There was a flow of air in the room, but it was a hesitant thing, so light it would have escaped me if I hadn't been sitting perfectly still, my senses questing after such a sensation. The gentle current tickled my arm hairs – the feeling soft as a baby's breath – as it drifted on its way. The confines of the tournament were antithetical to my Air Source, but this was something at least.

I blew out a breath, adding a bit of myself to that ethereal breeze, before inhaling, long and deep, tasting the vibrant life that was much more easily found. Esmi was beside me, and she smelled somewhat burnt, her recent flares of emotion heating her skin to such a degree that she had singed her clothing. Far from being offputting, the scent was pleasant to me, a reminder that we were both here, both still alive: when she had been a Soul, she hadn't smelled of anything at all.

Layered over that scent was the bite of sweat: hers, mine, and anyone else who happened to pass by, like a pungent holding cell of revelers sweating out their overindulgence. Only the centaurs remained fresh, and why shouldn't they? They had no skin in this game, no lives or worse to lose. Their musk was earthy, and the pretty one who was doting on my brother smelled like fresh grass.

Gale still lived. I hadn't been entirely sure when watching his match, the blood pumping out of his shoulder at an alarming rate. I had tried to go to him, to use my Life Source for its Healing, but the Centaurs had blocked my way with their long, equine bodies. I would have cut through them with cards, uncaring of the consequences, but when I tried to draw my summons they would not come, no matter how strongly I pulled on my Mind Home. Rakkoden had given me a knowing look, and the Twins' hand in the matter was clear to me: they wouldn't let us commit violence on each other or their stewards, except when they wished.

And in the end, I hadn't mattered. Some of the younger centaurs brought Gale back to the viewing box, his wound already healed over. It was vexing how our hosts kept using their Celestial cards out of sight, but that annoyance was dust on the wind when I saw my brother's chest rise and fall. By the time Hull's match had concluded, he was propped up on his good arm, sharing grapes and jests with the bright-eyed centaur girl who was kneeled down on all fours, the pair of them over by the food tables.

I couldn't imagine eating right now, but I appreciated the way the items were laid out, with proper space between them. The dishware had no smudges, and when the leonid made a mess, ripping a great chunk of meat off of a boar leg, the younger centaurs hurriedly cleaned up the remnants. I wouldn't be surprised if a number of them cultivated Order in addition to Celestial. To be a steward, one had to care for things, look after them, and that required a certain frame of mind. Even in the limited time I had been among them, I could see the pattern to their movements, a structure to the way they carried out their tasks.

And, while the box we were in did my Air Source no favors, its straight lines and symmetrical sides sung to the Ordered part of me. If I was to measure it, I had no doubt that it would be a perfect square – an architect of Treledyne's dream. Some tenders said that the Twins represented all Source, while others claimed that the Twins just used the Twelve for their own purposes. Either way, it was obvious that Order had been called upon in the construction of this place, and that I could draw in, using it to settle the disorder that had grown within me.

I let out another breath, longer than before, trying to purge myself of all that I did not need in this moment.

When I finished, Esmi shifted beside me. "Better?" she asked.

I could feel her frown of worry without needing to look. The way I was behaving of late was troubling to her, but I didn't know how else to be. Well, that was more lie than truth. I remembered my other facets, intellectually at least, but they seemed foreign, unreachable, like when the Twins had kept me from my deck. Rage bubbled up freely, or petty annoyance, such as my complaints to Esmi about her speaking of our troubles to Alexi. We had bickered some then, and I could tell she was still frustrated with me, but her concern was winning out now.

"Much," I told her. It had only been a scant few minutes of cultivation, stolen between Hull's successful return and whatever lay in store for us next, but it had indeed helped. I didn't think I'd bite anyone's head off, at least not without ample reason.

Rakkoden cleared his throat, and we all turned to him, even the leonid. "Well done making it through the first round of duels. You will now have a brief respite to plan and take your ease. Should you wish, you may use the adjoining room for practice." The centaur motioned to the side, and what had been a grey wall misted away, revealing an archway leading into a white-marbled space. "But I should warn you" – when I looked back, I saw he was staring straight at me – "violence against each other will not be tolerated."

"It is impossible," I corrected him. "Why not say as much?"

The centaur's expression soured. "Just so."

"And the next round?" the leonid growled from the corner he had claimed.

"Will be revealed after you've had this break," the old centaur answered smoothly.

The leonid gruffed, showing what he thought of that, and I couldn't say I disagreed. There were seven opponents each of us might face since inner team fights were allowed; planning for that many possibilities would be woefully inefficient.

Hull strolled up to us, Afi at his side. "I'll take some time away from this lot if they're giving it," he said. "Wanna join?"

Esmi and I shared a look. She seemed neutral on the idea, but I knew I was poor company and that she would feel better getting to converse with others. "Yes," I said, "let's."

The archway was only a short distance away, and I walked slowly, letting the others enter before me. When I reached the Twin-crafted portal, I paused, struck by a wave of nostalgia. The room was round, just like our dueling room at home, the one I had trained in with Tipfin. It was like the Twins had plucked the space from my memories and created it here anew, except with white-marble stonework instead of brick. Was there some significance here? A reminder of my lackluster beginnings or simple coincidence?

"Basil?"

The call got my attention, and I shifted my gaze to see that Esmi was looking at me along with the others.

"Something wrong?" Hull said, a subtle shift in posture all it took for my friend to look ready for violence.

"Nothing," I said, waving him down. "Just a sense of… familiarity."

They all relaxed then and went back to exploring the space. However, besides the impressively smooth construction, there was little to see: no furniture or adornment except a paired set of lines at the room's edges to mark the standard dueling distance of twenty-four feet. Esmi noticed it as well, and we nodded at each other in understanding. It seemed this space was indeed meant to be used to practice dueling should we want to.

"You'd think the Twins could afford some chairs," Afi commented.

"Overatted," Hull said, plopping into the middle of the space. "That's what a good bum is for." He then gave Afi a slow smile. "Not something you need to worry about."

Afi snorted, tucking some hair behind her ear, but overall, she looked pleased, sitting down beside him.

"So," he said, looking between us, "what do we think it's going to be?

"It would have been nice if they told us what to expect," Esmi said with a sigh, joining the other two on the floor.

"The Twins are assholes," Hull said with a shrug, "nothing new there."

"You'll likely fight your mother," I said, trailing my hand across the curved wall – something about the act was comforting to me. "I'll face Titus, and Esmi will probably have to duel Stafford."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Leaving the Primarch to fight his daughter?" Afi said, sounding unsure of that.

"Indeed," I said. "Because…" I gestured to Hull to finish the thought for me, and he didn't disappoint.

"The Twins are assholes," he said with a laugh.

"Maybe," Esmi said. She had drawn some cards and was lying them on the floor. "There are four of them and four of us," she said, placing that many cards across from each other, "so there's no need to have us fight each other to fill the matches."

"True," I said, letting my hand drop from the wall. "But the Twins didn't need to have an inner team fight in the first round and yet they did. Two of them, in fact."

"You just want to rip that mangy furball limb from limb," Hull said, showing his teeth. "Not that I blame you, but how do you plan to do it?"

My hand became a fist against the wall, the knuckles of which I pressed into the hard stone past the point of pain. "I have some things in mind."

Esmi looked up at me. "You said you would want help planning your next fight."

I started to argue but caught myself. I had said that, and it was obvious she would be hurt if I didn't keep to my word. Pushing off the wall, I came and sat beside them in a show of concession. "Gale has offered me the use of his deck. It was the second thing he said to me when he woke."

"What was the first?" Hull asked, since he had been dueling at the time.

I sighed. "That the most talented woman he ever had the pleasure of spending an evening with was missing one leg, so none of us should be worried that the loss of an arm would cause him any trouble."

My friend spluttered a laugh while Afi rolled her eyes.

"Yes," Esmi said with strained patience, "he was quite concerned that we all heard that, especially a particular four-legged doe."

"Such a charmer," Afi said.

"At any rate," I said, "I have already included his Vestmants Relic, and I'm thinking to do the same for his Giant Fighting Hawk. With my deck, the leonid's Armor will be a non-issue."

They nodded, all of them familiar with Atrea's – now Celestine's – Aura.

"It's too bad your brother's Griffon was lost as ante," said Afi. "Having a Mount to shunt damage onto would have been useful against an enhance build."

Spoken just like someone who had been educated on such matters, and I nodded, conceding the point. "If the Twins' ante picks so far are any indication, I imagine I'll get it back when I defeat him."

There was general agreement on that, so no one spoke until Hull said, "Wish I could summon my sister."

Both girls looked at him conciliatorily. That had certainly been a surprising revelation from the orc general, and I could understand why Hull would want to speak with her.

"The Queen still has the vault key," Afi said, "and it's packed with fabricators." She smiled, stretching her new scar some. "You three just need to win and then you'll be able to."

Hull leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, gentle as can be. "Right then. So, let's say I do fight my mom or that Primarch and his thousand Health. How am I winning?"

Hull had become a competent duelist in his own right, but there was something about him asking after help that thawed me.

"Your mother is offensively powerful," Esmi said, "but unlike you, or even that demon girl, I haven't seen any cards from her that protect. Stack your Sucking Void and your Talisman, and I'm not sure what she can do."

I agreed with her analysis, which was no surprise: the years I had spent filling out paperwork, Esmi had been attending the one of the best dueling schools in the world. Still, I saw the unease on Hull's face. His mother was deviousness incarnate. The truth was we didn't know who all she could become, and thus, what all abilities she could use.

He rubbed his nose. "Yeah, I was thinking as much. And the Primarch?"

"Your new Soul Ability should be a near perfect counter," I answered. "It's hard to say what all he can do with those non-carded Spells he uses, but as long as you keep enough Source up, you should be able to throw back at him whatever he sends at you."

Hull nodded thoughtfully and then looked back to Esmi. "Your turn."

"I agree with Basil –" she started, but it was Afi who cut her off.

"He means what about Stafford. That vampire's enhance build seems just as scary as the leonid's, in some ways worse since he has Lifesteal."

"Oh," Esmi said, shifting some of her Kobold cards around. "It is my hope that I won't have to fight him."

"He killed you, my love," I said, with as much softness as I could, which amounted to little more than me speaking quietly. "The Twins surely won't miss an opportunity to see you against one another again. The centaurs spoke of novelty. How often is someone brought back from the dead and able to face their killer?"

"They might put you against him, Basil, for revenge," Hull offered, trying to be a good friend.

I didn't argue the point. Less than a week ago, I would have died happy ripping the vampire's throat open with my bare hands. But Esmi was returned to me now, and Stafford had gone so far as to return her deck to her. I held plenty of hate in my heart, but little of it was for him any more.

"Do you have a plan?" Afi asked Esmi "Just in case?"

"Well," she admitted, "when I had the chance to upgrade a card, I did a side-grade on Emerus so he can affect Fire cards now."

"You did?" Hull said, eyes wide. "That's amazing."

Esmi brightened some, just as I had hoped being around these two would do for her. "I was pleased about it, too, and I think with him and Death Source power, I can recreate some of what worked so well for me in my previous deck. I've been mentally rehearsing my opening plays and mulligan options ever since getting my Kobolds back, otherwise I'd ask you three to practice it with me now."

We sat for a bit, all of us lost in thought. In just a few minutes it could go from practice to reality; I should have asked how long this break was meant to be.

"I wish I could give you my cards," Afi gushed, breaking the silence. "I hate that all my most powerful ones are Water."

"I have plenty of cards," I said, "but I'm afraid they wouldn't be much use. Our Sources have diverged too much." I went ahead and got them out anyway, both from my wrist holder and then various pockets I had been forced to use when my holder grew full.

"I didn't realize you had so many cards," Esmi breathed, looking over the spread I was still adding to.

It took a bit for me to finish, and when I did, I leaned back to take it all in. "Neither did I," I admitted. There had to be over a hundred cards in all. It was somewhat surreal looking at them and seeing the various eras of decks I had used: Protections and Penitances in the beginning, Metal Golems later, along with Water cards that weren't even here anymore. Than Greater Goods against Gerard in War Camp, and Fluid Graces and Feral Strengths when I first went out into the field.

Hull eyed me suspiciously. "Weren't you basically in prison for the last month?"

I nodded. "With them," I said, pointing to the cards I had recovered of my fellow captives: Geb, Justine, and Bessamun.

That sobered everyone until Hull asked, "Those Metal Golems were from that Throice kid, weren't they? Wonder how he's doing."

"Indeed they are," I said, though I didn't know the answer to the second question. I thought Afi might, having spent more time in the hub of the war effort, but she didn't comment. "They're excellent cards," I went on. "You're welcome to them if you want." I picked them up and gave the pair to Hull, who considered them before handing them over to Esmi.

"Wouldn't these help with the card draw you lost since you don't have Order Source Power anymore?" he said.

"They might…" she answered. "Emerus wouldn't be able to summon them, but I could cycle them with Death Source Power."

The two of them kept discussing it, with Afi joining. I would be sure to weigh in on the final decision, but for now I let myself become absorbed in cleaning up the mess I had made. As I was tucking things back into place, one card in particular caught my eye: my winning against Losum, a victory that I had dreamed after but had only half believed I'd be able to achieve.

By the time I had everything put away, the group was looking at a different set of cards now: the four kobolds Esmi had setup against four Death cards.

"The Abino's meant to be the lion-jerk, yeah?" Hull said.

Esmi nodded with a smile. "That's right."

Hull looked at Afi like he had gotten one up on her, and Afi glanced at the remainder. "Hull's the Kobold Fighter and you're the Den Mother."

"Right again," Esmi said, smile bigger now.

By process of elimination that meant… "Why am I the Cold-Blooded Kobold?" I asked.

Esmi turned, giving me a flat look. "You know why."

Hull and Afi sputtered a laugh, and we went on like that for a time, chatting back and forth, until someone called from just outside the room.

"Look at you four, plotting to take over the world." It was Gale, of course. No one else could sound that blase about our current predicament. "The centaurs want to see you," he added, which could only mean one thing.

We picked ourselves up off the practice floor and headed his way.

"You do realize the victor of this is taking over Treledyne?" Esmi said to him as we neared.

Gale shrugged his shoulder that was still attached. "I always did want to move. I hear Darlish is darling this time of year."

Hull and Afi groaned, and Esmi shook her head, her curled locks bouncing. We funneled past him, back into the viewing box where the centaurs were indeed waiting for us – they all stood at attention, even the pretty one.

"The Evernear and Everfar have rendered their decision," Rakkoden proclaimed, sounding both like tender and town crier. "Look on and see what your future holds."

Like we had for the first round of bouts, we crowded around the plaques.

Xemris the Daughter v. Hull of the Lows

Stafford Stonehand v. Esmi of house Harane

Aaxes, Primarch of Demons v. Yveda the Fluid, Demon Lord

Titus, Secundus of the Remans v. Basil of house Hintal

Praise be to the Twins, was the first thought that came to my mind. Some of our predictions had been spot on, and others we hadn't come near to guessing. But that hardly mattered anymore. All we could do now was rise to the challenge.

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