Before me, the corridor opened out like an apparently limitless expanse of frigid stone under flickering torchlight. Leading me, the blood Mage kept a fast pace; his silence felt like a weight in the dense air. My heart hammered in my chest, a wild beat matching the whispers of the dead within the dagger. Though I had left the dungeon, my future was hanging by a thread and I was now walking toward an unclear end.
At last, we arrived at a set of striking double doors with surface carvings of flames and skulls. The blood Mage stopped, his hand floating over the elaborate handle.
His voice a deep growl, "Remember," he whispered, "Kael Emberheart is not a man to be trifled with. You only once have an opportunity to show value. Try not to waste it.
He then pulled the doors apart to expose a great chamber glowing warmly from a raging fireplace. Kael Emberheart himself sat on a throne of skulls and iron at the far end of the room. His presence was palpably strong, a force of power and aspiration. Burning with the same intensity as the hearth's flames, his eyes locked upon mine.
I was nervous; the murmurs of the dead advised prudence. Having escaped one prison just to enter another, a merciless warlord now controlled my life.
"Ash Blackwood," Kael's voice exploded across the chamber. "The blood mage who paints the streets red."
I bent my head, my voice measured precisely. "Warlord Emberheart," I said, staring down toward the floor.
Kael slanted forward, narrowing his eyes. "I have legends about your... adventures. reckless, spurts of impulse, yet unquestionably strong But power by itself does not help you occupy a position in my army."
He waved to the blood Mage who had accompanied me. "Malachi here notes you have a certain... cunning. a strategic mind that might be really helpful."
Malachi moved forward, his expression austere. "He showed promise in the marketplace," he continued, his voice free of feeling. "Yet his control is... weak."
Kael's lips opened to a nasty smile. "Control is teachable, Malachi. But a rare talent is real cunning, a mind capable of seeing beyond the battlefield."
He moved his eye back toward me. "Ash Blackwood, you will have opportunity to demonstrate your value. Know this, though: I'm not very tolerant of mistakes."
He clapped his hands, and from the shadows a servant came bearing a tray loaded with several items. Kael flung a little, well carved wooden box at me.
I caught it; my fingertips followed its surface's exquisite patterns. "What Is this?" My interest sparked by this question asked.
"A puzzle," Kael remarked. "An intellectual exam for you. Solve it; you might still be quite helpful to me. Fail; then—" He drifted off, his quiet telling volumes.
Opening the box showed a mess of interlocking bits. I looked at them while my mind flew. The challenge before me muffles the whispers of the dead, so offering no help.
I poured hours over the problem, my fingers working nonstop. Every time I felt I had discovered a fix, another component would show me otherwise. My frustration tore at me; the whispers of the dead grew louder, their voices a chorus of uncertainty. I was really really frustrated. Who wrote this script? I would like them to have a word with my fist. What kind of stupid test is this?
Malachi leaned forward, his eyes shining with laughter just as I was about give up. He moved with a few precise strokes to reorganize the bits, the puzzle clicking into place with a pleasing sound.
Kael laughed, his voice a deep rumbling. "It seems Malachi has judged you, blood Mage. You failed that test. Maybe your skills are elsewhere."
Shame surged over me, the murmurs of the dead teasing me with their terrible laughter. I tightened my hands; my rage drove a burst of resistance.
"I am more than just a puzzle solver," I remarked, voice steady. "I'm a tactician and strategist. Give me a battlefield and I will show you my actual value.
Curious, Kael raised an eyebrow. "A forceful assertion, blood mage. But words are cheap. Actions have stronger voices than words.
Rising, his tall form sent a long shadow across the space. "Very excellent. I will offer one last opportunity. Said to house an ancient staff of enormous strength, there is a cave in the northern mountains. Retrieve it; you might yet find a position with my firm.
He stopped, his gaze narrowing. "Be advised, though, puzzles and traps guard the cave rather than physical power. It will try your intelligence rather than your wizardry. It's actually very easy."
Adrenaline surged through me, the challenge set up a fire of will. This was my opportunity to prove myself, to show Kael Emberheart I was more than just a careless blood mage.
"I accept," my voice steady. "I will get the staff as you said"
Kael nodded, a flash of laughter in his eyes. Good. Malachi will be with you to ensure that you get close enough to the place"
Malachi moved forward with a blank look. "Do not disappoint the Warlord, blood mage," he whispered, his voice a terrible warning.
Tension in the air buzzed as Kael's remarks hung weight in the chamber. I looked at him, a flutter of rebellion in my eyes. "And what if I succeed?" I objected, my voice ringing across the hall. What then, Warlord?"
Kael's lips opened to a hungry smile. "Succeed, and you land among my ranks. Knowledge and tools beyond your wildest fantasies will be at your reach. You will become a weapon created in blood and steel, a force that will change Kaeloria's fate."
They had said nothing about my dagger and I longed to feel it but I was willing to bet everything that using my dagger wasn't part of this test.
"And should I fail?" I pressed, low snarl in my voice.
Kael's grin disappeared, replaced with a terrible coldness. "Fail; you seal your own death. I'm merely keeping you because you seem intriguing and stories have circled about your strength. Stories which I doubt now that I see what you are but I'm willing to try to see what you're capable of."
He slanted forward, his eyes fixed on me. "You have choices, blood mage. Accept your fate or submit to death."
I looked back at him, my determination sharpening. "I will not give up," I responded, speaking deliberately. "I will show Warlord my value. I will get the personnel."
Kael's face flashed with a sliver of approval. "See that you do," he said. "Malachi will guide you as I said. Additionally your judge will be him. Try not to let him down."
Malachi moved forward; his silence was a threat. "The road is dangerous," he said, his voice a deep rumble. "For those looking for the staff, riddles and traps wait. Depend on your wits, blood mage. your magic will not be much use."
I nodded, immediately rushing through ideas and planning. "I know," I answered. "I am not going to fail."
Kael crossed his arms, his eyes fixed on me in a predatory manner.
"Also note that you have a time limit" he announced.
I stiffened and frowned. "Which is?"
Kael sent a look at Malachi whose face was still hidden under the cowl but I could tell he understood what the warlord was saying.
Gazing upon Malachi now, I wondered if he was the most powerful blood mage that Kael had or if there was another.
"From the time that Malachi leaves you… you have 2 nights to finish and retrieve the staff. My advice is it's best you die trying. Death is much easier on the mountains", Kael said with a serial smile.
Malachi grunted and motioned me out so I followed him out the room and into the hallways.
Something was wrong. I could sense that. I was walking into a trap but there was no way out. However this wasn't my world but the person who owns this body had a reputation and I was going to build it my way again.