Paragon of Destruction

"What did he say, exactly?" Snowcloud looked at Arran intently as she asked the question.

They were sitting in her quarters, which Arran could not help but notice were far nicer than his own. While he had a single room with just a bed and a desk, Snowcloud had three full rooms to herself, including a bedroom, a small library, and the well-furnished sitting room they were currently using. Not that he was jealous, of course — although a bit more space would be nice.

Arran quickly told Snowcloud about his meeting with Elder Naran and Stoneheart, and the offer Elder Naran had made them.

When he finished speaking, Snowcloud frowned, seeming taken aback by the idea. "He wants the two of you to face an entire army together?"

"I assume he wants me to defeat the army, and Stoneheart to defeat their leader," Arran explained. "With the Blood magic, the soldiers’ numbers won’t make much of a difference to me."

"But it’s an entire army," Snowcloud objected. "With thousands of soldiers."

Arran shook his head. "It doesn’t matter. Blood magic isn’t like Essence. My power won’t run out as I’m fighting — with every enemy I kill, I’ll grow stronger. And although I don’t fully understand it yet, I think the Blood magic was originally created to kill armies."

Snowcloud raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think so?"

Arran hesitated before continuing, trying to find words for the thoughts he’d had since his Tempering.

After some moments, he spoke, his voice less confident than before. "Most of the power it gives is temporary, and the bloodlust drives you to fight without fear of death." He sighed, then shook his head. "I don’t think it’s meant to be survived. I think it’s meant to allow a single person to destroy an army, and then themselves."

"But you control it now, right?" There was some doubt in Snowcloud’s voice, and she gave him a worried look.

"I do," Arran replied.

"I don’t think you should do it," Snowcloud said, her brow furrowed. "You might lose control again, and even with the Blood magic... it’s an entire army. And if Stoneheart fails to—"

"I’m not worried about those things," Arran interrupted her.

Snowcloud gave him a puzzled look. "Are you that confident in the Blood magic?"

"I’m confident I can take the army," Arran said. "But I also know that Elder Naran will intervene if things go wrong."

"Elder Naran? But I thought he said only you and Stoneheart would fight the army?"

"He lied," Arran replied. "What he really wants is to see the Blood magic in action, and he won’t let it be lost if something unexpected happens."

He had only figured it out after his visit to the Elder, but the moment he had pieced it together, he knew it was true.

When Tuya first came for him, she had told him that her father had long tried to study Blood magic. Knowing that, it was a fair assumption that the man had studied him extensively while he was unconscious after his Tempering. And now, what remained was to see how he would be affected by the battle.

That was why the Elder had not let his adepts destroy the army, and that was why he wanted to send Arran and Stoneheart by themselves. It was a simple experiment, and although the battle wouldn’t be without risk entirely, Arran was certain that the outcome was already determined.

Snowcloud looked startled for a moment, but then, a thoughtful expression came over her face. "Does Stoneheart know about this?"

Arran shook his head. "He doesn’t, and he shouldn’t. He needs this battle to regain his confidence, and for that, he needs to believe he’s responsible for his own redemption."

"If you’ve got it all figured out, why come to me for advice?" Snowcloud asked, now sounding slightly annoyed.

"I’m not worried about the battle," Arran said, "but I am worried about the Sixth Valley. I don’t understand the conflict well enough to know if this will bind me to the Soaring Sun, or earn me enemies among the other factions."

At once, understanding dawned on Snowcloud’s face, and for several minutes she went silent as she considered the matter.

"It won’t," she said eventually. "Not unless you get directly involved in the conflict. Outsiders who attack Society members are enemies to all, and killing them won’t be seen as allying yourself with a faction."

"What if one of the other factions sent the army?" Arran asked, finally getting to his most important question.

"Then they’re traitors to the Society," Snowcloud said, almost seeming angry at the suggestion. "And they’re your enemies regardless of faction." She shook her head, then continued in a softer tone, "But I don’t believe any of them would go that far. Fighting each other is one thing, but helping outsiders kill Society members is something else entirely."

She spoke with a confidence that Arran did not share, but it seemed clear that at least superficially, battling the army wouldn’t put him in the Soaring Sun camp. While that was less certainty than he wanted, it would have to do.

If anyone within the Sixth Valley was behind it, it would be a well-kept secret, even to their own faction. And if he put an end to the army, it could not be considered an attack on any of the factions.

"Then I’ll fight," he said.

Snowcloud’s face fell as she realized that she had convinced Arran to go through with the plan. "Are you sure? You can get your strength back with a few months of Body Refinement... you don’t need to do this."

Arran nodded. "I’ve decided."

Snowcloud spent some more time trying to change his mind, but her efforts were in vain.

In truth, he wanted the power the battle would bring him, and the only thing that held him back was the possibility that it would be seen as a declaration for the Soaring Sun faction. Now that he knew that wasn’t the case, his mind was made up.

After he left Snowcloud, he headed for Tuya’s quarters. There was one more issue he needed to take care of — an important one.

When Tuya opened her door, Arran was momentarily left speechless. While her sleepy face suggested he had interrupted her rest, his eyes were immediately drawn to her body, which was only barely covered by an outrageously small set of underwear.

"Not the midnight visit I was expecting," she said as she waved him inside, sounding amused at his embarrassment. "But I suppose I could do worse."

"I need armor," Arran said, trying his hardest to ignore her attempts to tease him. He was only partly successful, and he could feel his cheeks flushing.

"Do I look like a blacksmith?" she asked in a bemused tone, making no attempt to cover her body.

"I’ll pay," he replied, trying very hard to keep his eyes on her face. "In Essence Crystals."

At the mention of Essence Crystals, her eyes instantly lit up. "I suppose I could find something," she said. "Although I doubt I can get anything better than that black coat of yours."

"I’m not looking to replace that," Arran said. "What I need are gauntlets, a helmet, a gorget, greaves..." It took him some time to list everything he needed, and by the time he finished, Tuya was the one whose eyes were wide with astonishment.

"Where the hell am I supposed to find all that?!" she asked, looking at Arran as if he had gone mad.

"I don’t know," Arran replied with a shrug. "But if you can find all of it by morning, I’ll give you a hundred Essence Crystals."

"A hundred?" She narrowed her eyes, then nodded slowly. "I suppose I might be able to find something..."

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