In Pursuit Of Wisdom (Book 1) by Steve M. Shoemake

inches in diameter, with three vertical lines inside basically constituted the brand.  The puffing of the skin made it different than a tattoo; the details in the lines could be hard to make out from a distance.  But it didn’t matter; everyone in Tenebrae knew the symbol of a True Warrior.  The oval represented a shield.  The three parallel, vertical lines, stacked shortest to longest, represented a dagger, a sword, and a spear.  The meaning was obvious:  as a True Warrior, I can fight you with anything .
    Lord Kensington had branded Xaro a week ago in front of the cheering crowd of two thousand men.  That was the next step in his plan, and it was a crucial one.  He had needed a decisive showing in the pits if he was to lead these men.  His goals were much larger than simply attaining status.  Much larger.
    Kuth-Cergor had returned.  One of the ancient gods, a god with real power—not the man-made infatuations men worshipped today—had chosen Xaro.  Spoken to him.  Taught him how to conceal his magic.  Answered prayers.  No god answered prayers any more…they simply existed as figments of man’s anxiety in this Dark World.  But Kuth-Cergor had existed long before man, and would exist long afterward.  How fortunate am I to be singled out by a True god of the ancient world, that I should be alive during the age of Kuth-Cergor’s triumphant re-entry—and what’s more, that he should select me to rule at his side?
    His instructions were simple…but not easy.  Raising an army takes time.  He couldn’t think of a better starting point than these fine men training in the pits.  With more than two thousand swords, they would make excellent captains and lieutenants.  Even better trainers and men-at-arms.  The foot soldiers would require far greater numbers, but Kuth-Cergor had some ideas for him there as well.
    It would not do to invoke the name of the demon-lord quite yet…too many still doubted that he even existed.  And those that allowed for his existence were too ignorant to know his power.  His name was not a motivating factor for the masses…yet.
    Kuth-Cergor knew this; that is why he had selected Xaro to be his leader here on Tenebrae.  The men who sought the mark of a True Warrior were mostly interested in mercenary work anyhow.  Oh, he saw some nobility—he could almost smell the arrogance of some would-be knights.  There was, however, a fighter that easily distinguished himself from the others.  His name was Strongiron of the House Tuitio, and he was clearly one of the best Xaro had seen in the pits beside himself.  The men loved Strongiron; he knew how to treat those weaker than himself with a measure of respect.
    The other fighter that had caught his attention was a half-ogre named Tar-Tan.  Both men were fighting for their mark this afternoon.  Tar-Tan was pitted against a Chimera, a rare creature with two heads – one a lion, the other a goat, with the creature’s tail actually uncoiling into that of a lengthy, venomous snake.   Strongiron was pitted against three men—the Steele brothers; Axel, Abel, and Arkin.  If they defeated Strongiron, each of them would be allowed to battle for their True Warrior Test as soon as they were physically ready.
    It was therefore with acute interest that Xaro watched from a balcony, next to Lord Kensington, as the top two warriors—besides Xaro, of course—were to fight for their brands.  Tar-Tan was up first.
    Even though Strongiron was enormous for a man, a full six-foot six inches tall—he was still two feet shorter than Tar-Tan.  The half ogre was simply immense, and wielded a specially made halberd, heavier than most.  For a man, a normal halberd operated like a long spear with an axe blade at one end; in other words, a two-handed weapon.  This heavy halberd was wielded in one hand by the half-ogre, and his free hand typically held either a shield or, more commonly, a two-handed sword.  With a sword for in-close fighting