The threat wasn't delivered without anger.

It was simply stated, as matter-of-fact as commenting on the weather.

Which somehow made it infinitely more terrifying.

Kaedor's hand dropped to his side. His merchant's smile died completely, replaced by the pale realization that he'd just narrowly avoided becoming the third corpse of the day.

Loryn's hollow eyes gleamed with what might have been approval. "Privacy respected. Some demons have valid reasons for anonymity."

Rynath's scaled skin had gone completely still.

The crowd had gone quiet again, sensing the shift in tension.

Hundreds of demons watched the standoff between the armored warrior and the three generals, waiting to see who would break first.

But, Jack didn't move.

He just stood there, surrounded by the aftermath of his demonstration, making it abundantly clear that his helmet stayed on and anyone who disagreed would join Korr and Vox.

Kaedor took a step backward, his rings clicking together as his hands clenched. "Of course. Completely understandable."

"Very understandable," Loryn agreed, though his gaze never left Jack's armored form. "A warrior's identity is his own business."

Rynath said nothing.

Her eyes remained fixed on Jack's helmet, clearly wondering what lay beneath, but not stupid enough to push the issue.

The silence stretched.

Finally, Loryn spoke again, his skeletal fingers resuming their rhythmic tapping.

"The question of who you serve remains unresolved, Jakar. But perhaps that's a decision best made without an audience."

He gestured at the crowd of demons still watching with rapt attention.

"We should relocate this discussion somewhere more private. Where we can discuss your role, your compensation, and your future within Pho's forces without every soldier in the training yard listening in."

Rynath nodded slowly, though her gaze never left Jack. "Agreed. This conversation requires discretion."

Kaedor simply nodded, apparently having lost his taste for negotiations in the face of Jack's ultimatum.

Jack remained motionless for a long moment, his red eyes moving between the three generals, reading their intentions, weighing his options.

Then, finally, he broke the silence.

"Lead the way."

------

The corridor stretched deeper into Pho's fortress, the black ice walls narrowing as they walked.

The temperature dropped with each step, frost forming in the air with every breath, crystallizing before it could dissipate.

Jack followed the three generals in silence, his red eyes tracking their movements through his helmet's visor.

Behind them, the sounds of the training yard faded, replaced by the oppressive quiet of the fortress's inner chambers.

Kaedor walked ahead, his confidence returning now that distance separated them from the carnage.

His rings clicked together as his hands moved in small, nervous gestures.

Loryn moved like a skeleton given an order by his master, his gaunt frame gliding across the ice without sound.

His hollow eyes occasionally glanced back at Jack.

They reached a door carved into the ice itself, reinforced with the same strange silvery metal that Kyren and Corvin noticed during their scouting expedition.

Runes glowed faintly along its edges, pulsing with a rhythm.

Active magic was ingrained into the doors.

Kaedor pressed his palm against the door. The runes flared brighter, and the massive barrier swung inward with a grinding sound that echoed through the corridor.

CREEK!!!

The room beyond was circular, roughly twenty feet across, with a table of black ice dominating the center. Chairs carved from the same material surrounded it, their surfaces smooth despite the jagged appearance of the walls.

No windows. One entrance. Deep in the fortress's heart.

Jack's tactical mind cataloged everything automatically. Defensible position.

Hard to escape.

Perfect for an ambush if they'd wanted one.

The door shut behind them, and the runes along its edges flared once before settling into a steady glow that suggested the room was now sealed.

Kaedor moved to the far side of the table, putting distance between himself and Jack.

Loryn took a position to the left, his skeletal fingers already resuming their rhythmic tapping against the ice table's surface.

Rynath remained closest to Jack, her serpentine eyes never leaving his armored form.

The silence stretched for a moment, each general waiting for another to speak first.

Kaedor broke first, his instincts overriding his fear.

"Let's be clear about something," he said, his rings glinting as he gestured. "Jakar is an asset. A valuable one. Possibly invaluable, given what we just witnessed. But he's still one soldier."

"One soldier who killed two Dread-rank warriors in under a minute," Rynath countered, her voice carrying an edge. "Don't diminish what he is just because you're afraid of him, Kaedor."

"I'm not afraid," Kaedor said too quickly. "We need to determine where he's most useful. That means understanding his capabilities, his limitations, his…"

"He serves under me," Loryn interrupted, his hollow voice cutting through the discussion like a blade through silk.

"His combat efficiency, his transformation abilities, his spatial manipulation, all of it suggests someone who would be the perfect teacher for my new demons."

Rynath's scales flashed an aggressive red, "you want to study him, not use him. I won't let you turn him into one of your projects, Loryn."

"I don't recall asking your permission."

"And I don't recall yielding my claim." Rynath's tongue flicked out, punctuating her words. "He was my pick. My bet. I recognized his potential before either of you took him seriously."

"The bet is irrelevant," Kaedor said, his mask slipping back into place. "What matters is maximizing his utility. My vaults need enhanced security after Kragoth's death. Someone of Jakar's caliber could…"

"Guard your treasure?" Rynath laughed, the sound carrying genuine amusement. "You want to waste a warrior like this on vault security? That's the most Kaedor thing I've ever heard."

"It's the best use of his…"

"It's cowardice. You want him close so you can control him. So you can keep him away from the rest of us."

The argument escalated, voices rising as each general made their case.

Kaedor spoke of efficiency and resource allocation.

Loryn discussed specialized operations and unique capabilities.

Rynath emphasized combat deployment and tactical advantage.

Jack stood motionless near the door, letting them argue. His red eyes moved between the three generals, reading their body language and cataloging their priorities.

They all wanted him for different reasons, but the underlying truth was identical.

They each saw him as a weapon that could shift the power dynamics between them.

The argument continued for several more minutes, going in circles and growing increasingly heated, until Jack finally spoke.

"I have a solution."

Three pairs of eyes snapped to him immediately. The room fell silent.

Jack's voice carried that same flat, emotionless tone that had become his signature as Jakar.

"Let me shadow each of you. A day, maybe two. See what you do, how you operate, what you need. Then I'll decide who I want to serve under."

The simplicity of the proposal caught them off guard. All three generals stared at him, processing the information.

Kaedor recovered first.

"That's... actually reasonable. It gives you information to make an informed choice, and it gives us each an opportunity to demonstrate our operations' value."

"It also wastes time," Loryn observed, though his hollow eyes gleamed with interest. "But the principle is sound. Shadowing would reveal compatibility between Jakar's abilities and our respective needs."

"I can accept that. Though I maintain that my claim has priority, this at least gives Jakar agency in the decision." Rynath butted in.

Kaedor nodded slowly. "Agreed. We each get a day to demonstrate why he should serve under us. Jakar observes, asks questions, evaluates. Then he chooses."

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