News of the tournament spread through the academy instantly, like ripples on water from a thrown stone. In the corridors, the dining hall, the common room, nothing else was discussed. Students placed bets, debated the participants' chances, argued hoarsely about who would win and who would be humiliated in the first round. Nox's name was heard more often than most, not because he was considered a favorite. Quite the opposite. The nameless upstart who had dared to challenge the duke's son would now have to answer for his insolence in the arena, in front of everyone, and most spectators anticipated his humiliating defeat.
Nox tried to ignore the whispers behind his back, the mocking glances Reinhart's friends cast at him in the corridors, the way some students demonstratively turned away when he passed. He was used to it. In the slums, they had looked at him like dirt too, and it had not broken him. It would not break him now. But one thing troubled him. He could not use his true power. Shadow, dragon blood, his army of shadow servants, all of it had to remain secret. And without them, his chances against Reinhart, a Metal mage trained from childhood by the finest instructors, were slim. He needed to find a way to win without revealing himself.
In the evening, he gathered his friends in their usual corner of the dining hall, after most students had left. Kane, as always, sat at the edge, silent and observant. Iris, by contrast, could not sit still, her golden eyes burning with both anxiety and excitement. Eveline sat quietly nearby, clutching her ever present book to her chest, but her gaze was focused and serious. Ren, as usual, talked the most, waving his arms and offering one crazy plan after another. Mira stood slightly apart, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, but her face showed she was listening intently.
«Reinhart will use Metal,» Nox began once everyone had gathered. «That is his main power. He can create weapons from metal, enhance his body, make his skin as hard as steel. He is fast, strong, and trained to fight from childhood. His weakness is that he is used to winning. He is overconfident, arrogant, and believes a nameless nobody poses no threat to him. That can be used.»
«How?» Iris asked. «You cannot just hope he will make a mistake. He is dangerous, Nox. Very dangerous. I have heard that in training, he has already beaten second year students.»
«I know. But I have something he does not expect. I am fast. Very fast. Sylvana taught me to move, to dodge, to use the environment. I will not try to beat him in a direct confrontation. I will make him chase me, waste his energy, get angry. And when he makes a mistake, I will strike.»
«What about your magic?» Eveline asked carefully. «You are a dark mage. Could you not use your power to, well, blind him or something?»
Nox shook his head. «My magic is too noticeable. If I use it at full strength, it will draw attention. And I do not need that. I will use it minimally, only to create distractions. My main strategy is speed and tactics.»
Kane, who had been silent until then, suddenly spoke. «I have an idea. Sand. I can give you some of my sand, enchanted to obey. You can use it to create dust clouds, blind Reinhart, clog his breathing. It is not your magic, it is an artifact. No one will be surprised you have such a thing. Many students use similar items in tournaments.»
Nox looked at him with gratitude. «That is a good idea. Thank you.»
«And I can help,» Mira chimed in. «I am an Earth mage. I can create several stone plates for you, small, light, that you can wear under your robe. They will take the first blow if Reinhart hits you. It is not against the rules; defensive artifacts are allowed as long as they are not active.»
«I want to help too,» Iris said. «My Light is not very suited for combat, but I can create an amulet that will flash brightly for a moment. Just once. It will confuse Reinhart and give you an edge.»
Ren, who had been listening with his mouth open, finally could not contain himself. «And me? Am I just going to sit and cheer for you? I am a Wind mage! I can create an artifact that gives you a speed boost for a few seconds! That is not forbidden if the artifact is one time and weak!»
Nox looked around at his friends and felt something warm spread in his chest. They all wanted to help. They all believed in him. Even without knowing his secret, without knowing who he truly was, they were ready to give their strength, their time, their skills to support him in this fight. It was… incredible. In the slums, every person was for themselves. Here, at the academy, he had found people who had become almost a family to him.
«Thank you,» he said, his voice muffled by the surge of emotion. «Thank you all. I will not forget this.»
They sat until late, discussing details. Kane promised to have the sand charges ready by the next evening. Mira said the stone plates would be ready in two days. Iris undertook to make the flash amulet, though she warned it would only work once and would take a lot out of her. Ren, energized, ran off to the workshop to begin work on the speed boost amulet, muttering formulas and calculations under his breath. Eveline, who could not create anything tangible, promised to learn everything she could about Reinhart's fighting style, talk to students who had seen him in training, and prepare a detailed report for Nox.
When everyone had left, Nox remained alone in the empty dining hall. He sat and looked at the place where his friends had just been, thinking about how strangely his life had turned. Just a few months ago, he had been sleeping in a scrap metal shack, eating garbage scraps, and hiding from gangs in the tunnels beneath Ravnes. Now he was a student at the continent's finest academy, he had friends who would do anything for him, and he was preparing to fight the son of a duke. If someone had told him that back in the slums, he would have laughed in their face. Or punched them. Depending on his mood.
He stood up and walked to his room, but did not go to sleep. Instead, he waited until Kane fell asleep, then slipped quietly into the corridor. He needed to go to the catacombs. Needed to see his army, check that everything was in order, and perhaps find something that could help him in the upcoming fight. He could not use his servants in the arena, that would be too noticeable. But he could use them to spy on Reinhart's plans, what artifacts he was preparing, who he was talking to. The shadow rats were ideal spies, and Nox intended to use them to the fullest.
He went down to the basement, took the familiar path to the round chamber, and summoned his servants. They appeared silently, emerging from the shadows one by one: a dozen goblins, the crawler centipede, a pack of rats. All of them looked at him with empty eye sockets, awaiting orders. Nox surveyed his army and felt a strange satisfaction. They were his. His power, his will, his creation. And they would serve him faithfully as long as he wished it.
«You three,» he said, pointing to the rats, «will go to the dormitory where Reinhart lives. Watch him. Every step, every word, everyone he speaks to. Everything you learn, you will report to me. You two,» he pointed to the goblins, «will watch his brother, Magnus. He is more dangerous than Reinhart and may try to help him covertly. The rest will continue patrolling the catacombs, searching for new passages, creatures, artifacts. Everything you find, report to me. Questions?»
There were no questions. The servants dissolved into the shadows, departing to carry out their orders, and Nox remained alone in the round chamber. He sat on the stone floor, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes. There were three days left until the tournament. Three days to prepare, to become stronger, to find a way to win without revealing himself. It was not much. But he was used to working with no time at all. In the slums, every second could be his last, and he had learned to use every moment to its fullest.
He opened his eyes and began to train. Shadow flowed in his hands, taking the form of a dagger, a sword, a chain, a spear. He moved in a dance that only his Shadow knew, striking at invisible enemies, dodging, jumping, rolling. He worked until his hands began to shake with fatigue, until sweat poured into his eyes, until his breathing became hoarse and ragged. Only then did he stop, leaning his back against the cold stone wall.
He thought about Reinhart, about his arrogant face, about how he had humiliated Eveline, about how he had looked at Nox with contempt, as if at dirt beneath his feet. He thought about Magnus, who had stood in the corridor and promised to destroy him. He thought about the Moon Goddess, who had killed his parents, erased the memory of them, hunted him and Lin. About all those who considered him a nobody, refuse, unworthy even to breathe the same air. And inside him, a cold, calm fury began to boil. Not the kind that clouds the eyes and makes one act foolishly. Another kind. The kind that gives strength to move forward, no matter what.
«I will show them,» he whispered into the darkness. «I will show them all who I am. Not now. Not at this tournament. But one day. One day they will know my name. And it will make them tremble.»
The shadows around him stirred in agreement, as if confirming his words. And somewhere above, in the dormitory, Reinhart van Drake slept peacefully, unaware that invisible eyes were already watching him. And that his defeat was inevitable. Not through strength, not through magic, but through the will of the one he considered a nobody. The will of the dragon, awakened deep in the catacombs, was driving Nox forward. And he was not about to stop.Chapter 27. Preparing for the Storm
News of the tournament spread through the academy instantly, like ripples on water from a thrown stone. In the corridors, the dining hall, the common room, nothing else was discussed. Students placed bets, debated the participants' chances, argued hoarsely about who would win and who would be humiliated in the first round. Nox's name was heard more often than most, not because he was considered a favorite. Quite the opposite. The nameless upstart who had dared to challenge the duke's son would now have to answer for his insolence in the arena, in front of everyone, and most spectators anticipated his humiliating defeat.
Nox tried to ignore the whispers behind his back, the mocking glances Reinhart's friends cast at him in the corridors, the way some students demonstratively turned away when he passed. He was used to it. In the slums, they had looked at him like dirt too, and it had not broken him. It would not break him now. But one thing troubled him. He could not use his true power. Shadow, dragon blood, his army of shadow servants, all of it had to remain secret. And without them, his chances against Reinhart, a Metal mage trained from childhood by the finest instructors, were slim. He needed to find a way to win without revealing himself.
In the evening, he gathered his friends in their usual corner of the dining hall, after most students had left. Kane, as always, sat at the edge, silent and observant. Iris, by contrast, could not sit still, her golden eyes burning with both anxiety and excitement. Eveline sat quietly nearby, clutching her ever present book to her chest, but her gaze was focused and serious. Ren, as usual, talked the most, waving his arms and offering one crazy plan after another. Mira stood slightly apart, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, but her face showed she was listening intently.
«Reinhart will use Metal,» Nox began once everyone had gathered. «That is his main power. He can create weapons from metal, enhance his body, make his skin as hard as steel. He is fast, strong, and trained to fight from childhood. His weakness is that he is used to winning. He is overconfident, arrogant, and believes a nameless nobody poses no threat to him. That can be used.»
«How?» Iris asked. «You cannot just hope he will make a mistake. He is dangerous, Nox. Very dangerous. I have heard that in training, he has already beaten second year students.»
«I know. But I have something he does not expect. I am fast. Very fast. Sylvana taught me to move, to dodge, to use the environment. I will not try to beat him in a direct confrontation. I will make him chase me, waste his energy, get angry. And when he makes a mistake, I will strike.»
«What about your magic?» Eveline asked carefully. «You are a dark mage. Could you not use your power to, well, blind him or something?»
Nox shook his head. «My magic is too noticeable. If I use it at full strength, it will draw attention. And I do not need that. I will use it minimally, only to create distractions. My main strategy is speed and tactics.»
Kane, who had been silent until then, suddenly spoke. «I have an idea. Sand. I can give you some of my sand, enchanted to obey. You can use it to create dust clouds, blind Reinhart, clog his breathing. It is not your magic, it is an artifact. No one will be surprised you have such a thing. Many students use similar items in tournaments.»
Nox looked at him with gratitude. «That is a good idea. Thank you.»
«And I can help,» Mira chimed in. «I am an Earth mage. I can create several stone plates for you, small, light, that you can wear under your robe. They will take the first blow if Reinhart hits you. It is not against the rules; defensive artifacts are allowed as long as they are not active.»
«I want to help too,» Iris said. «My Light is not very suited for combat, but I can create an amulet that will flash brightly for a moment. Just once. It will confuse Reinhart and give you an edge.»
Ren, who had been listening with his mouth open, finally could not contain himself. «And me? Am I just going to sit and cheer for you? I am a Wind mage! I can create an artifact that gives you a speed boost for a few seconds! That is not forbidden if the artifact is one time and weak!»
Nox looked around at his friends and felt something warm spread in his chest. They all wanted to help. They all believed in him. Even without knowing his secret, without knowing who he truly was, they were ready to give their strength, their time, their skills to support him in this fight. It was… incredible. In the slums, every person was for themselves. Here, at the academy, he had found people who had become almost a family to him.
«Thank you,» he said, his voice muffled by the surge of emotion. «Thank you all. I will not forget this.»
They sat until late, discussing details. Kane promised to have the sand charges ready by the next evening. Mira said the stone plates would be ready in two days. Iris undertook to make the flash amulet, though she warned it would only work once and would take a lot out of her. Ren, energized, ran off to the workshop to begin work on the speed boost amulet, muttering formulas and calculations under his breath. Eveline, who could not create anything tangible, promised to learn everything she could about Reinhart's fighting style, talk to students who had seen him in training, and prepare a detailed report for Nox.
When everyone had left, Nox remained alone in the empty dining hall. He sat and looked at the place where his friends had just been, thinking about how strangely his life had turned. Just a few months ago, he had been sleeping in a scrap metal shack, eating garbage scraps, and hiding from gangs in the tunnels beneath Ravnes. Now he was a student at the continent's finest academy, he had friends who would do anything for him, and he was preparing to fight the son of a duke. If someone had told him that back in the slums, he would have laughed in their face. Or punched them. Depending on his mood.
He stood up and walked to his room, but did not go to sleep. Instead, he waited until Kane fell asleep, then slipped quietly into the corridor. He needed to go to the catacombs. Needed to see his army, check that everything was in order, and perhaps find something that could help him in the upcoming fight. He could not use his servants in the arena, that would be too noticeable. But he could use them to spy on Reinhart's plans, what artifacts he was preparing, who he was talking to. The shadow rats were ideal spies, and Nox intended to use them to the fullest.
He went down to the basement, took the familiar path to the round chamber, and summoned his servants. They appeared silently, emerging from the shadows one by one: a dozen goblins, the crawler centipede, a pack of rats. All of them looked at him with empty eye sockets, awaiting orders. Nox surveyed his army and felt a strange satisfaction. They were his. His power, his will, his creation. And they would serve him faithfully as long as he wished it.
«You three,» he said, pointing to the rats, «will go to the dormitory where Reinhart lives. Watch him. Every step, every word, everyone he speaks to. Everything you learn, you will report to me. You two,» he pointed to the goblins, «will watch his brother, Magnus. He is more dangerous than Reinhart and may try to help him covertly. The rest will continue patrolling the catacombs, searching for new passages, creatures, artifacts. Everything you find, report to me. Questions?»
There were no questions. The servants dissolved into the shadows, departing to carry out their orders, and Nox remained alone in the round chamber. He sat on the stone floor, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes. There were three days left until the tournament. Three days to prepare, to become stronger, to find a way to win without revealing himself. It was not much. But he was used to working with no time at all. In the slums, every second could be his last, and he had learned to use every moment to its fullest.
He opened his eyes and began to train. Shadow flowed in his hands, taking the form of a dagger, a sword, a chain, a spear. He moved in a dance that only his Shadow knew, striking at invisible enemies, dodging, jumping, rolling. He worked until his hands began to shake with fatigue, until sweat poured into his eyes, until his breathing became hoarse and ragged. Only then did he stop, leaning his back against the cold stone wall.
He thought about Reinhart, about his arrogant face, about how he had humiliated Eveline, about how he had looked at Nox with contempt, as if at dirt beneath his feet. He thought about Magnus, who had stood in the corridor and promised to destroy him. He thought about the Moon Goddess, who had killed his parents, erased the memory of them, hunted him and Lin. About all those who considered him a nobody, refuse, unworthy even to breathe the same air. And inside him, a cold, calm fury began to boil. Not the kind that clouds the eyes and makes one act foolishly. Another kind. The kind that gives strength to move forward, no matter what.
«I will show them,» he whispered into the darkness. «I will show them all who I am. Not now. Not at this tournament. But one day. One day they will know my name. And it will make them tremble.»
The shadows around him stirred in agreement, as if confirming his words. And somewhere above, in the dormitory, Reinhart van Drake slept peacefully, unaware that invisible eyes were already watching him. And that his defeat was inevitable. Not through strength, not through magic, but through the will of the one he considered a nobody. The will of the dragon, awakened deep in the catacombs, was driving Nox forward. And he was not about to stop.