I finished refreshing myself and retrieved a meal of the usual dried meat and tack from my storage locker before settling on my bed to deal with my evening's plans. As I reviewed my options, I chewed the stringy, dried meat, briefly regretting that I didn't have more of Euleban's succulent morsel.

First, there was Alanna. Alanna's request could likely wait until another time at no cost, and, unlike the other three, she had no strong claim of power or threat against me. She would have to wait for another day.

The only one making a threat, even obliquely, was Empress Shih. My last encounter with the Empress had been disturbing, and she was the closest thing to an enemy, based on my Assignment to kill her. She hadn't outright harmed me, though. Yet.

Euleban was too new for me to guess his response if I decided against meeting him tonight. But didn't the instructors monitor everything? He would know why, wouldn't he? Some harsh masters were prone to rage at the slightest offense, and Euleban could have been one of those, but I doubted that. I judged the greatest danger from him to be his unpredictable nature. In every other way, he had been helpful, if unconventional.

That left Elder Gri. Was there ever any question which choice I would make? The clan was above all else, including self-interest--and that ruled out Euleban's training. Between the implied threat of Empress Shih and the duty to Elder Gri, the choice was clear. Sword artists did not submit to vague threats, certainly not over the commands of the clan itself. It was decided, then.

There was still the question of what to say, though. I swept several stray crumbs of the hard tack that had fallen onto my tunic into my palm, then poured then into my mouth, finishing my dinner. Next, I wiped a bit of leftover bath water that had been trapped underneath the jade bracelet on my left wrist with a corner of my clothes. I began picking at an imaginary piece of meat stuck between my back teeth before I made myself stop delaying. I was no courtier. If I offended some of the others, so be it.

The first message would be to Euleban. The sun would be setting any time now, which meant I would have to go out after the sunset curfew. Message.

Recip--

I didn't wait for the blue letters to finish appearing. Euleban.

Compose your--

The blue letters again disappeared, replaced with my message as I composed it. Master Euleban, I am requesting permission to leave the Academy tonight to visit a clan elder in the Commoner's District.

I read the message I had written once more as it appeared in my vision. Should I have phrased it more politely? But what if he refused and I left the Academy anyways? Or should I have told him that I was leaving instead of asking for permission? I grimaced as I thought of a dozen different ways to make the request. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I wasn't sure if there was a way to erase the words I had written with my mind. And didn't Euleban already know what I was planning? So much for playing at politics. Send.

Message sent.

I tried a different variation of the command for the next message. Message, Alanna.

Compose your message now, and use the Send command when done.

Apparently, the variation of the command worked. I tried to think of what I would say in advance, but the problem with the Index was that the words appeared as soon as I thought them, whether I meant them to or not. Thankfully, nothing embarrassing appeared in the blue words floating before me. I quickly finished the message. Alanna, I will be occupied with another task this evening. If you would like to discuss cultivation methods, I can do so tomorrow. Send.

Message sent.

Those were two declined invitations. I didn't know how to contact Empress Shih. After a moment of internal debate, I decided to send a third message. Message, Five. I must see an elder clansman tonight. Please give my apologies to Empress Shih. Send.

Message sent.

Give my apologies--that was the way the nobles phrased things like that, wasn't it? That would have to be enough.

I took two steps to cross the room, but before I could reach the door, I received my first reply. I paused to read it.

Message from Euleban:

You will make progress towards completing your Assignment. Permission to leave is granted.

I was relieved to see that Euleban would let me leave the Academy tonight. His message, though, puzzled me. He wasn't asking if I was going make progress. Was he ordering me to? That didn't quite sound right, either.

I shrugged and quickly made my way back to the Academy's exit. The extra doors that had previously led to the strange tree and Stables was gone, but I had grown to accept the unnatural layout of the Academy. I wondered what had happened to the others afterwards. I should have asked earlier, but my last encounter with the two nobles had been rather rushed. As for Five, he still hadn't replied to my message. I doubted that he ever would.

I left the Academy and found myself in the same place as the last time, at the mouth of a clean, paved road. Guards in black uniform stood watch again in small clusters throughout the area leading to the Academy, but none of them had their spears lowered. Several of them turned to watch me, but no one moved or said anything. I ignored them and made my way down the road.

"Talen Koroi!"

A single set of heavy boots thumped against the paved surface behind me. I turned to see a familiar bald head. I took me a moment to recall his name. When I did, I tilted my head slightly in greeting.

"Captain Rainer," I said. "I have business in the city."

The captain slowed to a more dignified walk. His breath was even, his heart steady. He was in excellent shape despite the lines of age on his face. I realized with a start that I had sensed his lifeblood pulsing. That was new. His aura was clearer, too. It wasn't stronger, for he was still the same rank as before, but I could sense the shades of qi. A steely resolve. A faint whisper of fear.

The man was afraid of me. I blinked.

"...escort you," Captain Rainer finished.

I had missed what he had been saying while I was examining his aura, but I could guess the general meaning.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, captain. I have business in the city."

I let one hand brush Terminus' handle. Captain Rainer didn't move a muscle in response, but I knew from the turmoil in his aura that he had noticed. It was a small bit of theater, but if the captain was afraid, I could use that to my advantage.

"A Grandmaster does not repeat himself," I said, taking another lesson from Euleban.

I turned and walked away. I was ready for a reply of words or weapons, but Captain did nothing until I was well past the line of guards.

"The imperial agent expects you," he called after me.

"I know," I said. "I'll see her another time."

I made my way down the road until I recognized the large stone structures in this part of the city. After taking my bearings, I continued towards the Commoner's District where Elder Gri and I had been staying. About halfway towards the poorer district, when the buildings were not yet the shabby wooden and mud structures, but no longer well-maintained stone buildings, I spotted a shadow flitting between the crumbling ornamental figurines of a worn rooftop.

I didn't detect any hostile aura, but the sign of movement had been too fast and directed to be anything but the mark of a sword artist. I continued down the road, then took a turn down a narrow alley between two noisy taverns. The sound of raucous voices and clinking earthenware echoed in the alley, but I cut through the background noise and searched, not with my ears, but with my inner sense.

There. The light hum of an aura, no two auras, masked but apparent to my new level of awareness. An unhidden aura typically had two components, its weight, indicating the strength of the underlying sword artist, and its spiritual aroma, if you will, different for every individual. The first was easier to sense, while the latter was impossible to distinguish except between the strongest auras. At least, that was how it had been for me before. The oncoming auras were muted but I could still detect the nuances of their fragrances more sharply than I had expected.

I was sensing the foreign essence within the auras, much as I had done in the Stables.

I had never connected a person's spiritual aroma with the foreign essence of his qi, since I could barely detect it consciously. Absorbing qi during cultivation was an instinctive, implicit process that didn't require me to dissect the components, either. But Euleban's training in the Stables had changed that. While the reek of the creatures' filth had rendered my nose immune to fine odors, it had sensitized me in another way.

Just before the two auras reached me, I leaped onto the opposite rooftop. To their credit, neither figure made a sound, each halting instantly on the opposite roof, the gap of the alley in between us three stories below.

Both figures were garbed from head to toe in dark fabrics appearing black in the low evening light. Their faces were covered, other than a slit for their eyes. One was about my height, and the other was half a foot shorter. They reminded me of Naisha when we had first met on the rooftops.

I drew Terminus two inches out its sheath, and looked from one figure to the other, my question apparent. Violence or not, it was their choice.

The two figures hesitated, then at once, both drew their own weapons, each holding a single slim blade, blackened so as not to reflect any light. More thieves like Naisha? Or assassins?

Or simply fools, really. I almost chuckled. As they both jumped across the short gap separating us, qi swirled through their bodies, sending out two strong auras. They were Masters with fully formed cores, but they lacked true strength or skill. Their attacks, slow and choreographed, were a simple matter to dismantle. I kept Terminus in its sheath.

As the taller figure reached me from the left, his blade stabbing at my heart, I turned and stepped towards him. The blade slid through empty air, but my right shoulder rammed into the center of his chest, knocking him backwards. I grabbed him by the front of his tunic before he could fall and jerked him forward onto his feet. His teeth clacked shut from the violent motion.

The shorter figure was slicing at my side, his aura flaring as it sought blood. I spun and slapped the flat of his blade downward, hard. Had he tried to hold his sword in place, the force would have broken his wrist. Instead, he followed the motion of the sword, unwilling to let go. He ended up awkwardly somersaulting in place, about to land on his face. I grabbed him by the back of his tunic, saving him a broken nose, and tossed him upright.

The two figures glanced at each other as I stepped away.

"Who are you?" I asked.

When they didn't answer immediately, I did my best to glower. It was unseemly to threaten a weaker sword artist too crudely, even if they had been the ones at fault. I would merely state a fact.

"I could kill you both." I crossed my arms and waited. "Without my sword."

Their bodies tensed. They were going to run.

"Don't," I said. I didn't know how far I would have to push them for answers. I wasn't exactly experienced playing the role of a superior and dangerous bully.

Fortunately, their shoulders sagged in defeat. The tall one dropped to his knees first, face down. The shorter one followed.

"Forgive us, Talen of the Koroi," the shorter one said.

They knew who I was? I frowned for real this time. I had no enemies here that I knew of. The clan had grudges in the past, but most of them, like the clans themselves, had faded into history. But while I was safe from the threats of ordinary sword artists, my clansmen wouldn't be. Neither would Elder Gri. A chill swept through my core.

"Who sent you?" I asked in a quieter voice than before, ready to cut the truth out of them with Terminus if necessary.

They must have sensed the true threat. "She sent us to test you," the taller one said in a hurry. "The Empress."

"Empress Shih?"

"Yes, I swear, we meant no offense," the taller one. "She wanted us to test your strength. That's all."

Her test was nonsense, laughably weak. But she meant to pester me and remind me of her presence, it seemed. I was about to let them go, with a message that I could see her later, time permitting. I stopped, though, before speaking the words. Some tests went beyond fighting with swords. She had no claim over me, and she would have to learn that.

I gave them no warning. Terminus flashed twice as I struck each of them across the temple, my blade dulled by a flat layer of qi. Both unconscious bodies slumped forward. I collected their swords, which turned out to be made of fine alchemical steel. Strong and razor sharp. Perfect for what I had in mind.

I dragged the two unmoving bodies to the corner of the rooftop where the stone making up the building was intact and uncracked. There was a short wall lining the lip of the rooftop, and I arranged the two sword artists, one on top of the other, against this corner as tightly as I could. They would be uncomfortable when waking but unhurt. Once they were crammed into the corner, I took the first of their swords, accustoming myself to the blade briefly before sending a thin stream of qi along its length.

I stabbed the sword into one of the walls forming the corner, then plunged the other sword into the floor, forming a cross with the two blades embedded in stone. I had arranged the two swords so that they pushed against the bodies, their limbs wrapped around the makeshift prison bars with as little room to spare as I could manage. The two of them would be trapped upon waking. Without any leverage, I doubted the two Masters would be able to escape on their own.

This was my answer to the Empress' so-called test.

I scanned the surrounding rooftops and streets but couldn't find anyone or anything else that looked out of place. I hurried to the Commoner's District and along its dusty paths until arrived at the decrepit wooden inn. Already, it seemed so long ago since I had last been here. I had given Elder Gri a complete report of the entrance exam and introduction to the Academy, but now, there was too much to recount.

The window I had used last time was closed, but I jumped up to it, catching the ledge with my hands. I pulled myself up, easily opening the windows as there was no locking mechanism. As soon as my head passed through the window, I sensed that something was wrong. There was no sign of Elder Gri, whether his spiritual aura, or the more mundane remnants of his presence, such as the worn leather satchel with his scant belongings, the usual pile of cracked nut shells, or even the dirt from our travels marking the coarse wooden floor.

The room was clean and empty, except for a young woman standing in one corner with her arms crossed in front of her. She wore a long red wrap that nearly touched the floor, but it left one shoulder and most of her midsection bare. Her hair was dyed red, in the manner of the comfort girls I had glimpsed in wealthier parts of the city. I was confused at what she was doing here in the Commoner's District, and from her frown and body posture, she appeared to share a similar sentiment.

"Sorry, wrong room," I said, turning to leap out the open window.

"Wait!" she yelled.

She hurried over to me. I had been reaching for Terminus, wary of any hidden threat from the Empress or elsewhere, but I couldn't sense any danger in her aura, which was weak and common. Either she was more skillful in altering her aura than anyone I had met, or she was what she appeared to be--a displaced comfort girl, and nothing more.

"I have business elsewhere," I said, more than a little perplexed at how I was supposed to find Elder Gri. I could check downstairs. Perhaps Elder Gri had left words with the innkeeper, although, given the state of his decaying inn, I doubted the reliability of the innkeeper's memory or mood. Still, I waited for the approaching woman to speak out of curiosity.

"You must be Talen," she said.

I raised an eyebrow. "If I am? Is this another test?"

She made a face. "Test? What? No, I'm to take you to see Elder Gri."

"Elder Gri..." I began.

I examined the woman from head to toe. What did she have to do with Elder Gri? Cavorting with wanton vices, while not strictly forbidden, was a distraction at best and highly discouraged by the elders. And if this woman was a comfort girl as she appeared to be, if nothing else, she would cost money. Money that we didn't have, or if we did, should have gone to the clan back home. Something was wrong.

I shook my head. I was jumping to conclusions. Elder Gri would explain. There had to be an explanation.

"Is Elder Gri no longer staying here?" I asked.

"Here? Who would stay in this dump?" The woman shuddered, then held out her arms to me. "You're one of those sword artists, right? Get me out of her. Quickly." She looked to the window, as if expecting me to carry her while jumping to the ground.

"We'll take stairs," I said.

I brushed past her and went down the creaking steps that led to the ground floor's common area. It was empty, except for a single unkempt man snoring with his head down on a table, a mug still clutched in his fist. There was no sign of the innkeeper, so I couldn't ask him about Elder Gri's whereabouts as I had hoped.

I made my way to the inn's exit and waited. The red-haired woman gave the passed-out man a disgusted look as she walked by him, then sighed as she caught up to me.

"It's a bit of a walk," she said. "I don't suppose you have the coin for a carriage?"

"No," I said flatly.

The woman frowned at me, but I motioned to the dirt road. "Where's Elder Gri?"

She sighed again and began walking. I joined her, and we continued wordlessly, except for the few times she indicated when we were turning one way or the other. We ended up backtracking towards the wealthier part of Sanctum, and the buildings around us once again turned from mud and wood to rough stone, then fine stone. We veered off before backtracking all the way to the Academy.

After several more minutes of brisk walking, we arrived in front of an enormous inn with pristine white walls and bright yellow accents for its windows and door frames. A man in white livery with golden tassels stood next to a wide set of wooden doors with a deep reddish hue. The roof was made up of sparkling silver shingles, a rarity reserved for the most expensive buildings. A sign on the front declared the name of the inn in proud, golden lettering. Hotel Imperia.

Was this inn affiliated with the royal court? How would Elder Gri even afford to pay for a room here? The only source of gold I could think of was the bounty, but that would mean...I would have to see for myself. There had to be an explanation.

The red-haired woman led me to the front door and nodded towards the man next to it. "He's wanted inside by the Gri fellow."

The uniformed man opened the door, and the woman went inside without waiting for me. When I approached, the doorman held up his hand.

"You have business with Elder Gri?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied. "He's staying here?"

The doorman nodded. "Take the staircase to the top floor. He's expecting you."

"Which room?" I asked.

"There's only one room at the top." He held open the door with a polite smile, but I could see the disdain in his eyes.

I went inside and stopped, too stunned by the lavish display. The floor's red carpet was thick and lush, and I worried, for a moment, that my well-worn boots would dirty it. The immediate area beyond the entrance was a wide room, a kind of foyer. There were sculptures standing here, paintings on the wall, other decorations of gold and what looked to be crystal, or even possibly diamonds. Colored gems, too. I was no expert on such things.

I hurried through the room towards the wide staircase, which was also carpeted. The wooden handrail was accented with an intricate design of inlaid yellow metal. More gold, I assumed. I made my way up the first set of stairs slowly, then raced up the next five sets, six stories in total. On the sixth floor, the staircase ended in front of two doors painted white with golden handles.

I hesitated, then pulled and opened the doors. They were locked, and I lifted my hand to knock. But then I heard the sound of women's laughter through the doors, along with the low murmur of Elder Gri's voice. And yes, I could sense his familiar aura. I slowly and deliberately pulled the doors open, shearing off whatever lock held it in place.

Inside was a clutter of velvet-bound furniture, at least three massive beds with curtained frames, more sculptures and paintings and tapestries, a great chandelier hanging from the ceiling--it was too much, a deluge of colors, textures all loudly proclaiming wealth beyond measure.

Wide rectangular windows lined the far wall. Elder Gri lounged on a wide black couch, surrounded by more women. The red-haired woman was there, too, sipping a dark purple liquid from a glass. The others wore similar wraps, although in different shades, and their hair was dyed to match their clothes. Blue. Yellow. Pink. Green. Elder Gri's arms were around two of the women, one of them taking pieces of fruit from a tray in her hand and feeding him. Small tables set up near the couch had more bowls and pitchers overflowing with food and drink.

I turned to the side, looking away from him, a bitter taste in my mouth. "Elder Gri," I said.

"Talen!" Elder Gri stood up abruptly, drawing a squeal from the women at his side. "Come, come." He gestured to a spot already occupied by a woman in a green dress with green hair, then sat back down.

I took several steps towards him and stopped. "I can stand. You asked to see me?"

Elder Gri paused, his mouth open and about to receive a grape from the woman on his left. He pushed her hand away.

"Yes, yes. To celebrate the bounty you've brought us. Through our clan's hard work and sacrifice over the years, training you from when you were a little pup." Elder Gri threw his head back and laughed. "Remember, when we started out, how I used to whip the whole lot of you? Better the switch today than the sword tomorrow. Remember? Oh, how you young ones used to try me. But patience is a virtue."

I remembered. The rest had left. I was the only one who had remained.

Elder Gri pointed to one of the women, this time to the red-haired one who had led me here. "Pour him a drink. He's a man, now. He can have a man's drink."

The red-haired woman made a face, too quick for Elder Gri to notice. She got up and reached for a pitcher along with a long-stemmed glass cup. She poured a dark purple liquid and handed it to me. I didn't move.

"Take it," she hissed as she stepped closer.

She made like she would spill the glass on me. I took it out of her hand. She rolled her eyes before returning to the sofa. The glass she had given me reeked of alcohol. I studied Elder Gri more closely. His complexion had a mild flush, and his aura was unsteady. He was more talkative than usual, too.

"Eat, drink." Elder Gri gestured to the bowls of food.

I set the glass down on another table to the side. "I appreciate your generosity, but I had my full before leaving the Academy."

Elder Gri looked up at me, then smiled. "Of course. I'm sure the food in that marvelous place--it must make all this look like a pauper's scraps."

I couldn't hold my tongue any longer. "This...this is all from the Emperor's bounty? What of the others? Have you sent for them?"

"Others?" Elder Gri gave me questioning look.

"The clan. Our clan. Our family."

Elder Gri's eyes skittered across the lip of the cup he held to his mouth. "That's right. All in due time."

"And the Selai. We could give them something, at least, for their loss."

"Selai?" He asked. "Who are they?"

I stared, dumbfounded. Could a person change this quickly? For the man who had helped raise me appeared to be gone. When the clan had declined over the years, the worst impulses had been held in check, first by pride, then by Elder Rome. With both absent, this...this is what our clan's head had become? He was sick, infected with the madness of sudden wealth. Worse of all, I didn't know if I could help him. This wasn't a problem I could solve with my sword.

"Do you require anything from me?" I asked.

Part of me hoped that this was a bizarre jest, a trick of the Swordgeists, one of the worlds that existed in the Academy bending its existence into ours. If I left and came back, perhaps the place would be gone, Elder Gri elsewhere. But I knew such dreams were false.

Elder Gri, even in his half-drunken state, seemed to notice my mood. He sat up taller, made his face stern. When I was a small boy, I had feared his wrath. Now, I feared for him.

"Yes. I gave you a task. It's been days now, and I've had no word from you. You must know how important this is to me." He glanced down at his right side where his arm was hidden under his cloak. "What of it? How could you forget me?"

He attacked me with pity. His attack failed. I had seen young men and women die at the hands of the Swordgeists, indirectly or not. I had been asked to choose the death of my companions and to kill a member of royalty. I was past pity, or I would have drowned in it myself already.

"We should speak privately," I said, glancing around at the women. "Some would pay heavy sums of gold for the Academy's secrets."

Elder Gri nodded eagerly, his eyes growing bright at the sound of money. He ordered the women to leave.

I closed my eyes for a second, then reopened them. It had been too easy. I was no silver-tongued courtier. If I could guide him this easily, who else could? What about these women, or someone worse?

Empress Shih. She had been the one to arrange the details of my bounty. I studied Elder Gri as he untangled himself from the last of the women. A man was responsible for his own actions, but what kind of dark influence did the Empress wield? If she had goaded him along this path...

I strode over to the door as the last woman left, in part to compose my face. I shut the doors and tried to twist the lock before remembering that I had broken it. I bent the handles, again forcibly until the doors stayed in place before returning to Elder Gri.

"The Academy's infirmary," Elder Gri asked. He was sitting on the edge of the sofa with an eager expression. "Can it heal me?"

I shook my head. "I'm sorry. Their healing elixirs are only for those touched by the Swordgeists. To others, they're toxic or even deadly."

Elder Gri stared at me for a moment. Then, he scowled, the crimson flush of his cheeks and neck growing darker. "No, that can't be right. How can you say that? After all I've done for you? You're hiding something--"

"That's what the one who runs the infirmary told me. Matrina's her name. I asked her myself."

Elder Gri lowered his gaze. He grumbled to himself softly. "That's not what she told me. She said they'd be able to heal me."

"Who?" I asked.

Elder Gri looked back at me. His face was unreadable. After a while, he spoke. "Empress Shih."

Despite my usual self-control, my aura flared with an instant of violent intent. I clamped down on the emotion immediately, but Elder Gri had flinched backwards in shock.

"Talen?" he asked. "What was that?"

There was a new note in his voice, one that had never been there before when dealing with me. Fear. First the captain, then those two sword artists. Now, even Elder Gri?

I looked away. I had admired him growing up, as I had all the elders. The man before me was frightened and weak, torn apart by temptations and desires. Yet I couldn't despise him. Who was I to say that I would have acted differently, given the same circumstances? And I was no longer the youngest member of the clan. I was the strongest. To lose control of myself, even a little, was shameful.

"Elder Gri, if I could do anything to bring back what you lost, I would." I bowed low. "But the woman who runs the infirmary was clear. Healing elixirs should not be used on others."

"It doesn't matter," Elder Gri said. "Bring me one of these healing elixirs."

"I can't even afford the one you'd need. Even if I could, you'd harm yourself."

"Can't afford it? What, they don't take care of you at the Academy?"

"The infirmary has a cost."

"And you won't pay the cost for me?" Elder Gri glared at me. "You healed your ears. That was worth it, but not me?" He shook his stump at me.

"I used a minor elixir--"

"Well, bring me one of those, then," Elder Gri snapped.

"It won't be enough for your wound," I said. "Matrina said an arm would need a lesser healing elixir--"

"Quiet!" Elder Gri leaned his head back so that, despite being seated, he gave the effect of peering down his nose. "As First Elder of the clan, I order you to bring me a minor healing elixir. Or are you no longer bound by the laws of the Koroi?"

I gritted my teeth. "Yes, Elder Gri."

He smiled, his courage returning. He held out his hand. "Give me Terminus. That belongs to the clan. Until I know I can trust you to follow your elders, I'll hold onto it."

I stared at him. Who would demand a sword artist's blade for anything less than a grievous crime? This went beyond insult. It was sheer insanity. I gripped Terminus by the sheath tightly.

"Give it, boy." Elder Gri waited with his hand outstretched.

He was right in that Terminus belonged to the clan, not me. He could even bring the matter to the imperial courts, if he wanted to take it that far. They likely wouldn't care about a petty dispute among clansmen, but with the Empress' involvement, I couldn't be entirely sure of such an outcome. But this went beyond ownership. This was about the clan itself. Clan law required me to obey the wishes of any elder above me.

Except Elder Gri was only above me in name. He was not the same person who had arrived at the gates of Sanctum a month prior.

I gripped Terminus even tighter, staring at Elder Gri's harsh eyes. No, this wasn't even about the clan. Or Terminus. This was about me and my subservience. I hadn't defied an elder since my early childhood. Elder Gri counted on my obedience.

A grave mistake.

I was only beginning to understand how wide the gap between us had become in these last few days. If he had understood the path I had taken, he wouldn't have asked this of me. Had he held the reins lightly, I would have given him the illusion of control that he desired. But pull too tightly, and the reins would snap. Years ago, I had left behind the foolish defiance of my youth. Now, I would leave behind a different kind of folly.

"No," I said, the single word splitting the bond between us.

Elder Gri's eyes widened. "You dare--"

I let go of Terminus' sheath and held up a hand to stop him. "I'll bring you a healing elixir, although I've warned you about it. Such a thing doesn't exist in our lands. It's priceless, a fair exchange for Terminus, yes? For ownership of the blade."

Rage flashed across Elder Gri's face, but he eventually nodded. I was giving him a way out, to pretend that I hadn't just outright defied him.

"Yes," he waved his hand at me. "I give you permission. A healing elixir in exchange for Terminus. You can keep the sword for now." His eyes slid down to Terminus, but he knew not to demand it any longer. His lips twisted into an ugly smile. "Bring me one of the expensive ones. The lesser healing elixirs."

I had already told him I couldn't afford it, but Elder Gri dared me to turn him down again. He still didn't understand what this would mean. Or didn't care. I didn't have nearly enough exam points to convert to credits. And I wouldn't for a while, unless I killed Empress Shi and triggered the Assignment's completion.

An Assignment I was becoming more and more ready to complete. I nodded. "Yes, as you say."

He misunderstood and grinned even wider, as if he had just won. No, he hadn't won. After this one request, he was lost to me. Couldn't he see that? I let him believe what he liked and left before he could make further demands.

I burst through the now mangled doors and made my way down the stairs towards the exit. My heart raced as if I was an unblooded youth facing my first duel. I had won, hadn't I? I still had Terminus. I had the Academy. I was a Grandmaster. My arms twitched as qi streaked through them, reaching for violence that wasn't there. Halfway down the stairs, I leaped over the side to land on the ground floor.

I reached for my core, focusing on cycling the qi within to dampen the flood of pain, regret, anger. As I stepped out of the Hotel Imperia, blue letters appeared in front of me, as if they had been waiting to ambush me the whole time.

Message from Unit 5:

She's expecting you.

I drew and sliced through the words with one motion, Terminus neatly cutting them in half along the length of the message. The words remained intact. I sent a sliver of qi along Terminus' blade and slashed once more, but the words still held, untouched by physical or spiritual edge. I slammed Terminus back into its sheath.

She was expecting me. Well, I wouldn't disappoint her.