Chapter 72 Tournamen (1/2)
When they returned to Darkfire's ot a look at how vast the place was With over two dozen bedrooreat dining halls, the ned for to house dozens of people
And yet, Darkfire lived there by himself, without even servants to look after it
Moreover, from the state of the place, it was clear that Darkfire wasn't much of a decorator If the mansion hadn't been clean and mostly free of dust, Arran could easily have believed it to be abandoned
”You can take any room you want,” Darkfire said ”Other than my bedrooet so?” Arran asked
”The field outside is great for training,” Darkfire replied with a grin
Arran picked out a large bedrooood view of the city and aon the stone floor of a prison cell, a soft bed would be a welco, and when he went downstairs, he found that Darkfire was already outside, practicing
Arran observed hiht He could see that Darkfire was executing a seely endless series of sword strokes, each different froh there wasn't a pattern to the movements, exactly, to Arran's eyes it looked as if Darkfire was engaged in a fight with a dozen invisible ene technique of yours… what is it?” Arran asked after Darkfire finished
”It's soht me when I was a child,” Darkfire replied ”Let me show you hoorks”
Darkfire spent the next hours teaching the technique to Arran, and although Arran only understood a sreatly help his own training
”Want to head for the tourna some hours later ”We can visit the Governor afterward”
They arrived at the arena half an hour later It was large, circular, and h it looked like it could easily accoht now only barely a quarter of the seats were taken
”The weekly tournae crowds,” Darkfire explained ”Only the hters”
As Arran looked around, he spotted half a dozen youths in black robes who stood out from the rest of the croith nobody in the audience closer than ten paces to theroup
Darkfire looked over, and the roup, his face fell ”Shadowbloods,” he said in a disgusted voice
”Shadowbloods? What are they?”
”They're a faction within the Shadowflaood for you, you'll stay far away from them”
”Why?” Arran asked This was the first time he saw actual members of the Shadowflame Society, and he hadn't expected he would have to avoid them
”They believe that only those born within the Society should be allowed to join,” Darkfire said ”You don't see them much in the border cities, since they don't usually recruit outsiders And when they do, those recruits are rarely seen again”
”And this group?” Arran asked
”These are just novices,” Darkfire said ”But don't take thehtly — they're still Society members If they try to recruit you, refuse, but be polite about it No point in needlesslythat he would do his best to stay away from the Shadowbloods Yet even as he made the decision, he saw one of theroup approached thean, a sinister s if your friend—”
”fuck off,” Darkfire said, not at all polite