putting one's life on the line; staking one's life (on); risking one's life; life and death situation
to bare one's fangs; to snarl (at)
(political) power; authority; influence
person in charge (of an area of work); person responsible; contact (person)
mission; errand; task; duty; obligation
difficult to understand; unintelligible; abstruse
qualifications; requirements; capabilities
hereditary system; hereditary succession
to excel at; to be proficient at; to grow old; to ripen; to rise high (e.g. the sun)
to have been decided (so) that; to have been arranged (so) that
to shut out; to bar; to lock out; to exclude
to be selected (from among many people)
and; or; and the like; and so forth; and what not
oversight; omission; something overlooked; thing left unnoticed
portion; part; snapshot; glimpse
the one before last; two generations, etc. previous
due form; official; formality
eye; eyeball; eyesight; sight; look; stare; notice
return; coming back; second coming (e.g. of Christ); second advent; reincarnation
even more; still more; further
to become excited; to grow lively
elevation; rise; improvement; advancement; progress
to step on; to tread on; to set foot on (e.g. foreign soil); to stand on; to experience; to undergo; to follow (rules, principles, etc.)
former (incumbent); predecessor
to settle peacefully; to work out peacefully; to come to an amicable solution; to become reconciled
ambush; troops in ambush; unexpected opposition; unexpected obstacle
alone; unaided; away from home
splendid; magnificent; utter (esp. defeat); total; (arch.) something worth seeing; (arch.) sight
to outwit; to outmanoeuvre; to steal a march on; to get the jump on; to anticipate; to forestall
trying to think of a way (to); devising means (to); working out (how to do); contriving (to raise money); managing
cold-hearted; callous; unfeeling; insentient (objects); insensate; inanimate
interior; inside; internal
inspection; reading; perusal; browsing (the web)
outsider's perspective; as seen by an observer
to practice magic; to practise magic
using freely; making full use of; having a good command of; working (someone) hard; driving (someone) on
to fight with swords; to cross swords
to sit on the edge of one's seat; to be in breathless suspense