Soul of the Warrior

"And then the Ice Troll tackled me to the ground," Reivyn spun a tall tale based on truth to the captivated audience. "But I had trust in my teammates. Princess Kefira didn't let me down, and she did what she had done before, nullifying the protective aura around the Ice Troll. Not only eliminating its defense against magic, but also its regeneration.

"Lady Serilla charged over, seeing that I was taken down, and she thrust her sword through the back of the beast, yanking it out and severing its spine. It was all over after that. The two ladies weren't used to such bloodshed, so while they rested for a moment, I finished the foul beast off with a slash to its throat."

That wasn't what had happened, obviously, but Reivyn wasn't trying to toot his own horn. He had depicted a scene of him bumbling to the front, stalling the trolls while Kefira and Serilla used their excellent teamwork and abilities to save his life. The young men had stars in their eyes at the mention of Kefira's heroics, and Reivyn could even see a couple of the more hostile foes turn and depart.

It was a losing strategy to try and paint himself as an unconquerable hero. That would just rouse the jealousy and envy of his more stalwart opponents. Instead, he made Kefira out to be unconquerable, and Serilla wasn't too far behind. The first strategy of bringing Kefira up as much as possible would arouse the interest of the more competitive suitors, but bringing Serilla up with her dampened the enthusiasm of those without a strong posse.

The likes of Remfort, who had a large crew of other young nobles following him, wouldn't be deterred no matter what he did, but Reivyn was hard at work eliminating as much of the chaff as he could.

The strong combination of putting them down as children who hadn't stepped into the world at first, then wooing the mothers who loved to dance but didn't get the opportunity as often anymore, followed by increasing the status of Kefira and Serilla in the eyes of all those present had gotten rid of 80% of the potential marriage seekers.

Reivyn turned and left the group of young men as they collapsed in on themselves to talk about the exploits Reivyn had told them. He didn't limit it to just a slight fabrication of their encounter with the Ice Trolls. He also told the story of how the typical "damsel in distress" had been turned on its head when Kefira swooped in and saved him from being captured by the enemy.

All of the hype that Reivyn had put on Kefira had been deserved if it hadn't been told most honestly. He felt his Gab and Silver Tongue Skills tick up, a sensation he had been feeling more and more tangible lately. He didn't understand why he was able to more closely monitor his Skill Leveling without the hard numbers from the System, but it was a thing that he just rolled with.

"Come now, Reivyn," Trevor leaned in and whispered, "everyone knows that trolls aren't susceptible to Space, and Serilla's talent lies in Ice. Those are hardly conducive to turning the tides against an ambush from the Ice Trolls."

"Trevor," Reivyn stopped and put his hand on his companion's shoulder, "sometimes being right isn't 'right.' Do you understand?"

Trevor's gaze shifted up and to the left, as he thought about the words Reivyn said.

"So, pointing out that the Ice Trolls couldn't possibly have succumbed to Space and Ice, while 'right,' is wrong because you would steal Kefria's glory at her event?" He ventured.

"Close enough," Reivyn smiled. "While that's true, the main purpose is to scare the more weak-kneed suitors off. If they think Kefira is so much more powerful than them, especially the ones that are several years older and have completed their pilgrimages to gain Life Experience, then they'll back off from seeking an engagement.

"It's all about strategy. That being said, it would come back to bite us if we told outright lies. There's enough truth in the stories I stretched, and some of the stories are completely true, that nobody would be able to fault me."

Reivyn casually roped Trevor into being his accomplice by mentioning "us" when he talked about his strategy. Trevor wasn't completely oblivious, he was just hot-blooded and wanted Reivyn to thump his chest and get the other boys excited with him. He let it slide, though, as he was becoming more and more attuned to the idea of Reivyn being his future brother-in-law.

"Your Highness, Lord Liaison," an Imperial Guard walked up and saluted the two young men as they walked along the edge of the ballroom floor. He leaned in and whispered something to the two of them. "There's an incident in the back gardens that we thought prudent to report. We've already sent someone to Prince Garet, but young Remfort and a group of his friends have attempted to bribe some of the Imperial Guards."

Trevor's face morphed from an amiable smile into a cold mask of anger in a flash.

"This is a serious allegation," He said. "I trust that I don't have to instruct the Imperial Guards on the proper course of action to take?"

"Yes, Your Highness," the guard saluted with a small bow and made to leave. Reivyn reached out and stopped him.

"Well hold on for a second," Reivyn said with a twinkle in his eye. "Let me guess, the bribe is for them to 'look the other way?'"

"Among other things," the Imperial Guard nodded. "Despite the serious breach in ethics and the law, they've been careful to word their request in a way that wouldn't necessarily implicate the guards if there was an investigation."

"I see," Reivyn stroked his chin in thought for a second. "Do you happen to know the guard that was on duty at the gate when I and Kefira first arrived?"

Recognition dawned in the Imperial Guard's eyes at the question.

"Shift Leader Lencet, sir."

"Good. If you would be so kind, track him down and let him handle this. Tell him to agree to their request, but to do so grudgingly and to haggle over the price of the bribe. Have him use the breach of etiquette on my part when I used an Observation Skill on him as the reason for doing so.

"Don't forget to relay this information to Prince Garet. I don't want anyone to get in trouble over this, other than Remfort and his crew. Make sure he understands that he's not actually accepting a bribe, but that he's carrying out orders."

"Yes, sir," the Imperial Guard once more saluted and gave a small bow before hurrying off to complete his task.

Trevor frowned and gave Reivyn a sideways glance.

"What's the purpose? You obviously know they're going to spring a trap on you. What are you going to do about it?" Trevor asked.

"Phase four is about to be initiated," Reivyn said.

"What are the other three phases?" Trevor asked.

"Phase one: contrast the fact that the invitees are young men who haven't seen the world by belittling them as little boys while wearing medals for valor," Reivyn ticked down on his fingers. "Phase two: re-establish a good impression with the mothers, building a rapport and waiting to strike at the opportune time. Phase three: let them know that they can't handle me with half-baked methods.

"I gave them a little taste earlier, and phase four is going to be a lesson they'll never forget.

"Watch," Reivyn said. "Two things are going to happen here in a little bit: One, Kefira is going to be dragged off somewhere where I can't see her. Two, someone we know and trust is going to come to tell us that she's waiting for us in the back gardens.

"She's not actually going to be there, or this little scheme wouldn't work, but we're not supposed to know that. She just has to be out of sight, out of mind, and then they can 'trick' me into going to see her. I'll play along, and then I'll take them to school when they think success is in the bag."

"What about me?" Trevor asked. "Wouldn't my presence also put an end to their plan?"

"I don't know exactly how they're going to separate us, but separate us they will," Reivyn answered. "Just let it happen, and you can follow along after and watch the show."

"You seem awfully confident about this," Trevor said. "I thought you weren't good at political maneuvering."

"Two things," Reivyn held up his fingers and counted them down. "One, your sister and Serilla grilled me on several different scenarios that could occur tonight. Two, as I said, it's all about strategy. If you apply the concepts that you would use on the battlefield to the ballroom, you can guess what the enemy is going to do.

"If I were them, just like I did with my dancing with their mothers, I would separate the target from their support and ambush them in the least likely place. For me, the least likely place was directly on the dance floor in front of everyone. For them, it's the back gardens that are protected by the Imperial Guards." Reivyn shrugged. "Put two and two together."

"What would you have done if the Imperial Guard just now hadn't alerted us?"

"Moved on to another plan. They wouldn't be able to succeed without outside interference. Remfort's so arrogant that he thinks his own social standing is enough to get away with attempting to bribe the Imperial Guards. Send him a guard who supposedly has a grudge against me, and he and his friends won't question their success."

Trevor stopped in place and stared at Reivyn.

"I think my mother was wrong about your weaknesses," he shook his head. "Everyone assumed that you didn't have a head for political intrigue, but they left out two key components in their analysis: They didn't account for your obvious alliance with Kefira and Serilla, and they discounted your experience on the battlefield and ability to apply it to other situations."

"They saw my lack of typical Social Skills, forgetting that Strategy is effective against all forms of conflict." Reivyn's smile was predatory. "Look."

Reivyn elbowed Trevor and pointed to the distance where Kefira was seated. Trevor followed his direction and the two watched as a group of young ladies approached the table. A conversation ensued, and, as Reivyn had predicted, it ended with Kefira and Serilla getting up to follow the other girls. Reivyn faced Trevor and wiggled his eyebrows. Trevor just rolled his eyes.

It wouldn't be prudent for Remfort to lure Reivyn to the back gardens right away, because he didn't know if he had seen Kefira leave or not. Reivyn figured they had at least a couple of minutes before the next attack in the plot arrived. He and Trevor took a couple of seats at an empty table and watched the dancers while commenting on the differences between what Reivyn was used to and what was in vogue in Willowan.

"There you are," a voice intruded on their thoughts. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

Reivyn looked up to see Petre standing nearby. He gave Trevor a wink before addressing the enthusiastic young man.

"Looking for me? Why, whatever for?" Reivyn didn't have the Acting Skill.

"One of the other nobles looking to curry favor with Kefira gave me a message that she was requesting your presence," Petre said. "She's out in the back gardens, waiting for you."

"Thanks," Reivyn beamed at Petre, standing up and clapping him on the shoulder.

Trevor got up to follow, and the three young men made their way to one of the exits leading to the gardens. As they got closer, another young man stepped forward. He wasn't quite blocking Trevor's path, but he was close enough to do so that Trevor would have had to adjust his footing to avoid bumping into the young man.

"Your Highness! Just the person I was looking for," the young man gave a short bow, a look of cunning that he couldn't hide from Reivyn on his face.

Reivyn subtly tilted his head in the newcomer's direction. Trevor's eyes widened in recognition.

"Well, you found me," he said, coming to a stop. He reached out and grabbed Petre by the arm. "I'm sure my sister would like a little bit of privacy while Reivyn goes to find her, don't you think?"

Petre was slightly taken aback at first, looking back and forth between the prince and Reivyn. Reivyn gave him a little nod, and he shot a "thumbs-up" to Trevor from where the interloper couldn't see it.

"I'll see you in a bit," Reivyn said to Trevor. The young man who had stepped forward couldn't hide the smirk that tried to steal across his face.

Reivyn walked out into the darkness of the back gardens. It was well-lit enough, but it was nothing compared to inside the ballroom. The lighting was dispersed to give a certain ambiance to those who strolled along the pathways. Reivyn just shook his head at the antics of his competitors.

Kefira had mentioned that one of the most likely scenarios, if it was looking like he was doing a good job, was to be separated from everyone else and someone would either challenge him to a duel or ambush him. As soon as the Imperial Guard had shown up and mentioned Remfort, he knew exactly what the plan was.

Remfort had seemed to want to challenge him to a duel openly on the ballroom floor earlier, but one of his friends must have pointed out what his medals actually meant. Remfort hadn't dismissed him or given up, he had simply shifted strategy. If he was unlikely to win in a fair duel that he had proposed in front of everyone, then he should simply abandon the duel and fight Reivyn in the dark. Literally and metaphorically.

Reivyn casually strolled through the paths laid out, admiring the way the plants looked in the dim lighting. His hands were behind his back like he didn't have a care in the world. There were flowers, flowering bushes, and groves of trees, all interspersed with streams and paths meandering through the gardens.

After rounding a bend through a particular grove of trees, just beyond the line of sight of the ballroom, Reivyn encountered Remfort standing in the road. He stood in a relaxed stance, sword already drawn. A sneer appeared on his face as Reivyn arrived.

"I bet you didn't see this coming," Remfort gloated. "The mighty Imperial Liaison, a lucky captain from a Tier 3 Region who snuck his way into bamboozling Princess Kefira into accepting him as her Liaison.

"I don't know what you think you're doing, but you're interfering with your betters. Don't think my friends haven't relayed to me how you've ridden the coattails of Princess Kefira to gain her trust, but that act ends now.

"I challenge you to a duel!"

Remfort raised his sword into the guard position. Reivyn snorted at the demonstration.

That's a bit unexpected, Reivyn thought. I guess my strategy of giving Kefira all the credit for everything increased his confidence. Or at least enough to try it out before they jump me.

The others hiding behind the trees and bushes couldn't escape Reivyn's Divine Sense. He figured Remfort either wanted to put up a front, or he just wanted to test the waters before committing to completely tearing face with Reivyn.

"A duel you say?" Reivyn responded. He unclipped his tessen and snapped it open, holding it in front of his chest like he couldn't care less about the steel pointed at him. "Are you sure about that? Let's see... One, two, four, seven... eleven people hiding in the bushes."

Remfort's calm gaze flickered to one of uncertainty. Reivyn hadn't given any indication that he had noticed the others, and he hadn't been looking around, either.

"Are they just the witnesses to your extraordinary abilities in challenging me to a fair and open duel?" Reivyn grinned at the other man.

"Nonsense! Draw your weapon," Remfort frowned.

"Against you?" Reivyn looked Remfort up and down before clearly dismissing him. "I don't need it."

Remfort's lips drew into a displeased line.

"Well, I gave you a chance. It's your own funeral."

Remfort used some sort of Skill to close the distance quickly. It wasn't Charge, from what Reivyn could see, but it was basically the same thing. Reivyn casually took a step to the side and swiped his fan out, gently nudging his opponent's sword off course just a little bit more.

Reivyn's fan came back to his center chest as he stepped past the over-extended Remfort. He didn't take the opportunity to strike back, yet.

Remfort recovered from lunging forward and slashed at Reivyn. Reivyn angled his fan to intercept the attack, and he looped his wrist around to have the sword go past him harmlessly. Remfort was once more in a bad position, his shoulders squared the wrong way. Reivyn reached out and slapped him across the face with his free hand before stepping back once more.

Remfort was stunned for a moment, completely disbelieving what had just happened. He turned a furious glare to Reivyn, but Reivyn's eyes just twinkled in amusement over the edge of his fan.

Remfort took a step back, readying his sword, and Reivyn's Danger Sense pinged. It pinged in a way to let him know that something potentially harmful was coming, but that it wasn't really that big of a deal. A Skill was activated, and like Kayzor's Thousand Lances Skill, several sword thrusts appeared simultaneously aimed at Reivyn's vital points.

Reivyn frowned at the attack, noticing the ruthless gaze in Remfort's eyes. He stepped forward, between several ethereal sword thrusts. The step neutralized the targets, bypassing all of the strikes easily. The Skill was either in its infancy, or it overly relied on the inexperience of the opponent. It was a trap to try and move laterally or backward, but moving forward avoided the Skill entirely.

Reivyn laid his fingers from his free hand on Remfort's wrist while he was still in the ending position of the Skill. He squeezed with his monstrous Strength, and he channeled Gravity into his fingers. The Mana caused his fingers to want to come together even more than his Strength would allow, and he felt a satisfying pop as several of the smaller bones in Remfort's wrist shattered.

At the same time, Reivyn channeled Eternal into his Tessen, ensuring its shape and durability, and smashed it straight on into Remfort's throat. Another crunch was felt as he blasted the cartilage protecting his larynx.

Remfort dropped his sword from the pain in his wrist, and he grabbed his throat, his eyes opening wide from the pain, as he stumbled back from the second attack. He couldn't get far, though, as Reivyn hadn't let go of his wrist. He collapsed to one knee, struggling to breathe, one arm still extended.

"Murder!" Someone shouted from behind Reivyn.

Suddenly, the eleven bystanders rushed out with weapons drawn. It was a serious breach to draw naked steel in the Imperial Palace. Most people didn't even bring their weapons with them, in their storage pouch or otherwise. Reivyn assumed his "friend," Lencet, had delivered the weapons. He's so considerate, Reivyn smiled.

Reivyn noticed that Remfort's gaze hadn't lost its ruthless gleam. He shook his head as he smacked him over the head with his fan.

"Looks like the cavalry's here, huh?" Reivyn smirked. "That's what you must be thinking. I hate to burst your bubble, but you're not the only one who knows how to lie."

Reivyn didn't elaborate on the confused look Remfort gave. He hadn't struck him hard enough to collapse his windpipe entirely, so he wasn't in danger of actually dying. Even if he had, with a Vitality Stat as high as Remfort was bound to have, he could live without oxygen for several minutes. It was well beyond long enough to seek life-saving medical attention.

Reivyn released the boy's wrist and stepped into the maelstrom of swords that greeted him. He tapped into his Dance Skill to fluidly move about. His Divine Sense and Spatial Awareness kept him abreast of where everyone was and the attacks coming at him, and his Battlefield Awareness let him know the optimum routes to take to avoid further danger in the future.

He danced in the dim lighting, swords gleaming. Nobody even came close to touching his clothes, and he mentally shook his head at the poor foundations of the young nobles. Some of them were fairly decent, but it was clear that they weren't Masters of the Sword.

I would say that none of them are even close to Expert, Reivyn judged. Serilla might have a bit of a hard time fending off all of them at once, but that's just simple numbers. None of them can hold a candle to her Skill.

Reivyn looked like he was still casually strolling through the gardens as he avoided the attacks of the young nobles. He used his experience and Skills to judge when it was a proper time to launch a counterattack, and as the fight drew on, those opportunities grew more frequent.

He hadn't even defeated the last of the bunch before they suddenly backed off, staring at him with wide eyes. Several of them were knocked completely unconscious, and all of them were breathing hard. Reivyn stood with his legs apart, tessen held against his chest once more. His breathing was still perfectly normal.

One of Remfort's underlings rushed to his side and helped him up. The others who were still able to stand and move about dragged their downed companions away from Reivyn, and they formed a line. Remfort stood up and shook off the helping hands now that he had his feet under him.

He attempted to say something, but only a gurgle came out. He shook his head and gestured angrily at the companion standing next to him. The other young noble tilted his head in confusion and frowned. Remfort rolled his eyes and gestured toward Reivyn.

"Oh, Oh!" The young man faced Reivyn. "You haven't heard the last of us!" He shook his fist angrily at Reivyn.

Suddenly, Reivyn was right next to Remfort. He palmed his face and slammed his body back to the ground again. He stood up, his foot on Remfort's neck, and the other boy grabbed his foot with his good hand, trying to move it off of him. Reivyn's foot didn't budge, and he could see panic finally set in on the boy's face.

Reivyn peered down at him before sweeping everyone else standing in line. They all flinched back as his gaze met theirs.

"For your sake, you better hope I have," Reivyn calmly said.

He removed his foot and strolled back the way he had come. Remfort allowed his underling to help him to his feet once more, and Reivyn turned his head to call out over his shoulder.

"Leave the weapons on the ground," he said. "We all know those aren't yours." He took a couple more steps before he called out again. "Shift Leader Lencet."

A man dressed as an Imperial Guard materialized right next to Reivyn. Reivyn was slightly surprised, but he didn't let it show on his face, though he did hear a couple of gasps from behind him. He was far enough away that I couldn't detect him with my Divine Sense, but he arrived by my side instantly when I called, Reivyn thought.

Lencet saluted and gave a short bow, a look of newfound respect in his eyes when he looked at Reivyn.

"Yes, Lord Liaison?" He asked.

"Make sure nobody steals any property of the crown," he instructed.

"It will be done, My Lord."

Several more Imperial Guards materialized out of the shadows on either side of the path, silently watching the youths. Reivyn could hear the clang of metal as the swords were dropped as he continued walking back to the ball.

This was a fun night.