“Us? Yes. Her? No way,” Ashley pointed at me while breadcrumbs fell out of her mouth as she spoke.
“There is no need to panic,” Michlael smiled reassuringly. “I am a man of my word, I won’t hurt you simply because you’re not Aetherions… And once Ethalyn passes the final trial, you can all come and go as you please around here.”
“Let them go look for the others while I take on my trial. And if they wish to, you will allow them to return,” I demanded, grabbing his attention.
At first, he looked stern, his eyes empty save for a hint of loathing. But then his lips curved and the eyes softened slightly. “Deal.”
“You want us to look for Lionel and Eve?” Mey asked, as if to confirm.
I nodded slightly. “Just… make sure they’re okay at least. If they don’t want to come back… let’s not force them.”
“Ah, compassion; a great quality to have,” Michlael drawled, his patience wearing thin.
“We’ll go grab our bags, then,” Nate said, patting my shoulder. “Go kick that trial’s ass.”
I gave him a wide, grim smile and I could tell he almost shivered at the sight of it.
“Shall we?” Michlael waved his hand, telling me to go first. My hand rested close to my hip and the holster with my daggers, as I began walking, trying to emit the confident feeling I was lacking at the moment.
While we walked, we spoke about my powers, his interest in fire in particular, and he showed me the rest of the village.
Everything was already chaotic, what with Malakai running off on solo-missions and Lionel and Eve disappearing without a word… Michlael and I walked alone, although I noticed that there were guards around surveilling the area. But none of them were actively walking with us. Michlael seemed relaxed, his hands on his back, looking around as if we were out on a casual stroll.
“Where are we heading?” I asked, mostly because I had no idea where we were going.
“To the main building.”
It was odd, the path we walked made it feel like we took several detours. Maybe he wanted to show off his village, make me feel like I belonged here. But his voice had a sharp tone all of a sudden.
When we closed in on the building, the guards opened the double doors for us, no words needed. I set my eyes on the doors at the other end of the hallway as we walked inside.
Suddenly, a hand gripped me and brought me to a stop. “Here,” Michlael said calmly, pointing to a door on the left. His grip loosened, its only purpose was to guide me to the correct doorway.
I nodded as I reached for the handle and opened the door. A cold breeze, drastically different compared to the more temperate air in the hallway, washed over me. Dark,damp cobblestone walls gave off a very different vibe, not belonging here at all.
It was a staircase, and with close to no lighting, my view was cut off completely.
“Ladies first,” Michlael said, his voice flat.
“What’s down there?” I asked, unease building up inside of me.
“Don’t worry,” he chuckled low. “I’ll be right behind you.”
That wasn’t an answer.
But there was no turning back; I had to continue in order to gain their trust. If I stopped now, everything up to this point would have been in vain.
The staircase spiraled down, descending into the ground. The air grew moist, a mixture between a wet cave and rain in a thick forest. But then the smell reached me, the sharp scent of iron. Could it be?
Blood.
As we reached the bottom of the stairs, the smell grew heavier.
“On your right there are torches along the walls… why don’t you light them up?” Michlael suggested.
I concentrated and flames licked at my fingers, stretching up to my knuckles. It made some difference, but barely.
“I see, perhaps you don’t know how to extend your fires outside of your own body yet,” Michlael said, his voice laced with disappointment.
