The Storm of Angelus: A LitRPG Adventure by Steiner Rob

Author:Steiner, Rob
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Quarkfolio Books
Published: 2024-10-31T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter thirty

Politics of the Chosen One

The orbs hanging over the crowd all winked out with Ragnus’s death. Once the crowd realized it, they calmed down, and once they did that, they noticed what had happened to Ragnus. The cheers were slow to overcome the initial panic. When they did, the entire arena erupted. Joy that Sonja had won and relief that they were safe from Ragnus’s lightning.

Despite all the cheering, my focus was on Sonja. She still aimed her ax at the pile of charcoal that had been Ragnus, as if waiting for him to come to life again. The red fires were gone from the ax, and the red haze that had surrounded her had faded. She finally let the ax blade fall to the ground, and she leaned on it as though it were a crutch. I had never seen her so exhausted.

Eidbran, Shafrae, and Yustef stood, and the cheering crowds quieted. Eidbran boomed, “Sonja of the Blood, the gods have agreed with your accusations against Ragnus the Fallen Paladin and have given you the strength to defeat him in the Song of Retribution. May you and all who have witnessed this song know that justice is done.”

The crowd cheered again, and this time they broke into a chant: “The Blood! The Blood! The Blood!”

The portcullis gate behind Sonja creaked open, and she turned and plodded toward the gate. I wanted to rush out and help her cross the distance to the archway, but this seemed like part of the ritual. She had to leave the arena on her own strength.

After she disappeared into the dark hall, the still excited crowd shuffled to the exits. I heard many talking about which tavern they’d meet at. How many new songs would the battle spawn into existence tonight?

Eidbran turned to Stephen, Barney, and me. “You are welcome to accompany us to Sonja’s quarters.”

The three of us followed the elders through the crowds. When we arrived at Sonja’s quarters, a female warrior stood outside the door. She said, “Sonja of the Blood is changing out of her armor. She will be available in a moment.”

Eidbran and Shafrae nodded, then went to a corner of the waiting room to talk quietly. Yustef, meanwhile, clenched his teeth and shifted back and forth on his feet.

As Barney and Stephen geeked out on the magic Sonja had used, I went to Yustef. He stared at Sonja’s door, his jaw muscles clenching.

“I’m a father too,” I said. He looked at me sharply, seemed to assess my age with a furrowed brow. “Yeah, I look young for my age. My point is that my son is... well, going to a school far from where I raised him. And not a day goes by when I don’t worry about whether he’s getting a good meal, getting enough sleep, making friends, that he’s just happy doing what he loves.”

Yustef stared at me as if I was speaking a different language. I felt like the only thing keeping him from walking away was my Diplomacy checks.

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