Chapter Seventeen

Ambrose Severen appeared in the widest, biggest cavern yet since he had been taken beneath the island he had appeared on just a short time ago. He was on the shores of a great, massive lake with dark green waters that lapped gently at the shoreline. In the middle of the lake was a small island, but that wasn’t what was noticeable about it.

Ambrose allowed his gaze to start at the bottom of the great tree that spread outward from that island. It was as if someone had taken all of the multicolored light in the world and wove it into the trunk of the great tree. It shimmered and shifted, reflecting different images of far away places that Ambrose had no name for. The leaves were like delicate gemstones, each leaf swayed on winds that he could not feel, whispering forbidden knowledge into the world in a language he did not know.

There was a presence to the tree, which was so massive, so incomprehensibly large, it beggars the imagination. It goes on forever.Ambrose thought, looking for some end to the tree’s height and seeing none. Ambrose walked the shore line which went around in a massive, perfect circle, and then he stopped.

The waters were moving, shifting and swirling upward as if a hurricane were forming. Ambrose cocked his head and took out his axe from the bag of holding, gripping it tight as the waters folded and twisted…into the form of a woman.

Ambrose had once taken his wife fishing at a local lake. They had watched the dawn come over the lake, and the waters had reflected the pinks, and purples and light grey of the clouds above as the sun’s dawning light shone through those very clouds.

The woman’s hair appeared to be woven from the very same colors of that day. It fell in silken ripples down her back. Her lovely face was as smooth and as perfect as a river stone, her skin as luminous as a full moon on a dark and cold night. She wore a simple dress of light grey, which rippled and moved like a storm cloud. Her violet eyes shone like amethysts in the light. She wasn’t tall, nor was she short.

She was also walking on the water towards Ambrose as if the surface were made of hardwood. She smirked as he gawked at her. It wasn’t so much that she was beautiful, as it was that he had never seen a woman quite like her. The only other time he had been stricken by a woman’s appearance was when he had met his wife. My heart isn’t beating as fast as when I first laid eyes on Alice. He was calm, in fact, merely appreciating a sight that he was sure not many saw. The lady, who was barefoot, stepped onto the lake shore, standing before him.

When she spoke, her voice was as light as summer rain.

“Hello, warrior. You have been quite busy in my realm of late.”

Ambrose stepped back, causing her to arch a brow and twitch her mouth.

“Your realm? You mean this cursed place is yours?”

The lady strode around him, admiring him as one might admire a new car.

“Indeed. It wasn’t so cursed, once. I wasn’t so cursed once.”

Ambrose gripped his axe tighter, knuckles whitening,

“You’re an enemy then. You’ve been sending those knights.”

The lady giggled,

“That is so. It is the only way I can…remain myself.”

“What do you mean by that?” Ambrose asked, keeping her in his sight.

The lady stopped, cocking her head and putting a finger to her lips.

“Mmm. How to explain it? Sometimes I am and sometimes I am not. Does that help you understand?”

Ambrose shook his head,

“That’s nonsense.”

Another giggle.

“To your limited understanding, yes. Tell me, have you ever not been yourself, warrior man? Acting not of your will, but in accordance with anothers?”

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“Not really, but I think I’m now starting to get the picture. You’re saying sometimes you’re being controlled.”

The lady smiled,

“That is it exactly. The curse on this place, it changes me, makes me…violent shall we say. I need mana to retain my senses, lots of it.”

Ambrose rubbed the bridge of his nose, understanding flaring up.

“The people. You drain them. That’s what the dagger is for.”

The lady nodded,

“And the crystals you saw on the first level. Mana crystals.”

The lady gestures around them,

“Once upon a time, this place was abundant with mana. The tree produced all that the island needed.”

“Okay…so what happened.”

The lady flicked a hand,

“I cannot tell you.”

Ambrose firmed his mouth into a line.

“Why not? The System being restrictive again? How could knowing what happened possibly influence things too much?”

The lady laughed,

“It is not the System imposing that restriction, it is someone else who imposed it long ago. There is a way to impart that knowledge to you, of course. Do you wish to know it?”

Do I want to know it? Ambrose could walk away. He didn't have to go down this path. Misaq had honored his part of the deal by giving him the opportunity for power, but he didn't have to take it.

Even so, he needed to lift the curse and this seemed to be the way to do it.

He nodded at the lady. She smiled, violet eyes shining.

“It would mean becoming my Knight. The process is not a pleasant one.”

Ambrose put his axe away. He didn't trust the lady but she wasn't attacking him.

“Do you have a name or something? Calling you ‘lady’ in my head is getting old.”

She cocked her head at him, pursing her lips.

“Have you not analyzed me?”

“Used insight? No, I haven't. Didn't think about it.”

She laughed,

“Didn't think about it, indeed. You may call me… Vivienne.”

Ambrose gave her a nod.

“I already agreed to be this Knight. I need to lift the curse on this place.”

She stared at him, eyes swirling with thought.

“Is that the only reason, warrior? Merely to lift the curse? You do not understand the bonding process, the pain you will endure has shattered many a mind. You're not even D-Grade yet.”

Ambrose crossed his arms.

“That's the reason I'm giving you. D-Grade doesn't seem so great. I beat a D-Grade monster. One you sent after me, in fact.”

Vivienne giggled, wiggling her head.

“That? That was no true D-Grade. You will understand given time. What my… not self did was wrong. For what it is worth, I am sorry. Lifting the curse on this place will require you to become the Knight. Becoming the Knight is no easy process. I say this again so you understand. If you still wish to proceed, I will explain what you will have to do.”

Ambrose was eager to get on with it. No pain can compare to losing my princess. He thought, Alice’s face was a ghost in his mind.

“I want to proceed. What do I need to do?”

Vivienne turned to the tree and pointed at the lowest branch, which was still a good ways up.

“I will tie a rope to that tree into a noose, and you, warrior, will hang from it.”

Her eyes glittered like violet orbs in the pale moonlight.

Ambrose laughed,

“Oh, is that all I have to do?”

Vivienne shook her head, lips curling upward.

“No, it is not. You will understand once the process begins. One last time, warrior. Do you wish to do ths?”

Ambrose sighed, tired of answering yes over and over again.

“Let's get on with this.”

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Vivienne took his arm and led him over the water. Don't fall in, don't fall in. Ambrose repeated within his mind. She seemed to sense his thoughts because she giggled.

“Worry not, warrior. You shall not pass through the waters while I am here with you.”

Not a very long time later they were beneath the tree Vivienne reached up and a strand of her hair was plucked from her head with invisible force.

It curled around her hand, growing thicker and thicker as it did so until she was holding a very long rope seemingly woven from all the colors of her hair.

She brought the ropes to her lips, whispered to it as if caressing a lovers ear and the rope rose upward, wrapping around the branch, the end of it tying itself into a firm, thick noose.

Ambrose bent his head but Vivienne held up a hand.

“First I must return this to you.”

She produced Noelle, the white and black striped cloak humming in happiness and satisfaction. Ambrose ran his hands over the cloak, throat tightening. He swallowed.

Vivienne smiled.

“The worst thing my not self did was take that cloak from you. This is your last chance, Ambrose. Turn away. You have every reason to distrust me.”

Ambrose put Noelle on, clasping the cloak around his shoulders. It was true that he did have every reason to distrust her.

She had tried to kill him, after all. Drain him like a battery. Yet everything she was saying seemed to have the ring of truth to it.

You'll know the truth when you hear it, boy. It has a certain sound to it, if you know how to listen. Raylen had said to him ages ago. Ambrose had dealt with many liars, many deceivers.

Misaq for example had ulterior motives, of that he was certain. Vivienne felt genuine in a way that the devil was not. There was also the fact that Ambrose didn't have a whole lot of choice if he wanted to lift the curse. It was either this or attempting to kill Vivienne in the hopes something would happen.

If I even could kill her. Ambrose considered. She was clearly powerful, and with knowledge he didn't have. Any confrontation with her had the potential to be very short and ending with Ambrose being very dead.

He bent his head and Vivienne gave him a sad, tiny smile as she put the noose over his head.

It jerked tight around his throat, pulling him upward as if a giant were yanking him to his castle in the sky.

Ambrose’s world became white.