Chapter 377

Much as Dalia had predicted, it soon became clear that her brother was not the type to hold a grudge . Before the banquet was even over, he joined Arran and Kaleesh at their table, excitement written across his bruised face .

“You’re staying, right?” he asked . “At least another few days?”

Arran cast a cautious glance at the captain, who gave him a small nod . “We might . “

“Then we must spar again tomorrow,” the young Ranger said in an eager tone . “Other than Knights, I’ve never seen anyone fight like you . “

“We can train together, if you wish,” Arran replied . “But I don’t know how much I can teach you in just a few days’ training . ” He looked at Lady Raina and her husband, then added, “And it seems like you’ve already got better teachers than me . “

To this, the young man responded with a firm shake of his head . “Father always says that every teacher has something different to share . Anything you’re willing to show, I’ll gladly learn . “

Arran could not help but nod in agreement . This, at least, was something he’d found to be true as well . He’d had many teachers over the years, and he’d benefited from all of them .

“Very well,” he said . “I’ll teach you what I can . “

After the lesson he’d received from the Knight, it only seemed fair to give the man’s son what little he could offer . Not to mention that teaching her son could go a long way in winning Lady Raina’s favor .

The young Ranger lingered for some time, now listening eagerly to their stories of the battles in Kadun’s lands . And in return, he offered stories of his own — stories about the Desolation .

Much to Arran’s surprise, Raina’s son had already spent a year in the Desolation, fighting the Blight to earn his status as a Ranger . And he spoke of this time with great enthusiasm, almost as if he longed to return .

“You have to understand,” the young Ranger said, a glint of fervor in his eyes, “in the Desolation, you’re never safe . You might find battle at any time, and though it’s mostly just Blightspawn, there’s also—”

“That will be enough, Kalin,” Lady Raina interrupted him . “You know better than to discuss these things so openly . In fact…”

She cast a glance around the hall, then continued in a louder tone, “As much as I’ve enjoyed your presence tonight, I fear it is time for this banquet to come to an end . “

Abrupt though the announcement was, none of the guests dared object . In a matter of minutes, they cleared from the hall, though none left before offering their thanks to Lady Raina .

When the last of the guests had departed, the Lady turned to Arran and Kaleesh . “The two of you, come with me . There are matters we must discuss . “

It only took a short walk through the keep’s hallways before they reached Lady Raina’s chambers, and as they stepped inside, she gestured at a pair of velvet-clad chairs .

“Sit down . “

Although they did as she said, the Lady herself remained standing . And as she stood before them, she sighed deeply, her expression suddenly one of extreme weariness .

“Had the two of you not been outsiders,” she said, “I would have had you hanged tonight . “

“Hanged?” Kaleesh looked at her with wide eyes, and shock crossed Arran’s face as well . “What for?”

“For entering my lands while bearing my enemy’s mark,” she replied . “And for boasting about the part you played in the murder of one of my allies . “

“Kadun was your ally?” Arran stared at her in shock . “We didn’t know… If we’d known…”

“Then you wouldn’t have come here,” Lady Raina said . “But you did, and so, I am faced with a dilemma . Tell me the truth — what is your relationship with Rannoc?”

Before Arran could answer, Kaleesh spoke up .

“He was a tool to us,” the captain said, his voice now deathly serious . “Your ally would have kept us as slaves, working the mines until we died . Rannoc offered us a chance at freedom — a chance at facing the Blight and earning our place in the Imperium . “

The Lady raised an eyebrow . “Honesty, at last . ” She smiled wryly, and continued, “I will admit that Kadun was neither just nor competent . But he was an ally nonetheless, and in recent years, our camp has grown too weak for comfort . “

“Your camp?” Arran asked, brow furrowed as he stared at the woman before them .

She gave a weary smile in response . “As I suspected, you still remain ignorant of the conflict you unwittingly entered . But then, you are outsiders, and there are few who know of this matter even within the Imperium . “

“What matter would that be?” Kaleesh asked . From the frown on his face, Arran could tell that he was none too pleased at having missed something so important .

Lady Raina hesitated in answering, but only for a moment . Then, a grave look on her face, she spoke .

“For countless thousands of years,” she began, “the Imperium has resisted the Blight, stopping it from advancing and swallowing up our lands . But in the last few centuries, our defense has begun to falter . Blightspawn attacks grow more common by the year, and lands that were once safe now lie abandoned . “

“Then the Imperium is losing?” Arran looked at her with narrowed eyes, eager to learn more of the situation .

“Not just yet,” Lady Raina replied . “But in time, unless the present course is reversed, it will . “

“What does this have to do with Rannoc?” Kaleesh asked, his interest no lesser than Arran’s .

“There are some among us,” the Lady said, “who believe that we should strengthen our defenses . That we should flood the Desolation with troops and push back the Blight no matter the cost . This is the view I hold, and the one Kadun held, as well . “

“Then what does Rannoc want?” Arran asked, already feeling a hint of unease at the answer he expected to hear .

“Rannoc and his allies want us to pull back,” Lady Raina said . She gestured around her, and continued, “To abandon these lands to the Blight and retreat to the east . “

A frown crossed Arran’s face . “But that only buys time . Even if you retreat, won’t the Blight advance until you face it again?”

Lady Raina nodded . “Of course . Which is why many of us have long resisted such a course of action . But some centuries ago, we learned of a natural barrier — a great range of mountains to the east, with the lands behind it fertile and unprotected . It is there that Rannoc and his allies wish us to go . “

Arran went pale with shock at her words . “They want to invade the Empire?!”

The Lady gave him a curious look . “You know of this place?”

“I was born there,” Arran replied, a sinking feeling in his heart as he realized that in helping Rannoc kill Kadun, he had endangered not just the Shadowflame Society, but also the Empire . “But conquering it won’t be as easy as you think . “

The interest in Lady Raina’s eyes grew even greater, and she said, “It is said that this Empire of yours is only defended by a small group of mages, weak enough to be defeated by a handful of Lords . “

Arran shook his head . “Those mountains continue to the south for ten thousand miles, and they’re crawling with mages . ” He hesitated, fearful of saying too much, but then he continued, “And even if you defeat the mages who guard the mountains, you will find far stronger ones in the Empire itself . “

“Stronger?” The Lady gave him a puzzled glance . “From what I’ve been told, the mages within your Empire are so weak that they barely even deserve the name . “

“There are more powerful ones,” Arran said . “There’s something called the Academy… they control the mages within the Empire . And it’s said that their leaders’ power is unmatched . “

“It is said?” Lady Raina asked . “So you haven’t witnessed their power with your own eyes?”

Arran clenched his jaw in frustration, but he had no choice but to shake his head . “I haven’t . “

Lady Raina sighed, a look of disappointment in her eyes . “I suppose it doesn’t matter . Even if what you say is true, the others would never take an outsider’s word for it . “

“Lady Raina,” Kaleesh said in a cautious tone, “this conflict of yours — we have no part in it . As I’ve explained, Rannoc is no ally of ours . Surely there’s no need to involve us any further? All we wish is to battle the Blight . “

“An admirable wish,” the Lady said . “But it isn’t that simple . For you to travel into the Desolation, wearing Rannoc’s mark and carrying his gifts…” She paused before continuing, her expression dark . “He intended it as a message — a display of the riches that lie in the east, and the untapped potential of its people . “

Kaleesh cursed loudly . Then, facing Lady Raina, he said, “You can remove the mark . Our equipment was no gift . We earned it ourselves, and Rannoc had it marked without my approval . Had I known its meaning, I would not have accepted it . “

Lady Raina remained quiet for some moments as she considered his words . Then, finally, she gave a small nod . “Very well . It won’t be enough to undo his message, but if you intend to face the Blight, that makes us allies . And it would not do to have my allies hanged . “

Both Arran and Kaleesh breathed a sigh of relief at her words . From the look of it, they would live to fight another day .

Seeing their expressions, Lady Raina laughed softly . “Don’t be too relieved . In the Desolation, you will yet face plenty of danger . “

“So we’ve heard,” Kaleesh said . “Though other than your son, few have been willing to speak of it . “

“Kalin is too careless with his words,” the Lady said . “But if you will face the Blight, I suppose an idea of what to expect would be useful . If you wish, I can share some knowledge with you . ”