Paragon of Destruction

As they came closer to the battlefield, Arran could Sense that the violent pressure of unbound Essence was increasing. And even here, still a week's worth of travel from the center of the battlefield, he could already feel the glow of Essence on his skin.

It was no longer a mere tingle. Instead, it felt like the heat of campfire on a cold night, warming his skin in a manner that would have been pleasant had he not known its source.

But since he knew the origin of the glow, he could not help but be alarmed.

For Essence to have this effect at such a distance, the battlefield proper would have to be raging with it. And although he was prepared to face a situation like the one in Uvar, his resistance to Essence still had its limits.

Negin could feel the pressure increasing as well, and she looked at Arran uncomfortably.

"It's strong, isn't it?" she said, eying their surroundings uneasily. Yet although the effect was clear as day, no sign of its source could be seen with the naked eye.

"It is," Arran said, his frown only partly feigned. "Have you ever experienced anything like this before?"

She shook her head. "This is my first time in one of the training areas. I only became a recruit two years ago."

"Just two years?" Arran looked at her in surprise. He had thought her skill lacking, but he'd assumed she'd been training for far longer — at least five years, and more likely ten. If she'd achieved her current level of skill in just two years, it was beyond impressive.

Pride flashed across her face as she glanced at him. "Once you join the Imperium, you'll see that our methods are unrivaled in the world."

Arran suppressed a grin when he heard the bold claim. "You're familiar with other empires' methods, then?" he asked innocuously.

She blanched at his words. "I haven't seen other methods," she said, "but if even the mages can't withstand our might, how could others possibly compare?"

"The world is large and full of secrets," Arran said. Then, he shrugged. "But no matter. Perhaps you're right. Either way, we should focus on the task at hand."

He had already Sensed that there were more recruits in this area, and although they hadn't run into any so far, he knew it wouldn't be long before they found their first victims.

"The pills," Negin confirmed with a small nod. "There should be enough other recruits around here. And with your strength, it should take us only a day or two to gather enough pills."

There was a glint of eagerness in her eyes as she looked toward the barren wasteland that lay ahead of them. Most likely, she was already imagining a starmetal weapon in her hand.

But first, they'd need to gather pills. And although Arran was confident in his strength, he was still wary of any surprises they might encounter along the way.

"Are there any people to avoid?" he asked. "People other than recruits?"

Negin frowned, then shook her head. "There shouldn't be any," she said. "The Rangers don't usually interfere with the recruits' training in here." She hesitated for a moment, then added, "At the heart of the battlefield, there might be others training — but that's no concern of ours. We're not strong enough to go there."

Though Arran kept a calm expression, he cursed inwardly. The heart of the battlefield was exactly where he planned to go. And if there were stronger Hunters training there, he had a problem.

"But what about the pills?" he asked. "Don't those allow us to go into the battlefield?"

"The pills only give some resistance," Negin explained. "It's enough for us recruits to reach places we couldn't otherwise enter, but real resistance requires training."

Arran raised an eyebrow at her answer. He thought he'd solved the mystery of the Hunters' resistance to Essence, but it seemed there was more to it than just pills. "What kind of training?"

Negin shrugged. "I don't know. I've only been a recruit for two years."

Arran was about to ask another question, but just then, he spotted a lone figure in the distance. Although he'd already Sensed the person — a tall young woman — he couldn't say anything earlier, since Negin would doubtless grow suspicious if he found targets without seeing them.

"There," he said, pointing toward the figure. "Our first victim."

Negin looked over, and when she saw their target, she nodded eagerly. "Let's get him before he escapes."

They caught up to the young woman within a few minutes. She had made a half-hearted attempt at fleeing when she saw them approach, but when she realized it was already too late, she'd drawn her sword and stood her ground.

"Pathetic," she said as Arran and Negin approached. "You're too cowardly to fight on your own, and you even hide your faces? Where's your honor?"

Neither Arran nor Negin cared the least bit about honor, however. They effortlessly defeated the recruit, then relieved her of the small bag that held her pills.

Unfair though it was, there was nothing their opponent could do. Although she was a fair bit stronger than Negin, she lacked the skill to match two recruits. And with Arran as one of her opponents, she didn't even get the chance to put up a fight.

As they left the recruit's hateful gaze behind, Arran turned to Negin. "Anything good?"

His companion nodded enthusiastically. "She must have defeated at least five people already. A few more like this, and we'll have all we need."

They slowly edged toward the battlefield over the two days that followed, the pressure of Essence steadily thickening around them as they robbed over a dozen recruits.

None of their opponents were a match for Arran, though several of them offered insults when confronted by two disguised foes. He didn't take offense, however — in their position, he'd be just as frustrated.

Somewhat to Arran's surprise, they only encountered two small groups among the recruits. When he asked Negin about this, she explained that the disgrace of grouping up was enough to stop most recruits from doing so.

Still, if she felt any shame, she showed no sign of it. Rather, the closer they got to the battlefield, the more eager she seemed. And no wonder — if all went well, she was only days away from receiving the prize she so coveted.

By now, he also understood why she was desperate to find the weapon.

From what she said, outsiders — even those born within the Imperium — were often put at a disadvantage in training, receiving less guidance and support than those consider pure Darians.

The most talented outsiders could still win their teachers' favor through talent, but as Negin reluctantly admitted, she was a middling recruit at best.

But if she brought back a starmetal weapon, her fortunes would change. She'd instantly be recognized as a promising talent and be given the support she needed to actually become one.

And that, Arran understood, was something she wanted more than anything — to rise through the ranks and achieve glory within the Imperium.

He felt some sympathy for her, but not too much — the Hunters were still his enemies, and if he encountered her in battle when the long-expected war broke out, he would not hesitate in killing her.

But for the time being, they were allies. And with Arran's help, her goal grew closer by the hour.

After two days, she looked at their bulging bag of pills with just a hint of doubt.

"I think this should be enough," she said in an uncertain voice.

Arran gave her a questioning look. "But you aren't sure?"

"It's enough to let us remain in the battlefield for two weeks," she said. "But if we can find two weapons in that time…" She sighed. "We'll need to be lucky."

"It'll have to do," Arran said firmly.

He had no idea if two weeks would be enough to find a weapon, but he was unwilling to wait any longer. Even if none of the recruits they'd robbed had shown any sign of recognizing something was amiss, he didn't want to push his luck.

Moreover, he didn't want to spend any more time than necessary on the battlefield. Even if a week or two hardly made a difference, he'd already lost months in the Shadow Realm.

"All right," Negin said. "But if we don't find what we need…"

"Then we'll come back and get more pills," Arran said. "But there's no point in worrying about that now. We should head for the battlefield and test our luck. Perhaps we'll meet a few more recruits along the way."

Negin agreed, albeit reluctantly, and once more they set off.

Over the day that followed, the pressure of Essence steadily grew more intense, to the point where Arran could see in his companion's expression that she was having trouble bearing it.

But they hadn't reached the battlefield yet, and she was unwilling to waste any of the pills they had — not before there wasn't another choice left.

Of course, Arran was still mostly unaffected by the pressure. Although he could clearly feel its effects on his skin, his body had no trouble bearing it — it could resist far more than this without effort.

His Sense still functioned properly, too. This was a pleasant surprise, since he remembered well what effect the Essence in Uvar had on him.

As they were already nearing the edge of the battlefield proper, Negin pointed at two figures in the distance. "There! If they're heading inside, they must already have plenty of pills!"

Arran had already spotted the two far earlier, but he hadn't said anything. Not only did he have no real need for the pills, but he was also growing wary of unpleasant surprises. Things had gone too well for too long, and in his experience, that was rarely a good sign.

Yet he could hardly let himself be guided by superstition. He sighed, then nodded. "All right, let's get their pills. But after that, we're heading straight into the battlefield."