"I'm here on an official basis, Sovereign. As an apprentice blood knight, not a vein. A warrior of the clan here to receive his next assignment."
"Hmm…"
Malakai felt the pressure on him ease, slightly. But the same couldn't be said for Renlo.
"Arrk!"
The weight on Renlo intensified, sending him crashing into the ground.
"What are yo—"
"Good answer," the Sovereign said. "At the very least, a weakness should never be flaunted, not even before your allies."
The weight on Renlo suddenly eased, leaving the boy gasping for breath.
"But your decision to not perform an action you normally would might as well be a declaration."
The sovereign's words grew cold.
"Never act on emotion. Always act with cunning, always with calculation. Remember that, and the stupidity of what just happened will never repeat itself."
It took a second for Malakai to realize that he was actually being lectured. By the sovereign.
