Chapter: 208 Bonus - Thron (Patreon)

Previous __________ ToC __________ Next

Thron stood behind his master, Gallof, as a booming voice announced the other potential Pillar and candidate Eskau pairs.

“Announcing prospective Pillar Derag and his Eskau candidate, Girro.”

The dwarf felt an odd mix of emotions, while looking at the back of the tall, gray-skinned potential Pillar.

“Announcing prospective Pillar Jodup and her Eskau candidate, Alop.”

He was grateful to the man for pulling him out of the mines on the great continent to the southwest. He was grateful for the extensive training and resources that had been invested into him.

“Announcing prospective Pillar Volena and her Eskau candidate, Rel.“

He was utterly floored to have been picked from the massive group of trainees to be an Eskau candidate. He could hardly believe that he had been given a protian weapon.

“Announcing prospective Pillar Bobbau and his Eskau candidate, Ogi.”

The weapon he wore in the form of a gauntlet on his left fist was more than just any protian weapon, too. All great houses had something similar, weapons of great power, wielded towards the goals of the house. The House of Blood’s weapons were more. They were envied the world over, and Thron now wielded one.

“Announcing prospective Pillar Gallof and his Eskau candidate, Thorn.”

He hated that Gallof changed his name. Apparently, Thron wasn’t a ‘fitting name for an Eskau.’

I suppose I really should get used to it, now that we are officially competing and actually here. The dwarf had resisted for a long time, but it was pointless, now. The new name was officially on the rolls with the house. Besides, no one had called him Thron. I’ll either have this name for hundreds of years, or I’ll be dead, and I would bet my soul that Gallof will carve ‘Thorn’ on my tombstone…

Thorn walked into the feast hall maintaining precise distance and placement behind and to the left of his master.

This hold was incredible in general, being the largest he’d been to, even since Gallof had chosen him as his candidate nearly a decade ago.

The last Pillar had been raised two years after that, but while Thorn and Gallof had attended, Gallof had insisted that they weren’t ready to participate.

It had been a wise decision.

The Eskau who had claimed the field was a monster, specifically goading all twelve other candidates into a joint assault on him, before he killed each of them with a single blow apiece. The attempts at blocking by his early victims had been useless, though not as useless as the pleading surrenders of the last.

Thron—Thorn—tried not to think about the man, if he could help it. Not every Eskau is like him, else no one like me would ever have been put forward as a candidate.

So, while the hold was incredible, seemingly containing as much space as a small city, it was the feasthall that held his attention.

He tried not to gawk, only allowing himself to inspect the place out of his peripheral vision.

The open sky above was like an ancient hoard of gems, scattered across a midnight blue canvas.

Each glowing light held a beauty and power that humbled Thron—Thorn—to see, even just obliquely.

The craftsmanship of the fixtures of the hall were simple and beautiful in their utility, all constructed so as to not detract from the radiance above.

Thorn’s attention was so diverted that he only noticed the oddity when he stopped behind and beside his master’s chair at the head table.

There was a human standing near him, and she was halfway to being an Elder. More than that, the power seemed to radiate from her like a cool breeze or a tide.

He almost gasped.

The power he was used to drawing into himself and utilizing was like a puddle in spring, cool but not cold. This power was like a glacier in the heart of winter.

Cold, solid, powerful, and seemingly unending.

She was an aberration, a human from the wild-lands near the center of this little continent, or one of the rare few who had been born with the feature outside of that hostile place.

Then, he truly took in her positioning. She’s an Eskau candidate.

But wait, her left hand was naked. No protian weapon was in evidence anywhere about her.

He was looking for the well of power, the fount of magic, that would reside within such an item, and he found it within her.

He should have expected that. In truth, he had already realized that she would have a…gate? Yes. That is what they were called.

She is the protian weapon. That was unheard of in the House of Blood. There was a rumor of a house to the far east who used such warriors as their Eskau and weapons in one, but those were just rumors.

He lifted his own weapon to his chest unconsciously, finding comfort in the power cycling through the weapon’s magics. When he won, it would be modified so that he could draw on the power himself, but that was not available to him. Not yet.

What is happening, here? He came back to himself, realizing that he was clutching his hand to his chest and staring.

He bowed slightly in her direction, trying to avoid any awkwardness.

The woman bowed in return, left hand on a knife at her belt.

Her weapon. It looks to have some magics around it that are similar to my own. He reoriented, facing forward and turning his mind back to his duties.

He would have to watch out for that one.

Thron—Thorn—was focused mainly within his own head as he served his master through the meal portion of the feast. When that drew to a close, the Pillar stood, drawing his attention, along with that of everyone else in the room.

“My family.” He spread his hands, indicating all of them. “Let us address the human in the room.”

There were scattered chuckles as most eyes flicked to the human. Thron didn’t have to glance her way, as he was already looking past her to the Pillar.

“The path to become a Pillar of our House is a sacred one. A potential Pillar has one attempt to forge their protian weapon. Once their target is chosen, they must report who it is, so that we can enforce the singular attempt. It must be carried out without House resources, though if proper material presents itself within our holdings, the use of such is allowed.”

The Pillar indicated those seated on either side of himself, including Gallof.

“Thus, these potential Pillars went forth and claimed their material, most from the barbaric lands to the north. Once the material is forged into a proper protian weapon, an Eskau candidate is chosen. This candidate is raised from early childhood towards the role, and it is upon their shoulders that the power of the Pillar will rest.”

Nods filled the hall, along with some murmuring.

“However, tradition was…bent by one of our potential Pillars.”

Thorn stiffened, barely keeping himself from grimacing. He hadn’t been a child when he’d been chosen, but he knew that was unusual, just as his race was not usually chosen. Gallof had deviated from the norm, but not overly so.

Revered Sanguis gestured to the human’s Master. “Honored Be-thric chose his material, and then…He failed.”

Thorn blinked. Not talking about me? He did look at the human, then. She seemed to be lost in thought, clearly not actually paying attention to the speech.

He narrowed his eyes. That might be important.

But before Thorn could think on it further, the Pillar continued, “He allowed his material to advance past the point of utility. He was disqualified, utterly and completely.”

Obviously not, or he wouldn’t be here. Still, Thorn found himself hanging on the next words.

As she was still in his line of sight, Thorn saw the human shake her head slightly, seeming to refocus on what was being said.

“But Honored Be-thric chose another path. He chose to forge material that others would have assumed beyond use into both weapon and wielder. He had the courage to take the risk.”

The indicated onyx-skinned man, Be-thric, shifted, sitting up a bit straighter.

“Tomorrow will prove if his gamble was wise. Tomorrow will prove his worth to our House.”

Silence fell over those in attendance. Well, that’s clear enough. If he doesn’t win, he’ll likely be banished. That means there’s no chance the human will surrender. That’s good to know.

“Now, enjoy yourselves, my family. Talk amongst yourselves and take some time to get to know your potential Pillars.”

The rest of the evening progressed without issue. There was some politicking, but Thorn didn’t pay any attention to it.

There was one half-hearted attempt on his life, but it wasn’t really of substance.

His attacker had moved behind Thorn, while he stood near Gallof. The potential Pillar was entertaining and socializing the prominent figures of the House, showing off Thorn, the one who would provide his path of ascension.

The blade had stabbed at Thorn’s back, but Thorn simply let his natural magics deal with it.

Power flowed down the paths carved within his very being and reinforced with emerald-dust inscriptions, creating a field of acidic protection and activating his magical awareness, which easily perceived everything around him.

The magical sight was power intensive, but worth it in such magic rich environments, at least when there was the potential for danger.

The knife, and the hand thrusting at him, thrust forward without resistance. The weapon, hand, and much of the man’s arm were gone in an instant, the wound cauterized in a manner similar to chemical burns.

The would-be assassin locked up as the pain radiated through him, along with Thorn’s magic. He didn’t make a sound.

As the foolish man continued forward, unable to stop himself, he fell against Thorn’s back, or rather against the field that was behind Thorn.

It took a bit of power, but virtually all of the attempted assassin’s body was gone in a moment. Thorn stepped backwards, pushing the corrosive field over what little that remained, scrubbing the stone floor clean, likely even cleaner than it had been before.

Foolishness. He thought he’d seen other candidates dealing with similarly half-hearted attempts on their lives. It was a waste of time.

From his all encompassing perspective, those few who had been watching the attempt on his life had been doing so discreetly, and they now turned away.

The death means nothing to them. He barely kept from shaking his head. He didn’t quite understand the culture of this House, even after years within it. Oh, he knew what to expect, but it didn’t make sense to him.

You should sharpen all your weapons, not use one to beat the others until only one remained for you to use. But he wasn’t the head of a great house. What did he know?

Thorn took a moment to draw in power from around himself, until he was a match for the ambient magic levels in the room. He could have pushed higher, but that would give his enemies information about his abilities as well as being marginally irritating to maintain.

Patience. Once you are victorious, you can display your power for all the world to see. Until then, subtlety is your friend.

The human woman’s voice carried through the hall as she got the attention of the Pillar in residence.

Apparently someone had tried to assassinate her, too, and she was asking for permission to deal with it.

Thorn had a moment of fear. Should I have done the same? Did I put my master in danger by acting without explicit authority?

He glanced to Gallof, and the potential Pillar met his gaze before giving a subtle shrug. He doesn’t know, either.

That comforted Thorn somewhat, though by all rights that should make him more concerned. What will come will come. I didn’t forget something my master told me. If this is my end, I face it knowing I did the best I could.

But his end didn’t come. Instead, the night wore on, until finally, the Pillar gathered their attention once again.

“I have heard all the potential Pillar’s petitions,” he paused for some reasons, the mountains only knew what, before he continued, his smile still in evidence, “And I am pleased to announce that I can honor them all.”

Yes. There will be no restrictions on my power, then.

The Pillar paused, then glanced in the direction of the human candidate and grimaced. “One thing, first: As one of the candidates is a collared, I must state that there will be absolutely no tampering, or interacting, with that collar under any circumstances. I will immediately kill anyone who even attempts it.”

A wave of mutters passed through the hall. That would have been a good avenue of attack, actually. It is likely to have failed, but I might have tried it.

Thorn frowned. Actually, I might have failed, because I tried it. This might hurt her more than it helps, if it keeps her enemies from attempting dead-end tactics.

The Pillar continued his announcement, his voice rising once again, his enthusiasm evident, “That dealt with, for the first time I can remember, every single potential Pillar has asked for the same terms. Tomorrow, we will have a competition without restrictions, save those required. It will be until death or surrender, and the only magic you may bring with you is your own and that of your protian.”

Thorn felt excited that he would be able to use his magics, but he also felt a thrill of fear. We all asked for the same terms? What deadfall are we walking into, Gallof?

He looked to his master, and the gray man was frowning, clearly thinking along the same lines as Thorn.

The next day would be the tipping point for both of them. One way or another, life as they knew it was at an end for both of them.

*      *      *

Thorn stood in the arena, surrounded by cliffs, finding himself agreeing with one of his enemies.

Despite his dislike for the man, Thorn agreed heartily with the objections raised by prospective Pillar Derag. To the dwarf’s eye, the human woman candidate was flagrantly cheating.

As such, the Pillar’s response was…enlightening, “Those are her own magics, as was prescribed by the rules set forth. She is soul bound to the weapon and her garments, the coating on her skin is not magical, nor a weapon, so is not forbidden, and the magic you see around her is also from herself.”

Thorn cursed. So, she had magical clothing, likely with defensive power, as well as weapons of magic, all bound to her, so the magic was ‘her own’ and allowed. Of course it was. And we’ve found the deadfall.

The Pillar had dismissed the objection with prejudice. He’s actually curious if this human, Tali, will succeed.

The Eskau Pallaun seemed to think she could. Thorn shivered. That man was terrifying.

How can the blackening of her skin, and the magic radiating off of her be her own power? That was a foolish question. She was a human with a gate. She had unlimited power, if at a limited rate. Who knew what she would be capable of.

I’ll have the same, as soon as I’m able to properly bind my weapon to me. He looked down at his gauntlet fondly. Soon, my friend.

The power there almost seemed to respond to his thoughts, but he knew that wasn’t possible, not yet.

He did begin manipulating the power within the weapon with his own magic, expending a fractional amount to start the build up for quick transformation. The battle was about to start.

Then, the Pillar swept the crowd with his gaze and asked, “Unless there are any other objections?”

There was silence from the crowd. “Good. Oh. One final thing, candidates. No power will be allowed to filter in during the battle. You have only what is in there with you.”

The comment was almost off-handed, casual, like it barely mattered.

It changed everything.

Thorn didn’t have time to curse, his eyes widening in shock just like every other candidate, well every candidate but Tali.

The human grinned, the expression straight out of nightmares on her magic coated face.

“Begin.”

Spend power to keep power. Thorn threw his aura outward, putting all his magical weight behind the action, claiming as much of the arena as possible and scrapping backwards to draw all the power back to himself.

He was obviously not the only person to do this, and the first stage of this battle took place in less than a second, though it seemed to last hours.

In the middle of the arena, where all candidates clashed, there were flickers of conflicting aura’s, minute differences in the candidates magical ability making yards of difference.

Only two candidates didn’t participate in that clash.

Tali seemed to have decided that she didn’t care, not even to block others. Unfortunately, that meant that Ogi and Blu-dine, the two on either side of her, were able to claim vastly more right off the bat, since they weren’t butting up against Tali, herself, for control.

What is she thinking? The human had just given those two a massive advantage.

The other candidate to not participate in the aura-brawl in the center of the arena was Thorn himself.

Instead, he threw his aura out sideways, putting all his efforts into grabbing as much as he could from those to either side.

Girro, the red-man, was like a mountain, barely giving ground to Thorn’s quick attack. On the dwarf’s other side, however, he had much greater success.

Rel, the towering bearman who stood nearly two and a half times Thorn’s height, was so utterly focused on the scrap in the center that Thorn was able to claim power from the air almost up to the man’s fur.

Then, the second had past, and all the candidate’s aura’s snapped back to them, pulling the power that they’d been able to exert their authority over.

Thorn grinned as he felt himself climb in density, his aura fading towards yellow. His protian weapon was already halfway morphed into a pole-mace of ridiculous length, though he’d have no trouble wielding it.

Even if protian weapons didn’t act on their wielder’s will, effectively being as light as a feather in their hands, Thorn was strong.

He had an instant to decide, and the decision was made obvious in that instant. Girro had claimed much more power than Rel. He was the bigger threat, if Thorn could eliminate him quickly, the entire battle would be easier.

So, the dwarf charged, even as he heard two candidates surrender to Girro, making Thorn’s choice even wiser.

They made an alliance beforehand. He didn’t curse; he didn’t rage. Such things were expected. Some knew that they were unlikely achieve the rank of Pillar, so they used their one allowed attempt to curry favor instead.

There was still precedent for such winning through in the end. Effectively, it often made the strongest opponent in the arena friendly towards you. That same opponent would be assaulted by many of the others, and often be overwhelmed in the end.

Being a moderately strong ally to the strongest candidate had an almost laughably high success rate, all things considered. Not nearly as high as the strongest candidate’s chances of victory of course, but much higher than simply being a moderately good candidate.

But Thorn was allowing himself to be distracted, even as he sprinted around the edge of the circle, already bringing his long mace down at Girro’s head in a crushing blow.

Of course, victory couldn’t be that easy.

Even as a flare of power preceded a wet, crunching sploosh on the far side of the battle field, Girro spun, his own weapon transforming into a shield.

Thorn’s opponent almost lazily angled his shield to deflect the falling strike.

As the dwarf’s blow whoomped into soft ground, Girro shot forward, closing the distance to clash with Thorn at close range.

And the true test of prowess had begun.

Previous __________ ToC __________ Next