Bouncing off the armor, I ducked under his next swing and skirted around him, keeping close to his body. I jabbed at the exposed chainmail under his arm, to no avail. Stone wrapped him in its embrace, protecting him.
Agendra spun his halberd and brought the pommel down toward my head. Ducking away, I reached for the daggers I’d discarded.
Siotha answered my call—ice shot from the blades into my hands, mimicking the shape of his halberd. Dropping my blade, I grabbed the pole of ice and blocked his next strike.
Our weapons clashed, sharpened axe heads pressed together. Now all I had to do was knock it aside, and he’d be mine.
A sheet of stone erupted from the ground and struck my knee, knocking me off balance. Agendra swatted my halberd aside and brought the butt of his weapon down on my back.
My weapon spun from my grip. I fell to my hands and knees, breathing heavily.
Ferris darted to my side. He laid a hand on my back. “Are you alright?”
A metallic thud reverberated through the platform as Agendra planted his halberd at his side. “You’ve been trained well, girl. I’ll gladly take you under my wing.”
Surprised, I lifted my head. “But I?—”
“Lost?” Agendra finished my thought. “I’d hope so. I have twenty years on you—I wouldn’t be much of a Paragon if I couldn’t hold my own.”
Chuckling, Ferris helped me to my feet. He retrieved my sword and offered the blade with a coy bow.
Flicking my wrist, I summoned Siotha back to my hand and slung it over my shoulder before taking the blade. I slapped him across the shins with the flat of the blade.
Wincing, Ferris danced out of my reach. "What was that for?"
"You know what you're doing."
"I haven't any idea what you mean."
Sheathing my sword, I turned toward the crowd. They watched on, silent. The sound of clinking chains drew my attention to the guard rushing toward us.
“You’ve decided, then?” He asked Agendra. “Should we inform the Archdruid?”
Agendra sighed. “Take us to him, will you? Slowly. I need time to think of what to say.”
“Worried he’ll change his mind?” Ferris asked.
“Iceborns are stubborn.” Agendra laid a hand on my shoulder. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “They’ll take Siotha only when I’m dead.”
A smile tugged at Agendra’s lips, but it couldn’t fully form. His halberd shifted back to a maul as he hung it on his back. “Stick close."
Retrieving my weapons, I followed the Paragon. “Hey,” I called, catching up with the guard. “What’s your name?”
He pressed a fist to his chest and bowed. “Keiji.”
Keiji. I’d remember it—the name of the first ordinary man who’d had my back.
Agendra askedKeiji to take us the long way to the palace—and the guard obliged. We wound around the magnificent city, drawing the eyes of every citizen we passed.
The Paragon was stoic and calm, nothing like Reese had been. With a tight, furrowed brow, he stewed in silence the entire trip. Ferris had wandered off toward a food stall, and the scent had enticed me to follow, the Paragon trailing after us in his thoughtful fog.
Nazumi's cuisine differed so greatly from Tsuyan's that it seemed almost foreign. Keiji had happily explained what everything was to me: the tough, reedy grains that grew in their marshy fields, the thick, fatty fish caught in the western seas. Everything was slathered in spicy sauces, made from the roots of the waterborne trees.
After eating, we wandered until the starlight faded in the sky and the moons dimmed. Lanterns hanging from tree branches and roofs came alive, lighting us in a soft, blue glow.
I leaned closer to Ferris. “Why does he seem so troubled? Paragons have more authority than kings.”
