The damp chill of the dungeon clung to my skin, a constant reminder of my confinement. It had been 18 hours since I had been brought here and no one had come to tell me anything. The soldiers had come to peek occasionally and to make sure I was still subdued which I certainly was. I had crossed my legs and sat silently in the middle of the cell, my gaze fixed on the iron bars, anger coursing through my veins and a sense of vulnerability.
I was used to having power coursing through me so I wasn't used to been disabled and my powers stripped of me.
The soldiers found it funny and they came often to spite me while I just watched them silently, anger brewing through me.
"Weak," they hissed. "Impotent. You are nothing without your magic."
I slammed my fist against the bars as I couldn't take it anymore, the metal biting into my flesh. I wasn't used to just sitting around doing nothing and feeling this helpless. I longed for the feeling of the blood dagger in my hands but I didn't even know where they had taken it. Damn it.
After a few more minutes of pacing about, the soldiers left the cell and went to god's know where while I sat back down, my eyes fixed on a stain on the wall to ground myself and keep myself sane and busy.
They had made no mention of killing me yet the way I was treated wasn't friendly at all, they hadn't even given me food. My thoughts went back to my time on earth. At least they gave prisoners food but these ones? I doubt they would give two fucks if I died here of hunger or the fact that I couldn't even take a piss.
My mind wandered back to the caravan members who I had the pleasure of meeting, where they looking for me? I highly doubted that because it seemed missing people here weren't a big deal as it was in the real world.
Suddenly I heard footsteps and the type that sounded like the boots of the soldiers but a slow dangerous footfall that felt like a predator stalking it's prey. I looked up in time to see the cloaked figure who had subdued me standing in front of the iron bars and once more I couldn't see his eyes but I could feel them and they were watching me intently.
"Ash Blackwood," his voice rasped, a whisper that cut through the silence like a blade. "Your plight has not gone unnoticed."
I raised my head, uncrossing my legs and wincing at the muscles cramps from having stayed like that for a while. " who are you?" I demanded, my voice hoarse from disuse.
The figure chuckled, a dry, hollow sound that echoed through the dungeon. "I am Lord kael's. He's my master and the one who will determine your fate. I offer you a path, a chance at redemption."
Redemption. The word made me immediately smirk. Was that even possible?. I sat up, my heart pounding with a flicker of hope.
"What path?" I asked, my voice growing louder.
He stepped closer, his presence a cold wind that swept through the cell but his body not too close to the iron bars. "A path of service, of loyalty. A chance to use your power for a greater purpose."
I scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "Service? Loyalty? To whom? To the king who imprisons me? To the guards who fear my power? That power brought me to this prison"
His voice hardened. "To Kael Emberheart, the warlord who shapes the destiny of this land. He has seen your potential, your hunger for power. He offers you a place in his ranks, a chance to prove your worth, you seem to be a calculating person. One that uses wits. Power? None that I can see but wits."
Kael Emberheart. Ah, the one who ruled here. I had planned on keeping my distance but now I was thrown right into the lion's den and it was my only chance.
"Why would he want me?" I asked, my suspicion battling with a flicker of curiosity.
His eyes gleamed in the darkness. "Because he sees in you a reflection of himself, a young mage with untapped potential and a thirst for power. He wants to know if you're worth keeping alive. If you're worth anything to him."
The voices in my head were urging to accept it and go ahead with it but a part of me was against it.
I hesitated, torn between my distrust of authority and the allure of power. The figure's words echoed in my mind, a tantalizing offer that could mean two things. Impress Kael or die probably.
"And what if I refuse?" I asked, my voice a challenge.
His smile was cold, his demeanour filled with hostility. "Then you will remain here, forgotten and alone. The whispers will consume you, your power will fade, and your soul will wither in this darkness."
Kael emberheart. I had nothing that could impress him, I was still struggling to impress myself so how likely was it to impress someone who had probably seen the best blood mages in the land. This cloaked figure here was extremely powerful and I knew i didn't come up to par with him. Yet. I could someday.
With a smirk forming as I thought of it, I made my decision. "I accept," I said, my voice filled with determination.
With a subtle gesture, he dispelled the wards that bound my magic. A surge of power coursed through me, the whispers of the dead rejoicing. I flexed my fingers, feeling the familiar warmth of blood magic returning.
"Prepare yourself, Ash Blackwood," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "Kael Emberheart is not a man to be trifled with. He demands loyalty and results."
I scoffed. "And what if I fail to meet his expectations?" I challenged, my newfound confidence emboldening me.
A flicker of amusement crossed his face. "Kael Emberheart has little patience for weakness or incompetence. If you disappoint him..." He paused, letting the silence hang heavy in the air. "Let's just say, you won't be returning to this cell."
He was so casual about it. The way he spoke made me know that he had seen People get here and fail to impress Kael. And they never went back. I was no different.
I had to think and fast. They would kill me if they found no use for me. Of course, the war lord wouldn't want someone who was weak in his ranks. I wasn't powerless but I still had some work to do on myself and I needed to do it fast before I led myself to my death. It was like I had left one prison, only to be put in a more trifling position.
He turned and began to walk away, his footsteps echoing in the dimly lit corridor.
"Wait," I called out, my voice laced with confusion. "Where are you taking me?"
He didn't turn back, his voice a chilling whisper carried on the breeze. "To meet your new master, blood mage. To Kael Emberheart."