[Silthara Palace — Training Field — Continuation]
The training field of Silthara Palace lay open beneath the burning afternoon sky.
Dust stirred slowly across the wide arena, its sand darkened by years of spilled sweat and blood. Tall stone pillars ringed the grounds, each carved with ancient serpentine sigils—records of warriors who had once earned the honor of serving the throne.
Today, the field waited again; at its center stood Captain Raevahn.
His armor gleamed beneath the sun, the polished plates bearing the crest of House Karzath. His sword rested, raised before him, the blade angled slightly forward in a disciplined stance.
Opposite him stood Captain Varesh.
Varesh's presence was heavier—like iron before a storm. His armor was darker, scarred from years of battle, and the long serpent-mark etched across his shoulder marked him as one of the empire's most feared warriors.
The man known across Zahryssar as the Empire's Second Blade stood still, as did the other man.
