A small stir went through the half-circle of candidates around Elias, and if not for the peculiar situation they were in, they would want to make a connection with this obviously powerful Ascendant Candidate.
Tarian nodded his head as if he understood why Elias would say this, and he asked, "How many?"
Elias paused, his mind going through the list that had been given to him before he reached this place, and he said, "Five."
Rubbing his chin in curiosity, Tarian asked, "Why five?"
Elias did not hesitate, even though he was not speaking the entire truth, "Because six would be a squad, and a squad expects a leader, and I do not want a squad. Five is the number of people who can follow without forming anything that looks like a formation. Five is also the number I can save if I choose to save any of them. Beyond five, I will not notice when one of you dies."
Elias thought that there was no need to be antagonistic to these people, remembering the second form of power he had seen wielded by that old woman, which was influence.
He did not have the energy to be friends with too many people, but he could select a few with influence, and that was all he needed.
At this moment, he was still under the control of his master, but there was no reason he could not begin to create his own influence outside the Stoneward Asylum; even if it may not lead to anything, it could also be seen as good practice.
Tarian absorbed that for a moment.
"You are honest," he said.
"I am economical."
"And the five?"
Elias turned his head slowly. His stone-grey eyes passed over the half-circle. He had watched them walk in, felt their weight on the cobblestones, and had counted them.
He named no one, but he thought that the five candidates he had in mind must surely be among this group, and he would be disappointed if they were not. Still, he did not want them to know his thoughts, and he turned towards Tarian and gave him the task.
"Whoever you think is the best five."
Tarian smiled, and he did not hesitate before he turned and raised his hand towards the crowd.
Several nobles raised their chests, seeing this as an opportunity to walk among legends, but Tarian's hand continued past them and pointed, while speaking loud enough for Elias to hear.
"Sera Valdris, from the Academy. Heaven-grade blade legacy."
A small murmur came from the candidates, but no one here could go against the word of the prince.
In this situation, Elias had come out as the leader of this group due to his obvious strength, but that in no way invalidated the power of the prince.
Sera stepped forward and took her position at Elias's right, one pace back. She looked deeply at him for a moment, and then she nodded before she faced the pit, her fingers tapping on the blade fastened to her waist.
The nobles were not too annoyed that Tarian had picked someone besides them, after all, there were still three spots left, but his next words left them puzzled.
"Theron Vex. Guild. Beast-speaker."
They parted as Theron stepped forward. The absence at his side where the wolf had been was the loudest thing about him, since he did not allow the beast to come with him. He took a position three paces behind Elias's right shoulder.
"Elara Vane. Guild. Light-bender."
Again, a murmur of dissatisfaction swept through the crowd, especially from the noble side of it, but the surviving guild members were beaming, since two of their leaders had been chosen for this.
Elara had been standing at the back of the arriving group and looking at the pit with an expression that was not fear exactly, stepped forward.
She was the smallest of them and did not carry a visible weapon. Elias thought that was probably deliberate.
As it was, Tarian had managed to pick everyone he wanted, but the last name surprised him, since this was not who Elias would have picked, and he wondered why Tarian made this choice.
"Kaelen Ashford," Tarian said.
Kaelen had been at the rear of the group, leaning on his hammer, his nose dried with old blood from the Void Womb's scream, and he was the only one here who was affected in this manner, and so his bleeding face made him appear the weakest.
He looked up when Tarian named him. For a moment, he seemed surprised, then he walked forward without speaking and took position at Elias's left, behind Tarian.
Elias glanced at the man, who appeared older than his age, but he saw nothing that stood out about him. Elias had thought that Tarian would choose one of his lackeys; that was why he gave five spots instead of four, but this choice was rather surprising.
"And myself," Tarian said, not making any introduction, because he knew that everyone knew who he was.
Elias looked at him, and for a long moment the two of them regarded each other across the half-step between them. The prince of Stormfall and the Ascendant Candidate of the Asylum. They had not spoken before this.
"You will not lead or command anyone when we are down there," Elias said.
"I did not say I would. I am the heir to the Lord Protector. I do not need to command. I need only to be present."
Elias cocked his head to the side, "Why?"
Tarian's mouth twisted. "Because I have spent my life training for a moment that may not exist, and a moment that does exist has just presented itself, and I would not be my father's son if I did not seize it."
Elias was silent.
"Also," Tarian said, quieter, "because if I do not go in, I will have watched, and I cannot bear to have watched."
Elias nodded once, not expecting this amount of truth from the prince, even though he knew he may as well be lying or hiding a part of himself. At this point, it did not matter. Then, turning to the five who would be following him, he said,
"Hear me," and his voice carried beyond the five to the half-circle of candidates watching them.
"I am going into the pit, and all five of you are coming with your own free will. There is danger down there, and do not expect me to save you if you cannot hold your ground."
He paused. He looked at each of the five.
"I am not your shield, as my shield is mine. There is no shield that covers more than one man. Understand this before you follow me down, or stay on the rim."
Meris, from the outer half-circle, made a small sound that might have been a laugh.
"He speaks after all," she said, to no one.
The big man beside her muttered, "I told you he spoke, but you gave him no chance to do so."
Elias did not hear them, or pretended not to. A small part of him had thought that Tarian would have picked this woman because she was noble born and she had been seen close to him.
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