“Father is livid. The Pinnaculum belongs to our House. It’s been with us since the founding of the city. We’ve always had the right to choose when to employ it.”

  Lauren was agitated. I could see the righteous anger as it touched her face, her voice. Katya watched her too, as captivated as I was. She was glorious in her passion. Her perfect form made her no less captivating, but it was the power of her voice that struck me. I realized, for the first time—though the thought should have come sooner—that she could be a Lord Supreme one day. Her family was prestigious, and her powers were so obviously substantial. I could see her arguing in the Lord’s Hall in the Tower, and I pitied the fools who would try to argue against her.

  I tentatively tried to placate her. “But how often has the Pinnaculum been put in the Field? Maybe there’s a—” I said maybe—“a legitimate reasoning to it.”

  Her head spun, and her eyes locked on me. There was fury hiding barely beneath the surface. To be honest, the surface didn’t seem that placid either. Katya shot me a glance and a head shake that spoke of commiseration for my mistake.

  I heard my own voice falter. It was madness. I was The Sword of Boston. I shouldn’t quake under the gaze of anyone.

  I said, even more carefully than before, “Just… you know… think about it. Think about the bigger picture. Detach yourself from your House, and think about Boston. There’s a resource here that could quite simply change the course of an entire battle. But the decision to use it isn’t in the hands of the city; it’s in the hands of a Family. I’m sure your father would make the right decision and risk the relic if it was for the greater good, and I’m doubly sure you would. But what about other houses? What about the history-altering relics that sit in castles across the land? Are their lords so noble? We know how selfish so many of them can be. A determination that allows the city to compel them to commit their resources to a war effort in a time of need could be good for the city. It might be vital even.”

  Katya only smiled more broadly, out of Lauren’s line of sight. She was thoroughly amused.

  Lauren’s nostrils flared. Even this crude expression was beautiful on her face.

  She fixed me with a stare that made me flinch. Sitting there, in a beautiful chair, in the surroundings of the castle, encased in the armor of a god, I felt terribly vulnerable.

  When she spoke, it was measured and calm, but there was a terrible force lurking there. “And where would that stop, Ti? Don’t tell me you’re getting sucked all the way in by the Grand Master of Boston. You’re sounding too much like him. If he can commandeer our relics, then what’s next? What happens when the lands of a lord are considered strategically vital? Or our castle—what happens when that is seen as crucial to some imagined threat to the city? Actually, you know, never mind a lord. What happens when some village of common folk is in the way of the vital interests? And never mind if it’s in the way of building a wall. What if it’s economically necessary to plow a family home into the Earth?”

  I stammered, “It’s only for defensive—”

  She cut me off. “Now. Now it’s only for—what was the wording?—extraordinary military defensive need? Some shit like that. But that’s now. Once you start crossing the line, how hard is it to add little increments? We’re free or we’re not. The people of Boston, from lord to laborer, own their own property. That’s an easy line to draw. But if you start fucking with it, Ti, start creating some grey over the issue, what stops you from shifting the definition? What does it take to slowly turn Extraordinary Military Defensive Need into something like For the Betterment of the City? What does that look like? How hard is that to argue with?”

  My mouth worked, but no sound came out. Katya was silently laughing at me. I felt it was a commiseratory laughter. She had been at the sharp end of this stick herself and was very much enjoying seeing me suffer a fate she had known.

  She kept me pinned under her stare, a morsel at the end of a skewer. Then, suddenly, the venom washed away from her eyes. She melted slightly, sinking back into her seat. Her voice, when she spoke next, was suddenly softer, sadder, conciliatory. “Ti… I’m not saying Balthazar is bad. I can’t argue with what he’s achieved, with what you’ve both achieved. I just… I remember realizing that you were different. I’m not talking about your power. I mean, there was a point when I realized that you were realer than a lot of the other people I’ve met. Too many of the people in my circle are… I don’t know… fake is the wrong word. There are too few who are like you, or Katya….”

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  She turned her head to look at her wife. Katya’s inane grin teleported away as those beautiful eyes settled on her, and Lauren’s glance was returned impeccably.

  She said, “Maybe it’s independence. Something like that. I don’t want to see you losing yourself to the propaganda. It would be sad to see you turn into a zealot at the church of Balthazar.”

  I said, “I know what he is. I can deal with him, I’m not a lackey. I can take him on when I need to.”

  Katya said, “When you know you need to. A force like Balthazar can confuse you on that one. He reminds me of Mother.”

  Lauren said, “Just be careful, Ti. You don’t want to wind up like Magneblade or Chowwick. Bless poor Chowwick.”

  I said, “What do you mean…?”

  Katya chuckled. “Oh no, you don’t know.”

  I said, “Don’t know what?”

  Lauren seemed more concerned than her amused spouse. She said, “Magneblade is Balthazar’s creature. Chowwick was too.”

  I said, “Creature?”

  Lauren seemed uncomfortable, Katya seemed to be evilly delighted.

  Lauren said, “The Griidlords are split. I suppose you’d have no reason to know about it. They hardly talk about it themselves. Chowwick was, and Magneblade is, savagely loyal to Balthazar. Magneblade is devoted to him. He believes in everything Balthazar is about—tearing down tradition to build functionality, rewriting the Charter for a new age, quitting on the old losing ways for anything else. Vaelstrom is old and wise and not so easily swayed. She’s known to be very… cautious of the new Lord Supreme. Tara… well, she doesn’t seem to have any opinions on politics.

  Be careful how you tread, Ti. As events proceed, there may be divisions among your teammates. You need to be sure on what side you want to be standing, if any.”

  I was hesitant to reply. I found the words coming with difficulty to my lips. “I don’t want to be part of any of that. I want to do my job. I want to win, that’s all. Win for the city, make things better for everyone. I don’t want to side with nobles or common people. I just want to make things better.”

  Katya said, “You keep funny company for someone who feels like that.”

  I let a raised eyebrow ask my question in response.

  Katya said, “Dirk Jaxwulf? He’s what? A retainer of yours? He was banished from his own lands for sowing discord.”

  I said, “I hear him out when he has something to say. He’s not mad. He makes good points, Katya. I’ve been out there myself these last weeks, experiencing the Falling. Men die out there for no good reason. I’ve killed enough of them myself.

  The Griidlords burn their power out there fighting each other, killing each other, robbing from one another’s cities. Imagine what Griidlords could do if they didn’t have to spend their time preparing for or conducting war every season. We could improve the trade networks, put out fires, we could explore beyond the Veil in the North or the Wierding Wall in the South. We could organize and fight The Horde. There’s so much more we could do…”

  Katya’s eyes narrowed as she inspected me. I couldn’t tell if she was appraising or judging me. I couldn’t tell if she was amused or disapproving.

  Lauren spoke, changing the subject. She’d clearly had enough conflict. “The Locked Orbs must fall soon. How long do you have?”

  I held Katya’s gaze for another moment. I was happy to change the subject, but I was slow to relinquish the meaning in that gaze. After another moment, I turned my eyes to Lauren and said, “A couple of days. The Oracle will tell the priests when and where we should go. We won’t have much time, so it will just be us.

  Honestly, I don’t have high expectations. Olaf is amazing for one who just donned the Shield, but he’s only level 10—almost a non-factor. As well as I’ve done, I’ll pale in comparison to the other Swords that have been able to gather enough fragments to make a key.

  Vaelstrom won’t be risked in a battle where there’s no army to shield her, so it will be like there’s only three of us going out there.”

  Lauren said, “Don’t be so sure. Other teams will have suffered attrition. I feel like the Oracle has a say in who faces whom in this stage of Falling. The Oracle tells the Towers where to expect specific Orbs.

  Does the Oracle tell every Tower about every Locked Orb, or just a couple at a time? If the Oracle favors you, maybe it will put you against another team that’s shy a member.”

  The thought chilled me in a way that was deeper than I expected.

  I thought I had a handle on Enki. I thought we were matched in our expectations of each other, in our ability to bargain.

  The thought that Enki, who claimed to be part of the Oracle, could influence something so grand and vital, chilled me.

  It would make me less than an equal partner.

  Oathbreaker: A Dark Fantasy Web Serial | Royal Road. It's insanely highly rated and for good reason. This gives me David Gemmel meets Pierce Brown vibes. I love the voice and narration. The MC talks to himself, or us, in a way not completely unlike Ti's introspection. It's a very high quality piece of work.

  X. @TomWrathAuthor. I did this on advice, it is not something I did of my own volition. I don't even know how to send a tweet. I'm not sure what to do with it. Maybe I'll post updates on the experience with publishing through MQ? I'll try and find something. Anyhoo, if you want to join up, I will follow back and we can see where this wild ride goes ;)