Twenty-Six

Prime, Sixteenth Day Before Kalends of June

Aurora’s Private Chambers, Whitestone Castle (Keys Family Residence), Tarrin, Drum

“There, that’s it,” said Councillor Keys. “Expand your Sensation.”

Sitting opposite Councillor Keys was Aurora Keys, the second and youngest daughter of the Keys Family. Her eyes were closed and her jet black hair spilled over her shoulders in disordered locks.

“Go beyond this castle,” said Councillor Keys, closing his own eyes as well. “Out to the whole of Tarrin! Beyond the present, out to the future! Sense —”

Abruptly, both of them opened their eyes.

“You Sense that too,” said Councillor Keys. “Aurora.”

Aurora nodded.

“The tide of war is shifting,” said Keys. He closed his eyes once more, then reached his hand out before him. The tips of his fingers began to shake. Then the shaking stopped and Keys opened his eyes.

“Rinehart.”

Main Gate, Larkins, Bahim, Drum

Kirke, the Third Knight of the Marrow Family, was on watch. He was agitated. He thought that the order to attack Eastpoint would have come earlier. He needed to prove himself by killing Hazel Drina. That would save him from the dishonour of being the Third Knight, behind Mercy, a woman! After that was settled, he could plan for overtaking Jeremy Wynn, the First Knight of the Marrow Family. For that, he would need to prove himself once more, perhaps by killing Kate Rinehart —

Kate Rinehart landed on top of Kirke with a thud. Before he could grasp the situation he was pinned to the floor with three broken ribs.

“Where is Victor Marrow,” she hissed into his ears.

He was about to cry out, but then a swift punch to his face silenced him.

“Where is he,” Kate said again.

“He stays in the inn near the Town Hall,” said Kirke, coughing out blood. “Please, spare me.”

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Kate drove a blade into his throat.

Kantor’s Inn, Larkins, Bahim, Drum

Victor Marrow had just risen. He bathed himself in warm, salty water. He wiped himself down with a foxhound towel and stood before the full-body portrait of Helion that hung opposite his bed. He gazed into Helion’s eyes for a moment, then kneeled before the portrait and closed his eyes.

“O Helion,” he whispered. “Give me stillness, so that I may see. O Helion, expand my sight —”

Suddenly Marrow opened his eyes. He stood up and grasped his sword from his bedside. Still unclothed, he slowly advanced to his door. He tried to Sense for any Bodies outside in the hallway, but he Sensed nothing. So what was the disturbance he had Sensed?

Then the window exploded from behind him. Marrow turned just in time to parry Kate Rinehart’s blows, which came in flurries. She had blades fixed to both her ankles as well as both her wrists, and attacked with her legs as well as her arms. This allowed her to attack from unpredictable angles, which usually allowed her to ambush and kill her enemies within the first few strikes. However, Marrow was no regular enemy. He was thoroughly trained in close combat on top of his extensive training in Barrier Connexion and Force Connexion. Marrow parried each of Kate’s attacks by Sensing which direction her next attack would come. Despite this, with each parry he was getting pushed back towards the door to his room. And so after parrying one of Kate’s blows he held out a hand and pushed a wave of Barrier Connexion towards Kate. This was a feat that required incredible command over Barrier Connexion and could only be performed by a handful in all of Kaps, let alone Drum. Kate staggered backwards, and in this brief moment Marrow turned the tide of the fight and began sending challis after challis towards Kate. Kate, herself trained in Barrier Connexion, parried these blows, but unlike Marrow she pushed forwards towards him. In doing so she received numerous lacerations all across her body. But, one step after the next, leaving behind a trail of blood, she was eventually able to reach Marrow. They went back to returning physical blows again, and once again Marrow was getting pushed back towards the door. He once again held out his hand to push forward a wave of Barrier Connexion, but this time Kate sent forth her own wave of air towards Marrow. Though Marrow’s command of Barrier Connexion was close to unmatched, it could not compete over Kate’s control over her own Stone Connexion of air. Marrow had to focus all of his Connexion to defend against the fierce current. And they were in that impasse for a little while, Kate pushing all of her Connexion towards Marrow and Marrow defending with all his Connexion. But eventually Marrow’s Barrier Connexion began to falter. As soon as Kate Sensed this, she sharpened the air currents to such an extent that it could pierce through Marrow’s Barrier Connexion and then pierce his flesh. And after the first laceration Marrow’s Barrier Connexion faltered further, and more lacerations followed. Blood spurt out behind him, carried by the current of air to create violent patterns on the walls. Kate cried out and pushed forward with all her strength, giving Marrow innumerable lacerations all throughout his body. At last Marrow’s Barrier Connexion collapsed and Marrow fell to his knees, but Kate’s assault did not stop. By the time Marrow collapsed to the ground, dead, all the blood in his Body had been ripped out of him.

Only then did Kate lower her arms. She, too, fell to her knees. She remained there for a while, taking deep, painful breaths. Then she stood up with shaking legs.