Right of Challenge

"I'm here to kill him." Emile resolved himself for this moment.

The training in Fallen Sky, surviving the pit, successfully clearing the labyrinth, it was all training for this moment.

Emile tried to console himself. He tried to make it seem just okay, he knew he wasn't in a good position. If anything it was more accurate to say Emile was in a terrible position.

The last few months suddenly flashed in Emile's mind. Thinking it over again, why would the Collector send him here? Blood was right to fight this decision, this was insane.

…

But then again hasn't it all been insane? What has happened to Emile that wasn't insane? He bought a nice and cozy coat this morning—that didn't require any fighting. Nothing unexpected happened during that transaction.

'It is a nice coat though…'

A second passed since Emile signed his death, his finger was still held up towards Eudo. Then suddenly, Willow chuckled.

Emile's eyes exploded to meet hers, but instead she was looking at Eudo as well. A hand covered her mouth and her eyes were squinted, a smile was definitely hiding under her palm.

The chuckle must have been Elder Eudo's last straw because the moment it escaped Willow's lips the pompous man spun his hips around to face Willow.

"Did he say something funny?!" Eudo yelled at Willow, "Was there a joke that I missed?!"

Willow, finally able to control herself, lowered her hand and faced Eudo:

"I just think it's funny that even a stranger knows you're the most pathetic one out of us."

Like wires short circuited in his brain, Eudo opened and closed his mouth a couple of times until he finally found something to say.

"He is not a stranger! He planned this!" Eudo retorted.

Watching from a distance, Emile wasn't sure what Eudo was trying to argue. Emile also didn't expect Eudo to be universally hated—he really was the perfect target.

"Either way he still picked you." Willow responded without hesitation.

While Willow and Eudo bickered, Zegris finally said something.

"Why do you wish to kill Elder Eudo?" Zegris's domineering voice instantly shut down Willow and Eudo in addition to shaking Emile to his core.

Emile tried to look Zegris in the eyes, he believed that showing fear and uncertainty would lead to his demise. But for whatever reason, Zegris controlled this space.

Every time Emile gathered the strength to catch Zegris's gaze, his body melted. He shook as if he was freezing, his legs numbed like he cut off their circulation, Zegris prettified him and he didn't know why.

'And I can't lie'

'Lying will also get me killed'

"To become Elder." Emile replied with as few words as possible, the last thing he wanted to do was say something he shouldn't.

Since Emile couldn't bring himself to look at Elder Zegris, he instead looked at Willow. And Willow's face after Emile said he wished to become Elder was ecstatic.

"Why do you wish to become Elder?"

"More importantly—who are you?" Zegris asked a bombshell.

Emile was waiting for this question. From the moment he was caught in a lie the first time, he brainstormed every question he could imagine being asked. Who he was took its place as the most important question.

'God I hope technicality's work'

"I'm Spright—" Emile slightly flinched and looked away as he responded. His real name is obviously Emile, but it's not wrong to say he's Spright. A name is just a word other people use to address you, with that logic his nickname in middle school should also work.

Seconds of silence passed and the lie detector didn't say anything. A heavy cloud of worry lifted off Emile's shoulders and he continued to speak:

"and I want to become Elder to leave this place."

'Also technically true—please for the love of God let me go'

"Hmm—" Zegris's deep voice reverberated through the storage facility as he thought about Emile's answers, "a Rising Tide native wishes to become a Black Gates Elder… how peculiar."

Taking this opportunity to speak, Eudo voiced his opinion:

"Why are you even entertaining this kid?! A Rising Tide Elder?! That's ridiculous! We should just kill him!"

"I object." Willow confidently raised her hand in protest, "There's no rule stating the Elder needs to be one of us."

"But if he isn't one of us how can we expect him to care for our people?!" Eudo was on the verge of begging at this point.

"You of all people shouldn't be talking about the lives of our people." Willow's previous venomous attitude burst out.

"Regardless of how we feel, the Right of Challenge is open to everyone—no matter their existing circumstance…" Elder Zegris added, "but it is a duel to the death. Is that something you're prepared for?" He asked Emile.

"Yes!" Emile didn't hesitate.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Elder Eudo protested, "You two can't be serious right now! This is an assassin! You're helping an enemy!"

"People are not the enemy, Elder Eudo. You lack the wisdom and foresight necessary to be an Elder." For the first time, Zegris said something negative about Eudo.

Emile might actually have a chance.

"Wisdom and foresight?!" Eudo's rage imploded, "You!" He screamed at Emile, "How old are you?!"

Emile opened his mouth to answer, but hesitated.

'I'm eighteen right?'

'It hasn't been a year… has it?'

Meanwhile, Elder Eudo perceived Emile's hesitation as disrespect. For this conversation's entire duration, Emile has answered Willow and Zegris, most times without a thought, but now that it's come to Eudo he hesitates?

Eudo's rage continued to rise and rise until it eventually reached its limit. With a broken and pained voice, Elder Eudo screamed across the room:

"Answer me!"

"Eighteen!" Eudo's scream interrupted Emile's thoughts and he replied purely out of instinct.

"See?!" Eudo then directed his screams to his fellow Elders, "He is a mere boy! He is unworthy!" Spit flew out of Elder Eudo's mouth as he screamed.

"And yet he sits, with a blade to his throat, composed and unperturbed while you have a meltdown." Willow spat in disgust.

"I hereby authorize Spright's Right of Challenge and am willing to act as Judge." Willow raised her hand again and calmly pledged her support.

Elder Eudo immediately dropped to his knees. Tears welled in his eyes as he crawled across the ground towards Elder Zegris.

"Zegris please!" He pleaded, "You can't really think an outsider will be better than me! You've known me all my life!"

Emile didn't know this at the time, but the Right of Challenge worked differently for Elders than for the general Back Gates population. Blood suggested the Right of Challenge because it's an ancient tradition for the Black Gates people and is used as a common form of settling disagreements, but for Elders it was taken far more seriously.

Black Gates citizens were free to challenge Elders, but defeating them did not secure the Elder position. In order to become an Elder one not only needs to defeat them, but also be approved by the remaining two Elders.

This was established due to the low number of Elder's in the first place. Since there were only three of them, agreement between them was valued far more than ordinary.

On the other hand, for kingdoms like Fallen Sky who had a Council of thirteen, disagreement and polarizing viewpoints benefited their discussions as compromises often appeased both sides.

Zegris released a heavy sigh and looked down at Eudo. He was snot-nosed, out of breath, and disheveled as hell. It was a striking transformation from his usual noble demeanor.

"Elder Eudo… your recent behavior has gone on far too long unchecked. You enslave our children, assault and abuse them, then sell the broken ones for profit. You treat them less than human—"

The more Zegris talked, the worse Eudo's facial expressions became. First it was confusion. Then it was shock. Now, disbelief covered the broken man's face.

"Yes, I have watched you since you were young and perhaps I allowed my feelings for you to cloud my judgment…. I hereby authorize Spright's Right of Challenge and am willing to act as Judge."