Noah wasn’t sure how he expected the other Apostles to show up. Whatever he might have come up with probably would have included a tide of shadows or some other equally edgy announcement of arrival. At the very least, he would have guessed they’d have some poor, underpaid bloke running in their wake and calling out warnings of their approach.

    They just walked through the door.

    If Noah was completely honest with himself, that was a bit of a letdown. He’d been expecting at least a little bit of melodrama. Watching the Apostles just walk into the room to sit down at the table like a herd of parents attending a student-teacher conference that they only marginally wanted to be present for was just a bit disappointing.

    Crone was the first of the Apostles to arrive. He showed up alongside a woman who roughly matched him in bulk. It was a bit hard to tell how old she was, but Noah would have placed her in her early thirties. Her face bore a striking resemblance to that of a pitbull, but it was paired with the most luscious head of flowing blonde hair that he had ever seen. She was easily a head taller than him and had a huge axe slung over her shoulders that Lee no doubt would have loved — despite the fact she had one of her own.

    Neither Crone nor his companion said a single word to Noah. The two of them just sat down in the seats closest to Kyyle... and farthest from him. They didn’t even look in his direction. But they didn’t need to.

    Noah could feel the animosity rising from them like a thick haze. Crone wasn’t a fan of him, and neither was the refrigerator cosplaying as a living being at his side.

    The atmosphere at the table was hardly a pleasant one. Between Kyyle, who was doing a remarkable impression of an insufferable smug bastard, and Crone, he wasn’t exactly in the best company.

    He didn’t have to wait too long. The next Apostle arrived only a minute or so after Crone did.

    Into the room stepped a man wearing a flowing purple and gold cloak like that of a king. He wore beautiful pearlescent armor that caught the light and twisted it like a rainbow. His graying hair framed his face in a regal beard and his features were sharp as if chiseled from stone. The man carried a large polearm with a massive blade on either end of its haft at his side. If it had been stood at his side, the polearm probably would have been a head taller than he was.

    The new Apostle was accompanied by a dark-skinned woman clad in gray metal armor that looked like it had been ripped straight off a medieval knight. Scars along its surface indicated that it had clearly seen combat, and for some unspeakable reason, her helm only covered the lower half of her face. The upper half was left open to reveal piercing green eyes and black hair pulled into a bun at the back of her head.

    It took Noah exactly half a second to realize they were not fans of Crone. The newcomers took one look at him, then immediately made their way over to the opposite end of the table and sat down.

    This, coincidentally, put them directly beside Noah.

    He didn’t have a chance to say anything. Two more people stepped into the room even as the armored took their seats.

    Noah couldn’t keep his eyes from going wide as he took in the newest Apostle. He wasn’t even sure that calling the man a person would have been an accurate descriptor. Noah had thought that Crone was large, but this man made every other being that he had ever seen look positively minuscule in comparison.

    He was a giant.

    The man stood at somewhere around twelve feet tall, looming over everyone like a specter of death. Jagged scars covered his face and upper body, a fair bit of which poked out from beneath a loose black robe that billowed around him as he walked. The man carried an enormous, jagged black spear in one hand that looked to have been carved from a single piece of obsidian.

    And the person alongside him couldn’t have looked more out of place. Noah wasn’t quite sure if they were male or female, as their entire body was covered with a mixture of leather and bone armor. They wore a mask carved from a single piece of bone with vertical slits carved for eyes and breathing holes. The figure was a bit shorter than Noah. That was unfortunate, as it made them look like a literal child compared to the huge Apostle leading the way.

    Neither of them even paid the slightest attention to the people at the table. They walked straight to the middle of the table, where the giant moved one of the chairs out of the way and sat down on the ground with his legs crossed beneath him and spear propped against his side. His companion sat down alongside him.

    Good god. Is there a single normal person here? Everyone is weird.

    “Where is Garina?” the huge man rumbled. His voice echoed through the room like thunder even though it didn’t seem like he was trying to yell.

    “Not here yet, Audren,” Kyyle replied. “You know how she is.”

    “I know that I like her more than the rest of you,” Audren replied in his deep, gravely tone. “I want to get this over with. There are things more important to do than sitting around and twiddling our thumbs. If it weren’t for the contest you called, we wouldn’t be here at all.”

    “I believe it is wise to check on Garina,” the regal-looking man said, his words sharp and measured. “She has been alone for a great amount time, and I have felt flickers of Revin’s presence from the vicinity of the Empire.”

    Audren’s large features creased in immense displeasure. “He’s there, all right. I know firsthand. I hate that slimy coward.”

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    “It would be a most distressing trait indeed for anyone to enjoy Revin’s presence,” the regal man said. “And that is all the more reason to ensure Garina is not overwhelmed. She has a great deal of weight on her shoulders. It is our duty as allies to ensure it has not broken her.”

    “We aren’t allies, Vaugh,” Crone said. “We only share a goal. Don’t expect more than we’re willing to give, or you will be disappointed. Again.”

    “Do what you will, Crone,” Vaugh replied with a shrug. “Those who fight for the same cause are allies, if even just for a moment.”

    Noah observed the Apostles quietly. He could see the lines of where everyone stood being drawn. It wasn’t exactly a difficult room to read.

    Crone was just a prick. He didn’t like anyone but seemed to be more allied with Kyyle than any of the others. There was also no chance he was going to be on Garina’s side. He would be an enemy.

    Vaugh stood on the other side of the aisle. He seemed to generally be in support of Garina and, at least for the time being, not outright insane.

    Audren felt like he was more right down the middle. The giant didn’t seem like he gave a shit one or way or another about the trial. He was only interested in the competition Kyyle had mentioned... and Noah didn’t miss the fact that the Apostle in question had been the one that called for the competition.

    So Kyyle is responsible for pretty much all of this. He wanted to gather the Apostles and he’s using Garina as justification to gather people and call this contest, huh?

    “How many others will be coming?” Vaugh asked. “I do agree with Audren. I have things that must be done.”

    “Just Garina,” Kyyle replied. “Five of the Seven. It is enough. Somnus could not remain. He has an urgent task to attend to, and the Prophet was unable to make this meeting.

    “And who is this?” Audren asked, his eyes turning to Noah. “He is small.”

    “Everyone is small compared to you,” Noah said.

    “This is Garina’s disciple, Noah,” Kyyle said. “He is here to aid in the trial, and he will also be participating in the contest of disciples.”

    Wait. He knows my actual name? How? Maybe Crone told him after that walk through my mind I took him on? Either way, he’s clearly trying to put me off balance. I don’t care if anyone outside of Arbitage knows my real name. He’s not getting a reaction from me.

    “The contest?” Audren asked. His bushy eyebrows crawled up his features. “This small one? He does not have the presence of a Rank 6. He will be crushed like paste.”

    “I’m right here, you know,” Noah said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “And is it not a man’s god-given right to be smushed like paste in pursuit of a really badass death? I do what I want.”

    Audren blinked. Then a grin split his features. “You are nippy. Like a dog. It is little wonder Garina chose you. But why are you so weak? We do not permit for weakness in our order.”

    “Perhaps there is more to him than meets the eye,” Vaugh said. “There are methods with which power can be hidden. Even from our senses. Garina has never been deluded.”

    “That is what we will determine today,” Kyyle said. “Should Garina deign to bless us with her presence, that is.”

    “Then perhaps we should cut to the part of the meeting that doesn’t require Garina’s presence while we wait,” Crone suggested sharply. “You called for a contest, Kyyle. But did the Prophet approve of it?”

    “He did,” Kyyle said.

    “And the reward?” Vaugh asked, his head tilting to the side. “It has been prepared already?”

    “It is within the Spilling Grounds. The most deserving of our apprentices will claim it, just as they always have,” Kyyle said simply — but the way every single Apostle paid attention to his words made it clear that this was anything but simple.

    Whatever this reward is, it isn’t something that just Kyyle wants. They all want it. And anything that gets people this powerful interested enough to cling to a prick like Kyyle’s words is something that I want myself.

    “Then let’s get started. We don’t need Garina here for the contest,” Audren urged. “There is no reason to wait. I want to see some fighting.”

    “You always want to see fighting,” Crone said. “But I agree. There’s no reason to delay. Garina has been days late before. She’s only ever on time when the Prophet himself calls her. We may as well start.”

    “That is... unless your apprentice is not yet prepared?” Vaugh asked, arching an eyebrow. “It has been some time since I’ve seen her.”

    “Alice is simply in preparations,” Kyyle replied without missing a beat. “She will be present at the Spilling Grounds, I can assure you.”

    “You sure?” Audren asked through a deep chuckle. “She didn’t make herself present during the last one. Missed out on a Rank 6 Rune. A powerful one. I was starting to think she was a coward, just like her master.”

    Kyyle’s eyes narrowed. “We simply know when to pick our battles, Audren. We only fight when we win.”

    “But that day will not be today,” Vaugh said. He put a hand on the shoulder of the armored woman at his side. “You should have bided your time better. Carmen has no competition today.”

    Kyyle’s lips twitched in amusement. “We will see.”

    For an instant, his eyes danced to Noah. Not a single word was said. None were needed. Vaugh’s apprentice was the one that Kyyle was worried about. She was the one that Noah was meant to interfere with.

    “Enough talk,” Audren said. He pounded a massive fist against the table. “We are all prepared. Begin the contest. I wish to see my apprentice pound your whelps.”

    I can’t tell if Audren even cares about his disciple winning this mysterious prize or if he just wants to see a good fight.

    “Very well,” Kyyle said. “I trust there are no objections?”

    Nobody spoke.

    “Then, as the calling member of this meeting and contest, I declare it begun,” Kyyle said, rising from his seat. “Attend to the Spilling Grounds immediately. May Decras extend his hand to the powerful. May only the most deserving among our apprentices remain standing on their own power alone.”

    Noah’s lips thinned. Kyyle was full of shit. Talking about standing on your own when he was literally planning to have Noah distract Vaugh’s apprentice to ensure that she lost was scummy.

    “I will look forward to watching you eat your words,” Audren rumbled.

    “We will see,” Kyyle said noncommittally as he rose to his feet. He pointed at Noah like he was beckoning a dog. “You. Come. I will take you to the Spilling Grounds in place of your absent master. You are worthless, and a Rank 6 Rune this powerful would be entirely wasted on one of your ilk, but you still have a spot within the contest in accord with our rules.”

    A Rank 6 Rune?

    Noah rather liked the sound of that. A rune powerful enough for even the Apostles to put this much stock into it... now that was a prize indeed. And with the way things were going back in Arbitage, some more power was more than welcome.

    Not one of the people here thought he was a threat. He was only present because Garina was on some bullshit trial. And that meant they wouldn’t be paying him much attention at all.

    We’ll see, huh?

    Internally, Noah smiled.

    So we will.