Daniel went forward. The Law of Fae swept over them. The assassination attempt was done. The low-level trio had their shot, and they had missed.

They weren’t human, so the danger of them trying again anyway was next to zero. Humans could do that. After they lose, decide that they weren’t dead yet, and keep fighting.

When a Fae was beaten in battle, they knew it. The game would let them know they lost, and everyone would move on, in whatever limited way they could.

Humans…

Daniel almost smiled when he thought of a certain human he knew, beat but not yielding during a mock battle a few summers ago, prior to the dead dragon. Her gleaming determined eyes, losing again and again and still rising up for more.

What madness.

She still lost. Every time.

But had she truly lost? True, she never won a round in the mock battle, human females were weaker than their male counterparts strangely. But her determination had earned the respect of the many Circles. She had earned his respect.

Daniel walked closer and offered his hand to the mucky golden elf, her rear end trapped in the barrel.

He wanted to claim his winner’s rights, after all. If you attempt to harm someone and fail, then you lose Authority.

This was looking to be a very successful night for him.

The she-elf grimaced at him.

She did not want to take his hand.

The crowd started to break apart, not that much of one had gathered anyway.

“I won’t catch you. But I’ll pull you up.” Daniel offered.

She squirmed and almost tipped the barrel. “I don’t need you.”

“You lost, so I will have my prize even without the handshake. This is just a cleaner way. If you are expecting help, your friends are…still recording us.” He said, watching the two elf maiden hiding and spying from an archway. They had lost an assassination attempt by not even attacking…they waved at Daniel and Claudian and giggled.

Poor Claudian. The other two really did seem to allow the golden attention seeker to get herself into trouble for their amusement.

Daniel felt tired, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Let’s hurry this up. I don’t have much time, Claudian.”

She stopped squirming and stared at him. “What?”

“That’s your name.” The Law of Fae hummed and shimmered around then, lighting the night air. It agreed with him.

She started to get little stars in her eyes. “You remembered my name?”

He tried to remember everyone’s name. He didn’t know everyone’s name, for example, he had no idea the name of the maid earlier who tried to serve him food back in the O’Tell’s home, or many of the servants of the Sky Court, or even the Stable Masters of the Grand Stable. There were too many Fae, and they were too disconnected from his influence.

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But a Fae he interacted with over a period of years? Especially one hapless and foppish bespeckled and gold-plated elf-maiden? Honestly, he had almost hoped she was an accomplished assassin. But unless this was a double, long bluff (which she might be), Claudian was the first to arrive and the first to throw herself into an awkward situation. Of course, he knew her name.

“I’ll tell you everything!” she volunteered.

“What?”

“It’ll cost me some Favor, but it’s worth it for Love!”

He felt he should be smart and not deny it, but that sparkling look in her eyes made him uncomfortable. Besides…if he did not clarify, and Kane found out…she may remove the foolish Claudian just for spite “I do not wish to mislead, I don’t love you.”

“Right!” She said and winked.

Well, this was awkward. If this was an attempt to stop the Servant Branch from receiving his due rewards for surviving, it was closer to working than he wanted to admit.

“Pull me out!” she said and fluttered her hands.

“The assassination attempt is over, correct?” He muttered aloud, asking the Law of Fae.

The Law of Fae established that it was over, and whatever little game arose of that conflict established that it was in fact over and he had won.

Daniel wished he was still Elswith, the Lordling Heirling of the Red Sword, so he could cooly and politely decline and walk away.

Instead, he was Servant Branch, and he needed to be ready for the real assassins. So he took her hands, remembering uncomfortably milking the eels for their electric charge, and yanked her up.

She came out and stumbled forward.

Daniel did not catch her. He was not so trusting of someone who had just tried to stab him with twin golden daggers after all. He understood the Law of Fae, but it could be bent without being broken.

She caught herself, looking a little hurt that he had not steadied her better. But then those sparkly eyes shined again, and she blushed.

“The handshake, please.” He said.

She took his hand, gently. He hoped she wasn’t a double agent and had a potion on her hands. The Favor was transferred, politely and properly.

“Lord Ralhan sent us to keep you busy,” Claudian whispered.

Daniel knew that name. Very well.

Lord Ralhan.

He was in the Red Sword Faction.

And he was also…part of the Eastern Court.

Someone who should be an ally.

And someone who wanted him to fail.

“There is something…being set up. But Lord Ralhan lost the coin toss and had to go last. There are two others outside of Lord Ralhan.”

The Law of Fae considered whether Daniel should owe for receiving this information. His bindings whirled in consideration. “What strange and completely random information that you are revealing at your own discretion and not due to any actions on the part of the Servant Branch.”

The Law of Fae quieted down. The Bindings, long ignored, buzzed and jittered, but there was nothing to connect to, so they too became more dormant.

Claudian flipped her muck-covered golden hair. “Does the name Poison Eater mean anything to you?” she asked.

It did.

It made several things infinitely worse for him.

He kept his face neutral. “Is that a name?” he asked.

“I overheard today at the…” and then the Law of Fae and the Game silenced her mouth. She had heard something that she only heard due to loyalty. And without great care and great cost, she would be unable to reveal that secret.

“Well, then. Farewell, gentle maiden.” He said easily, trying to depart. Whether this information was true and offered him an advantage, or was true-ish and designed to harm him remained to be seen, after all.

“My love is so handsome.” She sighed.

Daniel started walking away,

When he felt the ground tremble and shake.

He looked down as the cobblestone had his feet pooled and shifted away like a tide at sea being pulled into a massive wave.

It was somehow more disturbing when it was bricks and stones being pulled away from underfoot than when the water moved.

He followed the flow, watching for a half-second.

The stones and bricks, all old and faded red and brown and cracked, pulled up and formed the feet of a creature, then the legs which rose to the height of the average Fae before beginning to form the torso…

Daniel presumed the cobblestone and bricks continued being drawn upward, joining and forming until it completed a massive and broad chest, flow diverging, one splurging forward and up to form a head with gleaming, blazing white eyes, while two more would spill at the shoulder level out and down until the nearly liquid bricks stones formed two massive arms, two blunt clubs for hands.

The Servant Branch had to presume that because he had started running away.