“Then the challenge must be met. Do any here besides the Raven seek to challenge me?” the grandmaster asked the gathering. Although the slips were fairly beat at this point, a challenge for position would not be carried out until all parties were hale. No one stepped forward, though. From what Rezkin had gleaned, none of the other slips were even close to the grandmaster’s Skills, and only one of the masters might have challenged him. But, anyone challenging the grandmaster at this point would then have to meet Rezkin’s challenge, and no one seemed eager to do so.

“None within the Hall challenge me,” the grandmaster stated. “All present recognize my authority. You have walked the gauntlet and prevailed. I accept your challenge, Raven, and the outcome will determine if the Riel’sheng will answer to you or if you will be dead.”

The grandmaster descended the few steps to the courtyard. A couple of slips came forward to usher Rom and the small-men to the perimeter. Rom appeared to be gripping the young ones so tight Rezkin was concerned they would lose circulation in their hands. Neither was struggling against the big man, though, so they must have been fine. They were all three staring wide-eyed and anxious at the proceedings. After all, the outcome of this battle would determine whether they lived or died as well.

Now that Rom believed the Raven to be a demon, though, he was not sure if he should root for the grandmaster to dispatch the creature back to H’khajnak. It would be forfeiting his and the boys’ lives, but their sacrifice would save the world from a demon incarnate. In the end, Rom admitted to himself that he was not so altruistic and decided he would rather live.

The grandmaster unsheathed the longsword at his side. It was of similar design to the dagger Rezkin had acquired from the grandmaster’s chambers, a matching set. Made of gold and jewels, it was the flashy kind of sword used as a show of elevated station, not to be used in stealthy dispatching of contracted hits. Flashy or not, it was a magnificent master blade that was every bit fit to be wielded by the Grandmaster Assassin or a warrior king. As far as Rezkin knew, the blade had been used by every grandmaster since the guild’s inception.