Maw's Mountain

As we left the fortress, the crisp night air assaulted my face in sharp contrast to the stifling warmth of Emberheart's room. The moon created an ethereal glow over the terrain that painted the far-off mountains in tones of silver and blue. The uneasy sensation that tore at my belly persisted, as if I were being guided like a lamb toward the killing.

Malachi moved ahead, his cloak swinging in the breeze. His quiet was disturbing, unlike the whispers of the unknown on my head begging for my attention. Driven to break the stifling silence, I decided to speak up.

"Malachi," I spoke up, my voice booming in the calm of the evening. "Will I be given any tools or weapons for this travel?"

I didn't want to specially talk about my dagger but it seemed he knew that was what I was referring to because he muttered something inaudible under his breath.

He turned hardly at all; his voice was a low growl carried on the breeze. "You don't need such souvenirs, blood Mage. This tests your cunning more than your combat skills.

I bristled at his contemptuous manner. "And what about the hazards I will face? The riddles, the traps... Of course, a weapon would help somewhat" I pressed on, refusing to give up.

Malachi laughed, a dry, devoid of humor sound. "The real weapon resides inside you, blood mage. Your magic, your intelligence—those are the instruments you have to depend on."

He stopped; his footfall resonated in the stillness.

"Besides," he said, his voice tinged with a sliver of violence, "a quick death is a merciful one among these mountains. Should you be really worthless, it would be kind to stop your suffering right now"

I had lost count at how many times they had hinted at my death since I got out of prisons. Did it make me scared? No. It made me want to survive. This was a dangerous challenge but it was one I was willing to take.

We arrived in a poorly lighted chamber with charts and maps covering its walls. Malachi pointed to a big table where a thorough northern mountain map was laid out.

"This is your guide," he continued, his voice free of feeling. "The cave is marked as are the nearby sites. Study it carefully, blood Mage. Your life is dependent on it."

I went to the table, staring across the map. The terrain was dangerous, a maze of rivers and valleys, forests, and mountains. The cave, identified with a blood-red X, seemed to be unreachable.

"And then what of my return?" I questioned, my fingers tracing over the illustration of a creek. "How will I get back to Emberheart's fortification?"

Malachi's lips drew into a nasty sneer. "You won't," he said. "You are on your own once you start climbing those mountains. Should you be successful, discover your own route back. If you fall short…" He shrugged, his quiet saying volumes.

Another hint at death again.

I developed a chilly dread in my gut. I was tempted to just fuck it all and escape but I just sighed knowing it would probably not end well if the masked man next to me had anything to do with it. I had to prove my value—that of death trying.

From the satchel on my back, I brought out a parchment paper and set it on the ground, using trivial tricks to draw the map on it accurately while Malachi watched, disinterest in his stance.

Rolling the map, I fastened it with a leather strap. "I understand," I answered, my voice precisely neutral. "I shall not let you down."

Malachi's gaze focused narrower. "See that you don't," he cautioned. "And keep in mind, blood magician. Keep from trying to run away. Kael Emberheart has influence much beyond these boundaries. We will located you should you try to flee. And your dying will be slow and excruciating."

So I was right. There goes my chance of escaping. Why would I run to though? There was no where.

He turned and left, his feet receding into the night. I was alone myself, my assignment weighing down on me. Two nights were to be spent locating the personnel and making plans for a return—that is, to avoid the fury of a warlord.

I left the fort, the cool night air a welcome release from the stifling indoors. The moon gave the scene an ethereal radiance and long shadows dancing and writhed like restless spirits.

My satchel was with food and water and I made a few pit stops to aid the growing hunger I felt while timing myself. The journey in itself wasn't hard but I kept my guard up either ways because I could never be too sure. So far, everything seemed easy and that was what made me nervous. If kael wanted me in his troops, he wouldn't give me something easy so there was something about this test that I wasn't getting right.

It didn't make sense that I hadn't even been given a dagger yet they expected me to venture through the dense foliage but so far that I hadn't seen anything, I relaxed, the gears in my head turning. The problem wasn't here, the real threat was in the cave.

If I died then so be it. It seems that no matter what world I was in, I was always at the wrong side of luck but at least in this world, I had some form of self defense. On earth, the least I could do was throw money about but here, I could do whatever I could with my power once I got a hold of it but it still didn't give me the peace I thought it would.

At last, for what seemed like a lifetime, I arrived at the mountain's foot. A yawn in the rock wall, the cave opening seemed to call me in. I stopped, a sense of doom flooding over me.

"This is it," I said to myself, my voice just a breath in the wind. "Time to embrace the darkness and die either ways."

Entering the cave, the gloom enveloped me totally. The air was frigid and damp, the silence was broken only by the consistent drip from the ceiling. With senses sharpened, my blood magic thrumming under the surface, I moved gently.

The cave whirled and turned, its passageways a maze of secrets and shadows. Every time I expected traps and puzzles, yet there was nothing. The road was clear, the silence disturbed.

"Too easy," I said, my mistrust mounting. "Kael Emberheart doesn't freely give anything. Here there is another element involved."

I just needed to find it. It wouldn't be a test without even a puzzle.

My guard on, my blood magic ready to release at a moment's notice, I continued. Near the end, following what seemed like a lifetime, I arrived in a huge chamber near the mountain's core. The staff stood in the middle of the chamber, softly glowing, it's beauty mesmerizing. Its surface, carved with ancient symbols throbbing with force, was taller than me.

With a hand outstretched, I walked gently toward the staff. A wave of energy shot through me as I stroked its smooth surface, the cold metal a sharp contrast from what I thought it would feel like.

I grabbed the staff, its strength pulsed through me. I had achieved success. I had obtained the relic.

Grinning triumphantly, I turned to go back to Emberheart's stronghold and pick my reward. But the stone walls started to ruckle as I approached the chamber's door. The roof creased menacingly and the ground rocked underfoot.

The cave's entrance shut with a thundering bang, locking me within. My heart hammering in my chest, I whirled about. The staff throbbed with a terrible light, its marks shining more brilliantly.

Deep and resonant, a voice filled the chamber. "The trial has begun, blood mage," it said. "Show your value; else, perish in the darkness."

Frozen, the weight of the unknown pressed down on me. I had entered a trap—a lethal game designed by Kael Emberheart.

I knew this was too good to be true and now I had seen why I could never trust a warlord.