"Warrance is going down!" The nasal voice of the Vorid commentator drones metallically through the radio. "He lands, he swings—HE’S DISARMED! Vesper lands and—SHE’S DONE IT. Vesper scores the first and final hit of this bout!"

Taega groans. He had been betting on Vesper, but no amount of money can make up for missing out on such a duel.

The harsh Volcarren sun blares down on him. Even when the lava plumes are dormant, it’s still sweltering on this job site. The location for this canal has undeniable value, but it’s not hard to see why both House Utgar and Aquilla’s warpriests declined to establish any permanent presence here. A great security lapse to exploit, but the project was already over budget from unexpected damages; both naturally caused and from pesky Ticallans and Moltarns interfering.

The Grut laborers have been staying well on task, but the Vorid work crews have been faltering some because of the elements. Furthermore, the Raptorian security detail has been delayed due to pirates on the Bitter Sea, adding ransom costs on top of everything else. The numbers are never ending. Every ledger reviewed, every report penned, every proposal rejected… Aside from New Haukeland, the mainland expansion has hardly been the adventure that was promised years ago. Too much red tape, not enough action. Still, the canal project is important, and Taega is well compensated for his expertise in righting projects which fail to meet company expectations.

Under the burning sun, his mind lingers on the dueling fields. Memories of his own application process for the Association, his arena-filling bout with Mekel, and the day he became an Associate himself. The years have taken much from that young warrior making his way up the ranks in Haukeland.

Yet, as the thundering of hooves echoes from Ticalla’s jungle, that young warrior grabs his twin gunblades once more. And as the first yellow-plumed helmets barrel across the volcarren fields and the worksite sirens blare, Taega the Kyrie Warrior feels truly alive for the first time in years.

Taege the Kyrie Warrior is a free Pre-Order Promo available with any pre-order of a May 2027 Bleakewoode's Bane release!