Authorities were part of a group of people that possessed what Valeria herself had come to recognize as a defiant will and an innate strong headedness that demanded to have things done their way and even an expectation that nature bend in their direction.
The first cadre among this group was called beings. From information she had gathered about them generally, nature simply recognized them due to the sheer weight or strength of their being which they exerted on the environment, as well as for their scathing will power. Visibly, this weight or strength of being translated to the world bending slightly to their favor and against those who would dare oppose them.
The second cadre among this group, the cadre in which she thought Darian could be classified in, was called Authorities. These were creatures that through the sheer force of their will alone had marked off areas where their will, and their will alone, could reign supreme. They did this through what was referred to as – as Valeria herself had been privileged to learn – The Process. The process greatly varied for each and every one of them. But it was certain that once they accomplished it, a new Authority would be born.
'What I think he did as his Process to attain that status, whether consciously or unconsciously, was to express defiance and loathing towards piercing weapons and a resolve not to die to it when he was almost killed by one. Then him finishing off his would be killer would have sealed the process. The world would have then recognized his defiance, loathing and resolve and translated them as him denying weapons of any sort access into his newly established authority. Yeah, that is a plausible theory. If that is the case, a fusion of two pieces of that augment would be enough.'
Just then, Darian's rich baritone voice broke her out from her thoughts
"Another proud champion who thinks she can stop my advance. I will give you a chance on accounts of your beauty; lead your army to surrender and join me in conquering the world side by side. I am an unstoppable force. "
Behind him, his army laughed cheekily. A lazy, almost imperceptible, golden glow shimmered to life around Darian at that instant before dissipating.
Despite the serious, life and death atmosphere, a funny thought crawled up into her mind.
'Darian the Skull crusher thinks that I command this army and not just merely represent them against him. But wait! Did I just get an in battle field proposal? I guess my beauty is as dazzling as they claim at the Order.'
"Don't listen to him Valeria." the words of king Zan, king of Kapt, the nation she was representing, came from behind her. But Valeria needed no reminder. The name, image and reputation of the Order were staked on the outcomes of this battle after all. So she had been watching, observing the battlefield and noticing the minute changes that occurred, detailing them in the recesses of her mind. Thus, when the golden glow shimmered into existence around Darian before quietly dissipating for the fourth time, each time after he made a seemingly lighthearted comment, she took account of it, analyzed it with her mind and then came up with a theory that, if true, could elevate the level of threat Darian's existence posed.
'That shimmering glow…'
Every time Darian made a seeming off handed comment that slighted the army of Kapt, and which succeeded in demoralizing them, the glow shimmered into existence. The glow faded from existence with the same speed as the impact of the comment waned.
'What does the level of morale of both his armies and that of his enemies has to do with his power?'
Valeria who was in deep thought, unintentionally left Darian's question unanswered.
Darian was crossed.
"Young aspiring lady champion" he said, calling out to Valeria with as much disdain as his voice could convey.
"Let me tell you of a story of the warrior from the east. East of this place, in a land where the sun never rises and where a thick layer of ice permanently blankets the ground, a young warrior arose out of a reclusive house of warriors. According to the custom of the house, he killed every one that was of his age on the annually held 'Day of proving'. But he was not satisfied. On that day, being the battle maniac that he was, he challenged all the members of that house to also prove their mettle against him. Unexpectedly, against all odds, he barely clinched victory. That day, covered in terrible wounds, something ignited within him more than battle lust. Thus, that day, the foundation of his legend was laid on the dead bodies of all the members of his house. From that day onwards, he went on a journey challenging all the notable warriors found in any place he went. He won battle after battle, with each victory cementing his name as an unbeatable warrior."
He smirked when he saw that he had her attention. Then, the expression on his face soured.
The day came when he challenged another battle maniac of a warrior who, like himself, had never lost a battle in his entire life to a death match. Han the hacker was the name. The warrior from the east knew that he was vastly out - skilled, out - classed and out – matched, yet, what was the gain of engaging in battle for a battle maniac if not the thrill brought about by the risk of them dying? Many people from far and wide came to watch the death match of two warriors who had never lost any battle before. Dark anticipation filled the air as would – be spectators wondered what the possible outcome of the battle could be. When the scheduled day of the battle arrived, the warrior from the east, as skilled as he was in battle, found out that there were still more level of skill between him and Han the Hacker. Han the Hacker toyed with him for most of the battle. With his axe, he carved into his the lesson that a warrior's strong - headedness must me back up by a level of ability as the people watched on in shock, not expecting the twist the battle had taken. It was not even a duel, it was totally one sided, with Han the Hacker dominating the duel from the start. But the warrior from the east refused to die. Why should he die when there were many more battles to fight, when there were still so many warriors to best? So, by a stroke of luck, the warrior from the east killed Han the Hacker in a moment when the disdain of the Hacker morphed into carelessness. "Darian had a wild look on his face as he told the tale. Then his expression morphed into that of pleasure as he continued his tale.
"That battle was his turning point, his metamorphosis from being a pupa to being a full blown butterfly. He came out from that near death experience with a blessing from the heavens. From then on, duels no longer just sated his blood lust, they made him stronger. Duels lost their appeal to him after a while. So he set his sight on the larger stage that wars and battles were. He built his own army from the scratch and went on to subjugate kingdoms, vanquish champions crushing the skull of anyone that dared to oppose him." A smirk found it's way to his face when he found Valeria's brows furrowed as though in worry.
"That is the summary of the legend of Darian the skull crusher, my legend! Now lady you have two minutes to think through the decision to either surrender or foolishly face me in battle." He ended his speech with visible pride on his face. To him, the result of the forth coming duel between himself and Valeria was already a foregone conclusion.