The streets of Dragonhold were all reinforced from Compressed Earth and the city was exactly as I had left it architecturally, but there weren’t patrols of Camelot or Lunarian soldiers; there were just ordinary guards in city livery.

“Why isn’t this city occupied?” I asked.

“Probably don’t have enough bodies to actually hold down the country,” Guinevere speculated. “With how much of the army was chasing down your vassals not to mention how many died against you, they will be stretched thin for several years until they train up fresh troops.”

“This competition isn’t going to last that long,” I said, shaking my head. “We aren’t going to make it to god rank by the end of the month, but one way or the other, this game isn’t going to last another year.”

We approached the Palace looking at the guards stationed outside its gates. I stepped in front of them and crossed my arms.

“I’m here to speak to your leader,” I said.

“The Princess doesn’t just speak to….” The guard began irately; he wasn’t gifted and couldn’t read my description.

“Not her, the real power behind the throne,” I said pushing him aside. “Nevermind, I’ll just find them myself.”

The guard tried to yank me back but got dragged along. He quickly let go realizing I was gifted and he wasn’t. The other guard ran off but that was fine; I was trying to draw attention. I walked through the halls, again finding few changes. I entered the throne room and looked at Princess…Queen Andromeda.

“Mordred,” she said cooly. “You are no longer ruler of these lands, thoughI’m not either for that matter. Camelot and Lunara swept in like a tidal wave when you left.”

“I’m not here to conquer land,” I said. “I’m here to talk to your masters.”

“I don’t have masters,” Andromeda said.

A low chuckle rumbled through the throne room. “We both know that’s not true. Tell the magi I wish to speak with them.”

A man stepped out from behind the throne.

“And why would we want to speak with you?” Pierce asked. “Our stance on Champions has not changed.”

“Not a champion anymore,” I said with a nonchalant shrug.

“But you are still the same man who was; you still have that same desire for power,” Pierce said crossing his arms.

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“Not necessarily,” I answered him. “It’s been awhile and a lot has happened in my life. I’ve healed old wounds, gained new insight, learned forbidden things. . .”

“Such as?” Pierce asked, he tried to hide his interest but I could feel the hunger for knowledge.

“The gods who created the System were not the first gods,” I said.

Pierce's eyes narrowed as he looked me over. “And how did you acquire this knowledge? What proof do you have of it.”

“I have been to the Void; I have killed the beings the gods once fought against and seen the digested remains of their energy.”

“So no proof at all,” Pierce mused.

“Do not insinuate that I am a liar again,” I said, my voice ringing through the throne room as Voice of Tartarus activated. A show of power was apparently needed.

Andromeda and Pierce flinched back involuntarily.

Emotions spiking around the room, Voidra said. They were invisible before but that spooked them.

I couldn’t sense the people hiding but I’d suspected I was surrounded already.

“That ability is at rank fifty,” I said. “I have seven more just like it. The remains of a god can be used to break the rank restriction for abilities. At least for me.”

“You didn’t come here just to chat,” Pierce said, recovering smoothly. “What do you want?”

“An alliance,” I said. “I was recently attacked by Artrix. The god so we’re clear. The god’s have altered their rules to let them fight each other since I apparently qualify enough as one. I’ve got one month before another one can come after me so Guinevere and I need to rank up as fast as we can.”

“So you’re the one who killed Artrix,” Pierce said, assessing me anew.

“What? No, he ran off before we could finish the fight. You’re saying he’s dead?” I asked.

“All of his priest’s lost contact with him at the exact same moment,” Pierce said. “No one knew why for sure, but if you didn’t kill him, someone else did. As interesting as that information is…why should we help you? We seek to end the System, not play its games.”

“I don’t believe the System is what you think it is,” I said. “Besides, the System isn’t what you have a problem with. You want a world where anyone can achieve power; I can give that to you.”

“Is that so?” Pierce asked doubtfully.

“To anyone listening, I offer you the chance to become one of my knights,” I said. “You will find the oath not too restraining.”

Pierce blinked as he read the notification. “You’re offering this to us?”

“No,” I said with a smile. “I’m offering it to the entire world.”

“Doing that would…. throw everything off balance,” Pierce said with an understanding smile. “It wouldn’t matter who was gifted and who wasn’t; entire nations might fall.”

“That’s up to the people who live there,” I said with a shrug. “I’m not going to free people from tyranny, but I am going to give everyone the chance to become the hero in their own story.”

Pierce was silent. “The magi are governed by archmages and I am the mage of Shadow. You’ve met Silas, the Silver Mage, and Errila, the Immortal Enchantress.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask why they have descriptions and you don’t,” I said, looking above his head where no status appeared. “There’s no way you’ve never killed a gifted and there is also no way to hide a description—falsify it sure but not remove it entirely.”

“There are ways to defy the System,” Pierce said, waving my question away. “I will have to speak to the other archmages but you have my vote. You seem to know as much about magic as we do so I will tacitly welcome you into our order. Is there some title you’d like?”

“The Void Mage,” I said summoning, my power and opening a portal. “When you’re ready to talk again, send someone through this portal.”