Half a second later, Cass was falling.

Alyx was laughing by the time Cass’s feet were on the ground again. “You are way more slippery than I imagined!”

Cass blinked. “What exactly happened?”

She had gotten a few skill levels from the fight.

Wind Step has increased to level 11.

Staff Mastery has increased to level 12.

Wind Blade has increased to level 11.

Alyx cocked her head to one side. “It was a draw. You almost got me with that drop attack.”

“But the light at the end?”

“Oh, well, I saw you at the last second. Just in time to activate my Radiant Aura skill, it creates a wall of aura knocking most things back. That bought me just enough time to line my sword up with you.”

“You should’ve gotten out of the way in that time,” Marco interjected. “An opponent making a big attack like that usually implies they are desperate and running out of resources. You are better off letting them waste it and taking advantage of their vulnerable state after.”

Alyx nodded dutifully.

Marco turned on Cass and added, “Remember that if you’re gonna be throwing big attacks like that. You’re vulnerable during and after ‘em.”

You should have used Stealth too, Salos added from the sideline. She would not have noticed if you had concealed your presence from the start.

“Ah, I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you,” Cass said. “But that wasn’t what I meant. I meant the red light at the end and the hovering?”

“Side effect of my Ardent Aegis,” Marco said. “It’s a defensive skill which is useful for this kind of spar. It protects others with my Fortitude. It’s not my favorite practical skill, since when it bursts, the person I’m protecting freezes for a few seconds, but it’s good for this kind of thing.”

That was how they had avoided real injuries and why Alyx had been so confident that Cass wouldn’t be able to hurt her. She wished they’d said as much before the spar but supposed that was on her for not asking.

How much Frt do you suppose he has? Cass asked Salos.

At his level? Assuming he’s a Frt specialist? I would guess more than 60. Less than 100. It depends on how many opportunities he’s gotten. And how many skills he has. At his age… I would guess he is closer to the upper end of that range.

“Anyway, what did I tell you?” Alyx said to Marco and Telis. “She’s good, right?”

“Slippery seems like the correct description,” Telis said. Her eyes turned on Cass. “How many methods do you have for escape?”

There was an accusation there that Cass wasn’t sure she understood.

Cass just shrugged.

“I’m surprised you’ve got stone and wind manipulating skills,” Marco said. His words carried a note of approval. “Once we get the basics with that staff worked out, I’d love to work on incorporatin’ those skills into your technique.”

“She can summon fire and water too,” Alyx said.

Marco’s eyes widened a little at that. “All with skills? Not wizardry?”

Cass nodded.

He whistled. “You plannin’ on developing all those skills?”

“All? It’s just one,” Cass said. “Well, two I guess.” Wind Blade was separate from Elemental Manipulation.

“Really? You plan on breaking it into narrower skills or are you gonna keep it one general one?”

Cass shrugged. “I didn’t know I could narrow it.”

It’s too early for you to think about that, Salos interjected. When you and it are at the Gate and after you’ve more thoroughly explored its scope, you will likely want to decompose it into a few more tailored skills. Some of which you will likely discard entirely. We’ll see.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Marco nodded. “Narrower skills are generally more resource efficient and more powerful in their specific effects. They also grow faster.”

At higher levels, Salos amended. General skills grow faster at lower levels.

Where is the cutoff exactly? Cass asked.

Depends on the skill and how narrow we’re talking, Salos said. But where it makes the most difference is when the skill is about the same level as you are. There are major growth penalties for skills at or above your level. To keep growing them beyond it, highly tailored skills are all but required. But, like I said, you are not anywhere near where that matters. I would not worry about this until you are near the Ascent.

Cass was going to ask another question when a horn sounded across the city.

“No,” Alyx muttered, racing to the edge of the rooftop.

More horns joined the first until the air vibrated with the sound.

Cass followed Alyx to the edge.

Far below, the city was buzzing with noise and movement where it had seemed distantly tranquil a moment before. Colored lights floated over the buildings. Streamers and confetti burst into the air. A train of concentrated movement snaked through the main street, visible even from here.

By the time the parade had reached the base of the hill leading up to Alyx’s family manor and the palace, Cass’s Perception could make out the figure leading the procession.

It was a woman riding a tawny hippogriff. She wore crimson armor and carried a banner braced against one shoulder. It waved behind her in the wind, proudly displaying the silhouette of a rising dragon in an open set of jaws, black on crimson.

The woman stared straight ahead, ignoring the crowds that had gathered to either side. Behind her, a platoon of soldiers followed, all in lockstep, their plate armor accented by matching crimson detail. Behind them, a great cage was dragged, in it an enormous tiger was bound. Even from this distance, Cass could hear it growling.

“She’s back,” Alyx muttered.

“She?” Cass asked, her eyes still on the giant tiger.

“The lead there is my cousin, Fioreya Ahdain Veldor, the 32nd Fang. Looks like grandmother gave her a special job.”

Cass followed Alyx’s eyes to the crimson warrior leading the parade. It was impossible to make out any details about their figure from this distance through the armor. “What does that mean?”

“The Fang are the elite of the elite. The most powerful members of the duchess’s military forces. There are exactly 32 positions, which makes dear cousin Fioreya the least of the most.” Alyx’s eyes fixed on the procession now climbing the palace stairs.

She chuckled, a bitter noise if Cass ever heard one, “32 is more of an honorary position, honestly. ‘Most promising up and comer.’

“I’d like to say she only has that position because her mother is the 2nd Fang, the Vice-Captain of the Fang and the First General of the Wings, second only to the Duchess herself. And I’m sure that helps.

“But she was already level 30 when I last saw her and beating people five or so levels over her own then.” She made a face like it was painful to admit that much. “I haven’t checked the betting pools, but I have no doubt that she’s the favorite to win the Festival this year. She will be a dragon knight.”

Cass watched the woman climb the palace stairs. The woman was over ten levels up on Cass and could fight people five levels up again? Cass shivered. She hoped there would be no reason for her to come into conflict with the woman.

Or the monster she dragged along behind her. Its fur was bright red, its stripes almost undulating like tendrils of fire. The cage was probably eight or nine feet wide and double that long, yet the monster looked cramped within, its tail hanging out through the bars, twitching slowly.

“What is the monster?” Cass asked. It was too far away to Identify.

“It looks like a Firepaw Tiger. Probably from the Broakhil Forest. At that size, I’d guess about level 33 or so. Right on the edge of what someone at our level should be able to kill. Well beyond what I have the skill to subdue…

“I imagine that was the mission the duchess sent her on. And since the Festival was put on hold for it, I imagine it’s going to be a part of the tournament.”

“What part, exactly, does a giant tiger monster have in this festival?” Cass asked. Did they dump monsters in the Catacombs with the contestants? Cass hoped not, but that was sounding increasingly likely.

“There are three stages of the Festival,” Alyx answered absently, still staring at her cousin and the procession. “First is Proving. For the city, this is a huge party. It is the duchy proving that our rule is beneficial to the people. Free food. Entertainment. The whole nine yards. All paid for by the duchy.

“For those who hope to bind with a dragon, it’s about proving our commitment. The duchess opens the Catacombs and we enter to retrieve Alacrity’s Blessing. Anyone who can return with it has proven their determination to go through with the binding.

“Then is the Showcase. The powerful fighters of the duchy fight in a tournament to show off their strength. It’s a chance to see how you rank compared to others and a chance to show the dragon you are a worthy protector. It’s also a chance for the duchy to show off how powerful its military is to the common people. I imagine that tiger will be used in the tournament at some point.

“Last is the Binding. The dragon chooses its knight and the people swear their fealty to the duchy again.”

Ask her what ‘Alacrity’s Blessing’ is, Salos said.

You could just ask her yourself, Cass pointed out.

He stared at Marco and Telis. No, I think not.

Cass resisted rolling her eyes and repeated his question to Alyx.

“It’s the blessing the goddess gave to the dragons. It is part of that counter-curse from the story about how Alacrity saved the dragons from Dexterity’s curse. It is what allows the binding between dragons and other peoples and protects the dragons from madness.”