I’m not certain why I never told the council what I had become. Maybe I didn’t want the attention, the responsibilities… I was content with the role I had, enjoying life as it came to pass.

----------------------------------------

The last rays of the evening sun shone dimly on the near-empty streets of Ters, keeping the cold of the night at bay for a few late travellers. On King’s Road, Samos wandered alone in a desperate search for an inn that wasn’t packed to the brim with people. Everyone had come to participate in or spectate the Testing. He’d cursed himself a few times already for not journeying to Ters any sooner, he should have known that there would be no place to stay the day before the event.

The black curtain of the night fell suddenly over the streets, leaving Samos in the dark for a moment. The lanterns on the street corners started to glow one by one, slowly bathing their surroundings in a growing light as the night moved on. Ters was one of the few cities on Odera that had sufficient Sealers to light as much as they did. In between those lanterns though, the streets were pitch-black. No moonlight on Dideldid night as both Immus and Aevum were nowhere to be seen in the dark, cloudless sky above.

His search for a place to stay began to grow desperate. Along the King’s Road it was almost certain there would be no vacancy, but Samos preferred not to leave it. The streets of Ters at night were known to be hazardous for the unwary wanderer.

You’re a moron, Samos. A nit witted moron, he said to himself for the tenth time. He checked the knives hidden in his sleeves, loosened his sword in its scabbard and took a deep breath before turning into one of the streets adjacent to King’s Road where no lantern shone. There was no other choice, it seemed. He was not going to spend the night huddle somewhere in a corner and be an easy prey for muggers and thieves. He had heard the city guard talk of more and more reports concerning lone travellers being found dead and stripped of everything of value. He was not eager to become the subject of one of those reports.

From the outside, Ters had the appearance of a proper city. Grey and well-kept walls, sturdy houses that often reached four stories high, paved roads… But once you left the King’s Road and made your way deeper into the belly of the city, that image changed drastically. The further away from the King’s Road Samos wandered, the more mud and water began to replace the cobblestones. With every turned corner, the stench of dirt, waste and piss grew fouler.

Capital of a kingdom or not, a city always smelled the same. The shuffling of feet, the creaking of a door, a rat scurrying behind him… Every bit of noise was a potential threat in the backstreets of Ters. Twice he had to step over a body, just a drunk or a victim he could not tell.

Two more inns he passed, both fully occupied to the last attic room, before reaching a large intersection. Three ways to go and all three appeared equally sinister in the blackness of the moonless night. A dog howled and Samos jumped up startled. Pull yourself together, moron. He turned right, his right hand resting unsteadily on the pommel of his sword. The atmosphere turned even more ominous, not something he had considered possible, and a tingle settled itself in the back of his neck.

“Who’s there?” he called out. He knew what the tingle meant.

“Impressive,” a hoarse voice softly said behind him and Samos turned, taking hold of the knife in his sleeve. A man approached, sword in his hand. “I must be getting clumsy if you were able to hear me.”

Samos shook his head. “You were perfectly silent. And so were your accomplices who are hiding a bit further in the door cavities.” He was surprised by how steady his voice sounded. The man snickered and whistled.

“Very impressive,” he said admiringly while further down the street, three others emerged from their hiding spots. Samos’ eyes had adapted enough to the darkness by now to see the swords all of them wielded. This wasn’t going to be easy.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” the man continued, “either you give us everything of value you carry and we let you go unharmed or we take it by force. The results are the same for us, but it might suit you better to pick the first option.” He smiled a crooked smile.

“You’re not letting me go no matter what I choose,” Samos answered. He had encountered enough untrustworthy salesmen and cutthroats in the past three years to know when a man was lying. And this man was lying.

The smile disappeared. “So be it.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” All five of them looked up in surprise at the sound of a voice coming from the obscured rooftops. Seconds later, a man came falling down from the darkness above them and landed casually on the muddy street. He stood up and faced the man who had been talking to Samos.

“I give you two options, Ralog the Wolf. Oh yes, I know who you are. Either you come with me peacefully and you can enjoy your time in jail in a healthy condition or you can try to resist, fail and be dragged to jail with a few cuts here and there.”

Samos gasped in shock. Ralog the Wolf. The man who had been terrorising the streets and surrounding regions of Ters for over a year. And this stranger threatened him just like that? Who was he? Clearly Ralog was wondering the same thing.

“And who are you to think you can just do as you please?” he said with a despicable tone. “Do you have any idea where I have been trained? What I can do?”

The stranger didn’t seem fazed at all.

“You are Ralog Brianneal, around these parts better known as Ralog the Wolf. You are proficient in the talents of Enhancement and Sealing, a prodigy most would say. Your strength made you rise above yourself and you went rogue. Before fleeing Eresath two years ago you killed several other members of the Order who thought you a brother and you dragged others with you into darkness. It’s time for your penance, Ralog.”

Ralog’s eyes widened in shock. “Who are you?” In response, the stranger flipped back his cloak and revealed the sword hanging at his side. When Ralog saw the symbol on the hilt, he cried out in anguish. “No, this cannot be! It must be forgery, I never saw you at Eresath! Men, kill them!”

“Suit yourself,” the man responded. He drew his sword and faced Samos quickly. “Lad, I hope you can use that sword of yours to take care of his underlings. I’ll have my hands full with Ralog.”

Samos could only nod before the fighting began. He grabbed the knives he had readied from his sleeves in each hand and threw them simultaneously. Both found their intended target and buried themselves in the throats of two of his assailants. They looked down in shock before collapsing on the hard surface. The third one still stood with his sword ready, but the turn of events had clearly robbed him of any confidence that might have remained.

Samos attacked before his opponent could regain posture. A fast swing to the right and the man brought up his sword just in time to parry the strike. He turned on his heels and struck the left side in one smooth motion. He didn’t fell any resistance this time but the feeling of metal striking flesh.

The man looked at him in astonishment. “So fast...” he whispered and dropped his sword before falling to the ground himself. A puddle of blood started to form as the last traces of life left him. The fight hadn’t lasted three seconds. The sound of swords clashing didn’t stop though and Samos turned towards Ralog and the stranger. If someone had tried to attack him now, he wouldn’t even have noticed for the fight between those two men was something he had never seen the likes of before.

They were but a blur, moving at such speed Samos could barely make out who was who in the dark. Their swords were but grey flashes in the dark, igniting sparks whenever they made contact. Specks of mud circled their feet with every movement.

And then it was over. Ralog let out a yell of dismay as his hand tumbled away in the night, sword still held tight and leaving a trail of blood in the air. He dropped to his knees and held what remained of his wrist with his other hand.

“You could have come easily,” the stranger said before knocking him out cold with the bud of his sword. He looked back at Samos and seemed relieved to see him standing their unharmed.

“Sorry about leaving you to those three,” he said, sounding sincere. “Ralog was the most dangerous though and I could not afford to divide my attention. But it appears my judgement of you was correct. Why were you out here at this hour anyway? It is common knowledge that Ters is not safe at night.”

“Who are you?” was all Samos could answer.

“Ah that’s right,” the man replied. “My name is Ralph Aëron, member of the Order of the Four Talents at Eresath and special emissary for the Testing here in Ters. But you can call me Ralph.” He held out his hand which Samos shook, letting the information he had just received sink in. A member of the Order, here of all places. Ralph let go of Samos’ hand and held his arm upwards. A small, light-emitting orb appeared from thin air and lit up the scene of the battle.

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

“I’m Samos,” he said, slowly returning to his senses and turning his eyes away from the orb. “What was all this? How is it you were here of all times?”

Ralph sighed. “A series of unfortunate events, I’m afraid. I will explain later. First we should dispose of the bodies and deliver Ralog here to justice.” He took a rope from underneath his cloak and tied the hands of the unconscious thug together. From another pocket he fished out a piece of cloth and bound it around the man’s head, covering his eyes.

“Lesson number one when taking a Sealer into custody, Samos. Always cover his eyes. That way, he won’t be able to use his Talent.” Samos nodded in response. What else could he do...? Ralph sighed softly after finishing with Ralog and pointed at the bodies of the men Samos had slain. “Could you check their swords for me, see if there is a mark on the metal right below the hilt.”

He obeyed and walked over to the bodies. The puddles of blood were still growing and he carefully measured his steps, preventing his boots from getting stained. Now that the darkness had made way he could take a better look at the bodies and the swords they had carried and still held tight. And right there below the hilt, engraved in the metal, were small, cross-shaped symbols he recognized.

“This is...” he began in shock and Ralph eyed him. “These symbols are from the Order, are they not? These men were Enhancers?” A simple nod and Samos nearly collapsed with the realization of what had happened. He had fought three Enhancers from the Order. How was he still alive?

“You survived,” Ralph assured him, “and that’s what counts. It was a huge gamble letting you take them on and once again I apologize for it. But you have proven yourself skilled in combat and I could not afford to divert my focus away from Ralog. If I’m being honest, I did not expect you to survive.” The bluntness of the statement surprised Samos.

The glowing orb faded out as Ralph started for the three bodies. He knelt beside the first, held his hand above it and without warning or hint, the body, clothes, flesh and all, turned into dust. He did the same with the two others and walked backed to Samos, who realised his mouth was hanging open in astonishment. He closed it quickly.

“Instant disintegration,” he explained. “Dangerous, but useful in certain situations. No clean-up work to do and no questions asked. Curiously enough it doesn’t work on living tissue. This one though,” he continued as he picked up Ralog with considerable ease and threw him over his shoulder, “we have to deliver to justice. Care to join me, Samos? I take it you might need a place to stay once we’re done here?”

That was indeed true and Samos gladly accepted his offer. Ralph heaved his right arm up and the glowing orb reappeared, following them as they started towards King’s Road. Upon reaching the road, they turned left towards the inner city and Sun Gate that laid further ahead. Both walked in silence for a while, but it wasn’t before long that Samos felt the urge to ask the inevitable questions.

“How is it you were on that specific rooftop right at that time?” he inquired. “A member of the Order no less.”

His companion waited a few seconds before answering.

“After what happened, you deserve the right to know. You got caught up in my hunt and it’s the least I can do as repayment. Do I have your word you will not spread word of what I tell you while we walk?” He looked Samos in the eyes, awaiting the promise.

“I swear.”

Ralph nodded. “This man, Ralog Brianneal, was a prodigy the likes we only see once every ten years. I never met him in Eresath but I had heard the tales. He fled the Order a few months before I joined after killing fellow members and taking others along with him. The Order’s reputation to the outside world is a fickle one, Samos. We cannot afford rogue members spreading chaos and hurting people. A month ago, when I completed my training, I was given the task to hunt down Ralog after so many others had failed. I tracked him down all the way to Ters and you know what happened next.” Ralph fell into silence and Samos considered this information.

They soon reached the closed Sun Gate and Samos once again raised his arm up, pointing at the orb that had followed them all the way. It flew upwards and over the wall, disappearing from sight. A sign for the Captain of the Guard, Ralph explained. Moments later, a small door built-in into the gate opened and a man in full armour and winged helmet stepped out. The Captain of the Guard, Samos recalled as he eyed the helmet.

“A light comes to me and I obey,” he said, eyeing the lifeless slump that was Ralog. “What can I do for the Order?”

“Captain Ivar,” Ralph began. “I came to you two weeks ago with tidings of a rogue member hiding in your city.”

“Lord Aëron! Of course I remember. Judging from the body you are carrying, I assume you have caught the man?” Ralph nodded and Ivar called for guards to put the prisoner in chains.

“Be careful, Captain Ivar. Ralog the Wolf is a dangerous man, even with one hand short.”

Ivar smiled satisfied. “So it was The Wolf you were after. I never considered him to be a rogue member of the Order.

“About that, Captain. Remember to keep that little fact to yourself. And don’t forget to keep his blindfold on. His hands might be tied behind his back, but you can never be too careful. We will come back for him once the Testing is over.” Captain Ivar nodded, he understood. His fixed expression made it clear this man would not escape while he was in command. His gaze turned towards Samos, the question on his tongue clear as the sun on a warm summer’s day.

“This is Samos,” Ralph explained. “He aided me tremendously in taking Ralog into custody. When he participates in the Testing tomorrow, who knows where he might end up.” Ivar eyed him up and down, nodding approvingly when done.

“A fighter’s stance no doubt about that. You have my gratitude for aiding in the capture of Ralog, Samos.” He gave Samos a respectful nod before facing Ralph again. “Ters is a safer place since this night, my thanks Lord Aëron. Do you plan on passing the night in the palace?”

“Not tonight, Captain. I have accommodations in Ilsas’ Spring and Samos here will need a place to stay, so the inn will be the perfect opportunity.”

That came as a surprise to Samos. Ilsas’ Spring was one of the more expensive inns in Ters, but then again Ralph was a member of the Order. He probably had no issues regarding expensive payments. The Captain saluted them and they parted.

“How did you know I was going to participate in the Testing?” Samos asked once they were out of hearing range from the gate.

“A guess, nothing more,” the answer came. “Tell me Samos, now that we have delivered Ralog and can be at ease, who taught you how to fight? Your mentor must have been quite skilled if you are able to take down three Enhancers.”

“In all honesty, I don’t know. There’s not much I know about myself.” Ralph gave him a questionable look, so Samos continued.

“Three years ago, I woke up in a Healer Hall in South Harbour. When the Healers asked me for my name, I couldn’t answer. When they asked me where I came from, I couldn’t answer. And when they asked me why they found me lying unconscious amongst eight dead bandits on the road, I couldn’t answer.” It still pained him, not knowing who he was.

“I travelled all across Ashana, Keralis and Anthor, hoping to find anyone who would recognize me and call me out, but there has been no one so far. I decided that if there is one place I might find answers, it would be Eresath. I heard news of a Testing being held in Ters when I was just a few days travel away and it seemed like the perfect opportunity.”

Ralph nodded and appeared absorbed in thoughts as they made their way to the inn. King’s Road seemed strangely pleasant now that they had gotten rid of Ralog. The glowing orb that had reappeared floated pleasantly above them and Samos couldn’t help but stare at it. Put away in lanterns the lights seemed so logical, but floating out in the open it still came like a small miracle. Ralph noticed his staring.

“A simple Seal,” he started explaining, “formed by combining Light and Attachment. As long as I use no other Seals or dispose of it, it will keep following me until it dies out of its own.”

“I’ve read about Seals a bit,” Samos responded. “Is that why the light disappeared when you disposed of the bodies? You had to cancel the seal in order to form another?”

Ralph smiled at that comment. “And with that you have proven you know more than the common citizen of the realm concerning seals, Samos."

Something he had learned during his time in the Halls of South Harbour suddenly surfaced. “So you can use seals,” he began. “And you are obviously an Enhancer from the way you fought against Ralog.” Ralph nodded. “So that means you are Dovra’Sha?”

“Very observant,” Ralph laughed. “I can indeed use more than one Talent. Where did you learn that name, Samos? This is not knowledge commonly known outside of Eresath or the Order.”

“There were books,” he answered,” in the Healer Halls in South Harbour. They never told me the library was private, so I assumed it wasn’t.”

Ralph laughed at that. “I can imagine they weren’t too happy when they found you poking around in their precious books and manuscripts.”

“I wouldn’t know, they never caught me,” Samos grinned.

“Ah, here we are,” Ralph suddenly said as they reached an inn Samos had seen before but had never entered.

“Ilsas’ Spring,” he whispered to himself. “I don’t have the coin to pay for a room here,” he continued louder. “Let alone a chair.”

“Don’t worry, Samos. The innkeeper, Harold Tholsson, works for the Order and more specifically a network of spies I’ve put up to aid me in the pursuit of Ralog. He is aware of everything that goes on in Ters and its environs. Honestly, I wouldn’t even be surprised if news of Ralog’s capture has already reached his ears. The man’s almost too good at what he does.”

He started for the entrance. Samos tried to form an image of Harold in his mind. What he saw was a sly, thin man dressed in black robes and a hood to cover his face. A true spymaster one would say. But when they entered and Ralph pointed out Harold, that image shattered.

What Samos saw was probably the fattest man in Ters, if not the entire kingdom of Anthor. A belly so large that the clothes covering it were stretched out to the verge of being ripped apart. Thick legs that must have been made out of hardened steel in order to support the weight above it showed from underneath the mass. His face was a collection of double chins and cheeks covered in sweaty streams. All in all, he was one tottering bulk of flesh shaped to take the form of a human.

“Master Aëron,” he cried out with a surprisingly high voice when he saw Ralph enter, “back earlier than the previous nights you went out. I take it your mission was a success then?”

“That it was indeed, Harold. The Wolf has been caged. This here is Samos.” He stepped aside and introduced Samos to Harold. “He helped me tremendously in the hunt. If not for him, it might have cost me a lot more effort than it did.”

Harold gave him a respectful bow. Or at least he tried, his body did not bend over that much. “You have my thanks as well, Master Samos. The Wolf has been bad for business lately. Shall I prepare another room for your companion, Master Aëron? I can move a few guests here and there if I tell them it’s on Order’s business.”

To Samos’ joy, Ralph accepted the offer and before long he found himself in the most luxurious room he had ever been in since leaving Setha. The size of a small common room, it contained everything he could ever have wished for. A two-person bed with silk sheets, a separate corner for a bathing tub, food and wine on a table on the other side…

A knock came and one of the inn’s maids Samos had seen in the common room poked her head inside. “Master Aëron asks if you would join him for a drink, master Samos.” She seemed anxious, as if the mention of Ralph’s name put her on edge.

“Tell him I’ll be right down,” he answered and the maid scurried off. Samos felt tired, but a drink did seem like a welcome distraction after the events that had occurred this evening. He took off his weapons, stashed them in the closet next to his bed and made for the common room.