I adjusted my collar in the mirror, shifting the leather strings of my hood to align with the graphic on the sleeve. Noira continued to deliver high-class work. Embedded into the stitch, the shifting scale pattern glistened a metallic red before transitioning into dark emerald as I turned. Similar quality of work went into the dark burgundy jacket over it. The runework shined in nearly visible threads of crimson that subtly displayed the plethora of elemental energy. She kept it minimalistic, with one element representing my familiars and having all seven surrounding the spear motif stitched in the middle.

Allowing myself a cheeky wink at the mirror I slipped on my mask and pulled on my gloves. Forcing the shift, the mask settled into my usual configuration. Three chromatic eye-blobs swirled near the upper region while a wide, fanged grin stretched across.

Sending a thin thread into my earrings the enchantment settled over my body, activating the illusion.

"Let's get this over with," I sighed.

As I came down the stairs, Walter appeared and handed me a silver ring.

"For you sir."

"What's this for?" I held the ring and found a basic enchantment engraved into the underside of the band. "A signal?"

"It was sent with the invitations. The houses use a variety of simple jewelry to signify your acceptance to the special event beyond the party."

"Sounds easy enough. Silver though? I thought Dawnborns have a different favorite metal. Something something, illastrum?"

"Ilustrum," Walter corrected. He reached for the ring and tapped the band. It started to glow a bright white before it flickered out. "Expensive metal. It naturally accepts and channels light-aspected mana."

"Isn't it expensive?"

"The ring is worth five hundred gold precisely according to the weight."

I winced. That sounded more like what I expected from noble houses. I slipped my mana into the ring, inspecting it more thoroughly. The chances of there being more sinister runework were slim but it didn't to check.

Behind the simple signal enchantment, I caught a smaller rune hidden underneath. Expertly layered I didn't recognize the specifics but it felt similar to the impression of 'linking' or 'receiver.'

Odd, but maybe not? Probably another part of the identification system they use. Can't have unwanted guests getting in with counterfeit jewelry I suppose.

Slipping the ring on my left pointer, I followed Walter downstairs and into the gardens near the back of the manor. My senses informed in advance what to expect but I was still unprepared for it all.

"To the right! Don't you dare drop it boys! Igas! Lift with your knees! Theodore darling shift south. Thirty degrees!" Anastasia commanded.

The woman wore a dress made of silver light adorned with golden roses. She stood atop Arturous' shoulders with a whip in hand. Looking every bit like a goddess of war, her expression was steel while her blindfold burned at the edges with spectral fire.

Nathan matched her albeit with a robe of silver water. His blindfold snapped with purple lightning that danced along his hair. While his wife cracked the whip, he stood with his arms crossed and watched as the boys lifted the ginormous ice sculpture onto the platform.

"I thought we were doing subtle this time around. Or did I mishear things at dinner?" I asked.

Crack!

"Cyrus! Your new clothes look sleek! Marvelous work." She snapped the whip again, hitting empty air. "We'll be off in a minute!"

Igas grunted and stomped. Ice pillars rose from the ground and shoved his side of the giant fist firmly onto the thick frozen square.

"How come he isn't helping?" he grumbled.

Crack! Crack!

"Because he is on light duty!"

Nathan waved and tossed me a wrapped box. The weight surprised me and I nearly collapsed as I caught it.

"What the hells? Are there rocks in here?" I asked.

"That'd be a surprise, dear. Now a little to the right!"

While the unfortunate slaves got to work finishing our mount for the evening, I waved over Sereza who appeared behind Walter.

While not too dissimilar to her usual adventuring outfit, she too had gotten new clothes from Noira. Her jacket copied mine but shorter, allowing the two bandoliers wrapped around her waist to hang comfortably below. Dark emerald glistened with thin emerald jewels that caught the tail-end of light glowing off Anastasia's dress. Her pants were sleek leather, reinforced with winding scales wrapped around the legs.

She gave a spin and displayed the motif on the back: a serpent's skull crushing a curved dagger between its fangs.

I let out a low whistle. "Looking beautiful."

"Careful now. You'll make someone jealous handing out compliments like that," she teased.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"Who? The others know they look pretty." I gestured to Celenae and Eodyne. "They are drop dead gorgeous as well."

"Why thank you, Cyrus," Celanae said.

"See? You'll make women jealous. Men too. Aren't you seeing that tavernmaid? You didn't invite her?" Sereza said.

I shrugged. "Alex is strictly a friend-with-benefits. We're not dating and I doubt she's exclusive. I didn't ask."

"I don't know. If I was a simple tavern worker, I'd have killed someone for an invite to a noble's auction party."

I rolled my eyes and scanned the area. Everyone was accounted for except one. Before I could ask, Walter popped into view once more, escorting the missing member. I raised a brow as he came into view, sporting a similar but longer jacket.

"You too? I can't say I expected you to rock leather outside of an apron, Khrem. Looks good, different material though. It looks almost, uh…"

"Shark-like?" he finished.

"Yeah. That. Is that rude?"

"Only if you meant it in a derogatory way," he explained.

When he turned he showed the grey leather off, letting the light catch on the obsidian edges of each scale. On the back was a motif of a spear stabbing through a potion bottle. While he kept a silky dark-blue robe underneath Khrem's natural large frame made the jacket pop as it bulged out.

"Looks badass. Why the spear? I get the bottle but not the spear."

Chuckles echoed around me and I scowled. Celanae raised a hand to hide her amusement but I lightly prodded her arm with my tail.

"It's rather obvious if you think about it," Sereza said.

"Is… It because of me?"

"Exactly. If my potions are to be wielded then I expect the spear to break them appropriately," Khrem explained.

Nathan interrupted my eye rolling and clapped his hands. The slap forced all the water in the surrounding air to condense into a stream of bright blue. It flowed underneath the platform and over the edges of the giant fist, creating a glowing layer of ice over the sculpture.

"All aboard the platform. We strive to be late but not too late, so let us hurry!"

We scrambled on the square. It held remarkably well even with the several tons of ice weighing it down. We huddled in front of the wrist, the platform already raising into air above the many rooftops of the buildings below.

Sereza huddled closer and pulled up her sleeve.

"Is there a reason you're showing me your arm?" I asked.

She stuck out her tongue and summoned mana. Her once bare arm darkened as a black tattoo formed over her skin. The lines curved and the air tingled as my thoughts buzzed.

"Wraith?" I mumbled.

She groaned. "You can read this? Not even the steward recognized it."

The tingling faded and I shivered as the pull on my skill ended.

"It's similar to one of the runes in my journal. When did this happen?"

"Yesterday." She rolled her sleeve down and crossed her arms. "My reward for the tournament."

"What does it do?"

"Take a look."

The prompt appeared and I willed it open.

Wraith-marked Sigil: The wraith is a silent vengeful being. It hunts without presence, revealing itself only when it's ready to strike its prey.

A growing passive that persists through up to the fourth tier.

Mutes the bearer's mana signature, mimicking that of a Wraith.

Once a day, allows for the addition of Shivering Rot to be added to any poison-aspected skill.

Shivering Rot

Cold as the drowning isles. Inflicts the unfortunate soul with: Frost affliction, Chattering Bones, Corpse Fatigue, Howling Whispers.

Note: The effects are of the lesser variety until tier three.

"Those sound nasty. What does it mean by lesser variety?"

"It means reduced effectiveness. Along with the chance to be resisted by a decent passive resistance or active purification skill. Not exactly a worry with common mobs, but a noble might have enchanted gear or skills made to resist it."

"I imagine adventurers have a healing skill for it. That or potions to cure it."

"Maybe not," Khrem interrupted. He scribbled into a journal and tapped the page. "Decent adventuring teams will have a poison-purification from at least one of their members. But as far as potions go, it would require expensive ingredients above the tier of the poison, or extensive study of the poison itself. The ones with multiple effects tend to be tricky. The time limit would put a burden on any team, decent or otherwise."

"What he said," Sereza added.

"Well, it's cool. Didn't strike you as a tattoo girlie but hey it looks badass."

"Flirt."

"Appreciative comments to a teammate and friend."

"Uh-huh. Just don't go saying such nice things to the women at the party. There's enough hungry maws waiting to eat you," Khrem said, voice completely monotone.

I shook my head and moved away. Nathan stood near the front, his hands waving like a conductor as we sailed through the upper ring. Anastasia waved me over and flashed a smile that lit up the night.

"Enjoying the view?" she asked.

"It's pretty but isn't the Dawnborn mansion that way?"

We had already moved past the upper rings and went south toward the marketing district. The city glowed underneath like fireflies as we sailed forward. I knew Eodyne was controlling a barrier around the platform to protect us from the wind so the air was extra distorted a couple of feet out.

"The other houses wouldn't allow the Dawnborns to hog all the glory," she pointed to the right and conjured a thin plane of light that pierced through the wind. The buildings came into focus and she shined a pointer on a grand building near the center of the mountain. "Auctions of this size are hosted at the Golden Stratum. As you can see it's big enough to host most of the nobility along with the rats flocking toward the city."

Gold as a theme was an understatement. The entire building shined with dazzling lights and sleek elegance that stretched more wide than tall. It was easily one of the largest buildings in the entire city. Even from here I could see the giant statues guarding the entrance.

I turned my attention back to Teddy's mother and cleared my throat.

"I hate to ask, but I noticed Sereza got her reward from the tournament. Does that mean…"

Anastasia winced that quickly morphed into a scowl. "There were complications. I can't say more but you should receive them within the following few days."

Thankfully, my mask hid my disappointment. I wasn't that bummed, but cool loot would always be exciting.

"That's alright. Did you guys get something good? Which vault were you given access to?"

"Ah, ah, ah. That'd be spoiling a surprise!"

"Oh come on."

She mimicked locking her lips with a key and throwing it away. "You'll have to wait. What Aleron has done is more than frustrating. More than should have ever been allowed. So don't worry, we did what we did best."

"Uh-"

"Threaten to destroy the kingdom unless he gives proper compensation! So chin up, and enjoy the party tonight. Theodore may not tell me everything but I listen when he does. Don't think I was kidding when I said you're on light duty, mister."

"Yes ma'am," I said, saluting.

The flight through the sky soon came to an end and Nathan opened his eyes. He held out his hand and Anastasia stepped up with the grace of a ballerina. A jet of water launched her high and she landed atop the fist as she drew a sword from her waist. Wings of wispy flames sprouted from her back and her dress elongated with a train that flowed through the air behind us.

"Please no," Teddy mumbled.

Anastasia raised her sword and mana exploded at the tip. Concentrated rings formed a pillar that grew narrower as it lengthened. Easily extending several meters tall, the first gained a glaring horn that seared the air.

"Now, darling!"

Nathan sucked in a breath and threw his arms forward.

Belts made of thick water flowed around our legs and waist, securing us to the platform.

What the in the hells-

The platform flipped upside down and we hurled toward the ground.

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