I looked around the room, taking in the faces of living and dead Arcuzane members. There was a roughly even number of men and women; those who were dead were in various states of decay. Some of the dead were little more than skeletons lashed together by bits of cloth, leather and decorated with strange glowing devices.

  Outside of those who sat down, there was a throng that stood in one of the doorways; they were less well dressed and again in various states of living or death. I imagine some of them would have sat in the seats we were in, but Zash didn't make us move, so we stayed seated. After all, it seems this Council Gathering was about us, and I'd walked too far and too bloody long to stand at attention like a good soldier. I served no masters now.

  “What do you know about Li’ards?” Zash asked, his tone conversational.

  He was looking in our general direction I noticed that Gertha glanced at me inkling her head at Zash, so I spoke.

  “Well, I call them Bastard Lizards, it's easier than saying Dragons, Drakes and Wyrms. They prey on us, wandering out of the forests or bursting from the ground to attack and consume us. Some fly, some swim, some burrow, some just come at you. There are different subspecies with strange abilities, but every single one of them is deadly.” I slapped my hand on the table to punctuate my last point, causing the corpse next to me to jump.

  Zath nodded, “Yes, yes, you're quite right of course, and what do you know about their origins?”

  “What do you mean? Origins are the same as any other animal; they're just there.”

  “What do you know of the Fugue?” Zath leaned in across the table.

  “Very little, I first saw them by one of your ruined Towers, we barely got away if it wasn't for the fire and for Eggs,” I said.

  “The Fugue is what happens when you don't deal with the dead properly. They are the reason the Nomads keep moving. The Fugue is a dark reflection of what humanity should be, united, in synchrony.” Gertha added.

  “It is curious indeed that you, Tullen Fal Barraz, a man classified as 'Death On Two Legs' and marked as such, should arrive here as if by chance. With a black Wyvern.”

  “It's just a coincidence, I picked up an egg, and they eventually hatched”

  “Are you not surprised or curious that a creature that was consigned to myth is now alive? In your care? That it obeys you and hasn’t consumed you all?”

  “Course I’m surprised, but you expect me to figure it out? I’m no bloody scholar!”

  “No, you are no scholar, you will be unable to provide answers to many questions, yet you are an answer yourself… as is your Wyvern.”

  As soon as he mentioned that I might be an answer, I remembered the book in Gertha’s bag. When I turned to her, she already had it out and had stood up.

  “Our new Answer would not be uttered in our lifetimes, but the Question that would form it has been asked. Humanity’s Actual Answer, ‘Death on Two Legs’, will come, and the Arcuzane must be ready to claim them.” She rested the book gently on the table and took her seat once more.

  “You found this at the ruined tower?" Zath banged his staff on the floor as the dead and undead council merely stared at us all. Dawn reared their head, glancing slowly from Zath to me, their gaze piercing right through me, I could be swallowed whole and barely touch the sides. I gulped.

  “There were many books inside, but we weren’t there long before the Fugue came and the tower was destroyed in our battle,” Gertha said.

  “That tower has been lost to us for some time, claimed by the Fugue long ago,” Master Zath said, stroking his beard.

  “There weren’t any dead fuckers in there. Not until they attacked us.” I said.

  “Then they either left of their own accord or someone moved them.” Master Zath said.

  “So if you recognise that bit of writing, what does it mean by you wanting to claim me, to claim us?” My hand tightened on the grip of my blade, and I glanced at Sayo and Gertha, my heart rate increasing. I wasn't about to be anyone's bloody slave again.

  “Throughout history, we have sought to guide those with talent, those you could say are touched by fate. Some you will have heard of, like Athepion, others we've made sure you haven't. Each has served humanity in their own way, and each was inducted into our order and claimed, as you might put it. That piece of writing, the sundered read out, is one of our core prophesies. We believe the one it foretells will save mankind from Li’ard and Fugue alike. We believe they could be the saviour of mankind”

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  I laughed out loud, “ Saviour or not, fat lot of good inducting me into the Arcuzane will do. I’m magic with a blade and fuck all else.” Zath’s face turned purple.

  “On the contrary, Tullen, you hatched, then bonded with a fucking Wyvern. We may not know what magic you are, but you are touched by something, and you will need our help if we’re to save mankind.” Zath said, to the nods and affirmations of the rest of the council.

  “We. Can. Be. Your. Guides.” The mothbitten corpse said to me, nodding with each word as it rested a fetid hand on my shoulder. I gave him a side eye as I shrugged it off and focused back on Zath.

  “I’ve got enough guidance with Gertha. Thanks all the same.” I said.

  “No. You need more than a sundered, no matter how powerful they are. You’ve not even figured out your armour yet. Or should I say…our armour.” Zath's voice turned hard as he stood and pointed his staff at me. The runes and symbols of my armour flared in a bright light, and I felt as if I was caught in a vice.

  Against my will, shaking, I rose to my feet, my entire body trembling under the effort. My armour whined and hummed as Zath moved me one way, then the other. My helmet slid out from my armour, covering my face before the visor closed completely, then retracted, before the helmet disappeared back in my armour again.

  "LET HIM GO!" Gertha shouted.

  "RELEASE HIM!" Sayo jumped to her feet, blade in hand.

  "Master. That. Is. Surely. Enough." The corpse next to me said.

  My hand dropped the blade that Sayo had given to me, then my arms were raised high above my head and then by my waist, before the whining and humming stopped, and I was back in my chair.

  “Do that again, and I’ll take your head, let's see you attend a bloody council from beyond the grave then!”

  “What would you have done if you were fighting a hostile magic user? Someone who knows far more than you ever could? You wear a relic of immense power and are clueless about it, like a child. You are bonded to a far greater power, a power that should not exist and treat it as if it were a mere pet. Tullen Fal Barraz, you are talented, we believe you are chosen by fate, and you have so. Much. To learn.”

  “What do I have to learn? How to wear a suit of magic armour? Normal plate or not, it makes no difference to me. Lizards need killing, and the dead need killing again. I’m already more than equipped for that. I’m a—”

  “Steelweaver. Yes, we know what you are, but do you? You claim a name of an order that you do not know. I wonder if you would continue using the name if you did.”

  My interest piqued at that, and I felt some of my indignant irritation melt away.

  “So there are others out there? I’ve fought one, but I thought they were lying about being a Steelweaver.”

  “As I said, Tullen Fal Barraz. You have much to know. Allow us to help you. Join us. Please help us save mankind from The Fugue and the Li’ards. Not an indentured, but as a valued colleague.” Zath smiled, leaning back in his chair.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but Gertha cut me off, “This has been a lot to take in, for all of us, Master Zath, and we thank you for your wisdom and offer. Perhaps we can check on our companion and reflect on things?”

  Zath sighed and waved with his hand, “Very well, we will have more to discuss with you all once you’ve rested. I’ll have rooms prepared, and we can reconvene once you’ve had time to process the honours that are being put on you.” He looked at me from under his eyebrows at that last part, and I had a feeling not unlike the kind when a tavern owner gently suggests you’ve had far too much ale.

  “Thank you, Master Zath,” Gertha said, before nudging me with her arm.

  “Right, cheers, Master Zath,” I said, smiling thinly at Gertha, who rolled her eyes at me.

  “Doctor, please take our guests to see their companions, Helezar, show them to their rooms afterwards.”

  The Doctor stood up, “Come with me.” Her cheeks were flushed, and her smile strained. The rest of the council stood and started filtering out of the room.

  I looked around the room. Who was Helezar? I hadn’t remembered being introduced to anyone beyond Zath, his two dead advisors, the Doctor and that weird Leech fellow. I felt the thing next to me grab my hand.

  “I swear to Mummer I’ll cut you if you keep touching me.” I hissed, goosepimples going up my arm and neck with the sensation of its touch.

  “I. Am. Helezar. I. Will. Show. You. To. Your Quarters.”

  I sighed, “Of course you bloody are. Let’s go then.”

  “Perhaps. A. Tour. When. You. Have. The. Time?”

  I glared at Gertha, wishing she’d save me from this interaction, but she either didn’t care or didn’t notice. Sayo did come to my aid, though.

  “That would be lovely, Helezar! We’d all love to see the rest of this place!” Sayo raised her eyebrows at me, nodding slowly. I realised what she was doing and wore my best smile on my face, then, with a hesitant hand, placed it on Helezar’s rotting shoulder.

  “Yes…I’d love to see more of your doors, and also, how do your moving floors work?” I asked, as I started making a mental note of our routes.

  “I. Will. Show. You. Authorised. Areas. After. The. Lab. New. Friends.” Helezar’s mouth opened wide, and I had the distinct impression that the corpse man was trying to smile.

  The wall opened, and the Doctor stepped onto the strange platform we’d arrived in.

  Once the last of us had stepped on, we began to move.

  Helezar kept trying to hold my arm the whole way.