Jefremov sprinted towards his guard post. He saw no immediate signs of life, even though he knew that the guard post had been staffed by over one hundred Seidren, not including the support staff as well. Jefremov had not expected this. The carnage that met his eyes was impossible to understand. He reached the entrance to the southeast border guard fort and slowed only imperceptibly to maintain his balance on the icy ground.

  Bloodstains, and human remains marred the walls and grounds. He checked several, but found no signs of life. “I left you only three days…” he murmured, as if the dead could hear him.

  In his manasight, swirls of mana were everywhere and they obstructed his vision to check for mana wells. He ran about like a mother hen, but became increasingly distressed by what he found. He eventually made his way under a half-dissolved sword made of crystal mana that had caved a wall of the command post in.

  He walked in, and there he found the guard commander Edwin. Edwin had been a Beryl Seidren, two stages above Jefremov. The tip of the crystal sword that lay like a heavy foot on a sandcastle reached through the room and impaled the Seidren Captain. Jefremov walked slowly up to the man, and found a message scrawled in front of the man, using the arm which had not been removed by the sword. An absent part of Jefremov’s mind noticed the commander leaning his head against the blade of the sword, as the blade passed through his shoulder and almost reached his stomach.

  The good commander had taken his dying moments to scrawl a message. Jefremov could make out most of the message, as parts of words had been left off.

  Onyx Seidren, calamity gauntlet, others, bloodfold.

  Most of the scrawled message was not news to Jefremov. Jefremov remembered clearly his fight with the Onyx Seidren responsible for this disaster. The crystal-frost Seidren called himself Tyladriel. Jefremov had fought the Seidren when he had shown up outside the first guardpost. He had initially confronted him to ask how he had bypassed the other security measures that made up the defenses of the Serventian homeland. Any Seidren above Sand would have difficulty making it to the wall undetected or unharassed. Jefremov had been very curious when an Onyx Seidren had shown up on his doorstep.

  It had ended with a fight.

  Jefremov had taken a surprise blow from the Seidren, which had launched him inland. He had been thrown through the air until he landed near a certain prison transport. It would seem the Onyx Seidren had explored much further down the border, but had now left Serventis, and taken its toll of lives as it left.

  Bloodfold. The ancient rule was taught to the Seidren of old who had trespassed the original Runelord’s territory. “Every drop a life, every home a city.” Blood for bloodfold.

  He closed the commander’s eyes, and grief struck him. “You held the line well, my friend.”

  Jefremov left the commander’s corpse, and in a daze, he walked through the rest of the fort. He checked pulses, and confirmed deaths, and all the while, he counted.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Finally, hours later, he led three youths and a non-Seidren kitchen staff member back to the hillside where a fire had been started by the two boys, and Severin quickly put out more of the travel rations to warm for the unexpected guests.

  Jefremov left the mortals with the boys, and turned away, as he turned he glanced down at Tirren’s ring. He would find and kill that Seidren. He was fighting an ancient enemy.

  A hand caught his arm, and Jefremov turned to see. Tirren had him by the arm, and Severin was not far behind.

  “You’ve got your own murder in your eyes, sir. Come back to the fire. We need to contact the capitol and request backup.”

  “Stand aside, Tirren. I’ve got a bloodfold to attend to.”

  “I understand your passion. I feel it too, but you can’t throw your life away at a Seidren who could blow a hole in the outer wall of Serventis.”

  “Do I look worried?” Jefremov asked with a small smile.

  “Someone has to keep you alive, sir. It may as well be me.” Tirren responded with a forced smile.

  “And you, Severin?” Jefremov asked.

  “As your disciple, I won’t tell you what to do or not to do, I only ask that you take me with you.”

  Jefremov smiled as he said. “That is more appropriate.”

  “And you. Thank you for what you have done for me and mine.” Jefremov said as he gestured at Severin.

  “What will you do now, Tirren Stjern? Are you comfortable waiting for the adults to come and tell you everything will be okay? Or do you want to fight?”

  “Sir, I am a fighter, and I’ll fight, but I think we need to temper our anger with reason. We can’t fight something like that.”

  I’ve been impressed by you. You show spirit which most of our countrymen lack. You’re a fighter. Tirren, would you like to become my second disciple?”

  Tirren’s eyes sprung wide open, and he responded with the burning question.

  “Why? Why are you training Severin, and why would you give me this?”

  As for Severin, Severin reminds me of a younger me. He is unthinkingly loyal. He risked everything for what he thought was his only chance of power. He’s also very respectful. I like him.” Jefremov looked pensive. He paused before he shared. “I am now looking for new friends and disciples. Ultimately that is why. As a token of friendship. I raised up followers, but they were slaughtered by a dishonorable Seidren.” Jefremov thumbed over his shoulder towards the guardpost.

  “I had them here, in the guard-post. They were good men. We were going to discover the secrets of mana together. I need good people who strive for power, but bring their humanity with them. What say you, Tirren Stjern. Do you strive for power? If you do, what would you do to seek it?”

  “I do. I seek power. I understand that power is meant to be used for those beneath you. The power over those weaker than you is not glory, but a chance to provide and protect.”

  “That is fine enough”

  “Thank you, Lord Devrius.” Tirren said.

  “You may call me Jef.”

  “What about master?”

  “Oh, you would like to be my disciple? Very well then, I accept! But you must know that you will be my second favored disciple behind dear Severin.”

  “Of course, Master Devrius.”

  Good Tirren, walk with me. You seek the next tier of Seidren, Sand-Tier. Like most stages, you must suffuse your body with your mana. You seem to have progressed so far with minimum levels of suffusion. With the sand tier also comes the choice of mana aspect. Once prepared, you must choose aspects of mana that will become yours. I myself chose the aspect of sunlight mana. Meditate on that while we ride.

  We seek a bloodfold.”