his death. At least I would have been part of the life for a while." Lukas responded. Reza hadn¡¯t been bothering him, and honestly, he was someone who might be able to answer some questions that had begun to bother him. "But of course, there are many other subjects that we could talk about."


    "Of course, I''ve just been discussing the new play at the Amphitheater in the city that started last week.¡± Cassia smiled, easily changing the subject. She seemed so at ease, and Lukas leaned in closer to listen. There was an ease and calmness to her. ¡°Kalia said it was amazing, Tavia; we must see if we can get seats next week."


    ¡°I also heard it was quite the impressive play,¡± Marie cut in before Tavia could respond. "Our family has a private box at the theatre, so we can go to most performances if we please.¡±


    Now, there''s a thought. Lukas latched onto what his cousin had said, watching Cassia¡¯s eyes gleam with interest at Marie''s words. In the days since he¡¯d awoken, Lukas felt a need to protect his honor with Reza. The sword, along with himself and Marie participating in this party, was a paltry reward for his life, and Lukas could not resist recognizing him further. And maybe he could impress Reza¡¯s sisters, especially Cassia, with another reward, which would double the benefit his family would get. Taking his thoughts in stride, he made an offer. "We''d love it if you come and join us one night. It would be another lovely way I could repay your brother for saving my life.¡±


    He kept his eyes on Cassia, knowing Reza would likely want to reject the offer as he had done with Lukas¡¯s uncle. But if he could get the sisters on his side, it would be more difficult for him to deny such an innocent request from the heir of the Sulli house.


    Lukas smiled at his thoughts as Cassia beamed with pleasure at the notion. Turning, she wordlessly looked to her siblings for their thoughts before answering. Within seconds, it seemed the three siblings had an entire conversation before him.


    "That would be lovely. I hope that isn''t a hassle on your end. We wouldn''t want to put anyone out." She said.


    Lukas looked at Marie, and she gave him a brief nod, barely noticeable. She had already lectured him on the way to the party and in the past day to take more of a lead. He was the heir to their house, and she truly wanted him to succeed. Marie had been very supportive over the last few days, helping him recover and guiding him with everything piled on him by his new duties.


    "Not at all. It''s the family box. I believe Lord Sulli uses it at times. But he won''t have an issue with my request for the box," Lukas said with more conviction than he had. He had no idea if his uncle would have a problem or not. Marie would have stopped him if she thought he would deny the request.


    "Let''s say Friday night," Lukas again glanced at Marie, and she nodded. "I''m sure that will be the best night for a wonderful showing."


    And maybe it would be fun, or at least an experience he could share with people interested in such an activity. He''d never been to a play nor had any notion if the story was good or not. For now, he would have to take Cassia¡¯s friend¡¯s assessment and make his own opinion Friday.


    "Oh, you¡¯re amazing. Thank you," Cassia beamed. She leaned over and hugged him, giving him a brief kiss on the cheek. ¡°I cannot wait now. Tavia, we will have much to do this week to prepare.¡±


    Lukas wrapped his arms around her briefly but let them drop quickly when he saw Reza''s eyes. While the man''s face was expressionless, his eyes held a cold displeasure pointed right at him. It told him everything, and Lukas did not want to push his luck.


    "Lukas, let''s take a walk," Reza asked.


    Lukas nodded, slightly worried about Reza¡¯s reaction to such a minor situation. Maybe he had done something wrong, Reza. Lukas hoped he had not. Though he knew little of him, He respected Reza for his actions and did not want to ruin that. Lukas bowed low to the women as he stood to go with Reza. "Yes, of course. I think a walk to stretch my legs might do me well right now. I''ve been in bed for far too long. Ladies, we shall be back."


    Marie gave him a meaningful glance between himself and Reza before returning to her conversation with Tavia. While Cassia gave a slight frown to her brother but reluctantly joined Marie and Tavia¡¯s conversation.


    Reza guided him through the party until they had left people behind and moved to a more private part of the garden. Lights still glittered behind the trees, and the moon glowed full, giving enough light that he could still see Reza.


    He didn''t think Reza was about to hit him. But there was always the slight chance Reza might do something foolish. Doubtful, but always a possibility.


    "What do you want to talk about?" Lukas asked, though it was more than obvious it had to do with the play and his sister.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Reza didn''t speak. He just had his arms looped into his belt, two knives showing from under his armpits. Seconds continued to pass as Lukas''s dread built from their uncomfortable silence. It ended when a silver ethereal wraith appeared on Lukas''s side.


    He jumped away from the shade as it disappeared, and Reza took its place. Lukas cried out, moving a step back away from the man.


    Reza spoke in a low voice for only Lukas to hear. "Be careful with my sister, for the both of you."


    "It wasn''t anything, I swear," Lukas took another step away from him.


    Reza ignored Lukas¡¯s panic and sat on the bench near the path''s edge, leaving Lukas standing. "Oh, shut it; no one there was blind to either of you. But you must understand that I will not have my family dishonored because some high noble breaks my sister''s heart. You are now an heir to one of the most powerful houses in the city, and Lord Sulli won''t take it kindly if you attempt to pursue a lowly, mundane noble."


    Lukas wanted to say something. He had not had such thoughts beyond recognizing that he found Reza¡¯s sister attractive. But he also wanted to refute the notion that Reza¡¯s family was mundane. In the short time he had been with them, it was apparent this was a family on the rise or soon would be. There was something to each of them. But Lukas held his tongue, knowing he¡¯d be a fool, too, until Reza had said his fill.


    "Be friends with her. Take her to the play for all I care. But do not give her any inkling of anything more," Reza lectured, no anger in his words, just some advice mixed with a bit of intimidation.


    "I would never, I promise. It wasn''t like that; she has an energy about her. It was nice after everything that happened. She was just so joyful when I made the offer," he rambled, trying to explain.


    Reza nodded in agreement. His demeanor changed, and his words became lighter. "I get it. She does that to everyone. They feel improved and calmer after they are with her. She lights up the room around her. There''s nothing to it; she''s just one of the happiest people around, and I would like to keep it that way."


    The last words struck Lukas harder, and he took note.


    "I promise, I will keep it as friends. I do hope that all can be friends," Lukas said. No matter their difference in standing within the city, Lukas had a feeling that a friendship with Reza would be a good choice. He suspected it was likely why his uncle had made him go tonight. Plans with plans, Lord Sulli forever weaving a web of power and influence.


    "Of course, I have no reason not to extend the notion. I want to make sure you understand that while we can be friends, my family and I are far below you, and there is certain etiquette we must adhere to." Reza said, smiling. He held his hand out. "To friendship."


    Lukas took it. Reza had done a complete turn, but it was good to understand his feelings. "As a friend, would you mind if I ask you a question?" Lukas asked. If anyone could answer some questions before he received martial and magical training, it could be Reza. Maybe he would be willing and have the answers to the questions. Better yet, get him off the subject of his sister. Reza¡¯s demeanor when he threatened him was not something Lukas wanted to be directed at him again.


    "You may," Reza said, leaning back on the bench.


    ¡°How do you know how to use the power you received from your pact?¡± Lukas asked; he wanted to call his wraith to him but resisted the urge. ¡°I can¡¯t figure it out, and I worry that I will hurt someone if I continue without guidance.¡±


    "Astute thinking. Many people are not as weary of their power and get hurt rushing too quickly without thinking through the consequences. A good start already for you.¡± Reza said, scratching at his chin. It took a few moments before he answered Lukas¡¯s question.


    ¡°It''s different for everyone. Some passively use their power. I, on the other hand, have to actively work with Elana, take hold of it, and flare my power to change positions with her," Reza answered. Lukas took a step back, watching as Elana appeared through the darkness, her silver eyes first appearing before. She leaned against the bench next to Reza, her eyes never leaving his own.


    "How do you know her name?" Lukas asked. A few people he knew called their wraiths by a name. My wraith has no name that I know of."


    "And many don''t. We had to work on finding her name. I called her different names until she settled on the one she wanted. Is it her actual name? I have no idea and do not care to find out one way or the other." He looked up at her, and she placed a hand on his shoulder, a small smile crossing her face.


    "So should I do that with mine," Lukas called forth, taking hold of his power, and his crimson uniformed wraith appeared by him, glaring at Reza and Elana.


    They examined the wraith, and the man never moved as Elana glided to stand right before him. She was almost a head shorter than him, but she never even flinched at seeing his scarred arms and face.


    "Fascinating, he looks very fierce. I always enjoy meeting new wraiths whenever I can. Do you know what powers he may have granted you?" Reza asked, straying from the original topic.


    "No, Marcellus was going to help me find out. Lord Sulli will hire someone now, but I thought I''d get a head start by trying to figure it out myself," Lukas said. If he was ahead of the game, he could impress the family with his skills and cement his standing as Heir. While Marie had backed him, there were going to be several in the family unhappy with the choice and wanting to remove him from the position if they could.


    "Well, the first thing is to go to the city¡¯s library. This wraith is unique looking. I haven''t seen many like him in my time. The censors have tens of thousands of books on the various wraiths that have made pacts with people in the history of Arkhen." Reza finally answered Lukas¡¯s original question.


    "Really, why hasn''t anyone told me?" Lukas asked with anger in his voice. His father or Marcellus should have done this with him. He calmed himself, trying not to think badly of his cousin; may his soul forever rest.


    "Most likely because it takes time, and it''s likely your wraith isn''t in one of the books," Reza said. He nodded over to Elana. "She wasn''t. I spent several weeks reading those books and never found her. Either I''m her first pact or her other pact wielders never placed her name in the books."


    So much to think about. When could he get to the library, and would his wraith even be there? If he was, would the information help? Plans began to form in his head, but he needed more information.


    "Well, I have work to do," Lukas turned to walk back but stopped. "If she wasn''t in the books, how did you figure it out."


    He smiled. "I kept grabbing at the connection between us until we changed positions. From then on, it was practicing how to use it. I still have much to learn about the power, and I find new ways to use it constantly. It¡¯s a process, but I don''t recommend doing such a thing in your house." He laughed. "I don''t think Lord Sulli would take kindly if you destroyed the manor. But I would first look in the books. If he''s in there, then you will know what to expect."


    "Knowledge in what''s to come is probably a safe bet. I agree that it would be unwise not to research the matter. Thank you." Lukas said. ¡°Let¡¯s return to the party; I could use another cup of that wine.¡±


    Reza laughed, and they walked quickly back, allowing the wraiths to disappear as they stared at each other, Elana with interest and the crimson wraith with an unreadable expression.


    Returning to the ladies, Lukas joined in the conversation, ready to enjoy the rest of the party.

 Chapter 10: Under the Black Tower

    Reza found himself in the forum, having crossed onto the island from the Merchant Bridge, having completed the errands his sisters had asked for him to do within the city. The chilly morning still found the crowds were as thick as ever, maybe even more with the expected contest news. It had been two days since the Anceslia, and he had finally recovered from the late-night it had turned into and maybe excessive drinking he had done.


    Lukas and Marie stayed for a few more hours, but they mainly talked with other individuals at the party, while Tavia had Reza do the same. Fortunately, he was able to speak with Marie and Lukas one last time as they left, and Reza completed his duty by handing a small gift to each person who had come to the party.


    It would not be long before he saw them again and what had brought him into the city today. Reza and his sisters would be entertained by the Sulli¡¯s in five days at the Arkhen Theatre to see the new play unless he could think of a good enough excess to get out of it. Plays were never his thing, though he¡¯d seen several when he was younger, and they never caught his attention. They were often too romantic and had no exciting plots; he couldn''t understand people''s obsession with them. But Cassia and Tavia were excited to go, and he wouldn''t stop it, nor would he look down on the political opportunities this afforded his family. So, for one night, Reza would swallow his pride and try to enjoy himself.


    Moving through the crowd and trying to weave his way through was difficult for Reza. Thousands of people were milling around, the crowds as thick as he had ever seen. It made his journey to Sorana¡¯s Tower to see if the rumors he heard this morning in the merchant quester were true. Sorana would announce the contest to become her new Archon around midday.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Reza barked at a particularly large group of Wraith Pilgrims. They halted, looking towards the Broken King and his derelict building, and some fell to their knees in reverence, almost praying.


    Multiple pilgrims looked towards him and noticed Reza''s military uniform. The knives and sword at his waist made room and allowed his passage.


    By the time he got to the base of the black unlit tower of Sorana, it was almost midday, the time the rumors indicated the priest would make the announcement. Thankfully, there was no indication that it had happened, as a large crowd gathered around the tower, with Reza noticing the gates were barred.


    Strange. Checking the tower on either side of Sorana¡¯s, Reza effortlessly saw several people entering or exiting the towers. Reza took this as confirmation that the rumors were true, as the towers were open almost every hour, day and night.


    Besides the four destroyed towers, Each of the nine remaining towers was opened to worshipers of the Echos. Priests of the nine would hold worship in a manner personal to the Echo; Iylana focused more on personal worship and allowed her priest to talk individually with people in need. At the same time, other Echoes enjoyed a sermon made by one of the priests or a sacrifice to the Echos when the sun was at its peak or in the dead of night under the moon. Marius knew Sorana enjoyed worship more in the dead of night, where her priests held communion. The rites did not matter; anyone was allowed to participate in or watch the worship. Reza had been in each Echo tower during his life and participated in a few rites.


    Reza was ripped from his thoughts by a hand grabbing his backside and a feminine voice whispering in his ear. "You''d think an officer wouldn''t let someone sneak up on them.¡±


    Reza turned to see a uniformed Sabine laughing as she retreated to lean against one of the pillars surrounding the tower grounds. She smiled mischievously, and Reza joined her, keeping his eyes on the black gates.


    "Well, I would expect my allies to have my back and not try to show how sneaky they are," he said, smiling. "What are you doing here? I thought you''d be back with your Legion."


    She shrugged. "Waiting for exactly what you are. The family worked it out with the Legion. If they have enough pull, you''ll see more than a few people getting leave."


    Stupid question by me. It was an obvious answer when it was spelled out to him. The families were all probably calling in debts left and right to get their best members into the city for the contest with one of the prime positions of power in the world up for grabs. Luck had been on Reza¡¯s side, and the Sulli situation had fallen into his lap that morning, so he extended his leave by several weeks. Had he not, it would not have been an option for himself; he had no such strings to call upon to get released like Sabine. He was not jealous or angry towards Sabine for her family doing it; that was how Arkhen worked.


    "Of course, I wonder how long we will have to wait?" Reza mused. He didn''t have anything significant to do with the weeks of leave he had left. But there were several reasons to have this done sooner rather than later. First, with the likelihood of war in the near future, having another Archon would do wonders and boost the city''s morale. Secondly, Reza selfishly hated the wait. Just counting the seconds, minutes, and hours until something happened felt like torture, and he would instead be droning something than waiting.


    Sabine chuckled, and Reza glanced over to her. "Don''t worry; I expect us to wait less than a quarter-hour for the Priests to exit the tower.¡± She elaborated.


    "And how do you know this?" Reza asked, not surprised that her family had such information. Likely, someone in her family or an ally was a priest for Sorana and let the information leak out to them.


    "My family has at least one member in every one of the churches of the Echoes. My uncle serves Sorana. He sent word this morning that it would be just after midday that they would make the announcement."


    Reza''s thoughts confirmed that it was slightly surprising that the Rewans had members in every church, mostly families held to a single Echo when it came to joining a church. And while most priests came from noble families, it wasn¡¯t always the case. Anyone could attempt to join, but those who did leave their family name behind, though that was only in practice. Everyone knew the priests still held close relations with their families and provided information when they could. Reza even had a few cousins in the church of Iylana, though none were close enough for him to ask them to leak information.


    If Reza needed information, he was more likely to pay for the information; putting a family member in the right places was intriguing. You would know the information collected would be accurate and there was a level of locality. The moral question of having a family join one of the churches for such practices was a unique topic. Reza almost wanted to know what the echoes thought about this. Another question arose: was the Rewans the only family that did this? Reza thought not.


    "What are you thinking about so hard, Marius?" Sabine asked with evident interest.


    Pulled from his thoughts by her using his first name, Reza took several moments before he answered. He was not stupid enough to explain what he had been musing about.


    "Nothing. Did your uncle tell you what the contest would be?" He asked curiously. "I suppose not, or you wouldn''t need to be here."


    "He couldn''t. He can only stretch his oath so far," She said. "He did say that normally Sorana does a physical contest. The last one was a great race around the border of Arkhen. It took Marcellus four days to fight and travel through the field before he crossed the line to win."


    Physical Reza could do it, and a race would be the best possible contest for his skills; very few people within the city and Legions could outpace him with Elana. Unfortunately, the Echo, bless her, would unlikely choose the same contest again. Reza was reasonably sure the Echoes rarely chose the same contest twice or several cycles before the same contest would be used to find their new Archon.


    Reza pondered the options. It was some psychical contest that wasn¡¯t a race that pointed to fighting or possibly a measure of strength. Either way, it was better than a puzzle, which was far from being a strength.


    "Are you going to join the contest?" he asked. He knew the answer already; Sabine knew his path, too, but it was best to ask.


    "Of course, I think multiple family members will make the attempt. I know my brother is out there in the crowd, ready to make his pledge." She said, her face growing dark when she mentioned her bother.


    "Lucius, I did not realize he was back in the city,¡± Reza scowled, his anger rising from the mention of her brother¡¯s name. ¡°I hope he jumps off a cliff.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    The man was a couple of years younger than both but had already been promoted to centurion through his father¡¯s patronage. Even so, Lucius wasn''t shy about rubbing it in their faces. Reza could do nothing because of the vastly different ranks in society and the Legion, and it galled Reza to hold his tongue against the man. Lucius had always been angry that he was not heir and tried to find ways to undermine Sabine.


    "Father always doted on him. He continued it this morning when we met with Father, but at least I can have the last laugh in this contest." She said her voice almost sounded like a growl.


    "Hopefully, the contest will allow such an opportunity for one of us to smash his damn face in," Reza said.


    Thankfully, Reza¡¯s thoughts were interrupted, and he allowed himself to forget about Lucius as the black gate opened, the crowd anticipation building as everyone waited. Reza held his breath as two people appeared behind the gate, dressed in robes of the deepest black he had ever seen. One was an older woman with stark white hair who held herself in an air of power and superiority that spoke volumes about her high-ranking position within the church of Sorana. The man by her side was young, around the same age as Reza and Sabine. His brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and a tiny yellow wraith, hunched over using a walking stick, floated behind him.


    "It seems the time is at an end," Reza said, standing up straight to see over the crowd that began to push closer to the priest. They didn¡¯t get far when sliver armored guards came from inside the tower and created a line holding back the crowd around a small dais that the young man stepped onto with the women following behind. Glancing back at the white-haired priestess, she gave her consent. Turning back, The young priest held his hands aloft; it took only moments for the forum to be silenced; they waited on bated breath for what he had to say.


    "Arkhenites, our lady Sorana has finished mourning Marcellus Sulli, though she will never forget her Archons. I ask that we have a moment of silence for our fallen leader." The man''s voice felt like he was talking right in front of Reza, not hundreds of feet away. Power laced every word. Interesting power, a born orator. Sorana found the perfect power to have within her church.


    Everyone bowed their heads, with Reza following. Taking a moment again, Reza said a quiet prayer. Marcellus, you¡¯ll be remembered as a man who fought to the end, as a person to embody. You saved Lukas in exchange for your life and brought great honor to yourself, your family, and the city.


    Reza raised his head, watching the crowd. Many still had their heads lowered, with several wraith pilgrims kneeling in deep prayer. For a quiet minute, most people had finished and waited for the man to continue. He allowed the seconds to pass, the silence lengthening until the crowd was almost leaning towards him, waiting for his words.


    "Thank you. Our Lady Sorana has taken the time to decide how she shall choose her next pact wielder." He stopped again, and the crowd around the gate began whispering to their neighbors. He gave them a moment to speculate before he continued.


    "Sorana, in her great wisdom, has called for a grand contest of arms. Any Arkenite that would like their chance to be her pact wielder can place their name on the rolls to fight for the privilege. In two days, the first bouts shall begin." He stepped down from the dais, leaving the crowd to burst into discussion.


    Reza felt excited by the words; they were exactly what he wanted to hear. If there was a contest he could perform well in, it was dueling. Reza smiled, thinking about the possibility of meeting many skilled warriors blade against blade, wraith against wraith. There would be several dominant individuals he would be able to fight. It would be tough, but a challenge he would gladly take. It seemed many agreed with several different stone tables, with several priests sitting behind each had appeared. Men and women were already adding their names to the rolls, and lines formed before the tables.


    "Well then, let¡¯s go add our names." Sabine started to make her way through the crowd, and Reza followed in her wake, trying not to lose sight of her. But she could get through groups with such ease that he was beginning to lag.


    "Sabine, wait," he yelled. Thankfully, she heard Reza and stopped allowing him to catch up. "Thanks. We don''t have to rush. Our names will get on the rolls."


    "I''m sorry. I want to make sure I''m in." She replied that she had a weird energy that Reza knew was about her brother, but he chose not to comment, and they again started to weave their way through the crowd.


    While Reza knew hundreds, if not thousands, of people, would join the competition, the vast majority would not, and he and Sabine had to push their way through them. These people were chatting excitedly about the upcoming entertainment that had been announced or leaving to get on with their lives after they heard the news.


    Finally, Reza broke through the crowd and joined one of several lines, with men and women all talking and laughing as they waited their turn to sign up for the rolls. Many were soldiers or dressed in well-tailored clothes that indicated their noble birth. Yet Reza also noticed several people dressed in rags or dusty work clothes as they had just left the fields on their farm. It would be an interesting group of people fighting for the honor.


    Thankfully, they did not have to wait long as the lines moved fast, and before long, they were both at different tables. The older Priestess Reza had seen standing with the orator was sitting behind the table, her eyes focused on him. Up closer, the block robes were almost unnatural in how dark the fabric was, and they were nearly uncomfortable to look at for any length of time. It felt like anyone touching the fabric would fall into the deep darkness of the void and never return.


    "Name child," The priestess asked in a husky voice. The dark circles under her grey eyes and the weariness in them made Reza believe she''d been up for days. But her voice showed no sign of any tiredness.


    "Marius Reza," he said, bowing.


    "Show me your wraith," She said bluntly.


    "Beg your pardon," He asked.


    "Our lady Sorana has ordered that every person who joins the contest must have a wraith," she said dryly. So be a dear and show me your wraith."


    I don''t like this. He hated bringing Elana out unless he had to. It always felt wrong for him to force her to come without a need. She had always seemed to hate it. He had no doubt she would give him a well-deserved glare when she realized why she had been summoned.


    He grabbed at the power within, and she appeared by his side. And it took only moments before he got the look he expected. I''ll be getting this for days now. Maybe the good fights we will have during this will make up for it, and she¡¯ll forgive me.


    He mouthed, "I¡¯m sorry," and nodded to the woman. Elana stared at him for a few more moments before she turned her attention to the lady and gave her the same.


    She laughed, nodding to Elana. "A feisty one; maybe you do well in the contest then. My honored Wraith, please place your hand on this stone."


    The priestess motioned to a large cylindrical black stone on the table before her.


    ¡°What does that do?¡± Reza asked warily. He did not like having Elana do anything and would leave if he believed it dangerous.


    ¡°Nothing harmful. We need to check to see if she and you are powerful enough to be part of the contest.¡± The priestess explained. ¡°We expect many people will be interested in joining the fighting, but we must make sure to weed out the ones unsuited to the level of competition. There will be limits and protections within the contest, and we hope for no deaths, but that can¡¯t negated totally, so we will only allow the strongest to enter. Now, would you both please place your hands on the stone?¡±


    Reza looked to Elana, who still held her glare but nodded and placed her hand, with him following. He felt a slow pulse of power shoot through his body before it was gone, and an ethereal black glow emitted from the stone.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± She wrote his name into the roll. "You will be placed in the second bout on the first day. Be at the stadium by the ninth hour. You will be placed with fifty other opponents, and the last five standing without three marks will advance to the next round."


    "Marks?" Reza asked as he released his power, allowing Elana to disappear. The first round was tricky, with fifty fighters to keep the fight under his control. Any knowledge gleaned or given to him would be a factor in making it through.


    ¡°Sorana will mark everyone with an item that will serve...¡± The priestess went silent and unnaturally still, her eyes glowing softly.


    Bloody Echoes. Reza, unsure what was happening, took a step forward around the table, concerned for the priestess¡¯s safety. Looking for help from another, Reza noticed multiple people eyeing the priestess, but none of the other priests seemed concerned and continued their duties. There was some murmuring behind him from the line, but no one came up to help him, and he waited helplessly, unsure hope he could help.


    Several seconds passed with the priestess frozen, not even taking a breath while her eyes glowed, before finally, the Priestess took a deep breath. With her back, she began to eye him with genuine interest. ¡°Sorana has informed me you already have an item in your possession that will work. The shadow gem you hold will be your mark and serve as your entrance into the contest and a way of preventing your death; be sure to keep it close.¡±


    Reza nodded, stepping back; he wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about what happened. Sorana had communed with the priestess about him. Brushing his fingers across the black gem in the stealth of his new sword, Reza realized he had not had the time to delve deeper into his questions about the gem and the sword''s power. Thankfully, the research would be easier with its name now known to him. Unfortunately, asking the priestess about the shadow gem was not an option now, as hundreds of people were waiting in line. Another time. ¡°What do the marks do?¡±


    "The mark will indicate when you have been hit three times during the contest. Do not worry; it will be obvious when you or your opponents have been hit. When that happens, do not continue to fight, or you may be disqualified during the entrance round or face other consequences," she said, coughing into a cloth and motioning the next person to step forward, dismissing Reza in the same instance.


    "As you say, I will be there," Reza said, retreating and joining Sabine as she left her table. "What bout are you in?"


    "Fourth, I''m not a massive fan of the fifty fighters. That puts a lot of chance that many good fighters will fall out early if people focus on them," She said. "What about you? What bout are you in?"


    "Second, but there''s nothing to be done. We''ll have to be careful. But I''m sure you''ll do just fine," Reza said, putting his arm around her shoulder. "Let''s go get a drink; I need one after today; for the rest, we will just let the coins fall where they may."


    Sabine laughed as they left the forum and the many hopefuls behind.

 Chapter 11: Breakfast within the House of Sulli

    Lukas straightened himself in his chair as the servant placed a plate in front of him at the dining table. It was heaped with eggs, bacon, and spiced potatoes that could feed three people with several slices of fresh bread on a side plate. This had become common over the last few days, with the servants bringing massive meals whenever Lukas ate to help him recover. Lukas had only complained about the first meal after he was politely told that it was ordered from his Uncle. And it had honestly helped him recover, with him feeling almost back to normal.


    Digging into the wonderful food, Lukas noticed Marie enter, taking the seat on his left, while Lord Sulli took his normal seat and sat at the head of the table.


    "Good morning, Lukas," Marie said. She turned to the servant, who rushed over to get her order. "The usual, please, and a cup of coffee."


    "Good morning, Marie, Uncle," Lukas responded.


    Marie looked fully recovered from the party and smiled while turning a page of the book she had brought with her, reading while she waited. While Lukas had enjoyed the party, it had taken a great deal out of him. He stayed in bed the entire next day, and the healer had come back for another round of healing.


    Lord Sulli nodded but focused on the papers he had brought with him. His cup of coffee was in one hand and the other occupied, and he went through each paper diligently, writing down notes as he worked. Lukas could honestly say that he did not envy the work his uncle had to do at all times; there had not been a meal, and he was not doing a bit of work in these few days. Lukas almost dreaded when it would become his life, but maybe he could find a way to lessen the load.


    Lukas continued eating and was full when Marie received her coffee.


    "How are you feeling? Are you going to feel ready for the play in a few days?" She asked, sipping on the coffee. There was genuine concern in her voice; Lukas frowned; maybe he didn¡¯t look as good as he was.


    He hadn¡¯t looked in the mirror this morning, nor had his manservant, William, said anything. And beyond Marie, Lord Sulli, and William, he hadn¡¯t seen many people. Marie had told him Lord Sulli ordered everyone to stay away until he had recovered more.


    Sulli placed the paper he was reading onto the table. "What''s this, Marie?" He asked in a gruff voice, his eyes on both of them.


    "We were planning to go to the play next Friday," Marie answered nervously.


    "Sorry, uncle, I meant to tell you. I invited Marius Reza and his sisters to the play. They were talking of going, and with everything he did for me, I offered to take them." Lukas added, trying to alleviate Marie''s concerns and keep his breakfast from coming back up. His stomach felt uncomfortable all of a sudden. But glancing over to Marie, she gave him an encouraging smile. Lukas knew this would become common for him, and he needed to overcome his nervousness when discussing with his uncle. Trying to calm himself, he waited for his uncle to respond.


    "Well, this makes quite a quandary. I also told Lady Sulli we would attend the play that night. How many seats did you promise?" His tone was neutral.


    Lukas felt a bead of sweat form between his shoulder blades, as he may have created an issue for himself if he had over-promised what he had committed to. Unfortunately, he was not sure. Lukas had no idea how many seats Lord Sulli had in his private box. Echoes be with me and give us enough seats.


    "Three, so it would be five of us with Marie also," Lukas answered with as much confidence as he could muster, his nerves trying to overtake him. Marie nodded. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "We only promised seats for them, and they are all unmarried. Tavia and Cassia were wonderful and very bright. You''ll like them," she glanced at Lukas when she mentioned both names and smiled knowingly.


    Lukas had known with Reza¡¯s warning that everyone knew, but Marie hadn¡¯t commented on the topic except as they returned from the party that she had enjoyed talking with the Rezas. Echoes be damned, she would probably give him no end of ridicule.


    "And Uncle, you have eight seats. Unless you told Aunt Sulli to invite someone, we have the seats," Marie tried to convince Lord Sulli.


    Lukas felt lighter after her words, knowing he had likely not overpromised. Withdrawing the offer would have been in bad taste, and he did not want to. He had been looking forward to seeing them all again.


    They waited, servants, coming to refill their drinks as Lord Sulli pondered silently.


    "I shall make the arrangements. The man wasn''t so bad when he came here," Sulli agreed. "I respected his honor in how he handled the situation."


    Lukas audibly let out a breath he had not realized he was holding. Marie squeezed his hand, giving Lukas a small smile before walking over to Lord Sulli to hug and kiss him on the cheek.


    "Thank you. I''ll have to talk with Lady Sulli about what she is wearing," Marie said, leaving without another word.


    Lord Sulli nodded, placing his papers in a neat pile before his attention turned to Lukas.


    ¡°We need to discuss something before I leave for my meeting today,¡± Lord Sulli said.


    Lukas pushed his food away, his attention focused on his uncle. ¡°Do you need me for something?¡±


    In his short time as heir, he had only been required to recover and attend the Reza party. Did his Uncle want him to join the meetings, or was there something else he would be required to do? Lukas waited to find out.


    "I believe you know that the contest to replace Marcellus starts tomorrow. Her church has invited us to be in the main box," Lord Sulli explained emotionlessly.


    "Oh," Lukas didn''t know what else to say. It had been a week, but it felt wrong how he already started to move on. He had to make sure Marcellus'' memory lived on. He had saved his life; he could not be forgotten. "I suppose we must, for his memory."


    "Well said. But yes, I have already accepted.¡± Lord Sulli explained, continuing to keep his expressionless, and Lukas could not figure out what his Uncle was thinking. ¡°But the main reason I brought it up was I thought it might be a good way to identify a teacher for you."


    A teacher? It took longer than it should have for Lukas to realize what his uncle meant¡ªa teacher for him to learn how to control and use his wraith. Lukas had suspected he would get a teacher with Marcellus dead, but this was not how he expected such a person would be found.


    "Wouldn''t you or someone in the family do that?" Lukas asked.


    Lord Sulli laughed, surprising Lukas. "Oh, no. I am far too busy for such a thing, and no, there aren''t many accomplished users from the family in the city. Tiberius and Acis would have been good candidates, but alas, they are with the Naval Legion and will be gone for another two months at least. No, we will have to look outside the family to start your education," Lord Sulli responded.


    Lukas felt a measure of excitement at the thought of getting a teacher. He needed to understand his wraith so that he would not be afraid or unable to defend himself again. But before he started the training, Lukas would take advice from Reza and try to figure out his wraith''s name.


    "I was wondering if I might go to the library. When I talked with Reza at the party, he suggested I might find something on my wraith in the logs," Lukas asked.


    "The Library? Not now.¡± Lord Sulli said harshly before relenting. "Maybe in a few days. I want you rested for the games tomorrow, and how that party took your energy, you''ll need the rest today."


    "Ok, I guess you might be right. I would like the chance, though, before the play." Lukas was determined to get some information before his uncle selected a candidate for him.


    "See how tomorrow goes, and then maybe the next day William can bring you, but I must go, or I will be late,¡± He stood, gathering up his papers. Servants were already moving to clean off the table from their breakfast. "Go get some rest. Your manservant will be in later with new clothes to try."


    Lukas ambled up to his room before climbing back into bed.


    Tomorrow would be a sad day. Lukas knew that when he sat in that box, it would not be with excitement or eagerness but with mourning and sadness. Tomorrow would be the funeral Marcellus never got. It was likely that a service or something would be done for the fallen Archon, and it would be something. It was Sorana, his echo, that was being fought over.


    Lukas grabbed the book Marie had lent him and began to read, only half-focused on it. His mind wandered off, thinking about tomorrow and his wraith.

 Chapter 12: Oaths under the Amphitheater

    I''m a brainless corpse, Reza thought, rushing through the streets to make it to the amphitheater before the games began.


    He had not expected the gates to be packed with travelers at such an early time in the day, with the sun having only risen less than an hour ago. But hundreds of people clogged the entry into the city. It didn''t help that the Legions now had a camp holding each of the three gates into the city; they added a second layer of protection and time answering questions. It made his journey double the time he had hoped for.


    Reza rushed through the streets, weaving through people and carts to get to the amphitheater. He finally turned the corner onto one of the main streets in the Northern District. The theater appeared, and the grand building was formed from massive rune-covered blocks of white marble streaked with black through each one.


    Around it the street was packed, forcing Reza to push his way through people and apologize the entire way.


    Echoes Abyss, this is annoying. "Excuse me, I need to get through." Reza pushed through another tight squeeze before finally finding room to move down the street. The theater came ever closer before he eventually turned off the main road, the packed street. Reza made his way down the darkened street; the crowds were much easier to navigate as this did not lead to the entrance to the contest.


    "How that many people thought they would get into the contest is beyond me," Reza said. The theater could hold maybe thirty-five thousand people. Reza felt almost double to triple were trying to make their way to the contest, many with their wraiths following along. He turned again and finally turned next to the amphitheater. He walked to a closed side gate, hoping to use it to reach where the contestants needed to be.


    Reza walked up to the gate and knocked. He waited a few moments before trying again. "Anyone there?"


    There was silence behind the gate, and the only noise he could hear was the distant shouts of the people trying to get in.


    No time to waste. Reza pulled on his power and summoned Elana to the top of the wall. He flared his power and switched positions with her, releasing his power and jumping off the wall into the grounds of the amphitheater.


    Reza turned round as a grey uniformed man rushed towards him.


    "What is this nonsense? Everyone must go through the main entrance, no exceptions." He pulled out a two-foot-long cudgel. As he moved closer, a glowing blueish wraith in their uniform appeared beside him with a similar weapon.


    Reza raised his hands. He felt a small drop of sweat on the back of his neck. He did need to deal with this right now. "I''m not here for any trouble. I''m lost and trying to find out where to go before I am late."


    The guard stopped a short distance away. "Lost is about right. I''ll escort you out now and ensure you''re banned from seeing the contest."


    Reza moved to stop the guard from moving. "I''m not here to see the contest. I''m fighting in it."


    The guard looked unconvinced, his club still ready to smack Reza.


    "If you don''t believe me, bring me to one of the priests of Sorana. They should be able to clear all this up." He didn''t want to continue with this. He just wanted to get to the contest. But he didn''t have any hard feeling that the guard was doing his duty.


    The guard''s stance relaxed. "Come with me. We will figure out if you''re telling the truth." The man motioned with the cudgel for Reza to walk forward, and he joined a few feet behind him.


    Reza continued to walk away from the shouts of what was probably the main entrance he was talking about. The grounds were empty; unsurprisingly, there were no doors or open areas to move into the theater properly.


    "What am I looking for, and how far is it?" Reza asked over his shoulder. The man and his wraith had their eyes on him.


    "Around this corner, there will be a doorway. Go through that, and it will lead us to where the contestants gather, " he responded curtly.


    The door was indeed there, and Reza moved through it. It led down below the theater. They walked in silence for a time before he could hear voices. The stairs finally opened into a massive room where hundreds of people stood. It was evident that these were the other contestants, as just about everyone held some weapon. Reza examined a few of the closer people. Interestingly, on further examination, the weapons were not real but made of a dark grey, almost black, wood. It became evident that everyone had the same similar grey wooden weapons.


    Surprising, I expected blunted weapons for the contest, not wooden ones. He needed to get his hands on some of them quickly before he went to fight. It was never good to try a new weapon without practice. Each weapon always had a different feel, and the weight of wooden weapons would vastly change how he handled them.


    "Where do we go?" Reza asked. He hadn''t noticed any of Sorana''s priests and priestesses. And unfortunately, none of the contestants near him were people he knew. Would there be anyone in his first fight he would recognize? The rumors from the last few days were that hundreds of people had signed up, but many people he knew had not signed up, except for Sabine and her brother.


    "This way," the guard continued through the crowd, and Reza followed. They met no resistance; most of the combatants just moved out of the way. Reza tried nodding to a few, but they kept to themselves, with few talking to anyone.


    It didn''t take long for Reza to see a priest of Sorana sitting at a large desk near another set of stairs. Reza did not recognize her. She was much younger than the priestess he signed up with. Her black hair was cut very short, barely an inch long.


    The guard walked up to her. "Found this one jumping the wall into the grounds. Says he''s part of the contest."


    Reza moved up to the desk. ¡°I am Lord Marius Reza. I am to participate in the second bout.¡± He bowed to the priestess before stepping back again.


    "Let me check the records," she went through a pile of papers before grabbing one and reading down the line.


    Reza wasn''t nervous. The list had his name on it, he was sure. But there was the little nugget of doubt that it would turn out not to be there that ate at his stomach at the moment.


    The priestess took her time but finally placed the list down and looked back at them. "Ah, there it is. His name is on the list. You may return to your post." She said.


    The guard bowed to her and marched away without another word.


    "Now, let''s not make any more mistakes." She turned to him, placing her cold blue eyes on him. She told him and motioned for him to follow. "We need to get your weapons changed out before the oath."Stolen story; please report.


    Reza followed. "What oath? I never heard anything about that."


    She looked back with a confused expression on her face. "The oath of the contest. Every fighter must make the sacred oath that they will become the Archon should they win the contest. It''s binding to make sure we find the proper champion. Sorana insisted that the oath be added; thus, everyone is required."


    She laughed and brought him over to a couple of hulking figures behind a large counter in the corner of the room. A doorway stood behind them, but Reza could not ascertain what might be behind it.


    "Another contestant," she turned to me. You may choose any weapons you require for your fight. No real weapons are allowed. You will exchange your weapons for replacements, which will be returned after the bout."


    Reza pulled the two daggers out of their sheaths and handed them over, but he hesitated with his sword before hanging it over, too. One of the men took them and walked through the doorway, and the other moved over.


    "Want two daggers and a sword similar to those? Or something else?" He asked as he motioned over to stacks of grey weapons on multiple tables.


    Reza thought for a moment. Fifty fighters, having something else with some length might be preferable, but he was always better with the daggers. Better keep it simple.


    "As many daggers as you¡¯ll allow and the same style sword, please. Never know when I might need to throw a couple." Reza said. He would keep two in the sheaths and start the fight with two daggers in hand.


    ¡°I can give you five,¡± the man said. He moved over to a table, grabbed several grey wooden daggers, and set them on the counter between them.


    Reza picked up two. They were much heavier than he expected, not far from his daggers. "What kind of wood is this?"


    "Just Oak, it''s soaked in an alchemical solution that hardens the wood to an iron-like property. We can sharpen them to use in a real fight, but the whole process to make them is expensive." He looked over at the priestess, and Reza followed his gave. She was in conversation with another priest and didn''t seem to be listening to our conversation. "I don''t get why the priests wanted this weapon; it''s probably three times the gold to arm all of you for the fighting, while blunted weapons would have sufficed. Though these weapons have some advantages, they are stronger and will barely break under pressure."


    Reza gave a low whistle while he weaved the long dagger through his fingers. The weight felt balanced. He might even say that it was better than his. Something about them made him feel lighter, more energized. It might just be how strange they were, but he was curious nonetheless. "Are these your creations? Marius Reza, by the way.¡±


    Reza held his hand out, and the man shook it. "Kelburn and my partner over there is Hellion. We created it or, better yet, stumbled upon the process. We were trying to make iron stronger for our forge, and a length of wood fell into the solution. Came out like iron after I noticed it in there a few hours later."


    He laughed, spinning one of the daggers on the counter.


    "Never thought anything would come out of something that costs much more than iron." Kelburn shrugged. "I started making them as a side project, and then the churches came. They ordered hundreds for their guards. That pesky rule they have about metal and sharp weapons. These give them much better weapons, bends the rule enough that they can wield these weapons."


    Reza spun the dagger. The seamless beauty of the wood spoke to him, and while they were not sharp, the blade felt superior in his hand to the daggers the Legion had provided. These were weapons he would enjoy using.


    However, as he examined the sword, he was not as pleased. The weapon Lord Sulli had given him was superior to this wooden version by a considerable amount. It was not an inferior blade as he continued to examine the wooden blade; it would be considered better than the legion''s iron blades. It spoke more about how impressive the black sword was, and that was before Reza figured out the mysterious power that lay dormant within the blade. He placed the sword into his sheath and returned his attention to the blacksmith. "Where''s your forge?"


    Kelburn raised an eyebrow. "Burners corner. We''re the first forge on the street with all the other forges. If you ask for Kelburn, anyone can point out my shop."


    Reza held his hand out again and shook Kelburn''s hand again. "I may have to order some daggers from you, sharpened, of course. These may be some of the best weapons I''ve held."


    "Very nice of you to say. We will easily be able to fill any order you may have. But you can order them here if you like. We will be here for the entire contest. Just let me know, and I can get the process started."


    "I will do that. The fight today will be a lovely test, and I will be able to make a decision afterward and tell you my thoughts." Reza moved off, taking the daggers with him. It was time to finish this oath and see what he could do with forty-nine other fighters.


    A loud whistle shot through the room. Reza''s eyes scanned the room, looking for where the noise came from. Across the room, on a large stage, five black-robed priests stood above the crowd. He recognized the young orator from the announcement and his wraith standing stonily beside him.


    "Combatants, it is time for the sacred oath," he said, his voice easily heard across the room as if he were standing next to Reza.


    The other priest''s wraiths joined them on the stage, glowing an eerie yellow. Their color made the hairs on his arms stand up.


    "The priests of Sorana and their wraiths will stand witness to the swearing of the oath. Understand this: if you do not say the words, you will not be allowed to participate and do not think we will not know who swore an oath. Sorana eyes are on the contest, and nothing will be beyond her sight." The young priest explained.


    Reza looked around and saw that many did the same thing. Everyone in the room probably had thoughts similar to his, as shown by the expressions on their faces. Sorana watched them as they stood there and would for the length of the contest. But more than that, the contest had become very real. Someone in this room would be the next Archon for her.


    "Please follow the oath and say it exactly as I do." The young man began the oath. "We who are about to battle shall lay down our life for the good of Sorana. We shall take up the cause of Sorana forevermore. I will endure to be burned, to be bound, to be beaten, and to be killed by the sword. But I will not break, I will not desert my service to Sorana, I will die in defense of her and our city."


    Reza hesitated for only a moment, as many did, before proudly making the oath. It was just another step towards this impossible journey he had set himself on. The pledge itself was not as strange as it might have been. It was very similar to his oath with the legions in many ways.


    "Now, the first bout will begin." He paused again before continuing. "As there were so many people that signed up for the contest. We have decided to combine many bouts; the first two will now be one hundred people in the first fight."


    Murmuring began throughout the crowd. It was a shocking announcement. Fifty fighters would have been almost impossible to make it to the last five, cutting everyone''s chances in half.


    He held a hand up, and silence swept through the crowd. "Also, only one fighter will move on to the next round. We will have only ten contestants to fight duels."


    This got the crowd into an uproar. Reza understood their anger, as he had a similar feeling. These changes should have been made public before the room swore to Sorana. Everyone was stuck in a contest where the rules had been changed after they had sworn themselves to the contest. Many people''s odds had just been significantly slashed in a single moment. Hell, even my own aren''t looking great. I am a better one on one fighter, not a melee fighter.


    The legions never even expected him to fight in the proper lines. They sent him with his small group of soldiers to do their own thing, closing into the enemy lines and killing when Reza felt they could. He just shrugged. Life in the legion taught you that things could always get worse; better to just get the job done.


    Sabine appeared through the crowd, and he joined her, pulling her into a hug. She held a bow with two quivers full of arrows on both hips. Her equipment was finished with a bandolier of throwing knives crossing her chest.


    "So isn''t this a joyful trek through the abyss?" Sabine asked. ¡°The only silver lining is that if you can get through this mess, you¡¯re that much closer to the Archon."


    Reza laughed, feeling a little better by her words. "I need your optimism. Always looking at any situation and finding the good in it."


    "Well, in this situation, you have to. We made the oath. I don''t want to think what could happen if we break it." She gave an exaggerated shiver.


    "Of course, and I get to be in the first bout. Lovely," Reza said. He looked at the people around them, but it wasn''t like they had numbers on their clothes to tell who would be fighting.


    "And you''ll take them all out; just watch you back." She grabbed his shoulder for a moment before letting her hand fall. "We both need to be smart so we both get through to the next round. I better see you there."


    "I will. Be smart yourself," Reza wanted to say more, but what else could be said that hadn''t already been?


    "Fighters of the first and second bout, please make your way to the exit. "The young orator said from his perch.


    Reza looked around and saw a few people around his making their way forward and to the right of the stage.


    "I will see you after your fight," Reza said, and he followed a couple of others to the large opening.

 Chapter 13: Within an Arena of Wraiths

    Reza climbed up the ramp with the others until they reached a simple closed gate at the top of the stairs.


    Someone next to him said. "I expected we would go straight into the arena."


    Reza looked at an older man, who could easily have been over a hundred. His hair was completely grey, pulled back into a long ponytail. The brown robe he wore could practically be considered rags. He held a grey wooden single-bladed sword that curved slightly in his hands. Prolly, some poor fool hoping for some luck.


    "They will probably open it after they announce the first bout. While this is a contest to be the next Archon, it''s still entertainment for the people."


    They could hear the crowd down here now that only a single gate stood between them and the arena. The crowd was a deep murmur with bouts of cheering every so often. Reza looked around, noticing that the man had disappeared from sight.


    Unfortunately, Reza had no time to see where the man had gone as the gate suddenly opened, and the entire hundred fighters around him crowded into the arena. Reza stepped onto the arena floor and felt the hard-packed dirt under his boots. It felt freshly packed, almost like rock. Examining the fighting ground, Reza felt while it was not overly large, all one hundred fighters could spread out, and the fighting would have plenty of room. Reza took a bit more time, walking farther away from the gate to get his bearings on what would help him in the fight. Unluckily, there were no pillars or barriers that Reza could use in a pinch. The fight would be all in the open, and we would need to use his powers liberally and follow his instincts today. Challenging, but this will work.


    Purposely moving away, Reza crossed the entire arena until his back was against the wall on the opposite side. Strangely, only a few people followed his lead, with the majority still standing in a large group around the open gate.


    Observing the individuals that moved away, Reza was more worried about these individuals than the group by the gate; each walked with a calm and deadly gait. It spoke volumes about their talent in magic or fighting. Reza continued examining the many challengers to find any clues that could help him in the fight, but one of the fighters caught his attention before the others. She had joined him at the opposite side of the arena, standing only a short distance from where he leaned against the wall. Strangely, she wore a flowing brown dress, not a uniform or fighting attire. It was cut down the sides to allow her to move freely with dark green pants underneath. And she comfortably held a single short sword with her other hand free, with only a ring on each finger.


    He recognized her immediately: Mycelia, the enchantress. Her wraith, a young woman in a large ball gown, stood beside her.


    Her voice and song were well known to have the power of suggestions; Many individuals could come under her spell, following her will to fight for or protect her. She was a deadly Centurion of the Fifth Legion and one of the members of the Bagora family. Many stories were whispered about her ability to turn enemy soldiers on their comrades easily, and many within the Legions knew what a terror she would be as an enemy. She''s the first to go.


    Keeping his eyes away from Mycelia so as not to give an idea of his thoughts, Reza continued to use the time before the fight began to examine every person in the arena. Each person had a spark of power within them; the dozens of colors of their auras swirling around showed that everyone was at the peak of power within Arkhen. The priests of Sorana had not failed in allowing only the most powerful of the city to join the fight. That did not mean there were no levels of power within the arena.


    Reza recognized only a handful of individuals in the area who were true peak powerhouses in this fight, including Mycelia. But there were two or three more than gave Reza pause, with the old man he had spoken to briefly before one such individual. He stood slightly away from the large group, his hand on the single sword at his side, and an aura of calm surrounded him. He starkly contrasted the many well-dressed fighters, whose clothes were almost too nice for a fight, and spoke to their noble birth. Each held themselves straight and strong, waiting for the melee to begin. Reza was surprised that he only recognized Mycelia; though a few looked similar, he could not identify them.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, the first bout is about to begin." The young orator''s voice spread over the crowd; as always, his voice felt like he spoke only a few feet away. "When it begins, these powerful contestants will fight until one is left. Each person is out when they are hit three times."


    The orator paused, allowing the crowd a moment to talk. "Each individual had been magically spelled by a mark they were given when they signed up. When hit for the third time, the individual will glow from their mark when they have been eliminated."


    Three hits for each person Reza fought; he needed to make sure he stuck them three times. Reza pulled on his power, and Elana appeared just behind Mycelia. He placed her to make her look like another''s wraith.


    "Before the fight begins, please take a moment to remember Marcellus Sulli, the last Archon who died to protect this great city." The orator hung his head in prayer.


    Everyone went silent, and Reza bowed his head. It was another gentle reminder that even with the great power all of them were going for, their lives would be forever in danger because of it.


    Reza lifted his head, ready for the bout to begin.


    "Thank you. Marcellus will forever be in our minds." The orator held a single arm high before he let it fall and loudly proclaimed. "Fighters, you may begin."


    Reza flared his power and switched positions with Elana. He struck out before Mycelia could even utter a word of power, slashing her back three times. She began to glow a soft yellow, and he flared his power again back to his original position. One down.


    He watched Mycelia, her shock apparent on her face. She looked around to see who had attacked her before walking between fighters towards the open gate. He pulled his focus from her retreating form, allowing his eyes to flit around the fight. No one came near, with everyone currently occupied with other fighters; Reza even spied two groups of five fighting against each other in a small battle.


    Reza held his position, leaning against the wall, waiting for someone to come to fight him. His plan was not to actively search for a fight but rather to wait and allow the other fighters to drain their resources as they eliminated his opponents.


    It took several minutes of fighting before a hulking brute finished his opponent about fifteen feet from Reza. Turning, the monster saw Reza leaning against the wall and advanced on him. Coming close, he swung a massive axe the haft longer than anything Reza had ever seen towards his head.


    Flaring his power, Reza escaped the beastly swing, appearing on the top of the wall, twenty feet away from the man and several feet above him. The crowd around him screamed as he appeared in front of them. He looked back, smiling at them, though the people leaned back away from him apprehensively.


    "Are you enjoying the contest?" Reza asked as he watched the man lumber towards him. Elana moved through the fighters and appeared on the opposite side of the fight.


    "Come down here and fight, coward," the man growled. He swung his massive ax towards Reza''s legs with such power that he¡¯d likely break both his legs if it hit.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Reza flared and appeared across the arena; again, people shrieked as he appeared. He flared again, appearing behind the giant, cutting three times across his back before he could even react with his massive weapon. The man still tried to slash at him, but Reza flared again, returning to his perch on the wall.


    Reza sat on the wall, watching the fighting. Having been eliminated, dozens of people left the arena, their bodies glowing the soft yellow of defeat. Few people attempted to approach him on his perch.


    However, as he sat, an arrow shot across his body, and he flared away, the arrow bouncing off an invisible barrier that protected the crowd behind him.


    Looking for the archer, it took a moment, but he found them directly across from them, in the shadows of the arena wall, another arrow already pulled back. Reza flashed and started running through the fight. He slashed at people as he moved past them, never gaining three hits but leaving several people with one less life in the contest. He flared and moved just in front of the archer, the man''s wraith standing just behind him with a similar bow. They had another arrow pulled back; Reza took his dagger and slashed across the bowstring, slicing with a dull blade with enough force that the string snapped half.


    The archer''s reflexes were quick as he rolled away, pulling out a dagger. He held himself on one knee, waiting for Reza''s move.


    Reza flared his power and jumped behind the man, slashing down; the archer rolled forward, and his strike missed. The archer came back to one knee and turned to face him. Well done.


    Reza flared again, appearing behind the archer, but didn''t attempt a strike. The archer rolled, and Reza flared with his dagger, already moving just above the archer''s shoulder. Two quick cuts and the man glowed a soft yellow.


    "Well done. I never expected you to dodge my first attack." Reza flared and returned to his position, leaning against the wall.


    Using the brief lull in his fighting, Reza examined the remaining fighters. It had only been close to ten minutes, and half the fighters had already been removed. He flared his power and took his spot back on the wall. The crowd behind him didn''t react as much as they had. He watched the others, allowing another twenty fighters to get knocked out, while he continued to see how the remaining fighters fought and how their powers worked. Many did not seem to have much in terms of great power from their wraiths, nothing flashy. There were only two remaining that had impressed him, and the only competition Reza expected could rival himself.


    Reza identified his next target and flared in front of a wide-eyed man who controlled a large pile of sand formed under each outstretched hand. Going low, Reza cut across the man''s legs, scoring two hits.


    Slashing back to end the man¡¯s day, Reza was forced to his back as a pillar of sand exploded under him. Trying to regain his footing and awareness, Reza felt a sword slash down on his leg and pain shooting up his leg. Gritting his teeth, Reza flared, retreating away from the sandman. Stupid, got cocky with that one.


    Regaining his footing, Reza stood before the man, a broad smile on his face that did not reach the man''s eyes; those were wide with fear. The man knew he had only one more hit left before being eliminated. The smile fell away, and more sand appeared around him, encircling himself, hiding from view his entire body, creating a protective shield. Well, that¡¯s bloody annoying. Damn, coward.


    Reza knew he had no time to break the man''s shield right now, as many people would probably try to use the distraction to take him out. Retreating, Reza flared his power and returned to the wall. Watching the sand shield, his thoughts were confirmed when several fighters attempted to break through the shield to no avail and were eliminated by other fighters. There is no point in risking that right now; I''ll wait for him to make a move.


    Reza changed targets and went for the other challenger he¡¯d identified, who had turned out to be the old man with his frayed robe. Whenever Reza spotted the man, he¡¯d been impressed with his fighting ability. At the same time, the man didn''t seem to show any flashy powers like Reza. The man''s skill with his sword was beyond impressive, never using more movement than was required. He efficiently handled multiple opponents simultaneously, never allowing a single weapon to touch his robe. Within minutes, each opponent he faced was removed from the contest with minimal effort.


    Reza flared his power and attempted a slash across the man''s back. The man''s sword came from nowhere and blocked his attack. Taken aback, Reza was forced onto the defensive almost immediately, with the old man countering with his sword, flowing down Reza¡¯s dagger and trying to stab into his shoulder. Flaring, Reza retreated out of the man''s reach.


    "Oh, very nice," the man said, his eyes looking over his sword at Reza. "You''ll be a fun opponent. Yes, I think you will be."


    "Let¡¯s see," Reza flared, but the man''s sword was already there. He moved again, but again, the sword was already in place, blocking his way. Reza flared again, about five feet away, throwing one of his daggers, then flaring again behind the man. Reza pulled another dagger out and slashed thrice, hitting twice before the man''s sword stopped the third.


    The man lashed out with his sword, but Reza was gone. Flaring multiple times, he moved around the man, slashing but staying only long enough to get blocked, retreating before the man countered. Reza felt some weariness building as the fighting continued, but nothing compared to the exhilaration from the fight he was having with the old man. Jump after jump, Reza continued to fail to break the man''s defense. He thought he might have to switch to using the sword with a dagger, but he worried that his sword skill was far below the old man''s. They fought across the entire arena, each unable to break the other¡¯s defense.


    "Damn, I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll ever get a hit on you," Reza said, taking a small moment to rest, having fought against the man for longer than the rest of the fight the rest.


    "Thank you," He responded, bowing. ¡°I must say you are taking me back to different days.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Reza was grateful. This fight brought him to the edge of his marshal skill, which no one had done for a long time. He would have to find some way to get past this man¡¯s defense as Elana and his skill were pressed to the limit. ¡°Let¡¯s see what we can do.¡±


    The old man nodded, and with their quick conversation finished, Reza and the man continued the fight with such ferocity that few interrupted them. The few who did each were quickly eliminated by either himself or the old man. A quarter-hour passed as they flowed around the battlefield. Reza was still looking for that opening, but the old man failed to score any hits. They finally passed the fighter hidden behind his sand shield.


    "Oh, the scared man." The old man pulled a dagger out from his robe and threw it up in the air; it disappeared behind the sand wall. The sand fell around the hidden fighter, and he appeared to glow a soft yellow.


    "Now that he''s handled," The man said before returning to his fight with Reza.


    Reza retreated away from the man and held his position. Glancing around, Reza noticed only a few fighters remained from the hundred that had started. Flaring his power, Reza began to remove the few remaining fighters, with the old man following his lead until only Reza and his challenger were left.


    Standing in the center of the arena, Reza held two daggers before him. ¡°Let¡¯s begin again.¡±


    ¡°We shall at that,¡± The old man nodded and struck with blurring speed, forcing Reza to flare away. Their duel continued, closing in on thirty minutes of their standstill before the man twisted his blade, causing Reza to slip on a patch of sand. The old man, with ease, sliced with his blade and caught Reza in the shoulder for his second hit.


    Damn this man. I can¡¯t continue this, or I''ll lose this. Reza retreated to grab his dagger. He gathered the energy he had to finish this fight. Nodding to Elana, she knew exactly what they had to do to finish this fight.


    Elana reacted first, moving with more speed than ever before as Reza flared, throwing a dagger as he moved, and then another; he jumped, flaring fifteen feet into the air and throwing a dagger down at the man, and finally jumped a final time.


    Reza dropped to the ground and, using his last dagger, slashed at the man''s ankle, connecting with his blade. Reza looked up, and when no hit came, he saw the man glowing a soft yellow, his sword inches away from Reza''s chest.


    "Well damn, just wasn''t fast enough." He laughed and dropped the sword, holding his hand out to Rez.


    Reza took it, and the man helped him up. "Congratulations, young man, that was the best fight I''ve had in decades."


    They shook hands. Reza looked around, confirming that no one was hiding in the shadows to come in at the last moment to win the fight. I''ve done it, bloody Echoes, I did it.


    Reza was forced to wait to speak as the noise from the crowd was so deafening that he could barely think over it. When it finally quieted down, Reza bowed to the man.


    "Marius Reza," Reza said to the man. He had been one of the most skilled men he''d ever fought; there were many things he could learn from him. ¡°I could do with another fight like that someday.¡±


    "Desmond Vorcan and I think that can be arranged," Desmond replied, broadly smiling.


    Reza could not even take a moment to appreciate that the man before him was part of the Vorcan family, one of the ten families that ruled Arkhen before the young orator spoke, cutting off any chance of him talking to Desmond.


    "With the end of the astounding first bout, Marius Reza is the first fighter through to the next round." The Orator roared, arms raised towards himself and Desmond.


    Reza had thought it impossible for the crowd to get louder, but it rose to such a level that he could not hear Desmond speak next to him. Reza acknowledged the crowd with a raised fist before joining Desmond and leaving the arena.

 Chapter 14: Time to find a Teacher

    Lukas cheered with the rest of the crowd as Reza walked from the arena with his opponent in tow. It had been an exhilarating first bout, and Lukas wondered if any other fights could match it.


    "Absolutely amazing. If all the fights are as exciting as that one, we will have a wonderful day of entertainment." Lord Rewan yelled loudly over the crowd as they cheered for Reza. "Wish I had known Marius was going to do so well. I should have bet on him. Why Baldric thought hiding behind his sand was such a good idea, I cannot fathom. I lost some good money on that one."


    Lukas glanced over at Lord Rewan. He didn''t look or sound like he was mad about the loss. The man took another cup of red wine from a servant and drank deeply with a smile the entire time. The other members of the main box, along with Lukas, had all been surprised by Reza''s win. Though Lukas knew he should have expected such a showing.


    He shivered, the memories of the soldiers outside the walls returning to the forefront. He pushed the memory back, looking around the box for a distraction. Most of the group were the unnaturally black-robed priests of Sorana who had invited them to the contest as their guests. But there were others like Lord Rewan who were guests of the church. Lukas thought he heard Rewan talking to a cousin or brother earlier, though he could not be sure as he hadn''t been listening closely. Lord Rewan was joined by his wife and a couple of servants who had kept him and all the guests with ample wine and delicious food.


    Lord Rewan leaned over to Lukas. "What did you think of Reza, my boy? My daughter is close friends with him. I regret not following her suggestion."


    Lukas shrugged. "I didn''t realize people were betting on the outcome. But I would have had to choose him. He was the man that saved my life outside the walls."


    "Of course, of course, I did not put two and two together. Sulli, did you bet on the boy?" He raised his voice so Lord Sulli could hear him.


    Lord Sulli glanced over at Rewan. "I don''t gamble when I¡¯m not certain of the outcome. A hundred fighters were too many for pure skill to win out. Maybe when it''s the duels, I will make a bet."


    He spoke calmly and kept his eyes on the arena, specifically the disappearing Reza and his opponent, Desmond.


    Rewan laughed. "My good man, what''s the fun in that? I''ll bet on my children for the next two fights, but there''s no entertainment or fun without a bit of money on the line."


    He clapped Lukas on the back. "I''m sure the boy might have some fun with a bit of coin."


    Lord Sulli looked at Lukas with a questioning look.


    What should I do? Lukas looked back at his Uncle, but nothing gave him any indication of what might happen if he did try to gamble. He did have some coins that his uncle had provided him with. And it would be fun to make even a small bet, maybe ten ghouls or something, to have something to root for in the rest of the fights. No one from the Sulli family was fighting in the contest, and Reza was probably the only person he had perhaps met. He knew the name Baldric, but only because of his reputation among the noble families. But no, it was better to play it safe like his uncle seemed to be doing.


    "No, thank you. I agree with my uncle. I don''t really know any of the fighters besides your children, as you say, and I could not form a coherent decision to put money on the line. I concur with my uncle; knowledge is needed prior to any decision." Lukas took another sip from his wine glass. The cool liquid helped with the rising heat of the day.


    "The Sulli''s are not being any fun," Lord Rewan waved over the bookmaker that had recently entered the main box.


    "Yes, my lord. What will it be for the next bout?" The man bowed and pulled out a small tablet with names and numbers written across it.


    "The same, ten thousand ghouls on Sabine Rewan." Lord Rewan pulled a square of wood and handed it over to the bookkeeper. The man, his face neutral, took the piece, and it disappeared under his robes.


    The bookie made some quick strokes on his tablet and bowed again. "Very well, sir. I will be back after the bout if you have any winnings or you would like another bet."


    The bookkeeper glided away and left the box.


    Ten thousand ghouls on a single fighter? Such a sum would not have crossed his mind. His paltry bet he had thought to make seemed like pocket money compared to such a sum. It was a ridiculous amount of money for such a fight when just numbers might take the best fighter out. He glanced over at Lord Sulli to see if he had any reaction but couldn''t catch his eye, who was talking with a priest of Sorana in hushed murmuring.


    He glanced at the others in the box. It did not seem such a considerable amount of money shocked anyone in the box. As he looked around, not a single person seemed to react at all to the amount of money. One priest even gave him a knowing smile, but Lukas quickly dropped his face. He settled back into his seat.


    Lukas knew all the noble houses were rich, but throwing such a sum on multiple fights showed the wealth that Rewan had and used for fun. Lukas thought he had known the nobles'' wealth as his Uncle processed, but it seemed he had been vastly wrong. His time away from the city with his family on the estates had been detrimental to his understanding of the vast wealth and power people like Lord Sulli and Lord Rewan possess. Another item to add to his already growing list of information he needed to learn, or he would be at a considerable disadvantage to his peers. There are so many things to do, and I¡¯m sitting here enjoying a few fights.


    Lukas kept quiet, focused only on his thoughts until a hand on his shoulder brought him back. Turning to Lord Sulli, he leaned in to hear what his uncle wanted to say over the noise of the boisterous crowd.


    "I was very impressed with both of the fighters at the end. Reza used his wraith very impressively. I think both are good candidates as your teachers, and I may approach both fighters to be your teachers unless someone else catches my attention."


    Lukas sat back, amazed. He hadn''t thought that Reza might be an option to be his teacher. How he moved with his wraith and treated her reminded him of the only rule he had learned from Marcellus. After watching the duel between the two monsters, Desmond would be quite the catch. His fighting ability eclipsed anything Lukas had ever witnessed; every swing or block of the sword was an extension of Desmond¡¯s arm. If he could learn half of what Desmond showed, Lukas would be one of the finest swords in the city. Both had shown skill beyond measure, and Lukas could learn much from each.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Why, of course, I would love any help. Reza was the one who recommended that I visit the library." Lukas could feel the excitement of the possibility to start training with his wraith. He had been connected to him for weeks without ever trying to understand the power he provided. If they accept, the two may be the key to understanding it. And Hopefully soon, as Lukas wanted the process to begin in earnest with no delays. "When will you ask them?"


    "I''ll send Baru to Desmond tonight. His family is close to ours. I think I can convince him to make an agreement. We are going to the play tomorrow with the Rezas. I can talk with him then. But I doubt there will be a problem with either; Reza would be a fool not to accept.¡±


    ¡°Why would that be?¡± Lukas asked, though he quickly understood why before his uncle could answer. ¡°Never mind, any opportunity to connect with the Sulli Family would be an opportunity to not squander. He will use to like the party I went to to make inroads into furthering his family reputation and power.¡±


    Lukas explained, trying to ensure his uncle understood that he knew how things worked in the city.


    ¡°Very good, Lukas,¡± Lord Sullli complimented Lukas before his attention turned to the arena.


    The crowd had begun to roar excitedly, and Lukas quickly realized that the next bout would start shortly. The gate had opened again, and more combatants began to appear.


    "Do we know anyone in this bout?" Lukas asked no one explicitly as he looked through the fighters'' names on the program handed out to the box. He recognized Sabine Rewan right away, and a few had last names of families very familiar to him but no one he outright knew.


    "My daughter is fighting in this bout, my son in the one after that." Lord Rewan responded.


    Lord Sulli examined the group of soldiers with a keen eye for a few moments before he responded. "Derek Simmi or Petri Healia will be her biggest competition; they are both highly regarded in the legions."


    Lord Sulli scanned the list again. "These first bouts have fewer impressive names than the rest. What the organizers were doing when they packed the rest with some of the best fighters, I won''t understand."


    More than one of the priests glanced over to Lord Sulli. They had a mix of reactions from guarded anger to outright shock. He ignored all of their reactions, focusing on the fighters below.


    Lukas wasn''t sure how to take the comment. He wasn''t sure if his uncle was arrogant and had no care who heard his words or if it had been an intentional action towards the priests his son had recently been a leader of. Either way, they all had heard him. What are you thinking, Uncle?


    It felt like a misstep; the church was powerful, and it was never good to make influential people displeased with you.


    Lukas was ripped from his thoughts as the priest Victor rose from his seat and began to speak, his voice enhanced by his wraith for all to hear.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, after such a stunning first fight, we are just about to begin the second."


    Lukas sat back, waiting for the fighting to begin again, tuning out Victor¡¯s voice. The man did not take long, but all Lukas was interested in seeing was the fighters below and how they used their Wraiths. Reza had made a few suggestions, and Lukas wanted to use this time to enjoy himself and learn more about how people worked with their wraiths. Reza and Elana were a partnership, with Reza always trusting his wraith to be in the correct position for his powers to work. While Lukas had noticed several in the first bout used their wraiths more like tools, there was cohesion like Reza. Desmond was a bit more mysterious, as Lukas never noticed his wraith out. He had one, for sure, as every contestant was required to have one, but Lukas had never spotted it for the entire fight.


    Lukas was pulled back into the action as Victor¡¯s hand fell once again. The fight started in earnest again, and it was just as fierce and impressive. It was not as flashy as the first, with Desmond and Reza quickly cutting through the crowd before ending the fight in a spectacular duel that felt more like an end-of-contest fight thrash the first of many rounds. No matter, this round ended with another individual duel that enthralled everyone.


    Sabine used her mass of arrows to shoot at anyone who came near her position near the wall. As Lukas learned almost instantly in the fight, Petri was a hulking individual who many of the fighters had to join together in the battle''s early stages to take out. Petri didn''t go down easily nor without casualties. Before glowing a soft yellow, Perti took about ten people out of the competition before he was overwhelmed by the numbers.


    "Now that''s unfortunate; I wanted to see more of him." One of the other guests behind Lukas shouted. Lukas agreed; the man had been extraordinarily frightening and might have won had the rest not joined against him. Unfortunately, the man was a well-known powerhouse of the city, like Mycelia in the previous match, and had been the number one target. The fighters all moved away from him after he started to glow; his roars of frustration were enough to put fear into anyone in his path. Surprisingly, the rampaging man did not try to attack anyone and even set the man he had gripped by the shoulder down behind him, allowing the warrior to retreat before he was overwhelmed. Lukas was impressed the man had such control over himself amid the fighting.


    With Petri eliminated, the bout continued until Sabine and Derek were the last left, and everyone else was removed from the fight.


    Lord Rewan shouted like a madman, and even his much more reserved wife was up watching the fight with an intense focus. She also winced several times as Derek¡¯s sword came close to Sabine on different occasions.


    Late into the fighting, Lukas saw that Sabine only had a couple of arrows left, though dozens were strewn across the area from multiple combatants. Her skill with a bow was almost impossible. Shot after shot had hit its target. Derek had kept his conjured shield up, protecting much of his body as he moved forward, his wraith following behind. Each arrow sent cracks through the shield, though Derek reinforced and repaired the damage as quickly as Sabine could make it.


    Multiple arrows bounced off his guard as Sabine edged away, keeping their distance. However, her arrows quickly ran out, and she pulled multiple daggers out, moving close to engage him.


    Sabine took a slash across her leg before getting past Derek and cut twice across his back. She retreated away and grabbed up a couple of arrows, shooting them as she continued retreated, sending them behind her with ease that made a shot Lukas thought would be nearly impossible for anyone else. Each one bounced off the shield, and the cracks were relieved in seconds. The fight went on like this, shot after shot or dagger bouncing off the shield as Derek tried to move into range, and Sabine kept him at a distance. The fight ended as Derek tried to catch Sabine off guard; the man rushed her, lowering his shield enough that an arrow caught him in the collarbone. He glowed softly, and Lord Rewan and his wife yelled in delight.


    "My beautiful daughter just won me a lot of money. Oh, wonderful." Lord Rewan was beyond himself. Hollering and laughing like a madman, he pointed down at his daughter, who embraced Derek before raising her hands.


    The statement soured the moment slightly as Lukas saw the slight change in Lady Rewan''s composure. "Husband, be happy for your daughter and not just the money," she scolded him.


    Lukas tried to keep a straight face, but Lady Rewan noticed.


    Lord Rewan calmed down instantly, looking guiltily at his wife. "I''m sorry, dear; I am very proud and maybe doubly proud if Lucien can do it." His eyes were beaming.


    I''m almost certain he''s thinking about his next bet. It was written over his face: He would be betting on his son''s win and hoping for another payment.


    And Lukas had been right. Lord Rewan doubled his bet on his son and again made a very healthy win. Lucien won in spectacular fashion, using his sword with such brutal ferocity as his wraith moved with elegance around it, dancing. Each fight was entertaining as the hours passed, and the sun started to set in the west as the last and final bout ended with a man named Durris becoming the victor.


    Lukas had sat there enthralled by the contests and enjoyed the entertainment with everyone in the arena. He learned much while watching the wraiths and their pact wielders fighting before the crowd. The remarkable powers and wraiths shown made him even more excited and nervous about starting his training. Lukas shivered, the cold starting to set in as the night reigned over the city. The crowd was leaving, and the city around the arena had come alive. The fear of the last few days was a distant memory to the city.

 Chapter 15: Choosing a Stone

    Reza¡¯s eyes opened wide as the slight sound of the door of his room opening disturbed his rest. Jumping up into a defensive position against the far wall of his tiny room, Reza had his hand pulling the sword from its sheath at his waist, ready for whoever walked through the door without notice. Though the blade was blunted, it would do in a pinch should this be an attack.


    Yet the fears of an assassination attempt were soon gone by the appearance of unconcerned black-robed priestesses standing without a care in the doorway, the dim light of the room illuminating her. Calming himself, Reza looked at the unknown priestess, waiting for them to talk first. Was there an end to this church? He felt like every time he met a priest of Sorana, it was never the same one.


    "Come with us." She said emotionlessly and spun in place, leaving before Reza could respond.


    Marius stood a bit dumb-stuck by the situation. He had been in the room for hours, waiting for whatever the church had planned next. As soon as he walked back into the underground area, he had been ushered away from the rest and pulled into the room. They had told him to wait here until he was called upon; the only person Reza had seen was a servant who had refused to answer his questions. They had stayed mute, only set down some food and drink on the small table.


    Reza had eaten and drank his fill and then lay on the floor waiting. He must have dozed off because the priestess''s entrance made him jump awake.


    "Done already? I wanted at least another hour of sitting in a cell," Reza said sarcastically, lengthening his stride until he finally caught up with the priestess. It had not been a comfortable rest, nor had they left him anything to entertain himself; a book would have been nice.


    "You had to wait until all the victors were determined. You were just unlucky to be the first one. You will be free to go after the duels have been chosen." She continued down the hallway, bringing Reza into the larger room where a group talked in low whispers. Instantly, Reza recognized Sabine and went directly over to her, ignoring the priestess. Sabine pulled him aside, away from the others.


    "I guess congratulations are in order?" Reza asked. Maybe the worst part of the wait had been wondering how Sabine had done in her fight, knowing he had no idea how he could find out until now.


    "It was a close one. I ran out of arrows and had to run around the arena picking up spare ones to keep Derek away from me." She smiled. "I got lucky that he got impatient and let his guard down for a split second. Last one to the collarbone."


    "Well, that''s all that matters. Hell, Desmond was basically the same. He countered almost every move I had." Reza looked around the room and noticed some fighters looking towards them. Another unsurprising individual in the small group was Sabine¡¯s brother, Lucien, who glared at the other at the pair. Reza gave a broad smile back to the man. I almost hope I get to face him.


    The feeling went cold almost instantly. While Reza had plenty to hate for the man and would love to beat his face in, it was Sabine''s fight more than his. Reza was unsure how the next round of duels would be chosen, so he did not know if either would have the chance, but he could hope for the opportunity or at least allow Sabine the chance.


    Sabine guided him back to the small group of men, separated from the larger group.


    "Well, gentlemen, this is Lord Marius Reza if you did not already know him," She introduced him, placing one hand on his shoulder. "Reza, these fine gentlemen are some of our opponents. Serk, Illian, and Yerran. All I assume barely made it through their bouts or were very lucky.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I was fortunate in winning,¡± Serk said with a smile, holding his hand out to Reza. ¡°But in essence, we all were. Damn melees like that are annoying at best. These individual duels are much more my style.¡±


    Reza nodded to each, shaking each hand. They all had the look of highborn. Each was dressed in finely decorated jackets and pants. "Gentleman, I can agree with that assertion. I quite enjoyed it, though."


    They laughed. "Well, you were in the first bout, weren¡¯t you? Mine just ended, and I''m not sure my body knows we''ve finished." Illian looked at the others, and they all nodded. Taking a closer look, he was the most dirty of the entire group and had a look in his eyes.


    Reza nodded, understanding what the man was indicating. "It took me a bit before my mind would settle, but I got a good nap since you took so long to win your fights. Maybe go a bit quicker next time."


    Everyone laughed, and Reza looked around to see if he recognized anyone else. Lucien had kept his distance talking with an unblinking man whose smile never left his face. Reza shivered. The man gave off a very unnatural feeling, his smile not quite touching his eyes.


    Reza wanted to ask Sabine and the others if they knew the man''s name, but a voice called from the door, ending all chance for more conversation.


    "Every come forward. I want to get this done quickly." Reza noticed that the older priestess he had signed up for the contest with was the one ordering them. The young orator was at her side, but the wraith was absent this time, with another ten priests in their unnatural black robes standing quietly behind the two.


    It took only a moment for everyone to follow her direction and formed a half-circle before the priests.


    "Congratulations, Lady Sorana is proud of every one of you. She looks forward to the future bouts." The priestess bowed, and the other followed.


    Reza glanced at Sabine, questioning her. The first question that came to his mind was: Did Sorana speak? Reza had always assumed the echos were like Elana. She could not talk, but the priestess sounded like she spoke directly with and heard the Echo.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    What would it be like if Elana could speak to him? Reza knew he might regret it if she could talk. Even without the ability, Elana could communicate with her body language and facial expressions well enough that Reza had little trouble understanding what she was thinking about his actions or what he said.


    But to have the ability to speak with his wraith would be quite the change. For the good, Reza mused, imagining Elana speaking to him. Never be alone, someone he would be able to talk to at any point, learn from, and have the ability to talk through problems or trouble he was in. And if Sorana, the Echo of a god, could speak? What knowledge and wisdom did she process? It had to be a wealth of knowledge and guidance for whoever was to be made her Archon.


    But this begged the question of whether this was true or if all of his ideas and thoughts that flashed through his mind were pure fantasy. Reza would have to ask questions later or inquire with people who might know more than him. Maybe his cousins within the church of Ilyana might answer a question or two.


    With a quick motion of her hand, the priestess had another of their order come forward, carrying a small black velvet bag in their hands. Reza¡¯s eyes flashed to the bag before returning his attention to the priestess, not knowing what it might have within.


    "You are the ten that succeeded in getting through the army of challengers, and now you choose your next opponent.¡± The elder priestess explained her hand, motioning to the priest, who opened the bag. ¡°We will begin the second round in three days. All will be done on that day, with two in the morning and the rest in the afternoon.¡±


    Everyone nodded; Reza liked that they had several days to recover; it would also give him time to learn more about his opponent. His duel with Desmond likely would have gone very differently if he had even a sliver of knowledge about the man¡¯s abilities. Even if the cost was high to get such information, Reza thought it was a good gamble to give him the best chance to win. Depending on my opponent, I¡¯ll have to get Tavia to release some funds and use her contacts.


    Obviously, if he was forced to fight either Sabine or Lucien, Reza did not need much information as he had sparred with both and had a general idea of each of their abilities and fighting styles. But the rest were mysteries and would require research. Though the thought of him having to fight Sabine made his heart feel heavy, he prayed to Sorana, Iyana, and the rest of the echoes not to allow such a thing to happen.


    The priestess brought Reza out of his musing with her following words. ¡°We will not keep you much longer, and you will be allowed to leave after the duels have been set. If you do not have accommodations already in the city, we have some accommodations close to the amphitheater that you may use."


    What kind of statement was that? Reza raised his hand, concerned, and the priestess nodded. "Are we expected to stay in the city? I live north of the city on my estate."


    She nodded, confirming his fears. "Yes, that is the requirement. Lady Sorana has ordered each of them to stay within the city walls. As I said, we will provide accommodations for you should you need them. But you must stay in the city until you are no longer in the competition."


    Bloody abyss, this is annoying. Reza would have preferred to stay in his own house, but unfortunately, it was not an option, and he had not yet purchased any housing within the city, even if he and his sisters had discussed it. He might have to take them up on the accommodations.


    Sabine nudged him in the ribs. "You can stay with me, Reza. I doubt you¡¯d get anything better than a small room and an uncomfortable bed. Father will not have a problem if you stay with us. Hell, he probably will happily talk your ear off after your win."


    Pausing for a moment. Reza eyed Lucien before nodding, taking her up on the offer. "Thank you. I''ll make it up to you."


    "No need," she whispered with a wide smile.


    The priestess shot them a glance, and Reza closed his mouth.


    "Any other questions before we set the duels." She asked, her tone neutral.


    No one else spoke, and she continued. "There will be five fights in this round, each person fighting another challenger. The second round will have two fights, with one having three individuals should everyone be fit to continue fighting." She glanced at each fighter, and Reza nodded as her eyes fell upon him.


    "There are ten stones. Each of you will pick a stone from the bag, and the person with the corresponding color to yours will be your opponent."


    The priest held the bag up for each fighter, allowing each to choose a stone. Reza was the first, grabbing a stone from the bag. He pulled a flat black stone around the size of his palm. It had a single white rune carved into the center, and Reza could feel faint traces of magic. Now, who would be his opponent?


    Sabine was next. Reza held his breath, waiting to see the color of the stone. Sabine pulled a similar-sized blue stone from the bag with a single rune carved into it. Reza let out the breath he had been holding and felt his body let go of the tension that had been building. He wouldn''t have to fight her this round, thankfully. With all the Echoes¡¯ powers, Reza hoped they would not have to fight Sabine until the final.


    The matching continued; the unblinking man pulled a yellow stone, and Serk pulled a green stone. The first match-up came next when Lucien pulled the second blue stone out of the bag.


    The echoes be damned. Sabine had gotten her one wish. Lucien held his stone up and walked over to his sister.


    "Well, sister, we finally see who is superior. Don¡¯t disappoint me," He gave a cocky smile and winked at both her and Reza.


    Reza felt the urge to punch him and make his pretty face look rougher. But Sabine shot a warning at him, and Reza held back, gripping the stone in his hand until it hurt.


    I genuinely hope Sabine gives you the proper beating we should have given you years ago.


    The priest continued, and the stones continued until Illian finally pulled the black stone. Reza smiled and walked over to him, holding his hand out. Illian shook it.


    "Well then, I look forward to fighting you. Do not be mad when I make your surrender." Illian smiled and laughed.


    Reza joined in, chuckling. "Oh, I think you have it all wrong; you''ll be the one running in fear."


    "Oh, this will be fun." Illian held his hand out again, and Reza shook it.


    Reza returned to his spot as the last few matches were set. He would fight Illian in the first bout as he had been the first challenger to pull a stone¡ªplenty of time to find out all he could about Illian''s powers. Sabine likely knew, and hopefully, she would be willing to give him the answers. Otherwise, he would find someone else who knew.


    "Well, then, the bouts have been chosen. If you need accommodations, please stay behind, and one of the priests will help you." She glanced over to Reza. "Otherwise, you are free to go."


    Reza turned to Sabine. "Want to go get a drink? I could use one."


    He''d like to see if he could also find Desmond to invite him.


    Sabine nodded. She seemed a little distracted, focused on her thoughts. Sabine had gotten the one fight she wanted in this competition, maybe almost as much as winning it all. Reza knew she would be thinking about it until it began. It would do her no good to put all her attention on it¡ªtime to distract her for a while.


    "Oh, before we go, I need to order some daggers. My lady?" Reza held an arm out to her.


    Sabine laughed and shoved him away but followed by his side as he walked away from the others. "Fine, let''s get this drink, and then we can get you settled at the house."


    They left, but not before he ordered half a dozen wooden daggers from Kelburn and had two of his blades sharpened.

 Chapter 16: Beneath the Library

    Lukas strode into the dining room for a late lunch, having spent the morning in bed after the late night with the contest. The table was already set with places for everyone within the house, though Lord Sulli¡¯s seat was already cleared away. Lukas found his seat with an already filled cup of wine and a meal of what looked like roasted venison and seasoned vegetables. The only other occupant of the dining table, Marie, sat at the table with a small cup in front of wine and an empty plate. She was reading a thin, leather-bound book, but he could not see the title.


    "What are you reading?" He asked, taking his seat across from her.


    Marie jumped and stopped the book on the table. "Lukas, can you give me a little more warning than that." She grabbed the book and closed it.


    Lukas chuckled, starting to cut into his meal and eat. "Sorry, I thought you heard me walk in."


    She shrugged. "It''s alright. I was trying to have a quiet minute; Aunt Atia has been having me help her get ready for the play tonight. She thinks I''m eating lunch and will be back up, but I needed some time to myself."


    She made a quick glance at the double doors leading out to the living quarters of everyone and paused, thoughtfully looking at them.


    "Ah yes, William had me try on my new suit last night after the games. The vest was a bit snug, so it was probably good that he made me try it on. I can''t stand sitting around in uncomfortable clothes. Especially a vest, it would be unwise to unbutton it in front of Uncle."


    Marie laughed at that statement and rolled her eyes. "I''m sure you''ll be fine. I still need to make sure Julia has my dress out and ready. We have plenty of time, but if Aunt Atia continues, I might only have a short time to prepare myself."


    They sat in silence for a bit, Lukas eating the delicious food. Marie took a long while to finish her wine before she signed and stood to go. "I probably should start making my way back up there. I''m half surprised she hasn''t had a servant come to look for me.


    On cue, as if summoned, William walked into the room and moved directly to Marie''s side before bowing. "Lord Lukas, Lady Marie. Lady Sulli is asking for you if your lunch is finished. She has some questions on necklaces."


    William kept his face neutral while Marie showed a tired expression. "Yes, yes, I''m coming."


    William bowed again and went to leave.


    "William, can you wait a moment." Lukas turned to Marie as she picked up her book. "Have fun with the rest of your day."


    She waved and made an exaggerated sad face. "Until tonight," she said, and then she left.


    Lukas waited until she had left before returning his focus to William.


    "Lord Lukas, is there anything I can help you with?" William asked.


    "Yes, I would like to go to the library. Can you have the carriage ready for me as soon as possible?" Lukas stood and pushed his chair back in.


    "Ah, is this with Lord Sulli''s blessing?" William asked.


    He had said that maybe William could bring me after the contest, so technically, Lukas did have permission. But what he did not know would not hurt him, and if asked about it, Lukas would play it off as he had time to do it and show some prerogative regarding his education towards his wraith. Lord Reza had recommended it, and with the likelihood that he would become one of his teachers, Lukas needed to be ready. How badly would he look in his teacher''s eyes if he had not followed Reza''s single recommendation when asked explicitly by Lukas? It was a nonsensical thing to do when he had time to research and learn something about his wraith. Maybe it would even give them a bridge towards forming a partnership like Reza and Elana had. Their skill during the contest showed how much trust had been built between the two when Reza knew Elana would place him in the perfect position to finish a fight or protect himself from an attack.


    "Yes. But to make everyone happy, we will also take one of the guards with us. Grab Pullo if he''s on duty." So far, Pullo had been the only guard not to act like they needed to walk on eggshells around him. Lukas moved to the atrium and allowed a servant to grab his jacket and help him into it. He was still not used to having other people dress him, but that was the decorum of high nobility, and he had to follow it.


    It took them an hour to get through the noble district, pass through the bridges and forum to ride into the Northern district, and finally make it to the library. The Arkhen Library was near where he had been yesterday with the amphitheater. It was deep into the district, built directly into the wall on the Northernmost part of the city. It loomed over the buildings around it, one of the oldest buildings in the city besides the palace, broken king''s domain, and Echoes¡¯ towers. Its highest tower reached the top of the wall; though old, the weathered rune-carved stone still held strong, never having been destroyed or burned in its long history.


    His father had always told Lukas that it held tens of millions of texts from around the world¡ªplaces no one alive today had ever visited or knew where they may be now. It had always been a place of interest that he had not visited enough when he was in the city.


    The carriage door opened, and William held his hand out to help him down into the street.


    "Finally, it took longer than I expected." Lukas took his hand and left the carriage. He looked up at the library, noticing the same long line of words, each a foot tall, scrolled above the large wooden front door, a stark black against the light grey of the building. The words were no language he had ever read. The front of it has few windows, and those he could see were small, allowing little light into the building.


    Pullo jumped down from the carriage, placing his hand confidently on the short sword at his side. "Lord Lukas, how long do you expect to be here? I want to ensure the carriage will pick us up at the right time."


    Lukas stopped. He wasn''t quite sure how long this endeavor might take. He looked to William. "How long do you need so that we are ready to go to the play tonight?"


    William''s eyes went wide, and he stumbled over his words. "Um, ah, you must leave at the seventh hour to be there on time. So we probably should leave her no later than fifth hour."


    Lukas returned his attention to Pullo. "Have the driver back here about thirty minutes before then. Even if we aren''t out here, better to be early than late."


    Pullo bowed and returned to the driver.


    "Come along, William. Let''s see what we can find." Lukas started climbing the stairs that led to the entrance of the library. Lukas stopped and spun to face Pull again. "Pullo, you don''t have to come in. It will be quite boring."


    Pullo shrugged, leaning against the building on the stairs, and stood facing the street, his eyes taking in everyone who passed the library. The street wasn''t the most crowded one, just off the city''s main roads, but there were a lot more people within the city now that the contest had begun, and there was a good bit of traffic walking around with their wraiths in tow.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Lukas walked through the door and examined the open first floor. He had rarely come here before with the sparse time he spent in the city. He also didn¡¯t have many reasons to go, as his father and Lord Sulli would buy the books for the family to read. This would be an experience, at any rate.


    Walking in the sight was as wonderful as the first time he had come. The first room was cavernous, with the ceiling well over three stories up, the entirety of the walls filled with shelves cut into the wall itself, each filled with books and scrolls. Massive ladders allowed workers to remove or replace books over fifty feet into the air. The main room was wide open with lines of shelving throughout again with more books and scrolls of every size, color, and language on them. Walking through into area that opened up into a large work area with around fifty wooden tables and chairs surrounding each. Lukas could see multiple people at different tables working, none looked up from their book or writing as they walked by. Spying through different shelves, Lukas noticed even more people walking through the other aisles.


    Now that he was here, Lukas realized he had no idea where to start his research beyond knowing they had records, according to Reza. Unsure where they were, Lukas continued to the large deck that extended the length of the building, stopping everyone from going deeper into the depths of the library, as Lukas knew there were multiple floors built into the wall itself and even more levels below the ground that had been built over centuries if the rumors were true.


    Behind the desk, a man with stark grey hair and a beard stood writing furiously on a paper. His clothes were rumpled in such a way that Lukas thought he might have slept in them. A wraith stood just behind him. A book was held in his hand, and he was slowly turning the pages.


    The Liberian looked up as they stopped in front of him. Lukas was shocked that the librarian was much younger than he had assumed. The grey hair had made Lukas believe he would be in his fifties or sixties. But the man looked to be no more than thirty or so, around Lord Reza¡¯s age.


    "Well, hello there, my name is Alexander Tarimage. How may I help you,?" Alexander the librarian asked.


    Lukas froze, nerves building in him that made him want to turn right around, walk out of the building, and return home. Gritting his teeth, Lukas stood his ground and pushed down the uncomfortable emotions. "Yes, ah, Mr. Tarimage, I just got my first wraith recently. I was told you might be able to help me see if he has ever been cataloged."


    Tarimage''s eyes brightened, and he smiled almost manically. "Of course, I can help you with that. Emily, can you take my place at the front desk?" he yelled into an open door behind him.


    A voice from the other room answered. "Give me a moment, and I''ll be there. If you just want to leave, you can. No one is going to steal your stuff, Alex."


    His smile faltered. "Tell that to the last time I left the desk. Those kids stole half my pens and a first-edition Alunok book. Cost us a hundred ghouls to replace that."


    "Well, wait until I finish this letter, and I''ll be happy to help or take the chance," Emily yelled.


    He rolled his eyes. "Just a moment, I just can''t stand to lose another book like that."


    Lukas just nodded. If she didn''t take long, he had little problem waiting, But he also didn''t want to waste much time on his research. Thankfully, Emily did not take long, and a young woman walked through the door.


    Tarimage moved and motioned Lukas to follow. "The room with all the records is below, so follow me."


    He brought Lukas down a seat of stone steps into a dark hallway. Tarimage took an elemental lantern off the wall and lit it, bathing the hallway in low purple-white light. William grabbed a second purple-white lantern, giving us plenty of light to find the records room.


    Tarimage opened a door after walking through the darkened hallway for a while, making Lukas unsure how far below the city they were and if they were beyond the library¡¯s walls above or not. Examining the room, Lukas found it was not nearly as large as the library¡¯s main room, but it held many shelves with large leather-bound books neatly placed into any available space on the walls. There had to be hundreds or thousands of books within the room. Were these all the records he would have to go through? It could take him weeks or months to read through them all.


    "Oh my, I just realized I never got your name," Tarimage said, smacking his forehead softly with a finger, chuckling.


    Lukas laughed with him. "Sorry, I didn''t even think to offer it either. My name is Lukas Sulli."


    Tarimage eyes were a little large. "Ah well, Lord Sulli. I think the best place to start is to see your wraith."


    Lord Sulli sounded strange coming from him, let alone anyone else. "Lukas is fine; my uncle is the Lord." Lukas pulled on the power, and his wraith came forth, the scowl still in place.


    "Ah well, that''s perfect; I guessed the correct room. Let''s see, these records start with the color and gender of the wraith." Tarimage walked across the room and into one of the corners. He pulled a couple dark red-leather bound books from the third shelf, placing them on the one table in the middle of the room. Lukas noticed that each wall held different color books, Black, grey, white, and red covered each wall. He slid one book to each of us. "It will go faster if we all do our part. These books are the first quarter of the male wraiths that are colored red."


    Lukas had to ask. "Are the book covers the color of the wraiths in it?"


    Tarimage nodded. "Yes, a librarian back some three hundred years ago name Kennor Scoun decided it would be useful, and I must say I agree. While we don''t get many people asking about their wraiths very often, but it makes the records quicker to comb through."


    Luka nodded. He and William opened their books. The first page for Lukas had the name Muharia. It seemed each Wraith had at least one page, with the first half of the page described the wraith in detail. With their ability, they explained afterward, along with whoever had made a pact with said wraith.


    Muharia could not be his wraith as it described a young man dressed in the robe of the Celsior, a dessert nomadic tribe Lukas had never heard of. Lukas turned the page and continued the process with Lukas and the others going page by page to see if they could find one that matched


    An hour later, William pointed at a page about halfway through his book. "I think I may have found him. What do you guys think?"


    Lukas read down the page. Gregory, Uniformed in the style of Arkhen circa the tenth century. He didn''t get any farther before Tarimage shook his head.


    "Can''t be. This wraith is older than the tenth century by the uniform he wears. The uniform of the legions added nine towers above the heart in the ninth century. No one adding to the list is leaving such details out. Also, the scars, and cards we holds would be another couple to look for in the description. Each one will help us find him. Thankfully, we have multiple unique details to find him in the books should he be there."


    They continued for hours, going through book after book with little luck. Lukas became increasingly frustrated by the lack of success, having been overconfident in their likely success in such a short time. He had not thought about how many wraiths the city could possess. Just the number of red wraiths was staggering, and Lukas felt almost overwhelmed by the number of names and descriptions he read, one after another, book after book. And it was still even more likely that his wraith wasn¡¯t in one of them. After hours of searching, they only found one other possible identification, but the scars were wrong. It was a silent search for a few more hours before William finally broke the silence.


    "Lord Lukas, we should probably get going. You said you didn''t want to be late tonight."


    Echoes abyss. Lukas closed his book, another one with nothing of use within it. Unfortunately, he did have to stop, though he sorely wanted to continue the search; while he was annoyed, reading about several different wraiths and their abilities had been a unique experience. However, being late to the play was no option. Lord Sulli would be furious, and more importantly, he was looking forward to talking with The Rezas again, especially Marius and Cassia.


    "Yes, let''s get going." He looked down at the books they had gone through. Maybe a third of them having been checked. "We will have to come another time to try and find him."


    "Anytime, I¡¯m still going to continue the search. He''s burned into my mind well enough that I should have no problem continuing and marking possible wraiths. I do love a search like this, they come so infrequently I cannot let them go. We can meet up again to see if any fit him perfectly." Tarimage left the book on the table, grabbed his lantern, and walked them out of the underground level, the purple light leading the way to the stone stairs.


    "Thank you for your help. I will try to get back here soon. If not, I will at least send William here to see what you found." Lucas held his hand out, and Tarimage shook it.


    Tarimage had been beyond helpful, and they would not have gotten this far without him. With his continued relentless search, Lukas felt confident that he would have the answer to whether his wraith''s name was in the records by the end of the week.


    "Absolutely, I will see you then or let you know should I find anything." He bowed low to each of them, including my wraith. "Have a wonderful evening."


    Tarimage turned and returned down the stairs hastily, not worrying about falling.


    "Let''s get going. I hope we don''t hit any crowds on the way home." Lukas left the library with William in tow. Pullo joined them as they exited and opened the carriage door.


    "Find what you were looking for?" He asked, sounding half interested.


    "Not yet," Lukas said, stepping up and sitting down heavily. Lukas felt defeated, but this was only the first step. Even if he did not find his wraith in the records. He would figure out its power with Reza.

 Chapter 17: Journey to the Theatre

    Reza examined himself in the mirror, trying to ensure he had tied his crimson tie straight. It was his third attempt, and it was too short every time, or the top wasn''t perfectly symmetrical. With great relief, it looked presentable enough in his dark grey suit with crimson accents for him to go to a play with the family of one of the high lords of the city. It''s time to get going, or I''ll be late, and Cassia will kill me.


    Leaving his new residence for the next few weeks, Reza quickly strode through the Rewan estate. Sabine''s father had been incredibly gracious and allowed him to have the entire guest house behind their splendid garden at the back of the estate, used mainly for allies from distant kingdoms and city-states that came to Arkhen. It was empty beside himself and the servants that handled the building. The building was grander than his estate just north of the city, dwarfing it in size and splendor; Reza suspected some of the paintings in just his room were worth close to his entire home.


    And the garden continued to show their wealth, as it was easily double his own at home, even though it was in the wealthiest part of the city. Small paths made their way through luxurious beds of exotic flowers, bushes carved into magnificent statues, and massive trees that must have been transported from elsewhere. The wealth displayed in the garden alone was staggering.


    Reza passed by many gardeners, and they all waved as he passed. He nodded at them and entered the mansion to escape the estate. Still feels weird.


    He had been here a couple of days already, and Rewan had given him free rein of anything he needed, but he felt guilty about the luxury provided to him without compensation. And yet every time he tried to offer money for the place, the food, and the servants that were helping him, Lord Rewan flatly refused. Reza knew the night before had been his last time asking, as Rewan had flatly said with all finality, "My boy, it is my pleasure to host a friend of Sabine''s and one of the candidates for Archon. Please do not ask again."


    Reza thankfully did not see Lucien as he entered the grand hallway. The man had kept his distance from himself and Sabine, but that hadn¡¯t stopped him from running into him a couple of times. Leaving the man behind in his thoughts, Reza again took time as his time to reach the front entrance of the manor, using the time to examine and enjoy the sight.


    The grand hallway cleaved the manor in half, with several different hallways separating off from it and a central marble staircase that gracefully curved upward. The hallway was almost a museum towards the wealth of the Rewans; where the Sulli¡¯s estate wasn¡¯t pretentious with their show of wealth, the Rewans held nothing back. The midnight oak walls were adorned with a vast array of paintings, statues, vases, weapons, and jewels set into the walls themselves. The wealth alone in this room was several times every minor noble''s entire wealth, though Reza knew it was only a tiny portion of the family''s wealth. Lord Rewan was believed to be the wealthiest man in Arkhen and perhaps the richest on the continent. Yet, wealth was nothing but a means for him to enjoy himself to the fullest and for those around him.


    Reza stopped at the side of the door, looking at a particular painting of the Broken king on his throne with a small mass of wraiths surrounding him and his building. It was the most interesting painting to Reza as it was not some great piece of color or trying to glorify some battle or event. It was just the king and wraiths, almost black and white with a mix of muted colors. But there was power within it; every time Reza walked into this building, he stopped and looked at it. The cold power radiated from his connection with Elana every time he looked upon it.


    Strangely, Lord Rewan was unsure who had painted it or when, and no one had any clue, but he showed it off, as many commented on it. Rewan had offered to place it in the guest house as he noticed Reza¡¯s interest, but he had gently refused, more inclined to enjoy it in the central hall when he passed.


    His thoughts were interrupted when Reza heard a voice from behind him. He turned to see Sabine in a gorgeous crimson velvet dress that matched his suit¡¯s accents. The dress clung to her shoulders and brushed against the floor, showing off every curve of her body. When she came closer, what looked first like a plain dress had up close was a complex pattern of raised lines sewn into the dress the same color as the velvet. Looking away from her body, Reza noticed that her hair was braided down her back and only carried a small black leather hand-held purse. Reza stood there stunned, gazing at her as she approached him.


    He finally found his voice as she stopped next to him. "You look stunning tonight. Where are you going so finely dressed?"


    She laughed, brushing something off his shoulder. "You cleaned up pretty well yourself."


    She then grabbed his tie and tightened it, slightly moving it as she carefully positioned it. Reza kept his eyes on hers, fighting the urge to look elsewhere.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "You didn''t think you were the only person attending the play. My father has a private box, just like Sulli. You might have been my date if you had not accepted an invitation already." She winked and held out her hand.


    Reza blinked. He quickly remembered his manners and held his arm out. Sabine wrapped her own through it. As they left the house, a carriage sat at the base of the black marble staircase, already ready for them to go.


    Reza helped Sabine into the carriage, and they left, moving quickly through the district to the theatre. Reza kept silent, and Sabine seemed not to mind the silence.


    He broke the silence finally as they neared the theatre, and the carriage slowed. "Do you know what this play is about?"


    Sabine chuckled. "You accepted an invitation to play you know nothing about. How you amaze me." She patted him on the thigh.


    He ignored the jab. "I accepted because Cassia wanted to go, and she and Lukas had something at the Anceslia a few days back. And Tavia also showed interest, and I can''t say no to such an opportunity for my sisters."


    "Really, I''m surprised you didn¡¯t say something. I hope Cassia knows there''s no way Lord Sulli would ever sanction a match." Sabine looked worried at such a situation.


    Reza shrugged. He had the same reservations, though his conversation with Lukas and Cassia later on did bring such concerns to light. "I had words with both of them, and both assured me they would be friends." He looked out of the window and saw that they were nearing the theatre. He could see the bright lights of the front of it.


    "But what if this is just the start? I like Cassia; I wouldn''t want her to get heartbroken." Sabine said


    Reza nodded. "I agree. But I had time to think since they first met; there is no problem for them to become friends with everything that has happened and the level of interest my family has gotten. Let them see if they like each other and if there is a possible match. It could be possible if I win the contest and become Sorana''s Archon." He looked at Sabine. She looked away. "I won''t stifle such thoughts for my sister as long as every one is sensible and understands the situation, friends is enough for now."


    The carriage stopped, and Reza helped Sabine before holding his arm out. She wrapped her arm around his. "I guess you''re right."


    They walked into the theatre, and Reza regretted not pretending he had injured himself in the contest or joining Sabine in her box. However, there was too much opportunity to build a relationship with the Sullis.


    The building was one of a kind; no other one in the city that matched it. The outside was almost entirely covered with copper sheets shined to a bright mirror finish. The only part of the front that was not copper was the stone columns that lined the massive entrance into the building. Two copper doors hung open as they passed through with an usher on either side, and both bowed as they walked past.


    Reza looked down at Sabine. "You never did tell me what this play was about?"


    "Oh right, It''s about All Hallows Eve. Three wraiths of executed witches take over the bodies of three women to enact their revenge on the descendants of their enemies. People seem to like it, and with Hallows Eve only a few days away, it seems the right time for it."


    Reza wanted to smack himself. With everything happening and him not expecting to still be in the city, he had forgotten the most sacred day in Arkhen. It was the night when all the wraiths of the city were forced into the world, visible to everyone until the dawn of the next day rose to send them back to their unknown resting place. It was a night of feasting, celebrations, and remembering the dead. Many people saw loved ones recently passed, or ancestors came to their homes to see their descendants.


    A slight pang of grief flashed through Reza as he realized he would not get to enjoy such a reunion with either of his parents, who had both died outside of the city. It had been their decision, and something Reza agreed was correct, but the pain was still there, knowing he could have seen them again.


    Pushing the unfortunate thought away, he smiled at Sabine. "Sounds interesting. Do you think the contest will fight on that day? It seems crazy to do such a thing."


    Sabine shrugged. "I couldn¡¯t say for sure, but I would lean towards no. People will be focused on other things, and the contest can wait a day."


    Reza let Sabine take the lead, as he had no idea where he was going. She led him to a door where another usher waited. She pulled a golden key from her purse and showed it to him; he opened the door.


    "Do you know how your sisters are getting in here?" Sabine asked as they walked through the door and started to walk up the stairs.


    Reza shrugged. "I honestly haven''t talked to them in days beyond sending a letter to tell them I was being forced to stay in the city and sending a carriage to pick them up. I assume Sulli will have people watching for them, or Lukas may have already gotten them."


    Sabine guided them through the door at the top of the stairs into a long, curving corridor. They walked about halfway when she finally stopped.


    "This is me. You''ll find the Sulli box three doors down." She let go of his arm, pulling him into a brief embrace. "Meet me here after the play, and I will have the carriage bring us home."


    Reza let his arms drop and nodded. Sabine disappeared through the door, and Reza went three doors down and knocked.


    A servant came to the door and opened it. "Yes? May I help you?"


    Reza looked past the man and saw a large open box with multiple chairs at the edge of it. People were already sitting in the chairs, though he could not see who they were, with the long back of the chairs hiding their features. "Lord Marius Reza here on the invitation of Lukas Sulli."


    The servant nodded and allowed him in. Taking a deep breath, Reza resigned himself to the play and, hopefully, had an enjoyable time in the presence of Lord Sulli and the others.

 Chapter 18: An Opportunity he could not Refuse

    Reza walked in and saw multiple heads turning to look towards him. Cassia and Tavia eyes were already on him, with disappointment evident in their eyes. Not even here for ten seconds, and they are already giving me grief.


    Lord Sulli stood and shook Reza''s hand as he joined the group. Reza kissed the cheek of both his sisters, ignoring their glances towards him. They were wearing lovely new dresses, likely paid for by his money. Cassia wore a royal blue dress with a white shawl covering her bare shoulders, and Tavia wore an emerald green dress matching her eyes. Reza sometimes regretted giving control over all his money to his sister, but he knew she could handle the family''s money with much more skill than he could ever, and that was without taking her wraith into account. "Sorry for being late. Sabine Rewan helped me get here, and I wanted to walk her to her box."


    He turned to an older woman, and she held her hand out. She was dressed in a black dress, and her hair was done up into a simple bun with jeweled clips holding it in place, like her husband, with subtle beauty and power. Reza gave it a quick kiss on the back of her hand. "Lady Sulli, I must presume."


    "Yes, it is very nice to finally meet the man who saved my nephew, " she said, sitting back down.


    "Well, it''s wonderful to meet you also," Reza turned and took Marie''s hand, kissing it similarly to Lady Sulli. Marie was in a stunning black gown with lace worked into the hem and around her shoulders. She looked gorgeous. "Marie, it¡¯s a pleasure to see you again," Reza said.


    She smiled. "Thank you for coming; we were getting worried. The play was just about to begin." She motioned to the seat next to Lord Sulli. She had already taken the front seat, with Tavia next to her. Cassia and Lukas had the final two front seats. He moved just behind Lukas, and the young man turned round, standing.


    "Lord Reza, it''s good to see you," Lukas said, holding out a hand.


    Reza flinched. Even though it was proper, it felt weird when anyone called him that, let alone the heir to the Sulli family. It made him feel he was sixty years older with greying hair. ¡°Remember, my friends can call me Reza or Marius. No need for such formal titles out of the ears of others.¡±


    Lukas nodded, taking it in stride. "Sorry, Reza. Are you ready for the play? Everyone seems to enjoy it from the early reviews."


    Reza shrugged. "I haven''t been to one in years; plays aren''t down out in the legion fortresses, and I have never had an ear for them. But Sabine told me a little about it; it seems interesting enough to have me intrigued to watch it." The wraiths taking over bodies seemed farfetched, yet a scary thought if it was possible. Reza tried imagining Elana taking over his body. What would it feel like? Would he see what she was doing and could do nothing to stop his body from moving, or would he be unaware, asleep even? The thought was creepy enough as it was and the reason he was more excited about the night than he had been previously.


    "Agreed, it does sound interesting. What do you guys do for All Hallow Eve?" He looked around at the group. Tavia broke off her quiet conversation, with Marie turning to look at Lukas.


    However, Cassia answered first. "We celebrate it mostly at home with us, the servants at the estate, and the wraiths that choose to go out into the countryside to join us. It''s a small event but enjoyable nonetheless. I guess you won''t be able to join us this year, Marius."


    She looked back at him, sadness lined her face.


    He nodded, unsure but believing it unlikely. "I doubt the contest will be done, and I have to stay in the city until it''s finished. And I plan to make it to the end."


    Lukas looked back. "My father and mother did something similar, but it was a bit bigger, with multiple estates coming to the town to celebrate together. It was the biggest event out there during the year. It will be the first time I miss it." He looked down at his hands, a hint of sadness in his voice.


    "Why don''t all of you come to the city? There''s the massive celebration on the island of echoes, and you can still celebrate the night with Reza?" Marie said. She touched Tavia''s shoulder and looked at all the rest. ¡°It


    Reza looked to his sisters as this was not his decision, and since he was already in the city, he would not comment on it. However, he would prefer that they celebrate with him, as it had been years since he had been in the city to do so. However, there were others to consider beyond the Reza siblings. What would such a change do for the servants? Would they be mad that the family left them to their own devices, or maybe they would be happy? "It''s up to them, of course. I have no choice but to be stuck in the city, but we must find your rooms. I know plenty of room at the Rewan''s in the guest house. I can ask Sabine if it is fine."


    Tavia seemed interested, though they did not say anything immediately, but Cassia beamed. "That would be marvelous. To see all the wraiths in the city is probably such a supernatural experience. How do you handle the night? There must be hundreds of thousands in the city."


    ¡°It is,¡± Marie agreed, smiling at Cassia. "We can figure out the arrangements for the rooms later. Uncle, can the Reza''s join us on All Hallows Eve?" She turned to ask. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Lord Sulli, grim as always, nodded. "Why not? It is a sight you should see once in your life, at least. I remember my first time. It was almost overwhelming seeing all the wraiths floating and walking the streets. It''s an experience, wouldn''t you say, darling?" He looked at his wife.


    "Oh yes, it sure is. I would love the two of you to come earlier in the day, and we can have some tea before the celebrations." She said, looking between Reza''s sisters.


    "We would love that," Tavia answered softly, agreeing. Her eyes stopped on Reza¡¯s, and with an excitement that had been emitting from them before, she turned back to Marie. They brought their heads close together, talking so low that Reza could not hear them.


    "Marius, can you come here for a moment?" Lord Sulli stood, moving to the back of the box away from the others to a selection of drinks and foods set up.


    What is this? Reza stood but looked back, noticing the excitement on Lukas''s face. Reza tried to read the young man''s face; it was apparent he knew what this was about, but Reza could not guess what it could be about to save his life.


    Lukas nodded encouragingly, and Reza''s apprehension lessened a fraction.


    Joining Lord Sulli, the man handed Reza a dark red wine. It looked closer to blood, but he recognized it right away. He took a sip to confirm. "Terrick, our family is very fond of this winery."


    "I know. Marie came to me and mentioned a lovely wine she had at your party. I sent word to your sister, who provided me with a case. It is a delicious wine; your sister knew what she was doing with the sample. She effortlessly convinced me tonight to purchase a stake in her company to import it to the city."


    Reza smiled. Such a small suggestion Tavia had placed into Marie''s mind, showing them such a superior vintage of wine at the party. A wine, his family held control of the importation into the city. Tavia knew when she had an opportunity and seemed to have gambled that Lord Sulli would not be upset discussing business before the play. Even Reza could recognize that the man took his business seriously and would not look down on an opportunity he recognized. And it was just another connection Tavia had formed that would see her little empire grow and, with it, the Reza family. The product was good, and Tavia now had the proper backing to ensure the venture succeeded. "She is the reason my family is doing so well. You''ll have no finer partner in any deal you do."


    Sulli took another sip. "I suspect you may well be correct. However, I did not bring you back here to discuss your sisters. I came to ask you a favor or, better yet, an opportunity."


    Reza''s heart began to beat very fast, trying to think of what opportunity Lord Sulli would have for him. "What can I help you with?"


    "I believe you have seen Lukas''s wraith. The original plan was to have him go to Marcellus¡¯s Legion to be guided in controlling his pact and trained to fight. Of course, with the events of late and many of my family''s most gifted pact holders out of the city for many months, I need to find someone to train the boy." Sulli took another sip. "I was impressed with your fight in the contest. If you are willing, I''d like to hire you to train Lukas."


    Reza looked back at Lukas. He was talking to Cassia, but he saw his head twitch towards their direction, indicating he was listening in or at least trying to. "I''ve never done it before, and my fighting style isn''t exactly standard. I worry I might not be the best fit."


    Of course, he should just accept right away, but he was no fool to at least show forethought about not being the absolute right choice. This opportunity would be massive, but he also did not want it to fail and have someone such as Lord Sulli angered.


    "Nonsense, I understand your hesitation. But Lukas already told me about your conversation. You have already started teaching the boy. He went to the library this morning to research the wraith''s name based on your suggestion. Also, you won''t be the only one training him to fight. I hired Desmond Vorcan to train Lukas in the sword." He looked back towards Lukas. "I want you for your other expertise, focusing on discovering the power of that wraith and forming their partnership. I saw your relationship with yours; it was second to none. I want that for Lukas."


    Reza stood thinking through every possible outcome with this offer. Could he do this? He never thought of training someone else, but they did it all the time in the Legion. It wouldn''t be that far from copying that, and having Desmond there would be a massive help. "I''ll do it; I can start training him around my duties with the contest. But after the contest, I may be sent back to the legion immediately."


    "Don''t worry about that. I will become your patron and ensure your rise in the army is given the proper level of attention it deserves." He said with another sip of the wine. He held his hand out, and the servant poured more into his cup. "Agreed?"


    Sulli held his hand out.


    Reza took it. Even if he failed in the contest, his life had been completely changed by the events from the last weeks. A Patronship from the Sulli family would ensure a rise in power for himself and his sisters.


    "Agreed, we will start tomorrow. If you could have him ready for the fourth hour of the day," Reza said. Their conversation cut off as the lights dimmed and music began to play. Both moved back to their seats, and Lukas turned around with a questioning look.


    Reza nodded with a smile. "Be ready, Lukas. It will be a lot of work."


    Lukas nodded. "Of course." He whispered and turned around as Cassia smacked him softly on the shoulder.


    The play was good before the talking cat came onto the stage. A wraith of a victim of the three witches had inhabited a cat instead of a human body. It was ridiculous, and Reza could barely stop laughing whenever the actor pretended to be a cat.


    Reza took leave of the others at the end after making sure his sisters had a carriage waiting to take them home before he walked to Sabine''s box. "I wish I had been with you."


    Sabine laughed. "It was the cat, right? I laughed every time the man spoke, but I think they were serious about that choice."


    Reza held his arm out. "It was ridiculous. But it wasn''t so bad beyond that part of it. The kid actors were excellent. I wasn''t expecting that."


    "Agreed." She momentarily laid her head on his shoulder, bringing her body close to his. "Let''s go home. I''m tired, and we don¡¯t have much time before our next fights."


    Reza started down the hallway. He had an early day tomorrow, so he would not complain, but his mind was already reeling from thinking about what he wanted to start in the first session with Lukas. There were dozens of things he could do, and he would need to make a decision on how to start to ensure Lukas had the best possible training. "Yes. Let''s go."


    Leaving the venue, ready to fall into bed.

 Chapter 19: Meeting of the Ten Families

    Lukas jumped, almost falling out of his desk chair, his book clattering to the floor as Lord Sulli marched into his room. "Get ready, you five minutes before we leave."


    Lukas recovered, picking up the book he had been reading before sleeping. They had just returned from the play, and Lukas was doing a bit of light reading before going to sleep. He had barely a few hours before he would need to rise to meet Reza. Placing the book carefully on his desk, he found the page he had been reading and put a small piece of metal to hold the page. "Where are we going?"


    It was almost the tenth hour at night, and there was little to be done in the middle of the night. Lukas could not dream of what they could do at such a time that someone like Lord Sulli would be involved.


    Lord Sulli gave a brief pause, his eyes held a measure of power forcing Lukas to hold the gaze before he answered bluntly. "You''re about to participate in your first closed council meeting. The heads of the houses and their heirs, along with any Archons within the city, are meeting to discuss certain events that need our attention. As the new heir to this house, you will join the council."


    He turned around and left the room before Lukas could say anything.


    Well then, I guess I won''t get any sleep tonight. He had enjoyed a lovely night at the play with the Rezas; Cassia effortlessly handled the conversation for the entire night, asking questions about Lukas¡¯s interest when the play allowed. She had read many of the books recently purchased for him and had recommended the book on the table, A Whisper of Kings. She said everyone that had read it loved it. He was only a little way in, and the book''s setup had been enjoyable so far. The story was set in Arkhen just before the deaths of the gods, following the story of a soldier of Arkhen helping to save what was left of the city. He looked forward to reading it, but that would happen another time.


    It took little time before Lukas and Lord Sulli''s carriage moved into an underground part of the Palace. Where in the abyss this had been hidden, Lukas was not sure. Unfortunately, he had not been able to see much outside, with the windows of the carriages darkened. The only thing he had noticed was the low glow of the towers as they moved onto the Island of the Echoes.


    "Listen closely so you do not make a fool of yourself," Lord Sulli said, bringing Lukas¡¯s attention back to his uncle. ¡°You have one rule tonight: only talk if someone directly talks to you.¡±


    Lukas nodded as Pullo opened the carriage door. "Ready to move when you are, Sir." He bowed, keeping his eyes lowered as he held the door open.


    They walked into a side door where two guards held the door. They were dressed in full silver rune-covered plate armor, a relic from the past. The hallway was carved with reliefs of battles and large crowds of people cheering at individuals above them. The scenes quickly turned into massive monsters and people fighting each other for supremacy. And finally, thirteen grave markers, before ending in the rising of towers on an island city. Was it the death of the gods he saw? It made the most sense, but there was much that Lukas did not understand. The monsters were an obvious choice, but there was something else that Lukas couldn¡¯t place his mind on as he continued to stare at the mural.


    "Lukas, focus." Lord Sulli whispered. Lukas started, joining his uncle again, not having realized he had stopped. "There will be several items the council must talk about, and we may well vote on some actions. Follow my vote; you vote as I do."


    "Of course, Uncle." Lukas could say nothing else. He hadn''t even realized he would be allowed to vote. "What else should I expect to do? You sprung this on me quite late for me to be prepared."


    Sulli rubbed his forehead, surprising Lukas. His uncle was not someone who showed his emotions to many. "I know. They called a meeting, and I was planning to leave you out of it. However, you need to start at some point, and while it would be better that the city settled down before thrusting you into the running of the city, we are at war, and I don''t have that luxury right now."


    They walked into a massive, open, circular room. It held no windows, but many elemental lanterns lined each column that circled the room. A large table sat in the center of the room; the silver table was lined with about thirty chairs. Around two-thirds of the seats were already filled, with Lukas only recognizing one.


    Lord Rewan sat at the far end of the table, a young woman next to him who looked similar to Lady Rewan but far more martial. It was obviously Sabine. While he had seen her fighting in the arena a few days back, she had been so far away that he was unsure what she looked like.


    Lukas was forced to increase his speed to catch up as Lord Sulli, Lukas, and his uncle made their way around the room to sit in two seats next to the Rewans. His uncle took the seat next to Lord Rewan while he motioned Lukas to sit next to Sabine.


    Taking the seat, Sabine nodded, holding her hand out to him.


    ¡°Lukas, I assume. I am Sabine Rewan," She asked, holding a hand out. She was dressed in the stark grey uniform that hinted at the legions but had no symbols or markings like the normal ones.


    He nodded. "Of course, Reza has mentioned you a few times; he seemed disappointed not to see the play with you."


    ¡°Did he now?¡± She smiled widely, her tone turning a bit amused at his words. Lukas was not sure what that meant. ¡°I¡¯m slightly surprised you are here tonight. Reza mentioned the training this morning. Are you ready? You won''t be getting much sleep, it seems. "


    Lukas smiled back, nodding. It was exciting to get his training started finally; however, he felt mixed emotions. He was afraid that he would not be good enough, not be able to learn and defend himself, and nervous about what would come from the training only mere hours away. But the anticipation of starting his new life overcame all of the negative emotions and fears. "I¡¯m ready, and I can¡¯t worry about losing sleep if it''s my duty. I¡¯ll have to push through the weariness."


    Sabine nodded in approval. ¡°Reza will be pleased with that mindset. Be sure you listen well and train hard; everything you learn could save your life one day.¡±


    Lukas agreed wholeheartedly; he had never expected that day with his cousin to happen. And that day, he had been useless, and then again when Reza had to come to save him. There had been nothing he could do to protect himself or do anything. ¡°I feel useless right now, I want that to end.¡±


    "I know that feeling. It took me quite a while to see how the power Logain gave me could be controlled,¡± Sabine responded, her voice lowered so the others were less likely to hear. ¡°Reza will help you; I''ve never seen someone as in tune with his wraith as he. They are quite a fearsome partnership."


    Lukas thought back to the fight outside the city. He shuddered, going further back to Marcellus''s death. "Yea, I witnessed first hand what they could do."


    Their conversation was interrupted, by Sabine¡¯s father.


    "Young Lukas, you are finally joining us in the council. I was wondering if Sulli was going to bring you tonight. We could use the vote." His tone was the most serious Lukas had ever heard him.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Why do you say that?" Lukas asked. It seemed like Rewan knew more than he did.


    "I suspect there will be at least one vote tonight. The Kejecks are riled up tonight. Likely has to do with Marius Reza taking out their daughter in such a fashion. Not to mention also that we still have no idea where this force that killed your cousin is. Decisions will be made tonight, and our five votes could push it one way or another. I would have liked that 6th vote, but alas, it''s impossible without one of my children gaining the Sorana¡¯s seat." He looked at his daughter with excitement.


    Lord Sulli nodded, lowering his voice. "I see. I suspected it would be something around that. Let''s just hope the Malaks and Vorcans don''t also agree with the Kejeks, or we won''t matter." Sulli said in a whisper so only we could hear.


    People conversed, waiting for the last stragglers to join the table as his Uncle and Lord Rewan continued to talk. Lukas started to drift away from the conversation, eyeing the others at the table, until he noticed an older man, his hair pure white, glide into the room. He had a large amulet hanging from his neck with the city''s black raven carved into it.


    "Finally, the Praetor finally shows up," Rewan said before leaning back into his chair.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you for showing up. It seems we have 21 in attendance with proxies for the four missing." Praetor Kallier said, reading from a scroll in front of him. While Lukas had never met the man before, everyone in the territory of Arkhen and abroad knew the man who held the city in his guardianship. For almost fifty years, Praetor had guided the city through several wars, emergencies, and peaceful times. "Lord Kejek, you called for the meeting, though I had planned to call a meeting in a few days when we had more intelligence. We will start with you."


    Kallier leaned forward, placing his hands just under his chin.


    Lord Kejek, Lukas presumed, stood about three chairs from the Praetor. "Thank you. I know we have not met since the death of your son, Lord Sulli. I give you my family''s condolences. However, this is an issue we have in the contest to replace your son."


    His uncle nodded, but Lukas knew there was nothing behind it. There seemed to be no love lost between the two men.


    "And what problem would that be, Lucius," Rewan questioned, his voice raised, with none of the humor in the tone.


    "It''s an issue for all of us, though I guess with both your children still in the contest, you might be blind to it," Kejeck said coldly. "We have only had four of our own still left in the contest. We must decide how we would like to respond to make sure we keep our power."


    Lukas was not sure he was hearing Kejeck correctly. He knew that politics would be cutthroat, but this was more open than he expected from the opening statement. Sabine made no indications of her thoughts when he glanced over to her. Her eyes were only focused on the man.


    "There are four. That is more than enough, all are powerful warriors and considered some of our best," Lord Sulli motioned towards Sabine. "With one sitting just to my left."


    Kejek sneered. "We need to keep control. We were all there during the contests. That young noble lord, Marius Reza, took out my daughter in seconds. Vorcan, your uncle lost to him in a duel, someone we thought might go all the way. The others fought well in their matches and could be considered threats. Each needs to be handled before they can take our power." He sat down, looking at the group.


    Lukas wanted to say something. He was talking about Reza and clearly stating they wanted to eliminate him. But he held his words. Lord Sulli would have no part in this, he hoped.


    "It''s a thought, but Desmond seemed to enjoy himself. Do we have to kill them? Couldn''t we pay them off or, better yet, bring them to our side? New blood isn''t a problem." Vorcan said, musing as he talked.


    "Better to take them out of the competition; Illian, Sabine, Adrian, or Jorin should be the Archon. Not some new blood." Kejek scoffed, his fist hammering into the table.


    They went like this, more people cutting into the conversation for almost ten minutes as Lukas''s anger grew. He could see the agitation growing in Sabine. Her hands were clenched into fists under the table, hidden from others, while her face remained the mask of calm.


    "I will handle this." Lord Rewan placed a hand on his daughter, not allowing her to stand to make a statement. He and Lord Sulli stood. "Marius Reza is staying under my house. I will have no one in this chamber continue to talk of murder. If we must take a vote, take it."


    "I also have placed him under my employee as a trainer. Your uncle Vorcan has also agreed to work with Reza. He is a powerful warrior, and I do not think the city in a time of war should kill our powerful soldiers that could help us in this fight. Ladies and gentlemen, we are far smarter than these last ten minutes have shown." Waving his hand towards the Praetor. "Let us vote. I call for no action against the contestants."


    Praetor Kallier stood. "All in favor, raise your hand so your opinion may be known."


    Lukas quickly counted the hands raised to see who carried the vote. Lukas, the Rewans, and his Uncle raised their hands, Vorcan and about ten people on his side of the table. Kejek and his allies, Lukas presumed, kept their hands lowered. Relived, Lukas let himself calm as the measure had gone their way.


    "The votes stand; no action will be attempted against the contestants until the next council meeting."


    "Close one, I think your mention of DesmondVorcan kept that boy alive," Rewan whispered.


    Lord Sulli nodded. "I wasn''t sure either way. We spent a lot on that boy; I hope he''s worth it."


    "Sabine seems to think it, and I like the boy myself," Lord Rewan glanced towards his daughter.


    She nodded, her eyes hard, she had been ready for a fight had it come to it, Lukas was sure.


    "He may well win it all. I would be worried to face him and Elana. They scare even me." Sabine said. Her hands had finally unclenched and lay flat of the arms of the chair.


    "We shall see. It''s better to have three possible allies with another vote than an enemy." Lord Sulli said.


    Lukas himself felt a bit calmer.


    The meeting continued, and the Praetor stood again. "Before we continue with any other subject, we must discuss the problems in the West. I have sent multiple riders to reach the thirteenth Legion to report their Archon''s death and have them retreat towards the city. Only my last two riders have returned, and I had them only ride two days out to see what they could find. There is no sight of the enemy within two days, and I dare not send any farther than that until we have more information."


    "We have two legions outside the city with two more within two days of the city in the south. Shouldn''t there be plenty of forces to take on anything that could come up against us? Eight thousand pact holders should be plenty." Kejek said. Looking towards the Archons.


    One stood and looked towards Kejek. "You forget they killed one of our Archons. From what has been reported from Sulli and the young boy." He looked right at Lukas. "Major magic was used. We do not know their abilities and cannot assume that we have enough to hold them back. I, for one, do not like not having any intelligence. We must send more out to find this enemy, people who can read auras and see who they may be and what power is behind their forces."


    His counterparts both nodded.


    Lukas shuddered, remember the red energy and sand swirling around in his head. The power had killed an injured Marcellus, but there was power out there, that matched an Archon. "It was terrible the power I saw that day. They should be worried. I know Marcellus felt it." He whispered so only Sabine could hear.


    She looked at him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "It was an ambush; there wasn''t much he could do, nor you."


    He wasn''t sure that was true, but the kind words made him feel better. "We shall see. I have no doubt they will come."


    "The Archons have spoken of what they would like to do. Does anyone else have solutions? Otherwise, we will take it to a vote." The Praetor waited for a moment, but no one voiced another comment. "Raise your hand to scout the western reaches to see if we can find this force? Or find a way to reach the mountain fortress of the thirteenth Legion."


    Twenty hands raised, Lukas joins the Rewans and his Uncle again.


    The rest of the meeting went smoothly, with the last bits of issues being more about the city''s running, such as cleaning the southern district sewers or increasing wine exports into the city. Each time, he followed his Uncle''s moves as they were matched by the Rewans. The next hour had them vote another four times before the meeting concluded.


    "A drink before we leave?" Rewan asked at the end of the meeting. Many people were already filing out of the room, with the Praetor the first to leave.


    "No, Lukas must get some sleep. His first day of training starts tomorrow, and I suspect he will need every minute with the two I hired." He said in a blunt tone.


    Rewan laughed. "Oh boy, you''ll have fun. The first day always sucks; watch your hands; the blisters will come sooner or later."


    Lukas could only give the man the barest of nodes. He was tired and had to fight for the last half hour to not fall asleep in front of everyone at the meeting, with his eyes burning from him, forcing them to stay open.


    Lord Rewan laughed, slapping him on the shoulder and joining many gathering near Vorcan.


    Sabine stayed for only another moment. "It will be hard, and Reza won''t let give up, but you will learn from it all. Just remember that." She walked away to join her father.


    "Come along, let''s not tarry." Lord Sulli left, bringing them home.

 Chapter 20: A Moment changes Everything

    ¡°Damn fool! I should have woken up an hour earlier.¡± Reza cursed himself as he rushed through the grand entrance of the Rewan Estate, his mood soured by the realization that he was on the brink of being late for Lukas¡¯s first day of training.


    Reza came to a halt, recognizing the need to compose himself before proceeding. These emotions could ruin the start of Lukas¡¯s training, and he didn¡¯t want either himself or Lukas to begin on the wrong foot, potentially jeopardizing the foundation they would lay. Reza stopped before the painting of the Broken King, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. ¡°Calm yourself. You will be there on time.¡±


    Opening his eyes, Reza took one final glance at the painting and slowed down, knowing that he could summon Elana and arrive in mere moments.


    Continuing to the front door, Reza acknowledged the few servants who were already awake at this ungodly hour. Nodding to each as he passed, he made it a point not to be rude to those employed to maintain the smooth functioning of his household. This was a lesson he had learned from his parents, and he would continue to uphold it here as well.


    Sabine was nowhere to be found in the entryway, despite the fact she lived in the main house, and he had to walk from the guest house at the back of the estate. Reza hadn¡¯t anticipated her coming with him, but she had awakened him in the middle of the night to warn him and inform him that she would join him in the morning. She sought one final session before her duel.


    Reza planned a relaxed day, prioritizing Lukas¡¯s training. He wanted to grasp Lukas¡¯s knowledge and establish a baseline of his student¡¯s abilities. However, he exercised caution due to his match the following day. There was no reason to risk an injury, especially considering the high stakes involved. While he could heal most injuries, healers couldn¡¯t mend significant wounds in a day, and Reza couldn¡¯t afford such skilled professionals.


    ¡°Where in the abyss is she?¡± Reza muttered under his breath, growing impatient. They needed to hurry, and if she didn¡¯t appear soon, he would have to leave her to fend for herself. Opening the door, he peered out the front to see if she was waiting¡ªunfortunately, only a single soldier guarded the porch. The man¡¯s eyes quickly caught Reza¡¯s, and his hand instinctively reached for the weapon at his waist, ready for any potential threat at such an early hour. It took only a moment for the guard to recognize Reza and nod in acknowledgment.


    Reza waved in recognition and returned to their entryway. He had been impressed by the guards the Rewans employed. They had keen eyesight and ears and were ready for any unexpected events, even in the darkest of nights. This demonstrated good discipline, and they were people you could trust to carry out their duties.


    Closing the door, Reza hurried up the stairs to the Rewans¡¯ living quarters. He hadn¡¯t been up here frequently, but he had visited Sabine¡¯s quarters several times.


    He quickly made his way down the hallway to Sabine¡¯s door, which led to her suite, which was essentially her bedroom. He knocked three times rapidly.


    ¡°Sabine, we need to leave; Lukas will likely be waiting for me already,¡± Reza tried to ensure that Sabine could hear him without waking up the rest of the


    Rewan family. His nerves were already on edge, and he didn¡¯t want Lucien to start something because he had woken him up.


    The door opened unexpectedly, and Reza jumped. He hadn¡¯t heard Sabine moving towards the door.


    Sabine chuckled and closed the door behind her. She adjusted her weapons, relocating her unstrung bow and quiver to her back before focusing on Reza with a stern expression.


    ¡°Reza, calm down. It¡¯s a mere ten-minute walk to the residence. We¡¯ll arrive there in no time.¡± She set off, and Reza followed, quickening his pace to walk beside her.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get going. My sisters would likely dismember me if I jeopardized our connection with the high families. Tavia has already secured a contract with Sulli, and I anticipate her pursuing more with others. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if your father becomes entangled in one with her now that she¡¯s infiltrated the Sulli business.¡± He remarked as they left the house and ventured onto the street. We should have opted for the horses. It¡¯s been weeks since I last rode him; the poor creature needs his legs stretched.


    Reza glanced towards the stables. ¡°It¡¯s too late now.¡±


    ¡°Stop worrying,¡± she laughed. ¡°Besides, my father will likely look to make a deal now that Sulli did, so I don¡¯t doubt Tavia will seize that opportunity. It does not matter as the families will seek connections with you if you continue to rise in the contest.¡± She placed a hand on Reza, halting him, the smile fading from her face. ¡°Just remember what I told you last night: don¡¯t trust any of those inquiries.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Reza affirmed.


    Sabine had arrived at the guest house late last night and woke Reza up. Sound asleep, he had almost stabbed her with the dagger hidden under his pillow, having unleashed his power and positioned himself behind her.


    Had she not screamed out, it could have been disastrous. ¡°Reza, stop! It¡¯s me.¡±


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°What?¡± He rubbed his eyes, dropped the dagger on the bed, and lay back. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    She moved and sat at the edge of his bed. ¡°You¡¯re in danger. There was talk about murdering you tonight.¡±


    It took him a moment to comprehend her words. ¡°Why? And where did this come from?¡± Reza asked. He would be dishonest if he claimed he was surprised that somebody was after him. The contest, and saving Lukas had made him a person of interest, which inevitably brought many eyes upon him, good and bad. He had anticipated this might turn into a perilous situation, but he was willing to take the risk for the chance.


    ¡°The contest, what else?¡± She gave him a look as if there was no other possible reason. She was probably right about that. ¡°Just an hour ago, during a meeting of the closed council. Many of the council members are open about keeping the Archons confined to their families, but Lord Kejek was blunt in his opinions. He attempted to push his agenda, but he was defeated. My father and Lord Sulli supported you.¡±


    Kejek. Reza would never trust the man and his allies again. He pushed his hair out of his face. ¡°Thank you for the warning. I¡¯m not sure what else I can do except avoid dealing with the man himself and be constantly aware of the possibility.¡±


    Sabine grabbed his hand before moving to the door. ¡°I just wanted to make sure you knew.¡±


    She left after also letting him know she would join him tomorrow morning, with Reza awake for a bit longer to think. He would send a message to Tavia not to do business with him, his family, or maybe even his allies. It was one less chance to make money, but Kejeck was openly pushing my murder, so we wouldn¡¯t want to associate with such a family.


    Realizing he had been deep in thought, Reza tried to regain his composure. The road was unusually crowded today; more people were in the district than ever, even at this hour. It wasn¡¯t surprising, he thought, considering the contest was in full swing and the possibility of war looming over Arkhen¡¯s territory. Many were likely returning to the city. With so many more people back, the servants of the numerous nobles¡¯ houses were already busy starting their daily routines.


    Reza swiftly approached Sulli¡¯s house, skillfully navigating through small groups as they traversed the noble district.


    Turning a corner, Reza collided with a man walking down the opposite street. The man remained unperturbed, while Reza stumbled backward, startled by the man¡¯s immense strength, which knocked him into another person. Disoriented, Reza barely regained his composure when something tightened around his neck, suffocating his air. What is this abyss?


    With a quick motion, Reza brought his elbow back, attempting to drive it into the person holding the cord that was cutting into his neck. He could feel blood seeping down his body. Undeterred, Reza tried again, finally connecting with the man with an elbow, causing the cord to loosen briefly as he seized control of his power. Before Reza could unleash his energy, another man arrived, striking him in the ribs with a powerful punch. A searing pain shot through Reza¡¯s body.


    As Reza flared, people around him erupted in screams. He swiftly moved to the side, approximately ten feet away from the attackers. Reza noticed multiple men armed with weapons; one held a thin, bloody blade, while another man wielded a cord, standing beside Elana. Damn, man stabbed me.


    Reza, not feeling the wounds because of the magic flowing through his body, knew he¡¯d be in trouble after the fight. He tried to grab his daggers, but his numb hand couldn¡¯t grip the hilt of one. He abandoned the second dagger and held the first with his good hand, flaring and coming in close to slash deep into the man with the garrote¡¯s neck. He collapsed, clutching his bleeding neck. Reza flared again, his mind only focused on Sabine.


    Where was she? He found her against a wall, flanked by two men. She held them off with her unstrung bow, using it like a quarterstaff. Reza flared behind one of the men, kicking his knee. He cut deep across the man¡¯s neck, leaving him to collapse on the ground, dead.


    Reza breathed heavily, flaring once more. He moved away from Sabine, leaving her to deal with the remaining man. Unfortunately, the few seconds it took to help Sabine had given the three men time to prepare. They were now in a tight formation, facing each other¡¯s back and ready to protect themselves.


    Clever assassins. Reza needed to end the fight swiftly; he sensed the energy draining from something sinister. Despite his severe wound, his power should not be waning as rapidly as it was. Fearfully, Reza finally spotted the auras surrounding the remaining assassins. While their power was not formidable, they emanated a faint red glow around their weapons.


    It wasn¡¯t a wraith pact, but some lower-level magic; he couldn¡¯t discern the exact nature from the limited information he could gather. Reza realized he was running out of time and would have to conclude the fight swiftly. Without his magic surging through him, his body might have already succumbed; fortunately,


    Elana¡¯s power seemed to mitigate the effects of their magic.


    Reza flared his power, materializing before the blood-stained knife assassin. He swiftly slashed twice across the man¡¯s chest. The assassin, knowing he was dead from his wounds, attempted to bring Reza to the afterlife with him as he attempted one last attack with the rest of his strength.


    Unable to retreat, Reza instinctively raised his numb arm, deflecting the assassin¡¯s blade across his forearm. The dagger pierced through his flesh, leaving a deep gash several inches across. Bloody echoes.


    Reza flared his power, escaping the other two assassins¡¯ blades. They had been mere seconds away from ending the fight, capitalizing on the death of their comrade.


    Reza, having switched with Elana twice, swiftly slashed down toward his first target. Before the strike could even make contact, he flared again, appearing in the air above the last assassin. With all his might, he plunged his dagger into the man¡¯s skull, causing him to fall dead. However, the dagger slipped from Reza¡¯s weakened hand and remained lodged in the man¡¯s skull. With the assassin dead, the man¡¯s body fell onto Reza, causing him to lose his balance.


    As Reza regained his composure, a dagger appeared in the corner of his eye, striking out towards him. Instinctively, he lunged forward and grabbed the assassin¡¯s wrist, exerting all his might to keep his grip.


    Fortunately, Reza had enough strength to stop the initial attempt. In the ensuing struggle, the assassin plunged the dagger just below Reza¡¯s collarbone, sinking a few inches in. Reza let out a piercing scream and dropped to his knees, the assassin poised to deliver the killing blow. But the man let out a deafening scream of agony, causing the dagger to slip from their grasp and land beside Reza. The assassin collapsed, his lifeless eyes staring up at Reza, a dagger lodged in the man¡¯s neck.


    A sense of confusion washed over him as he wondered what had happened. Just then, Sabine rushed to his side, steadying him on his knees. Her eyes were wide with fear as she began to examine his body. ¡°Where are you hurt?¡± she asked.


    Reza felt excruciating pain spreading throughout his body, a testament to the insidious magic wielded by the assassins that had drained his last reserves of strength. His entire body was racked with agony, and he struggled to stay awake, his mind urging him to succumb to sleep. With a desperate attempt to muster his remaining strength, Reza attempted to form a coherent sentence to respond to Sabine. ¡°Stabbed¡­¡± he coughed, the corner of his eyes blurring as the pressure to close them intensified. ¡°Magical¡­¡±


    Reza was acutely aware of his dire situation, despite his initial belief that nothing significant had been struck. The assassins¡¯ magic had rendered Elana¡¯s power ineffective against them. It was evident that if the first assassin had targeted a more vulnerable spot, Reza would have succumbed to his injuries long ago.


    Sabine swiftly laid Reza down on the ground, her hand firmly pressing against the wound in his ribs to stem the bleeding. She promptly issued orders to the people nearby, instructing them to assist in moving Reza to the Sulli Estate.


    Reza felt the pain intensify, but he resisted, battling the darkness that threatened to consume him. This wouldn¡¯t be his end. He extended his hand, grasping more power and forcing Elana back into the world after momentarily losing their connection. He had to hold onto their connection, not let it slip away, or he would succumb. With his teeth clenched, he felt multiple individuals lift him up, Sabine still pressing against his ribs. Each movement brought forth excruciating pain, yet it served as a stimulant, keeping him awake.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Marius. The Sulli house is nearby. We¡¯ll get you medical attention,¡± Sabine whispered, drawing closer to him.

 Chapter 21: A Name is Found

    Lukas, in a foul mood, finished his morning training preparations. He had ensured William woke him early, but the late-night council meeting left him struggling to get out of bed. William had to wake him up twice before he left his warm bed.


    After regaining his senses, Lukas quickly had a few slices of toast with cinnamon butter. Though he couldn¡¯t savor the food, he ate enough to satisfy his hunger. Realizing he wasn¡¯t prepared with suitable clothes for training, he had forgotten to have some acquired for him amidst the chaos of the past week.


    Most of his clothes were unsuitable for any training or labor, having been lost during the ambush, and they hadn¡¯t been replaced.


    In the end, Lukas changed into the only practical clothes he had: his riding pants and a simple white shirt. They would withstand the wear and tear of his upcoming training.


    As he finished lacing the final boot, William finally entered, knocking on the door before entering.


    ¡°Enter,¡± Lukas said quickly, turning to the servant.


    William bowed. ¡°Sir, you have a visitor.¡±


    ¡°Has Desmond or Reza already arrived?¡± Lukas glanced at the window, but there was no sign of light outside. He still thought it might be a bit early.


    William shook his head. ¡°No, strangely, Alexander Tarimage is in the entryway. He said he might have found some information on your wraith.¡±


    Lukas smiled. ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t expect him to find any information so soon. We only left him yesterday.¡±


    Lukas walked past William and exited his room. It finally crossed his mind that it was extremely early in the morning for Tarimage to bring the information. He wondered if the man had slept at all last night.


    The house was quiet, with most of the family likely still asleep and only a few servants were in the hallways starting their day. They passed through the house, moving past walls adorned with paintings of every famous ancestor of the Sulli family. Marie had pointed out many of their names, but Lukas had forgotten almost all of them, especially since there were so many of them in the hallway.


    Tarimage was seated at a side table, where one of the black-dressed servants handed over a steaming cup of something. The servant turned towards Lukas as he approached.


    ¡°Sir, would you like a tea? I¡¯ve brought a cup for you as well.¡± She gestured towards the second cup on the table.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lukas grasped the cup and took a small sip. The tea was robust, but the slightly bitter and roasted flavor invigorated him. ¡°Very well done. You may go now.¡±


    She bowed and hurriedly left through a side door.


    Tarimage set his cup down and stood with his arm outstretched. ¡°Lukas, it¡¯s great to see you. I hope this isn¡¯t too early. I discovered something late last night, and I only had a short time before other urgent matters took over my day. So, I thought I¡¯d better give you a report,¡± he smiled easily.


    ¡°Not at all. My door is always open to you.¡± Lukas shook his hand, inviting him to return to his seat at the table before taking the second chair. ¡°I hope it¡¯s nothing serious. I wouldn¡¯t want you to be working for me when something more pressing comes up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it; it¡¯s nothing I overlooked while researching. The head librarian acquired some books from an estate, and I must collect them this morning before they depart the city. One of the noble families is relocating to their estate in the north for the remainder of the year. I¡¯ll dedicate several days to adding them to our library catalog and finding suitable locations within the library. Im not sure how long it will take, depends on the number of books purchased.¡± Tarimage dismissed the matter with a casual shrug, as if it held no significance. ¡°I anticipated being in the district, so I thought I¡¯d make a stop before retrieving the books.¡±


    Days. Echoes. Lukas couldn¡¯t fathom the amusement in such a tedious chore. The prospect of moving books to expand our collection seemed utterly absurd. However, having witnessed the library¡¯s grandeur, he understood why such a task could consume considerable time. Even adding a few books could necessitate relocating entire sections up or down a floor of the imposing walls.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t something he had neglected to find information about. While Lukas wanted the name, it wasn¡¯t a prerequisite for initiating his training. It would merely enhance his collaboration with his wraith and facilitate their commencement on a more favorable footing. Ultimately, the powers would determine the course of his training, aiming to harmonize his wraith¡¯s power with the fighting style he, Reza, and Desmond developed. It appeared to him that this was the most crucial aspect of their training. Elana¡¯s movement-based abilities required Reza to wield daggers and a sword, allowing him to strike swiftly from any direction. In contrast, Sabine harnessed her powers through ranged attacks, aligning her abilities with her wraith¡¯s capabilities.


    Each developed its own unique fighting style based on its Wraiths, specializing in a particular form of combat. Not all Wraiths altered the way you fought; for instance, a Wraith that accelerated the growth of flowers didn¡¯t necessarily change your fighting technique. However, many Wraiths had great synergy with certain fighting styles, making the more they learned, the more likely they were to succeed.


    ¡°Well, then, I won¡¯t keep you here any longer than necessary. William mentioned that you had some information.¡± Lukas took another sip of tea, eagerly awaiting the news.


    Tarimage became animated. He pulled a book from his small bag and placed it on the table. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve delved into the rest of the books. It was captivating, and I¡¯m eager to continue exploring the Wraiths. I believe for something so crucial to our society, we¡¯ve conducted limited research on understanding its origins.¡± He shuffled through the pages, searching for what he had found. ¡°I¡¯ve been searching for a focus for my research at the library, and I might have discovered my calling. Xyron, the head librarian, has already approved the preliminary research with some hesitation.¡±


    With good reason. A shiver ran down Lukas¡¯s spine. Researching the Wraiths, such as delving into the origins of the city¡¯s power, seemed both daunting and concerning. He had always been taught that it was a divine gift bestowed upon the gods who sacrificed themselves to defend the cities from their adversaries. Their final gift was the ability to continue aiding Arkhen even in death.


    In many people¡¯s eyes, delving into such a sacred topic appeared like an easy way to attract the wrath of the churches and the divine themselves. Lukas also harbored concerns about the reaction to such research from the citizens of the city, particularly the pious individuals and the esteemed Noble families.


    Last night¡¯s meeting revealed the ruthlessness they would unleash against those who obstructed their power.


    Lukas remained silent, allowing Tarimage to locate the page and continue their conversation.


    ¡°Alright, almost there, I started writing ideas of how I would start the research, but I¡¯ve strayed from the reason for my presence here.¡± Tarimage paused on a page and turned the book over. ¡°I believe I¡¯ve found your wraith.¡±


    Lukas began reading aloud. ¡°Severin, a mysterious wraith there is limited knowledge of its powers. There is only one recorded pact between the wraith and a citizen of Arkhen with no mention of abilities.¡°


    He had continued reading the rest of the book, which contained a detailed description that matched his wraith quite accurately.


    ¡°Quite an intriguing name, isn¡¯t it? He bears almost the exact description of your wraith. The same military uniform and numerous scars adorning his body. It even mentions the prominent scar across his neck. This was the only wraith I discovered that closely resembled his description and mentioned the neck.¡±


    Lukas continued reading, and every detail seemed to align perfectly with his wraith. He seized upon the power and summoned the wraith beside him. He gazed down at the two of them. Lukas pointed at the name.


    ¡°Is this you, Severin?¡± Lukas asked, his eyes locked onto the wraith¡¯s. The wraith remained silent, his gaze fixed on Lukas. The tension in the room was palpable, neither man willing to break the gaze. Finally, Severin nodded, signaling the end of the silent standoff.


    Lukas pondered Severin¡¯s power, but the description of their sole other pact, forged approximately 900 years ago, offered no concrete details about Severin¡¯s abilities. Instead, it provided only vague hints suggesting a possible connection between him and the cards he possessed. Disappointed and uncertain about how to proceed with this newfound knowledge, Lukas was unsure where to go from here.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s wonderful to finally know his name,¡± Lukas said, looking up at Severin. The wraith shrugged in response and leaned against the wall. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he looked down at the book once more. It seemed that he found something intriguing in its pages; perhaps they were unaware of his powers. Lukas could only speculate.


    ¡°Yes, I apologize for the lack of further details,¡± Tarimage said. ¡°As you mentioned, a name is indeed of utmost importance. I had considered attempting some research on the first pact holder. If there is a history of Jak Cython, it may provide you with additional information. I intend to use your wraith as the initial component of my research to explore the extent of the web surrounding him if you have no concerns with that. Nevertheless, before I embark on this endeavor, I believe it would be beneficial to formulate a comprehensive plan for our research.¡±


    The man was overexerting himself. ¡°I¡¯ll help you with that. It might be beneficial to investigate the person who held your pact.¡± Lukas glanced over to Severin, who shrugged and nodded in agreement. ¡°Give me a few days, and I can assist. Perhaps after All Hallows Eve, we can dedicate a day or two to research.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind starting sooner.¡± He said, returning the book to his bag.


    Lukas shook his head. ¡°No, that¡¯s out of the question. You¡¯ve already done enough. Use the time in between to focus on your other library duties, and we can begin our investigation after the holiday next week. We have ample time; a few days won¡¯t make a significant difference.¡± Lukas stood up, and Tarimage followed suit.


    ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll meet you next Tuesday. Allow yourself a day or so of rest after All Hallows Eve, and then we can delve into our research.¡± Tarimage scratched his beard, contemplating the matter. ¡°I¡¯ll at least compile a plan for how we¡¯ll investigate the man. If there are books written about him, it could be straightforward. However, if not, we¡¯ll have to explore city records, which will initiate a lengthy research process. But don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll have a plan ready.¡±


    We stepped onto the front portico. Lukas extended his hand, and Tarimage grasped it firmly. ¡°Thank you for the information. Knowing his name is a significant revelation.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very¡­¡± Tarimage trailed off, his attention suddenly drawn to a group of people rapidly approaching him and Tarimage standing just outside the Manor¡¯s front door.


    Lukas noticed two Sulli guards holding someone between them, dragging him along. As they drew closer, he observed deep red stains spreading across the unconscious man, almost completely soaking his shirt in crimson. Without hesitation, Lukas rushed towards the group and recognized Reza, lying unconscious with a substantial amount of blood covering his body. What in the depths of the abyss had transpired?

 Chapter 22: Healing in the House of Sulli

    Lukas sprinted forward to assist, recognizing Sabine close behind the guards. ¡°What happened? What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°Assassins ambushed us on our way here; Reza was gravely injured during the ensuing fight. Since your estate was closer than mine, I decided to bring him here.¡± She replied, her gaze never leaving Reza¡¯s. He remained oblivious to his surroundings, yet he had to be conscious because his wraith, Elana, trailed behind the group with a distressed expression etched on her face. Reza¡¯s head rolled as the guards carried him, his eyes unfocused.


    Lukas turned away from them, his attention now focused on William, who had just exited the manor. ¡°William, we urgently require a healer. I want you to summon the most skilled one we know.¡± He turned to the guards. ¡°Place him in the first guest room, and make him comfortable.¡±


    With Reza carried into the Manor, Lukas also checked in with Sabine, following closely behind her. ¡°Are you injured as well?¡± Lukas quickly assessed her condition. While her arms were red with blood, but it didn¡¯t appear she had any substantial injuries, with the majority of the blood likely belonging to Reza.


    She had a minor cut on the side of her face and neck, but nothing seemed life-threatening.


    ¡°No, the assassins targeted Reza; I appeared to be an afterthought. Only two of them attacked me, while he had five others, I believe. The bodies are still scattered on the streets, I¡¯m certain. People were frantically calling for the city watch when I left to bring him here.¡± She wiped some of the blood onto her clothes, attempting to remove some of the blood from her hands.


    The group moved purposefully towards the house. Before they entered the manor, Lukas grabbed Sabine by the arm.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± he said, turning to Tarimage. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for leaving you in this situation. I¡¯ll see you next week; if anything changes, I¡¯ll have a messenger reach out.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything I can do before I go?¡± he asked, glancing over to Sabine with concern.


    ¡°No, thank you for your concern. I believe we can handle it,¡± Lukas said, entering the manor and leaving Tarimage to find his own way to the exit.


    ¡°Marie! Uncle Sulli! Where are you?¡± Lukas roared into the house. ¡°I need assistance immediately.¡±


    Multiple servants responded to his call and appeared in seconds. Several came from different rooms until four stood before him. Now, he had to decide what to do with them.


    Lukas took a moment to gather his thoughts. There was so much to do. He indicated the first servant. ¡°Take Lady Rewan here and help her get cleaned up.


    She has a small cut on her face; please clean and bandage any you find. I¡¯ll have the healer check her after he has tended to Reza.¡±


    Almost without thinking, he pointed to the next servant. The young man bowed quickly. ¡°Gather the bandages we have. The healer may need them if the injuries are more severe than can be treated immediately. I suspect some hot water will also be required, and gather anything else you think might be useful. I want you to be prepared to assist the healer when he arrives.¡±


    Before Lukas could continue, Sabine spoke, having not left with the maid. Lukas noticed her eyes fixed on him, her posture stiff, indicating her unwillingness.


    Shaking her head, she said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I want to be with Marius.¡±


    Lukas turned his attention to Sabine. Her posture and voice indicated that she was determined, but he knew he had to prioritize her well-being first. In a soothing tone, he tried to offer her comfort. ¡°He will be fine. Please allow the maid to check for any other injuries after you¡¯ve been cleaned up. Then, I¡¯ll let you see him once the healer has examined him. I know Reza would be furious if you didn¡¯t ensure you were alright.¡±


    Sabine nodded, her shoulders sagging.


    ¡°Come along. You¡¯ll be in the room next to him.¡± The maid spoke kindly as she approached Sabine, taking her arm and guiding her away.


    Lukas made a mental note to remember the maid¡¯s face, though he didn¡¯t know her name. Her handling of the situation had been commendable, and he would ensure he learned her name. Helton, the head butler, would be informed about the excellent work of his staff.


    Most of the people had already left the main room, and Lukas noticed a faint trail of blood droplets behind them. Reza must have lost a significant amount of blood, but the fact that Elana had been summoned indicated that he was still alive and strong enough to stay conscious. Perhaps that would be enough.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Turning to the remaining servants, Lukas gave his final orders. ¡°Find or wake Lord Sulli. I¡¯m certain he¡¯ll want to know about this.¡± One maid bowed and hurried away, ascending the stairs, leaving him with one last servant. ¡°Please clean this up. I don¡¯t want to cause any further distress.¡±


    The last servant bowed and retreated towards the kitchens. With everyone gone, Lukas took a deep breath, feeling a strange sensation wash over him. He began to shake and stood in the center of the entryway, trying to hold it together. The events of what had just transpired finally caught up with him, his mind racing with thoughts. Reza had been attacked by assassins, and his mind immediately jumped to Lord Kejek. But wouldn¡¯t Lord Kejek have been so obvious just half a day after he had been voted down?


    ¡°Lukas, what¡¯s all the commotion?¡± Marie called down the stairs, still wearing her sleeping gown. She stopped halfway down, seeing the blood on the ground. ¡°What has happened here?¡±


    ¡°Reza was attacked, and he¡¯s in bad shape in the guest room. I¡¯m waiting for a healer to arrive,¡± Lukas replied, his eyes fixed on the front door, hoping


    William would return soon with the healer. ¡°Sabine was also attacked during the same assault. I¡¯ve sent a servant to check her for any further injuries.¡±


    Marie approached his side. ¡°We need to inform his sisters. I¡¯ll send a rider to their house and have them brought here.¡±


    Lukas nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯ll make it, but there¡¯s still hope, and they should know either way.¡±


    Marie hurried away, returning to her room, leaving Lukas waiting outside for William to return. It took a few more minutes before an older man rushed in with William by his side, carrying a large bag.


    ¡°Where is the patient?¡± the man puffed out, trying to catch his breath.


    ¡°Inside, follow me.¡± Lukas hurried into the house and made his way to the guest wing, stopping outside the first room. The doctor stopped just outside the door, taking a moment to regain his breath and adjust his clothes to appear more presentable. Once his breathing was under control, the healer nodded to Lukas, and they entered the room.


    Reza looked rough, with blood already staining the bed. He was bare-chested, and the servant and guards had already removed his jacket and shirt. His neck was ravaged, and some blood pooled into the pillow. Two stab wounds were easily visible on his side; blood flowed from both, with one wound between his ribs and the other just under his collarbone.


    ¡°Oh dear, we have a lot to do. Let¡¯s see,¡± the healer said, taking out a pair of glasses and beginning to examine Reza. As he did, he carefully went through each wound, checking them all. While he worked, a wraith, dressed in a robe with his hands pressed together, appeared next to him in a glowing white.


    Finally, the healer stood up and opened his bag.


    Lukas moved closer. ¡°Will he live?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain. This man was fortunate, and the fact that he still has his wraith summoned is a positive sign. The wounds are deep, but the heart was spared. You did well to summon me so swiftly. I believe we can save him if I begin working immediately. I need one of your servants to remain behind and assist if necessary. Someone strong in case the man awakens.¡±


    ¡°William, stay and assist. The rest depart.¡± He issued his orders. Everyone left the room, leaving only him behind.


    The healer turned back. ¡°You must join them as well. I require complete focus and only one assistant.¡±


    Lukas wanted to argue, but he restrained himself. Reza needed the healer and wouldn¡¯t jeopardize his recovery by being a distraction. Lukas left, glancing over his shoulder, quickly praying to the Echoes for Reza¡¯s well-being. As he returned to the hallway, Lord Sulli approached him calmly, already dressed in one of his suits.


    ¡°Uncle, someone attempted to assassinate Lord Reza.¡± He informed him. His blood boiled, and he clenched his fists tightly.


    ¡°I am aware. A distraught maid burst into my room to inform me, and if that wasn¡¯t enough, we have a trail of blood leading to this room.¡± Lord Sulli indicated the blood that had yet to be cleaned.


    Lukas wanted to see what his uncle thought. ¡°Do you think it was Kejek? It seems unlikely, but he mentioned wanting this last night.¡±


    Lord Sulli shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t believe so. It would be insane for him to commit such a heinous act, and Kejek is not insane, despite his open discussions about murdering people. The Praetor will order his people to investigate, and we will uncover the truth.¡± He paused, leaning his shoulders against the wall.


    ¡°Sabine mentioned that she was also targeted. The Praetor should be informed of that as well.¡± Lukas recalled.


    ¡°Indeed, I will inform him when I see him. We may have to meet again sooner than anticipated.¡± Lord Sulli mused. ¡°But before anything else, we know whether he survives.¡±


    Lukas nodded, and they stood in silence for over half an hour. The only interruption was the maid I had sent with Sabine leaving the room to report to Lukas.


    ¡°Only the one cut, Sir. She will recover, but she is still cleaning off the blood. There was so much that it took some time to ensure she wasn¡¯t injured elsewhere. I had to promise to check on Lord Reza before she finished cleaning up,¡± she said, bowing.


    ¡°Good news. The only update is that he still lives,¡± Lukas replied. ¡°Please inform her, and I will send someone when we have more information.¡±


    The maid bowed and returned to Sabine. Lord Sulli and Lukas waited in silence for another quarter hour before the healer exited the room.


    ¡°Will he survive?¡± Lukas asked as the healer cleaned his hands with a bloodied rag.


    ¡°Yes, he was fortunate that he summoned his wraith; that likely saved his life. The wounds have healed, but please ensure that he avoids strenuous activities when he awakens,¡± he said, glancing back over his shoulder. ¡°It may take a few days, but he should recover fully. I will send another healer tonight and return tomorrow for another session.¡±


    ¡°I will ensure he stays in that bed,¡± Lukas said. ¡°Thank you for your prompt arrival.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course. We do have the matter of the bill. Who should I send that to?¡± He asked, glancing between the two.


    Lord Sulli stepped forward. ¡°Send the bill to me; I will cover the cost. Have your healers come as frequently as possible; I will cover everything. Marius is part of the contest and needs to be ready to fight as soon as possible.¡±


    The healer bowed. ¡°I will check who is available and send whoever we have this afternoon. Again, he should not leave that bed until tomorrow at the earliest.¡±


    Nodding, the healer gathered his bag and left with William guiding him.


    Lord Sulli waited until the healer turned the corner out of sight before turning his attention back to Lukas. ¡°Now that we know he is alive, I will go to the Praetor. I will inform him if a meeting has been called.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡± Lukas asked, walking with his uncle.


    ¡°Not at the moment. Keep everyone here doing their jobs and ensure the healers have everything they need,¡± Lord Sulli replied.


    With his uncle gone, Lukas went to report Sabine.

 Chapter 23: The Situation has Changed

    Reza slowly awoke, taking his time to assess his surroundings. He kept his eyes closed, realizing he wasn¡¯t bleeding out or dead but in a much more comfortable place. Though his body was still exhausted, he surprisingly felt no pain from the cuts or stab wounds he had sustained during the attack.


    However, the tranquility of their situation was shattered as he sensed movement at the foot of the bed. Instinctively, Reza summoned his power, finding himself in the corner of the room. His eyes darted across the room, searching for the intruder who had crept up on the bed. Elana crouched on the bed, staring at an unfamiliar man. Reza remained silent in the corner, observing the unfolding scene. He quickly relaxed when he witnessed the horrified expression on the man¡¯s face as he gazed upon Elana. The man froze for several seconds before breaking free from Elana¡¯s hold. Wide-eyed, he scanned the room before finally locking gazes with Reza in the corner.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Reza whispered, his throat still throbbing. However, his discomfort was swiftly overshadowed when he realized he was completely naked. A quick search revealed that none of his clothes were nearby, and nothing was within reach to help him dress.


    The man let the bag in his hand drop onto the bed. He raised his hands in a placating gesture. ¡°I apologize, sir. My name is Damon. Lord Sulli has had my colleagues, and I heal you for the past day.¡± He glanced at the bed again, noticing Elana¡¯s glare. ¡°I hope that doesn¡¯t cause any inconvenience?¡±


    The Sulli¡¯s estate made sense. From the ambush site, it was the closest allied house to Sabine and her father, and it could also have a healer arrive within minutes. Reza surveyed the room. It was sparsely decorated, but every piece of furniture¡ªfrom the bed to the dressers to the lounge chairs in the corner¡ªwas crafted from the finest dark red-heart wood. Some pieces were so dark they appeared almost black. Reza knew it wasn¡¯t locally sourced; Sulli likely had it imported from another continent. The cost of procuring just this set was astronomical, and Reza couldn¡¯t fathom how many more rooms were even more lavishly decorated. Why was his mind wandering to furniture at a time like this?


    Reza stood up as someone burst through the door. Sabine rushed in and quickly scanned the room, first taking in Elana lying on the bed. A frown creased her face, and an almost frantic energy emanated from her. She turned to Damon, who had been standing behind her.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± she demanded. Sabine hadn¡¯t noticed him yet.


    Damon pointed over to the corner where Reza stood. Sabine turned and didn¡¯t even react to his nakedness. Instead, she examined him up and down before rushing over and guiding him back to the bed.


    Reza didn¡¯t even argue; he quickly slipped under the covers to conceal his body from her and Damon. Why did they have to take all his clothes? He pushed those thoughts aside, knowing that continuing would only make him more embarrassed.


    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± she said, sitting in a chair beside the bed, with another chair on the opposite side.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Reza replied quietly. ¡°Sabine, you don¡¯t have to worry. I feel better than I would have expected, given everything that¡¯s happened.¡±


    He finally took the time to examine his body, having not felt a thing since he awoke from the horrific gashes on his forearm and chest. Only faint, pale white lines remained to mark how close he had come to death. He felt around his neck and noticed a slightly raised line that encircled his entire neck.


    "How''s it look?" Reza asked, extending his neck to show Sabine.


    Her eyes dropped after she realized what he was indicating. "Same as the others, worse even. They did a number with that garrote."


    Reza settled back down. The exhilaration of waking up and the surge of energy that coursed through him were fading, leaving him feeling heavy. He dismissed Elana, not before she gave him one final disapproving glance. Despite the smile on his face, he was aware that she would scold him the next time she was called. Nevertheless, he accepted it, knowing that she had been the reason behind his survival of the attack.


    The healer and his wraith, a man in a white robe, approached Reza and stood beside him. ¡°If you permit me, sir, I can resume treatment, and the scar can be completely removed. You never know if they were there.¡±


    Reza gazed down at his scarred chest and traced the scar on his neck. These scars would forever be etched in his memory, serving as a poignant reminder of how perilously close he had come to death. After a moment of contemplation, Reza made a resolute decision and shook his head.


    ¡°No, I¡¯d like the scars to remain for now. Do you still need to heal me beyond just the scars?¡± Reza asked, glancing over at Sabine. She raised an eyebrow in question before shrugging.


    Damon nodded, examining each scar. ¡°Well, yes, I¡¯d like another session to ensure each wound has fully healed. My colleagues and I made significant progress, but you¡¯ll still need to rest and avoid strenuous activities for a day or two.¡±


    ¡°What day is it?¡± He glanced urgently between the two. His duel had been scheduled for the next day when they were attacked. Even though he likely had been healed multiple times throughout the day, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he had been out for at least a day. Sabine grabbed his hand and held it tightly.


    ¡°Reza, don¡¯t worry. You didn¡¯t miss your fight. We need to have a serious talk about that, but let¡¯s give the healer some time to work his first.¡± Sabine said softly.


    Reza nodded, but his mind remained occupied with the implications of the situation. Damon diligently continued his work, his hands emitting a soft, white glow, mirroring the aura of his wraith. The scars itched on his body were a testament to the healing process, and he felt a surge of energy coursing through his veins. While he craved another day¡¯s rest, he was determined to avoid falling asleep during conversations.


    ¡°It seems we don¡¯t require another session; the wounds have fully healed. I¡¯ll send someone to verify, but you appear to be in good condition. Two more days of rest would be beneficial; he looks healthy enough to leave the bed.¡± Damon turned to address Sabine next.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, doctor. I¡¯ll ensure he adheres to your instructions. Be certain about that.¡± Sabine settled into her chair and fixed her gaze directly on Reza, her tone completely serious.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Reza was well aware that attempting anything under her watchful eye would be foolish. Moreover, he would be twice as foolish if he risked injuring himself again before the contest concluded. The stakes were too high to take chances, and he would take all the time he needed to continue.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the time to rest. Thank you, doctor. I¡¯m certain you saved my life,¡± Reza said, genuinely expressing his gratitude. He understood how close he had come to death when he lost consciousness after the fight. Sabine and everyone else had saved his life. Now, he felt a deep sense of debt to each of them, and he was determined to repay them somehow.


    The healer nodded and bowed. ¡°Very kind of you. I¡¯ll send someone, but I have more patients to attend to before the day ends. I¡¯ll see myself out. Have a good day.¡±


    He gathered his bag and left the room. Sabine and Reza remained silent until the door closed.


    ¡°Now, what in the abyss had to wait until after he left? And if I¡¯m not mistaken, weren¡¯t you supposed to be fighting today? Or did the attack also erase my memory?¡±


    Sabine shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s been an insane day, and I barely have half the information. All I know is that Sorana has postponed my fight until tomorrow''s meeting. However, I know we weren¡¯t the only ones attacked yesterday. Lucius was also attacked, but he survived and killed his assassin like us.¡±


    Reza felt numb. This was more than just an attack on him and Sabine; there were so many factors to consider that he was at a loss for where to begin. He sat there for a moment, trying to process what she had said and gather his thoughts. ¡°What about the others? Do you know if anyone else was killed?¡±


    She nodded, her eyes filled with sadness. ¡°I¡¯m not certain about everyone, but Illian is dead. They caught him leaving his estate. He had no chance.¡±


    He squeezed her hand tightly, and she leaned into him. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I know he was a friend of yours.¡±


    He kept her close, just being there for her. She stayed silent for a time before leaning back into the chair but didn''t let go of his hand. It dawned on him that he should have dueled the man today, but instead, he was dead. What would happen now? Would they choose someone new to take his place? Would he go onto the next round of the fighting? Reza pushed the thoughts out of his mind; he should not be thinking about the contest or what came next. Illian had died, and his friend was in pain. She needed to be the one he focused on.


    "I''m sure the meeting is to let us know their plans going forward, and we will know who survived their attacks because I have no doubt that everyone who was still part of Sorana''s contest was attacked, " she said firmly. Reza had no doubt that she was probably right, but who had sent the attackers?


    "Was it Kejek? Did he attack us?" He asked. He was the first name that came to his mind from the warning Sabine had given him. But it easily could have been someone else or the invisible enemy that had killed Marcellus. There were many questions, and there seemed to be few answers.


    "No, Reza. He would not go that far to outright betray the council," Lord Sulli said, coming from the doorway.


    Reza whipped his head towards the door; he had not heard it opening. Lord Sulli glanced over to Sabine, and by the look on her face, she hadn''t either. She let go of Reza''s hand as Sulli sat in the other chair.


    "No, I have already heard from him that he is as surprised as we are of the attack." He said, glancing towards both of them. "We have already called a council meeting and will meet as soon as possible. But, the Praetor has already decided you must have a guard for the rest of the contest. A dozen men are stationed outside; at least three will be with you at any time by order of the Praetor and closed council."


    Reza only nodded; there seemed to be no arguing about this if he had the notion of doing so. While he did not like the idea of being guarded all day and night, he would not be mad at having more eyes on his protection. Reza had nearly died in the street because he had been complacent within the city, and he had not been focusing on his surroundings. He had thought the city safe, but likely, it was more dangerous than the Legion. One second longer, and they would have killed him before he could summon Elana and the magic that kept him going. Sabine also did not argue, and Reza could only assume she had the same or similar thoughts running through her mind.


    "Of course, I would think nothing of the sort," Reza said.


    "Now your sisters are here. They came in late last night, and we have given them rooms here for the holiday and however long you are in the contest," Sulli explained. I know you have rooms with the Rewans, but you can also stay here."


    Reza glanced over at Sabine; it took him no time to decide. "I''ll stay with the Rewans, but thank you for the offer. Are my sisters here now?"


    He might have taken the offer, but he could not bear it if Sabine was hurt and had not been there to help her. He would stay with them, and maybe she would move into the guest house so they could watch each other back. He''d talk to her later about it, though he had no clue how to broach such an idea.


    "Lady Sulli and Marie were keeping them occupied with tea, I believe." Sulli looked to the door. "I would be surprised if they didn''t come to visit you soon.


    They were by your side most of the night, as was Sabine. You have very caring people on your side."


    Reza felt hot, and Sabine would not meet his eyes. "Yes, my sisters have been the world to me, especially in the last few years with my mother and father having passed away. They are my only family left. Tavia and Cassia did everything while I had to be in the Legions."


    They were the only reason he had a house and estate to call his own and a name worth something to build on. Hell, even without winning the contest,


    Tavia''s business deals would make enough for them to purchase a promotion to the centurionate. But Reza needed not to think like that; the competition was still within his grasp, and he had to focus on that.


    "Well then, Sabine, did you tell him about the meeting tomorrow?" Sulli asked, and Sabine nodded. "Good, I will have the carriage ready to bring you two. Do you feel well enough to walk, or should I procure some men to help you?"


    He wasn''t sure if Sulli was genuine, but Reza decided not to worry. He tested his body, feeling out his legs. They felt tired, but he would be able to walk with no difficulty. His body felt stronger as he walked, and he knew he would fully recover in a day or two. But for now, he would have to allow his body to heal, and as the healer said, he would re-injure himself.


    "I will be fine; thank you for the offer," Reza responded, turning to Sabine. I¡¯m going to rest. Please let my sisters know when they have time; I would like to talk with them."


    "I will," Sabine left the room. She glanced back just as she walked through the door, a look of concern flashing across her face before she left without another word.


    With Sabine gone, Reza turned back to Sulli. "Now, about the healers, what do I owe you? I cannot thank you enough for ensuring I got the best care, but I feel honor-bound to pay the cost of the debt incurred."


    Lord Sulli smiled and shook his head. "There is no bill for the healing."


    Reza frowned. "I must. I can not imagine the cost of so many healers, but you must allow me to pay for the bill."


    Lord Sulli shook his head again, his tone more serious than before. "I''ll not allow it. I have already paid the balance for it, and there is no money I will accept for it. Call it an investment in the future if you must, but there is no debt."


    Reza did not like feeling indebted, but what could he do? "Well then, I will not accept payment for Lukas''s training. Call it an investment."


    Sulli laughed, the sound filling the room and surprising Reza. He had not thought the man could show this much emotion. "If you must. While we were on that topic, I postponed Lukas''s training because of the attacks. Desmond will start the training in a day or so, but you may start whenever you can," Sulli said.


    Reza nodded. "I will. I may try to attend the first training to form a plan for my part of the training. I want to know Lukas''s skills, how comfortable he is, and his attitude toward everything. I haven''t been around him enough to get a total picture, and that will tell me how far to push him and his wraith."


    Lord Sulli nodded in agreement. ¡°I believe he has the potential to impress us all. The servants and Marie have spoken highly of his leadership when you were brought here. He swiftly took command and demonstrated the confidence I had anticipated. We may have discovered a promising individual in him.¡±


    Reza saw the pride Sulli showed for his heir. It seemed almost fatherly, not something in his few meetings with the man would show. Every time he met with Sulli showed something new to him; he was more complex than the coldhearted man he''d met the first time. "I will get to work with him right away. Even if I can''t train him in the dagger for a few days, it won''t matter; I wasn''t going to start any of that before he trained him to work with his wraith."


    He would have to alter his plan for the initial training. He had intended to engage Lukas in a spar while he channeled his wraith, using blunted weapons.


    However, he was certain that would be a foolish move, as he needed to rest and recover as long as he could before his next duel.


    ¡°Good, though that wasn¡¯t the reason I brought it up. I merely wanted to express my belief that he can be pushed beyond his limits. He possesses a strong mentality and possibly abilities surpassing my expectations.¡± Sulli walked towards the door and paused. ¡°Get some rest; your sisters will probably come visit soon.¡±


    He departed, and Reza settled himself comfortably. He fell asleep, waiting for his sisters to visit.

 Chapter 24: Changes to the Contest

    ¡°Reza, the carriage is ready. We should head out,¡± Sabine said, entering his room. He had just put on his coat and turned to face her. She was already armed and prepared, her bow strung on her back, ready to be drawn at a moment¡¯s notice. She had her usual daggers at her sides but added a small crossbow to her waist, ensuring she was ready for any potential attack or ambush. It was clear that Sabine would not leave herself unprepared again.


    This reminded Reza that he was missing something. Although he had the black sword already hanging from his waist, he didn¡¯t have either of his daggers that had saved his life just days ago. He checked the small pile of clothes and belongings the servants had laid out for him.


    ¡°Have you seen my daggers? They weren¡¯t with the rest of my belongings or the clothes the servants laid out for me,¡± Reza asked, his voice filled with concern. He couldn¡¯t bear the thought of being unprotected, even with the new safety measures he had installed with the additional guards. Despite these precautions, he would still defend himself if necessary, fighting to keep himself and his loved ones alive and safe.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t even pick them up from the street when you were injured. My priority was to get you to help, so they likely disappeared by now or were taken,¡± she replied, reaching into her belt and pulling out a dagger. ¡°Here, take this one for now, and we can find more later.¡±


    Reza gratefully accepted the dagger. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t fit into his sheaths, so Sabine also had to lend him hers. Finally, he placed the dagger at his side, the slight weight of the dagger and his sword on his hip providing a sense of comfort. He knew he would be ready to use them if needed.


    ¡°Hopefully, that blacksmith is at the meeting. If not, we¡¯ll have to rush to his shop afterward,¡± Reza said, mentioning that he had ordered half a dozen Ironwood blades. He intended to purchase even more, although the cost was significantly higher than even the finest metal blades. Despite the higher price, Reza felt it was more than justified. There were many things he hadn¡¯t tested with the blades, but based on his initial impressions, they were exceptionally good. He could conduct further experimentation when he felt more comfortable, perhaps even during one of Lukas¡¯s training sessions. However, one thought remained in his mind, forming an idea that he felt compelled to see if it was possible. ¡°Before we leave, I have a question for Tavia,¡± Reza said.


    They left the room and quickly found Tavia, accompanied by Marie, in the dining room. They were engaged in a low-tone conversation, making it difficult for Reza to hear them. Both his sisters had come to visit him this morning, and Tavia and Cassia had exhibited a mix of concern and scolding.


    ¡°Tavia, could you spare a moment?¡± Reza asked.


    Tavia stood up and walked over to Reza, looking concerned. ¡°Are you certain you¡¯re feeling alright to go to this? You nearly died.¡±


    His back stiffened, but he relaxed it. He realized Tavia was simply worried about her brother and not trying to act like his mother. ¡°I¡¯m fine, and it¡¯s not like I¡¯m fighting today. It¡¯s just a meeting with the priests of Sorana and the others to resolve this mess.¡±


    ¡°You better not be lying, but let¡¯s get back to the main topic. Did you need something?¡± She asked curiously.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to propose an investment in a certain forge,¡± Reza explained, with his sister¡¯s eyes growing in interest. ¡°He crafts these Ironwood blades that are among the finest I¡¯ve ever used. He was commissioned to supply the entire contest with these weapons, and making quite a sum from it. Nevertheless, I intend to use them, but I think there could be something here, and I would like to contribute to their success. Do you think it will be feasible to invest?¡±


    Tavia raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, contemplating the idea. ¡°We¡¯ve never ventured into such an investment before, but with the recent deals I¡¯ve secured, we have the financial means to expand our operations if we make sound decisions. Let¡¯s explore the terms and conditions of the investment. We could safely allocate twenty thousand ghouls to this enterprise. However, I would like to secure at least ten percent of the business for our investment. If he agrees or expresses interest, I¡¯ll draft a contract or personally meet with him to finalize the details.¡±


    Reza glanced at Sabine with a worried expression. She smiled back and resumed her conversation with Marie. ¡°You want me to handle the deal? I thought you¡¯d prefer to do it.¡± Reza admitted. He hadn¡¯t been particularly involved in the family business; Tavia had always managed it with her professor-like wraith, Americ. He had stayed out of it because he believed he would cause more harm than good to their finances.


    Tavia smiled. ¡°Of course, you need to do this. You have a good relationship with the owner and more knowledge about the situation than I do. Just approach the inquiry as a friendly suggestion and see where it leads.¡± She grabbed his shoulders, and he allowed her to turn him back to the others. ¡°The more I think about this, the better it seems. You had this idea, and now you should continue it. I¡¯ll help you through it.¡±


    They walked back to the others.


    ¡°I hope everything is going well?¡± Marie asked, glancing between the two.


    ¡°Yes, Reza had an investment idea and wanted to discuss the idea with me. It appears this week is the time for deals, not that I mind.¡± Tavia settled back in her seat beside Marie.


    ¡°Wonderful! We¡¯ll see you later then. I¡¯ve convinced Sabine to join us for dinner before you two return to her family¡¯s estate.¡± Marie gently touched Tavia¡¯s arm and smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll have to see if Lukas and Cassia will attend.¡±


    Reza glanced at Sabine, who shrugged and gave him a small smile. ¡°She was very persuasive, and I won¡¯t deny us a nice evening with friends.¡±


    ¡°Alright, but we should head out soon, or we¡¯ll be late.¡± Reza held out his arm with a playful grin. ¡°Would you do me the honor?¡±


    Sabine narrowed her eyes slightly before taking his arm. They walked out together, and Tavia and Marie couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Reza and Sabine entered the same room where they had first learned of their future duels within the contest. Dozens of black-robed priests of Sorana lined the walls and huddled in small groups within the room, along with multiple guards. The only familiar faces were the young Orator and what Reza could only assume was one of the church¡¯s leaders, the older Priestess. They stood in the center of the room with Lucius, the smiling man, and Tannic stood with the two priests in the center.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Marius and Sabine,¡± the Priestess said. ¡°If you, please join us.¡± Looking between the group, ¡°Now that they are here, we may begin.¡±


    Reza stiffened from the comment. Only five of the ten contestants had survived, and it seemed that five of them had been assassinated in a single deadly morning. How had this happened? Who had done this? And why? So many questions and no answers were readily available.


    Lucius, the first to speak, his voice low and laced with a hint of seriousness, asked, ¡°So, the rest are dead then?¡±


    She nodded, her expression etched with sadness. ¡°Yes, according to my men¡¯s investigation, each of you was attacked within half an hour of each other. From the bodies we recovered at your ambushes, we found that at least two assassins were sent against each of you. Lucius, you had three, while Reza and Sabine had seven between the two of them.¡±


    Was she hinting at something? Why would we have more assassins? These were questions that couldn¡¯t be answered; had he been in a better state of mind during the attack, he should have spared one of them. But when you¡¯re dying, there wasn¡¯t much Reza could do without considering every possible option. The others were likely to have killed their assassins as well.


    ¡°Who were they? Were any of the assassins captured? I¡¯m sure you investigated the bodies. Do we know who was responsible for this?¡± Reza asked, his mind racing as he tried to recall any details from the fight that might provide clues about the origin of the assassins.


    The Priestess shrugged. ¡°We have no concrete evidence. They could have originated from numerous countries within this continent alone, without any concern for lands beyond the known world. However, we know they arrived in the city, claiming to be wraith pilgrims. The group they came with has been apprehended, but they have provided us with limited information.¡±


    The young Orator interjected. ¡°The leader of the pilgrimage mentioned that the men joined him at various stages during his journey. The first individual began with him from the southern city of Deccien approximately a month and a half ago. The rest of the group joined him as he traveled through different cities until they reached Arkhen. He decided to stay out of the city for a few days to recover from an illness, but those men left the group and entered the city a few days ago. He has not seen them since, and he asserts that he was unaware of their alternative motives beyond their intention to visit Arkhen to see the wraiths and potentially join the ranks of the deceased host.¡± He paused for a moment before continuing, a smile creasing his face. ¡°I suppose they did indeed join it, even if that wasn¡¯t their primary reason for being here.¡±


    Reza remained expressionless, nodding and glancing at Sabine. Her eyes were filled with profound sorrow, revealing that she was aware of everyone who had met their demise and was their friend. He approached her side, intending to comfort her, but hesitated as he reached to wrap his arm around her. He let it drop, realizing she didn¡¯t need the other contestants to mock or recognize her sorrow. She briefly averted her gaze, but when she looked back, the sorrow had vanished, and she stood tall, maintaining a neutral expression.


    The smiling man spoke next, his voice possessing a melodic quality that sent a shiver down Reza¡¯s spine. ¡°What implications does this have for me and my fellow competitors whose opponents have now been eliminated? Are we to be replaced with new ones?¡±


    The Priestess glanced over at the man eyeing her before speaking. ¡°A good question, Hasbeck. We were about to get to it, first, I wanted to state that we will continue the investigation into the murders. Lady Sorana wants no further deaths of the contestants. We will inform you if we find any more information. She has also decided that Lucius and Sabine will still fight their duel, which has been rescheduled for tomorrow. The others will proceed to the semifinals.¡±


    Lucius stepped forward, his aura flaring with anger and laced with malice. ¡°How is that fair? I¡¯m forced to fight a duel before the semifinals while they get to rest.¡±


    Reza had to resist the urge to walk over to Lucius. The man was incredibly arrogant and all but expected to win against Sabine. Reza wanted to give him a beating, but Sabine¡¯s fingers twitched slightly, causing him to pause momentarily and preventing him from acting impulsively. It was her battle, and he had to let her handle it as she saw fit.


    Settling back, Reza calmed himself, forcing his aura under control to avoid drawing attention to how close he had come to conflict with Lucius.


    ¡°That¡¯s the ruling, Mr. Rewan. If you wish to discuss it with Lady Sorana, you may request admittance into the church to see her. However, I anticipate she¡¯ll deny your entrance, as she does for anyone other than her Archon.¡± The Priestess smiled as Lucius¡¯s killing aura dissipated until Reza could barely discern it surrounding him before the man retreated to his position. ¡°Now, the Semis have been chosen. The winner between the Rewans will face Tannic, while Reza will battle Hasbeck.¡±


    Reza studied his new opponent, who still maintained a smile as he turned his gaze upon Reza. The man exuded an unsettling aura, and Reza had no prior knowledge of him or his abilities. Perhaps Sabine, Desmond, or Lord Sulli were familiar with him. He would inquire into Hasbeck, but the limited information he could gather from the man¡¯s aura indicated a formidable opponent. There was an undeniable heaviness in his power, implying that the battle against him would be one of the most challenging he had ever encountered. Reza would have to be meticulously prepared, or that man would utterly destroy him.


    Lucius stepped forward again, but the Priestess raised her hand, preventing him from speaking. Anger flashed across his face, but he managed to suppress it.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ll be fighting tomorrow, the Rewans and Tannic will be the second fight on the 12th, the day before All Hallows Eve. Marius and Hasbeck will duel on the 10th. I trust there are no further complaints about the schedule?¡± The Priestess studied each of them in turn before nodding. ¡°Good. You may depart. However, we may need to talk to you about the assassination attempts should we feel there may be information important about our investigation.¡±


    Reza turned to Sabine, but the young priest spoke, holding a scroll on a metal plate with a quill in his other hand. ¡°Just a moment. All the contestants and any guests they wish to bring are cordially invited to sit in the main box tomorrow for the fight. Please inform me of the number of attendees.¡±


    The Orator approached Sabine and Reza first, his eyes fixed on them. ¡°How many seats will each of you require?¡±


    ¡°My parents have already received invitations, so none are left for me. Reza?¡± Sabine answered. Her attention shifted as she watched her brother leave the room, determination in her eyes.


    Reza thought for a moment before whispering to Sabine, ¡°Who besides my sisters should I bring?¡±


    ¡°Lord Sulli and Lukas were there last time, and I believe they will be again, along with a few more family heads.¡± She whispered back. The priest nodded in agreement but didn¡¯t say anything else.


    ¡°Three then,¡± Reza said. He would bring his sisters and Marie if she were willing. If Lukas and Lord Sulli would be there, it didn¡¯t seem appropriate to leave her out.


    ¡°Very good, Sir,¡± The Orator wrote down a few lines in a small book and moved to leave.


    ¡°Hold on a second. Is Kelburn here?¡± Reza asked, momentarily distracted from the crowd of priests, priestesses, and their guards.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You might want to check his forge. I believe he and his partner went back there for the day since the contest was delayed. There was no need for them to stay here,¡± he said, leaving their company and heading to Hasbeck.


    Bloody Abyss. Reza would have to make a stop before returning to Sulli¡¯s house.


    ¡°Marius, are you ready?¡± Sabine asked.


    ¡°Yes, I have to make one stop on the way home, but it should be fun at least. I might even buy you a new weapon,¡± he replied, smiling.


    Sabine rolled her eyes but smiled back. ¡°I¡¯ll take it, but I get to choose it.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Reza commented as they left the room, their guards falling in line behind them as they ascended the stairs.


    ¡°Oh my, Marius, you should never have agreed to that. I hope you brought a substantial purse,¡± she laughed and snaked her arm around his.

 Chapter 25: Training Day 1

    Lukas stood tall before Desmond Vorcan, one of his two trainers. This first meeting had been scheduled for the previous day, but the attacks on the contest champions and Reza¡¯s injuries had delayed it by a day. Reza himself was absent and might not attend the first training session. He had left an hour earlier to meet with the leaders of Sorana¡¯s church. Lukas hoped he would return before the training concluded; it would be beneficial to have both of his teachers present on the first day and begin the start of both aspects of his training.


    What is he expecting me to do? Lukas had limited martial training beyond the rudimentary stick fighting he had engaged in with children in the nearby village near his family¡¯s estate to the north. Some of the older kids had demonstrated techniques they had acquired from their fathers, many of whom were former legionaries. Recalling those moments, Lukas felt a sense of nostalgia and almost wished he could return to that time with the other children who treated him as an equal rather than as the son of a lord.


    But Lukas also understood that Vorcan¡¯s training wouldn¡¯t be as enjoyable as stick fighting through the streets had been, and he would likely have to prepare for the most challenging day of his life.


    ¡°Stand up straight,¡± Vorcan commanded loudly from behind Lukas. The bald, older man wore a white robe and carried a single curved sword at his waist.


    Lukas jumped and quickly straightened, keeping his arms stiffly at his sides. ¡°Apologies, Lord Vorcan.¡±


    ¡°My Nephew is Lord Vorcan; you may address me as Master Vorcan,¡± he came full circle, standing in front of Lukas, his hand resting on his sword.


    ¡°Apologies, Master Vorcan,¡± Lukas said, bowing his head before returning his gaze to the man.


    ¡°That¡¯s sufficient,¡± Vorcan moved to a bag he had brought out and began extracting various weapons. Primarily, there were different sizes and styles of swords. More than one was nearly the same size as Lukas. ¡°Come closer.¡±


    Lukas positioned himself beside Vorcan and surveyed the line of swords on the bench before them.


    ¡°The initial step we must take is to decide on the first sword you will use. You¡¯re approximately 16 or 17 years old, right?¡± Vorcan inquired.


    ¡°17, Master Vorcan. I¡¯ll turn 18 in about six months,¡± Lukas responded swiftly.


    ¡°Excellent, excellent. Here, try this one,¡± Vorcan said, grabbing one of the longer blades and handing it to Lukas.


    Lukas, expecting the wooden blade to be lighter, was surprised by its weight. He realized it must have a metal core or something to help with the weight. Holding it in two hands, the four-foot-long blade comfortably fit both his hands. He held it in front of him, facing Vorcan.


    Vorcan shook his head, returning the sword. ¡°Perhaps, but I¡¯m not certain a two-handed sword is suitable for you at this time.¡±


    He handed Lukas a shorter sword, its blade about three feet long. Lukas accepted the blade, finding it lighter. His hands could still comfortably hold it with two hands, but the grip was tighter, almost uncomfortable. He tried holding it with one hand, keeping it in his right, but the weight dragged at his arm as he continued to hold it in front of him.


    Vorcan shook his head, noticing Lukas''s difficulty wielding it because of the weight. ¡°This one is useless. Give it to me. That one is too heavy.¡± They tried various swords, but none seemed suitable for Vorcan. Finally, he grabbed another sword and handed it over. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ I think this one might be the right one.¡±


    This sword was significantly shorter than the last one, with only a single edge. It was lighter and fit comfortably in one hand. Vorcan held it up, and Lukas nodded in approval. Lukas moved the sword slowly and steadily through the air, feeling its balance and control.


    ¡°Yes, I think that will work. We¡¯ll start with just this sword and without a shield initially,¡± Vorcan indicated a large wooden pole to the side of the open practice area. ¡°I want you to follow my commands as I shout them. I want to observe your reaction and command of the blade. Let me demonstrate.¡±


    He drew his wooden sword and stood firmly, maintaining balance throughout. ¡°When I say ¡®slash,¡¯ I want you to slash across the pole.¡± Vorcan swiftly moved the blade, striking it against the pole and returning to his previous stance. The sword remained ready before him as if expecting the pole to retaliate.


    Vorcan then demonstrated various commands he expected Lukas to follow: lunge, parry, riposte, remise, and beat. Lukas diligently executed each move, copying them in the air and attempting to memorize them. This process took over a quarter-hour before Vorcan moved away and had Lukas replace him at the pole.


    ¡°Position yourself now,¡± Vorcan commanded.


    Lukas positioned himself in the best imitation of the stance Vorcan had assumed with his sword raised.


    ¡°Move your left foot back a few inches and your right forward. Your balance is off, and keep your legs slightly bent.¡± Vorcan instructed, and Lukas adjusted his position. He felt a slight backward movement, but he realized he had leaned forward excessively.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll call out a move, and you must respond and complete it. We''ll have a small punishment for each mistake you make.¡± Vorcan moved to his bag and retrieved a large ball. He dropped it to the ground with a resounding thump, and a puff of sand appeared around it.


    ¡°You¡¯ll perform some squats with this ball or pushups. Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    Lukas turned back to the pole and resumed his position. He waited for Vorcan¡¯s first command, his muscles tense with anticipation.


    ¡°Parry!¡± Vorcan barked.


    Lukas swiftly moved, but the blade swiftly lashed out towards the pole before he could force it to stop and position it to block an imaginary edge threatening his body. He turned to face Vorcan, who wore a grim expression. Lukas realized he had failed. Damn it.


    Lukas had been too eager to strike at the pole. If he wasn¡¯t going to fail constantly, he had to be prepared to defend or attack, not just one.


    ¡°Again, Parry,¡± Vorcan commanded.


    This time, Lukas managed to move the blade to block swiftly.


    ¡°Beat,¡± Vorcan yelled.


    Lukas swiftly moved and struck the pole with the side of his blade, producing a resounding thwack that echoed throughout the practice area. However, he quickly returned his sword to its original position, ready for the following command. He risked a glance over to Vorcan, but his eyes barely moved before the next order came.


    ¡°Lunge,¡± Vorcan ordered.


    Lukas lunged forward, his blade sliding against the pole and returning to its resting position. This rhythmic pattern continued for nearly a quarter-hour, leaving Lukas drenched in sweat. Large patches of dark dampness appeared on his shirt. Despite his efforts, he made several mistakes, his arm growing increasingly tired as he maintained the blade¡¯s position. His legs, too, felt the strain of the repetitive movements.


    ¡°Good, Lukas over here now,¡± Vorcan moved to the ball. ¡°Twelve mess-ups isn¡¯t too bad for your first time. Let¡¯s make that sixty squats, thirty pushups, and thirty curls.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master Vorcan,¡± Lukas replied, gritting his teeth as he picked up the twenty-pound ball of sand. He began his squats, and by the time he finished, his thighs burned as he walked out of the gym, trying to alleviate the pain.


    ¡°Pushups now,¡± Vorcan ordered, leaning against the wall.


    Lukas got down on the ground and slowly performed his pushups, only managing to complete ten before taking a break. He continued to stop every so often, allowing his body to adjust to the training¡¯s effects.


    ¡°Good, that¡¯s the first set. We have six more of these today before we head out,¡± Vorcan said, moving back to the pole and pointing at Lukas¡¯s sword. ¡°Let¡¯s get going. You¡¯ll have a break after the last set.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The sets continued, and Lukas continued to tire even more, forcing him to make more mistakes. By the last group, he made another twenty-four mistakes, which in turn caused him to do 240 squats, curls, and pushups. Throughout the entire workout, Lukas cursed every mistake with passion. When the run came, he prayed to multiple of the echoes. Sorana or Amanore, please give me the strength to move my legs.


    "Only fifty laps around the practice field, and you''re done," Vorcan said, and they started slowly working their way around.


    Lukas kept a slow pace, and Vorcan stayed with him, offering encouragement. "Only half a lap left; let''s try to sprint it.


    Not sure I can do that. But Lukas gritted his teeth and put everything into the last bit of the run, and Vorcan kept pace, not breathing hard from the laps. The man was in immaculate shape even in his advanced age.


    "Keep going, keep going," Vorcan yelled as they rounded the corner and crossed back to the starting position.


    Lukas collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily.


    "Get up, Lukas." Vorcan held his hand out. Lukas took it and was pulled to his feet. "Not too bad, but you need to get up, or you''ll be in worse shape."


    Lukas continued to breathe heavily through his nose and out his mouth. Slowly recovering a bit of energy. When he could finally talk, he turned back to Vorcan. "Not going to lie, I did not expect it to be that hard."


    "Just wait until he adds the rest," a familiar voice behind them said.


    Turning, Lukas saw Reza walking to them from across the practice field. Three men stood at the front gate, armed and armored. He looked well after the multiple wounds he had only the day before. ¡°Only fifty laps around the practice field, and you¡¯re done,¡± Vorcan said, and they gradually began to run the first lap.


    Lukas maintained a slow pace, and Vorcan remained with him, offering encouragement. ¡°Only half a lap left. Let¡¯s try sprinting it.¡±


    I¡¯m not sure I can do that. Gritting his teeth, Lukas put everything he had into the final stretch of the run, and Vorcan kept pace with him.


    ¡°Keep going, keep going!¡± Vorcan shouted as they rounded the corner and returned to the starting position.


    Lukas collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath.


    ¡°Get up, Lukas,¡± Vorcan said, holding out his hand. Lukas took it and was pulled to his feet. ¡°Not too bad, but you need to get up, or you¡¯ll be in worse shape for it.¡±


    Lukas breathed heavily through his nose and mouth, slowly regaining some energy. When he could finally speak, he turned back to Vorcan. ¡°I must admit, I didn¡¯t expect it to be this challenging.¡±


    ¡°Just wait until he adds the rest,¡± a familiar voice echoed behind them.


    Turning around, Lukas saw Reza walking towards them from across the practice field. Three men stood at the front gate, armed and armored. He noticed that Reza looked much better than he did after sustaining multiple wounds the previous day. You could not have known he had been injured except for the pale white line across his neck, mostly hidden by his jacket.


    ¡°How did he fare?¡± Reza asked Vorcan when they joined.


    ¡°How much did you observe?¡± Vorcan inquired.


    ¡°You began the run when I arrived. I decided to observe for a while.¡±


    ¡°Fairly well for a beginner, making all the expected mistakes. I¡¯ll quickly bring him up to speed before we do a full session.¡± Vorcan started gathering his equipment back into his bag.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I expect he¡¯ll feel it in the morning,¡± Reza said, moving over to the pole where Lukas had been practicing.


    Lukas attempted to return the sword to Vorcan but shook his head.


    ¡°Keep it. Do your own training and continue refining your skills with that blade. I¡¯ll bring the shields and spears tomorrow. We¡¯ll have a session before the contest, so we can finish early enough that you¡¯ll have time to change.¡± He handed over a sheath and belt.


    Lukas struggled to belt the sword before getting it right and finally sheathing it. It felt awkward at his side, but he knew that would change with time. ¡°Yes, Master Vorcan. Will we be doing this every day?¡± Lukas asked, worried about how he would recover if he felt this way after every session. He had no idea how his legs would feel tomorrow, let alone how he would walk and do the training again. If this was only the beginning, he might have to ask for some healing.


    ¡°Of course, for the first few weeks or so. Starting after tomorrow, I expect us to do two sessions a day. Reza will join us when he can, but if we can get your body in shape, the lessons will be easier, and you¡¯ll learn much more as we continue. All you have to do is apply yourself and keep a solid mindset.¡± Vorcan explained.


    Two sessions. That seemed an insane prospect, but Lukas would try his best if that was what it took. It was all he could do. He would become something his cousin would be proud of¡ªsomething that could defend himself against those who would try to hurt the people around him.


    ¡°Lukas, come over here,¡± Reza called out to Lukas.


    Lukas slowly approached Reza, his legs barely moving as he took the short walk. His thighs were already tight and aching.


    ¡°Yes, Master Reza,¡± Lukas replied.


    Reza made a strange face. ¡°No, I don¡¯t like that. Please call me Reza.¡±


    Lukas nodded, acknowledging that it sounded strange. He was grateful that Reza had allowed him to stop using it.


    ¡°Reza,¡± Lukas responded. ¡°Was there something you needed?¡±


    Elana appeared beside Reza. ¡°Summon your Wraith,¡± Reza ordered before turning back to Vorcan. ¡°Did you summon your wraith at all?¡±


    Vorcan raised an eyebrow but shook his head. ¡°No, I focused solely on the sword today.¡±


    Lukas reached out and summoned his wraith; the man slowly shuffled his deck of cards as he examined them. ¡°His name is Severin. The Liberian, Tarimage, found him in the records.¡±


    Reza¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. ¡°Did they have any information on his powers?¡±


    ¡°No, only his name,¡± Lukas replied sadly.


    Reza waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll figure it out eventually.¡±


    Elana approached Severin and examined him again, as she had in the garden what felt like an eternity ago, but only a few weeks passed. Severin halted his shuffling and bowed low to her once more. Elana responded with a glare, and Severin couldn¡¯t help but smile mischievously.


    ¡°I wonder why he does that?¡± he mused. ¡°He hasn¡¯t been out with many other wraiths, and I can¡¯t recall him doing that to anyone else.¡±


    Reza shrugged. ¡°I have no idea. It could be anything; Elana reacts to everyone differently. Severin may be the same.¡±


    Reza waved his hand again as if banishing something. ¡°But that wasn¡¯t the reason I wanted him summoned. I want you to keep him summoned daily for as long as you can.¡± He turned his attention to Severin. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind that.¡±


    Severin pulled a card from the deck, allowing it to float before him. He placed a hand on his chin and tapped his lips thoughtfully. A smile spread across his face, and he shrugged at Lukas.


    What is Severin doing? Lukas wondered; he could not fathom what the cards were about, but maybe it had to do with his ability. There was no knowing until they began to test them. ¡°Lukas has no idea why he uses the cards.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great! I always prefer to ask for permission before doing anything like this. Elana allowed me to do the same, but she doesn¡¯t like to be out unless I¡¯m going to use my powers.¡± Both looked at Elana, who was bluntly ignoring Reza and focusing on Severin. ¡°I think she¡¯s still upset about the assassins,¡± Reza whispered to Lukas.


    Elana turned her head briefly before returning to her examination.


    ¡°Why do you want me to keep him summoned? Marcellus¡¯s first rule was not to summon him unless he was truly needed, just as you mentioned a moment ago,¡± Lukas asked. It seemed contradictory to what many people had told him. Nobles never summoned their wraiths simply for the sake of it.


    ¡°Practice. Every training session, as you¡¯re doing everything Vorcan or I order, your wraith will be present. If you lose the connection, summon it as quickly as possible. You need to learn how to maintain your wraith¡¯s presence in any situation,¡± Reza explained. ¡°My life was saved because my immediate reaction during the ambush was to summon Elana, and I managed to keep her summoned while I was bleeding out. This is crucial for becoming proficient with your powers, regardless of their nature.¡±


    Lukas comprehended the gravity of the order. He already felt the strain of keeping Severin summoned and knew how easily he could lose focus. Therefore, he would try to spend every possible moment with Severin during the day.


    Lukas nodded in agreement. ¡°I will do my best.¡±


    Vorcan approached the bag already been stowed away in the closet.¡°I will see you both later; I have urgent business matters at home.¡± Vorcan bowed, and Lukas and Reza mirrored his gesture.


    ¡°Have a pleasant day. Are you planning to attend the contest tomorrow?¡± Reza inquired, his curiosity piqued.


    Vorcan nodded. ¡°Of course, my nephew managed to secure several seats for our family in the main box.¡±


    ¡°Who are you rooting for?¡± Reza asked, a curious expression on his face.


    Vorcan smiled. ¡°Sabine, although with you here, I wouldn¡¯t dare say anything else. But don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t hold Lucius in high regard.¡± He chuckled and bid farewell, patting Lukas¡¯s shoulder on the way out of the practice area.


    Lukas turned back to Reza. ¡°Speaking of tomorrow, will you need a ride to the contest? Marie had already ordered the carriages be readied for the family and your sisters. You¡¯re more than welcome to join us.¡±


    Reza chuckled. ¡°Yes, she sent me a message. But I¡¯m escorting Sabine to the contest in the morning. I¡¯m unsure if she wants me to stay with her or if I¡¯ll return and come to the contest with you all.¡± He shrugged.


    That didn¡¯t make any sense. ¡°That would be a long journey back just to ride with us. Why would you take the trip more than once?¡± He asked.


    Reza continued laughing as they walked from the gates that opened onto the streets of the practice area, with the guards falling in line behind them. As Lukas looked back, he felt the connection break, and Severin vanished. Damn.


    If such a minor lapse caused Lukas to lose control, he would have to continue practicing. Summoning Severin back, Lukas held the connection, focusing on it.


    ¡°Long for you, maybe. I can return in plenty of time, just a leisurely stroll with Elana.¡± Reza reappeared on Lukas¡¯s other side, making him jump.


    He grabbed his chest, taking a moment to regain his breath as Reza laughed


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t very funny,¡± Lukas said. Severin was gone once more, and Lukas summoned him once more.


    ¡°Apologies, apologies. It''s all in good fun, but yes, I will let Sabine decide what she needs before I know. Please don¡¯t wait for me. We will meet in the box regardless,¡± Reza responded.


    ¡°Of course, I will inform Marie. Although, I believe a massage and a warm bath are in order first.¡± Lukas rubbed his thigh. The walk home provided some relief from the cramps, but they were still quite tight. Fortunately, it was a short journey back to the front of the Sulli estate.


    ¡°Are you coming in?¡± Lukas asked as the guard opened the gate.


    ¡°No, no. I have moved back to the Rewans. However, I will see you tomorrow; ensure that you keep Severin out tonight until you can no longer do so.¡± Reza left his guard behind, and more than a few people glanced at him.


    Lukas entered the estate, with Severin following closely behind. He would train, but first, he would attempt to alleviate the soreness throughout his body.

 Chapter 26: Nighttime Visit

    Reza settled into one of the brown leather chairs in the sitting room of his suite at the Rewans estate. The day had been long, and he had finally found the time to examine the numerous correspondences he had received from friends and contacts over the past few days. He was delighted to receive one from a friend in the fifth legion, who had transferred from Reza¡¯s own company approximately a year ago. The man was part of the same legion as Hasbeck, a centurion in the fifth.


    Reza had sent messages to anyone who might have information about the contestant¡¯s powers, of which he was unaware. He had yet to receive any news about Tannic. The man was not a member of the legion and displayed no signs of his power during his fight. However, his friend had shared some intriguing information about Hasbeck.


    ¡°The man is known as the ¡®Hundred Hands.¡¯ I¡¯m not certain what that entails, as I haven¡¯t witnessed his power firsthand. However, I¡¯ve been told that he has stockpiled hundreds of weapons for himself.¡± Reza read aloud. The name and the weapons suggested a potential advantage in the duel. During his first fight in the arena, spectators had only seen him duel with two swords and remained largely out of the fray until the end.


    Reza¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Before he could even move, he heard Sabine¡¯s voice behind it.


    ¡°Marius, are you awake?¡±


    Reza rose, placed the letter on the side table, and walked over to let Sabine in. She was dressed in a silver nightgown, and a silk burgundy robe draped over the top accentuated her curves. Reza let her pass, and she moved to the two chairs by the side table where his letters lay.


    She sat, curling her legs up onto the chair underneath her. ¡°Come sit down. I couldn¡¯t sleep and stay in that room any longer.¡±


    ¡°Is the room too small for you out here?¡± Reza laughed and moved past the chair to the fireplace. Sabine had thankfully not argued against his suggestion that they both sleep in the guest house. It would allow their guards a single spot to protect, and they would be away from their families if they were attacked. It also made it easier for them to come to each other¡¯s aid. She had moved into a second suite in the building last night.


    Reza worked silently, pulling a kettle and bringing it over to another table where some cups lay.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve lived here for years when I didn¡¯t want to be in the same house as the rest of the family,¡± she replied. ¡°But I never sleep well before a fight or battle. I can¡¯t settle; my mind doesn¡¯t stop. ¡±


    Reza brought the tea over, handing a cup to Sabine and then placing his own down on the side table to let it cool for a moment. ¡°Well, we can talk and do anything you¡¯d like. I¡¯m here for you,¡± he said.


    Sabine examined the papers scattered across the table. ¡°What have you been up to?¡±


    He cleaned them up into a single pile before answering. ¡°I¡¯ve been researching Hasbeck and my potential opponents. Some reports and letters finally arrived from people who know what they know about him and his powers. However, it¡¯s only hints. Tannic and Hasbeck have kept their powers completely secret, so I must be cautious during the next fight. I think I¡¯ll need to be quick on my feet, or I might not last long.¡±


    ¡°Every fight is always like this. Tomorrow will be no different. I¡¯ll face Lucius, and we both know that if he gets close to me, I have no chance against him,¡± she said, sipping her tea. Reza noticed the slightest tremor in her hands, which vanished in moments.


    Where was this coming from? This wasn¡¯t the confident Sabine he had always known. Lucius was always a formidable opponent that no one could afford to leave to chance. But Sabine¡¯s abilities were ideally suited to counter Lucius¡¯s monstrous melee fighting style with her vast range. The man would have to catch her and close the distance to secure the victory. Reza was concerned, but it was because he couldn¡¯t bear the thought of her being injured by anyone. However, he had enough faith in her abilities to know she would emerge victorious. He firmly believed in her triumph.


    Before he could react, Reza moved over to Sabine, kneeling before her and pulling her into a tight hug. She clung to him, pulling him even tighter. ¡°Never think that way. You possess the skills necessary to win. I know you will triumph,¡± he reassured her.


    Sabine looked up, her eyes intense. Before Reza could react, she took his face and kissed Reza deeply. He clung to her, not breaking the contact, and kissed her back with the same intensity he had ever felt. His heart pounded in his chest, threatening to burst. He kept his hands on her hips, feeling her sink deeper into him.


    What was happening? Reza had always yearned for this, but he knew it was impossible. They had danced around their feelings and urges, choosing friendship over something they both knew would never be possible. Reza was lowborn despite being the head of his household, while Sabine was the heiress to the Rewan Family, one of the ten. She was expected to marry someone from her family or a highborn from another nation. Not him; it could never be him.


    Reza simply stayed in the moment, trying to prevent the thoughts from overwhelming his pure joy of holding Sabine in his arms and the pleasure he felt from her.


    Finally, after a wait longer than he had anticipated, Sabine pulled herself back, staying close to him. She gently stroked the scar on his neck with one hand. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Reza remained on one knee before her, contemplating what he should say. There were numerous questions he needed answers to, but he didn¡¯t want to appear foolish. He tried to calm himself and put his thoughts and feelings into words. ¡°I never thought this would happen. I had always hoped, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Reza, stop. We can discuss this tomorrow,¡± she interrupted, ending any further conversation with another kiss. That kiss ended everything else, and Reza swiftly swept her up in his arms and carried her to his bedroom.


    The next morning, Reza awoke to a knock at the door. Sabine was sleeping naked close to him, one leg draped over his body and her arm across his chest.


    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s time,¡± a voice from the other side of the door asked. Reza recognized it as Kelvin, the man who managed the guest house with a small staff. Reza had requested that someone wake him up every morning at dawn, and Kelvin had taken on the responsibility.


    Reza slowly removed himself from under Sabine without disturbing her sleep, leaving her side.


    He draped a small blanket around his waist and headed to the door. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m awake,¡± he replied softly, ensuring he didn¡¯t disturb Sabine. He¡¯d give her a few more minutes of rest before her battle today.


    ¡°Oh, good sir, would you like coffee or tea with your breakfast?¡± Kelvin inquired. As always, he was impeccably dressed in a stiff black and gray suit that matched his hair and mustache.


    ¡°Tea for myself and Lady Sabine,¡± Reza responded in a low voice, keeping the door slightly ajar, only allowing his head to be visible.


    ¡°Perfect. I¡¯ll have both of your meals ready for you shortly. I know Lady Sabine¡¯s maids are also about to wake her,¡± he said, bowing before leaving.


    Shit. Reza retreated to the bed and shook Sabine awake as softly as possible. She opened one eye and looked at him, half-naked, standing over her. ¡°Oh, well, this is a lovely sight in the morning. Come back over here,¡± she whispered, her tone sending a shiver down Reza¡¯s spine. He grabbed the blanket at his waist.


    Reza held her hands, preventing her from removing the blanket. ¡°Sabine, before we proceed any further, I hope you don¡¯t mind if every servant in the household and likely the entire district discovers our secret by the end of the day.¡±


    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, she responded. ¡°Of course not. I don¡¯t care what people think or say.¡±


    Sabine pulled him closer, and he collapsed next to her. She kissed him as she moved her leg back over his waist, placing herself on top of him. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Kelvin informed me that your maids were about to wake you up, and they will notice that you¡¯re not in your bed but mine.¡± He smiled, pulling her close.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like half the city didn¡¯t already know we were sweet on each other. Now they¡¯ll have proof of what many of them suspected from the rumors that have been circulating.¡±


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t mind the gossip, I won¡¯t either. By the way, breakfast will be ready soon.¡± Reza replied. He had more than a few concerns about what they had done and the implications of it for their future. Everyone would have their own opinions, but as long as Sabine didn¡¯t care, he would do his best to avoid causing any trouble.


    ¡°Well, we should probably finish here.¡± She moved on top of him, the blanket falling off her naked body.


    ______________


    Reza guided Sabine into the Stadium two hours later. She was dressed in her uniform, her hair tied back in a ponytail, and her multiple weapons within easy reach. Notably, she still kept her bow strung on her back.


    Reza wore a midnight blue suit that Sabine had bought for him the night before. The suit was designed to withstand knife stabs and slashes without puncturing. The silk layers underneath provided a strong barrier if he were attacked again. Unlike his previous suit, this one allowed him to fight effortlessly in case of an attack.


    Additionally, Reza had two new blackwood daggers sheathed under his arms. Kelburn had readily agreed to the investment, with Reza holding twenty percent of the business.


    As a gift for their new venture, Kelburn had provided Reza with these elaborate and beautiful weapons. Each dagger was intricately carved with a raven and lines of runes from the Imperial tongue of the Old Empire of Rhelyeh. Kelburn had explained that the runes were inscribed with the quote, ¡°You shall be the witness.¡± Reza wasn¡¯t entirely sure about the meaning of the words, but the daggers were undoubtedly unique in their craftsmanship and beauty.


    They descended into the underground holding area, a familiar space they had visited numerous times during this contest. Multiple groups of priests and other individuals milled around, but they barely made it in before the orator approached them. Reza realized he had never learned the man¡¯s name, but it would be awkward to ask now.


    ¡°Excellent, you¡¯re here. I was waiting for your arrival. We have a room where you can stay and prepare for the contest.¡± He turned his attention to Reza. ¡°Lord Reza, we can show you to the box if you would like. However, it¡¯s quite early for premier spectators to arrive. Only a few lower stands have been filled for preliminary activities and games.¡±


    Reza shook his head. ¡°No need; I¡¯ll stay with Sabine and head up closer to the start of the fight.¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t return to the Noble District to travel with his sisters and the Sulli, as Sabine wanted him to stay with her until it was time.


    The orator nodded, his expression unwavering. ¡°Very well, then follow me.¡±


    He led them to a much more luxurious room than Reza had been forced to sleep in while waiting for the other fights to conclude in the first round. This room was elegantly furnished with high-quality furniture and colorful tapestries adorning the walls. A comfortable bed was placed against one wall, while another was lined with a table with three leather-bound chairs.


    ¡°If you require anything, there will be someone in the hall to attend to you,¡± the orator bowed and departed.


    Sabine approached the table and placed each of her weapons on it. She began inspecting and adjusting the minor components of her crossbows and bow. Next, she meticulously cleaned each dagger and polished them until they shone brilliantly. While Reza took the opportunity to order tea and food to be brought in case she needed anything, he sipped silently, allowing her time to concentrate. As the time for the duel drew near, he rose.


    ¡°It¡¯s time. I should go find the others,¡± Reza said.


    Sabine turned, and he embraced her. ¡°Remember, maintain your distance and force him back. Don¡¯t expend energy until you¡¯re certain; let him be the monster we know and exhaust him. You¡¯ve have this.¡± He spoke calmly and confidently.


    ¡°I will,¡± she kissed him, and he held her for a few more precious moments before letting his arms fall away from her.


    He gave her one last kiss and walked out of the room. Reza returned to the vast, open holding area, composed himself, and steeled himself for the fight ahead. It would be more challenging than he had ever imagined it would be to witness. Sabine, you better damn well send an arrow into the bastard¡¯s eye and end this swiftly.

 Chapter 27: The Siblings Fight

    Reza finally emerged from the hallway where Sabine was still preparing for the fight with Lucius. Fortunately, he hadn¡¯t encountered the man this morning. It would have been impossible for him to resist punching Lucius before the fight. Walking out of the area, Reza stumbled upon a small group of priests who seemed to be guarding the area where he had just been with Sabine. The older priest bowed before him. ¡°Yes, may I help you, Lord Reza?¡±


    Reza was taken aback by the fact that the man knew his name. However, it was likely that every priest within the church was now aware of him, as he could very well be their leader in a few weeks. ¡°I was wondering if one of you might escort me to the main box. I have no idea where to even begin.¡± Reza asked. He knew it was probably a good idea, as he would more than likely get it, but beyond that, he didn¡¯t want to trespass into an area he wasn¡¯t supposed to and risk being questioned or something.


    ¡°Of course, I can take you there myself,¡± the older priest replied. He bid farewell to the others and escorted Reza through multiple hallways and stairs until they reached the main box of the arena. The crowd''s roars indicated that most of the spectators had already entered the theater, but the private box for Sorana had only a few people who had arrived.


    ¡°Here you are,¡± the priest said, leading him to the front of the box and presenting Reza with a seat. No one was seated there yet, but he noticed more and more people starting to arrive and take their places.


    _______________


    Lukas slowly ascended the stairs towards Sorana¡¯s private box, his arm wrapped around Cassia¡¯s. She happily matched his pace while Marie and Tavia trailed behind. Lukas had overheard at least one comment about his slow pace, though he kept his measured pace. Despite the benefits of his healing sessions the night before, the soreness persisted from this morning. Master Vorcan had subjected him to the same rigorous training, but now, with Severin draining him while he attempted to keep up, Lukas had managed to reduce his mistakes from the previous day. However, the exhaustion persisted.


    Finally, the stairs ended, and Lukas found his seat, resting his weary legs. They barely reached the private landing in front of the box when a servant approached. ¡°Good morning, Sir. May I have your name?¡±


    The man bowed deeply before refocusing on the group. ¡°Lukas Sulli,¡± Lukas replied. Reza caught his eye, standing at the railing of the booth, gazing down at the sand. ¡°I believe we are likely seated over there.¡±


    Lukas indicated Reza, and the servant nodded. ¡°I believe you are correct. If you would follow me.¡±


    He led them to their seats, the first two rows, with Reza already occupying one of the front-row seats.


    ¡°If you need anything, I¡¯d be delighted to help,¡± he said, glancing at each person.


    ¡°Marie?¡± Lukas turned the question to her. Marie looked at Tavia before responding.


    ¡°A bottle of mulled wine or cider would be great. The air feels chilly,¡± she said, a slight shiver escaping her lips. Tavia quickly grabbed her hand and handed her a shawl for Marie to wear.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, wrapping the shawl around her shoulders.


    ¡°Something warm would be perfect,¡± Tavia added.


    ¡°Yes, six glasses. We should order one for Lord Sulli. He¡¯ll likely arrive soon,¡± Lukas instructed the servant.


    The man nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll check what we have, but I believe a fresh pitcher of cider has just come in. I¡¯ll be back momentarily,¡± he said, bowing again and gliding away.


    ¡°That sounds wonderful. I agree the weather is changing. Hopefully, the weather improves before Sabine¡¯s duel begins.¡± Cassia glanced over to her brother, who sat at Lukas¡¯s right. ¡°Marius, what¡¯s wrong with you? Are you getting enough rest? There¡¯s no way you¡¯re fully healed from the attack; you need to take it easy.¡±


    There was genuine concern in her voice for her brother. Lukas glanced over at him, and he seemed more reserved than usual. However, upon deeper reflection, he noticed that he appeared better than ever, sitting up strong and radiating energy in his eyes. Lukas cursed as he realized Severin hadn¡¯t been summoned. Hopefully, Reza hadn¡¯t noticed.


    Lukas quickly rectified his mistake. He could feel Severin at the back of the box, leaning against the wall. Lukas knew that if he looked back, the wraith would be leaning against the wall with his cards in hand, making each float as he pulled them from the deck before him.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just nervous for Sabine.¡± Reza kept his eyes fixed on the fighting below. Cassia remained silent but gave Reza another concerned look.


    Lukas finally noticed that people were engaged in two separate fights in the sandy arena below. ¡°I had no idea there were other fights today,¡± he remarked.


    He should have known. One duel between Sabine and Lucious was hardly entertaining for the money people paid for their seats. These fighters appeared to be the typical arena combatants, moving gracefully around each other, their weapons clashing against shields and swords as they searched for an opening.


    Suddenly, a sword struck a fighter in the stomach and began to glow crimson. He slammed his hands to the ground, his anger palpable from a distance.


    ¡°Oh, how thrilling. Will they all be like that?¡± Cassia exclaimed.


    ¡°Is this your first time?¡± Lukas asked. He had only attended a few fights before, none of which were on this grand scale. However, the village had a small theater where traveling groups showcased their talents.


    ¡°Yes, Mother never spent money on trivial entertainment,¡± Cassia replied, smiling at Lukas before returning to the fight. Two fighters in blue were attempting to defeat the last yellow-scarfed man. Unfortunately, they failed, and the yellow-scarfed man swiftly dispatched both with graceful sword slashes.


    ¡°Well, I suppose this will be quite exciting,¡± Lukas said. He had never met Lucious but had a fondness for Sabine, so he hoped she would emerge victorious.


    The servant returned with the cider, and Lukas quickly took a sip. It was delicious¡ªhot enough to warm his body without scorching his tongue, allowing him to savor the taste.


    ¡°That¡¯s excellent! Who made this?¡± Tavia asked, turning to Lukas. He glanced back at her. She was peering over to the servant, her finger raised as if about to summon him.


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    ¡°Tavia, you can inquire after the contest. Your financial concerns can wait until then,¡± Reza ordered, maintaining his gaze forward. He had anticipated her plan. As siblings, Rezak knew his sister¡¯s mind. Was this how Tavia always approached valuable things? How much did she consider when she saw something of interest? She saw opportunities in everything. Even as they had traveled to the contest today, she mentioned a few buildings she saw that had piqued her interest as potential acquisitions; she had already seen them.


    ¡°Fine, I suppose I can figure out the source of the ciders after the fight ends,¡± she said calculatingly, glancing again at the servants in the back of the room.


    However, the conversation was interrupted as the Orator and his wraith emerged from their box. His voice boomed, and then he silenced the crowd.


    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, the preliminaries have finally concluded, and it is time for the grand event of the day to commence.¡± He paused, holding his breath long enough for the crowd to lean in closer.


    Lukas realized his mistake and pushed himself back into his chair.


    ¡°Today, we have an extraordinary treat for you. Only one sibling will emerge victorious from the arena. In honor of Sorana, I am delighted to introduce Sabine and Lucius Rewan.¡±


    The crowd erupted in a frenzy of screams, cheers, jeers, and claps. Lukas watched as, from both sides of the arena, two gates opened. Sabine, clad in her uniform, exited the northern gate. She held her bow at the ready, poised for the fight to commence. She took about ten feet onto the sand before halting and standing, her bow still in one hand.


    Lukas turned his attention to the southern gate. Lucius emerged. He was dressed in only a pair of baggy pants that seemed to be tailored for a much larger man. What made him even more peculiar was that he dragged a sword as long as himself, which appeared wider than Lukas¡¯s hands. He also carried a shield twice the width of his body. Both items seemed out of place, and he set them down at his sides when he stopped approximately fifty feet from Sabine.


    ¡°What on earth is Lucius going to do with those? He can barely manage to carry them!¡± Lukas exclaimed, glancing at the others seated around him. Everyone shrugged or shook their heads until Reza finally spoke.


    ¡°You¡¯ll soon discover why Lucius is one of the most terrifying men in the city.¡± He glanced over at Lukas, a mix of fear and excitement evident on Reza¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s better for you to witness it firsthand. I can¡¯t adequately describe his power to do it justice.¡±


    Lukas refocused his attention on the arena where Sabine and Lucius engaged in a fierce battle.


    The Orator resumed his speech. "Under the authority of Sorana, I bless this contest and the participants in it." He held his head low, waiting for the crowd to fall silent after the second he remained. No one in the booth spoke as the silence stretched on.


    The Orator raised his head. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, magic is now fully permitted, with no restrictions. Three strikes that hit the opponent will cause them to glow, and they will be eliminated from the contest. Blood may be shed, and someone may die. There will be no mercy. The opponent must surrender or glow to end the duel.¡±


    Lukas kept his body rigid, but he wanted to let his mouth drop open. He had never imagined the church would allow bloodshed. These were some of the brightest warriors of a city likely at war, and it seemed absurd to allow such a rule change.


    ¡°It makes no sense to allow this to happen. What were they thinking?¡± Reza muttered, his words laced with pure spite. Lukas glanced over and saw Reza halfway out of his seat when Lord Sulli suddenly laid his hand on Marius¡¯s shoulder. Reza sat back down in his chair just behind Reza.


    ¡°The church holds the authority; you must adhere to its rules, as Sabine and Lucius will do today. If you aspire to demonstrate your potential as their leader and a prominent figure within the city, I advise against making a fool of yourself.¡± He whispered, his voice audible to Lukas, allowing him to hear everything.


    Reza relaxed and reclined in his seat, though he only sat at the edge of the chair, gazing down at the sand below. I¡¯m unsure if I¡¯ve ever witnessed such a rapid transformation from a few words.


    Lukas would need to continue observing his uncle and studying how he skillfully diffused the situation. Learning this skill should be a priority for anyone. The composed demeanor and unwavering confidence displayed by Lord Sulli were qualities Lukas recognized he needed to acquire, just as much as honing his fighting skills to prepare him to guide the family into the future. This was merely another item on an already expanding list of his education.


    The crowd fell silent once again as the Orator raised his left arm, sweeping it down dramatically before shouting, ¡°You may begin.¡±


    The crowd erupted into thunderous applause as Sabine moved to her left, keeping to the outskirts of the arena in the shadow of the wall. Her wraith remained where she had begun the duel, its bow at the ready. Sabine drew back a fraction of the bowstring and released it, sending a ghostly arrow flying towards Lucius. He swiftly moved, his massive shield sliding in front of him as he crouched behind it. The arrow struck the shield, sending Lucius and the shield backward several feet.


    ¡°What on earth was that?¡± Lukas exclaimed, and the crowd echoed his astonishment. Sabine hadn¡¯t displayed this ability during her initial fight.


    Reza spoke, his eyes fixed on the unfolding battle. ¡°She hid the true power of her wraith. It shoots with unnatural accuracy while granting her extraordinary precision with ranged weapons. This is far from over; that was merely the first volley, and Lucius has yet to even begin his assault.¡±


    Lukas glanced back as Lucius rose to his feet and began to convulse. His skin started to bulge, and another arrow pierced through his shield, but this time,


    Lucius remained steadfast as he gradually transformed. His arms elongated, surpassing his knees, and his chest expanded, transforming his entire body into a monstrous figure towering over nine feet tall. His hair cascaded past his waist, and he no longer resembled a human but a hybrid of a human and an animal. Once oversized in his hands, the sword and shield now appeared insignificant.


    Another arrow struck his chest, marking Sabine¡¯s first successful hit during the early stages of the duel. Lucius radiated a blinding white light for a fleeting moment, captivating the crowd with a mix of excitement and horror as they witnessed his monstrous form.


    Considering his size, Lucius¡¯s speed appeared unnatural. The shield collided with Sabine, causing her to emit a white glow. She swiftly rolled away, attempting to create some distance between them. Sabine drew an arrow and swiftly released two volleys at Lucius as he tried to close the gap. Her two arrows struck the shield, cutting inches into it, but Lucius remained unaffected as another arrow from the wraith narrowly missed his left bicep.


    Sabine retreated, showering arrows in her escape as she and the wraith continued to shoot a steady stream of arrows at the concealed Lucius behind his shield. He rose and dashed through her wraith, disregarding it as he drew closer, slashing down with a thunderous roar. Sabine moved to the side and then used the blade to lift herself into the air, shooting over his shield. Her arrow pierced his shoulder, and Lukas could discern blood flowing from the wound even from this distance.


    Two hits. Sabine required only one more strike to conclude the duel. The contest had progressed so swiftly. They continued in a lull, Sabine retreating and Lucius trying to find a way through her arrows.


    Lucius slowed his approach and moved with caution, his enormous sword slashing every opportunity he had to land a blow on her. This continued for minutes; Sabine and her wraith relentlessly shot arrows at Lucius as she retreated, but he deftly evaded each one. Lukas glanced over to Reza. He was on the edge of his seat, his right hand clasped tightly on the booth wall, his knuckles turning white.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Sabine!¡± Cassia shouted from his other side. He glanced over at her and smiled at her. Like their group, the crowd seemed to be in favor of Sabine. They cheered every time an arrow narrowly missed. At the same time, jeering Lucius every time he missed.


    As the minutes ticked down, each sibling seemed to lose energy gradually, the initial frantic moments having cooled down. Sabine shot another arrow and grabbed another from the ground as she ran past. Each time, Lucius moved out of the way or raised his shield to block the arrow. His shield was well over a dozen arrows stuck into it from Sabine.


    ¡°Now, what¡¯s going to happen here?¡± Lukas whispered.


    Lucius stopped in the arena, his chest rising as he breathed heavily. He continued to dodge side to side or use his shield as Sabine continued her relentless assault.


    Sabine stopped and pulled her bow back to shoot. The string snapped as it reached her chin, and she threw the broken bow to the side.


    Lucius swiftly approached Sabine, slashing at her with his sword. She retreated, but a red line crossed her stomach, and she momentarily glowed white.


    Undeterred, Sabine sprinted away, trying to create distance between her and her brother.


    Lucius pursued her, but Sabine swiftly drew her crossbows and fired two bolts at his face. He ducked beneath them, allowing her to retreat. She quickly reloaded one crossbow and positioned herself, aiming at him.


    Lucius waited before rushing at her, his sword raised. Sabine held her ground, both crossbows at the ready, poised to shoot. He drew within the blade¡¯s length of her when she unleashed both bolts. He raised his shield, deflecting the bolt and swinging his massive sword at Sabine. A bolt from Sabine¡¯s Wraith struck his shoulder in response, causing him to roar in pain. The sword slipped from his grasp as he glowed crimson, ending the duel.


    ¡°That was indeed clever,¡± Lukas remarked. Sabine had outwitted him, forcing him to make a mistake.


    The crowd erupted in cheers, their voices hoarse from excitement. Lukas joined in the applause, clapping and screaming alongside the others. He turned to Cassia first, who was also in the booth, screaming with the rest. He glanced to see if Reza had regained his composure, but he was nowhere to be found.


    Lukas tried to find the man, but he was gone.


    ¡°Look down there,¡± Marie exclaimed, pointing towards the sand.


    Lukas turned to see what she was indicating. It didn¡¯t take long to realize that Reza had already made his way to the arena. He was assisting Sabine to her feet and raising her arm up.

 Chapter 28: The Duel

    Reza grinned broadly as their group celebrated Sabine¡¯s victory over Lucius over drinks and food. After a long and arduous journey, they had finally emerged from the arena and gathered his siblings and the Sulli¡¯s. Sabine¡¯s parents and Lord Sulli had accompanied them to one of Lord Rewan¡¯s many establishments, a renowned restaurant nestled deep within the noble district that exclusively catered to private dinners. A specially reserved room had been set aside for such an occasion.


    ¡°Another toast to my daughter for reaching the penultimate duel!¡± Lord Rewan bellowed, raising his glass of wine. Despite the copious drinks, his words were barely slurred.


    Reza swiftly grabbed his glass and raised it in a toast to Sabine, who sat beside him. He discreetly squeezed her hand under the table as she momentarily gazed at him before refocusing her attention on her father.


    ¡°Father, you can cease the toasts; it¡¯s your fifth tonight,¡± she said with a broad smile. ¡°You need to remember I had to defeat Lucius to achieve this victory, so perhaps you could tone it down a bit for his sake.¡±


    Reza had to suppress a dark look from showing. He leaned closer to Sabine and whispered, ¡°He deserved everything that came his way. Now, at least he learned a modicum of respect for his elder sister.¡±


    Reza couldn¡¯t deny Lucius¡¯s credit in one way. He had handled the loss with remarkable composure. After transforming back into his original form, Lucius approached Sabine and shook his hand, though he remained silent. The crowd thoroughly enjoyed the moment. Maybe he was trying to keep his image from suffering too much.


    ¡°Reza, enjoy yourself tonight; Lucius is out of our hair,¡± She whispered, her tone growing more concerned. ¡°It¡¯s my turn to worry about you.¡±


    Reza froze; he had almost forgotten that his duel was next. He set down his glass of wine, though he didn¡¯t feel its effects at the moment. It would be futile to continue drinking before the fight. ¡°Of course, yes. I won¡¯t antagonize your brother unless he provokes me. But you¡¯re right as usual.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Finally, you¡¯re listening.¡±


    Before he could respond, their conversation was interrupted by her father. ¡°Sabine, what are you two whispering about over there? This is a celebration.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The dinner dragged on for ages, and Reza had finally managed to convince Lord Rewan to let him leave after more than two hours in the private room, savoring several courses of expensive dishes, many of which contained ingredients he had never encountered before. Despite the length of the meal, it might have been the most delectable experience in recent memory. Reza and Sabine had finally returned to his suite. She stood there as he turned to face the door, gazing up at him.


    Nervousness pounded in his chest, but he had to know what this all meant. They stood at the precipice of a significant decision, and any choice they made would alter their lives forever. ¡°So, are you coming in?¡± he asked the simplest question that would give him an idea of Sabine''s thoughts.


    ¡°Of course, what kind of question is that?¡± she replied, effortlessly moving past him and entering the room. As she shed her clothes, she turned to give him one last glance before crossing the threshold of his sleeping chambers.


    Reza followed her, leaving her garments behind. ¡°Sabine, we should have a conversation first,¡± he suggested, hesitating before continuing. ¡°What exactly are we doing? Are we merely lovers, or is there something more? I never pursued you for years solely because of our difference in rank, despite my genuine desire to do so. I need to know, what are our intentions?¡±


    Sabine, hiding her nakedness under the covers, declared her decision to Marius. ¡°I¡¯ve made my choice. Consequences be damned, I want you. Whatever comes our way, we will handle it together.¡±


    Sensing her resolve, Reza moved to the edge of the bed and took Sabine¡¯s hand. ¡°Are you certain? What if your father decides to make Lucius heir because of this?¡±


    Sabine, grabbing him by the back of the neck, pulled him into a passionate kiss. Reza didn¡¯t resist, but he required a definitive answer. No matter what he might interpret the kiss to mean, he needed to hear it from her. ¡°Sabine, are you sure? I need to hear it from you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a fool, Marius,¡± she whispered. ¡°I¡¯m certain, for whatever comes next, we¡¯ll face it together.¡±


    Reza leaned in and kissed her again, trying to dispel the lingering fears and nervousness that gnawed at him. In less than a week, he could very well find himself in a position that rendered all his worries obsolete. Two more victories and everything will be mine for certain.


    Another thought haunting him for the past few hours crossed his mind. What if he had to confront Sabine in the final contest? Reza forced that thought aside, bringing Sabine closer and savoring the night with her.


    _________


    Reza ascended the dimly lit hallway towards the arena¡¯s entrance; his duel would begin in mere moments. He stood silently at the gate, preparing for the unknown skills of the adversary he would face. Sabine, like him, had remained with him during the wait, but she had departed earlier to join the others in the private box above.


    Reza summoned Elana and gazed at her just beyond the gate.


    ¡°Everything we have, right?¡± he inquired. Elana smiled, bowing slightly before her expression changed, and she turned to face the gate. Of course, this was serious. There was nothing more to do except defeat Hasbeck.


    The gate opened, and Reza entered the arena. Elana vanished and reappeared across the field, darting as she surveyed the entire field. Reza halted, his attention drawn to the sand where numerous swords of various styles and sizes protruded. What was this abyss?


    Reza approached one of the swords, evidently a creation of Kelburn. He lifted it from the ground, and it was as well-balanced as all his creations. As Reza slid a finger along the edge, assessing its sharpness, he noticed the blade had a well-honed edge. Hasbeck must have requested this sword, or the church was adding an exciting addition to the contest. Based on the information he had gathered while researching Hasbeck, Reza thought it unlikely. Reza retreated near the gate and glanced over to the opposite entrance.


    Hasbeck stood barefoot, dressed only in a pair of heavy black pants, exposing the upper half of his body. He held a dagger in each hand and had a belt full of extras. His massive wraith stood behind him, draped in a flowing robe and adorned with a finely decorated mask that concealed his face. Their eyes never left Reza¡¯s as he examined them.


    The Orator began to speak, but Reza disregarded his words and focused on the first move. He caught Elana¡¯s eye, and she nodded before flitting away, continuing her circle. Reza would swiftly approach Hasbeck and prevent him from moving. All these swords made him uneasy about Hasbeck¡¯s intentions. The Orator continued talking, but Reza remained focused on the final word, anticipating Hasbeck¡¯s reaction.


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    ¡°You may begin,¡± The Orator shouted.


    Elana shifted at the words and moved to embrace Hasbeck, but Reza¡¯s reaction was immediate. He positioned himself just in front of Hasbeck, who remained motionless. Reza¡¯s smile never faltered as he swiftly slashed both his blades across Hasbeck¡¯s chest. However, a sword swiftly blocked the attack. Reza flared again and retreated to assess the situation.


    To his astonishment, a pale yellow tendril held the blade before Hasbeck¡¯s body. The wraith¡¯s glow matched the color of the tendril, and more began to sprout from his back as he crouched, maintaining his unwavering smile. As each tendril started to move, they swiftly pulled blades from the battlefield.


    ¡°Shit, this is bad,¡± Reza muttered under his breath.


    Blades began to rain down towards him, and he flared away, sprinting with all his might to avoid them. Each time he reappeared, more blades attacked, forcing him to block and retreat once more.


    Reza flared once more, positioning himself close to Hasbeck. The man¡¯s smile persisted as he compelled Reza to retreat from dozens of blades flying in every direction.


    ¡°Reza, please join us. Stop running; we simply want to have fun,¡± Hasbeck¡¯s voice echoed faintly, carrying a menacing tone, amplified by the perpetual smile on the man¡¯s face.


    Reza realized he needed to conserve his energy or risk losing the battle. He halted and flared, swiftly slicing through one of the tendrils, causing the blade to drop. The tendril vanished into a pale yellow smoke. Reza continued his relentless assault, slashing and destroying as many tendrils as possible, slowly inching closer to Hasbeck.


    However, the number of tendrils only increased, and despite his relentless efforts, Reza found himself unable to eliminate them all.


    Reza stood within ten feet of Hasbeck when the man hurled over a dozen tendrils towards him. Reza flared and retreated, but a burning sensation spread through his right calf as he glowed white. Despite his injury, he refused to stop, knowing that if he did, Hasbeck would emerge victorious.


    Uncertain, Reza flared in close, slashing at Hasbeck. Two swords blocked his attack, but he flared again, positioning himself behind Hasbeck. With a single blade, he cut across and through the dozens of tendrils from his back, stabbing down into Hasbeck¡¯s shoulder. Reza flared once more as Hasbeck glowed, and multiple blades emerged from his body, heading towards him.


    Observing Hasbeck, Reza noticed that even with blood flowing down his useless arm, no pain appeared on his features. He continued to maintain his broad smile. ¡°Now, that hurt. Your power is very impressive.¡± Hasbeck laughed. ¡°Would you like to continue?¡±


    His wraith glowed again, and dozens of more tendrils appeared, grasping blades and beginning to pull them towards him. As more blades shot out, two of them grabbed Reza¡¯s legs while many more started to wrap around his body.


    Reza slashed, and pale yellow smoke enveloped him. He felt another cut on his arm, and he flared once more. With a determined glint in his eyes, Reza flared away, continuously moving as he tried to regain his composure. Only one more hit and he was done.


    He channeled more energy into himself, flaring and running as if he and Elana were inseparable. His speed was so swift that Hasbeck¡¯s weapons couldn¡¯t catch him. He pushed himself harder, circling the tendrils and slashing at them as he passed close to one. This was his only chance.


    Reza could sense his energy-draining, and he knew he couldn¡¯t sustain this for long. He ran faster, flaring repeatedly, searching for the perfect opening for his final attack. Finally, he ran directly into Hasbeck¡¯s blind spot at his back and moved swiftly towards him. Without looking, Hasbeck created dozens more tendrils, forming into two massive pillars that shot towards the ground, lifting him into the air. Reza swiftly moved through the area where he had just been.


    What is this abyss? Reza stopped to stare at the man, Hasbeck, who held himself almost fifteen feet in the air, surrounded by more tendrils grasping weapons. They formed into colossal arms, with the swords transforming into claws on each hand. Reza flared his magic once more and sprinted as fast as his legs could carry him.


    What on earth was he going to do against that? Hasbeck¡¯s arms swung out and attacked, trying to grab Reza. The longer Reza ran, the more Hasbeck formed a pale yellow shell around him, transforming him into a colossal monster. Reza darted past Hasbeck¡¯s right arm, slicing into it. Yellow smoke erupted, leaving a scar the length of his cut.


    Reza continued to flare and move, cutting into every spot of the monster. He skillfully maneuvered around its attacks from the flying arms and blades. He inflicted deep scars, but they miraculously began to reform.


    ¡°Elana, we need to finish this,¡± Reza shouted back to her. She nodded and vanished. Reza flared, placing all his hope in her finding a valuable location for him. He reappeared at the back of Hasbeck, twenty feet in the air. Reza slammed down, cutting into the monster¡¯s back and swiftly cutting through its defenses. It took precious moments, but he finally found Hasbeck¡¯s bareback. Got you.


    Reza lunged forward, but Hasbeck¡¯s back vanished. Reza flared away, feeling blades slicing directly towards him. Back on the ground, Reza scanned the area for Hasbeck. The man was easily spotted standing directly behind the monster that had sent one of its massive clawed hands toward him.


    Reza flared, closing in on Hasbeck. The man had tendrils wrapped around each arm, forming a pair of clawed hands with daggers creating the claws.


    Reza flared, sprinting towards Hasbeck as the man lunged at him with his claws. Reza positioned himself before Hasbeck, thrusting his sword down through his protected arms with all his might, leaving himself vulnerable to Hasbeck¡¯s counterattacks. Reza landed a powerful blow, piercing through Hasbeck¡¯s left arm and chest. Hasbeck¡¯s claws raked against his chest, emitting a deep crimson-red glow.


    Reza collapsed onto his back, a wave of pain sweeping over his chest. He quickly assessed the cuts; they weren¡¯t deep but excruciatingly painful. If Hasbeck had gone deeper, Reza might have been in grave danger without healing. He lowered his head to the ground and lay there, exhausted.


    The contest was over; Reza had emerged victorious. He gazed up into the darkening sky, where Elana stood above him, her excitement palpable. She smiled down at him before vanishing in a cloud of silver smoke. One more fight, just one more battle, and it would be over.


    The crowd cheered, but Reza remained motionless until someone crossed his path. Hasbeck, still smiling, though bloodied, stood looking down at him.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not planning to strike me one last time?¡± Reza asked, doubt creeping into his voice. He didn¡¯t believe he had the energy to fight back if Hasbeck tried. He wasn¡¯t sure if he had any remaining strength to summon Elana, let alone wield his power.


    Hasbeck¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Of course not. I wanted to ensure I didn¡¯t kill you. I apologize; I didn¡¯t mean to hit you after you won. My arm wouldn¡¯t stop moving.¡±


    Reza shook his head in disbelief. He hadn¡¯t anticipated this. The man appeared to be a serial killer, yet he maintained a remarkably noble demeanor throughout the situation. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine; I don¡¯t blame you.¡±


    Hasbeck nodded. "Good, good. That was great fun, not that I expected anything different, but I haven''t been pushed that far in ages. Andeth, my wraith, brought everything she had." He spoke in a light, almost musical voice. ¡°If you ever need someone to practice with, we would be delighted if you would contact us. I believe we can learn a great deal about my power by fighting against you.¡±


    He bowed and held out his hand. Reza grasped his forearm, and Hasbeck helped him to his feet.


    ¡°I will remember that. It was a close match; either of us could have won.¡± Reza acknowledged the truth of his statement. The fight had ended in mere minutes because both fighters had sought to finish it swiftly. The disparity in their fighting styles forced Reza to employ every ounce of his agility to avoid being overwhelmed within seconds by the dozens of weapons Hasbeck wielded. Hasbeck¡¯s nickname was truly well-deserved.


    They shook hands before Hasbeck moved towards his gate. Reza did the same, slowly limping towards his own. The crowd was in a frenzy, cheering for both fighters. It seemed that the entire fight had been an incredible display, considering how short it had been. Reza raised his hand in acknowledgment of the cheering.


    He glanced up towards the box where Sorana¡¯s guest sat. He could make out his sisters, Cassia jumping up and down beside Lukas. However, as he continued to look, he didn¡¯t see Sabine. She was probably waiting for him in the holding area.


    Finally, he heard the Orator¡¯s voice over the crowd. ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, your winner and first finalist, Marius Reza. In four days, he will face off against the winners of our next duel between Sabine and Tannic.¡±


    Reza made one last wave to the crowd before moving through the gate and returning to the room he had been in before. He set his daggers on the table and fell into bed, his eyes closing as sleep came to him. Sabine will wake him up when he needed to go.

 Chapter 29: How a Power Works

    Moving slowly from side to side, Lukas attacked the wooden pole in front of him. Each time Master Vorcan called out an action, Lukas tried to match it. Just a few days into his training, he had gained some confidence with the sword, but it still felt a bit awkward in his hand. Despite this, the drill became easier as he practiced, the sword feeling more natural in his hand as he attacked the pole. However, he still made mistakes.


    ¡°Riposte,¡± Vorcan ordered as Reza watched, leaning against the wall next to Severin with Elana at his side. They turned their attention to Lukas as he pretended to parry an attack before countering with his own. He was slow and knew it without Vorcan or Reza mentioning it.


    Lukas moved back and continued the drill. Over the hour, he went through four more training sets, with core workouts in between to address his mistakes. Lukas thought he was ready to do his first run, but Reza stopped him as he approached where they had started running.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for us to experiment a little with your wraith,¡± Reza said, looking toward Severin. The wraith moved to stand next to Lukas, his cards floating beside him.


    Reza positioned himself before Lukas, drawing two dark wooden daggers from their sheaths. Lukas waited for Reza¡¯s next move.


    Reza stood quietly for a moment before speaking as if deciding how to start his lesson. ¡°Everyone uses their powers differently, depending on their abilities. Most people have passive powers. For instance, most legion soldiers possess extra strength, speed, and reflexes. The most common powers provided by wraiths,¡± He paused before continuing. ¡°Whenever the wraith is out, your ability is active. My sister Tavia¡¯s power is passive; it simply works when the power is activated.¡±


    Lukas understood the basics but was still curious. ¡°What is her power?¡±


    He thought that if he could learn how others'' power worked, he could do the same with his own. Lukas suspected Reza would appreciate that.


    Reza gave him a questioning look before continuing. ¡°She has an exceptional mind when it comes to our family business. Her wraith allows her to see all the possibilities in a deal. While she still needs to find the right path, it provides her with more insight than most regarding our business interests to maximize profits. She doesn¡¯t have to actively force her power as long as her wraith is out.¡±


    Lukas pondered his situation, realizing that his power wasn¡¯t passive. He would have felt it while he had Severin out, so he assumed it had to be activated. However, he had little idea what Severin would need to trigger it.


    ¡°Agreed. I¡¯ve been observing you and Severin for days, and there¡¯s no sign of martial prowess. Your power might not directly relate to fighting; We know it doesn¡¯t make you faster or stronger. You¡¯re not particularly adept at learning the sword techniques, which indicates it¡¯s not helping you learn quicker.¡± Reza¡¯s attention shifted to Vorcan. ¡°I believe exploring other weapons that might suit you better would be beneficial. A quarterstaff or an ax with less variation in attacks could be a good starting point.¡±


    Lukas had some experience with a quarterstaff. It was one of the weapons he used while fighting with the local kids in his village. He was more comfortable with that weapon than the sword. While he would follow his master¡¯s instructions, he wouldn¡¯t abandon the sword entirely just because he hadn¡¯t mastered it in a few days.


    Vorcan nodded in agreement. ¡°We will incorporate this into the training. I was already planning to experiment with various weapons. He¡¯s not entirely incompetent with the sword, but it might not be his ideal weapon.¡±


    Although the comment stung, he knew he wasn¡¯t a natural with their weapon; Lukas remained determined to improve his skills.


    Nevertheless, Lukas took it quite hard. All the epic tales spoke of the hero wielding a mighty sword, defeating the evil creature or villain. He had imagined himself hundreds of times, sword in hand, fighting. But perhaps that wasn¡¯t his destined path; there were numerous other options. However, he couldn¡¯t abandon the idea.


    ¡°Good. But let¡¯s return to our original discussion. Your power likely demands some form of activation.¡± Reza summoned Elana. ¡°I must flare my power, grasp it, and utilize it to switch positions.¡±


    He must have done so because he now appeared to Lukas¡¯s right, and Elana stood before him.


    ¡°That¡¯s merely a fraction of what I can do. Lucius, Hasbeck, Sabine, and I all activate our power to use it. It doesn¡¯t work passively in the background as our wraths are out.¡± Reza returned to his position.


    Lukas turned to Vorcan. ¡°And you, Master Vorcan, is your power passive or active?¡±


    Vorcan raised an eyebrow. ¡°My power is passive.¡± He pointed to the roof where his wraith sat, gazing down at them. ¡°He mostly conceals himself when he¡¯s out; he can be shy.¡±


    Lukas noticed that Vorcan had conveniently omitted to mention the nature of that power. However, instead of pressing the issue, Lukas decided to leave it be, recognizing that Vorcan seemed determined to keep it unspoken.


    ¡°So, how do I activate my power?¡± Lukas inquired, feeling a sense of unease as he realized that his connection to Severin¡¯s power was sustaining him in this world. Yet, he was utterly clueless about how to harness and control it.


    ¡°Well, we need to figure that out; everyone¡¯s power is unique. I must mentally grasp the power, exert control, and compel it to manifest. On the other hand, Sabine must maintain control, only releasing it when she intends to unleash her power. When she draws her bow or crossbow, she lets go of some of the power she¡¯s been holding to create powerful attacks. She utilizes the control of firing an arrow to keep the power within her control.¡± Reza explained, his gaze fixed on Severin. ¡°This is my lesson for today. I intend to attack you, and you must actively attempt to access your power to counter my assault.¡±


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    Reza crouched down, holding two wooden daggers in his hands. Lukas instinctively stepped back, feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about what he could do against him.


    ¡°Hold on, how is this going to help?¡± Lukas kept his sword at his side.


    ¡°Be prepared. Defend yourself, but try everything you can to activate your power. I¡¯ve noticed that stress can trigger anything.¡± Reza said, looking towards Vorcan. ¡°I suggest you find some cover; you never know what might happen.¡±


    Vorcan pulled out a large shield and positioned it before him, ready to retreat behind it if necessary.


    Lukas turned to Reza as the man refocused his attention on him. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we wait until you are out of the contest? Couldn¡¯t you get hurt?¡±


    Reza vanished, and Lukas felt the man¡¯s dagger strike his back. He gasped, pain radiating across the left side of his back. The force of the blow knocked him to the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine. Now, activate your power!¡±


    Lukas turned, but Reza had vanished. He summoned Severin and attempted to activate the power, but nothing occurred. Despite his firm grip, the power remained unresponsive. Frustrated, he wondered what to do.


    As Reza reappeared, Lukas turned to face him, determined to deflect his attack. However, Reza swiftly struck him in the side, causing excruciating pain.


    ¡°Echoes abyss!¡± Lukas cried out. He tried again to release the power, but it remained stubbornly unresponsive.


    He turned to Severin, who stood ten feet behind him, holding a deck of cards in one hand.


    Reza struck Lukas¡¯s left side, bringing him to his knees. ¡°You must harness your power,¡± he commanded.


    Lukas looked up at Reza, but he was not gazing at him but at Severin. ¡°Help him, use your powers,¡± Reza urged. With that, he vanished once more.


    Reza continued his assault, repeatedly striking Lukas. Lukas managed to block a few of the attacks, but each subsequent blow made it increasingly difficult for him to rise. He persistently tried to unleash his power, but it remained elusive.


    I don''t know what to do. Why isn¡¯t it working? Lukas simply couldn¡¯t make it work.


    ¡°Severin, are you going to continue to let me do this? Show him the way; show him how to extract his power. Show him.¡± Reza roared at the wraith. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re nothing; perhaps you never deserved the pact. Perhaps he should summon another wraith.¡±


    Lukas glanced over at Severin. The man stared at Reza, his eyes lifeless, devoid of emotion. He began to draw cards from the deck, each floating before him. Lukas finally stood up. He had forced it, pushed it, dropped it, and let it go, but nothing would happen with the power. What else could he try? Lukas thought as more cards floated in front of Severin, forming a circle.


    Lukas approached him and took hold of the power again, forcing it to spin like a coin. The spinning persisted in his mind as he heard the coin spinning. It finally stopped the humming power within his mind.


    Severin smiled. He picked up one of the floating cards, the Hangman. He threw it into the air, and it spun above them, growing longer and weaving itself into a rope that glowed with the crimson hue of his wraith. The rope snaked towards them, wrapping a noose around their necks.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Reza pondered what was happening. Lukas had finally discovered his power, but Reza was uncertain of its effects.


    The noose remained connected to each of their necks. Lukas remained frozen, his body immobile since the rope had attached. Reza felt nothing was happening to him. He didn¡¯t sense power being stripped from him, nor did he barely feel the noose around his neck. Only a slight pressure around his neck told him where it lay.


    ¡°Better test the noose gradually, starting with its range,¡± Reza said, unleashing his power, sending himself soaring twenty feet into the air. The rope didn¡¯t hinder his use of power, and he didn¡¯t feel any additional strain. It didn¡¯t release him but extended with him as he ascended.


    Let¡¯s see how far this rope will follow me. Reza repeated the process, and Elana realized his intentions. They continued to fly higher and higher, their altitude increasing until Reza could barely discern the city below, with the clouds obscuring the ground. Despite reaching such great heights, the noose remained firmly around his neck, and the rope trailed behind him.


    ¡°Well, damn,¡± Reza muttered. ¡°Whatever it does, it won¡¯t let me go.¡±


    He let himself plummet, feeling the wind tear at his clothes as he descended. Gazing down at the people below, he allowed himself to draw closer to the ground. It drew nearer and nearer until he realized he had only seconds before he crashed into the earth. He unleashed his power, manifesting on the sand easily.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not certain what this does, but it¡¯s something. I don¡¯t think we need to test it much more today,¡± Reza glanced down at the rope. ¡°Do you think you could untie it from my neck? I don¡¯t like the feeling of being sent to the gallows.¡±


    ¡°Um, let me see,¡± Lukas stared at Severin, who held out his hand. The card appeared, and the ropes vanished as soon as it returned to the deck. ¡°I think I¡¯ve figured out how to activate the power.¡±


    Reza smiled, feeling a sense of relief without the phantom noose around his neck. ¡°Good, now just replicate that, and we¡¯ll be one step closer to understanding your power.¡±


    Lukas nodded. This time, Severin pulled another card, The Lovers. Once again, two nooses wrapped themselves around him and Lukas. This time, the rope was not only glowing crimson but also mixed with a silver glow. Once more, nothing drained him, and he didn¡¯t feel anything happening.


    ¡°Release it and let Severin take a break,¡± Reza suggested. Lukas appeared weary from using his powers for a short while, as any new pact holder would experience. Besides, I had got him good a few times, which likely didn¡¯t help.


    Severin vanished, and Lukas walked over to a post and leaned against it.


    Lukas turned to Vorcan, who maneuvered around the shield. ¡°That was well done. I believe we should continue working on that and observe the potential outcomes. Perhaps we could arrange a sparring session with him next week, allowing us to witness how his powers react.¡± Reza took a cup of water and took a swig. ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t exert myself further before the contest concludes. I didn¡¯t feel any significant effects from the noose, so more experimentation will be necessary to uncover Lukas and Severin¡¯s capabilities.¡±


    Vorcan nodded in agreement. ¡°I have a few students who would be eager to assist him. It would benefit him to be introduced to some peers his own age.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. I believe that concludes my involvement today, Lukas. Are you planning another session with him this afternoon?¡± Reza inquired. Lukas simply nodded but remained seated against the post.


    ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll add some time for quarterstaff and sparring this afternoon,¡± Vorcan said, packing away the equipment before turning to Lukas. ¡°Better get some rest; I expect you back in five hours.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be here,¡± Lukas replied, his voice tired. He stood up and walked off the practice field.


    Reza started behind him but then turned back. ¡°I won¡¯t be here this afternoon. I have some errands to run. By the way, we¡¯re having dinner tonight before Sabine¡¯s fight tomorrow. Would you like to join us?¡±


    ¡°Of course. May I bring Lutali, my fianc¨¦e?¡± Vorcan asked, walking out with Reza.


    ¡°Absolutely, I¡¯d love to meet her, and I¡¯m sure Sabine would too,¡± Reza said, stopping at the entrance. ¡°We can meet you at the Sirens Song at the seventh hour. I¡¯ll see you tonight.¡±


    ¡°We shall,¡± Vorcan turned right and headed deeper into the noble¡¯s district.


    While Reza unleashed his power and swiftly made his way towards the island.