Chapter 10: Warnames
~Jason~
We reached Somm by nightfall the following day. Back in my days as Jadis' assassin, I had been sent to this city at the same time every year, for the same reason – to win this tournament, and strike fear into the hearts of all who dared oppose her royal whiteness. Gah.
They didn't call me Jason Ride – I was Wintersbreath to them, no more, no less. It's a pretty badass name if I do say so myself. I was eleven when I'd chosen it.
I had to pull off some serious magic to get in – when I was Wintersbreath I was not as well fed and much paler. I leaned against a tree, closing my eyes and focusing.
"Whatcha up to?" Luas asked.
"Sssh. You'll see."
I breathed in, and reached into myself for the bright glow of magic in my mind. I heard a yelp - "Shit! What the hell, Jason!"
I opened my eyes, and grinned. "How do I look?"
"Like a fuckin' guant-faced Idon'tknowit'sweird!" He'd stumbled back a few feet, and was staring at me like I had just told him that I'd slept with his sister.
"Good. It worked. But seriously, what do I look like?"
He rubbed a hand over his face. "You're all pale and practically skeletal, and creepy and fuckin' dangerous."
"Perfect. That;s what I was going for. C'mon, let's get this over with."
We walked to the gates. Guards stood by, watching with wary eyes. They let me pass (you don't win four times without getting paid attention) but stopped Luas.
"Name?" the first guard asked.
"Luas Skai," Luas said, flashing a charming grin at the guard. "And you?"
"None of your business. Do you have a war name?"
"As a matter of fact, I do."
"And what would that be?"
Luas grinned wider, predatory. "The Storm."
The guards let him pass. I stared at him. "You're the Storm? No way are you the Storm."
"Whatever you think, Wintersbreath. I bet people doubt you as well."
I had to smile at that. "All right, Storm. Let's find Wolfsbane and the Lioness."
"So many warnames," he groaned, still grinning.