Kadun's defeat was sudden and complete. Where he had seemed on the verge of victory only moments earlier, his shattered corpse now lay dead on the ground. And as his blood soaked the ground of the garden, Rannoc stood over him.
There was a pensive look in the victorious Lord's eyes as he gazed upon his defeated foe. And while his expression held a trace of relief, he showed little sign of joy.
Perhaps, Arran thought, Kadun's death reminded Rannoc of his own mortality.
The two Lords had been closely matched in power, yet Kadun had died all the same. And while Rannoc had taken this battle, he must understand that the same fate could befall him as well.
Certainly, that was the thought that came to Arran's mind. He'd come to believe that he was at least passably strong, but he had no doubt that Kadun could have defeated him in an instant.
Yet even that monstrous strength had not been enough to save the Lord.
Once more, Arran realized that he needed to grow stronger. And the best way to do so was to learn the Imperium's secrets.
As Arran pondered his future, Rannoc finally kneeled down and took Kadun's weapon, carefully wrapping it in a piece of cloth before picking it up. Then, leaving Kadun's lifeless body behind, he turned his attention to his two companions.
"I expected you to have fled long ago," Rannoc said as he approached them, the words accompanied by a laugh that was only slightly forced.
"Naturally, our faith in your strength never faltered, your Lordship," Kaleesh replied, maintaining a neutral voice.
Rannoc raised an eyebrow. "So which of you saw through my little trick?"
"That would be Arran, your Lordship," Kaleesh said. "He has a sharp eye, and a quick mind to match it."
The Lord gave Arran an approving nod. "Well done. But tell me, did you also see how we did battle?"
Arran hesitated, but only briefly. "Your Lordship… during the battle…" He searched for the right words to describe the strange scene he had witnessed, then finally said, "Each time you attacked or defended, it was as if a dozen possibilities were on the verge of becoming reality. And you… you chose which one became real?"
Rannoc nodded. "A sharp eye, indeed. For the two of you to have defeated a Knight, I assume you both already possess several insights — and strong ones, if I'm not mistaken."
"You aren't," the captain replied, eyes narrowed as he faced Rannoc. "But how does that relate to your combat techniques?"
"Insights merely represent an understanding of reality," Rannoc said. A smile crossed his face, and he continued, "Yet to understand reality is to control it. This simple truth is one of the cornerstones of our Imperium's power."
A frown crossed Arran's face. Excited though he was to learn more about the Lord's techniques, he could not escape the feeling that it wasn't quite as easy as the Lord made it sound.
"Isn't that magic?" he asked. "To control reality?"
Rannoc replied with a shake of his head. "Magic summons forces that do not belong to this world, corrupting all it touches with its unnatural influence. But shaping reality is a different matter — it does not alter the fabric of existence, and it cannot achieve the impossible."
The answer did little to satisfy Arran's curiosity. To his ears, it sounded like sophistry — a glib answer to obfuscate the fact that the Darians' techniques were every bit as magical as those used by the Shadowflame Society.
Yet before he could ask any further questions, Rannoc continued, "And this is what I can offer you — guidance. Not just in strengthening your insights, but also in leveraging them to achieve power beyond your imagination."
At once, Arran felt a surge of excitement run through his body.
He'd hoped to learn the powers he'd witnessed in the Lords' battle, yet he hadn't expected to find them offered so freely.
Rannoc noticed Arran's overjoyed look, and he went on, "The price I ask is but a small one. Join my forces, and you will not only receive my guidance, but my protection as well. With the talent the two of you have already shown, becoming Knights should be a mere trifle."
Arran was inclined to agree immediately. Binding himself to Rannoc was a small price to pay for the man's guidance — especially since he planned to escape the Imperium as soon as he'd learned enough.
Yet before he could say anything, Kaleesh spoke up. "Your Lordship," he said, "while your offer is a generous one, I'm afraid we cannot accept it."
The Lord raised an eyebrow, appearing more puzzled than offended. "You would reject my offer? But why?"
"Once we gain our citizenship," Kaleesh said, "I intend to travel into the Desolation, where we will battle the Blight."
Arran had no idea what he was talking about, but Rannoc clearly did — at once, his expression turned to one of utter astonishment.
"There is honor to be won in the Desolation," he said. "But surely you know that fewer than half who go there ever return. And with a group like yours…" He sighed, then shook his head. "You would be lucky to have even a quarter of them return with their lives."
"Perhaps," Kaleesh replied, his voice calm but firm. "But as you said, there is honor to be won in the Desolation — and rewards to match it."
"If that is the path you choose, then I will not stop you," Rannoc said. He laughed, then continued, "Nor could I stop you even if I wanted to. But I would ask that you remain my guest for the next two months, so that I can keep the promises that Kadun broke."
"We would be honored to be your guests," Kaleesh said. "But is there anything else you want?"
Rannoc cast a look at Arran, a calculating expression on his face. "When your troops learn what lies ahead, some of them will wish to leave your command. All I ask is that you allow them to join my service, if they so wish."
"Of course, your Lordship," Kaleesh replied. "If any of my men wish to join you, I will not stop them from doing so."
"Then we have an agreement," Rannoc said. "And unlike Kadun, I keep my word. You and your men will be granted the citizenship you have been promised, and for the next two months, Kadun's blacksmiths will be at your service."
Kaleesh gave him a polite nod. "Thank you, your Lordship."
"I trust you can find your own way back," the Lord said. "If you are to enter the Desolation, navigating a city in chaos should be simple enough."
He glanced at the mansion, and after a suspicious look at the captain, he added, "And just to be clear, our agreement does not involve you looting my city — and certainly not my new mansion."
Again, Kaleesh nodded, though this time there was a hint of disappointment in his eyes. "As you say, your Lordship."
Rannoc departed at once, entering the dark streets and fading from Arran's sight only moments later. And although he could still Sense the Lord in the distance, it wasn't long before the large man faded from his Sense, as well.
As Rannoc left, Arran turned to Kaleesh. "You've been keeping secrets from me."
Though he tried to keep a neutral tone, he could not stop a trace of accusation from sounding in his voice.
Before tonight, he'd never even heard of either the Desolation or the Blight. Yet he had no doubt that Kaleesh's plans had been made long ago — which could only mean that the man had purposefully kept him in the dark.
That shouldn't come as a big surprise, but still, Arran could not help but feel disappointed.
Kaleesh made no attempt to justify his actions. "So I did," he said simply. Then, with a glance at Arran's weapon, he added, "But you've been keeping secrets from me, as well."
It was true, of course — just like Kaleesh had kept Arran in the dark about his plans, Arran had been careful not to reveal too much information about himself to the captain.
Arran sighed. "We should talk."
"That we should," the captain said. "But first, we should find a more suitable location to do so. At this time of night, and with the city in a state of chaos, finding an empty tavern should be simple enough."