Seth didn’t notice the man until he was halfway up the altar. Draped in royal red brigandine with golden studs and silken lining, he climbed the marble stairs leading up to the altar with an unnatural poise, like he floated instead of walked. His fingers were covered in Platinum and Orachulum rings, studded with large luminous gems that caught orb light at unnatural angles and reflected it back in a dozen colors. He was Netean, the bronze of his skin, radiating with a soft, nearly imperceptible aura, swaddling him in a deific aura that tugged at the strings of reality in unnatural ways. He was only there when you fixed your eyes on him—or rather when he allowed you to.

Slowly, the nobles, knights, and nobles craned their heads towards the altar where the man now stood. His hair was dark and flowing, with spots at both sides, yet he didn’t look a day over 30 like all men who’ve ascended past Arch knight.

“Power comes from sacrifice, true sacrifice.”

His voice was ancient, his accent almost implacable.

Emperor Mormon, in the flesh, Seth seethed. He was a walking, talking evidence of what he strived to be, what he might never be, now that Judgement had passed.

Mormon was here to close off the ceremony as he’d always done for almost 500 years now.

“And you, the junior knights of Mormon, have sacrificed much. You gave up your lives and left the warm safety of your home and families to serve, to protect, and to beat back the vampires and other Monstrous threats from within and without, in service of the gods, in service of the Empire, in service of me.

“You are some of the best soldiers the Empire has produced and you’ve been tested a dozen times over. You have thrived where thousands have perished, and with Judgement, you’ve received a reward commensurate to all you’ve sacrificed—the grand opportunity to climb higher than birth, or rank, to shed your mortal husk, to enjoy favor from the Divine.”

His even voice peaked, carrying through the Cathedral. He had them all at the very edge of their seats, eager for his next words. They would all gladly lay down their lives if, and when Mormon asked, and Seth found himself disgusted by the idea even. Why sacrifice his being? Why protect an Empire that couldn’t keep its promise?

“Renew your vows to the Empire,” Mormon demanded “Say the word, and bound yourself to the Divine for all of time!”

The new knights rose to their feet almost eagerly, head raised, eyes gleaming, voice thundering as one.

“We swear to serve the Empire, forever beholden to the gods that have favored us, from this day till our very last. The godmother as our witness.”

Seth felt a surge of energy fill up his runes as the Oath took hold. No being Mage or knight ever swore upon Gaia the God Mother without understanding the consequence. The runes serving as a marker, they were bound to forever to the Empire now, their former oaths relinquished for something far more dangerous.

Seth felt a near overpowering urge to rage, tear everything down. After all that had been denied him, he was still asked of so much. After receiving so little, he’d been asked to swear over everything. He might never get the opportunity to chase his passion or enjoy the lavish life all knights did, or even see his Sister for years. Worse still, he might die before he ever came into his own. It is not fair. His fist tightened hard until he felt his fingers dig into the flesh of his palm. Hot streaks of tears drooped to the floor.

Above Seth, the emperor scanned the fresh knights with his shimmering green eyes. Seemingly satisfied, he gave a pleased smirk, and with a single step forward he vanished from sight. There was no special tear or rune light, he was simply gone.

They remained attention, no one visibly reacted to the world-shattering magic he’d just displayed. Seth guessed it would probably be the first and last time any of them would see Mormon that year, or the decades to follow. He rarely ever appeared in public as more important matters demanded his attention.

It was Roko’s granite voice that snapped his men out of their quiet reverie. Dressed in his formal house colors--a lovely shade of brown and wearing their customary weapons and a pair of golden Gauntlets--he demanded they fall into two files and march out after the nobles, and four other armies.

Seth marched with his chin tucked low, avoiding his sister’s eyes and his remaining 9 fellow knights. The heat of the sun scorched his exposed neck further vexing him. He’d nearly lost his temper when he heard Brick’s voice come up beside him.

“Are you, okay?” Seth turned to him. He looked like a battle-hardened knight. His runes still glowed under his grey robes.

“No, not really.”

“You know you are my brother, right?”

Seth cocked his head, and stared at the man. He tried to give an endearing smile, but it came across as pity. He went on.

“I might dislike Ellie, but I will always be there for you, if you need me."

Are you really? He resisted the urge to tell him off. To really ask him if he really meant what he said. Was he outraged for him? Would he follow him to the borderlands and waste years of his life if he asked? Would he risk death?

He would never ask it of him, but Seth recognized platitudes when he heard them.

“I know, Brick.”

The Giant smile waned and he gave a short awkward nod before they passed through the door of the cathedral. The ocean of cheering nobles and Upper Ring denizens waiting for them had swelled. They cheered, whistled, hooted, and clapped for their new heroes. Seth waved at them with a stiff smile, somehow still finding the strength to keep up appearances.

Ellie’s eyes darted to him several times while they stood out in the sweltering sun, at the doors of the cathedral, but she said nothing, nor did she make an attempt to reach for him and he was glad for that.

Soon enough, dozens of carriages stopped in front of them drawn by Hestills. Collins was not among the coachmen They were larger than the ones Seth had ridden in but they were the same fundamentally. Smooth wooden cab with silk-lined seats, balanced on axles, decorated wheel to top in golden frills and sigils.

“Congratulations on your new ranks and talents. You are now proud knights of Brightmont. The cream of Mormon fighting forces, and in the coming months, I’ll be teaching you how to use your talents and bear the responsibilities of your new positions.

Retire, enjoy yourselves, but only for a time. Tomorrow morning, you shall travel to the Silver hold, the fifth army’s base in the capital to begin your knights’ training. The next few months will be the hardest of your lives.”

The General’s voice cut through the crowd and carried the standing soldiers. It was not as intimidating as Mormon’s but it was still unnerving.

With a somewhat implacable look and a nod, General jerked his soldiers into motion. The General’s officials started towards the foremost carriages and each knight sought a separate one. Seth sought to ride with his sister, but a muscular gauntleted hand stopped him and pulled him aside.

“You are to ride with the General,” Harkness said.

“Why?”

Harkness chuckled as he reared up to Seth and said. “Because you were ordered to, Knight. I know today has been eventful, but remember your place.”

If that was a threat, Seth didn’t sense it nor did he particularly care, but he obeyed all the same, and walked towards the first carriage. He took a deep breath before he entered, and just as he sat down, it began to move.

The interior of the carriage was spacious, almost unbelievably so, with bits or glowing runes scratched in secreted areas. There was a shelf made of lacquered wood that held choice liquor. It rattled slightly as the carriage moved.

“What did you leave out, Boy?” The General’s booming voice demanded. He sat several seats down, with his thick rod fingers stepped together. His severe eyes bore into Seth.

“Nothing that wouldn’t have made my life a thousand times more miserable than it is at the moment.”

What did you keep?” his voice thundered again, rattling the entire cab. Bottles of expensive liquor rattled in their shelves and Seth stared back at the man, his face an apathetic mask.

“Unafraid, are you?” the General asked in a lower, measured voice. “Well, you should be terrified. You are a magical oddity. You were given two runes instead of three or four, but you were pronounced a Magic knight of the Empire. That sort of distinction will draw attention, attention that will get you killed or worse, draw attention to those you care for, so I ask you again, What are you keeping?”

Seth’s eyes went wide, the words rippling through him. “I thought…but I was only given two runes. How is this even possible?”

“Up until you, I didn’t think it was possible, but something about you caused the emotionless mask that is Uvu’s priest to scowl, show emotion, hate. Because of that, you’re not long for this world. It won’t be long before you fall to some magical threat that vastly out powers you or draw the attention of Inquisitors or any of the other fanatical types. Believe it or not, gods are not supposed to grimace when they doll out divine blessings.”

“They’re setting me up to die…” The pieces fell into place. Were the dreams that damning? “Why didn’t they just kill me?” he whispered.

“I do not know. Perhaps if you tell me what you’re keeping, some answers will be forthcoming.” The General said with a level voice. He was making an effort to make him comfortable, a luxury Seth’s suspect he might soon rescind if he skated his question one last time.

Despite the obvious threat, he still considered withholding. If the gods were willing to damn him to death, he couldn’t imagine what the General might do, but then again, it was an open secret he was somewhat of a black sheep himself. His obsession for reading and understanding Shadow magic, collecting runed weapons fashioned by vampire smiths and recreating them, and now profane runes… It was as though the man was distrustful of the gods as he was.

“You promised four runes, I only received 2. How exactly do we go about completing the set, how will I avoid getting into trouble with the Inquisitors?” It was a redirect, but he’d rather have his answers before he gave the man any of his.

“The runes will come in time after you’ve completely mastered your given runes,” the General said, slowly easing back into his seat “We will determine which two suits you best, and give them to you when the time is right. As for the inquisitors, we have an understanding. They understand that they are necessary for the protection of the Empire and they don’t cause too many problems.

though I cannot answer the real question you have—not until you’ve answered mine.”

Seth mulled over it for a second before he spoke. “What I am about to share… it might be difficult to process.”

“More than you being a magical oddity, I very much doubt that.” He gestured, “go on.” And so Seth did. He told him everything, but only the broad strokes of it. The dreams, but not the scratches, the mad vampire’s threat and him feeding on him, but not the ball of runes and blood he slammed into his chest.

The General pressed while they conversed, wringing him of every detail at areas he deemed important and wholly ignoring others. He cared for the shadow tower even more than the grimoire. He had him describe the body, rune, the strange energy he felt.

When he was satisfied, he stroked his chin and his eyes shifted elsewhere as he thought aloud. “The dreams present them with an interesting predicament. They might just be psychological scars of your experience with the blood mage, or they could be something more—something to do with the fallen gods the vampires serve.

“Removing you would be undoubtedly the easiest solution, yet after all your team has accomplished, and the runes they’ve been blessed with, it wouldn’t be fair. The gods are hardly fair, but gifting no rewards after all the reports, there would be an outcry. It’ll breed life to dangerous thoughts, prop up the beliefs of godless heretics. It would breed doubt, and in time that could affect the noble class and put Vraphen in danger.

“Giving you basic runes and thrusting you into the light is a much better alternative. You’ll die sooner rather than later, and if you don’t, they could orchestrate circumstances that guarantee you do.”

Seth’s face had drained of most of its color by the time the General finished. He hardly had the presence of mind to refuse or rethink the General’s order to see his runes when he was asked.

The man’s eyes hungrily roamed over them, taking in every curve and swirl as inelegant and as blunt as they were.

“The accumulation rune is stilted, inefficient almost. It’s almost as if…” The general’s eyes went wide and he let out a long, deep laugh. It sounded almost unnatural coming from someone like him and so did the small smile he had at the end.

“They’ve transformed your core to a bomb. A portion of it at least. It will seal off and will explode the moment you break some condition or restriction they’ve put in place”

“They…can kill me whenever they want?” Seth touched his chest, the horror and realization nearly overwhelming him.

“Your secondary rune is far more generous, yet equally as vicious as the first. A light reinforcement rune without any of the parameters, limitations, or control glyphs. You are as likely to blow your fingers off, as you are to triple your speed or muscular strength. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Uvu punish someone so mercilessly with his blessings.” The General rubbed his chin.

The realization came to him slowly, but throughout the speech, it began to dawn on him. How fucked he really was. “Will you help me?”

“Of course. Your case is entirely too interesting to let slip my notice.”

Seth perked up and saw a somewhat amused smile on the General’s face.

“The gods do not suppress their knights lightly. They leave the candidate selection to us, but they remain somewhat fair during Judgement. It is part of the covenant they made with Mormon. If they’re going out of their way to set you up to fail, this pagan god and the blood magic he wielded must be far more dangerous than we realized.

“I would prefer to understand it by studying your dreams and development. Perhaps in time, I will understand it enough to create weapons and traps to combat the blood mage’s kin when they attack.”

Seth gulped. “You think they’re more of them?”

“Your accounts suggest as much. The rituals, his magic, his guards, and grimoire— they all point to a larger organization. Something far more sinister and troubling.”

“And the judgment… it painted a giant target on my back. They will come for me first.”

“You needn’t fret,” the General said, almost offhandedly. “You are one of mine now, one of Mormon knights and you’ll be trained to fight as such. When they come for you, we’ll be ready to face the threat and protect the Empire.”

“Will I?” Seth asked in a scathing voice. It was all eerily familiar. “It sounds like I’m being forced into another impossible situation again. I nearly died the last time you asked me to protect the “Empire”.”

The General raised a brow. “You seem to have forgotten that you signed up for this. You chose to enter the army and resolved to fight until you became a knight. You wanted money, power, land, title, and privilege lowborns couldn’t even dream of. You wanted to outlive your peers, chase your goals, and be feared. You didn’t want to be safe. If you did, you would have remained a rogue or become a farmer, not joined the army. You knew you were going to be fighting for Mormon until you drew your last breath.”

“I realized all this, but I always thought I had a choice in the matter, or at least be rewarded for my service,” Seth snarled. “I fought four fucking years, harder than most knight candidates on your list. I even risked my life on a suicide mission I didn’t have to be on, just to be sure I would get Divine runes, and instead, I got fucked!” His rage filled the carriage.

“I got a bomb strapped to my chest and was made a half-knight because I had strange dreams. Strange fucking dreams that could have been absolutely nothing. And now, after all that, you ask me to lay down my life again!” He was winded from his yelling, his fiery eyes fixed on Roko, who remained calm, almost amused. “Fuck you! And Fuck Mormon! I owe the Empire nothing!”.

There was a moment of quiet before the Generals spoke. “What about your survival up to this point?”

“What?”

“The empire has been beating back the hordes of Vraphen for generations. Without the sacrifice of those who’ve come before you, you wouldn’t be alive, your current circumstances withstanding. The gods gave us the means to protect ourselves at the height of the realm shattering. None of us would be here without their mercies. Ultimately, your grievance, while heart-felt, does not matter. Mormon owes you nothing, the gods owe you nothing, you owe them everything.” His voice remained even throughout, yet it carried more weight, power.

Seth folded his arms and looked out the window. The golden geese’s peak stood out among the sea of already impressive structures and buildings. Seth was itching to rage on. Tell him that it was only his relationship with the Empire that mattered, his treatment, but he could already see how the man would counter. He would never win a moral debate with a man that was several times his age and strength. Instead, he would take another approach, and safeguard his future as his sister had done, but this time he’d be dictating the terms.

“I’ll train and help you face this coming threat,” Seth said, looking back at the man, “but I have a few conditions.”

“And what makes you think you’re in any position to negotiate. You are my knight, I do what I want with you.” General Roko sounded almost curious.

“Isn’t this how it typically works. I agree to save the Empire, and promise gifts that are commensurate?”

There was a short silence as the man regarded him and calculated. “Ask away? I will grant three requests if they’re all reasonable..”

“I want Ellie to stay out of this. You can bring her in if it’s absolutely necessary, but otherwise, I don’t want my Sister or the Ravens anywhere close to this.” She’d already sacrificed too much for him, and he would rather not bring her into whatever this was. Besides, he didn’t want her talking him out of his next request.

The General nodded. “Her talents will no doubt be needed elsewhere. I would not have her babysit you. That can be arranged.”

“I would like to be instructed in runescriving, and weaponsmithing.”

“Why?” The General’s green eyes suddenly narrowed to sharp horizontal silts.

Seth almost flinched under the sudden scrutiny. “I expect my next Judgement to bad, if not as worse as the first, and I would like to contribute to the empire by not facing down hordes of beasts and monsters with barely any protection. Runes are somewhat of a passion of mine. I would like to understand them, and make weapons of my own one day.”

“A reasonable request, but wholly unnecessary,” The General said with a slight frown. “Your second visit to the Cathedral will not be like the first. You will be heavily rewarded when we succeed.”

“That was what you promised last time, but I was punished because of a dream. I’d rather not risk it.

The frown on his face deepened, but he did not challenge him. “If you insist. You shall receive instruction from my head Runescriver.”

“And for your last request?” There was an irritated undertone to his voice.

“Gold. Lots of it.”

The General’s brows scrunched a bit. “Runescriving and Weaponsmithing are both expensive pursuits. Gold is…reasonable”

Suddenly squaring up, the General announced. “You will be living, training, and learning under my roof for the months to come. You will not speak of this meeting to anyone. Your life might very well depend on it.”

Seth nodded.

“Good then. This is where I leave you.”

The carriage jerked to a halt at those words, and through the window, Seth saw the receiving doors of the Inn waiting for him. He slipped out and strolled into the lobby where he found Ellie and Atar waiting on him.

Ellie looked almost surprised to see him. “Are you okay?” she asked.

Atar was deeply uncomfortable. His mouth was partially open as he grabbed at what to say. Seth observed them both, walking on glass to keep him from hurting him.

“I’ll live.” He answered and took the staircase tucked behind a bend. Ellie and Atar did not follow.

The climb up was long and quiet. The warm orb light washed the stone halls in a warm blue hue—doubtlessly another detail nudged in by Atar.

His room was exactly as he left it, his bed slightly askew and his sheets hastily laid. Walking up to his wardrobe, he shrugged off his robes and stared at them the “Runes” he’d been awarded. They were grotesque, lazy even---amateurish work by an unmotivated runescriver. He could do better. He tucked away his robes and climbed on his bed. There was much to consider, plans to make.

His conversation with the General had revealed a lot. He now understood how the Empire saw him, and how the gods rewarded loyalty. The dreams were blasphemous, yes, but if they truly cared about the Empire or him, they would have removed them and rewarded him appropriately or killed him outright. He felt like he was dealing with the General, or a local lord-- always scheming.

“No more.”

He was going to make them wish they’d killed him at Judgement. Seth shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep.