THE WARLOCKS' COUNCIL

Chapter 10 

The Warlocks' Council

The air in the forest had grown heavy with the scent of ancient magic as Alaric and Seraphine stepped through the portal. The cursed woods seemed to vanish behind them, replaced by an unfamiliar landscape. The portal closed with a soft hum, and they found themselves in a stark, almost eerily quiet stone chamber. Its high ceilings were adorned with ancient runes, and the walls seemed to shimmer with an unnatural glow.

"What is this place?" Alaric whispered, his senses heightened.

Seraphine was already on edge, her hand close to her dagger as she scanned the room. "I don't know, but I don't think we're alone."

Before Alaric could respond, a low voice echoed from the shadows of the chamber. "You're right about that, child."

A figure emerged from the darkness, tall and imposing, dressed in elaborate robes woven from midnight-black fabric. His face was obscured by a hood, but his eyes—dark and ancient—shone with a knowledge that chilled Alaric to the bone.

"We've been waiting for you, Alaric of the Lost City," the figure continued, his voice cold, commanding. "And you, Seraphine. I trust you've been useful in guiding him here."

Alaric took a step back, his heart racing. He could feel the weight of the room closing in on him. "Who are you?"

The figure smiled, his teeth gleaming like polished ivory. "I am Oryan, leader of the Warlocks' Council. We are the rulers of the magical world, and you, Alaric, are far more important to us than you realize."

Seraphine's eyes narrowed, and she took a defensive stance. "The Warlocks' Council," she said quietly, as if the name alone carried a weight of menace. "I've heard rumors."

"Rumors that are quite true, I assure you," Oryan said, stepping forward. His voice grew darker. "We control the magical politics of Europe, and soon, we will control much more. Eldarath, the city of unimaginable power, is the key to our ultimate dominion."

Alaric's pulse quickened as Oryan's words hung in the air. "You want to use the city for power."

Oryan's smile widened, and he gestured for two figures to step into the light—twin women, their faces veiled by silver masks, their robes glittering with an ethereal glow. They walked toward Alaric and Seraphine with an unsettling grace.

"Not just power," Oryan said, his voice now almost a whisper, "but the power to reshape the world. The map you possess will lead us to Eldarath, and with it, we will wage war on the non-magical humans. We'll bring them to their knees, and the magical world will reign supreme."

Alaric's blood ran cold at the mention of war. He hadn't expected this—he had thought the Warlocks were just another faction seeking the city's secrets, but this was something darker, more twisted. The thought of unleashing such power onto the world made him sick to his stomach.

"You can't do that," Alaric said, his voice shaking with a mix of anger and disbelief. "You're planning to destroy everything."

Oryan's eyes glowed with an unsettling, almost maddening intensity. "We will reshape this world for the better. The humans—fragile, weak, and undisciplined—have had their time. They have no place in the future we are about to create."

Seraphine's face was a mask of fury, her shadows flickering around her in reaction to the tension. "You won't use Alaric to accomplish this," she spat. "You won't use anyone."

Oryan raised a hand, silencing her. "You are free to leave whenever you wish, Seraphine. But Alaric…" He stepped closer to Alaric, his gaze penetrating. "You will cooperate. Whether you like it or not."

Alaric stood his ground, his fists clenched at his sides. "I won't help you destroy everything I care about. I won't let you use the city's magic for war."

The air in the chamber seemed to vibrate with dark magic, the temperature dropping as Oryan's eyes flared with ancient power. "You don't have a choice. You will assist us. We will use your knowledge, your power, to unlock Eldarath's deepest secrets."

The twin women moved closer, their steps silent as the light around them seemed to flicker and dance. They were connected to Oryan's magic in some way—Alaric could feel it. One of the women, her voice a soft melodic whisper, spoke.

"The map is the key. With it, we will gain access to Eldarath's hidden vaults, where unimaginable power resides. The humans will fall, and the magical world will rise as it should."

Alaric swallowed, his mind racing. The map, his only connection to Eldarath, was now the very thing that would doom it. He could feel the weight of the decision before him—a decision that could cost him everything.

"What makes you think I'll help you?" Alaric asked, though his voice was steadier now, filled with defiance.

Oryan's smile faded, his demeanor growing colder. "Because you have no choice." He raised his hand again, and Alaric felt the surge of magic before he could react. A powerful force slammed into him, lifting him off the ground and sending him sprawling onto the cold stone floor.

Seraphine screamed his name, but before she could move, the twin women raised their hands. Shadows whipped around Seraphine, binding her wrists and ankles, rendering her immobile.

Alaric struggled to rise, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The magic around him felt suffocating, the weight of the Warlocks' power pressing down on him. The room spun as Oryan's voice echoed in his mind.

"You'll cooperate, Alaric. You will lead us to Eldarath, or we will take everything from you. Your friends. Your freedom. Everything."

The cold pressure in Alaric's chest made it difficult to breathe, but his resolve remained unbroken. "I won't help you," he spat, even as the magic around him tightened.

Oryan's eyes burned with cold fury. "Then you will learn what it means to defy the Warlocks' Council."

With a snap of his fingers, the twin women pulled Seraphine to the side, and Oryan stepped closer to Alaric, his expression now one of grim determination. "This will be a lesson you'll never forget."

Alaric's heart pounded in his chest as Oryan raised his hand, and the air around them hummed with dangerous energy. The twin women began chanting in a language Alaric didn't recognize, their voices blending with the dark magic that swirled around the chamber.

Seraphine struggled against her bonds, her eyes locked with Alaric's. "We can't let them win," she said through gritted teeth. "You have to fight back."

But Alaric felt weak—too weak to resist. The magic was too powerful, and he couldn't summon enough strength to fight against it. His thoughts were scattered, his focus blurring as Oryan's magic began to take hold.

"You will tell us everything," Oryan said, his voice icy with power. "The secrets of the city. The location of the vaults. The power that lies within. It all belongs to us now."

Alaric's mind raced, the images of Eldarath flashing before him—its golden spires, its ancient halls filled with lost knowledge. The city was a place of both creation and destruction, its magic too potent for anyone to control. And yet, Oryan and the Warlocks were determined to use it to bring ruin to the world.

"I won't let you destroy it," Alaric said through gritted teeth. He may have been trapped in this chamber, surrounded by the Warlocks, but he still had one weapon left—the truth about Eldarath.

"If you want the city's power," he said, his voice defiant despite the overwhelming magic, "you'll have to find it on your own. I won't help you destroy everything."

Oryan's eyes narrowed dangerously, and for a moment, there was a chilling silence in the room. Then, with a flick of his wrist, the pressure around Alaric's chest released, and he was dropped to the floor.

"Very well," Oryan said coldly, his voice carrying a threat in every word. "But remember this, Alaric—the Warlocks' Council never forgets a betrayal. And we will have the city, with or without your help."

Alaric looked up at the leader of the Warlocks, his heart heavy with the weight of what lay ahead. The battle for Eldarath was far from over. And now, it seemed that the stakes were higher than ever.

Seraphine's eyes met his, and she nodded grimly. They were far from defeated, but the path forward was uncertain. They had only just begun to understand the true power of the Warlocks, and the danger they posed to the world.