The worn padded armor Kaden had been given to go along with his black urk fit him poorly. He felt as if he swam in it.

It had literally been thrown on him and was obviously secondhand, made for a man of greater physique. Based on the stitched up tears and damage along with associated remaining stains of blood, the budding Karo Shar assumed the previous owner was now dead. Bad luck, Kaden thought to himself. He wondered if his own luck would be enough to counter it.

But at least his chest didn't ache and his bruised muscled had healed well overnight. And it felt as though he'd gained some permanent strength. Not the sort of temporary boost given from inhaling vapors. He tried to envision if his biceps had gotten slightly larger, but while he suspected such, he couldn't confirm the thought. What was clear, however, is that whatever Touran had put on and in him had healed him. But underneath his armor, there was still a gap in his chest large enough for a man to stick his hand in and tickle his ribs.

Kaden stood with Prince Relastin at the base of the ladder in the large subterranean cavern with the many towering passages funneling into it. The ones serving as gateways further into the Abyss. The lifeblood of the world, as before, lit everything in red.

A troop of Royal Guards awaited their arrival.

"Did you scout the area?" the prince asked.

One man in a full head headscarf whose every muscle spoke of him being a warrior eyed Kaden suspiciously. There was even a hint is distaste in his eyes that were the only part of his face visible.

As asked, he gave his report. "Two Lesser Koronai in the northwest passages. They roam separately." He pointed. How he could tell which direction was which down here amazed Kaden. "A single Lesser Koronai in the southeast. And a Bone Koronai wandering a few levels down in the west. Per your orders, we did not engage any of them."

"Thank you, Sakhar Bul, Son of Dal. You may take your men and leave us now. Return to the catacombs and await our arrival."

"My prince," the commander bowed. "As you wish. But, are you certain?"

Prince Relastin folded his arms in agitation at being questioned. "Three Lesser Koronai and single Bone? Do you think I couldn't handle these myself if I had to?"

"I am not questioning your prowess, my prince." Sahkar Bul then added some further verbose if not exaggerated statements to ensure the prince knew he meant no offense. "I have seen your grand skill against the demons that plague us. I have witnessed you destroy their foul existence without even breaking a sweat. I have no doubt you could defeat each of them without even drawing your sword or inhaling a hundredth of a stone's worth of the essence of Rage. I was more concerned about the whelp."

The prince drew a deep breath that puffed his chest. "This 'whelp' is my Karo Shar. And you will address him as such. Or he shall have your head. Am I clear?"

The captain flopped to the ground and groveled before Kaden. "Forgive me, Karo Shar."

The display of humility before an obviously inferior foe paralyzed Kaden. No one had ever acted so cowardly in his presence. He did not know what to do. He couldn't have stood toe to toe with this fine specimen of a man if he had tried to. Even in his wildest dreams. Sweat beaded on him as he tried to look the part of the Karo Shar.

When Kaden did not respond to the act of obedience, Prince Relastin did for him. "You have insulted him so greatly that he will not even recognize your existence."

"I beg the forgiveness of the prince and his Karo Shar." Sakhar Bul did not move except to press his head further into the ground.

"I cannot speak for my Karo Shar. And I will not go against his decision." Prince Relastin looked to the boy he was trying to make a man out of.

Kaden felt he was being encouraged to say something. The look from his prince told him he must. "Don't—" He stopped and deepened his voice, adding a slight rasp while trying to mimic the prince's tone. Something he thought would make it sound more menacing. "Don't let it happen again, and you are forgiven."

"Thank you. Thank you." Sakar Bul rose and called for the men he commanded to follow him up the ladder.

The prince and Kaden watched as they ascended through the ceiling single file on the swaying ropes.

"You see the power words can have, Kaden, Son of Orl, Traitor of Ison?"

"I think it was more him being afraid of you than anything I did." There was a laugh hidden behind Kaden's words.

The prince snorted more noticeably. "There is truth behind that, Kaden, Son of Orl, Traitor of Ison?"

"You like rubbing that in, don't you?"

"Reminding you that you are the son of a traitor? Yes, I do." The prince nodded. "You need to know your place as well. You are beneath me and must remember such. As I said, words have power. Both in what those words are, and how one speaks them. Even so, it is no simple task to intimidate a Savan Devotee. And definitely not one such as Sakar Bul. And you did a fine enough job acting the part."

Upon hearing the sect of Imeron society that Sakhar Bul belonged to, Kaden's mind sparked. "I knew I recognized that face covering. The Savan Devotees are some of our greatest warriors."

"Yes, the Savan Devotees show their faces to no one. Only their eyes. They do not want their enemies to see anything else before they kill them."

"No one?"

"Not even their mates," the prince confirmed. "They believe it is bad luck and will fuck a woman while entirely naked except for their headscarves."

"And what about his prince?" Kaden asked. "If you asked him to remove it, would he?"

"He would fall on his own sword first. And trust me when I say I would use that knowledge against him if I suspected I had to. Now, which of the Koronai down here shall you face? The Bone perhaps?"

Kaden's face curdled. He'd never seen one, but had hear stories. "Alone? Not a chance."

The prince frowned. "You've already faced a Night Terror."

"You faced the Night Terror. Even with Rage and Courage within me, I just provided the distraction."

"Yes. This is true. Perhaps then you should just go for one of the lone Lesser Koronai?"

"Well, if you're giving me the choice, then yes."

"Very well, then. Even trained warriors are not asked to deliberately seek out anything larger their first time into the Abyss. Although luck sometimes presents different challenges than the ones we might expect. Here." The prince held out two wooden cylinders. One had its tip died brown. The other red. "I will allow you to have one of these."

"One?"

"Just one. So choose wisely, Kaden, Son of Orl, Traitor of Ison."

Kaden considered the offering. Courage would get him to the Koronai more easily. But without the Rage he never would have the strength to fight it. So he chose the latter.

The prince threw the other, the tube Courage, on the ground and cracked it under his boot as brown smoke dissipated.

"You wasted an essence?" Kaden observed in the form of a question.

"I am the Prince of Ison. I wasted nothing. I am going to show you that I do not need it. Come, let us hunt the Koronai."

*  *  *

Not long after they'd headed off to the northwest, Prince Relastin stopped suddenly and motioned for Kaden to do the same.

Kaden obliged. His chest tingled and he scratched at it. Even though his fingers could not reach the skin beneath his armor.

"The blood of the Koronai from the salve Touran gave you," the prince said, observing the action. "It senses its kin."

"It's uncomfortable," Kaden whined.

"Be ready," warned the prince. "The Koronai is coming." Then he stepped back.

"What? What are you doing?" Kaden stammered.

"Preparing to take notes on how you perform." The sly smile of the prince was eerie in the light given off by the lifeblood of the world. "A true warrior must be able to fight his own battles. And it is only a Lesser Koronai."

Despite not really wanting to, Kaden drew and readied his sword. Then he remembered the tube of Rage still in his other hand and yet to be partaken of. He broke it and drew the red vapors in with three quick, and tentative breaths.

Muscles, once more, hardened and swelled as the essence absorbed into them. His senses became heightened. And through it all, he felt the Koronai approaching.

Kaden looked back and saw the prince was a ways down the passage. Not running away, but giving him space to demonstrate what he could do. Kaden felt the answer to that question would be nothing but die. The problem with that, however, was Sahl was depending on him not to. As were the still forming plans he had for revenge.

Standing in the massive cave, virtually alone, Kaden adjusted his stance. He didn't know what he was doing. All he had was instinct and his mind. And he knew, the last time he relied on such, that he'd stood toe to toe with Night Terror. A Koronai much more menacing that what he was about to face. He had to trust in himself.

There was a slow thrumming to the ground. One of footsteps from a heavy beast lumbering towards him. The wait alone was enough to nearly cause Kaden to run. But his muscles, prime to release all that was now pent up within them, would not allow it. He didn't need the Courage as they forced him to wait.

Slowly, in the distance, a form emerged and hulked towards him. It wasn't as tall as the Night Terror, more like the size of an inhumanly tall man. As it came into clearer resolution, however, it was clear it was no man. Ten feet tall, if not eleven, it hunched as it marched, muscles bulging like a soldier on twelve doses of Rage.

Tongue lashing out like a whip from its exaggeratedly large, jagged-toothed maw, the Lesser Koronai licked the air while its coal-like eyes locked onto Kaden. It raced towards him with a speed that belied its girth, all with the singular, burning desire to snack upon the bones of a pathetic little boy holding a sword in the Abyss.

Kaden knew he'd have to survive. Somehow.

The claws of the Lesser Koronai were not impressive swords like he'd seen on the Night Terror. But Kaden was certain the daggers were razor sharp and could deal damage in their own right. The demon was upon him and lunged, leading with those weapons.

Kaden swung but missed as he rolled out of the way, his mind calculating for him that move and the one that would follow, allowing the demon to carry itself beyond him. He tried to get back up and attack it before it could turn around. But even as his mind envisioned the assault, his body was not ready.

The Lesser Koronai assailed him again, continuing to assume the advantage. It's smaller size made it faster than the Night Terror. And that was something Kaden was not ready for. Its speed was vicious and cruel. While the clawed hands tried to tear him to shreds, the beast's toothed jaw snapped and went for his head.

Kaden ducked and weaved and brought his sword around. It was a blind swing, but he caught the monster—whether through luck or instinct or a combination of both. Ichor sprayed and Kaden felt his chest burn. As though the blood that had been used to heal him felt the pain of its fellow monster now before him.

The Koronai reared back—wounded. It's tongue whipping about.

With sword covered in demon guts in hand, Kaden pressed. Although the Lesser Koronai would not be defeated so easily, it was on the defensive. And Kaden didn't really know how to win this battle. All he could do is trust that his mind clouded in red Rage would guide him. And guide him it did. As though the most miraculous of luck coursed through him.

Slash after hack after carving chop, Kaden dismantled the demon. First, he took its right arm, impressively severing it clean off. And while it lamented that loss with an ear popping scream of horror, its left leg was next to go.

The beast fell, but would not give in. It clawed towards him, startling Kaden with its persistence. With its one remaining arm and pushing off with its still attached leg, it moved in an unnaturally quick way. Its tongue whipped and caught Kaden across the calf, slicing open and skin and causing his leg to burn.

Kaden instinctually lopped the snake-like appendage off. But the demon threw itself upon him. Leaping like a cat, it pinned him down, dripping hot ichor from its wounds on him. Kaden's saving grace was his sword hand was still free because of the beast's missing arm. As it went for his head, Kaden skewered it through jaw and skull. Then pushed the blade onward with his newfound strength that was still growing.

His muscles firing at levels they could have never reached on their own, he split the Koronai's skull in two. Killing it.

In its death throes, the demon lashed out, cutting Kaden with its claws numerous times before he freed himself from underneath it. The boy cast his assailant off and stumbled to his unsteady feet, smelling like demon. His body heaving breaths, Kaden watched the beast fall still.

He'd done it. He'd killed a Koronai. Alone.

Turning around, Kaden sought approval from the prince. But the prince was gone.