"You did what?!" Darkfire's stared at Arran in disbelief.
"I took ten of the pills," Arran said again. "At the same time."
They sat on the top of a hill about a mile from the estate, taking a short break from training. Ever since Darkfire had opened his Realms two weeks earlier, he had trained relentlessly, with Arran helping as best he could.
"What the hell made you think that was a good idea?!" Darkfire looked like he had just seen a goat sprout wings and fly up into the sky.
"It was either that, or get killed by an Archmage," Arran said, shrugging. "At least the pills gave me a chance."
"And you survived."
"Clearly."
His shocked expression finally easing, Darkfire burst into laughter. "That Archmage must've had quite the look on his face, being defeated by a novice."
"Initiate," Arran corrected him. "I only learned
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Although he had already traveled the route earlier that day, Arran's return to the inn still took him some time. Navigating the city's many narrow streets proved even harder at night than it was during the day, and once more, he had to rely on directions from passersby to find his way.When he finally arrived at the Golden Pig, it was already past midnight, and inside, he found the common room filled with a lively crowd of people in various stages of inebriation. Although it wasn't quite as rowdy as a common inn or tavern would be, it seemed even the respectable merchants at the Golden Pig weren't above enjoying a drink or three in the evening.At once, his eyes searched for Darkfire, and he found his friend in a corner of the common room, sitting behind a table with a large mug of ale and an annoyed expression.When Arran approached him, he looked up, a wronged look on his face."They threw me out a
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The guard looked at Arran and Darkfire suspiciously. "You were invited by the Governor?" he asked, some doubt in his voice."We were," Darkfire said. "So are you going to let us in?"The guard didn't answer, instead whispering something to one of the other guards, who quickly entered the gate.Some moments passed in silence as Arran and Darkfire waited. Finally, a man emerged from the gate. Dressed in a blue silk robe and with his black hair elegantly coiffed, he looked like a high-ranking official or noble."Darkfire and Ghostblade?" he asked, a practiced smile on his face."That's us," Arran said curtly, slightly annoyed at the wait."Excellent," the man replied with a nod. "I'm the Governor's steward. Please follow me inside."He stepped inside the gate, Arran and Darkfire following close behind him.Within the wal
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"Is something funny?" the young woman next to Arran asked, giving him a questioning look.Arran coughed several times, only partly succeeding in stifling his laughter. "My friend may have done something stupid," he said, his attention focused on the Governor's daughter as she entered the dining hall.Now that he got a better look at her, he saw that she was really quite beautiful — her flowing brown hair framed a well-proportioned face, and her dark eyes were large and alert.When she noticed Darkfire, her eyes lit up, and she immediately approached him, seemingly unconcerned with what the others in the hall would think.As she reached Darkfire, she cast a glance at the man who was sitting next to him — a wealthy merchant, judging from his elegant robe and slightly pudgy physique."Move!" she said in an unexpectedly firm tone that caused some looks of surprise among t
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