We returned to our section of the institute so our schoolmaster could prepare us with the knowledge of this competition’s rundown. The other students walk ahead turning around to glance nervously at me. Plaara and Damthor walk behind all of us, and somehow, I can feel Plaara’s eyes on me. I steal a glance at her and she stares wide-eyes with furrowed brows. She has that curious look on her face again, but it looks like she isn’t thinking about anything good.

All thirty of my peers stand horizontally on the carpet in this assembly hall now. Gueshoon, the boy who stands next to me shuffles nervously. I bite my cheek to stop myself from smiling. These daemons are scared shitless, but my satisfaction at the fear dissipates as I think about how Plaara feels as she continues to stare at me. It is not fear, it must be her thinking twice about who she is training. My previous display went against her wishes, but my curiosity outweighed my care of her rules.

She adjusted her military tunic before adverting her gaze. “Listen up!” She commands. “You are to conquer all opposing factions by capturing their prism or making them yield. Killing your fellow students is forbidden,” she warns, stealing a glance at me. “Zageth is your leader for this feud, I expect you all to follow his orders, understood?”

“Yes, melior,” they all say in unison.

<<>>

It is dark, you can't see much in this wooden elevator shaft, but you can hear the clink and the clank as it lowers us into the ten thousand-acre arena. They blindfolded us before we entered the elevators, but we were instructed to take them off once inside. We are being dropped in clueless.

Light breaks through a small gap before flooding our vision as we reach the bottom. A vast landscape of trees and grass stretches to the foot of a fortress smack dab on a small hill in the middle of a field. When all of us stepped off, there was one clank before the elevator was raised. We look back to see our ride down to this mysterious arena leave. I feel a sense of dread.

My sights return to the fortress in the distance. We are in nothing but our military tunics, and ripe for the picking. “With me!” I command. I begin to walk, I hear the grass shuffle as they follow behind. A smile pierces my face.

The fortress towers over me now as I stand in its shadow. The fortress gates are a few paces away, but I had to stop and admire the majesty of this structure. The walls of the fortress have interesting golden and blue designs carved into them. Two towers cover the entrance. Inside the walls, two other towers rise till they almost seem to be falling over, they are connected by two bridges.

My awe is broken by feet crunching dirt. I whip around to see Inrissa—who is the closest—and the others who trudge along farther behind. Inrissa stops as well and cranes her neck to admire the fortress's beauty.

“So, this where we’ll live.” She says, staring at me now.

I break away from her gaze and stare at the fortress gates, “I guess so,” I say, making my way towards it. I push the double doors with great effort and they slightly open. “Give me a hand,” I call to Inrissa. She readies herself on the left door. “On three,” I say. She nods. “Three!” We push hard until the door begins to creak revealing the Inside of the fortress, what seems to be the keep serves as the foundation for the towers that rise above it. The ground of the bailey is made of stone. To our right, a well with a shed would be our water source for this ordeal.

Stones crunch underfoot as my other classmates enter. They too look in awe at the majesty of what is to be, by my decree, our new dominion; or mine.

I do not speak, but they follow as I approach the keep. Inside, it is dark. We enter a hall where a long table stretches from the stairs at the far end to the entrance. I begin to explore this place thoroughly. I find an armory filled with swords and spears on a weapon’s rack on the left side, and a rack on the right end of the armory is filled with well-made wooden machaeras. Dharron finds the sleeping quarters filled with clothing a couple of doors down. Ricria finds the kitchen, which is vacant of any food items, and Cassiun and Andreus find the stairs that lead to the towers. I explore the towers, I begin to walk for a while as I ascend the steps. I finally reach the top where a massive room is illuminated by beehive-shaped windows. The room resembles a throne room and the most important thing in this fortress hovers over a dais. The prism. It slowly rotates and shines with a blue hue.

<<>>

The lack of food is going to be a serious problem and I don’t intend to waste any time when it comes to securing it.

Everyone gathered in the main hall upon my orders carried out by Inrissa. I am the last to arrive and I hear them before I can see them. They all sit chatting with each other, excluding Cassiun who is alone except for his friends Andreus and Dharron who sit silently beside him.

The chatter dies as I enter the room. I make my way toward the long table and rest upon it. Searching all their faces. I’ve taken up the dramatic nature of our teachers.

“We have no food in store,” I say, beginning. My subordinates look at each other and shuffle nervously.

“I will be assigning you all roles essential for carrying us to victory,” I pause, gathering my thoughts. “Ekrai, Casthus, Ozemon, Barmong, Guichar!” They spring up like jackrabbits before standing at attention. “You will be on hunting and foraging duties,” I say, pausing to think. A group will move more efficiently if they have autonomy, the same as in the theater of a bank job. It is logical, that I appoint a leader for this group. The most qualified daemon for this role is Casthus. He is a tall fellow, with skin the color of blush, his horns intersect at his forehead and extend to form a slight arch upward. His eyes are a void, his sclera is black, and his iris is silver. I once had a thought about him back at the academy. If there was ever a time I needed a commander, I would choose him. There is no better time than this. “Casthus, you will be the leader of this foraging party.”

Stolen story; please report.

“Thank you, Zageth,” he says giving me a gesture of respect. I nod.

“Arkxire, Niasao, Inrissa, and Anihiri. You four will be our cooks.” They look at each other before nodding.

“Now to the security of this fortress. Barxire, Mithrica, Belpione, Mayola, Valxius, Casvir, Skarius, “ I call, they all stand when I mention their names. “Kachar, Zamus, Barreus, Urixus, Ekreus, Amon, Urimos, Skathos, Xarvir, and Valmeros. You are to guard this castle. Understood?”

“Yes, centurion,” they all say in unison.

I set my eyes on Cassiun, and his friends now. “Cassiun, Dharron, and Andreus, you three are with me.”

They look at each other nervously. “Are you sure?” Cassiun asks. I look around at all my pawns. “Did I stutter?” Silence fills the room before some of them murmur, “No centurion.”

“That’s what I thought,” I say returning my attention to Cassiun now. “We will be scouting when Casthus and his group come back with whatever supplies they can muster.”

“Understood,” Cassiun says.

“Casthus, I suggest you begin now. There is an armory with weapons and wooden machaeras, head there now,” I say. He and his group get up from the table and move past me to the armory further in the keep.

We stand on the battlements and watch Casthus and his group leave to find us food. They are dressed in their military tunics still, but now they carry bags on their backs with real weapons such as spears and knives for any food they might find, and the wooden machaeras strapped to their waste for combat against an enemy academy.

“The infernal Emperor’s blessings upon you, good luck!” I shout. Casthus and his group turn to salute me.

<<>>

Three hours had passed, and Casthus and his group were nowhere to be seen. The mind is beginning to conjure all sorts of bad thoughts about what happened to them. Were they killed by cacodemons? This institute is situated in the middle of nowhere, or maybe they were captured. I contemplate sending out another group to search for them, but that seems like a massive risk. I’ll give them till tomorrow if they do not return, I’ll look for them myself, with Cassiun and his goon’s help of course.

The light of the world has dimmed now. The grass that stretches to what seems to be the horizon glows dimly now, like a sea of stars on land. The high rocks that surround this land look like mountains in the day, but better judgment tells me we are in a canyon. At night the canyon walls look menacing.

I lean on the battlements now, some of my troops and especially the cooks have gone to sleep. Ten of them stand watch, and close to me is Skarius who rocks on a wooden chair with a spear resting beside him, he yawns. I hate how carefree they are, but I am reluctant to scold them. We are all hungry, and hungry demons do stupid things, so I keep silent.

I sigh, where could they be?

In the open fields, an Atranoch nightwalker scurries toward our castle. It is a creature as big as a dog with huge bunny-like ears and a bird-like tail almost the size of its body. The creature has grey fur that makes it somewhat blend in with the night, but I can only see it due to the glow of its eyes. It moves fast and makes a hard right turn when it realizes where it is headed.

I run to Skarius and grab the spear startling him greatly, “What is it?!” He asks, rising rapidly and wielding his dagger instead of the machaera at his waste. Ignoring him, I throw the spear with all my might at the nightwalker, and to my luck, the spear meets flesh. The creature screeches, impaled, and unable to move.

“Nice shot!” I hear from the sea of dimly lit grass. Me and Skarius whip our heads around to see where that voice came from. Five dark silhouettes crest a small hill. They wear backpacks that seem too heavy for them to walk and huge sacks are slung over their shoulders. One of the silhouettes makes its way toward the creature and stabs it once more before yanking the spear out.

“Casthus is that you?!” I ask fearfully. “Who else is it going to be?!” He shouts back. He waddles under the weight of his backpack, and sack slung over his shoulder. “I could use some help if you don’t mind!”

“Open the gate,” I tell Skarius. He runs fast and quick while shouting. “Casthus is back! Everyone, Casthus has returned!”

Some students emerge from the keep with spears and daggers in hand, no doubt startled by the commotion. The gate opens and Casthus and his group enter while one of them drags the body of the nightwalker.

They drop their bags and rest on the ground while the others surround them and cheer. I watch from the walls with a hint of jealousy, but I hide it behind the thought of him being essential to my plans, which he is. I make my way down to the bailey. They silence and part as I approach. I pause in front of Casthus, looking him up and down before smiling. “Excellent work Casthus,” I say, giving him a congratulative pat on the shoulder.

“Thank, you Zageth,” he accepts touching my hand.

“You four as well,” I tell his group. I look at everything they’ve brought back. I see Meats wrapped carefully in material that I know for a fact they did not carry. I see all sorts of leafy food like vlac, which is somewhat like lettuce, except it is blue. There are bottles of sweet beverages and alcohol.

“Where did you even get this stuff?” I ask dumbfounded.

Casthus smiles, “There is a wooden house beside a river northeast of this fortress,” he informs. “What we’ve brought here isn’t even half of what’s inside.”

Things are looking up. Is the Infernal Emperor watching? “Take four extra hands tomorrow Casthus, bring back as much food as you can, do this every day until that wooden house is empty. Understood?”

Casthus nods, “Understood, dux.”

I see Cassiun and his goons in the crowd. “My team will search for as many enemy fortresses as we can find.”