"So, how'd it go?"

Nyu was chewing on a stick of jerky that looked as tough as leather, but was rumored to be a specialty from the region around Mordahni. Every now and then, she would aggressively rip off a piece with her incisors, like a mountain lion feasting on a dead goat. The crunching of her muscular jaw underlined the gruesome impression.

Kaelen shrugged. "It could've been worse, I guess."

"Are they going to do anything about your warning?" Nyu asked with a full mouth.

"Probably not, no."

"I guess rulers are always ignorant, no matter where they reign," she said, and tore off another piece of jerky.

Kaelen snorted. "At least this time they didn't order our execution."

He glanced at Elara, who was watching Nyu with an unreadable expression. She'd been awfully quiet, not just during the council meeting. When he tried to confront her after leaving the palace, she had deflected again, like earlier that day.

"You okay there, Sis?"

Elara flinched and hastily looked away.

"Me? Oh, yes, yeah," she stammered.

Kaelen opened his mouth, then closed it again. In his confusion, he looked at Nyu, who still seemed busy with her snack, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the air.

"Right …" Kaelen finally said, when he couldn't think of anything better.

"I'm okay — really," Elara insisted and managed to look at him again.

She attempted a smile, but her eyes told a different story.

"If you say so …" Kaelen surrendered, not wanting to push her.

She'd made it clear she didn't feel like talking about whatever was on her mind.

They had met up with Nyu in one of the busy market squares in the western part of town, where most of the smaller businesses had their stands and shops. Amidst colorful displays of silks and fabrics from the region around Volarinth stood tables laden with gems and handcrafted jewelry from Perm, farm produce from the south of Batis, and kegs with fine wine from sun-kissed grapes near Orriven. Baskets overflowing with nuts and vegetables lined the floor, and rolled-up carpets formed woven walls in enticing colors. Merchants were praising their wares with bellowing voices, and the symphony of scents had Kaelen's nostrils working overtime.

It was already past noon, but people were still flocking to the spread-out stands like bees to a flower field. The sun shone brightly onto the sea of awnings, making the cold breeze more bearable.

"Did you find something you like?" Kaelen asked Nyu absently, as he watched the crowd push by.

"Not like I can buy anything right now," Nyu growled.

Kaelen narrowed his eyes. "How did you afford that?"

He pointed at the jerky in her hands.

His question was met with a mischievous smile. Without responding, she took another bite.

Elara nervously looked around, as if to check whether any guards were onto them. But Kaelen knew their companion was quite proficient in the art of thievery, so his only concern was stopping her from doing it again.

"Time to go get that gold of yours," Kaelen murmured, which was met with a grunt of approval.

There were actually many different branches of the Dor bank in Cylion — the one near this particular market just happened to be the one their parents frequented the least. To them, the western part of town was for commoners, and so they shunned its vibrant markets and busy alleys. They would much rather conduct their business in the bank near the royal palace, where the wealthiest of customers would go to deposit their fortunes.

Two streets down from where they met, a large building with a dark gray facade came into view. It had an archway at the bottom, and long sturdy pillars that reached all the way to the slanted roof. The windows were framed by wooden beams covered in gold leaf, with ornamental decorations that reminded Kaelen of some of the fate tomes' book covers. Underneath the arches, a small iron staircase led up to a large oak portal, with one of its wings wide open. A short line had formed in front of the entrance, like a colorful snake on rocky ground.

They pushed past sputtering merchants and craftsmen waiting their turn, then through the gate, which led them into a large hall with a mosaic floor and pillars along the walls. Lines of wooden desks filled the open area in the middle of the room, each decked with stacks of papers, long goose quills, shiny brass scales, and a pedestal on which large leather-clad books throned. Behind the desks sat grim-looking workers in dark robes, all with fine embroidery and marked with the crest of the Dor family, talking to customers across from them in low voices.

Without waiting for someone to call them, the trio walked over to the nearest unoccupied worker, a tired-looking middle-aged man with a stubby beard and dark eyes.

"One customer at a time," he droned out, gesturing flaccidly with his left hand.

"My name is Kaelen Dor," Kaelen said, and the man behind the desk immediately straightened his posture, presumably expecting an audit. "We want to make a withdrawal."

"Of course, Master Dor," he said hastily with newfound vigor. "Please, take a seat."

He signaled a staff member on the opposite side of the room to get more chairs, and within a few seconds, the three of them were all sitting on painfully straight wooden chairs designed to make customers feel uncomfortable.

"Please," the worker offered, "what can I do for you today?"

"Our friend here," Kaelen said and gestured at Nyu, "was granted a bank account in her name just yesterday."

The man in front of them nodded approvingly. "Nothing like the safety of a Dor bank account," he recited.

Kaelen had to suppress a smile.

"Well said," he lied. "And yet, she would like to withdraw some money from it."

"Most certainly," the bank worker fluted, glancing at Nyu. "May I ask for your name, Madam?"

Nyu was still eying her surroundings like she'd walked into a trap. She had not enjoyed the interaction at the Dor mansion, and she was not used to being treated like a wealthy customer. Clearly, all of this was outside her comfort zone.

"Why?" she asked warily.

The man had already opened his heavy book when Nyu's question caught him off guard.

"Excuse me?" he asked in confusion.

"Like I said," Kaelen interjected, trying not to sound impatient, "she is new to the concept of banking."

The bank worker's face relaxed. "Of course. We need your name to find your bank account in our records. That's all."

Nyu grumbled, but eventually gave in.

"Nyu," she said stiffly.

"Nyu …?" the man repeated, waiting for a last name.

"Just Nyu."

Confusion flared in his eyes, but he decided not to voice it.

"Excellent," he said, and started browsing the book in front of him, his slender finger hastily rushing over yellowed pages with scribbled writing.

"Ah, I found you, Madam. Oh, my … that is … impressive." His widened eyes looked from the number under his fingernail to Nyu, and back.

"I was not expecting that we were talking about figures of that magnitude. Maybe you will want to talk to my superior?"

"There is no need for that," Kaelen said firmly. "We are not here to talk investments. We just want to withdraw."

A pained expression took hold of the banker's face, but he kept his composure.

"Most certainly." Then, looking at Nyu again, he added: "May I ask how much you would like to withdraw today?"

"All of it," Nyu growled, crossing her arms.

"Excuse me?"

"I want all of it. Every last piece."

The man looked at Kaelen, then at Elara.

"I —" he stammered helplessly, "that is —"

"Is there a problem?" Nyu snarled, resting her elbows on the man's desk and flexing her muscular arms.

The man gulped. "That is a lot of gold."

"Wonderful, isn't it?" Nyu sneered. "Now, if you could …?"

Wincing in preparation for what was to come, the man squeaked: "I'm afraid we can't hand out this much gold all at once."

Nyu's expression turned sour. "What do you mean?"

"It doesn't work like that," the man tried to explain. "If all customers demand this much gold all at once, we would go bankrupt."

"I fail to see how that is my problem," Nyu rasped.

As entertaining as it was to just watch this interaction, Kaelen felt the need to step in.

"That money isn't going anywhere," he tried to assuage their companion.

"But I might be," Nyu murmured.

Next to him, Elara shifted in her chair.

Kaelen tried a soothing smile. "Well, guess you have a reason to come back."

Nyu muttered a silent curse, then nodded.

"Alright," she said with a voice that still sounded belligerent enough to make the man in front of her flinch.

"Excellent," he responded with a forced smile. "Would 25 gold be satisfactory?"

The strong woman opened her mouth, but Kaelen quickly cut her off.

"That sounds reasonable, don't you think?"

Nyu glared at him with angry eyes, but then decided to save her rage for later.

"Most excellent," the bank worker repeated, then signaled a man at the back of the room. After a whispered exchange, the second man ran off into one of the backrooms where the vaults were and returned after a minute with a chunky leather pouch in his hands.

"Now," their attendant said after receiving the vessel and placing it next to the large book. "I need you to sign right here."

He pointed at a sharp line at the bottom of a piece of parchment he'd prepared in the meantime.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Nyu picked up the quill and clumsily carved her name into the paper. With a hint of embarrassment, she glanced over at Elara, whose cheeks showed a gentle blush.

During the process, the bank worker had eyed them skeptically, but he knew better than to ask why someone with so much gold in their name was barely able to write said name.

"Excellent," he said once more, then grabbed the piece of parchment and filed it in one of his drawers. "... and this is for you."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

He handed Nyu the clinking pouch, his arms shaking under the weight. Nyu effortlessly grabbed it with one hand, yanking it away from the man like a wild animal being offered a treat.

Again, the bank worker faked a smile. "Is there anything else I can do for you today?"

Repeating the same process, Kaelen and Elara withdrew some gold from their own accounts. Formally, they were being treated like all other bank accounts, but in truth, they did not have any gold in them, nor did they have a limit. One of the perks of being a Dor family member was an endless supply of coin, the likes of which most people couldn't even imagine. They always knew they were privileged, but only in recent years did it occur to them how far apart they were from the rest of the population when it came to wealth. They tried their best not to rely on it too much and to resist the temptation whenever possible. But they didn't exactly make a lot of money at the Great Library, and since most of their belongings had been taken from them in Morathen, there was no other way this time.

#

When all was said and done, they left the Dor bank and headed down one of the busy streets of the western district. Passing busy shopfronts and steaming food stalls, they followed the flow of the crowd until they reached a small triangle intersection with a patch of green space in the center. An old tree was reaching for the sky, confined on all sides by tall buildings. In the shade it offered stood a pair of benches and a small fountain, around which two children were chasing one another.

The serene scene was a pleasant sight, and Kaelen even considered resting on one of the benches for a moment. But they still had errands to run, one of which had led them here.

On one side of the plaza was a shopfront with milky windows and a worn wooden sign hanging from a rusty iron bar. The sign read Hewing and Stabbing in curly letters, the faded green paint chipped off in places.

"That's the place?" Nyu asked skeptically.

Despite her negativity, Kaelen appreciated that she had decided to stick around for another day. Clearly, the sprawling city life intrigued her.

"That's the one," Kaelen confirmed, a satisfied smile on his lips.

It had been a long time since he last stepped foot into this unassuming-looking store to buy his last weapon, a trusty quarterstaff that had served him well for many years. Its loss hurt Kaelen like the passing of a dear friend, but at least he knew he'd find an adequate replacement here.

A bell chimed when they entered the dark shop, and it took their eyes a moment to adjust. When they did, they were presented with long rows of weaponry along the walls, some stacked on racks, others precariously dangling from the ceiling. Swords and pikes, halberds and glaives, hammers and lances, flails and axes — any instrument of pain one could think of was on display, and enough of them to outfit an entire army.

They waited by the door until a short, bald man with a hunchback and a scarred face came waddling out of a side room to welcome them.

"Greetings, travelers," he exclaimed with a raspy but cheerful voice.

"Looking for something to stab your enemies with?"

Kaelen still remembered the odd man from his last visit, but he was certain the shopkeeper wouldn't remember him.

"Matter of fact, we are," Kaelen said, and the prospect of business drew a smile on the short man's face. "But we are more about bludgeoning than stabbing."

"Splendid," the man sputtered. "You will find that we have anything you could possibly need on offer. My name is Edric, and I've been running this shop for almost half a century now."

He bowed, which didn't change his posture much.

"You see," he continued, "violence is like art, the act of combat like painting a picture. You need the proper utensils, the proper brushes and colors. And you're in luck, because I have all the colors of the rainbow, if you get my meaning."

Nyu raised an eyebrow, as if to say, "I like this man."

Edric came a step closer, his watery eyes looking up at them.

"Say, what exactly is it you seek?"

Kaelen glanced at Elara. "I am looking for a new quarterstaff, preferably oak, and my sister here needs two short poles."

"From ash wood, if you have any," Elara added.

"Most certainly," Edric exclaimed, and gestured them to follow him.

He took them to the back half of the long and skinny room, where a fine selection of blunt weapons lay spread out across multiple tables and benches.

"I'm sure there is something to your liking here. All hardwood, of course," Edric explained as they started to browse.

"Why not get a real weapon for a change?" Nyu asked pointedly. "One that can actually kill an enemy."

Kaelen ran his fingers down the wooden veins of a particularly appealing-looking staff.

"That's not the way of the Fateweavers. We are trained to defend ourselves, not to point-blank kill an enemy," he responded pensively.

She frowned. "Sounds like a poor strategy. It's not like your enemies will be playing by the same rules."

Kaelen looked at her with a daring smile on his lips. "You of all people should know that any weapon can kill. It just depends on how you wield it."

"Not if you're already dead," she muttered and started running her fingers down a long staff that was hanging on the wall.

#

Kaelen and Elara spent a long time probing various weapons from Edric's selection. They were knocking on their hard surfaces, flexing them to see their give, asking about their cores and surface treatment. Edric knew the answers to all their questions, and he observed them carefully throughout the process.

"I see you know your way around the blunt end of a stick," the shopkeeper declared approvingly. "Always nice to know your product will be in good hands."

Kaelen was in the process of closely inspecting a five-foot staff from dark oak wood, with smooth ends and a matt surface finish. In its middle section, the wood was fluted to offer more grip, and a pair of reinforcing led strands ran down the length of it for extra support. It was heavier than his old staff, but it felt good in his hands, with a decent balance when he rolled it over his knuckles.

"Is there a way to test them?" he asked without taking his eyes off this promising candidate.

Edric seemed to consider the question for a moment. "Normally, I don't allow customers to use these weapons before purchasing them, since they might get damaged in the process. But you seem capable enough, so I will make an exception."

It was exactly what the shopkeeper had told him during his last visit. Kaelen had figured back then that it was just a sales trick — now he knew. But he didn't mind.

"That would be great! Elara, you up for it?"

His sister looked indecisive. "Not sure. I'm still debating which one I like better," she nodded in the direction of two pairs of short poles. "I might just need another minute."

Before Kaelen could voice his impatience, Nyu interjected.

"I'll do it," she declared, stepping over to him.

She was a lot shorter than Kaelen, but more muscular. The gleam in her eyes told him she'd been waiting for an opportunity like this.

"With what?" he asked skeptically.

"These beauties."

From the depths of her jacket, she summoned two short daggers.

"Sounded like you were quite confident in your staff abilities. Let's see if you can back it up."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Edric interjected. "No sharp edges near the wooden weapons. That might damage the merchandise."

Nyu snorted. "Isn't that what they are for?"

"Yes, but only once they leave this store." He smiled apologetically. "Besides, I don't want a bloodbath in here."

"I guess you are not as confident in his abilities as you led on," she said and gestured in Kaelen's direction.

Edric scratched his chin. "Tell you what: why don't you use some of my practice daggers? They are less sharp, but still sting like a hornet if you land a clean blow."

Nyu rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll try not to damage your wares or your customers."

The sparring ring was not much to speak of. It was a rectangular brown mat in the backroom of Edric's store, about ten feet in diameter, amidst stacked crates and barrels. It was stuffy, and the smell of iron and oil filled the air, mixed with the distinct scent of hot wax.

As Edric was leading them into the room, he turned on a small oil lamp next to a grinding lathe, then fetched two wooden daggers from one of the boxes on the wall. He handed them to Nyu with a bow, not seeing the contempt in her eyes when they met the dull blades.

Instead of complaining, she assumed a dynamic stance at one end of the mat.

"Come on, golden boy. Let's see if you bleed like the rest of us."

"Again," Edric reminded her sheepishly, "no blood, please."

Nyu brushed off the comment and waited for Kaelen to join her. He twisted the staff in his hands, getting a final feeling for the grip and flow of the weapon, then stepped onto the mat. His staff slid effortlessly into a defensive stance, shielding his body from head to toe in a slight incline.

Nyu smiled as she examined his posture. Then, without warning, she dove in, whirling her daggers through the air with the speed and precision of a falcon. He blocked her first strike, and the second, but she quickly adjusted and spun around, her orange hair dancing like a flame, bringing both of her weapons down low to hit his knees. He parried the impact, but was driven backwards by the sheer strength of Nyu's attack — and she wasn't letting up. Having brought his defense low, she yanked back her left dagger and tried to make contact with his shoulder. Before Kaelen could react, the dull blade jammed into his collarbone with the force of a shingle dropping from a three-story building. He winced, but the pain had been expected. With her guard down, Nyu was not expecting an immediate counterattack, which is when the lower end of his staff jammed into her abdomen. The smug expression vanished from Nyu's face like a piece of paper tossed into a roaring fire, and she staggered backwards, coughing.

Now, it was his turn to make a move. He loosened the grip on his staff and let it slide until both of his hands were holding it in the lower third. With the increased leverage, he started spinning on his heels, trying to slam Nyu's ankles with the extended reach of his staff as it flung around. Nyu sidestepped gracefully, then leaped over his attack to get up close again. Anticipating her attack, he jammed his elbow into her approaching body, but was met with a surprisingly strong shield of abdominal muscles. Unfazed, Nyu went for a cross-cut, and Kaelen could barely get his staff up in time to counter the attack. This time around, however, he had been the one falling for a trap, as Nyu transitioned her daggers into a wide sweep from both sides, making contact with several rips and bruising the skin under his robes. Pain shot through Kaelen's body like lightning, but he forced himself to remain calm. Taking a step back, he fixed his stance and steadied his breathing.

When they collided again, they entered a wild frenzy of attacks and counter-attacks, the sounds of their grunts and the clashing of wood on wood bouncing off the walls in a symphony of battle. Nyu was strong, but Kaelen started to understand her patterns and better prepare his parries. Every time, though, the impact of her daggers reverberated through the staff, up his arms and into his shoulders, where a numb pain was forming and festering. He tried to keep her from getting too close, which clearly favored her choice of weapons, but her speed and agility made it difficult. More than once did she break his defenses, causing bruises on various limbs and body parts. But oftentimes, she would overextend, allowing Kaelen to punish her aggression in kind.

Soon, they were both panting, glaring at each other like ferocious warriors in the middle of a battlefield. But while their bodies grew weaker, their resolve remained equally strong, allowing neither one of them to back down.

After another few minutes of back and forth, Nyu suddenly switched up her strategy. Instead of leading with her upper body, she went for a low kick, hitting Kaelen by the ankle and making him lose balance. Immediately after, she elbowed his side, then flung her daggers around to hit him clean in the chest. Kaelen could feel the air leave his lungs as the impact yanked him off his unsteady feet. With a loud thud, he hit the floor with his rear end, pain coming from all sides at once.

"That was —" he coughed, but broke off.

"Clever?" Nyu asked victoriously.

"Cheap," he grumbled, reaching for her extended hand.

She effortlessly heaved him up, then studied him with curious eyes.

"Not bad," she concluded. "But had these been real daggers, that fight would've been over in the first seconds."

"Oh yeah?" Kaelen growled. "Guess we will need a rematch one day."

A cheeky smile tugged at Nyu's lips, but she let him have the last word.

Sweaty and exhausted, they concluded their business in Edric's shop. Kaelen went with the staff he'd practiced with, and Elara bought one of the sets of short poles she'd been interested in, without feeling the need to test them out. In their current state, neither Nyu nor he would have been much of a challenge anyway, Kaelen thought.

They paid up and left the store, heading back the way they came up the long street, through a never-ending stream of people. A few shops along the way piqued their interest, and they would stop here and there to look at exotic wares and culinary temptations. By the time they reached the Inn, it was already afternoon, and the sun had vanished behind a gray cover of clouds.

They took the spare time before dinner to take baths in the rustic barrel tubs their rooms provided, then cleaned their filthy clothes as best they could. Kaelen felt a lot more human again after rinsing the crust of dirt off his skin and putting on robes that did not smell like sulfur and dirt anymore. Feeling refreshed, but still exhausted, he headed downstairs to meet the other two, who had already claimed a table and were in the middle of what looked like a heated discussion. When Kaelen approached, however, they fell silent.

"Evening, Ladies."

He sat down next to Elara, who still looked awfully pensive.

"Everything okay?" Kaelen asked both of them.

Elara scoffed quietly. "We were just discussing how this is Nyu's last evening with us, before she heads back to Morathen tomorrow morning."

Somehow, Kaelen had forgotten about the imminent farewell, and it tinted his mood. He had to admit he'd grown quite fond of the Fateless' refreshing company, and almost considered her a friend at this point. What he didn't feel like admitting was that there might've been other feelings at play as well.

"Oh, right," he said glumly.

Nyu shrugged. "It's been fun, I'm not going to deny that. You two are not as insufferable as I initially thought."

"Thanks, I guess," Kaelen responded in acceptance of her backhanded compliment.

He knew he wouldn't get anything better out of her.

"Yeah, it was fun," Elara murmured, her eyes glued to the tabletop.

"Don't worry, I'll be around again. After all, there is still a significant amount of gold waiting for me. Provided, of course, the world doesn't burn to a crisp in the next weeks." She gently smiled at Elara, but it didn't catch.

They ordered some ale and hearty food, but their conversations weren't as lively as the night before. Elara seemed more gloomy the longer they sat there, and Nyu's attempts at making light of it failed to hit their mark. Kaelen could feel the exhaustion creep up on him, and eventually decided to go to bed early. Agreeing that they'd have breakfast together before Nyu left, he wished the other two a good night and headed up to his room.

#

Kaelen was already in bed when a sudden urge started pulling at his mental strings. He thought back to the council meeting, and his mood shifted.

None of them had believed him. It made him frustrated, no, angry. They had come here to save lives, and instead, they'd been insulted. Worse yet, they'd been laughed at. But as much as he blamed Montis and his council members, he had to admit that their mission had failed.

Could he have done things differently? Fought harder to convince them?

He rolled over and tried to hush the thoughts stirring in his mind, but they had a firm grip on him. After almost an hour of restless tossing and turning, he got up and turned on the small oil lamp on his bedside table. In its dim light, he walked over to his robes that were carelessly tossed over an armchair across the room. From the depths of his pockets, he retrieved the fate tome that had caused all this trouble and took it back to bed with him. Hiding under the covers, he opened the tome like a bedtime story, flicking through its yellowed pages until he reached the point where he'd left off, the murder of King Montis.

There it stood, written in shimmering green ink: King Montis, assassinated in his sleep.

An uneasy feeling took hold of Kaelen. Was it inevitable? After all, that's what he'd been taught all his life. Fate was binding, and if it said here that this person was going to kill the ruler of Cylion, then what chance was there to prevent it? Had he been foolish to come here in the first place? And if his efforts had been in vain, what came next?

A deep desire made him flip the page. He had promised Elara to leave the tome be until they had a chance to talk to Master Zerath, but he couldn't wait any longer. The feeling of not knowing burned within him like blazing coals, shrouding his thoughts in a haze of growing panic.

His eyes scanned the next page, devouring word after word, unable to stop. In his sleep-deprived state, his numb mind couldn't make sense of everything he saw, and his eyelids started to feel heavy.

Just before exhaustion took him, he read the letters that would burn into his retina like a brand mark.

And in a blazing storm, they will kill the Masters of Fate, and the order of Fateweavers with them.

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