A surge of panic rushed through Arran's body as he knelt down beside Negin.

That the woman in the distance was strong, he knew for a fact. Negin's reaction was enough to tell that him her status was high — far above that of a Ranger — and she was clad in a suit of armor that somehow resisted the unbound Essence of the battlefield.

And worst of all, on her belt she carried a shard of Living Shadow.

Arran knew that if his sword could Sense the woman's weapon, then the opposite should hold true as well. And if she knew about his weapon, he could not see the encounter ending well.

But that was only the start of it. Because the concealments Arran had used on his Shadow Realm and void ring were strong, but not so strong that his sword couldn't see through them.

The woman would already know he was a mage if her weapon could do the same. And if that was the case, the only question was whether she'd try to kill Arran immediately or attempt to capture him for interrogation.

Either way, he would have to fight. And in a fight, he could only hope that the Knight wasn't as strong as he feared she was.

Yet even as he prepared for battle, a soothing feeling came from the bond he shared with his sword, almost as if it was trying to reassure him.

It took him some moments to understand the weapon's meaning, but then, he realized what it was trying to tell him — that the Knight's weapon wasn't its equal, neither in strength nor in Sense.

He frowned briefly, wondering whether the weapon was right — and whether he could trust it with his life. But he had already entrusted his life to his weapon in battle, and as he considered the matter, he realized that it made sense for his weapon to be stronger than hers.

The executioner's blade had begun to form a semblance of consciousness even before its world fell to Shadow, and it had further built on that foundation in the countless years it had spent steeped in Shadow Essence.

The Knight's weapon would doubtless be weaker. And if he was lucky and his sword was right, it might be weak enough that his wards could fool it.

As the woman drew closer, Arran maintained a calm expression despite his concern. If his disguise held up, it would not do for his nerves to betray him.

Yet despite Arran's worries, the Knight showed no sign of attacking. Instead, she approached them calmly, finally coming to a halt just five paces away.

"Stand up," she said, her tone firm but not unfriendly.

Arran did as she said, and now that he got a better look at her, he could not help but be impressed with her appearance. Her armor was fashioned from starmetal and leather — similar to that of the recruits' bags, most likely — and there were two weapons on her belt.

The larger of these was a sword, slender and curved. And although it was sheathed in a leather scabbard, Arran Sensed through his sword that it was made from starmetal. The other weapon was a large dagger. And this, he knew, was the shard of Living Shadow.

Yet intrigued though he was by her arms and armor, her face was equally interesting. She had dark eyes and sharp features, and although she looked young, her expression was one of easy confidence.

In any other situation, Arran would have found her beautiful. But now, the main thing he noticed was the aura of danger she exuded. Something about her expression and manner told him that she had fought many battles.

As Arran studied the woman, she studied them as well, some curiosity showing in her dark eyes.

"It's a rare thing," she finally said, "to meet a recruit this far into the battlefield." Her eyes turned to Negin, and she continued, "It seems you have had some luck. Hand over what you found."

Ever since receiving the starmetal dagger, Negin's grip on it had not eased in the slightest. She'd held the weapon as if it was a treasure that might disappear if she so much as loosened her grip for even a second. Yet at the Knight's command, she instantly handed it over.

The woman took the dagger, then spent some moments carefully examining it. And as she inspected its craftsmanship, a hint of appreciation could be seen in her eyes. Then, satisfied, she handed the weapon back to Negin.

"A good piece," she said. "Good enough to win you the favor of your teachers." She glanced at Negin's blistered body, and continued, "But after finding such a treasure, the time has come for you to head back."

Negin promptly shook her head, her jaw set as she faced the Knight. "I can't," she said. "Not yet."

The woman frowned, but an instant later, a trace of approval appeared in her eyes. "You're brave," she said. "Foolish, but brave. If you continue, you may well die. But if you succeed…"

The woman hesitated briefly, then produced a small bag, which she handed to Negin. "Should you survive, this will help you recover."

Negin accepted the bag with wide eyes. "Thank you, Lady—"

"Merem," the Knight said. "If you make it back to the Imperium, seek me out. A recruit with your strength of will is a rare find."

"You have my promise," Negin said, bowing deeply as she spoke, her voice filled with reverence.

Yet before Negin even finished the bow, the woman had already turned her attention to Arran. And while she had looked at his companion with kindness, the look she gave him was wholly different — curious, though with no small amount of suspicion.

"You are not a recruit," she said. "Yet you are no mage, either. Why are you here?"

The certainty in her voice suggested to Arran that she'd relied on her shard of Living Shadow to examine him. Yet from the sound of it, his wards had held.

Still, he could not afford to be relieved just yet. He remembered all too well what the townsfolk of Redhill had said about outsiders entering the battlefield.

Arran met the Knight's eyes, forcing himself to maintain a calm expression as he faced her. "I'm here to find a weapon before I join the Imperium."

"Is that so?" She frowned, then cast a gaze at his body that lingered long enough for him to grow slightly uncomfortable. Finally, she turned her eyes back to him. "You're strong. Who instructed you in Body Refinement?"

"The Jiang Clan," Arran replied instantly. "In the Empire."

It was the best explanation he could give — close enough to the truth that he could easily answer any further questions she had, but impossible to verify.

The Knight gave him another appraising look, then asked, "Your Empire is far away. What made you decide to travel here? And why should I not kill you for trespassing upon our training grounds?"

Arran could tell the latter question was meant to provoke him, yet he maintained his calm. "I was forced to flee the Empire after I killed some overconfident mages. As for why you shouldn't kill me…" He shrugged. "Like you said, I'm strong. And word is that your Imperium is heading to war soon. Why waste strength when it could be yours?"

The woman smirked in amusement. "Do not overestimate your strength," she said. Yet after a moment, she nodded. "I suppose you are right. Even modest gifts can be useful."

She gave him a smile that almost seemed flirtatious, and continued, "Very well. For the good of the Imperium, I will overlook your transgression. But do visit me after you start your training. I might have use for someone with you… talents."

"I'll do that," Arran said, giving the woman a small nod.

Yet although he maintained a calm expression, he could not help but be puzzled by the woman's behavior. If he didn't know any better, he'd almost think her interest was in something other than his strength.

"Take this," the Knight said. She produced a ring which she handed to Arran. "There are others here who might not be as forgiving as I am. This will serve as proof that you are under my protection."

"Thank you?" Arran looked at the woman in confusion. While he was glad that she wasn't trying to kill him, he had not expected… whatever this was.

"You'll have plenty of opportunity to thank me in the future." She spoke with a smile, but as she turned her eyes back to Negin, her expression grew serious. "You, however, should consider returning. Stubbornness alone will not protect you."

Negin merely clenched her jaw and shook her head. While meeting the Knight had briefly revived her flagging energy, it seemed the brief recovery was already at an end. Yet still, she was unwilling to give up.

The Knight shrugged. "The choice is yours to make."

She gave Arran a last smile, then turned and left without any further words. Just moments later, she had disappeared into the ruined landscape.

Arran watched the woman's departure with his brow furrowed in a deep frown. Of all the people he'd encountered in his travels, this was by far the strangest.

Yet he soon turned his attention back to Negin, and as he looked at her, he felt some shock. Even in the short time they'd spent talking to the Knight, more blisters had formed on her skin.

He'd thought she could last another day or two, but now, he began to worry that even a day would be more than she could bear.

"She was right," he said. "You have to return."

"No." She only spoke the single word, and even that with effort. Yet her meaning was clear — she would not return before she found the treasure she sought.

Arran sighed, but it was clear that the girl's mind was set. "Let's hurry, then," he said. "The sooner you're out of here, the better."

Negin responded with a small nod, and they immediately set off once more, heading even deeper into the battlefield.

They walked for several hours, the ruined landscape somehow still growing more chaotic around them. By now, it could barely even be called a landscape anymore — the ground was torn and twisted, rent apart by magic so strong Arran could barely even begin to imagine it.

And as they walked, the pressure of unbound Essence still grew stronger, finally even reaching the point where it was causing Arran some discomfort.

Yet while he merely frowned uneasily, Negin was another matter. The blisters and burns on her body had long turned bloody, and whatever protection the pills offered, it clearly wasn't enough anymore — not this close to the center of the battlefield.

Arran realized that if they were to continue like this, she would likely be dead before the day was over.

It was something that shouldn't bother him. He barely knew her, and she was an enemy, besides. Yet as he looked at her, swaying on her feet as she only narrowly clung to consciousness, he realized he could not let a companion of his meet such a fate — not even an enemy.

"There!" he called out. "I see something!"

Without waiting for the girl's reply, he ran forward, toward a large pile of rock and rubble. Then, just out of her sight, he retrieved one of the starmetal swords he'd found in the tunnels near Amydon from his void ring, and triumphantly held it up.

"I found a weapon!"

The act was far from convincing, but in Negin's current state, there was no need for subtlety. She was already too far gone to see through it.

Arran hurried back to her, holding up the sword. "I found one!" he repeated. "You take it. With this, you can return."

Negin's cloudy eyes cleared for a moment, and as she accepted the sword, a look of utter bliss appeared on her face.

"It's real," she said, enraptured by the sight of the weapon.

Then, she collapsed.