The crowd exploded. Fred lowered his sword. He had won. He was going to the final. The announcer stepped forward again. "The first semifinal is complete! Fred Meyer has secured his place in the championship match!" Fred walked out of the arena and looked toward the opposite side. Now he only needed to know who he would face. The second semifinal began. Lucan Veyre entered the arena. His opponent was another Fire Path Mage who had impressed the crowd throughout the tournament. For several minutes, the two exchanged fire techniques. Fred watched closely. His opponent's flames were powerful, but Lucan's were different. Lucan controlled them with incredible precision. He created narrow streams of fire to limit his opponent's movements, then used bursts of flame to change his own position. When his opponent tried to counterattack, Lucan stepped through the flames and struck his weapon away. The referee immediately raised his hand. "Winner, Lucan Veyre!" The crowd erupted. Fred loo

Two days had passed since the attack of the Black Path Mages. It had not escaped Arkarin's notice, but the city could not be frozen like this. The guards were more numerous than ever and patrols watched the streets from dusk until dawn. People were careful when they passed someone wearing dark clothes, but the marketplace was growing busier. The merchants had returned to their stalls and the blacksmiths to their forges. Families flowed through the city freely again. Fear remained, of course. But it had to learn to share this place with everyone. Fred walked the marketplace with Salia and Narissa that morning. They had been sent to fetch a few things for the family, and for the first time since the festival attack, things almost seemed completely normal. Almost. Salia watched the royal guards walking nearby. "Everyone is still talking about the attack." Fred glanced around at the people. "They probably will for a while." "Do you think the Black Path Mages w

The broken wooden stall pressed around the Fred. For several seconds he could not hear anything, except the ringing in his ears. The dust filled the air, wood and stone chips dug into his flesh, making him painfully aware of the broken ribs and the throbbing shoulder. He forced himself to push against the debris, gritting his teeth against the pain. "Move..." His hand slipped on the wood, sending a sharp pain through his ribs. Fred let out a shaky breath, barely able to move. The last thing he remembered was the blow to his side from the dragon's tail, after his broken sword had pierced through the space between the beast's ribs. He had no idea what had happened next. "Fred!" Someone was calling his name. His eyes snapped open. "Salia?" "Fred!" This time the voice was closer, coming from somewhere above him. Salia was back. She had returned with the others, the royal guards, but it seems that as soon as the threat had passed, she could no longer stay away from him.

The royal seal rested neatly by Fred's bedside as he woke. A golden symbol rested on a small table, accompanied by two guards in royal crest armor. Fred stared at the royal seal for several seconds before he understood its meaning. Someone important wanted to speak with him. Fred slowly pushed himself up, wincing as the action sent a sharp pain through his ribs and shoulder. One guard stepped to him. "Fred Meyer?" "Yes." "The King demands your presence at the palace." Fred stared at the royal seal again. "The King?" "Yes." Fred swallowed. He had fought a corrupted beast, nearly died and was currently recovering from his injuries. It was hard for him to believe the King wanted to speak to him personally. "Am I being punished?" The guard almost smiled. "You will have to ask His Majesty." Fred exhaled. "That does not inspire much confidence." The guard extended a hand to him. Fred took it and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. The movemen

The Meyer estate remains entirely unchanged. Same stone walls, same garden, and same servants. The only difference was the way Fred was viewing it all. The carriage came to a halt near the front entrance to the estate. Fred stepped out onto the stone ground carefully. The pain in his ribs never ceased to bother him, nor did the bandage wrapped around his left arm. Sarah followed closely behind, and Alvin stepped out the last. For a few long moments, the entire group stood in complete silence. They had just left as the Meyer family and had returned as... something else. Alvin looked back at the house. "Baron." Sarah gave a small smile. "I still feel strange saying that." Fred looked at his father. "You're Baron Alvin Meyer now." Alvin let out a deep sigh. "Don't remind me." Fred chuckled. The pain in his ribs immediately reminded him why he shouldn't have been laughing. He clutched the side of his body tightly. Sarah frowned at his sudden action. "You're supposed to be resting."