'Remain here.'

Before me stands a quivering girl. Under the dim glow of gaslight, her shadow dances behind her. The girl opens her mouth to no sound; for a moment, we stand in silence. Her fists clench; her chest rises and falls with her every breath. Hesitantly, the girl looks into my eyes, her feelings plain to see. Fear, anger, disgust, and...

Gratitude?

The fool.

What I do, I do for myself. Don't mistake my pragmatism for magnanimity; you will find none of that with me. Though, if your gratitude inspires you to keep out of my way, I'll count it as gain and leave it at that.

Turning from the girl, I walk towards the room's exit. I stand in front of the door, twist the doorknob and pull. Before I'm able to step past the threshold, a hand catches my shoulder.

'My father will expect to see us together. I cannot remain here.' Gales of tepid air pour from my mouth. Raising my hand to my face, I pinch the bridge of my nose, turn to face the girl once more, and step towards her.

'Did we not just established that you don't have to do everything that your father expects?'

Hypocrite.

'If you prefer, we could engage in something far more enjoyable. Something that your father also expects of us.'

Beginning with her eyes and pausing at her chest and her hips, I scroll the length of Alicia's body. Allowing all suppressed desire loose in my gaze, were I to stand metres further from the girl, I would still feel the chills running through her. With any hope, she won't push her luck. I have no designs for her, but if believing otherwise keeps her from hampering my movements, I have no issue with perpetuating the deception.

Releasing the girl from my lecherous gaze, I return to the exit. I pass through the doorway and walk into the hall. As I walk towards the staircase joining the first level with the ground, the gentle brush of footsteps treading the carpeted floor behind alerts my mind to the presence of my pursuer. Expelling air sharply through my nostrils, I halt my steps and face the nuisance behind me.

'Did you not hear my words? Stay here.'

'I cannot.' Walking to my side, Alicia scoops my hand into hers. Though her arm trembles, she tightens her grip, squeezing all blood from my fingers.

'I know that we have not…' The girl pauses. She breathes deep through her nostrils and exhales from her mouth.

'Even though we are yet to be as man and wife, our union is of great importance to our Clans. We must have the appearance of unity to strengthen the ties that will soon bind our two Clans as one. You may be many things, but I know that your loyalty to the Mohan Clan is unassailable. Surely you can see by showing a united front we do what is best for both our peoples. We shall return to our celebration together.'

Shit.

I had no intentions of returning to the celebration at all. With the pretence of our congress as a cover and the distraction that merriment always provides, I would have had a perfect opportunity to search this stronghold shielded by minimum risks. Because of your foolish loyalty to people who see you as nothing but life-stock…

You're standing in my way.

My blood ignites, spreading violent impulses throughout my body. My every muscle twitches; sheer willpower restrains them. My mind processes one thought:

"Kill her."

It would be easy. The girl is weak, she's unprepared, and there are no witnesses. I'll have to abandon all plans for any long-term infiltration, but while the festivities continue, who knows what I could pillage before I'm forced to escape? I may be pledged with the tailor, but such ties are easily unravelled…

My thoughts, along with my heart, slow, and reason reclaims its hold over my consciousness. The girl stands as a minor obstacle, yet my rashness would transform her into a barricade. There are no fewer than three rank-five Tension Masters within this stronghold.

Detection is certain.

Escape, impossible.

For the sake of slapping the girl, would I cut off my hand?

Ludicrous.

For now, it would seem, I'm stuck with her.

'Forgive my oversight. I was too concerned with ensuring you remained comfortable to see the wisdom of your words. Of course, I would be delighted if you accompany my return to the festivities. I will treat it as the first steps towards earning your genuine affection.' Alicia recoils at my words, but she doesn't release me.

Hand in hand, we walk the hallway leading to the staircase. Having descended the steps, we move towards the exit of the manor, open the door, and permit ourselves to be drowned by sunlight and music.

Grilled meats and alcoholic fumes mingle in the air. Men and women dance with abandon, rhythmically swaying, stretching, and twisting their bodies, never far from each other's arms. Children run with skewered meats in hand, playing with each other between bites of delicacies I could have only imagined at their age. No matter where my eyes turn, no corner of the expansive courtyard escapes the exuberance of merrymaking and excess.

As Alicia and I walk forward, eyes begin to turn towards us. All activities pause, replaced by stares in our direction. Alicia's father breaks through the crowd and approaches. He throws a half-eaten roasted leg to the grass, takes a swing of a pitcher in his hand before tossing it also to the side, and continues his approach. His smile, from ear to ear, fills his face. Standing before me, he encloses my arms within his broad hands and blasts his laughter above the music filling the air. Spinning me around, the man places an arm around my shoulders and pulls me to his side.

'Even for your first time, I had expected that you'd take longer than this.' The crowd joins the man in laughter. Stretching his free arm around Alicia, her father pulls his daughter into his embrace. 'Darling, I promise you, he'll get better with practice.' With each blast of mirth from the crowd, Alicia's face tints a brighter shade of red.

The man releases his hold around our shoulders, takes Alicia's wrist and my own, and lifts them to the sky.

'With their unity, both the Blackshire Clan and the Mohan are to enter a new world of prosperity.' The man yells. 'A new age is upon us, and these two shall be the cornerstones of greater things than we could have ever dreamed.

In the crowd, each hand meets its pair, and cheers sound out from every mouth. Despite the rapturous applause, sharp eyes, and taunt mouths mar the expression of several people within the multitude.

It would seem that not everyone is best pleased with this development.

Jealousy, perhaps?

Something more?

Whatever it is, it isn't my concern. I have no intentions of staying any longer than necessary to accomplish my goals. Whatever malcontent is growing within the walls of this stronghold has nothing to do with me, and even if it does, I still don't care.

'Come, the both of you. We must discuss certain matters before you are free to join these festivities.' Alicia's father leads the two of us towards the back of the manor we had just left. With a wave of his hand, he instructs us to sit around a circular metal table. Joining us, the man takes the seat opposite mine. The thick scent of alcohol seeping from his every pore assaults my nostrils. He opens his mouth, intensifying the aroma and forcing me to release the enhancements to my physical senses.

'Unifying two Clans of our size is not an easy task.' The man says. 'Though we have planned this for some time, there are factions within both our Clans that would see our unification halted. It is crucial for the two of you to display strength.' Turning his head to face his daughter, the man stretches his arm across the table and instructs Alicia to place her hand on his. With his thumb, the man massages the back of Alicia's hand, closes his eyes and begins to shake his head.

'My daughter, you are still too weak.'

'Father, I-'

'The adversaries of this union will test you. Your failure would undo years of negotiations, hard work, and planning.' Returning his eyes to me, the man holds out his other plan for me to take.

'I'm impressed. I could feel your rank-three aura from the moment you arrived, but I didn't expect it to be so refined. You have already entered the second grade, and your foundations are not shallow. Master Mohan, how many Arts do you possess?'

'Apart from the common Arts, I'm am only able to perform one of the signature Arts of my Clan.' The dearly departed original Logan Mohan was hesitant to teach me his Clan's famous technique, however after experiencing the loss, regrowth, and loss once more of his manhood, his tongue loosened rather quickly.

'Show me.' Alicia's Father says.

Reclaiming my hand, I stand to my feet. Tension gathers around me; I focus it on the tip of my fingers. The gushing energy condenses and liquefies, shifting from colourless to white and finally to purple; with a flick of my wrist, the liquid shoots across the courtyard, landing on a stone statue. At first, nothing happens, but within seconds, smoke starts to pour from the figure as the Art corrodes its surface and borrows five holes through the centre.

The man's laughter resumes. Standing, he walks towards the disfigured statue and examines the damage. Harder and louder than before, he laughs as the acid continues to spread through the stone, devouring more and more of the sculpture as it does.

'Excellent! You have exceeded my expectations. When we last met, your Art was barely able to melt through a pebble.'

Returning to my seat, I shake my head.'Your praise is too much, my lord. Compared to my mother, I am but a neophyte.'

'You're too modest. At your age, even the great Constancia Mohan couldn't do what you've just done. I will have you teach your fiancée. Though she's yet to convert into a water-Tension Master, she has shown an aptitude towards the element, so I believe it should be possible for my daughter to master the Art.'

More distractions…

'My lord, surely you can't expect me to surrender the chief secret of the Mohan Clan. Our acidic Arts are unique within this region. It's the very reason our matriarch rose to prominence. You can't-'

'Our two clans are to become one. How can you expect cohesion between our two peoples if you will not share your technique with your own wife?'

In my time spent with him, I grew to learn that there is little the original Logan Mohan wouldn't do in service to his Clan. He endured days of torture before I managed to part him from his final secret. The boy lacked many things, but loyalty wasn't one of them. He believed in his Clan's unification with the Blackshire Clan. There's little doubt he would agree to Alicia's Father's requests if it meant strengthening the union…

Even from beyond the grave, the boy still resists me.

'My Lord, you are, of course, correct.' Grinning once more from ear to ear, Alicia's Father claps together his hands, then beckons for me to stand.

'This is by no means a one-way deal. The Blackshire Clan possesses rich lands within this region's earth-bound Tower. We have more than enough ether-crystals to guide our most promising members into the fourth grade of cultivation in no longer than twenty years. I will personally guarantee that your share of body-refinement potions is no less than even our Clan leader's own offspring.'

Cupping my fist in my palm, I bow. With my eyes cast downward, I hide the smile carved into my face.

I wonder. How many body-refinement potions can I carry within my storage ring?

I suppose...

I'll soon find out.