Paragon of Destruction

"You planned this all along, didn't you?" Arran asked.

He sat with Kaleesh and Sassun, the three of them sharing a bottle of wine as Arran's eyes wandered around the mostly empty camp around them.

The mercenaries who'd accepted Rannoc's offer had left just a quarter-hour earlier, accompanied by both Muna and the priest, with three carts full of precious gemstones behind them — the mercenaries' share of what they'd dug up in the mines, the captain had said.

And now, the camp that had been abuzz with activity only hours earlier was eerily silent, with those who still remained speaking in muted voices.

"Of course I did," Kaleesh replied to Arran's question. "I never had any intention of forcing my troops into the Desolation without them knowing what they would face."

"I'm not talking about that," Arran said. "You encouraging them to take the offer — it was because you needed a smaller group, wasn't it?"

Some fifty mercenaries had chosen to remain with the captain, and it hadn't taken long for Arran to realize that while the group had lost most of its members, it still retained much of its strength.

To a man, those who remained were among the most skilled fighters the Wolfsblood Company counted. And many of them were older than the others had been, with the experience to match it.

"That was a part of it, too," Kaleesh admitted. "In the Desolation, a smaller group will move faster and draw less attention. Not to mention that properly equipping two hundred fighters would be difficult."

Arran narrowed his eyes. "Properly equipping them?"

He knew that the mines held starmetal, and that Kaleesh had requested the assistance of Kadun's blacksmiths. That he intended to arm his troops as best he could was obvious, but still, Arran wondered what the captain was planning.

Somehow, he doubted it would be as simple as having some swords forged.

A small smile crossed the captain's face. "Come with me," he said. "While you were occupied with your studies, the rest of us were digging. And our labor was most fruitful."

Arran followed as the captain led them down into the lower levels of the mines, expertly navigating the maze-like tunnels despite the dim torchlight.

It wasn't long before they reached a network of tunnels that was unfamiliar to Arran. Newly dug, the tunnels spread far beneath the mountains — far enough that Arran briefly worried that Kaleesh might have struck the diggers' caverns.

Yet his Sense told him that wasn't the case. While the tunnels ran deep, they had not gone deep enough to create danger.

Still, surprise flashed across Arran's face when he Sensed what lay at the end of the tunnels — surprise he quickly hid, to avoid revealing his Sense to the captain.

A quarter-hour later they reached their destination — a large chamber, filled with starmetal ore. And after they stepped inside, the captain turned around, a smile on his face that held just a trace of smugness.

"So what do you think?"

"No wonder you were so generous to the overseer," Arran replied, staring at the massive pile of starmetal ore. "A fortune like this… you could buy your own city, if you wanted to."

Kaleesh sighed wistfully. "We only get to keep a third of it," he said. "The rest goes to Rannoc. Still, it should be enough to equip fifty fighters."

"Fifty?" Arran raised his eyebrow as he faced the captain. "This would have been enough to have a starmetal sword made for everyone in the Wolfsblood Company."

"True," Kaleesh said. "But in the Desolation, swords won't be enough."

"Then what else do we need?" Arran asked.

"To start, we'll need spears," Kaleesh replied. "Long and sharp, so the troops can pin down our enemies without exposing themselves. And it goes without saying that we'll need armor, as well."

Arran furrowed his brow. "I thought you wanted to avoid drawing attention?"

The captain nodded. "Of course. But if we dirty the weapons and armor up a little, few people will suspect anything. Nobody would expect fifty outsiders to all have equipment better than Rangers."

At this, Arran shook his head. "That won't work. Knights will know the difference."

Kaleesh gave him a curious look. "They will? How?"

"Their weapons," Arran explained. Even if he would prefer not to discuss the matter, he knew it something he could not hide — not with their lives at stake. "Unless I'm mistaken, they should be able to find starmetal from a distance of at least a hundred paces."

The last part was a guess, but he thought it was accurate. Even if the Knights shared a bond with their weapons — something of which he still wasn't certain, given their lack of magic — none of them owned weapons as powerful as Arran's.

Kaleesh remained silent for several seconds, though Arran could see a hint of frustration in his eyes. "That is unfortunate," he finally said. "But we'll have to take the risk. In the Desolation, we'll need all the strength we can get. And before that…"

The captain hesitated, then let out a small sigh. "We'll have a letter of safe passage from Rannoc. That should offer at least some protection."

Arran nodded in response. Though the idea of traveling across the Imperium while carrying a fortune large enough to turn even Lords' heads was less than pleasant, he understood why it was necessary.

If the Desolation was as dangerous as people said, then sacrificing strength for fear of drawing attention wasn't an option.

Of course, Arran had a way to get the starmetal through the Imperium unseen — his void ring.

Yet although he trusted Kaleesh enough to reveal the ring — if he had to — there were another fifty pairs of eyes that would certainly notice that something was amiss if a shipment of weapons and armor appeared out of nowhere once they reached the Desolation.

Instead, he said, "So, we'll be using spears?"

Seeing his frown, the captain laughed. "Not you. I've watched you practice with one, and we can't spare the decade it would take to turn you into a half-decent spearman. I'd suggest you focus your efforts on that oversized sword of yours, instead."

"You want me to focus on the giant sword?" Arran asked, somewhat surprised. As much as he liked the ridiculous weapon, it hardly seemed suitable for the tight ranks a spear formation would require.

"I think it will have its uses," Kaleesh replied. "If we face a creature that's particularly reluctant to die, I imagine that monstrous blade might help convince it. And if that isn't enough…"

He cast a meaningful look at Arran's side, where the Living Shadow sword hung.

Arran frowned in response. "That weapon is only as good as I am," he said. "You saw what happened with the Knight — it only works if I can get a good hit in."

"Indeed," Kaleesh replied, his expression serious. "And we both still have too many shortcomings. Perhaps it's time to address those. I have a single advanced insight. If you wish, I can make an effort in teaching it to you — a few months will not be enough for anything but a beginning, but it should be helpful nonetheless."

At once, Arran's eyes went wide with excitement.

Ever since Kaleesh had revealed his true power, he'd been in awe of the man's ability. His speed was something Arran could not even hope to match, and in battle, speed was perhaps even more important than strength.

Arran could easily defeat Kaleesh in a single blow — but only if he managed to strike that blow. And against an opponent who could move with such astonishing speed, that would be nearly impossible.

"If you'll teach me," Arran replied. "Then I'll gladly learn. And if you want, I can teach you about my insight in return."

Kaleesh shot him a broad grin. "That would be most welcome. When we fought that Knight, it felt as if his blocks were completely impenetrable. Most frustrating."

Arran smiled wryly. "To me, it felt as if I was fighting the wind. He was too fast for me to touch — whenever I struck, he was already gone."

"Then learning about speed should help you greatly," Kaleesh said, some excitement already showing in his eyes.

"Your insight is in speed, then?" Arran asked, though he already knew the answer. Having seen Kaleesh fight, there really was nothing else it could have been.

The captain nodded. "It is. I spent half a century as a monk to learn it — a small price, though I didn't think so at the time. But since you already have another insight, your path should be a faster one."

"Mine is in severing," Arran said. "Binding and severing, actually, though I think it's best we start with the easier half."

"Severing?" Kaleesh gave him a ponderous look. "I'd never even thought that could be an insight. Though I suppose it makes sense, now that I think of it. So it wasn't just the sword?"

"The sword helps," Arran replied. "But a truly devastating strike requires all of it — the insight, the weapon, and the strength to combine the two in a single blow."

He'd never thought about it quite like that, but as he spoke the words, he realized that they were true. When the elements all came together, they formed a whole that was vastly more powerful than the parts alone.

Kaleesh nodded thoughtfully. "We should have a week before Kadun's blacksmiths arrive. I suggest we put that time to good use."

Arran agreed wholeheartedly. Any insight would be worth his time, but this one in particular seemed invaluable.

And perhaps, he thought, learning another insight might help him in studying the Forms. Because so far, all the effort he'd spent on that had still come to naught.