Marun Kíreii, second master of the Iordai clan, knelt humbly in front of the sanctum. With his forehead touching the cool wooden floor he awaited the judgement of his great master. His long blonde pigtail lied cut off next to him, a sign that he knew of his own shame.

But it did little to alleviate his shortcomings and Marun had no hope to escape punishment that easily.

His life was on the line. It would not be unusual for his great master to take these failures personally. He could ask for Maruns head. The pride of a swordsman was his one and all. And a mere assassin had killed his protege, while he was directly next to him. It was his biggest shame in life now.

Inattention. Carelessness. Idleness.

All these flaws had smudged his honor beyond anything one could be proud of.

He also should have paid more attention to the fourth master, Karthan Cr’Axsun. The fool had thrown himself into certain death just to save his loved one. Marun  always had the suspicion that those two were more than just flirting singles.

Inattention. There it was again. He should have prevented it. Should have prevented the fool throwing himself into a burning building. A tear of shame dropped out of his closed eyes down to the cool wooden floor below.

Zartha Vanosh, the third master of the Iordai clan, also felt guilty. He had acted correctly, yes. But he just felt that he could have done more. He was responsible for the safety of the great master and his students.

A task that he fulfilled, though the feeling that he had done nothing to protect everyone was there. It had felt as if he had run away from the attack. Hidden behind his students. A feeling that he did not appreciate.

He also knelt with his forehead down in front of the sanctum. Humbly waiting for the punishment he longed for. He had no long pigtail that he could humbly cut off to offer it as a sign of regret. But his weapon lied handily in front of him.

Same as Maruns weapon, ready to take his own life. But not all masters of the Iordai clan were waiting to die this day.

Thasun Torreí sat on his knees, head held high and dignified. He had confronted the culprit on the mountain pass. After beheading him he brought the head as a gesture for the village. They could feel safe again and they were thankful to the Iordai clan for their protection. Now their sorrows were less and Thasun waited for new orders.

He hoped that the great master was not angry. Hoping that his comrades were not judged with a death sentence, he stared into the dark abyss of the sanctum.

Alongside the wall they had placed four beds, simple sheets and bedding without any mattresses. They were still comfortable though.

Yielrhin, the old caretaker and cook for the sword fighting school, knelt next to the four injured bodies and tended to their wounds. Two students, both with deep cuts in their arms, legs and body, had nearly bled to death.

A complicated trap with thin steel wires had caught them and at the attempt to free themselves these wires had cut deeper and deeper into their flesh.

Now they were bandaged and the old lady slowly fed them lukewarm water to bring them back from the realm of the dead. A slow and rigorous process, but they would survive. Questionable was the fate of Karthan Cr’Axsun.

He had received severe burns that covered about thirty percent of his body. The chainmail had also burned into his skin, though these would likely just leave scars and were much less severe.

If he had only stayed a few seconds longer in this damned house, he would certainly be dead now. His recovery was a fight that he could maybe win, but it was impossible to tell how long this would take. The fourth bed belonged to Ollowyn.

The boy had been beyond lucky. A stab into his shoulder had not transferred the poison, because the bamboo sword had literally stripped the blade of its poison, while letting the steel pass. His cheek however got poisoned.

Dark streaks drew all over the left side of his face and were slowly expanding. Yielrhin had used holy leaves of the Korak Tree on his scratch and also gave him some, diluted with water every hour or two. The poisoning was unstoppable though. It was only slowed and the boy would die without the shadow of a doubt. The question was only how long they could delay the inevitable.

Suddenly the door to the sanctum opened. Thasun lowered his head in an attempt to not anger his great master. He would not be in the best of moods anyway. A old man stepped out of the darkness. A smell of sandalwood arrived with him. Then he sat down with his legs crossed lightly before his attending masters.

He was of small stature, drawn from age. He had shrunk quite a bit since his youth. Only a few single white hairs were left on his head. His face was otherwise clean shaven. A meter and twenty centimeters in height, thousands of small and big wrinkles on his face, he greeted them with a serene smile.

“Good Morning.” He said with a slightly shaky and tired voice. It suited his looks.

Thasun bowed quickly before he replied: “Morning, Gramps.”

Like a thunderbolt the old man replied. His sandal, made from solid wood flew towards Thasun, who received the shoe with his face.

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“Be respectful, whipper-snapper.”

Marun and Zartha had to try hard not to laugh, even though they were in a serious situation.

Thasun rose patiently and brought the old man his sandal. Then he set down again, without showing anger over the attack. “Forgive me.” He said, before adding with a light whisper: “Old fart.”

The great master rolled his eyes. “Ah. With you everything is lost. No manners.”

Then he turned to the other two masters. “Zartha. Rise. You have no reason to beg forgiveness today.”

Zartha rose with an unhappy face. “Great master, please. I could have done more, please see to a punishment.”

Master Iordai however just ignored his speech and turned to face Marun. After eyeing him for a second he threw his sandal another time. This time at Marun. “And what are you cutting your pigtail for? Huh? What are people supposed to think now? That everyone in our clan is dishonorable?” Marun rose in confusion.

“I am prepared to give my life here and now, to cleanse the clan from this shame and return its honor! Great master, please judge over me.” Marun bowed again, in anticipation of punishment.

“Ah, whatever. What am I supposed to do with a corpse? Go bald or something. That should do it.” Marun was not ready to accept this punishment though.

As he wanted to speak up again in refusal the second sandal hit him on the forehead. “I ORDER you to shave your head and let it be. Now silence.”

Marun nodded. “Yes, great master!”

The old man sighed. “And your hair was so beautiful. What a waste. How am I supposed to sell you to a old baroness or widow of some lord if you look like a potato? Such a fool.”

Thasun coughed. “What is up with the boy? Will he die?”

Master Iordai nodded. “Yes. The poison is very likely Nightshadow Narodit. There is no cure for that. I know only one possibility, but that doesn’t help us at all.”

Marun frowned. “What possibility?”

The old man grumbled. “Argh... Lord Thalor Mey. He has it. But he lives all the was to the east of Zenshin. It takes weeks on horseback. Not to mention the mountainside is rather unpleasant to travel through. Not that he would help me. He despises me.” The last sentence the old master spoke with a light chuckle. It was a really nostalgic feeling to think back that far.

Thasun frowned. “Why does he hate you?”

With a childish grin master Iordai smiled at his students. “I have slept with his wife. Back when they had just gotten married.”

He scratched his forehead before he continued. “Quite often actually, before Thalor caught us once. Ah, that were the times…”

Thasun grinned. “They got to be dead then, the last time you had sex must have been a century ago.”

The old man wanted to throw another sandal but he had run out of ammo. “Pff. Barely forty years ago. She was a lot younger than me. Barely twenty. Young, beautiful thing… Anyway. Only he owns a Nepheniel and we don’t have the time to travel there anyway.”

Thasun could barely keep in the laughter. Forty years ago the old man had been over sixty. The lies he told got more and more crazy every year, really.

Zartha also threw in a question: “What is a Nepheniel?”

The great master sighed. “A soul chain. It connects two or three lives for a certain amount of time. Their bodies can regenerate better through that. I am just spitballing here, but I think it would work on both Karthan and the boy.”

Thasun coughed in order to remain serious before he took part in the conversation again. “So, how big is this chain?”

Confused the old man shrugged. “About two fists full of metal? If even. Why do you ask?”

Thasun reached into his mantle and drew a golden coin. A coat of arms was engraved into it. “Lord Enguràll of House Irtó gave me this one, to ask any favour at any time. I could ask if he allows me to travel with the war portal to Sandrei?”

The great master frowned. “And you want to send it back by falcon? Lord Thalor Mey will not give you the Nepheniel anyway…”

Thasun nodded. “It is the only possibility to save the boy. You know how important he is. I don’t want him to die here.”

Marun and Zartha stared at each other, perplexed. They did not know what Thasun talked about.

Master Iordai looked unhappy. “If you do go, how do you plan on getting your hands on the artefact?”

Thasun shrugged. “It will solve itself somehow.”

The old man glared at him. “So you start a conflict with Zenshin just to save this boy? I know he is important, but I want to retain a peaceful relationship to that country. They could annex us just like this.” He snapped his fingers.

Thasun glared back. Unrelenting.

“Huh. You look determined. Well, well, well. What could I, old man that I am, possibly do against this disobedience? Hm…” He winked at Thasun. “Go. Try your idea. We will do our best not to let the kid die.”

Marun and Zartha still looked confused. “Master, what is going on? Could you expl-”

But the old man silenced them with a harsh gesture. “I am now one hundred and four years old. I have no time to explain everything to little children. Zartha. Go take the students and build a wall on the mountain pass. I want Dunéin secure and safe. At least three meters tall and thick and add a gate. Do it so it can be defended easily.”

Then he turned to face Marun. “Marun, your punishment will be taking two students and grinding our wall down so it is nice and smooth. Nobody should be able to just jump or climb up that wall. It’s high enough after all. Then build some staircases. Anything that you can think of really, as long as it aides the defenders. Use wood for that. Same goes for the mountain pass. Understood you two?” - “Yes, master!”

Marun knew, that he got away very easily here. The old master had been happy and in good mood. He bowed deeply and full of gratitude. Zartha mimicked him. Then they both left the sanctum.

Outside Zartha started talking excitedly. “We will have battles, right? If Thasun attacks that Lord and steals from him… What if he kills him? Oh god. That’s why we are building defensive walls! Do you think the old man is going senile? He should control Thasun better, really.”

Marun shook his head over Zartha’s rambling. The old man frightened him. Most likely they just escaped death over their failures because he still needed them. The happy and friendly fassade did not fool him.

“Don’t be an idiot. We are starting a war here. It’s clear to me. I just can’t wrap my head around why this boy could be so damn important… The great master is definitely of clear mind. That much is certain.”

Meanwhile Thasun went through the details for his journey with master Iordai. As the old man told him his plan, Thasun had to grin. That old fart had really gotten crazy! And not the good kind of crazy that one could write of as being senile. No, the orders he gave would lead to a lot of people dying in the near future.

“Understood? I hope I can count on you.” The old man asked.

Thasun nodded. “Of course. Do you really want to take the child for that though? Great master, you could yourse-”

Ritto Iordai silenced Thasun with a harsh glare. “No. I am too old. You can lead him towards the right path. We will see how successful we are. Soon anyway. If not… Well. Then I will have had some fun before leaving this world at least. Ahahaha.”

Thasun bowed humbly before he left the sanctum. A last glance back at the young Ollowyn. The black lines were all over his cheeks. It would be a tight race. Every second counts.

Greedily he rubbed his hands together. Oh, this would be so much fun! The last time he had so much excitement was likely the time he uprooted a clan because they insulted the great master.

Just marvelous!