Reza found himself in the forum, having crossed onto the island from the Merchant Bridge, having completed the errands his sisters had asked for him to do within the city. The chilly morning still found the crowds were as thick as ever, maybe even more with the expected contest news. It had been two days since the Anceslia, and he had finally recovered from the late-night it had turned into and maybe excessive drinking he had done.


    Lukas and Marie stayed for a few more hours, but they mainly talked with other individuals at the party, while Tavia had Reza do the same. Fortunately, he was able to speak with Marie and Lukas one last time as they left, and Reza completed his duty by handing a small gift to each person who had come to the party.


    It would not be long before he saw them again and what had brought him into the city today. Reza and his sisters would be entertained by the Sulli’s in five days at the Arkhen Theatre to see the new play unless he could think of a good enough excess to get out of it. Plays were never his thing, though he’d seen several when he was younger, and they never caught his attention. They were often too romantic and had no exciting plots; he couldn''t understand people''s obsession with them. But Cassia and Tavia were excited to go, and he wouldn''t stop it, nor would he look down on the political opportunities this afforded his family. So, for one night, Reza would swallow his pride and try to enjoy himself.


    Moving through the crowd and trying to weave his way through was difficult for Reza. Thousands of people were milling around, the crowds as thick as he had ever seen. It made his journey to Sorana’s Tower to see if the rumors he heard this morning in the merchant quester were true. Sorana would announce the contest to become her new Archon around midday.


    “Excuse me,” Reza barked at a particularly large group of Wraith Pilgrims. They halted, looking towards the Broken King and his derelict building, and some fell to their knees in reverence, almost praying.


    Multiple pilgrims looked towards him and noticed Reza''s military uniform. The knives and sword at his waist made room and allowed his passage.


    By the time he got to the base of the black unlit tower of Sorana, it was almost midday, the time the rumors indicated the priest would make the announcement. Thankfully, there was no indication that it had happened, as a large crowd gathered around the tower, with Reza noticing the gates were barred.


    Strange. Checking the tower on either side of Sorana’s, Reza effortlessly saw several people entering or exiting the towers. Reza took this as confirmation that the rumors were true, as the towers were open almost every hour, day and night.


    Besides the four destroyed towers, Each of the nine remaining towers was opened to worshipers of the Echos. Priests of the nine would hold worship in a manner personal to the Echo; Iylana focused more on personal worship and allowed her priest to talk individually with people in need. At the same time, other Echoes enjoyed a sermon made by one of the priests or a sacrifice to the Echos when the sun was at its peak or in the dead of night under the moon. Marius knew Sorana enjoyed worship more in the dead of night, where her priests held communion. The rites did not matter; anyone was allowed to participate in or watch the worship. Reza had been in each Echo tower during his life and participated in a few rites.


    Reza was ripped from his thoughts by a hand grabbing his backside and a feminine voice whispering in his ear. "You''d think an officer wouldn''t let someone sneak up on them.”


    Reza turned to see a uniformed Sabine laughing as she retreated to lean against one of the pillars surrounding the tower grounds. She smiled mischievously, and Reza joined her, keeping his eyes on the black gates.


    "Well, I would expect my allies to have my back and not try to show how sneaky they are," he said, smiling. "What are you doing here? I thought you''d be back with your Legion."


    She shrugged. "Waiting for exactly what you are. The family worked it out with the Legion. If they have enough pull, you''ll see more than a few people getting leave."


    Stupid question by me. It was an obvious answer when it was spelled out to him. The families were all probably calling in debts left and right to get their best members into the city for the contest with one of the prime positions of power in the world up for grabs. Luck had been on Reza’s side, and the Sulli situation had fallen into his lap that morning, so he extended his leave by several weeks. Had he not, it would not have been an option for himself; he had no such strings to call upon to get released like Sabine. He was not jealous or angry towards Sabine for her family doing it; that was how Arkhen worked.


    "Of course, I wonder how long we will have to wait?" Reza mused. He didn''t have anything significant to do with the weeks of leave he had left. But there were several reasons to have this done sooner rather than later. First, with the likelihood of war in the near future, having another Archon would do wonders and boost the city''s morale. Secondly, Reza selfishly hated the wait. Just counting the seconds, minutes, and hours until something happened felt like torture, and he would instead be droning something than waiting.


    Sabine chuckled, and Reza glanced over to her. "Don''t worry; I expect us to wait less than a quarter-hour for the Priests to exit the tower.” She elaborated.


    "And how do you know this?" Reza asked, not surprised that her family had such information. Likely, someone in her family or an ally was a priest for Sorana and let the information leak out to them.


    "My family has at least one member in every one of the churches of the Echoes. My uncle serves Sorana. He sent word this morning that it would be just after midday that they would make the announcement."


    Reza''s thoughts confirmed that it was slightly surprising that the Rewans had members in every church, mostly families held to a single Echo when it came to joining a church. And while most priests came from noble families, it wasn’t always the case. Anyone could attempt to join, but those who did leave their family name behind, though that was only in practice. Everyone knew the priests still held close relations with their families and provided information when they could. Reza even had a few cousins in the church of Iylana, though none were close enough for him to ask them to leak information.


    If Reza needed information, he was more likely to pay for the information; putting a family member in the right places was intriguing. You would know the information collected would be accurate and there was a level of locality. The moral question of having a family join one of the churches for such practices was a unique topic. Reza almost wanted to know what the echoes thought about this. Another question arose: was the Rewans the only family that did this? Reza thought not.


    "What are you thinking about so hard, Marius?" Sabine asked with evident interest.


    Pulled from his thoughts by her using his first name, Reza took several moments before he answered. He was not stupid enough to explain what he had been musing about.


    "Nothing. Did your uncle tell you what the contest would be?" He asked curiously. "I suppose not, or you wouldn''t need to be here."


    "He couldn''t. He can only stretch his oath so far," She said. "He did say that normally Sorana does a physical contest. The last one was a great race around the border of Arkhen. It took Marcellus four days to fight and travel through the field before he crossed the line to win."


    Physical Reza could do it, and a race would be the best possible contest for his skills; very few people within the city and Legions could outpace him with Elana. Unfortunately, the Echo, bless her, would unlikely choose the same contest again. Reza was reasonably sure the Echoes rarely chose the same contest twice or several cycles before the same contest would be used to find their new Archon.


    Reza pondered the options. It was some psychical contest that wasn’t a race that pointed to fighting or possibly a measure of strength. Either way, it was better than a puzzle, which was far from being a strength.


    "Are you going to join the contest?" he asked. He knew the answer already; Sabine knew his path, too, but it was best to ask.


    "Of course, I think multiple family members will make the attempt. I know my brother is out there in the crowd, ready to make his pledge." She said, her face growing dark when she mentioned her bother.


    "Lucius, I did not realize he was back in the city,” Reza scowled, his anger rising from the mention of her brother’s name. “I hope he jumps off a cliff.”Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    The man was a couple of years younger than both but had already been promoted to centurion through his father’s patronage. Even so, Lucius wasn''t shy about rubbing it in their faces. Reza could do nothing because of the vastly different ranks in society and the Legion, and it galled Reza to hold his tongue against the man. Lucius had always been angry that he was not heir and tried to find ways to undermine Sabine.


    "Father always doted on him. He continued it this morning when we met with Father, but at least I can have the last laugh in this contest." She said her voice almost sounded like a growl.


    "Hopefully, the contest will allow such an opportunity for one of us to smash his damn face in," Reza said.


    Thankfully, Reza’s thoughts were interrupted, and he allowed himself to forget about Lucius as the black gate opened, the crowd anticipation building as everyone waited. Reza held his breath as two people appeared behind the gate, dressed in robes of the deepest black he had ever seen. One was an older woman with stark white hair who held herself in an air of power and superiority that spoke volumes about her high-ranking position within the church of Sorana. The man by her side was young, around the same age as Reza and Sabine. His brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and a tiny yellow wraith, hunched over using a walking stick, floated behind him.


    "It seems the time is at an end," Reza said, standing up straight to see over the crowd that began to push closer to the priest. They didn’t get far when sliver armored guards came from inside the tower and created a line holding back the crowd around a small dais that the young man stepped onto with the women following behind. Glancing back at the white-haired priestess, she gave her consent. Turning back, The young priest held his hands aloft; it took only moments for the forum to be silenced; they waited on bated breath for what he had to say.


    "Arkhenites, our lady Sorana has finished mourning Marcellus Sulli, though she will never forget her Archons. I ask that we have a moment of silence for our fallen leader." The man''s voice felt like he was talking right in front of Reza, not hundreds of feet away. Power laced every word. Interesting power, a born orator. Sorana found the perfect power to have within her church.


    Everyone bowed their heads, with Reza following. Taking a moment again, Reza said a quiet prayer. Marcellus, you’ll be remembered as a man who fought to the end, as a person to embody. You saved Lukas in exchange for your life and brought great honor to yourself, your family, and the city.


    Reza raised his head, watching the crowd. Many still had their heads lowered, with several wraith pilgrims kneeling in deep prayer. For a quiet minute, most people had finished and waited for the man to continue. He allowed the seconds to pass, the silence lengthening until the crowd was almost leaning towards him, waiting for his words.


    "Thank you. Our Lady Sorana has taken the time to decide how she shall choose her next pact wielder." He stopped again, and the crowd around the gate began whispering to their neighbors. He gave them a moment to speculate before he continued.


    "Sorana, in her great wisdom, has called for a grand contest of arms. Any Arkenite that would like their chance to be her pact wielder can place their name on the rolls to fight for the privilege. In two days, the first bouts shall begin." He stepped down from the dais, leaving the crowd to burst into discussion.


    Reza felt excited by the words; they were exactly what he wanted to hear. If there was a contest he could perform well in, it was dueling. Reza smiled, thinking about the possibility of meeting many skilled warriors blade against blade, wraith against wraith. There would be several dominant individuals he would be able to fight. It would be tough, but a challenge he would gladly take. It seemed many agreed with several different stone tables, with several priests sitting behind each had appeared. Men and women were already adding their names to the rolls, and lines formed before the tables.


    "Well then, let’s go add our names." Sabine started to make her way through the crowd, and Reza followed in her wake, trying not to lose sight of her. But she could get through groups with such ease that he was beginning to lag.


    "Sabine, wait," he yelled. Thankfully, she heard Reza and stopped allowing him to catch up. "Thanks. We don''t have to rush. Our names will get on the rolls."


    "I''m sorry. I want to make sure I''m in." She replied that she had a weird energy that Reza knew was about her brother, but he chose not to comment, and they again started to weave their way through the crowd.


    While Reza knew hundreds, if not thousands, of people, would join the competition, the vast majority would not, and he and Sabine had to push their way through them. These people were chatting excitedly about the upcoming entertainment that had been announced or leaving to get on with their lives after they heard the news.


    Finally, Reza broke through the crowd and joined one of several lines, with men and women all talking and laughing as they waited their turn to sign up for the rolls. Many were soldiers or dressed in well-tailored clothes that indicated their noble birth. Yet Reza also noticed several people dressed in rags or dusty work clothes as they had just left the fields on their farm. It would be an interesting group of people fighting for the honor.


    Thankfully, they did not have to wait long as the lines moved fast, and before long, they were both at different tables. The older Priestess Reza had seen standing with the orator was sitting behind the table, her eyes focused on him. Up closer, the block robes were almost unnatural in how dark the fabric was, and they were nearly uncomfortable to look at for any length of time. It felt like anyone touching the fabric would fall into the deep darkness of the void and never return.


    "Name child," The priestess asked in a husky voice. The dark circles under her grey eyes and the weariness in them made Reza believe she''d been up for days. But her voice showed no sign of any tiredness.


    "Marius Reza," he said, bowing.


    "Show me your wraith," She said bluntly.


    "Beg your pardon," He asked.


    "Our lady Sorana has ordered that every person who joins the contest must have a wraith," she said dryly. So be a dear and show me your wraith."


    I don''t like this. He hated bringing Elana out unless he had to. It always felt wrong for him to force her to come without a need. She had always seemed to hate it. He had no doubt she would give him a well-deserved glare when she realized why she had been summoned.


    He grabbed at the power within, and she appeared by his side. And it took only moments before he got the look he expected. I''ll be getting this for days now. Maybe the good fights we will have during this will make up for it, and she’ll forgive me.


    He mouthed, "I’m sorry," and nodded to the woman. Elana stared at him for a few more moments before she turned her attention to the lady and gave her the same.


    She laughed, nodding to Elana. "A feisty one; maybe you do well in the contest then. My honored Wraith, please place your hand on this stone."


    The priestess motioned to a large cylindrical black stone on the table before her.


    “What does that do?” Reza asked warily. He did not like having Elana do anything and would leave if he believed it dangerous.


    “Nothing harmful. We need to check to see if she and you are powerful enough to be part of the contest.” The priestess explained. “We expect many people will be interested in joining the fighting, but we must make sure to weed out the ones unsuited to the level of competition. There will be limits and protections within the contest, and we hope for no deaths, but that can’t negated totally, so we will only allow the strongest to enter. Now, would you both please place your hands on the stone?”


    Reza looked to Elana, who still held her glare but nodded and placed her hand, with him following. He felt a slow pulse of power shoot through his body before it was gone, and an ethereal black glow emitted from the stone.


    “Excellent,” She wrote his name into the roll. "You will be placed in the second bout on the first day. Be at the stadium by the ninth hour. You will be placed with fifty other opponents, and the last five standing without three marks will advance to the next round."


    "Marks?" Reza asked as he released his power, allowing Elana to disappear. The first round was tricky, with fifty fighters to keep the fight under his control. Any knowledge gleaned or given to him would be a factor in making it through.


    “Sorana will mark everyone with an item that will serve...” The priestess went silent and unnaturally still, her eyes glowing softly.


    Bloody Echoes. Reza, unsure what was happening, took a step forward around the table, concerned for the priestess’s safety. Looking for help from another, Reza noticed multiple people eyeing the priestess, but none of the other priests seemed concerned and continued their duties. There was some murmuring behind him from the line, but no one came up to help him, and he waited helplessly, unsure hope he could help.


    Several seconds passed with the priestess frozen, not even taking a breath while her eyes glowed, before finally, the Priestess took a deep breath. With her back, she began to eye him with genuine interest. “Sorana has informed me you already have an item in your possession that will work. The shadow gem you hold will be your mark and serve as your entrance into the contest and a way of preventing your death; be sure to keep it close.”


    Reza nodded, stepping back; he wasn’t sure how he felt about what happened. Sorana had communed with the priestess about him. Brushing his fingers across the black gem in the stealth of his new sword, Reza realized he had not had the time to delve deeper into his questions about the gem and the sword''s power. Thankfully, the research would be easier with its name now known to him. Unfortunately, asking the priestess about the shadow gem was not an option now, as hundreds of people were waiting in line. Another time. “What do the marks do?”


    "The mark will indicate when you have been hit three times during the contest. Do not worry; it will be obvious when you or your opponents have been hit. When that happens, do not continue to fight, or you may be disqualified during the entrance round or face other consequences," she said, coughing into a cloth and motioning the next person to step forward, dismissing Reza in the same instance.


    "As you say, I will be there," Reza said, retreating and joining Sabine as she left her table. "What bout are you in?"


    "Fourth, I''m not a massive fan of the fifty fighters. That puts a lot of chance that many good fighters will fall out early if people focus on them," She said. "What about you? What bout are you in?"


    "Second, but there''s nothing to be done. We''ll have to be careful. But I''m sure you''ll do just fine," Reza said, putting his arm around her shoulder. "Let''s go get a drink; I need one after today; for the rest, we will just let the coins fall where they may."


    Sabine laughed as they left the forum and the many hopefuls behind.