That caught Sebastian's attention. "You're actually going to let me into your village? How unexpectedly progressive of you."
"To prove just how dangerous you are," Thornmaker clarified, his expression hardening. "So, everyone can see what happens when pretty words give way to instinct."
Sebastian studied him, the metal beneath his skin shifting as he considered the implications. Amusement bubbled up inside him; how like the orcs to create spectacle from suspicion. He thought of Boarstaff, of the careful trust they'd been building, and wondered how the warchief would react to his spearmaster's initiative. It might undo weeks of delicate progress... or it might be exactly what the settlement needed to move beyond fear.
"Has Boarstaff approved this little exhibition?"
"You're welcome to run it by him if you need his permission," Thornmaker replied, a slight edge to his voice. "Or are you not as free as you claim to be?"
The bait was obvious, but Sebastian found himself smiling anyway. There was something refreshingly straightforward about Thornmaker's hostility after weeks of navigating the complex politics of the settlement.
"That won't be necessary." Sebastian stretched with deliberate casualness that highlighted the fluid metal beneath his skin. "I don't need Boarstaff's approval to accept your challenge."
Thornmaker nodded once, seemingly satisfied. "The training ring. One hour."
"Any particular rules I should be aware of?" Sebastian asked. "Or is this simply an opportunity for you to try killing me with the settlement's blessing?"
"No permanent harm." Thornmaker’s tone suggested he considered this a concession. "Boarstaff would never allow that."
"How considerate." Sebastian's smile widened, revealing the barest hint of fangs. "And weapons?"
"I'll have my spear. You can bring whatever you wish." Thornmaker’s eyes narrowed. "Unless you're afraid to face me."
Sebastian laughed then, the sound rich with genuine amusement. "Oh, Thornmaker. If anyone should be afraid, it isn't me." He stepped closer, close enough that Thornmaker hadto step back to avoid being touched. "But I accept your challenge. One hour. The training ring."
The spearmaster gave a curt nod and turned to leave, his posture rigid with seemingly barely contained tension.
"Thornmaker," Sebastian called after him, his voice losing its aristocratic affectation for something more genuine. "Be certain this is what you want. Some lessons can't be unlearned."
The warrior paused briefly, then continued without responding, disappearing into the forest that separated Sebastian's cave from the main settlement.
Sebastian watched him go, conflicting emotions playing through his brain. Part of him… the part that still carried centuries of vampiric pride… wanted to teach the spearmaster a lesson in humility. But another part, something newer that had emerged during the changes he'd undergone, recognized the opportunity this challenge presented.
The old Sebastian would have seen the challenge as merely another chance to demonstrate superiority. The vampire his father had crafted would have calculated how best to humiliate an opponent while maintaining political advantage. But what he felt in that moment was different, a complex mixture of irritation, understanding, and possibly even hope
Perhaps the confrontation was exactly what the settlement needed. Not just Thornmaker, but all of them. A chance to see exactly what he was, and more importantly, what he was choosing to become.
With this thought in mind, Sebastian waited until the appointed hour before making his way toward the village. He chose to wear only the simple linen pants the orcs had provided him, leaving his chest bare… a deliberate choice to show he carried no weapons and to display the metallic components that flowed beneath his skin.
As he approached the settlement's edge, he braced himself for the usual confrontation with the guards. To his surprise, the warriors stationed at the perimeter merely watched him pass, their expressions tense but resigned. Word of Thornmaker's challenge had clearly spread.
Sebastian kept his face composed, though inwardly he marveled at this small victory. Three weeks earlier, he wouldn't have been allowed within a hundred yards of the village proper without Boarstaff personally escorting him. As he walked alone, he wasn’t accepted but at least tolerated. Progress, however reluctant.
Several warriors fell into step behind him, not speaking but clearly intent on ensuring he didn't stray from the path to the training ring. Their unease was obvious, the quickened heartbeats, the subtle shifts in posture as they maintained distance while keeping him in sight. He didn't acknowledge them, maintaining his aristocratic bearing as he walked through the village for the first time without Boarstaff at his side.
Villagers stopped their morning tasks to watch him pass. Some ducked into their homes, while others stared openly, curiosity warring with ingrained fear. Children were quickly ushered inside, though a few bolder ones peered around doorways with wide eyes. Sebastian caught snippets of whispered conversations… speculation about what was about to happen, about whether Thornmaker could truly best a vampire, about whether Boarstaff knew what his trusted spearmaster had arranged.
The training ring stood empty in the pale morning light, dew still clinging to the moss-covered logs that formed its boundary. Sebastian approached cautiously, aware of the eyes tracking his movement from every corner of the settlement. Three weeks had passed since his decision to stay, yet suspicion followed him like a shadow.
Thornmaker waited at the ring's center, his weathered hands steady on his ceremonial spear. The weapon's shaft bore countless notches, kills marked in the traditional way, with a particularly deep gouge that Sebastian knew represented a vampire noble felled during a border clash years ago.
"You're late," Thornmaker’s voice carried across the silent clearing.
"I wasn't aware we had an appointment." Sebastian remained at the ring's edge, his skin rippling with subtle awareness.
"Not an appointment." Thornmaker twirled his spear with practiced efficiency. "A reckoning."
Sebastian caught Boarstaff's scent before he appeared at the training ground's edge. The warchief's expression remained carefully neutral as he approached, though tension radiated from him in waves Sebastian's enhanced senses could almost see.
