He was certain he was going to be betrayed. He had been told to arrive with no armour, though he was informed to carry his on at his side. His panions were allowed to keep their arms and armour, however, so his heart was eased slightly, but he was still in a precarious situation.

  The lords had arrived to the town with a small retinue of their elite body guards, a half dozen knights, ea horseback. However, with how many lords had arrived with so many of their guards, Duke Moonglow’s brow pulsed with stress, and his entire body grew colder. It didn’t help that many merts had arrived too, each ready to flock their wares, but also ready to earn information to be sold to others. They, too, had their own guards, and so the town was suddenly in the aosition of hosting more fn soldiers than it could reasonably raise.

  Something was going to happen this day.

  ‘He has kept his word thus far.’ Duke Moonglow let out a long sigh, before he tio step through the hallway, heading towards his main chamber. He opehe doors to find Adam cheg a slip of paper, before the young vnced his way.

  “You’re finally here, yrace,” Adam stated, before his head so a nearby servant. “I want the Duke spotless, and make sure he wears the prarb for the ceremony.”

  ‘Ceremony?’ Duke Moonglow flushed slightly, realising what Adam had pnned, unless it was smoke and mirrors in order to betray him.

  The servants washed their lord and dried him as though he were the fine clothes he wore. He did not wear any jewellery, as ordered by the young vor, but he wore his bde at his side. He wore clothing of silver, with a deep purple, almost bck, trim. Adam had asked about whether his hair could have been trimmed, but the Duke refused.

  An hour passed before he decided to mount his steed. Guards liher side of the road from the castle to the town square. A mass of lords awaited at the tre, their knights and guards f the sed yer around the group, whereas the oners watched and listened from further away, some even from within and atop buildings. The Duke he four Margraves waiting for him, unarmoured, though only one was apanied by a pair of retainers who were also unarmoured.

  The Duke dismounted from his horse, which was led away by another, before he marched up towards the rest of the lords. Four margraves, six ts, and a dozen barons all waited for the Duke. He stopped once he was among his peers, gng between them all.

  Suspicious gnces. Unspoken plots. Readied bdes. The air was thick with the calm before the storm.

  Adam caught the Duke’s eyes, and bowed his head, allowing the Duke to set the pace.

  “We are gathered here today to create history. They will speak of this moment as a turning point for we vor, those who have ied the world from the Sun Father and Moon Mother. When I grew up as a boy, I was told the distant tales of Saul ara.” He paused for a moment, noting the nodding from the other lords, who had also heard of the tales of a heroes, echoes of aime.

  “I wish nothing more than pead stability for this nd sced by darkness. We must vanquish the darkness. We must recim our heritage. We must fight today so our children may know peaorrow. It is my hope that you all share the same view.”

  The lords all began to grumble affirmatively towards the Duke, as though it were their natural ination. The names of Saul ara spoke to something deeper within their souls. In times when old lords used to meet every decade to discuss matters of the realm, grumbling to agree or disagree on particur matters. That was a different time, a time before the darkook root within the nd, like an unwashed sin.

  “I ot fight this fight alohe Duke stated, looking across all the gathered lords. “I am but one man, and one man ot ge the world alone.” He looked towards Margrave Gerald Brasswall and motioned a hand. “I could not have uhe nd if it were not for the great Lord Brasswall, who has stood by my side dutifully as a knight, and then a peer. For that, I wish to bestow upon you the title of Duke, to stand among me as an equal.”

  The lrumbled loudly, some g their hands in approval. Adam also cpped his hands, grumbling quietly along with the other lords.

  Duke Moonglow pleted the ducal ceremony, the only ceremony in whie did not kneel, ihe gathered lords drew their bdes and poihem towards the sky. The Duke pced a small atop the Duke’s head, one which was mostly pin, but was rger than the s of all lesser nobles.

  Duke Moonglow hahe title of Duke to two others, a pair of distant nobles who had already brought to heel their area, and had decided to bend the knee as long as certain demands were met. The Duke paused for a moment as his eyes fell to the most difficult subjebsp;

  Adam smiled towards the Duke, beaming eagerly as he waited in line. His face was expet, but he seemed eager for either oute. In his infinite wisdom, Duke Moonglow decided to call Adam forward.

  “Duke Brasswall stood by my side since he was a knight, but you, Lord Adam, had stood by my side since you were a stranger. You, who had rode so valiantly into town upon yhty steed, and had cut a wicked beast to save my people their lives and livelihood. If not for you, none would be standio share in the glory. You swore to me an oath, one which you have kept dutifully. You had every opportunity to cim more than you have, and you have watched over my loyal subjects with a heart full of sun, and a tongue full of light. I say to you, Margrave Adam, step forward and take your pce among us.”

  “Yrace,” called Duchess Cloudhill, one of the two distant nobles who had bent the knee. “Margrave Fateson’s position is already so grand, a respectable position for the likes of such a fine warrior. Perhaps it would be best to allow the young warrior to wizen in his role before he is to take his pce among us.”

  “It seems the Duchess misuands,” Adam said, staring at the woman, fshing her a smile.

  ‘Oh no,’ Duke Moonglow thought, for he knew Adam’s proclivity to disrespeobles so eagerly.

  “Duke Moonglow had thought to make me his Duke before you had evehe knee, yrace,” Adam stated, firmly, smiling wider. “This is but a formality.”

  “We should all agree to allow you to-,” the Duchess began, before straightening up as Adam stepped up towards her. The retainers behind her readied themselves, causing Duke Moonglow to recall how Duke Brasswall would respond to the young man back when he was a knight.

  Adam walked up to the older woman, close enough that her perfume invaded his lungs. He winced slightly from the intense smell of flowers, but he smiled. “What is it that you’ve doo earle of Duchess, Duchess Hillcloud?”

  “Duchess Cloudhill,” the woman stated, her lips pursing tight, trolling the anger with the practise of a dy.

  “Right, excuse me. You see, I’m very bad with names. I’m not so bad with the name of Moonglow or the name of Brasswall. You see, I fought side by side with great men who hold those names. I fought side by side by the great lords of suames. We looked a Night Lord in the eyes together, Duchess Cloudhill. I ’t help but not recall your name, because I don’t recall what you’ve done. I know what I’ve done. I’ve dealt with a Night Lord. I’ve dealt with something greater than a Night Lord too. What have you done?”

  “I cimed the hills across the horizons from Cloudhill,” the Duchess replied.

  “I ’t deny you your wisdom, Duchess Cloudhill, but you only gained your title because you knew your pce. Unless you have a Night Lord bag you, I would ask that you remember who allowed you your position here, among the great families such as Moonglow and Brasswall.”

  “I have brought great allies to the Duke’s cause,” the Duchess stated firmly. “Even you ot dare to suggest you have done more.”

  “Not only will I dare to suggest it, I will dare to suggest that the only lord here that has done more for the Duke was Duke Brasswall, who was given such a great title because he had a twenty year head start in assisting the Duke.” Adam’s eyes remained gring at the woman, searing into her soul. “I know of what the Duke has promised the other two Dukes, but you shall have to remember, the only reason he could promise you so much was because I was not there to cause you nightmares.”

  “Whatever story you speak of, this Night Lord that you have supposedly sin, is enough pretending. You shouldn’t pretend to stand among us as an equal as well.”

  “Even now, unarmoured as I am, I could gut yreatest knight like he ig,” Adam stated, grinning wide. “They say that a ceremony without blood is a b affair. Go on, yrace, pick the sacrifice you wish to make.”

  “Has the Margrave lost his mind?” the Duchess turo face Duke Moonglow, catg the face he was making. It was the kind of face a parent made when their child was causing a mess, but they were uo stop it.

  “Allow me to face him, yrace,” a heavily armoured knight behind the Duchess stated, stepping forward. He was built like an auroch, and almost towered over even the likes of Adam. “There is o hear more disrespect from the Margrave.”

  “We will duel until first yield,” Adam said. “If I lose, not only will I give up the position of Margrave, but I will also gift the great warrireat ented bde, oing of his stature. However, if your knight loses, I want your . You keep the title of Duchess, but I want your .”

  The Duchess smiled. “With the Sun Father as my witness, I shall accept your ditions.”

  “Wonderful,” Adam said, grabbing Phantom.

  Battle OrderD20 + 1 = 2 (1)

  Health: 78 -> 48

  Adam barely mao deflect the heavy blows which wrought down against him, threatening to cut him in half if they ever truly nded. He inhaled deeply before side stepping the heavily armoured knight. He inhaled deeply, but smiled wide as he raised his axe and swung it down.

  Attack - WraithD20 + 10 = 3 (14)Omen: 10, 20 -> 1020 + 10 = 30Critical hit!Wraith: 3 -> 0Mana: 21 -> 18Ability: Divine Smite4D6 + 12D6 + 8D6 + 9 = 83 (1, 3, 5, 5)(1, 1, 1, 1, 3, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6)(1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)83 damage!

  Adam plucked a Thread of Fate, and thus Fate was forever ged. His axe finding a k in the knight’s armour. The knight fell, his side hot and cold from the magics, while his entire body screamed in paiared at the young man in utter shock through his visor, while the young man just smiled ily.

  “Do you yield?” the unarmoured Margrave asked.

  Adam graciously accepted the Duchess’ , handing it to Jurot for safekeeping, before accepting his own as Duke. ‘So, from now on my kids are princes and princesses?’

  “What a ce,” a voice called out from the crowd.

  Adam heard it. Something striking the floor. The guards quickly moved towards the figure, who had stepped onto the road. Duke Moonglow stared at Adam, having never seen him with su expression before. His eyes then turo the figure.

  He was tall, with pale skin, and encil thin. He was adorned in long cloths all about him, with a rapier at his side, and a e in hand. His eyes were dark, his face hard to see uhe thin cloth across his face. Upon his head sat a rge crow.

  EXCUSE ME?