Ezra won.
Of course he did.
He was rusty, and he tired faster than he used to, but that hardly mattered.
He had nearly driven his blade into Guy's face and watched the color drain from the man's expression as realization set in.
That was enough.
Ezra knew the moment it happened that he had earned their respect. Or at the very least, their fear. Guy had been the strongest among the thirty knights.
The biggest, too.
If Guy could fall, so could the rest.
And once Ezra had won, he already knew exactly what he wanted these men to do.
"You challenged Guy?" Helios asked. His voice carried concern still, but Ezra caught the faint edge of amusement beneath it.
"Well," Ezra replied lightly, "he was more pig-headed and stubborn than Leomord ever was." He glanced toward the knights, who were still swaying and singing through their exhaustion. "I figured he would never back down unless I forced him to. And now look."
Ezra gestured toward the scene.
