PUZZLED BY AFOLAYAN'S inability to make any judgements on his character, Zakkai follows Okafor and his fellows back out of the Guardsmen's section and toward their own forge. The following two days fill the group's ears with the clanging of metal. Their skin bakes in the heat of the fire and the bones in their wrists rattle and ache from banging molten iron into deadly and sophisticated weapons.

Three days from their meeting with the pink-clad elder, the five students buzz with excitement, as a momentous day is upon them. Having each crafted a weapon suiting them under Okafor's direction, they are now preparing to spar for the first time using real swords. They are truly one step away from charging into battle against Zafanya's enemies and becoming heroes of the empire.

Peering through the visor of a helmet and weighed down by a quilt-like coat comprised of multiple layers of thick fabric, Zakkai admires his new sword. Significantly heavier than any he has held before, it also bears a far darker hue. Forged out of the same T'kallan alloy Great Elder Riuki's weapon is constructed from, Okafor says it is unbreakable. The bellows had strained to feed a fire fierce enough to soften it in the forging process.

For all its strength, Zakkai's sword boasts of great aesthetic value as well. The slender black blade with cutting edges on either side narrows to a needle-sharp tip, appealing to his Esrayan sensibilities while also being sturdy enough to combat enemies trained on the savannah. His hilt is a simple yet elegant design carved from walnut wood and polished to perfection. A notch in its bulbous pommel awaits the addition of gemstone inside, but until he provides one of his own, it will remain an empty nick in the design.

Across from Zakkai, Ejike has just finished wrestling a dueling helmet onto his head. He rolls his shoulders back and marches up to his nemesis, both youths receiving a firm reminder from Okafor to "go easy". Ejike pulls his new sword from its scabbard and shifts into a poised stance.

Zakkai studies Ejike's new sword again in the moments preceding their engagement. Very much like the Sandarian saber their teacher carries, it differs only in its fancier hilt. While still lacking a crossguard, Ejike's hilt is plated in gold and etched with his signature. Despite his disdain for the youth, Zakkai cannot deny the sophistication of his weapon. Its blade skews only a few degrees over the course of its length, enough to give it an unpredictable profile, but not enough to eliminate the possibility of stabbing with it.

Ejike attacks first, a horizontal swing which causes their blades to screech against one another when Zakkai lowers his weapon to block. He nudges the saber aside with his black blade and pivots back around for a strike to the shoulder. Ejike hops backward. Repositioning himself, he lunges forward with a thrust.

Zakkai catches the incoming blade, slides it along his own, and pushes off with his crossguard. Ejike is forced to disengage, as his hand lacks protection. However, he immediately returns from a different attack angle. The two swords meet in an X, both youths straining and pushing against one another to gain the upper hand.

Even while shoving against Ejike, Zakkai takes a moment to admire their interlocked weapons. While his nemesis' graceful saber gleams in the sunlight, a curved length of reflective metal, Zakkai's dark sword absorbs all incoming rays into its matte finish and shoots nothing back. The contrast is mesmerizing.

Zakkai strategically shifts his positioning so the thickest part of his weapon is pushing against the tip of Ejike's. His suddenly greater leverage overcomes his foe, pushing him backward. Then, with a feint to the right which successfully fools Ejike, he swings back around to the left and holds his blade inches from his shoulder. The exiled prince has prevailed in this first bout.

The two take a second to watch two of their fellows spar. Jabari's beastly sword, straight for the first half of its length and then curved into a crescent toward the top, batters Rafi and his broad blade. One is a cutting weapon through and through, the other most certainly suited for defense. As the two go back and forth, Zakkai grins, seeing his fellows make the most of their new swords.

Zakkai and Ejike tense themselves to engage once more, but then seeing Okafor approaching the pair after helping Nika put on his dueling garb, they relax and give him their attention.

"Remember what I taught you," he says. "You now carry weapons befitting men of honor. As you spar, keep that in mind."

Ejike grins. "With such a beauty in my hand, how could I dare act brutishly?"

"It would be foolish indeed."

When Okafor takes a few steps back, the youths nod at one another and reengage. A flurry of blows high and low ring their swords against one another. Despite the sneers exchanged between the two boys, their duel begins to resemble a dance instead of a scrap. It is as if the sophistication of their weapons has spilled over into the men wielding them.

Ejike cleverly jerks upward in a powerful maneuver which places Zakkai's cutting edge too far out of range to deflect his next move. In a real battle, he would have landed a devastating slash in the middle of his foe's chest. Here, however, he simply taps the tip of his saber on Zakkai's layered coat to claim his victory.

Zakkai laughs, backs up a few paces, and they go again. The dance accelerates with each bout. Their blades become twin blurs in silver and black tints. Crashing again and again like cymbals, their swords fill the chamber with a cacophony of noise.

Though only able to spare a momentary glance in the midst of his dueling, Zakkai notes movement in the doorway. Knocking the incoming saber aside, he squints at a group of elders in their flowing colorful robes floating toward Okafor. Since he had first come to Zafanya months ago, he had never seen the whole council congregated together, so the sight of their entire number converging on his teacher piques his interest.

Ejike seems not to have noticed the newcomers, so he continues their duel with no less ferocity than before. While curiosity nags him, Zakkai is unable to spare any of his attention to see what the elders are doing. He raises his arms to deflect an attack from up high.

Eager to catch the attention of the elders and impress them with his unbelievable prowess, Zakkai takes an aggressive step forward. He batters Ejike with powerful blows in quick succession, difficult to block and impossible to counter. His nemesis stumbles backward, defending himself from the never-ending onslaught and retreating across the chamber.

Zakkai spares a glance at the elders. While Okafor remains engrossed in conversation with the Great Elder, several of the others have taken notice. In particular, green-clad Elder Ayodele squints at the pair, fingers tugging at his goatee as he spectates.

Realizing he has caught Ayodele's eye, Zakkai only pushes harder against Ejike. He is the elder who had been discussing the prophecy with Okafor all those months ago, and if there has ever been a time to confirm suspicions about his grand purpose, that time is now. He bears down on Ejike all the more.

With a sideways swipe with his black blade, Zakkai knocks the opposing saber out of Ejike's hands. Then he holds his sword to his nemesis' throat for a second to claim victory, glancing back at Ayodele, only to see the elder now focuses on the conversation with Okafor. His heart sinks while his mind buzzes with curiosity over the nature of their discussion.

Ejike excuses himself for a moment, so Zakkai spars with Nika for a moment. Nika's saber is far more extreme in its curvature than Ejike's, very much unsuited for thrusting in any capacity. Even so, his hilt design presents a further danger, that of a sharpened spike jutting out from his crossguard and presenting an additional risk factor aside from his blade.

Nika has grown more tricksy over the months, and while nowhere near as strong as Ejike or Jabari, his cunning nature tests Zakkai's strategy. He rarely goes for the most straightforward approach, but when he does, it throws off Zakkai's planning. Sometimes, the surprise lies in being unexpectedly unsurprising.

Soon enough, the elders file out the door, and calling their sparring match to a halt, Zakkai and Nika join the others in swarming Okafor. Their voices clamor with questions, and he smirks at their collective enthusiasm.

"Our frustrations have come to an end," he says. "The queen has finally decided to retake Mejanno. I have been selected to lead the charge."

Zakkai grins. "She has finally heeded your words! If you wish it, I will gladly accompany you."

"Not yet. You five have a mission of your own to carry out for me."

"What might that be?"

Okafor tugs his scarlet garment closer to his body. "Tomorrow, in the palace courtyard, a celebration is being held for the anniversary of the queen's birth. Given I will now be unable to attend, you five are to go instead."

"Would our skills not be more useful to you on your—"

"You five are progressing nicely. Quite near to being prepared for assisting me on missions, in fact. But the fighting in Mejanno will be fierce. I need to have absolute trust in every man alongside me." Okafor glances between Zakkai and Ejike. "Two of you are more suited for the battle of manners I've just escaped from. Go in my stead and enjoy yourselves, but not too much."

Ejike glances down at his drab tan tunic, having been the first to strip out of the dueling coats the others still wore. "Dressed like this? We would be dishonored guests!"

With a snort, Okafor drops a handful of coins in the youth's hand. "Head out to the market after I dismiss you today. That should be enough for all of you to buy something more becoming. For now, come with me and sharpen some weapons for the battle ahead of us."