A week had passed.

A week from the moment when the world fell apart.

Now, this could be called an exaggeration, but it actually wasn’t that much of one. Sure, the literal world didn’t fell apart, but Gnosis sure went into a meltdown. From several perspectives.

One of the lesser ones was Alex no longer being Martial. A decree handed out by the highest authority in the Martial faction. Kelunad himself. Michael had tried to bargain with the orc, plead with him, even beg, but nothing swayed the Martial leader. He had been adamant about his observations, clouded as they were from all but himself and of his decision. Alex would no longer be a Martial and that was final.

Michael felt it was all his fault. He knew that he had agreed to help Kelunad cleanse his faction and he also knew that the orc didn’t consider his friend to be a true Martial. But Michael hoped that by driving Alex to his limit, but fighting the real fight, he would prove that Alex deserved to be a true Martial. Yet in the end, he had failed Kelunad’s test and gotten himself kicked out. Logically, Michael knew he shouldn’t lay the blame at his feet, yet his spirit told him otherwise.

Alex had run away from the scene and had stopped coming to classes, Erea told him. For the entire week. He got caught by the hounds in the end and that meant that he had spent his Friday on cleaning duty, not on a mission. Not that many would still join them on those. Laen, Quora and Mihli would. Michael checked. Erea too. But it seems his lack of grace made him a pariah in more social circles than the ones belonging to the Martials. Perhaps, if Michael’s ‘cleansing’ continued, more would join him and the disgrace around him would be lessened. But right now? He was an exiled Martial. A failure in the eyes of fools, but most importantly, in his own eyes.

Michael tried to contact him, but Alex had dodged all his efforts. It seems their friendship… wasn’t.

Another meltdown was Kelunad’s announcement. Michael was now a Martial. Did Michael want to be a Martial? Who cares? Kelunad said it, then it must be so. That was how the entire Martial faction was now thinking and acting like. Michael was brethren. They even hinted at changing his robes with armor.

Michael himself was caught in between. On the one hand, he didn’t like his free will pushed around like that. Nor the damage to his plans. Kelunad told him that he hadn’t ‘forced’ Michael into his faction, but that he thought of him as one and as a consequence, all his children did as well. On the other hand, he didn’t want to annoy his would be mentor, especially since he did promise to help him and still thought it as a good thing. For the ill it did to Alex.

Erea liked it too, but after himself, she’d been the most pissed about what happened to Alex. Unlike Michal thought, she only saw it as another test from the orc. A temporary pushback.

Michael wasn’t so sure.

Going outside personal feelings, the situation was even worse. Regitris called Michael and set up an emergency meeting the same day. He had Michel swear on a truth bell and his own Spell that the young man had no knowledge of this and didn’t wish for this to happen. Not to actually be a Martial. The answers mollified him, but only a bit. The old elf was still furious. And because he was, so were the Ascentionalists.

Now, two factions were in a stand-off. There had been fighting in the hallways, but minor ones. The high mages and the two faction leaders had yet to clash, but one could easily see that it was eventually going to happen.

It wasn’t hard, given that Kelunad had literally called for any who would oppose him to meet him in combat. So, Gnosis was tense. Michael had actually started to feel its tension, manifesting as whirls of wind, gusting through the hallways.

Worrying.

The other thing in his life, funnily enough, went well. Sinestra no longer had to worry bout his condition and she managed to teach him |Paralytic Touch|, before she went on to teach him how to better understand his affinities. The Scale one, at least. He even managed to learn the simple |Dart| Spell on his own.

True to his word and perhaps pleased by the recent course of action, Kelunad helped Michael learn and master the |Fire Shield| Spell, though the |Fire Barrier| variant still eluded him. The orc also took the time to ensure Michael learned proper footwork and sword handling. Not much, but Michael was a quick learner and Kelunad was adamant that one should not swing a sword unless they actually know how.

Could have told me that before.

Given that Erea also got him to understand and learn the |Earth Fist| Spell and that Micah finally took his role in their cabal seriously and taught Michael the |Spectral Claws| Spell, the last week had been the most prolific one for Michael in Gnosis yet.

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Too bad it sucked so much.

And it wasn’t like his plate was getting any less full. His latest worry was his lycan friend screaming ‘Bahin’ when they had been analyzing their magic. He had approached Micah on he subject, thinking perhaps that the werewolf had left an imprint on his friend like the dryad did on him, but the lycan was jumpy. He deflected all question and when confronted directly, he just muttered that he didn’t want to talk about it.

Michael didn’t care, because he saw what a werewolf could do to a lycan body. He didn’t what that to happen to Micah, so he couldn’t just let things slide. Yet, he couldn’t pressure him into talking either.

Michael was thinking about a new way of approaching him, perhaps by asking Bob to help, when he saw a figure approaching him.

He was in the main hall, so more than one head turned to peer at the figure. A lot more. Soon, Michael felt that the entire hall was watching, as the figure finally stopped near him and Michal stood up.

“I’ve… been an idiot.” Alex smiled.

“Wh-No! No, no, I was the idiot. For going along with Kelunad’s stupid plan. You just-“

“Lost. I lost, Michael. And even if I would have won…. I wouldn’t have done it by fighting like a Martial. By thinking like one.”

“Alex-“

“I’m still a captain. I’m still me. It just… took me a while to remember that. And I wanted to say thank you.”

“For what?!” Michael almost shrieked.

“For opening my eyes. Kelunad too. His test helped me see that I can still be a full mage of Gnosis, still be me, without needing to be a Martial. It was hard to see that. But… I know it must have been hard for you too. To fight me like you did.”

“Yeah, I… I never want to do something like that ever again.”

Alex smiled.

“Well, if you do, I’ll be there to help you.”

The ex-Martial raised his hand.

This was the time to say something sappy like ‘Friends?’. But that was neither of their styles.

“So, if you’re now a Martial, think I could be an Ascentionalist?” Alex grinned.

A surprised laugh tore out of Michael and he shook his friend’s hand.

“I think Regitris would enjoy that.”

***

A day before.

He stalked the hallways. Barely ever went back to his room. But always spotted by few. He knew enough obscured corridor, hidden shortcuts and minor secrets from his years of clearing Gnosis of its ills to not be seen unless he wished it. Well… it helped that those who did see him immediately averted their gaze.

Alex walked the castle alone.

Why… why did he do it? I though he was my friend.

I… I was there to help him.

These were the thoughts that plagued the young man. That didn’t let him sleep. It was what he asked of himself and the world both.

Had there been truth to Kelunad’s statement?

I’m not worthy of being a Martial. Why? Why- Damn him! Damn Kelunad and damn M-

Michael. Why? Why help him?

He saw it at last that his friend… no. That Michael helped the leader if his former faction. That the test had been designed by the orc and that Michael had only been the instrument. He saw how much it hurt him, after his mind cleared and his anger was gone. He wasn’t blind.

But why help the orc?

And if he had to, did he really have to take everything away from Alex? Because that was what the Martials had been for him. Friends. Family. Siblings in arms. And now he was alone and in disgrace.

And… I can’t even call Michael my friend again. Can I?

He walked the hallways alone and in thought, like he had been for the past few days.

And then, as things so often happen in Gnosis, a door opened. A hand shot out and gestured for him to walk in. His instinct told him to run, honed by so many missions, but… what else did he have to lose?

He walked in, half-expecting a prank or a beatdown from some up and commers. What he saw though made him stop, door closing behind him.

Inside stood a woman on a throne. No, wait. It was just a chair. Why did he think it was a throne?

The woman looked young. And old. She was breathtaking… but plain?

His head hurt.

But one thing he knew for sure. That look in her eyes and the way she smiled talked only of hunger.

“Greetings, Mage Alex. I am Narana, of the Artificers.”

“Oh. Hi. I mean, well met Mage Narana.”

“Yes. Quite well.”

“Uhm, is there anything I can do to help you, Mage Narana?”

“On the contrary, my dear. The question is if I can help you. And I believe I can.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. I have heard that you have been recently expelled from your former faction. By the orc himself. Because of a test administered by… one of your friends. Correct?”

“Yes, Mage Narana.” He said, grimacing.

“And would you still call him a friend, I wonder?”

“I’m… not sure.”

“But you are angry with him. This I see. Angry with them all, for abandoning you.”

Her gaze made him feel all that he had felt until now that much harder. His loss, his pain. His anger.

“I… am. I am.”

“I see.” The woman said, suddenly shrugging, the ominous air disappearing from the room. “Well, such things happen, my boy. But, tell me if I am correct, now that you are no longer one of the Martials, you are free to join another faction, yes?”

“I suppose I am, Mage Narana.”

“Just Narana will do, dear. I have a feeling the two of us will speak much more often in the future.” She smiled and her smile made him, well, stiffen. “As it happens, I have an offer for you. How would you like to join my faction?”

That surprised him. He knew he would have joined a new faction eventually, but he thought he would have been the one asking, not the one being asked.

And the Artificers?

“I’m… not sure I’m cut out to be an Artificer, Narana. But if you let me, I could try.”

The woman just looked at him for a second, before bursting out in wild laughter.

“No, my dear, I don’t believe you’d be a proper Artificer even for a second. But, well.”

The air of danger returned in the room, as did the hunger in her eyes.

“I do believe I know of one more faction that would have you.”