They had been given twenty minutes to warm-up beforehand. Gyna, Kaeshan, and Ingresh had taken advantage of that time, but Eraphim had only gone through the basics, not letting the Dark Court male study his fighting techniques too closely.

   After he was done within ten minutes, Eraphim had willed his golden sword to disappear into a pocket between worlds and left the training circle to lean against a nearby wall. The Dark Court male had smiled approvingly at him from the other side of the circle with shark eyes, his tall height made him all the more menacing. He hadn't drawn a single weapon and didn't intend to. So Eraphim switched his gaze to studying his future opponents.

   All of them weren't bad with a blade at all. He guessed if they were, they wouldn't be competing in the first place. Gyna practiced throwing her arclyph daggers at distant targets, getting use to their weight and feel. She really was precise, letting out frustrated grunts if the blade missed the center by a few millimeters.

   Kaeshan could only be described as a berserker who excelled in dancing. He wielded a heavy longsword meant for cleaving enemies in two. But he made up for it with speed, surprising Eraphim. Kaeshan dodged and weaved around invisible opponents, slicing and hacking with deathly calm precision. And when he couldn't move fast enough, he used what little magic he had to create shields or short whips to hold enemies at bay. Perhaps Eraphim had underestimated him.

   And Ingresh...he fought like an avenging angel. The captain used both skill and strategy to fight. It was a wonder he hadn't risen higher in the Light Court ranks. Eraphim watched in silent awe as Ingresh dodged, weaved, and attacked with a variety of movements that Eraphim couldn't figure out his technique. In his right hand he held an arclyph sword, but he kept his left open to summon weapons made of magic. He conjured up glowing red swords, spears, or daggers as he wished depending on the range from him to his invisible opponent. And he always had a shimmering red shield at his back; smart.

   Ingresh had caught Eraphim looking his way once, and had given a small smile before returning to fighting.

   When Sairon had flung open the doors stating their time was up, Eraphim had immediately gone to Ingresh and demanded why he had just been a captain and not a general or commander. Ingresh had merely smiled at him and stated that he wasn't worthy of such titles.

   Eraphim disagreed strongly.

   And now here they were twenty minutes later.

      The Trial of the Fade consisted of twenty five contestants. Eraphim had only met four of them, including himself was five. Where were the other twenty?

   That question had bothered him the entire time as the five of them were escorted to the battle grounds. Ingresh had automatically asserted himself beside Eraphim as they walked towards the arena. Eraphim had seen it before, once. It was intimidating and had been fashioned to Hallas's liking. Eraphim hoped the God of Death wasn't going to be watching, he made Eraphim nervous.

   Ingresh's nudge against Eraphim's arm jarred him out of his thoughts. He looked up, expecting them to have arrived, but they hadn't. "What?" Eraphim asked slightly annoyed.

   Ingresh turned gleaming eyes to him. "How powerful are you really?" It wasn't a friendly tone. Right, they were enemies now, competing for the same thing. Life.

   "You will find out along with everyone else."

   Ingresh frowned. "Very well." They walked together in silence. Sairon turned his head slightly, giving Eraphim a questioning look. Eraphim narrowed his eyes at him, none of your damn business. Sairon rolled his eyes and looked forward again.

   Eraphim knew they had arrived at the arena when he began seeing serpentine writhes of blue flames. They eventually lead to two large columns on a stone platform in the middle of the battle grounds.

   Sairon halted under an archway and turned to face them all. "For your first match, you five will be one group competing against the other four teams of five. You fight until only three teams out of five remain. Simple yes?"

   "Wait," it was the Dark Court male who said it horrified, "we're a team?" Apparently that was the only word he had heard.

   Sairon glared at him. "I will not repeat myself. Those are the only rules. You may do as you like otherwise."

   "But everyone is here to fight for themselves. We will all just backstab each other."

   "That may be your strategy, boy, but it is not a wise one. Stragglers always die in the first match. I've seen it again and again."

   The male sighed angrily and turned hateful eyes towards Eraphim. "I suppose I shall have to kill you later."

   "You can certainly try. Later," Eraphim taunted.

   Sairon sighed in exasperation. "Why does everyone always over complicate matters? Just watch each others' backs and you will all be fine. Now get out there. I'm due in the stands soon."

   He left without a goodbye and a flourish of his dark-red messengers' cloak.

   Gyna sighed and picked at an arclyph dagger she had drawn soundlessly. There were too many assassins competing, in Eraphim's opinion. "I suppose we must cooperate with each other."

   "For now," Kaeshan added rather unhelpfully.

   "Alright," Ingresh stated, acting as the string who kept them all together, "let's go out there and destroy some souls."

   The others straightened their backs at the natural way Ingresh's voice carried authority. Eraphim supposed he was their temporary leader.

  The Dark Court male grinned and looked at Eraphim. He still hadn't drawn a weapon. "Can you keep up, old man? Or do you need one of us to carry you on our back?"

   "Call me an old man again and you'll be the one needing someone to carry you on their back."

   The male; surprisingly, let out a barking laugh. "I hope you're more than just constant barking. I'm waiting for you to bite." And then he promptly strode into the arena.

   Oh he had no idea what kind of monster he was prodding. Eraphim hid his wicked grin.

   Kaeshan and Gyna followed right behind, then Ingresh with a spark of pride in his golden-red eyes as he passed and glanced at Eraphim. Eraphim was the last to enter the arena, scouting for the audience and Hallas.

   He let out a slightly muffled groan when he spotted him among the audience. The God of Death was lounging in his favourite throne made of black onyx and swirls of gold and red paint. At least Eraphim assumed it was paint. He was wearing a silk-black toga embroidered with silver, with his crown of black thorns and mist atop his head.

   And he was looking directly down at Eraphim. Black eyes of power and all.

   Thank Fate none of the others heard his groan of displeasure and slight fear. Hallas gave him a coy smile only he could see as he motioned at the commentator to begin the processions.

   Do impress me, Son of Henoss.

   Hallas wanted the Son of Henoss, then he would get the Son of Henoss.

   Eraphim was still surveying the field when the commentator suddenly raised his hands and the entire arena shook. He let out a surprised grunt as the ground shifted and mounds and shards of rocks and foliage took shape before them, reaching up to the ever-black sky.

   When the rumbling ceased and the ground stopped splitting itself apart, Eraphim gawked at what he beheld.

   Fate help them all.

   They were going to be fighting in a full-on replication of a battlefield in the shape of a maze...with blades that created fire surrounded by a maze of forestry; smart.

  Eraphim barely had time to pick out the other contenders around them before a great horn blared a deep note and they all darted into the makeshift maze.

  Eraphim looked around him, and thankfully found the others were still beside him.

  And then everything went to hell when the Dark Court male spotted a contender and chased after him with a roar of vengeance, straight into the thick foliage.

   Eraphim opened his mouth to call after him, then realized he didn't know what to shout since he didn't know his name. Mynestra's crown, they were too exposed out here. Contenders were already scaling the monstrous walls with ease or teleporting directly on top of them. They stared down at them, marking them as easy targets as the four of them stood there in the open.

   Ingresh was thinking the same thing. The two of them shared a single glance before they ran into the battlegrounds, arclyph swords drawn and blazing, with Gyna and Kaeshan trailing behind.

   The second the maze engulfed them all in darkness, Eraphim immediately heard the distant cry of souls being eradicated and swathes of green flames from arclyph blades roaring to life nearby.

   "Eraphim," Ingresh whispered nearby. He looked at the captain, and then at what he was pointing at.

   Five women were kneeling on the ground not ten meters before them with their eyes closed in concentration. The two of them shared a cautious glance before stalking forward on silent feet. He didn't bother to see if Gyna and Kaeshan followed them.

   Eraphim knew magic at work when he saw it, and these five women were conjuring up something big. Flashes of purple and blue magic arced and wrapped around them protectively as the woman in the middle rose and opened her eyes to reveal glowing purple orbs.

   "Ingresh..." Eraphim whispered unsure. The captain barely had time to summon a red shield in front of him before a colossal beast made of pure magic roared to life before them, exploding from the stomachs and eyes of the five women. They were grinning at them.

   Fools. They whispered in unison inside each of their minds. Ugh, mind readers.

   A rare and deadly gift. And also quite annoying in Eraphim's experience.

   Ingresh's barked curse was cut off as the beast that resembled a massive, roaring mountain lion pounced towards them with gleaming blue eyes and wickedly sharp claws.

   Eraphim rolled out of the way just as one of those massive claws slammed down on where he had been mere seconds ago. They had to stop the five women. Or destroy one of them so the others were momentarily distracted. All he needed was one second to end this.

   "Ingresh!" Eraphim shouted. The captain swung his head towards his voice, eyes a bit wide. "We need to kill one of the women to distract them or break the link!"

   "I'm a bit preoccupied!" Ingresh half growled half shouted back. That was true, he was single-handedly holding the beast made of pure magic back by himself.

   Eraphim looked around.

   Where in Dracken's name were Gyna and Kaeshan?