All right, we've got the relics hidden, and at least four of the ten rule notes. Phoenix said this to herself reassuringly, repeating the words in varying order like a mantra. Anything to distract herself from . . .

She looked up to see Villa and Chester staring with mild concern. Chester, a fellow Flameborn whom she'd just met, might have been a bit more than mildly concerned, though it was hard to be certain. He was somewhere in his early twenties, and had admitted to trying the contest three years running before giving up. Villa she knew vaguely from Megeth, a Dewborn of quiet temperament who stood barely five feet tall. They'd interacted on a few occasions, as their mothers worked similar trades out of their homes. Telsan had been sent off to the north keep after the first two.

The trio had been posted on the broad upper roof of the main castle, watching out from behind the parapet. Posted by Filian, of course. At least he'd wrangled enough brain cells to send the winged ones out to the two keeps. Even now, she could hear his high, self-enamored voice coming from the lower floors, probably ordering around more teammates. As much as the overgrown boy annoyed her, however, and as much as her companions' looks made her squirm somewhere inside, it didn't shake that lasting chill she'd had ever since the previous day's experience. She glanced down at the wood planks that made up the flat roof, her eyes boring through to a world she couldn't see.

She started slightly, realizing Chester had said her name and she had yet to respond. "Oh, I'm . . . yeah, I'm fine. Tired is all. Didn't sleep well last night." It was the truth. How could she, after murdering a woman? She had tried her best to ward off the regretful thoughts, but now that she was relatively alone with nothing to do, it was . . . difficult, made more so by the fact that she hadn't told anyone about it yet. Not Falla, not even her close friends.

Chester simply nodded, looking as though unconvinced but wishing to keep things polite.

Villa spoke now, voice so soft that Phoenix didn't even register it at first: ". . . Your family back on Fenaback?"

"Oh. My . . . family?"

The girl nodded.

"Well, it's just my mother and me here on Ameros. Well, and—" Phoenix waved a hand toward the wall dividing them from Solis and Erika's team. "You probably know Erika. But Mother and I don't talk to the family often. We . . ." she cut off, turning her shoulder probably too suddenly, leaning more of her weight on the stone parapet that overlooked the northern side of their field. She realized it may look cold, but she hadn't meant to say all those words. These two didn't care anyway. They didn't even know her.

Villa nodded again, as though she understood. But she said no more, instead looking out to the east, where two winged boys flew toward the corner fort. Had Filian sent them?

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Phoenix's eyes lit on a pair of winged figures at the middle gate in the great wall. There were four there in all, but these two had begun furtively creeping through. The other two seemed to argue with them, but through they went anyway. "Uh . . ." Phoenix roused from her numb state and dashed to the stairs, shouting down, "Two of our guys just went through the middle gate! That planned?"

Her word were relayed, retrieving curses in response. Filian ordered a flyer to head out at full speed to the gate, and soon he and a few others had joined the lookouts at the castle top, confirming that there were only two of the gate guards now. "Flynn did say they hadn't posted anyone there yet," said one of Filian's closer followers.

"That's not the point," he growled, eyeing the wall with anger. "We're going to lose those two, I just know it."

But . . . how is anyone going to scout the enemy territory if no one ever crosses? Phoenix wondered. Would the game stretch on for hours with nothing happening? There had to be additional hidden rules that would help each team coordinate such scouting. On that note . . .

Phoenix looked at the group hovering around their leader. She caught the eye of one of them, and then Filian's. "Hey, do you . . . think each side has the same rules written down for them? Or are we playing two different games?"

The tall captain's eyes narrowed, and he pursed his lips. He gave her a nod that could have meant anything from grudging appreciation to simple frustration. Opinions were exchanged, some aimed at Filian and others not. In a moment of decision, he looked around the rooftop, which held only eight people, and said, "We need to go on the offensive. Is there any rule against capturing and tying up enemy members?"

"What about converting them as our own?" asked another lackey.

Phoenix glanced the speaker's way, but refrained from saying anything.

"That would be risky," Filian said. "If that's possible, then there might be a specific process. But we have to be able to capture or disable our opponents somehow . . . though I'm not against a little more force."

Phoenix didn't like how much that thought seemed to resonate with the blond captain. "Capturing should be fine," she said quickly. "I'm sure it won't get us disqualified."

Filian gave her a brief look of annoyance, as though she'd used up her talking allotment. "But not you useless lot. You can stay and . . . hmm. No, we'll take a few elementalist volunteers to back up the gate guards. I'll get some guys and head to the northwest fort, while . . . where's Conrad? We'll send him to the east fort."

Soon, new roles had been assigned and all but ten 'useless' elementalists left at the main fortress. Phoenix was left with them, as was one winged girl named Drassa. Her looks were plain at best, with long tangles of black hair bunched unceremoniously at the nape of her neck and left to drag, but she looked stout, as one without a Kinship would have to be to expect any success in these trials.

Or . . . so they had all thought before seeing the trickery the Magnates had planned. Phoenix bunched her fists as she felt at her powers once again, only to come up with nothing. They'd better give those back to us. Could anything they said be trusted anymore? But no matter. She had a feeling something would finally start happening in this game. However, with nearly all the current castle occupants being the elementalists, perhaps it was time to make some moves of their own.