Names were heavier than weapons.
Kael understood that the moment Captain Maelor said the word register.
They stood in the outer chamber of Blackhollow Keep, just beyond the Hall of Arms. The space was narrower, practical — desks carved directly from stone, ledgers stacked in neat, unforgiving rows. A single brazier burned low in the center, its heat doing little to chase away the chill.
This was not ceremony.
This was record.
"You are no longer trainees," Maelor said, standing at the head of the chamber. "You are probationary hunters. Everything you do from this moment forward reflects on the name you choose."
She looked at them one by one.
"And names," she added, "outlive bodies."
The remaining hunters stood in loose clusters. Twelve of them. Fewer than half of those who had arrived. Each held their awakened weapon differently — some reverently, some nervously, some like they were afraid it might disappear if they let go.
Nyx leaned against a pillar, blades crossed behind her back, eyes half-lidded. Borin stood close to the wall, hammer resting gently against the floor, as if listening to it. Elyra stood apart, staff held close, expression unreadable.
Kael felt the weight of his bow across his back like a quiet promise.
Maelor gestured to the ledger keeper — an older man with ink-stained fingers and eyes sharp enough to miss nothing.
"Groups of three to four," Maelor continued. "You hunt together. You fail together. You die together."
She paused.
"You will name yourselves."
A low murmur rippled through the chamber.
Renn Varn stood near the front despite his injury, arm bound and stiff. His eyes flicked toward Kael briefly, then away.
"Before you begin," Maelor said, "understand this: we do not assign hierarchy lightly."
Her gaze lingered on Kael's group.
"Some of you are… more capable than others."
No one missed the implication.
"Choose," she said.
The chamber broke into movement.
The First Name
Three hunters stepped forward almost immediately.
They moved with confidence — too much of it.
Renn Varn led them, flanked by Halvek and a sharp-eyed woman named Cressa. Their awakened weapons gleamed faintly, polished already, cared for obsessively.
Renn smiled as if addressing an audience.
"We are The Gilded Fang," he announced.
A few eyebrows rose.
"We hunt for coin," Renn continued. "For reputation. For dominance. Beasts fall faster when fear does the work for you."
Silence followed.
Maelor regarded them coolly. "You hunt under registry law."
Renn's smile didn't falter. "Of course."
Elyra leaned toward Kael, voice low. "They're lying."
Nyx smirked. "No. They're worse. They believe themselves."
The ledger keeper scratched the name into the stone-bound book.
THE GILDED FANG
Status: Active. Probationary.
As Renn turned away, his eyes met Kael's.
There was no rivalry now.
Just intent.
The Second Name
Another group approached — quieter, more reserved.
A spearwoman named Tessa, a healer-trained hunter called Marric, and a broad-shouldered tracker named Olven. Their movements were efficient, cautious. No unnecessary gestures.
"We are Stonewake," Tessa said simply.
"We take contracts we can finish," Marric added. "No heroics."
Maelor nodded once. "Sensible."
Stonewake was registered.
They moved aside without fanfare.
The Third Name
The next group hesitated.
They were younger — talented, but uneven. One fidgeted constantly. Another stared at the floor as if afraid of being seen.
Finally, one stepped forward.
"We call ourselves The Ashbound," he said. "Because we survive what burns others."
It sounded practiced.
Maelor studied them for a moment longer than the others. "Make sure you do."
The name was written.
The Last Name
Only one group remained.
Four of them.
The chamber felt different as they stepped forward together — not louder, not brighter, but steadier. Like weight settling where it belonged.
Kael felt every eye on them.
Maelor crossed her arms. "You."
Borin cleared his throat. "We haven't decided."
Nyx tilted her head. "We don't want something that sounds impressive."
Elyra nodded. "We want something honest."
Maelor's gaze sharpened. "Honesty is expensive."
Kael took a breath.
"We hunt what others won't," he said slowly. "Not because we're brave. Because someone has to."
He glanced at the others.
Borin nodded once.
Nyx shrugged. "It fits."
Elyra met Kael's eyes. "Say it."
Kael looked back at Maelor.
"We are The Grey Hunt."
The words settled into the room like ash.
Hadrik, watching from the far wall, let out a low, approving hum.
Maelor said nothing at first.
Then: "Grey means unseen. Uncelebrated."
"Yes," Kael said.
"And hunted yourself," she added.
Kael didn't flinch. "We know."
The ledger keeper paused before writing.
Maelor nodded once.
"Registered."
THE GREY HUNT
Status: Active. Priority Probationary.
Nyx raised an eyebrow. "Priority?"
Maelor's mouth twitched. "You'll learn what that costs."
The World Opens
By dusk, the gates of Blackhollow Keep stood open.
The hunters gathered in the outer yard — no longer trainees, not yet legends. Contracts were distributed on plain parchment, each stamped with a seal that felt heavier than wax.
Maelor addressed them one last time.
"You do not fix the world," she said. "You reduce its bleeding."
She gestured toward the road beyond the gates.
"Monsters plague trade routes. Villages vanish. Things crawl out of places they should not exist."
Her eyes hardened.
"You go now. Or you never will."
Stonewake departed first, quiet and efficient.
The Ashbound followed, nervous but determined.
The Gilded Fang lingered — Renn pausing just long enough to glance back at The Grey Hunt.
"We'll see who the world remembers," he said.
Nyx smiled thinly. "It always remembers the loudest mistakes."
Finally, only the four of them remained.
Borin adjusted his grip on the hammer. "So… this is it."
Elyra looked toward the horizon. "The spirits are restless. Something's moving."
Nyx stepped into the fading light. "Good. I was getting bored."
Kael adjusted the strap of his bow.
The warmth between his shoulders pulsed once — calm, expectant.
"Let's go," he said.
The road stretched out before them.
And the hunt — finally — began.