A warden blocked the service stair and invoked an oath seal. The mark bound his own strength to Wuchen’s command, drawing power from a vow he had accepted years ago.
He attacked with a short blade. Yan met the strike with Ashen Marrow reinforcement, strengthening his own bones and channels while the blade remained an external threat.
The warden’s blade cut Yan’s sleeve and scored his forearm. The cut stung and bled. Yan turned the strike away and pinned the man’s wrist against the stair rail.
“Release the oath and step aside,” Yan said.
The warden’s jaw moved as if he meant to answer, but the seal tightened before he could speak. The mark brightened along his wrist and pulled the blade back toward Yan.
Yan changed his grip. Rather than break the warden’s arm, he struck the weapon’s guard and snapped the blade near the hilt. The oath mark dimmed when the weapon fell, though it did not disappear. The warden dropped to one knee, breathing hard.
An attendant came through the lower door. Yan kept the warden’s wrist against the rail until the attendant stood beside him.
“Call a medic. Keep him away from the seal until it fades.”
