Dark Prince & the Doe

Chapter 84: A Challenge

Chapter 84: A Challenge

Content Warning: Violence

Calden

When Lydia had appeared, Calden thought Prusen and Nocturn would be right behind her. With their help, victory would have been within reach. They only needed a little more assistance, but the Prime was still not downed yet and Prusen was injured. According to Lydia's hasty report, his shoulder and face had been clawed. Badly. Nocturn had handed Prusen off to the Huntresses and returned to the sky to finish off the Prime, tasking Lydia with bringing Prusen back for treatment.

They'd found the Healer's Hall crowded with vomiting men. As soon as someone mentioned the Challenge, Prusen had clambered out of the cot, insistent on joining them. The healers had no choice but to drug a recalcitrant Prusen into unconsciousness so they could work on his face – he was at risk of losing an eye if they didn't start healing enchants immediately.

No matter how badly he wanted to run to the Healer's Hall, Calden couldn't worry about Prusen right now. Every time he glanced at the door, Lydia would growl at him that Prusen was fine, he'd live, but it didn't ease his worry. Calden twisted a large antler bone ring around his finger. It was preset with an Endurance Enchant and it always got stuck on his finger joint. He wiggled it till it came free.

"No weapons, armor, or foreign objects with preset enchantments can enter the Challenge circle. The enchantments around the inner circle won't let them pass," Calden explained, trying to keep his face calm. "You're going to need to remove your shoes as well."

Marl nodded. Calden hated to admit it, but he was impressed by the Atrezin. Marl hadn't hesitated to stand as the princessa's first. He wouldn't ever like Marl, but the scrawny Atrezin had earned his respect.

Marl took a ring from his finger and started a little pile of his own beside Calden's on the white tablecloth. "What about an enchant preset in flesh?" Marl asked in a quiet whisper. Calden raised a brow at him. "You know," he stuttered, "like Prince Larken."

"The Arias can't deny those entry," Calden explained. "If you're insane enough to preset something in your flesh, go ahead. I don't think you'll have enough time to pull off anything useful though."

Gale stood on one leg, yanked off his boot, and dumped out a small enchanted charm onto the table. It rolled into Kiren's massive pile that was four times the size of Calden and Gale's combined. Anne hovered worriedly behind him and Marl. "What about me?" Anne asked, unwinding the enchanted bracelet he'd gifted her. "Should I take off my preset enchantments too?"

"You're not going to enter the main circle, you can keep yours on," Calden said, patting her shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting way but, judging by the quiver in her lower lip, she was not gullible enough to be comforted.

"When can I fight?" Duke asked, pacing aggressively as he watched the challengers preparing themselves on the other side of the room.

"Hopefully, never," Kiren said as he unbuttoned his red silk shirt, carefully folding it and laying it across a chair. "A second can only enter the main circle when their first is rendered unable to fight, or killed. You will feel a hum when the Aria's barrier will allow you to enter the fight."

"If Calden is knocked unconscious, I can fight?" Duke asked as Princess Adele fretted around him.

"Don't. You will only be killed. In fact," Calden said, crossing his arms sternly over his chest and glowering authoritatively at the Overlanders. "None of you are to enter the main circle. Even if your first is knocked unconscious or if our challengers threaten to kill us or torture us. Your bodies will only be added to the pile if you join us."