The Dragon Ascendant

The Warrior's Conquest

CHAPTER 4: THE WARRIORS CONQUEST

The sun was just starting to rise, and it was beginning to cast beautiful rays of light through the grand windows of Elthorn Manor. Raiden had just returned from the stables, and oh, what a time he had had out there. Between him and anyone half-sensible, the stable hands ran the charge of keeping up the horses. Raiden had done his part like an upstanding citizen; in fact, he had done his part more so than anyone might naturally expect.

But that was him. He was Raiden, and if he were anything, he was not a schemer. So he had ridden back through the stables as far as there was a way and a door to come back inside.

Raiden heard voices through the ajar door of the drawing room, and there was something about them that made him not want to pass on by.

"Is everything prepared?" Lady Morgana asked, her tone brisk and commanding.

Selene, her legs crossed, gave a lazy nod. "Of course, Mother. Everything is set and ready to go. Lucan is prepared to show his power at the Warrior's Conquest in Central City. All of the Watching Eyes will be on him."

"Good," Lady Morgana said, a satisfied smile breaking across her face. "It is time for him to show the council just how strong he really is."

The mention of Lucan made the young woman sitting in the chair laugh lightly. She flicked her long, dark ponytail over her shoulder.

Raiden felt a knot form in his stomach. **Lucan?** It was a name he did not recognize, but from the way they were talking about him, he must be someone really significant, maybe another Elthorn family warrior. Raiden had heard snippets, mostly from his mother, about some event called the Warrior's Conquest that took place in this Central City. It seemed to be a big deal, where if you were someone worth noticing, you showed off your combat skills and magical prowess for the most powerful houses to see. If Lucan was attending this event in some capacity, it meant that he was not just another Elthorn warrior but probably an excellent one worth attending the event for.

Selene smiled as if she was about to let something extremely juicy slip. She had the air of a conspirator. "But no one would even have the guts to declare themselves our enemy, not with Lucan on the war path," she added, almost absentmindedly, as though the truth of it were so plain it barely needed to be articulated.

Raiden felt the heat of another rising blush as it dawned on him that with Lucan just waging a war across the entire inner circle of their pantheon for anyone who crossed him, a contest of champions going on, and his mother-in-law out and about, he would have no chance at all to partake in the fight and test his own abilities.

Right before he turned to go, Lady Morgana said, "Too bad Raiden isn't coming. Watching him make a fool of himself would have added a touch of humor to the proceedings."

"Not likely, my lady," Selene effectively cut in with a derisive laugh. "A few seconds in that arena and they'd be rolling on the ground, gasping for breath. If he even managed to get a swing in with that ridiculous sword of his. Imagine the scene! He'd be the laughingstock of the city before sundown."

For a moment, pure rage consumed Raiden, and as he drifted back into the shadows, he let the anger fuel his need. They would pay for this.

The day of conquest arrived rapidly. Central City was abuzz with energy. Flags and banners waved in the wind, while people packed the plaza outside the grand arena, waiting for the event to begin. Raiden, moving through the throngs of spectators, kept a low profile, drawing no attention to himself and almost no notice at all. A simple hooded cloak worked well enough for blending in with the masses.

Nearer the entrance to the arena, Raiden could make out some noise coming from inside. An excited crowd was cheering for something or someone. Just as he got to the gate, someone slammed into him, nearly knocking him back down the steps.

"Watch where you're going!" Raiden heard himself say.

He looked up to see a very tall and very imposing man glaring at him. Sharp features, cold blue eyes, and hair that slicked back so perfectly it actually looked wet. The man stood atop the steps like some kind of sentry. Behind him, it looked like a whole platoon of soldiers had decided to take a field trip and goof off right inside the main gate of the city.

"I—" Raiden started, looking at the man but addressing him as if he were actually talking to all of them. "I'm trying to pass through here. I'm sorry for bumping into you, but I didn't see you, and clearly, you didn't see me, either."

He was being watched. Raiden could feel the eyes on him, scrutinizing his every move as he made his way through the groups of people milling around the main square on the island. It was still hard for him to believe that he was actually here, on the island of Thera, the sacred ground where one hundred years ago, his ancestor had led a successful rebellion against the warmongering gods of the Olympian Council. And now here he was, hoping to do the same thing, hoping he didn’t get laughed out of the registration area first. Still, he kept moving forward, trying to project confidence when he felt anything but.

The initial phase of the conquest constituted a set of assessments to gauge the magical prowess of the contenders. From his place on the sidelines, Raiden took in the spectacle of the warriors demonstrating their abilities. Some of them were elemental mages—mastering fire, water, and earth to impressive extents. Others had commanding spirits or creatures at their disposal.

But when it came time for the man who had just a moment before offered Raiden the most insulting of greetings, Raiden nearly gasped when he heard the announcer call out the name. "Lucan Valens! Prepare for your magical assessment!"

Lucan Valens? This was the Lucan everyone had been talking about?

With a confident stride and a smirk that indicated he knew something everyone else didn't, Lucan approached the testing crystal. Placing his hand upon it, he instantaneously brought the crystal to life in a display that left the crowd breathless. This was a crystal that graded the power of the mage, not their skill. You could be an S-Rank and die to a B-Rank warrior if they got the jump on you, but still—S for sorcerer, not sorceress; M for mega sorceress; and F for those who weren't even trying to be anything magical.

"Lucan Valens has been ranked as an S-Rank warrior," the announcer's voice came booming out.

With a dramatic bow, Lucan played to the crowd, "I'll do more than that. I'll crush the S-Rank beast in one move."

Raiden kept his eyes glued to Lucan as he moved to the center of the arena to face an S-Rank beast…an enormous, armored creature with glowing eyes. It didn't blink or flinch; its tension seemed the only thing keeping it alive. The crowd barely seemed to breathe as they waited for the next event in this spectacle to unfold. Lucan stood before the beast and began to chant, calling forth and commanding with words that had power and magic in their very syllables.

Raiden felt his gut twist and turn. An S-rank warrior. There's no denying their power. But when they finally shouted his name and that plain, boring command followed, the buzz from Lucan's win had dissipated to a point where not even the most diligent of fanboys could maintain a pretense of enthusiasm.

"Raiden Elthorn! Please approach the crystal for your magical assessment," came the perfect drawl of the lady who sounded like my old English teacher and looked like the nurse who had administered more than a few shots back in the day.

The crystal began to emit a glow, but it was not very impressive…..barely noticeable next to Lucan's. The audience went from confusion to laughter, and the announcer had to wait for them to settle before he could continue. "Raiden Elthorn… has been ranked as an E-Rank warrior."

It got said in a way that sounded like it was supposed to be some kind of surprise, or maybe even a "twist" that would elicit gasps or cheers. But all it got was laughter.

Raiden could hear all sorts of mocking comments being made from the audience.

"Is that it? He's E-Rank and we're supposed to believe he'll overcome all this odds?"

"He couldn't fight against wheat in a mill!"

Lucan had been silent while assessing Raiden, but now he couldn't resist a mocking grin. "I guess I was right earlier," Lucan exclaimed, addressing the squad. "He really doesn't belong here."

Raiden's humiliation was raw; he'd never experienced anything like it. The laughter and more-than-just-good-natured ribbing continued while he made his way out of the arena. He could practically feel the weight of the situation pressing down on his shoulders.

Morgana, Selene, and many of the other women who lived with Raiden in the manor shared giggle-fit moments that echoed in his mind. Raiden stepped through the portal to the manor, and the chuckles fell silent.

He could not face any of them tonight.