Chapter 18: Invoking the Gods

Chapter 18: 18. Invoking the Gods

Darcus dismounted the Cold Lizard, securing his helmet, lance, and shield beside the saddle. The little wretch was acting foolishly, lifting its head to sniff the blood in the air, wagging its tail restlessly.

Darcus walked up to it and patted its head, then scratched its neck. The little wretch dodged away, opening its mouth to give Darcus a playful nip, its eyes watching him with curiosity.

In Druzh society, Cold Lizards are also called "little wretches." Every knight's Cold Lizard has a name, and Darcus's was no exception. It had been named by his younger brother, and the name was quite edgy: Ripperclaw.

"Chit, chit, chit, good boy!"

Darcus paused to consider his words before addressing the three Takaya siblings. "I have something very important to attend to right now! Do you wish to withdraw?"

The three siblings were stunned. What important business could there be in this godforsaken place? Moreover, he had phrased it as a choice rather than a command.

Flanais's breathing quickened. He rapidly secured his helmet, lance, and shield beside his saddle, dismounted the Cold Lizard, and walked with precision to a position two sword-lengths away from Darcus, dropping to one knee. Soon after, Rain and Alisha knelt beside their brother.

It had never been explicitly stated, but a "sword" was a unit of distance: one sword was two point four meters. In Druzh etiquette, the standard distance was three swords; attendants or squires stood at two swords; the most trusted adjutants stood at one sword. Of course, lovers, paramours, and rivals were at zero distance.

This system existed to prevent "assassinations of kings"—since class-based subversion and assassination were common in Druzh society. This etiquette was designed to handle such incidents, ensuring one could at least draw a sword in defense. If the distance was insufficient to maneuver or if one were in a military formation, exceptions were made.

Darcus used to dislike speaking loudly, but now he had to strain his neck to be heard.

Flanais spoke firmly, "My Lord, since waking, I clearly remember what happened on the day of the trial. You were the one who went, and thus, the fates of us three siblings have been changed. The appearance of Morayg Heg is proof of this."

A crow flew in from out of nowhere and perched upon Darcus's pauldron.

"And then?"

After speaking, Darcus stepped aside a few paces, worried the Cold Lizard might snap the crow up. He also moved away from the front of the three siblings, using his finger to tease the crow. The crow quickly dodged and looked at Darcus with disdain.

Seeing the crow on Darcus's shoulder, the siblings' conviction deepened.

"My Lord, we wish to offer you our loyalty!"

Noticing Joniva's sudden movement, Darcus drew the flintlock pistol from his right thigh holster. He raised the gun, disengaged the safety, aimed, and pulled the trigger.

With a *bang*, Joniva collapsed to the ground, twitching.

Darcus was speechless; he had aimed for the head, but the lead ball had hit the body.

"Grandmother, your blessings are quite unreliable. Or is it that firearms fall outside your domain of blessing?"

The crow gave him a contemptuous look and flew away.

If Darcus guessed correctly, the crow was there to provide presence—to show the people behind Basestin what was happening.

Darcus spoke again, "As the saying goes, everything in this world has its price. What is it you want?"

"To restore the glory of the Takaya family! It is our duty!"

Why did those words sound so familiar?

"Think carefully. You may not get what you want, and the road ahead may be harder than you can possibly imagine!"

At that moment, Rain spoke: "My Lord, we shall not regret even if we face nine deaths!"

The three Takaya siblings clenched their right fists and declared, "I, Flanais Takaya, Rain Takaya, and Alisha Takaya, swear in the name of Kane, that I shall follow Darcus Hell-Bane unto death! Should I break this oath, I shall be sacrificed to Kane!"

"In the presence of Morayg Heg, the Soulkeeper, and Ladrili, the Goddess of Mist, I! Darcus Hell-Bane! Accept your allegiance!" Darcus walked back before them and spoke solemnly.

In Karrakond, the Takaya family was merely a small noble house on the brink of bankruptcy, possessing neither military rank nor steady income. They owned only a dilapidated ancestral home that they lacked the funds to repair. It had previously belonged to an uncle suffering from mania, but now it belonged to the uncle who went to sea on raids with Darcus's father. Furthermore, Flanais could only inherit it if this uncle died without an heir, as his own father was the third son.

Warriors like Flanais and Rain could only hope to fight for merit, join raids on the Black Arks, or swear fealty to Dreadlords or Great Nobles, because they lacked even their first pot of gold.

Cold Lizard Dread Knights only received Sovereigns when they were on active duty. The two of them were in the reserves, and even then, the Sovereigns issued were merely symbolic—not nearly enough to live on, and no noble would bother to claim them as it would be beneath their dignity.

Typically, female sorcerers graduating from commoner families would become shipboard sorcerers, taking on mercenary-like tasks to survive, or simply becoming lovers to nobles. During wartime, they would be conscripted into sorcery corps to act as "batteries," responsible for replenishing the Winds of Magic.

Noble female sorcerers from wealthy families had more options, usually serving their families directly upon graduation. As for someone like Alisha, who had just graduated, she was essentially nothing; even a graduate from a top-tier academy wouldn't be worth the Sovereigns required to serve a Dreadlord—they would have to think twice.

Darcus's cousin, nine years older than him, held immense power in Karrakond, surrounded by a crowd of noble youths. He looked down on small families like the Takayas.

The "family pride" in the uncle's eyes was worthless in Druzh society. Well, perhaps there was a tiny bit of social pressure and anxiety involved.

He could only rely on a "cold hearth" like Darcus—though it wasn't truly cold, as Darcus could take on squires after returning from his trial. Moreover, the three siblings owed him a life. The previous Darcus had no obligation to help them complete the White Lion Trial; even sailing the ship to Ulthuan was a massive risk. If they didn't show up in time, he would have just left, treating the previous payment as wasted money.

He had called the three siblings to help because their uncle was effectively a semi-hostage; he wasn't conspicuous and wouldn't pose a threat to Darcus, making him a safe choice. After all, they couldn't run back to Ulthuan to become Asur, could they? Or become woodcutters?

One of Darcus's other cousins had wanted to come, but his elder cousin had refused. The elder cousin looked down on the man, seeing him as someone with high ambitions but low ability who loved to meddle. If something happened to Darcus, the Matriarch, the Young Lord, his father, and his uncle would make the elder cousin pay dearly. Meanwhile, the three siblings would have been forced to wander the Old World as warhound mercenaries, constantly hunted by Kane's assassins.

Before calling them for assistance, Darcus's cousin had already given the siblings a portion of Sovereigns and promised that upon their return, they would receive thirty percent of the weighed spoils—one tenth each.

"Weighed" meant that after the ship docked, forty percent of the spoils had to be offered to the Witch King Malekith, and the remaining spoils would then be divided.

Of course, one could smuggle goods, provided they could deceive the stewards and tax collectors. These officials reported directly to Malekith and were stationed in the ports of the five major cities. If caught, it was a violation of one of the few laws in Druzh society, and the consequence was direct sacrifice to Kane.

"Rise."

Darcus walked toward Basestin, and the crow flew back onto his shoulder. Darcus held his hand in the air, striking a comical pose.

He began to mutter, "Ah, Ladrili, Goddess of Mist, Lilith, the Pure Maiden, Goddess of the Lake, I crave your presence."