Archcrafter: Chapters 10-12 (The Weirkey Chronicles) (Patreon)

Not much business, for once. There's a new worldbuilding post, of course. Otherwise, to the chapters!

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Chapter 10

"Come on, Theo, didn't you say we should be taking more risks?"

He frowned at Nauda, even though he knew that he was going to give in eventually. "There are different kinds of risks and you know it. Fighting demons is one thing, but getting near power-mad Authorities? If he gets it in his head to kill us, there'd be nothing we can do."

"But we'll be meeting in a public place, with other important figures from the city nearby." Nauda pushed at his leg with her foot from her seat on the bed. "You're always calculating everything by 'merit per hour' value, but you're not going to get better than this. Seventy five merits each, just for an hour of escorting."

Fiyu bobbed her head in agreement. "Theo, I was also concerned. But I have investigated the restaurant where the meeting is supposed to take place and it is owned by the House of Coin. They maintain it as neutral ground, so Lord Tythes would not be able to follow his whims."

"This negotiation isn't even that sensitive. The only reason it's worth so many merits is because everyone else is concerned about the same thing."

Frowning deeper, Theo wondered if that led to a more serious objection. "Do you suppose it's possible that he's using his unpredictable behavior as a weapon? If everyone thinks he's dangerous, they'll avoid meeting him. Usually that would work against them, but if it makes House Blacksilver retreat from negotiations..."

"It's a good question. Wouldn't you like to find out?" Nauda gave him a smile that suggested she knew that he was going to give in. "I know you're interested in the House politics, even if you're focused on soulcrafting for now. Minor negotiations like these could be your way in."

"Alright, fine. I accept your logic, and it's a good find, I'm just surprised that you want to meet him again, after last time." He cast Nauda a skeptical stare. "Unless you noticed this specifically because you wanted to confront him again?"

"I'm not suicidal, Theo. He's an Authority."

"Okay. But everyone finish any soulcrafting work in progress, just in case he starts slinging cantae again. With that much power, he might be able to do permanent damage, even through our defenses."

They left the sitting room and returned to their own chambers - most parts of Fithe were relatively conservative about that sort of thing, so they needed to avoid the appearance of impropriety. It was an annoyance, but one he forced himself to remember, now that he was getting closer to politics that mattered.

Two days later, the meeting took place and the three of them went along with a small number of guards from House Blacksilver. Theo vaguely recognized a few of the others as fellow soulcrafters, from merit trades or just walking through the complex, but didn't know any of their names. If he needed those connections, he would trust Nauda to have forged them in his absence.

Their group contained one Ruler and three Archcrafters, including him - not exactly an army to take on an Authority, but a respectful enough group. If the assignment went as planned, their purpose was to prove that House Blacksilver could back up its words, with an undercurrent of not fearing House Crimson. Given their increasingly dominant place in Norro Yorthin, that was an important message to send, so he understood why they were willing to reward the volunteers so handsomely.

Soon enough, they arrived at the restaurant managed by the House of Coin. It was a larger building than he expected, filling an entire city block and rising four stories. Looking through the numerous balconies, he saw that the main chamber appeared to have an open center through all four floors, with most of the tables along the sides. Clearly, a place to see and be seen.

"Oh, there you are!" The sound of Tythes's voice from overhead made Theo flinch, and he looked up in time to see the young Authority walk directly through the side of the balcony. Infused with cantae, he simply smashed directly through the wood, then plummeted to land on his feet in front of them.

"House Blacksilver greets House Crimson." The diplomat they brought with them didn't back down in the slightest, instead giving a courteous bow. Since the man wasn't even a soulcrafter, he must be accustomed to facing down people stronger than him, so in a sense he had an advantage over the others. "We are glad to see you, Lord Tythes, but we had hoped to meet your delegation."

"Oh, they're... in there. Right over there." Tythes wheeled to point at a table near the entrance, which contained a group of three Ichili who suddenly looked much less comfortable. After staring for a bit, Tythes frowned, then turned back to them. "Well, I may be a little turned around. They're somewhere in there. Why don't we go find a seat?"

"An excellent idea, Lord Tythes."

With that ignominious start, the group headed in behind the Authority, who grabbed a drink from a nearby server without asking. He didn't seem to be drunk, and his robes weren't stained this time, though they were definitely rumpled. When he started to go off course, a group of Fithans in red robes rose to mark their presence.

Once the two sides came together, Tythes slouched back, leaning on the head of one of the other diners. House Crimson didn't seem to have brought any other soulcrafters, and perhaps they didn't need any. Though Tythes kept his power bound behind his shielding wall, he could obviously destroy the entire building.

"House Crimson greets house Blacksilver." One of the negotiators on the other side gestured to a broad table filled with steaming food. "Please, sit down. We've taken the liberty of ordering additional food for our guards... would you consent to letting them relax at a slight distance?"

"Very reasonable," the Blacksilver negotiator said smoothly. "There's no reason we can't all have a comfortable meal."

It was clearly a choreographed maneuver to reduce tensions, so Theo pulled back with the other soulcrafters to allow the negotiators to speak in peace. Given how Tythes behaved, that was likely an improvement, but it also meant that the Authority-tier soulcrafter went along with them, draining his drink as he sat down at the table.

"Come, join me! There's nothing to be... oh, it's you." He blinked when he saw Nauda, who stiffened and clenched her staff tighter. Though Theo tried to touch her back reassuringly, it didn't do any good. "I remember you. I... wrote some very bad poetry in honor of your beauty, didn't I?"

"I'm humbled by the quality of your memory, Lord Tythes." Despite the tension in her back, Nauda somehow managed to respond with a sugary smile. Tythes gave a lopsided grin that made Theo highly confident that he knew exactly who she was, but he only waved to them.

"I said sit down! Let's not cause a fuss and distract the others."

Since no one was sitting, Theo took the first step and pulled out a seat on the opposite side. Fiyu followed him, then Nauda and the others... and then Tythes promptly stood up and wandered off without another word.

Tracking the Authority as he ambled through the restaurant, Theo tried some of the meat set before them, but his hunger had vanished. He didn't think that House Crimson had any intention of sabotaging these meetings, so the only question was if Tythes had some plan. It was possible that he intended to cultivate his reputation as a threat, but if so, he was doing it recklessly.

What was strange was that his soulhome showed every sign of being finely crafted. Even focusing his full attention, the shielding wall was perfect: it not only left an impression of a humble first floor soulhome, it reduced Tythes's cantae to that of a first-tier soulcrafter, even qualitatively. Someone who could soulcraft such a wall couldn't possibly be a fool, and no one could buy their way to Authority.

It was possible that he'd only intended to reach a position of power and then exploit it; Theo had known people who were extremely determined in pursuit of their own pleasure. Another possibility was that Tythes had once been extremely motivated, but run into a wall when he attempted to reach Stronghold. Some who were considered geniuses failed that way, streaking upwards until they ran into hardship and promptly crashing. Given the pressure supposedly on him to take House Crimson into the future, that was a plausible scenario.

Pushing through a group of merchants, Tythes climbed onto their table, curled up, and promptly fell asleep. Theo expected loud, exaggerated snores, but there was no sound at all, as if Tythes had simply grown bored and stopped engaging.

Around the restaurant, a few watched his behavior and gossiped, but the majority didn't seem to care. It occurred to Theo that his antics might have been intended to thoroughly draw attention away from the actual negotiation, presuming that he did have some intention behind anything he did. But in that case, it would have been much more effective for House Crimson not to send him at all.

As he looked around the four tiers of the building, Theo saw a group of Deuxans and abruptly froze.

Though it was unusual to see Deuxans here, Norro Yorthin was a large enough hub city that it was hardly impossible. Yet he couldn't escape the sudden feeling that they were familiar, and not from his past life. All of them wore blank robes without any Court or family symbols, which was itself highly unusual for Deuxans in other worlds. Perhaps they were a monastic order, but perhaps...

"Fiyu." He whispered the words over to her while pretending to look elsewhere. She didn't turn to look at him, but immediately smiled broadly. "There's a group of Deuxans opposite us, two floors upward. What can you tell me about them?"

"There are... seven." She closed her eyes beneath her mask, senses extending out through the crowded restaurant. "One is a Ruler and appears to be the leader. All the others are Archcrafters. Most are wearing the robes you can see, but three are hooded in cloaks that obscure them from me."

"Meaning that you can feel the others? Are they wearing anything notable underneath?"

"Some armor... a few weapons... oh! They have hidden badges beneath their clothes. I cannot make out the exact details, but I recognize them from our time in Anguedan."

"Thank you." Theo smiled back at her while his heart sank into his stomach. A group of Deuxans might be a coincidence, but a group from that exact frontier city couldn't be. From his vantage point, none of the ones he saw looked familiar, but Fiyu had said that three of them were hiding themselves anyway.

If it truly was the Armeau family, had they tracked him specifically? It seemed an absurd amount of effort in response to a simple vendetta, yet he couldn't come up with another explanation. He strongly doubted that they had followed him through the gate, otherwise they would have appeared sooner. More likely they had contacted an Authority of their own and used a weirkey to reach Norro Yorthin.

Given that, was it possible that this meeting was a coincidence? They would have had the opportunity to see him and his companions during the incident, yet the group wasn't looking in his direction at all. If they intended to take revenge for killing one of their soulcrafters and injuring their family scion, surely they would attack in a darkened alley instead of a place like this.

That left him wondering if he had fundamentally misunderstood the nature of the vendetta. Esaire had been an important member of his family, but he wasn't important enough for them to mobilize such resources. Theo considered several wild theories, such as the sleigh they had stolen containing some sort of incredibly valuable sublime material. None of it made sense, so it seemed more like it was a vendetta taken far beyond the bounds of reason.

"Theo... one of them is gone." Fiyu spoke quietly, yet the words sent a chill down his spine. When Theo sat back to look around the restaurant, it was too late: an elderly Deuxan man was walking toward him with a viciously civil smile on his face.

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Chapter 11

"Please pardon me, good soulcrafters." The old man stared at him directly and Theo struggled to remember ever even glimpsing him. Perhaps there was a family resemblance to Esaire, but that might be his mind forcing a conclusion. More importantly, the old man was a Ruler making no attempt to hide his soulhome. "One of your number looks very much like an old friend of mine, and I'd like to beg a bit of his time."

Given their location, civility was the only option. "So long as I can perform my duties to House Blacksilver," Theo said, "I would be happy to speak to you. You say I resemble an old friend?"

"Forgive an old man's sentimentality. This matter concerns no one else, so could we perhaps discuss it in private?"

"There do seem to be empty tables nearby." As he rose to his feet, Theo shot a glance to Nauda and Fiyu, but there was no real choice. Even if they were capable of fighting a Ruler, they couldn't do it in a place like this. All he could do was take precautions and see where the conversation led.

Theo was prepared with polite excuses to prevent them from leaving the restaurant, but to his surprise the old man only took them to a nearby booth, not even one that could be targeted by the rest of his group. Likewise, he ordered no food and made no attempt to touch Theo. The old man's cantae was strictly controlled, with no signs of threats or any attempts to manipulate.

When they sat down opposite one another, the old man gave him an amiable smile. "Forgive me for those small lies, as I will forgive you yours. We heard that House Blacksilver had employed a Deuxan, and we were highly curious about such a thing. Upon seeing you, the answer became clear, but we do not mind your lies. Indeed, they are very Deuxan."

His act was good, every emotion apparently authentic, forged through a lifetime of Court struggles. But the story had holes and Theo was too well prepared, so he only played along. "I admit, I was worried when I first saw real Deuxans here. Thank you for being accommodating."

"Oh, don't trouble yourself further over it. But now I must admit something: a great deal of curiosity as to what path led you here. Would accept a dinner invitation from us? Once your work is done, of course."

There was the trap: if they got him alone, his membership in House Blacksilver would do him no good. A powerful Ruler like this could easily remove him from the city and then he would be entirely in their power. Realizing that he was at his strongest here, in a public restaurant with allies and a more powerful soulcrafter nearby, Theo decided to press his advantage.

"I'd be honored to learn from the Armeau family."

Instantly the old man's polite masked dropped, his gaze becoming razor sharp steel. "You may know us, but we know you, Bartolo 'aina Fithe'. There is no reason for us to engage in any conflict at all. It would be very regrettable if we couldn't find a way to cooperate."

"And who exactly am I speaking to?"

"I am Arceon ai Armeau, head of our family." Arceon kept his cantae perfectly still, but the way he leaned forward was threat enough. "If you answer all my questions, I will leave you in peace. I don't care that you killed a brute in our family or scarred my grandson. But if you prove uncooperative, perhaps those blood debts will matter after all."

That wasn't the approach Theo had expected at all, but he kept the surprise from his face and merely shrugged. "You seem a wise man, so you must understand I only tried to avoid conflict. What was so important that you pursued me this far?"

"What do you know of the ai Teraeves family?"

Though Theo was utterly taken aback by the question, his instincts leapt to fill the silence. "The historical one? What do you mean?" He filled his words with his actual surprise, hoping that it could trick the old man's keen instincts, while his mind churned in shock.

During his time on Deuxan, he had investigated about one of his old companions, Brigana ai Teraves. It had been a futile search, but Esaire must have remembered the name, leading to this pursuit. That was what baffled him, since he had assumed Brigana and her family were a century dead and couldn't imagine why they would merit such an aggressive response.

"That is not the sort of history many speak of, much less foreigners." Though Arceon examined him carefully, his suspicion seemed to have shifted. "For that reason, I require all the knowledge you have of them."

"Honestly, I don't understand. The ai Teraeves family was one of several I found mentioned in an ancient manuscript, and I wanted to-"

"And just why would you be investigating them?"

Theo gave another shrug and shifted back in his seat, getting his feet underneath him. "I wanted to trace my identity to a group that immortals might know, but without a family that could become angry with me for using their name. Clearly, that didn't w-"

"Liar." The old man's voice didn't rise, but his fingers tightened so hard on the table that the stone cracked. "You may not know what you're meddling with, but you know more than that. I will give you one more chance to be honest with me."

"If I knew enough to expect such a violent reaction, do you think I'd approach the matter so casually?" It was Theo's best available lie, since it was built on all the wrong truths, but he saw that it wasn't enough. "I only wanted to find out enough for a cover st-"

A hand closed around his throat and Theo was thrown backward, despite his efforts to brace himself. In a flash his back struck a pillar and he was pinned there by Arceon, his soulhome and eyes blazing. Yet it wasn't a wild attack, the old man was too canny for that, so the question was why he'd shifted approaches.

"This man is a thief and a liar!" Arceon kept his grip on his throat while turning to face the shocked observers. "He claims to be a Deuxan named Peanen, but his true name is Bartolo. If your city will allow us to extradite him, we can cease disrupting your meal."

Theo had no idea if the tactic would have worked, but in the surprised silence, someone tumbled off a table in a shower of silverware. As the figure rose into the air, all eyes turned to Tythes instead as he floated closer to them. Realizing that he had misjudged, Arceon let go of Theo's neck, but didn't stand down.

"A Ruler bullying an Archcrafter? That's not polite at all." He landed beside them, slinging an arm around the old man's shoulders. "There are three things I really hate in this life: bullies... hypocrites... and cherry jam. I don't see any jam, and I'm the hypocrite here, so you'd best watch your step."

"Is there no honor in Fithe?" Agilely stepping out of Tythes's grip, Arceon instead appealed to the entire restaurant. "We seek justice against a criminal, and no more. Allow us to follow our laws."

For a time all four tiers of the restaurant were completely silent, then someone coughed violently from the highest floor. An old woman stepped up beside the balcony, finished her hacking, and then spoke with her voice magnified through the room. "The House of Coin apologizes for this disruption. Please allow us to resolve the matter and offer recompense in private."

"Oh, but it's entertainment!" Tythes grinned at her, then gestured grandly to everyone watching. "This is more fun than any other dinner you've had, right? Why not let them continue?"

"Tythes." The old woman's tone snapped out. "The House of Coin would like this matter to be resolved quietly."

Though Theo thought the old woman wasn't even a Ruler, she was the first person to make Tythes actually back down. Clearly, she spoke with the voice of the House of Coin, carrying a Stronghold and all their economic influence behind it. Employees of the restaurant surrounded them and politely but firmly guided everyone into one of the back rooms.

There was little he could do now, but Theo still cast a glance to the others. He was glad to see that not only Nauda and Fiyu followed, but one of the Blacksilver negotiators joined them as well. Soon all sides stood in an ornately furnished room, and the old woman hobbled her way in a back door some time later, frowning at all of them.

"I would like this matter resolved promptly." Her cane jabbed out at Arceon, who had been joined by several hooded soulcrafters. "Deuxans. You have attacked a customer and disrupted our business with loud accusations. Explain yourselves."

"It is just as I said," Arceon began smoothly. "This man is a thief and a liar wh-"

"He is a member of House Blacksilver." The negotiator interrupted sharply, stepping in front of the group. "You chose not to pursue him through the appropriate authorities, I believe because you lack any evidence. Furthermore, I question if you even have standing to make a criminal accusation, with no House behind you."

"On the contrary, we are here as guests of the House of Burning Leaves. Feel free to contact them."

That set the Blacksilver negotiator back a step, but the old woman from the House of Coin joined in. "But your hosts didn't pursue a formal case either. This is growing tedious. Present evidence or we will have you thrown out."

For a moment Arceon hesitated, and his gaze briefly stabbed toward Theo with pure hostility, but then he seemed to make a decision and smiled. "It is true, we cannot press our claim in your courts. But we have a personal vendetta to resolve, and I understand that Fithe has long been accepting of private duels. Esaire, stand forth!"

One of the hooded figures stepped up beside him, pulling back his hood to reveal the Deuxan noble. Esaire looked much the same as before, though he had a scar across his face and neck from the sublime beast attack. Other than that, he seemed to have healed perfectly, and his soulhome brimmed with power.

"This man killed one of my oldest friends." Esaire swept a hand toward Theo, and the fact that the gesture was clearly planned didn't take anything away from the venom in his words. "I demand justice."

"Ooh, a duel for vengeance!" Tythes sprang forward, eyes alight. "This is so much more interesting than all the pointless allegations. House Crimson would happily get behind such a duel, since it would be a much more enjoyable resolution to this conflict than more talking."

Everyone else was quiet, while Esaire simply continued glaring at Theo. Whatever schemes his grandfather was up to, the young man clearly did hate Theo. He wasn't sure what the best position to take was, but knew that a duel that moment would go poorly. As the silence stretched on, Theo stepped forward to finally speak in his defense.

"I have done nothing but defend myself. Furthermore, I believe you will find that the Armeau family has no proof that I-"

"Don't care!" Tythes clapped his hands together with each word. "Duel! Duel! Duel!"

"There is precedent." The old woman tapped her cane on the floor a few times, then nodded to herself. "Both of you seem to have misapprehensions about Fithan justice. Your affairs are your own, and the details are immaterial - the House of Coin certainly does not care. But we cannot have personal vendettas spilling blood in the streets."

"Why not? Violence everywhere! Slaughter for the slightest insult!"

The House of Coin representative continued as if Tythes hadn't spoken. "The two offended parties will settle their vendettas in a single formal duel, then the matter will be closed, by the authority of our House and the city."

Esaire glanced at his grandfather and the two exchanged a look that might as well have been a smirk. Arceon nodded in acceptance. "Thank you for your wise decision. We wish to duel the offender, of course. If we defeat him, we can take him back to our world for justice?"

"Yes, so long as the duel is fair."

"But of course. The offender Bartolo and my grandson Esaire are both Archcrafters, so a duel between them would be entirely reasonable, would it not?"

"Just after you attacked him?" the Blacksilver negotiator objected. "You've clearly planned this vendetta, so such a duel would be anything but fair."

"What about a duel in a month's time?" Arceon smiled as if seeking to cooperate, his eyes glittering. "That would give both sides time to prepare. Surely no one can object to that."

Obviously they could, since Theo could already guess their ploy: Esaire had clearly been soulcrafting lately, and Theo had a strong suspicion he was building toward his upper limit. In a month he could ascend to Ruler, but the duel would still be considered fair by the rather loose standards of Fithe. After all, if Theo didn't want to be outmatched, he should have ascended as well.

"One year." Theo spoke into the silence before anyone else could take control of the conversation. "If you want a fair duel, give us each an entire year to prepare, then I'll fight you."

That led to a chorus of objections from all sides: Tythes thought that was too boring, Arceon objected that he would flee, and negotiators on both sides brought forth new arguments. But in the end it was decided by the House of Coin representative, who had clearly grown weary of the argument.

"Six months." She pointed her cane at both sides. "This trouble you've brought us has been very disruptive, and you're lucky that we don't begin any vendettas of our own. Until that time, neither side will make any violent attempts or any efforts to escape. Then when the time has elapsed, you can conduct your duel and the matters will be resolved, once and for all."

Though some objected, Tythes threw his weight behind her, and the two Houses combined couldn't be refused. Esaire and the others were clearly unhappy, but they understood that they had little control and were forced to agree. The Blacksilver representative gave Theo an apologetic glance, but in the end agreed as well.

So, with no more discussion than that, Theo would be dueling with his life on the line in six months.

-

Chapter 12

Despite the disruption, the House Blacksilver representatives did finish their discussion with their counterparts at House Crimson. The entire time, Theo stood in place, trying not to anticipate a knife in his back. Fortunately, it seemed that the Armeau family really was limited by the powers of the city and they had no choice but to leave the restaurant.

As soon as they had finished their official duties and the negotiators began to separate, Fiyu turned to him with a somber frown on her face. "This is not fair. Matters of truth cannot be decided by duels. Will this truly occur?"

"I'm afraid so," Theo said. He'd been holding back his tension, but now ran his hands through his hair and found it sweaty. "Most places on Fithe don't really care about concepts like justice, they just think violence should be controlled. So unless our House will stick its neck out for me, the only real option is to start planning for a duel."

"That was my question." Nauda glanced after the retreating Deuxans, then toward him. "Do you think you have a chance of beating him? He's been an Archcrafter a lot longer than you have, and his family will throw their resources into him."

"It doesn't look good, but we have six months." Theo might have said more, but at that moment the groups finally broke apart.

Despite all the disruptions, the representatives on both sides appeared pleased by the economic terms they'd negotiated. Tythes had finished off several bottles of wine and fallen asleep, but now scrambled back to his feet. As he followed his allies out, he abruptly swung back as if he'd just remembered them.

"I'll be seeing you in six months! Maybe sooner!" With that, he gave a cartoonishly large wink at Nauda and then marched out the door.

Their group remained a little longer, gathering themselves, and then departed the restaurant. A floating palanquin waited for them, and the lead negotiator gestured for Theo to follow him instead of going with the other soulcrafters. Nauda and Fiyu joined him without getting permission and the negotiator looked too tired to object. Once they began floating back to the House complex, he spoke in a weary voice.

"Do I have your word as a member of House Blacksilver that you aren't responsible for any great crimes against the Deuxans?"

Theo nodded immediately. "Absolutely. I fought only in self-defense, but this is a personal vendetta."

"We recognize that you weren't at fault, and negotiations did finish despite the disruptions, so none of this will impact your earned merits." The negotiator looked back to Theo wearily and shook his head. "However, you are a newly joined member of the House, so we won't provide any special aid, either. We'll support your legal rights to the duel, but if you lose..."

"I understand. Give me the opportunity to work and I'll handle this myself."

"That's what we like to hear. Only one last thing: is your name really Bartolo? We don't care what name you used, but it would be good to have for our records."

"I..." Theo pretended to hesitate, then sighed. "Yes, that's my name, but I would prefer to be called Peanen."

"Fine. Now, let me think about what all this means."

With the negotiator turning to his own affairs, Fiyu and Nauda clearly wanted to speak with him, but there was no privacy in the palanquin. For that matter, they'd need to be more cautious about names in the future, as well.

Overall, he thought that was the least of his concerns. Though he'd disliked the idea of his false identities getting linked, it might actually work in his favor. Now, if anyone investigated him, the secret they would discover was just another false identity. Those were extremely common between worlds, so hopefully anyone working for Vistgil or other forces would ignore him.

Then again, perhaps not. No matter how much Theo thought over the details of the confrontation, he couldn't come up with any answers related to Brigana. Though Esaire might actually want revenge, his grandfather had clearly gone to so much trouble solely to investigate the name. He didn't understand how just mentioning the ai Teraeves family could lead to such an extreme reaction, but the old man had been deadly serious.

In the century Theo had been gone, something must have happened to Brigana's family, and the only thing he knew was that asking questions about it was dangerous.

~ ~ ~

When they finally returned to the House Blacksilver complex, they remained silent. Some of the other soulcrafters were now entirely too curious about Theo, but Nauda deflected their attention. Since it was still daylight, they all marched into the male quarters to discuss strategy. Only after Theo locked the door behind them did Nauda finally speak.

"Do you attract problems, or do you enjoy having them bearing down on you? First the Chasm of Lamentations, now a duel in half a year..."

"Six months," Fiyu said. "There are thirteen months here."

"Close enough. That's not much time before your life is on the line."

Theo took a deep breath, trying to find the excitement that he would once have felt. The truth was, the duel merely annoyed him now, another obstacle getting in the way of his true goals. Its only redeeming value was that the steps he needed to take to win the duel included many of the steps he'd planned to take anyway, just perhaps in a slightly different order.

"There's something I'm missing about this." Theo turned to the others and explained the conversation, including some details about Brigana, though those seemed immaterial to the vendetta. When he finished, all he could do was shrug. "Duels aren't to the death here, but if Esaire wins and they take me back, I'm as good as dead. I'd like to find out why they came after me, but I don't see a path to those answers."

"Could you ask after the duel, assuming you win?" Nauda asked. "The terms seem more favorable to them, considering that you get nothing if you win, but at least you'd be in a position of strength."

"That could be, but it would take place after the duel. The odds are definitely stacked against me, so everything that occurs after then has become second priority... well, not acquiring Chasm Invitations. But those won't do me any good if I'm dead."

Fiyu sighed and sank down onto the bed. "So you are also concerned about the duel. It seemed nearly impossible to me, but I was not sure if you had a special plan from your previous existence."

"The central problem is that Esaire is starting with a huge lead: he's a fully polished Archcrafter and his family will definitely help him ascend." Theo leaned back against the wall and began ticking off the concerns. "I can probably work harder than Esaire, but twice as hard? He'll be soulcrafting every available hour, so not possible. I might be able to find better sublime materials, with a bit of luck, but I'm up against the resources of his entire family and possibly a Fithan House. My blueprint is superior to his, but it's not going to be ten times better than a design refined over generations. So simply surpassing him in six months is a fantasy."

"That sounds hopeless." Nauda watched him silently, her mind clearly churning over the same problem. "Yet you seem to believe there's a chance. He's obviously going to ascend to Ruler, so... perhaps you have a trick to get there too, and you'll only focus on a certain set of rooms you need?"

"I'm not going to try for Ruler at all. Rushing through ascensions is a sure way to create a weak soulhome."

As expected, that got an immediate negative reaction, but not as much as it might have been. Theo felt like in his past life, everyone would have shouted that it was crazy. This time, Fiyu merely tilted her head curiously and Nauda frowned as she considered it, so he continued speaking.

"Focusing on 'catching up' is a failing strategy, playing directly into his strengths. What I need to do is find a way to neutralize those strengths, then have an advantage that can take him down despite the gap between us."

Nauda started tapping her fingers along her staff in a swift rhythm, beginning to nod. "His cantae will be more intense than yours, so he'll win every head to head confrontation. But something like your gravitational torsion would still hurt him, if you have a way past his defenses."

"It is good to have hope," Fiyu said quietly, "but I think there is a bigger problem. Esaire is already very fast, and he will become faster. He will attempt to kill you before you can begin any strategies."

"Speed is a problem," Theo agreed, "and one I haven't entirely solved yet. At minimum, my blueprint has space for a speed-focused room on my second floor. I may need to take further steps, but it will be a question of what sublime materials we can find."

"This is a good plan, Theo. We will assist you in earning good materials."

"What's your advantage?" Nauda leaned forward, regarding him with narrow eyes. "I thought of your torsion technique at first, but Esaire saw it before, and you're not dumb enough to just try a stronger version. You have something else in mind, don't you?"

At first Theo hesitated to reveal one of his blueprint's secrets, but he realized that was a foolish vestige of his time on Earth. These two were his allies, and telling them would only help the group. Since their rooms in House Blacksilver were highly secure, he could reveal the secret there. Theo still sat down and lowered his voice.

"The four techniques on my first floor were not chosen randomly, they're all components of something greater. I intend to open channels from them to the second floor, where they'll all mix into a single technique. This is earlier than I intended, but it's possible to finish in six months, if enough other factors line up properly."

"Multi-floor designs are advanced stuff, but I assume you know what you're doing." Nauda shook off the tension and finally shifted back, giving him a wry smile. "I know this one isn't actually your fault, but you really do get yourself into messes. We'll help you if we can, but we can't afford to put aside our own soulcrafting."

"I can't afford it either: we should assume that Esaire's family might break the terms of the deal. Not overtly, since they need to obey the Fithan authorities, but we need to be alert. For that, all of us need to be fighting fit."

"There is another matter." Fiyu looked first to him, then toward Nauda. "They knew the travel name that Theo used when he joined House Blacksilver. Is that a sign of a betrayer in our midst? Or is that data public knowledge?"

"I doubt it's public," Nauda said, "but I think the easiest explanation is that they paid for it. Information like that must leak out, since it's not particularly important."

"I hope that you are right. Our House did try to help, so I would prefer to trust them."

As the three of them continued chatting about every angle of the situation, Theo let himself relax just a little. Not because he had time to waste, but because he needed to be at his best for what was to come. Given the amount of time, his objective was a marathon instead of a sprint, so he needed to pace himself perfectly.

He had a feeling that this time, there would be no grand coincidence to sweep in and save him.