Seth found Ellie under a tree that shed ethereal flaming leaves and crackled with a warm glow when they touched something. She was sitting, leg crossed, going through a binder of sheets. It looked to be the same the General had given him.

“So, he also gave you one of these,” he laughed, waving it at her, and she smiled and urged him to join her.

“So, how did it go?”

“Pretty good, all things considered,” he said, falling into the bench beside her. He recounted the entire briefing to her, not even leaving out the parts about Harkness and his stunts and how he felt when he left the General’s office.

“You are right to be afraid, Seth,” she said. “Lying to the General is pointless. I heard one of his earliest runes was a perception one that allowed him to sense vibrations in the ground and all things around him. He would have been able to tell if you lied.”

“You didn’t keep anything from him, did you?” She fixed him a stare. From me?”

Her eyes had a different type of hold than the General’s—of blood and loyalty—but he found it no less intrusive. He would part with his secrets when he felt true and ready.

“No,” he lied. “There was nothing to tell. I couldn’t help but feel nervous.”

“It’s only natural.”

They continued on with lounging and chatting well into the afternoon. Dozens of people passed them, and he heard quick whispers and spied people pointing. It seemed their fame hadn’t been exaggerated. Seth felt exposed under all the watching eyes. He’d always wanted recognition like every soldier or lowborn did, but never to this degree. It was all made the worse by the sheets they’d been palming. They were living a lie.

With more time, Seth grew less tense and found it easier to ignore the stares and gossip. It was better this way, he told himself.

A bit before noon, two warriors approached them. They wore identical garb, dressed in proud burgundy combat robes. The first wielded a great sword sheathed on his back, and the second a saber tucked to his side. Both had leathery skin, and the larger of the two had deep silted eyes, and the second had amber irises with a dark tail.

“Hello there,” the larger one said with a chipper voice. “I didn’t mean to intrude, but I was wondering, are you the Blackfire twins?” he asked.

“Twins?” Ellie raised a brow, looking up from her binder. “I have nearly a decade on my brother. I would hardly call us twins.”

The second lither one slicked forward. “Apologies.” His voice came out in hisses. “The reports surrounding you both never specified age. When people saw you both, it was only natural for rumors concerning your beauty to emerge. It is an honor to meet you, my name is Uto, and my brother is Urgo.”

He stretched his hand forward with a genial smile, and Seth received it, noting his Sister made no motion to receive them. He also took the second Man’s hand when he offered it. Ellie assessed them instead, her eyes patiently roaming through their battle robes and weapons.

“It’s great to meet you, both.” Seth returned to his seat and put on his best diplomat’s smile. “What can I do for you, gentlemen?”

“Reports of your battle with the Blackfire demon summoners are near-legendary. Taking on a Vampire knight by yourself and winning? You are both our warriors,” The larger one blurted out, his slanted eyes glowed with passionate heat. “My brother and I are soldiers, though we were never assigned to the borderlands. I--”

“We would like a spar,” Uto said, almost brusquely, cutting the larger one-off. “We are all due to receive our runes tomorrow too and would love to spar with you, one warrior to another. We want to test our skills against the best.”

Seth's ears perked up at that, and it would seem people wandering by heard him too. With the day he had, he wouldn’t mind a friendly spar. But before he could get a word in, Ellie snapped her shut and answered.

“I am afraid we would have to decline your offer.”

The larger warrior blinked. “Why?” Seth had the same question.

“You’ve both read the reports,” she said, regarding them with one of her signature glares. It was ice cold. “My brother has been convalescing since the fight. Perhaps another time.”

Seth almost snorted at that. He felt as fit as a Hestill, but he knew better to question his Sister’s Judgement on these matters. Time and time again, she’d proven she could read people with a quick glance.

“What about you then?” Uto asked.

“What about me?” Ellie quirked a brow.

“You look like you are itching for a good fight. By tomorrow it might be too late. Who knows which gods will favor us? We might not be able to fight for months with the kind of training we’ll be receiving.”

“We’ll have to wait until that time, then.”

“How about till first blood?” Uto offered, licking his scaly lips. His fingers brushed the hilt of his blade as he settled both hands on his waist. “If you are as good you’re rumored to be, it shouldn’t take very long.”

They wouldn’t take no for an answer. That was very foolish of them. Seth shared a look with Ellie and she said. “I suppose it shouldn’t.”

“Where is this spar to be then?” Seth asked. It was a shame he couldn’t fight, but it was always nice to watch his Sister trounce challengers.

“One of the fighting pits at the edge of the park should do,” Urgo supplied.

“Good,” Seth nodded. “I will officiate.”

The Dragonkin brothers led them to a large oval fighting pit at the edge of the garden where the more colorless trees stood. Apparently, Veruna, the Emperor’s oldest concubine and the woman whom the Gardens were named after, insisted that sparing pits be constructed at the edge of her garden to encourage warriors to polish their skills wherever they found themselves. She was legendary with the spear and was arguably Mormon’s match with the weapon when she was alive. Of course, Mormon favored weapon was a single-edged glaive.

Words spread of the duel faster than Seth had anticipated, and by the time they got to the pits, the entire place was bursting with eager nobles, rearing to watch them fight.

The fighting pit was a sight to behold. The entire structure was hewn from stone with low climbing seats that sloped into a giant pit with segmented stone floors and a wide drains system for Water knights. There were deep grooves in the walls that marked the pit wall for Elemental reinforcement.

“Who will have the honor of fighting me, then?” Ellie asked regarding both men. They looked equally as giddy, though Seth would’ve preferred to watch Uto the hisser, go down.

“I would like that honor,” Uto stepped forward, obliging his wish. “I am more your match physically.”

“Very well,” she nodded and hopped into the stone pit. Uto followed her and walked to the other end. While they prepared to fight, Seth observed the crowd with some interest. He knew he had nothing to fear, but four years of soldiering told him it was always better to get the lay of your surroundings at these things.

He heard joyful murmurs from the crowd, speculations from bystanders, and at the corner of his eyes, he caught Urgo talking to two greasy, pelt-jerking wearing men garbed with too much gold. Their fingers and necks glittered under the sun.

New money. They stuck out like a sore thumb. Bookmaker. Seth’s fist tightened. So, that’s what this was really about.

Seth knew this hustle. He and Ellie had run it a dozen times before. Ellie would challenge some young master with meager talent with a weapon, and Seth would roam the lower tavern, stir up attention, and chop it up with local bookmakers before the fight.

In the past, he would have nodded to their entrepreneurial spirit and perhaps tried to get in on the split too. Now, they both had a reputation to protect, and these fuckers planned to screw them a day before Judgement. He was pissed.

With how hard they pushed, he should have suspected something was up. No doubt his sister caught it. The General would be pissed if they made him look bad. People might start asking questions.

Seth took a deep breath and unfurled his fist. But none of it mattered. Ellie was a better swordswoman than both Dragonkin men combined. Whatever trick he had planned would not be enough.

Ellie nodded over to the Dragonkin man, and he returned the gesture.

“Begin,” Seth yelled, and the crowd roared.

Uto’s body shivered with a strange aura silver of a moment, and he opened the fight with a dagger throw so fast, Seth thought he’d almost didn’t see it. Ellie nearly missed it too, and she’d twisted aside at the very last moment, allowing the knife to slip by her shoulder and chink hard into the wall.

The crowd gasped.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Blood. Seth’s nose caught it, and a whiff of magic.

Ellie’s eyes went wide a second later, looking at her shoulder in a mix of astonishment and anger. A streak of blood ran down her blouse. The Ellie glared at Uto, and he grinned and hissed, “Call it. We agreed to first blood.”

“You cheated!” Ellie’s face twisted with rage. Her eyes blazed with holy light. “The blade didn’t touch me. You used magic.”

“I am but a humble knight candidate” Uto shrugged. “You’re the half-knight with the rune. If anyone here has magic, it’s you. Maybe you’re just looking for an excuse.” His voice hummed low. “ Maybe you’re not as good as you think you are.”

The crowd exploded again, and he heard people gasp, and others complain.

“This is madness! I’m glad I have a front seat to this.”

“He’s favoring her because she’s his sister.”

“My sister is a Mage, I think I would know what magic looks like.”

“I barely saw anything. Let them fight again.”

“Just call it. Just because you’re a hero doesn’t mean you ruin this for us. We have money on this.”

Seth had been thinking of letting Ellie rip into him, but the last voice did it. It reminded him that they weren’t in some random city dealing with the young master of a third-rate noble house in some random city. He had to handle this better. He announced Uto as the winner, and the man strut across the ring majestically, probably to retrieve his knife. He glided past Ellie, who glared daggers at him while people in the stand whistled and cheered.

“How about a second spar,” Seth asked. “Same rules, no magic.”

Uto blinked, and his smile rippled. “I agreed to just the single fight. Your sister is bleeding, I don’t think it would be wise--”

“Ellie won’t be fighting,” Seth cut him off. “I will. I would like to fight your brother.”

“My Brother?” He’d lost his smile, and Seth could see the perspiration forming on his leathery skin. The Brother had magic for some strange reason, but it was unlikely his Brother would. Blessed ones were rare enough.

“Where is he anyway?” Seth asked, scanning the stands. He spotted him. He was on his way back from the bookmakers, his hand heavy with gold. Seth gestured him over, and Urgo's rough face was nearly tomato red, and he fiddled around, trying to hide his pouch of money.

“How about it?” Seth asked louder this time. “Me and you. A single round. Same rules. No magic?”

He blinked at that. “I heard you were injured. I am not sure--”

“I’ve slept enough, and I am just itching for a good spar.” Seth flashed the man a grin.

“If my brother said he wants to fight, I have no reason to refuse him,” Ellie said, rounding up the side exit of the pit. She’d got a word in before any of them had a chance to refuse, but he saw the worried look on her face. She didn’t want to, but she’d allowed it. The crowd must have heard them because they were excited too. Both men shared a troubled look before the larger one finally nodded.

“I will fight you.”

The second fight came faster together than the first. A captain from a noble house had been willing to lend Seth his blade. Silver Thorn, he’d called it. The blade was apparently a famous vampire killer. A lady offered him a dagger, completing his preferred dueling set: one main weapon and a backup.

Ellie offered to officiate, and Uto disappeared into the crowd after Urgo passed him their bag of coin with an amateurish hand slip. Seth stood across from Urgo, staring up at the boulder of a man.

“I hope you’re better than your cheating brother,” Seth said

“You’re heroes. I would think you’re used to unfair odds,” The burly man said.

Seth snorted. “Fair enough, but don’t expect any mercy. No one cheats us.”

Ellie called the fight, and Urgo sprung forward like a loaded spring. His blade was black, and it whizzed past Seth as he stepped to the side. Seth struck the man’s exposed forearms to end the fight, but Urgo’s body suddenly sped up. He pulled one arm, and with a quick twist, swung out hard with his blade. Seth’s eyes bulged, and he tucked low and rolled back just in time to avoid the blow. The blade formed a crescent of sparks when it came to a stop on the floor.

What the fuck?

“What was it you said about putting me in the dirt,” Urgo said. A low mist seemed to cord around his muscles and melt into air. It was the same magical aura his brother had let slip earlier.

“I thought we agreed to no magic?” Seth glared at the man.

“But it isn’t,” Urgo said as he hefted his blade up and set it against his shoulder. Seth squinted his eyes, observing the near-transparent mist, and… sniffed it. It wasn’t quite magic, or at least the pure kind.

“Dragon Strength,” Seth muttered. “Of course.” He almost facepalmed. It was a racial trait. Certain Dragonkin men of prestigious heritages were born with it. It came naturally to them, and it bore no attribute. Nearly no magic was attributeless, and the gods have little taste for them but had never sought to persecute their wielders. The Dragonkin didn’t technically cheat, and if Seth had known this he would have never challenged him.

“Like I said, Unfair odds,” Urgo grinned and sprung forward. His blade was fast, but not nearly as fast as the vampire, and it took several quick steps backward to fully avoid it. Seth considered surrendering at that moment. He’d miscalculated and was facing off an opponent with magic. He would admit his defeat, lose a few silver and have the General do deal with it, but it was a somewhat favorable outcome.

Fuck that.

Primal anger surged deep within him. He barely holds a candle to fucking half-bloods. I could take him.

Seth drifted further back and stalked Urgo in a large circle. He peered up at the audience and saw Ellie moving up the stone steps, heading towards the bookmaker, while Uto watched her with some concern.

Sucking in a deep breath, Seth danced back in range again, and the Dragonkin man came at him with a diagonal cut. This time though, he flipped to the side, threading the edge of the direction of his rising diagonal cut, tucked nicely into a roll, and swung out against the man’s midsection. Unsurprisingly, the Dragonkin man shifted once again, in an explosion of speed, this time kicking out. Seth took the kick midriff and drifted backward, tucking into a backward roll and rounded back up on his feet. No blood was drawn; he only had a small bruise and a wounded ego.

He ground his teeth and surged forth once more. Seth tucked to the side when his blade came down and managed to parry when the man flared his strength and chained his attack with a quick cut.

Seth lost his sword with the parry but held onto the dagger and stabbed the man’s thigh when he was close enough. The man moved, realizing nearly too late, and his blade cut through his baggy trousers but drew no blood.

Seth nearly screamed in frustration and tackled straight into the man, preventing him from attempting another sword swing. His bulk barely ruffled the man. Urgo tried to knock him down with a hit from his elbow, but Seth swept to the side, letting the hit only graze him. Seeing his chance, he stabbed forward with his free hand and dug them deep into the man’s silted eyes. He wailed, and Seth drew blood with a tug of his dagger as he drifted back, out of his reach.

“You fucker.”

His greatsword clattered onto the stone floor and rubbed in his watery, blood-red eyes.

“I can’t believe you actually did that. Have you no honor.”

“No. but neither do you.”

The crowd went wild. With a small smile on his face, Seth spun around, fetched the fallen sword, and strutted up the stairs to join the deck of screaming nobles. His smile exploded into a full-blown grin when he heard the crowd chant his name, and it threatened to split his face in half when Ellie showed up with a heavy pouch of gold.

“I am surprised you managed that win. I was afraid I’d have to have to go to the Cathedral without you tomorrow.”

“Not on your life. I always knew I was going to win.”

The tailed Dragonkin ran over and snapped at them. “How dare you?”

“See through your transparent grift and take advantage of it ourselves?” Seth shot the man a glare.

His face turned purple, which Seth thought suited him better.

“What kind of heroes are you?” he spat, and Ellie stepped forward.

“The type who don’t suffer fools or hypocrites.”

He tried to speak, but she cut him off before he got a word out. “I believe you’ve gotten what you asked for, have you not? A spar with the heroes of the Blackfire. I hope it has been satisfactory.”

Seth saw the man slowly ground his teeth and took a look around the Arena. All eyes were on them now. The fighting pit was small turmoil carried far. “It has been. Satisfactory.” He turned around and swept the hand of his brother, who still rubbed his watering bruised pupils.

I didn’t hit him that hard, Seth thought, then briefly recalled the fight and remembered how vicious he’d been towards the end.

Urgo and Uto.

He would remember those names whether he liked it or not. They were both good. He’d have served with them under different circumstances. They might have even been friends during their grifting days.

“Urgo Uto.”

He called out, and the brothers turned to regard him. “You’re better than most people I’ve fought, and you’re right; sticking a finger in your eyes is not very hero-like.”

Urgo snorted at that.

“I know this great place in the Upper Ring, best -Honeyed duck I’ve ever had. It’s called the Sleeping Duck. I would like you both to join us tonight?” He could feel Ellie’s eyes boring into the side of his head, but he ignored it.

“After you nearly gouged out my eyes, you have stones?” Urgo glowered at him, but with his puffed eyes, he looked more comical than threatening. Uto chewed on the idea for a moment before he said, “We’ll be there,” and left, pulling his brother along.

“What are you doing?” Ellie asked him on their way out of the park. Seth had returned the blades to their owners and had asked Ellie if he could hold their loot. The silver felt extra weighty in his bare palm.

“I would rather not two well-trained knights as potential foes later down the line. We already have plenty of those.”

“They are strong, but I doubt they’ll cause enough trouble to be worth the price of the dinner you’re offering them. That restaurant is not cheap..”

“Don’t underestimate them. We started out pretty unremarkable ourselves.”

“You were always remarkable, Seth,” She said, suddenly serious. “Never think that you’re not.”

He nearly blushed at her praise and made the silver pouch jingle with a quick heave. “The point is we have the silver, time, and we could always use more sparring partners. I say why not?”

Ellie shrugged. “I suppose it’s hard to argue with that.” Seth beamed, and she shot him a smug smile of her own. “You’re wrong about something, though. We don’t have the silver to spend.” She snatched the weight pouch from him.

Seth’s smile melted. “Why not?”

“We need a home, assets, knightly things, noble things. The General won’t pay for our board forever, and my thing with Atar is temporary.”

“Does he know that?”

“He’s no fool. I made things very clear from the beginning.” Her face turned pensive, and then she added, “I have plans in place to make sure he remembers that. I can take of myself, Seth.”

Seth nodded and pointed to the silver after a short silence.

“But we do have enough for one fancy dinner, right?”

Ellie rolled her eyes. “Yes.”

“And what about some wine? Good wine goes down particularly smooth after a well-made meal?”

“You won’t be getting drunk with strangers who nearly tried to kill us.”

“Come on,” Seth protested. ‘I’m sure there’s a lot more under their rough and off-putting exterior.”

“No more scores and scams either,” Ellie insisted. “We’ll be knights by tomorrow. That old life is behind us now.”

“Wow,” Seth said. “Tomorrow is really the day, isn’t it? It feels almost unreal.”

“It…does,” She muttered, her eyes tucking low. She’d waited longer than most.

Seth opened his mouth and then closed it. He wanted to reach for her and hold her, but it didn’t feel right either. He settled for silence instead, exiting the park alongside her.

I should visit Brick and Sera.