Paratus

Paratus is the younger brother and general of the eastern barbarian king Karatus. He leads the bloody raid on Takar's auction house to recover a symbol of barbarian kingship, later fights under the power of War, and becomes the principal captive through whom In-gong learns how the War Knight approached Karatus.

Biography

Raid on Takar and War's Power

Paratus infiltrates Takar with elite barbarian warriors as one half of a coordinated offensive against the city and Evian. His target is the Dragon King's Golden Helmet, a relic capable of strengthening Karatus's legitimacy among the tribes. He kills auction personnel, uses an explosive scroll to break into storage, and ignores every distraction once In-gong takes the helmet. In-gong avoids a full duel by collapsing the floor beneath him, but Paratus escapes, regathers defeated barbarians, and continues south through bases deliberately stripped of food. Hunger and failed raids weaken his force, yet he remains loyal to Karatus's campaign rather than abandoning it. (Chapters 113–117 and 122–124)

During the battle outside Takar, War's red power strengthens Paratus along with the barbarian army. He seeks In-gong personally and endures a pincer attack from him and Caitlin, but the helmet distracts him long enough for an internal aura strike to cause a major injury. After Karatus dies, Paratus and his men still rush toward In-gong; their defeat removes the barbarians' remaining will to fight, and Vandal's troops capture him. Paratus attempts escape, suicide, and silence before Nayatra enchants him into answering questions. His testimony reveals that a red-armored stranger gave Karatus power and a flag, but his condition and fate after the Evian prison scene are never stated. (Chapters 127–130 and 135)

Appearance and personality

Paratus is much larger than Carack, with a pale face, yellow eyes, a scar over his right eye, and black hair described as wriggling as though alive. War's battlefield power later makes his already large body more robust. The corpus does not explain whether the hair's movement is supernatural or merely visual description. (Chapters 113 and 127)

He is violent, relentless, and direct. He smiles during the auction assault, kills those in his way without negotiation, becomes enraged when denied the helmet, and welcomes another fight with In-gong. His focus is also exploitable: both the stolen relic and deliberate provocation draw him into tactical openings. Even after capture, his attempts to escape or die rather than cooperate show continued loyalty or resistance, though the text does not give his private reasoning. (Chapters 114–115, 127, and 135)

Powers and abilities

Body Hardening and physical combat

Paratus is a powerful unarmed barbarian warrior whose Body Hardening forms a durable external defense. He moves quickly enough to close a ten-meter gap almost immediately, emits an aura roar that can momentarily freeze a target's body, and survives being buried beneath a collapsed stone floor. His defense does not stop attacks that destroy aura internally: In-gong's Arang bypasses the hardened shell and leaves him badly injured. The corpus does not name any other personal martial techniques. (Chapters 114–117, 127, and 128)

Power of War

The blood-red flag spreads War's flame-like aura across the barbarian army, increasing its strength and making Paratus's body more robust. This is an external battlefield empowerment rather than a power shown to originate in Paratus, and it disappears when In-gong destroys the flag. Although Paratus fights within War's forces, only Karatus is explicitly identified as an apostle of War; the corpus never individually grants Paratus that title or establishes permanent access after the flag is broken. (Chapters 124 and 126–128)

Relationships

• Karatus: Paratus is the barbarian king's younger brother, general, and loyal subordinate. He raids Takar for a relic that would bolster Karatus's kingship, reports In-gong's abilities, and continues fighting after his brother's death. (Chapters 113–116, 128, 130, and 135)
• In-gong: In-gong prevents Paratus from obtaining the helmet, outmaneuvers rather than defeats him at the auction, and wounds him during the final battle. Paratus repeatedly seeks him out as the opponent associated with that failure. (Chapters 114–117 and 127–130)
• Nayatra: Nayatra initially trails Paratus through the auction attack. After his capture, she overcomes his resistance with enchantment magic and makes him answer In-gong's questions. (Chapters 114 and 135)
• Vandal: Vandal's army defeats the remaining eastern barbarians and captures Paratus after Karatus's death. (Chapters 130 and 135)

Items

Paratus uses an explosive scroll during the auction raid, consuming it to breach the storage area. He seeks the Dragon King's Golden Helmet but never obtains it, so the relic is a military objective rather than his possession. No continuing personal weapon or named artifact is established. (Chapters 114–115)