Advice

Although Arran's sword had been turned into a ring, its Sense was still every bit as sharp as before. And as the group approached the fortress, what he felt through the bond caused him to clench his jaw in worry.

Inside, there were shards of Living Shadow, and not just one or two. Rather, the fortress held nearly two dozen of them, all similar to the Knight's weapon he'd Sensed on the battlefield.

The discovery caused Arran no small amount of worry. While he could conceal his abilities from Knights, he hadn't expected to encounter two dozen of them so soon after entering the Imperium.

He did not know exactly how strong Knights were, but he was certain they weren't weak — at least as strong as Grandmasters, and possibly beyond even that.

With enemies like those around, there would be no chance of escape if he was discovered.