Chapter 124 A Woman ot Keep a Secret

  Boris had essentially challenged me in front of everyone. I looked to Castile, who had been unfortable with the whole dispy, and now she even wore a frown. I looked back at Adrian and Delmar, aher offered me help dealing with the First Citizen.

  First Citizen Boris had the unmistakable smile of someone who thought they were better than you. He walked out onto the sand while I sheathed my new bck bde. Boris spoke again, “That sword you cimed is a family heirloom. The First Captains of our Citadel guard wielded it for turies. My grandfather told me it was a gift from a third Emperor to his great grandfather.”

  I had a feeling this was set up, and I was waiting for him to get to his point. “I will keep it safe aurn it after our exploration of the elven ruins,” I said cautiously.

  He smiled like a snake oil salesman, “Perhaps while you have my family’s bde in your care, I hold something of yours in case you do not return?” And there it was. I looked to Castile, who had a dark look on her face directed at Boris. Lareen was vely behind one of the rge chairs oage, and her back was turo me. I looked for any support or clue on what to do.

  Duchess Veronica spoke, “I gave Mother a fair price for the bde, Boris. It is not yours to barter with.” Bround his teeth at his sister’s remark and being interrupted.

  “Fine. I still wish to practice with the legionnaire; perhaps he would care for a bet oe? Something of equal value to this?” I sehis First Citizen was not tht as he was making things up after his inal pn failed. He drew his sword. The bde reminded me of Delmar’s dungeon-made long bde. The bde shimmered in the light of the fading sun, appearing to ripple like water.

  Boris’ mother, tess Asel, barked, “Boris, no.” Her voice was ced with anger. “He has nothing of worth to match it! And that bde is still miil you take my seat as t.” Her anger seemed genuine, so I did not sense she arty to this sham.

  “But he does, mother. This legionnaire has a dreamscape amulet,” he annouo everyone present.

  I heard Benito ask someone loudly, “What is a dreamscape amulet?” My eyes were focused on Castile, whose eyebrows showed surprise as she locked eyes on me iion. Lareen was now missing from the stage entirely, hiding from my irate gaze. Whispers started running through the crowd, trying to figure out what a dreamscape amulet was. My panions seemed just as perplexed at the unfoldis.

  Boris’s grin split his face at the otion he had caused, thinking he had scored a victory. The tess was weighing something in her mind. He spun in a circle as he spoke so everyone could hear him, like a showman at a circus, “As I told you st night, Mother, a dreamscape amulet is a dungeon artifact allowing you to trol your dreams. You practice with swords, read a book, fight monsters, or fuck every woman you ever met in whatever manner pleases you!”

  The tess finished her internal deliberations and gave him a small nod to approve the bet. “I refuse,” I stated ftly. “The duel and the wager.” I turned my ba Boris and walked back to the pany. They seemed half curious about the amulet and smirking at my dismissal of the First Citizen.

  Mateo intercepted me, and asked as I reached the group, “Where did you find a dreamscape amulet, Eryk? Sounds like it would be, uh, educational. I try it?”

  Behind me, Boris had not given up and turned his attention to the ptform, “Mage Castile, surely you would not deny me a friendly test and wager!? I wish to fight your pany champion!”

  Castile grimaced. I knew she hated dealing with First Citizens and did not hide this fa her face as she stood. Castile walked off the stage and past the haughty Boris to join the pany. She came straight at me and walked past me, and I moved to joio talk together in private. “Do you really have it? A dreamscape amulet?”

  I sidered my reply for just a moment and admitted, “Yes.”

  “Iing,” she said, sidering and with no anger showing. “That is how you have been studying and learning your spell forms so quickly. Did you steal it from Durandus? Or take it from a corpse of one of the Bartiradians?” She questioned.

  “No, I had it before Macha,” I replied quietly.

  Castile nodded slowly, her mind w, “Then it is your possession. Uhe dungeon?” Castile was too smart for her own good. I nodded subtly, not denying it. She coughed, seemingly amused. She shook her head in disbelief while in sideration.

  “Well, do not tell anyone you took it from a dungeon while in my Mage pany. The Empire has the right of purchase, especially from a legionnaire script.” She looked at the smug Boris, waiting impatiently, “He ot force you to fight. As a First Citizen, he could try to force you to sell it to him, but I doubt he has enough gold to buy it if it does what he says.” She thought for a moment, “Veronie a little about her older brother Boris. He is spiteful. If he ’t get the amulet, he will spread the word you have it to others.”

  “Castile, what should I do?” I sought her advi a pleading tone. I was not giving the First Citizen prick my amulet.

  Castile looked over her shoulder at Boris who ying to the small crowd. “Do you think you win? You have improved greatly, but Boris is an aplished swordsman. He practices three hours every m in the courtyard and has fought in dozens of petitions.”

  “ I use my spell form? Does he have a spell form?” I asked quietly.

  “He does. Veronica said he harden his skin and enhance his strength. He is no mage, of that I am sure,” she informed me.

  “Then yes, I win,” I replied fidently. Lareen didn’t know I had the air shield, so that meant Boris didn’t kher.

  “You will be making an enemy,” she cautioned. “Your amulet is no longer a secret either.” I shrugged as the whole pany knew now anyway. Not that I nning to let them use it.

  “I will talk with the First Citizens with your permission to get everything formalized,” Castile waited till I nodded. She went to the ptform, and the Duchess, tess, and Boris vened with Castile. Boris was fident as he waved his hand to rush the versation. He had watched me fight and probably thought he had a good measure of my ability.

  It took almost twenty minutes and some time to write things out formally after that. Castile finally annouhe duel with the Duchess holding the part with the ditions. The crowd’s anticipation was about to be quenched as Castile spoke, “First Citizen Boris and Legionnaire Eryk have agreed to a duel. The first person incapacitated or yielding will be deemed the loser. The winner will take both prizes with them.” Castile smirked, “Duchess Veronica will hold the prizes during the test.”

  Boris turned his head abruptly, realizing he would not be fighting with his runic on. Castile had out-maneuvered the not-sht Boris. It also meant I o take the amulet out of my spad hand it over to the Duchess. Boris agreed after a short argument before sending a runner for another on.

  I walked aantly hahe amulet to Castile, whht it to the Duchess, who started studying the artifatently while we waited. I was worried she might try to use it, but she didn’t fall asleep in her chair before pg it down.

  A guard from the tess’ men came rushing in and drew his bde for the First Citizen. The bde was another runic on but had a dull polish, and I guessed a runic bcksmith had fed it. Boris swung the new bde twid seemed tent. He moved to meet me in the ter of the sand, his fideill evident.

  Castile looked at both of us, “Aowledge you are both ready.” I tapped my bde on the shield. I would have used the bck bde, but it was a few inches lohan what I was aced to. Boris tapped his sword on his shield, and I frowned, realizing it also had runic patterns, and thought I might have made a mistake. “Begin!” Castile said, bag away.

  Boris started to circle me, and I did likewise. The men of the pany were getting loud, and their support had quite an array of colorful words. I circled faster and created an arc of windshields around the unsuspeg Boris. Boris’ skin got darker as he turo follow my movement. My biggest advantage was the air shields were only visible to me. When they were at his back, I stepped forward, and he prepared to receive my attack.

  Instead, I just added more air shields, boxing him in. This was one of Konstantin’s ideas, but he was not here to take credit for it. It was too te when he realized the trap as Boris felt the first air shield at his elbow. His fidence evaporated as he searched for movement as I narrowed his fi before the shields dissapated.

  I set the air shields off the ground, just above his ko over his head. He worked his runic on into an air shield, trying to destroy the invisible shields while I swung in an arc low at his feet. He jumped to avoid the swipe, but his head met another shield I had pced over his head. My sword sshed his shin but barely peed. He really did have magically hardened skin.

  I had thought my first strike would have ehe fight. I sshed again as he destroyed the first air shield, giving him an escape route. However, this time, I cut deeper. My third strike targeted his Achilles. I did not get much peion oendon, but it was enough as he went to one knee.

  Although I had tried to tu the noise, Adrian’s and voice reached me through the shouts, “Do not let up till he yields, Eryk!” Boris had produced a potion and was going to drink it. I could see the gaps in my shields that would expire soon, and I lunged forward to stab the Boris in the ribs. The tip of my bde barely entered four inches into him, and I could feel it grating on bone as it reached the liver. I yahe sword sideways, cutting his ans. The sudden pain caused Boris to drop the potion and his sword while his mother screamed for someoo help him. My adrenaliarted to fade, and the crowd noises returned.

  Castile decred, “Boris is incapacitated. Do you agree, tess?”

  “Heal him!” She yelled at the old healer in the crowd, ign Castile.

  I removed my bde, and blood oozed from the wound as Boris clutched at it. Dark blood flowed, and the old man ko help. Castile interrupted, “Boris, do you yield?” Boris nodded, his eyes slightly gssy. Castile nodded, and the burnt healer started sweating as he forced aether painfully through himself to heal Boris.

  I waited while the healer struggled after closing the wound. I had probably damaged more than the liver, and the healer was already very low oher from helping men in the pany today. Castile picked up the potion a to Boris. His plexio from pale to slightly pink. It was a full healing potion so I knew he would live.

  A few mier, Boris stood; the old healer could not and was clearly in a lot of pain from using too much aether in his burnt els. Mateo and Felix came to help the healer stand and assisted to a bench to sit. Mateo hissed as he passed me carrying the healer, “Amazing Eryk! I still want to try your amulet.”

  Borris was angry as he regained himself, “I did not cede! Or request outside assistahe fight is still in process!”

  Castile shook her head, hiding a smug expression from Boris, “The tess was a signed proxy. She called for outside assistance, and it was given. First Citizen Boris, the test is over.”

  Duchess Veronica could not hide her own smirk, “Brother, this is my Citadel, and I rule you lost by the terms written. The prizes belong to the legionnarie.”

  Boris fumed and stormed away, seeing he would not get any assistance from his sister. The Duchess was clearly happy with the oute, and her brother being embarrassed. Castile was right in that I had made aoday. Maveith’s huge hand cpped me on the back, causio stumble toward it. Soon, I was surrounded by men of the pany, receiving gratutions and praise. I forced my ast them to the ptform to get my prizes, sending the amulet to ste and pig up Boris’ dungeon bde.

  Duchess Veronica looked down at me, smiling, “That was an iing means of achieving victory. I gratute you on a well-earned victory and prizes.”

  tess Asel approached furiously, “He ot keep the bde, Veronibsp;Have him return it immediately!”

  I looked betweeher and daughter, each of them challenging the other with lighting stares. I would probably be made a target if I carried a runic on like that. I addressed Duchess Veronica, “Are the bck bde and Boris’ bde equal in value? Could I trade you Boris’ bde for the be to keep?”

  I knew I was getting the worst end of this deal, but I would end up with a runic bde either way. I was thinking the aged bck bde was fairly inspicuous pared to the shiny dungeon bde. Castile eyed the Duchess as she sidered a respohey had formed a good retionship, and the Duchess was not going to ruin it, “I agree to your terms. The dungeon bde is twice the value. Would you accept both bdes?” She indicated the orc-fed bde that was intended for Brutus. Castile nodded approvingly at me, and I took it that was a fair trade.

  I pced picked up the other bde a Boris’ bde oage. I guess that bde now beloo Duchess Veronibsp; The fireworks between the tess and Duchess were not over, and I tried to retreat. Mateo asked me again to borrow the amulet. “Just for one night, Eryk.”

  “You o be able to el aether to use it, Mateo,” I told him, walking past. Of course, someone else could probably activate it for him, but I was not certain of that. Mateo frowned. I passed Adrian and told him, “I will be in the northwest tetting some rest.” I was happy Maveith was on my heels. I was sure he would be a deterrent to mischief by Boris until we left in the m for the ruins.

  I did not head directly to the tower. Instead, I veered off ao the library. I wao talk with Schor Favian about some elven potions and daggers.