While Sorn was eating breakfast with the other Marauder students, they were hardly concerned about the Prophecy. The only thing on their minds was the glory they would receive in the tournament. One Marauder in particular, who Sorn had come to recognize as an extremely gifted individual, had much to boast about on this day.

Zacen: “Spears, Marauders, Blades, Animas, and every other Elemental involved. None will hold a candle to my techniques. I’ll break any ice with my bare hands!”

He smashed his hand on the table, shattering its surface. Perhaps the greatest mystery of this Fortress was how that table remained usable. Oden nudged Sorn suddenly causing him to look towards the door. Sorn turned to recognize two Marauders, who looked comically large in front of the person standing in front of them.

Unknown Man: “I am Jaron, a First Division Spear. As per our agreement, we will be taking the outsider until the Prophecy,”

Sorn gave an unsure glance to Oden. He had never heard of such an agreement, but Oden simply nodded, giving him a hearty slap on the back.

Oden: “See you at the Prophecy, flashy boy.”

Sorn got up, and to his surprise, the other Marauders sitting at the table shouted their own farewells.

”You’re a good lad Sorn!”

”Don’t let me catch you at the Tournament!”

”You’re shrimps, but you’ll always be one of us.”

”Oi, introduce me to that Royal girl, ay?”

Everybody turned to stare at the speaker. To no one’s surprise, it was Zacen, who was now drunk.

Zacen: “I mean, good luck at the Tournament kiddo.”

Sorn gave a smile to them with a quick nod to Serene, who as per usual, was assessing the situation calmly. She nodded back and he walked out of the door with the Spear member.

After he left, Oden sighed, stretching back with a yawn. A First Division member just to pick up a boy. They would only send such a high ranked man if they were cautious of an attack of their own. This wasn’t good. They were no longer even trying to hide the fact that the mutual trust was broken.

Serene: “Everything alright?”

Oden: “Nothing, just worried about the Prophecy.”

Serene: “I know it’ll give you the answer.”

Oden sighed, staring at Zacen and his little brother, Zalen fighting over the right to marry Crystal, completely forgetting she was engaged. It was a stroke of luck that the Spear Commander had not waited for Sorn to say his goodbyes. If he hadn’t, Zacen would be pinned to the wall behind, impaled with a spear. Would he truly get his answer? He didn’t know how he would feel if he didn’t get at least a hint. He’d cross that bridge if it came to it.

Oden: “Hopefully Seraph feels like blessing me today.”

———

As Sorn walked with the man, he felt extremely uneasy. They had been walking for nearly five minutes towards the Dome and the man had not so much as spared a glance to him.

Sorn: “So um, Jaron is it?”

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Jaron didn’t so much as turn to Sorn as he replied.

Jaron: “I understand the hospitality you have received here has been great. You will be receiving no such treatment from the Spears.”

Sorn didn’t bother replying. He wasn’t surprised, but the words still stung. He was correct in assuming that Sorn had become complacent with how he was treated. This clearly read as a warning to some degree and it made Sorn uneasy.

They eventually reached the Dome, and Sorn was blindfolded wordlessly by a guard. After a few minutes, it was removed and he stood alone before Varian. Immediately, a shiver ran across his body as his mind flashed back to the moment in the trial. The Council Head nodded to the guard who had taken the blindfold off from behind Sorn, and he left, leaving the two of them in silence.

The room was dim and cavernous. Any noise in it echoed, and Varian sat calmly in a throne composed of spears.

Varian: “I see you fret. Worry not, I have promised not to bring you harm until the Prophecy comes.”

Sorn: “Then why bring me here?”

Varian: “To have a conversation. Your time with the Marauders had led to complications. The stakes concerning you have been raised.”

His words were cryptic, as though he was vocalizing his own thoughts without giving heed to the listener. It made Sorn like him even less.

Varian: “You will play a pivotal role regarding the future of our people. To what extent, I will not know until the prophecy tonight.”

Sorn felt an ominous presence behind him extremely suddenly. Taking a step away and jumping a bit, he was face to face with Keilan.

Keilan: “I wasn;t aware the outsider was visiting today.”

Varian seemed unfazed by Keian’s intrusion.

Varian: “I did not feel it necessary to share the information. Perhaps your arrival will prove interesting to our conversation however. The Marauders snuck one of theirs into the Tournament. Keilan, you will be doing the same.”

Keilan’s expression told Sorn he was just as confused about this information/

Keilan: “Me in the Tournament?”

Varian: “If the Prophecy deems the boy a threat, there will be no need for your participation. He will die by my hands. However, if I fail to do so, you will prove your loyalty and your worthiness, and kill the boy with the Spears amongst you.”

Keilan looked as though he wished to argue, but spears suddenly formed around Varian. Seven of them spinning as they materialized. Sorn flinched a tiny amount, and Keilan bit his lip.

Varian: “If you fail this task, you will lose what you cherish most.”

He got up from his throne, walking to Keilan and forcing his head up to stare into his eyes, gripping Keilan’s chin with his hands as he did so. The spears left behind him remained in place as he did so.

Varian: “You don’t want that, do you?”

Keilan shook his head.

Varian: “Very good. You may go.”

As Keilan left, Varian returned to his throne, sitting on it confidently. Sorn wasn’t sure what to make of what he had just witnessed. Truthfully, he’d like to forget what he had seen or heard, as he felt an odd distaste just from watching that interaction.

Varian: “The Spears have forever been the greatest warriors of our land. However, the Animas come right behind in that regard. And apart from the Emperors, Keilan is one of the greatest Animas to walk this nation. I personally train my Subclan myself, and I can confidently claim that he could defeat all the other Spears students on his own.”

Sorn: “Why tell me this?”

Varian: “Because you have an option. If push comes to shove, you will join our cause. I have attempted for my entire life to maintain the balance between our Subclans. That balance will soon come to fade with or without your existence. If the Prophecy is favorable to you, your role in the Tournament will be to kill every Marauder prodigy. If you choose this path, the Spears involved will support rather than assassinate you. Is that clear?”

Sorn: “Yes.”

His answer, of course, wasn’t truthful. He valued his life but not enough to betray the people that gave him it. Especially not for someone as problematic as the man before him.

Varian: “Very well. You may go.”

The guard outside briefed Sorn about some rules. He could roam anywhere on the floor he was on, but if he was to take any stairs leading him to another floor, it would be counted as treason. The guard didn’t elaborate as to what that could entail, but it would be best to not try to find out. Since the departure for the Prophecy meeting was only an hour away, he decided he would spend that duration of time sitting in the lounge room he was in. It was both spacious and empty, even bigger than the room he was in before. One wall consisted only of a large window. Sorn stared outside

at the setting sun, mulling over the conversation he had just had. Could he really be the one to save Keilan if Keilan was going to try and kill him? Everyone around him had high expectations, but he felt a sinking feeling that he couldn’t come close to those expectations. He’d end up dying a comical death and it wouldn’t be funny to anyone. Besides perhaps Toren. Sorn wondered what he was doing.

”Hey.”

Sorn’s concentration was broken as he jumped slightly to face the boy he had seen earlier with Oden. Varian’s son, the failure ‘Kaen’.

Kaen: “You’re shaking.”

Sorn looked down to see his hand vibrating uncontrollably. He grabbed it with his other hand, but to no avail. He turned back to Kaen.

Sorn: “I guess I am.”

Kaen: “You should stop. It’s pathetic.”

Sorn: “I think it’s pretty clear that I can’t help it.”

Kaen sat next to Sorn, uninvited. Sorn supposed he didn’t actually need to be if this was his house.

Kaen: “I know how it feels.”

Sorn: “What?”

Kaen: “To have expectations put upon you. And when you can’t meet them, the people who pretend they cared about you look the other way. That’s the situation you’re in isn’t it?”

Sorn gave him a blank stare before responding. The last thing he was expecting at this moment was a deep talk with a kid he just met.

Sorn: “I guess so, yeah.”

Kaen: “Then stop being a bitch. If you want people to keep you around them, you can’t be controlled by your own fear. Everyone has their own goals and the people who’ll achieve them aren’t the ones who are scared shitless. So if you don’t want to lose the people around you, then show them you deserve to be with them. That’s how our world works.

The remarks were so targeted, Sorn couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit irritated.

Sorn: “What are you trying to do right now? If you’re trying to help, then it's not working.”

Kaen: “I think it is.”

Sorn followed Kaen’s eyes to look at his hands. They were no longer shaking. When he looked back up, the kid was gone.He didn’t have time to process that interaction either, as Varian suddenly entered the area, followed by two guards. One of them had a blindfold in his hands.

Varian: “There you are. Come. The Prophecy is tonight.”