Kaleesh left Lady Raina's chambers as ordered, though not before giving Arran an apologetic look for abandoning him. And as the captain stepped outside, Arran turned to face the Lady, his expression calm.
"What is it you wish to know?"
"There are many things I wish to know," she replied. "Though I doubt you can give me all the answers I seek. But let's see what I can learn from you." She frowned in thought, then asked, "This Academy you mentioned, have you had dealings with them?"
"I have," Arran replied flatly. "They're the reason I fled the Empire."
"Is that so?" Lady Raina gave him a thoughtful look. "What did you do to earn their enmity?"
"I killed one of their mages," Arran answered without hesitation. He'd prepared the story well before he entered the Imperium, and there was enough truth to it that telling it required little thought.
"You killed a mage?" She raised an eyebrow. "Any particular reason?"
Arran gave her a wry smile. "We had a disagreement. Over a girl. I didn't like my chances facing a mage on even terms, so I killed him before he could burn me to a cinder. After that, I fled the Empire."
Lady Raina laughed softly. "Of course," she said. "I should have guessed. The world has no greater fools than young men who think themselves in love. I take it you were successful in escaping?"
"I wouldn't be here otherwise," Arran said. "And after I crossed the mountains, I began to study Body Refinement."
"You must have had some skilled teachers," Lady Raina said, though it was clear that she had little interest in his training. "But tell me, this Academy… what do you know of it?"
"I know that they control all magic in the Empire," Arran said. "And that they hunt down any mages who do not submit to them."
The Lady nodded in response, though she seemed unimpressed. "What makes you believe that they can match the Imperium's might?"
"The Empire is huge," Arran replied. "Although I grew up there, I can't even begin to imagine its size." He shook his head, and continued, "Yet from all I've seen, the Academy's strength is unchallenged in the Empire. For that to be the case, they must hold far more power than they show."
This, at least, was true.
Although he hadn't fully realized it before his travels, he now understood that for the Academy to hold power in such a vast territory, it had to have strength well beyond anything he'd seen. If not, the Academy would have been supplanted long ago.
Lady Raina, however, seemed unconvinced. "So you haven't witnessed their power with your own eyes," she said. "Instead, what you have are rumors and conjectures. And perhaps these very rumors are what keeps this Academy in power — the fear of their strength, rather than their strength itself."
"It's possible," Arran said, though he was unable to fully keep the frustration from his voice.
Recognizing his irritation, she shook her head. "You misunderstand. It isn't that I doubt your words. But what I need are arguments against the invasion — arguments that might convince the others."
Arran gave her a mirthless smile. While he knew things that might help her, none of them were things he could share. Not in the Imperium, where even the suspicion of being a mage would likely cost him his life.
And so, although the Lady continued to question him for another half hour, the result proved as useless to her as it was frustrating to Arran.
Finally, when she ran out of questions to ask, she dismissed him. And although she did so with a friendly smile, Arran did not fail to notice the look of disappointment in her eyes — a disappointment he fully shared.
When he stepped into the hallway, he found Kaleesh waiting for him, the captain's expression tense as he looked at Arran.
"How did it go?" Kaleesh asked in a low voice. "Are we still safe?"
"We are," Arran replied. "She just had some questions about the Empire. I answered them as best I could."
The captain nodded, visibly relieved. "Let's go for a walk." He cast a furtive glance at the door to Lady Raina's chambers, and added, "The courtyard should be quiet, this time of night."
They made their way to the courtyard in silence, careful of any hidden listeners behind the keep's walls. When they finally stepped out onto the grass, beneath the star-lit sky, Kaleesh let out a deep sigh.
"I nearly got us killed," he said in a voice that now held no small amount of weariness. "That bastard Rannoc… if I'd known what he was planning…"
"You made a mistake," Arran agreed. "Happens to the best of us. But you truly didn't know about the schism in the Darians' ranks?"
"If I did, I wouldn't have gotten us into this mess," Kaleesh replied. "I left the Imperium long ago, and even before that, I never made it this far west. I didn't realize the Lords' disagreements had grown quite as large." He sighed again, then added, "To think they're considering abandoning their lands…"
Arran smiled grimly. "I suppose we'll soon find out how bad things are in the Desolation."
The captain nodded. "At least we'll have plenty of opportunity to make a name for ourselves."
"Or to get killed," Arran replied. "If even Knights and Lords are struggling, the situation can't be good."
"Now that you mention getting killed…" Kaleesh narrowed his eyes as he looked at Arran. "Tell me you will stay far away from Lady Raina's daughter."
"Dalia?" Arran looked at the captain in puzzlement. "What about her?"
Kaleesh gave him a flat stare. "You haven't noticed the way she—" He paused mid-sentence, then shook his head in exasperation. "Of course you haven't. Just do as I say and avoid her. In fact, from now on, avoid any Darian women we meet. If you keep this up, you'll find yourself either dead or married within the year."
"Keep what up?!" Arran asked, no less exasperated than Kaleesh. "I didn't do anything!"
"Darians are a traditional people," Kaleesh explained. "Especially when it comes to matters of men and women. What borderlanders would consider mere politeness, Darians might think deeply inappropriate."
Arran frowned, but though he remained unconvinced, he gave the captain a nod. "If you say so, I'll stay away from her."
They spent another half-hour walking through the courtyard's gardens, discussing both the journey ahead and the things they'd learned from Lady Raina.
Yet although some of it was useful — the descriptions of the Blightspawn in particular — the fact of the matter was that no amount of talk could truly prepare them for the Blight.
Experienced warriors though they were, in the Desolation they would face enemies unlike any they'd encountered before. One could not truly prepare for that — not without doing battle against these new foes and learning how they fought.
And so, when Arran and Kaleesh finally retired to their own quarters, they were no closer to knowing how they'd face the Blight.
The next morning, Arran awoke before dawn. Or rather, he was awakened before dawn, roused from his sleep by a loud banging on his door.
The source of this noise turned out to be Kalin, eager and impatient to begin his training. The young Ranger's eyes shone with fervor, and Arran was reminded of Dalia's words — that what her brother lacked in sense, he made up for in effort.
These words proved no exaggeration, as Arran spent most of the day sparring against the young man, pointing out his weaknesses and giving advice on how to address them.
Much to Arran's surprise, he found the task an enjoyable one. It was far less taxing than his own training, and for the first time in many months, a feeling of rest came over him.
Perhaps the keep wasn't quite as comfortable as his mansion in the Ninth Valley, but the food was good and the company pleasant.
Briefly, Arran even wondered whether they should perhaps remain for a few weeks — to give the troops rest as they readied themselves for the Desolation.
The thought was short-lived, however, as Dalia joined him and Kalin in training later that afternoon. And although she was as eager a student as her brother — and more talented, besides — Arran had not forgotten Kaleesh's words.
Although there the girl's behavior seemed normal enough, he now noticed a subtle tension in the way she acted — a hint of nervousness when she spoke to him, so small he wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't been looking.
Yet if Arran had only suspicions, Kalin appeared to have a better understanding of his sister.
"It seems my sister's taken a liking to you," he said after they'd finished training for the day, a grin on his face that suggested he found the matter most amusing.
"She's a nice enough girl," Arran said uneasily. "But I'll be leaving in a few days."
That Dalia had an interest in him was bad enough, but now, it appeared that her brother approved of it. And that, Arran thought, could only be a bad sign.
"You plan to return, don't you?" Kalin asked. "With your power, I can only imagine the glory you'll win in the Blight. After that, you'll be a good match for any woman."
"I'm an outsider," Arran countered, his unease increasing by the second. While the girl had at least been subtle about it, her brother clearly lacked her tact.
The Ranger shrugged dismissively. "Only easterners care about such things. Here, we judge men by their strength and bravery. And once you become a Knight, nobody will dare question your loyalty to the Imperium."
Arran smiled weakly in response. His loyalty to the Imperium, of course, was as non-existent as his desire to have Kalin for a brother-in-law.
The next two days passed much the same, with Arran training Kalin while avoiding Dalia as best he could — which wasn't very well, as he spent most of his time in the training yard.
He could not help but sigh in relief when Kaleesh informed him that Lady Raina's blacksmiths had finished stripping their armor of Rannoc's marks, and that they would depart the next day.
"Not a moment too soon," he said under his breath when the captain brought the news.
"You sure about that?" Kaleesh gave him a sideways glance. "These past few days, I almost thought you intended to stay." He whistled between his teeth, and added, "And I suppose you could do worse."
Arran glared at him, then asked, "So we're leaving tomorrow?"
"First thing," Kaleesh confirmed with a nod. "We should reach Sacrifice in under three weeks. After that, we'll spend the next year slaying monsters." With a small chuckle, he added, "At least that should keep you safe from Darian women."
Arran ignored the dig, and instead, he frowned in wonder. "Sacrifice… That's a strange name for a city."
"Its proper name is The Heavenly Sacrifice," Kaleesh explained. "Though everyone calls it Sacrifice. Supposedly, it's where one of the Darian gods gave his life to stop the Blight."
At this, Arran let out a small sigh. "Let's hope we fare better."
That night, there was another banquet, though this time Lady Raina had invited all the mercenaries.
Arran could tell that they were glad for the diversion. A few days' rest had already done them much good, and as they hungrily devoured the lavish feast, they showed a cheer he hadn't seen in months — not since the Wolfsblood Company had split in two and they'd parted ways with the others.
But their eyes held something besides merriment, as well. Not fear, exactly, but something not far from it either. Though they had heard only rumors of the Blight, they all understood that their path held many vicious dangers. And even if they were lucky, not all of them would return.
Still, whatever dangers the future held, they feasted with abandon, eagerly indulging in the delicacies that were laid out for them. Even if they died, at least this was something no monster's blade could take away.
Yet eventually, the night came to an end. And as it did, the mercenaries reluctantly retreated to their quarters, to spend one last night in a comfortable bed before they headed into the desolation.
Arran, however, needed no sleep. Instead of returning to his quarters, he headed into the dark courtyard, and then made his way to the training yard.
A single night's training would make little difference, but he had little else to do but lie in bed and worry. And besides, even the smallest advantage might prove essential.
Yet he'd barely spent half an hour training underneath the moon-lit sky when a soft voice sounded.
"You're leaving tomorrow."
Arran recognized the voice at once, and when he turned around, he saw Dalia's slender figure, only barely visible in the dim moonlight.
"I am."
Dalia remained silent for some moments, and when she finally spoke again, it was in a somber tone. "Mother is wrong."
"Wrong?" Arran asked. "About what?"
Again, the girl was silent for a moment. Then, she replied, "The Blight. Defending this place. All of it."
It was not the answer Arran had expected. "Why do you say so?"
"Two of my brothers have died fighting the Blight." Anger rose in Dalia's voice as she spoke. "And for what? So others can follow them, dying to those monsters as well? I have one brother left, and he can't wait to go back there, to fight until he doesn't return. And you—"
She stopped mid-sentence, then took a deep breath. And when she continued a few seconds later, her voice had grown calm again. "This isn't even your home. Why would you risk your life for a war that can't be won?"
"You don't believe the Blight can be defeated?" Arran asked. Although the answer seemed obvious, this was the first time he'd heard a Darian say it out loud.
"The gods gave their lives fighting the Blight," Dalia said in a bitter tone. "If even their sacrifice wasn't enough, what chance do we have? Thousands of years and countless lives, and all we've managed to do is slow the Blight's advance."
Arran knew she was right. If thousands of years of war hadn't turned the tide, then it was unlikely that throwing more lives at their enemy would change things. Still, he asked, "Then what do you think the Imperium should do?"
"Retreat," she replied at once. "Go east, away from the Blight. This place…" She gestured around her. "It's just land. We can leave it behind and find new lands elsewhere."
Arran did not reply. There was no need to ask anything more — it was clear that Dalia was firmly in Rannoc's camp. And as much as he wanted to, he could not deny that her argument was a strong one.
"But you're going anyway, aren't you?" The was a sullen look in Dalia's eyes as she looked at Arran. "Tell me why, at least."
"To grow stronger," Arran replied. Then, with some hesitation, he continued, "The Blight isn't the only threat out there. If the Imperium marches east, it may find the enemies there no less formidable."
He could say no more without revealing too much, but even so, his thoughts briefly wandered to the two supposed gods he'd met in the Empire. And as he remembered Panurge, he could not help but wonder whether there was a connection between Chaos and the Blight.
Dalia, however, merely shook her head. "The Blight is different," she said. "You'll understand once you return — if you return at all."
"I suppose I'll find out," Arran said. He gave a small shrug. "Maybe I'm wrong."
"If you return…" Dalia glanced at him, and hesitation could be seen in her eyes. "Will you visit again?"
Arran knew what he should say. And yet, seeing this girl he barely knew look at him like that, he could not bring himself to say the words. "I will try," he said instead.
A brief smile crossed her face. "I'll hold you to that."
Before he could respond, she rushed off, disappearing back into the keep only moments later.
For some moments, Arran remained standing in silence, feeling a vague sense of unease at the situation. Though he hadn't said anything unusual, he could not help but feel like he'd made a mistake.
Then, with a shake of his head, he resumed his training.
He trained until morning, relentlessly practicing the foundation he'd spent months carefully building — the foundation that had now finally grown strong enough to be of true use.
Dawn was already approaching when he returned to his quarters and packed up his belongings. He put on his armor, too — now free of Rannoc's mark — and then made his way to the courtyard, where he found Kaleesh already waiting.
"Ready to go?" the captain asked when he saw Arran approach.
"As ready as I can be," Arran replied.
"Good," Kaleesh said. "Then let's hurry and get out of here. From the way Raina's son looked last night, I'd say he has half a mind of joining us. We'd best be gone before he decides to act on it."
The thought had not yet occurred to Arran, but he did not doubt Kaleesh's words. And so, they hurried in leaving the keep, quickly joining up with the troops who were already waiting outside.
Barely half an hour later, as the sun's first rays were peeking above the horizon, they had left the fortress behind and were once more marching to the west.
"We should reach Sacrifice in under three weeks," Kaleesh said. "The first two weeks should be safe enough. But if Raina's right, there's a chance of running into Blightspawn after that."
"That might not be a bad thing," Arran replied. "It could give us a chance to see what we're up against."
Kaleesh gave a broad grin in response. "My thoughts exactly."
