I killed a man. I remember that now. He was my first but he most wouldn't be my last. I remember my footsteps echoing loudly through the stone halls of Castle Sol, alerting any guards nearby to my presence.  My open wounds periodically flared with pain as I ran, slowing my already snail-like pace. I pleaded with the relic to aid my flight only to be met with cold silence. As I turned the corner into the servant's quarter, my vision blurred, and my head screamed in pain as I fell to the ground having slammed face-first into a wall. Only, with my vision clearing, I saw not a wall, but an armored guardsman holding a spear pointed toward my chest. 

“I’ve located the prisoner”, he shouted into the empty hall, his voice causing my headache to flare up once more. As he brought his spear up, I reached out my arm, palm facing out to block a strike should one come, but it never did. A myriad of sensations enveloped me. Rage and sorrow filled my mind, and a chill spread from my sternum throughout my body as the shadows filling the hall expanded and a single dark spike flew past my head into the guard’s chest. 

I just killed a man…, That was the only thought filling my head ass blood spilled onto my already filthy shirt. I slowly got to my feet, struggling to keep my shaky legs upright. Supported by the wall I made my way toward the tower further down the quarter where I knew the Solisian Arch-Mage would be. I could hear the footsteps of more guards marching behind me as I barreled through the door, slamming it shut behind me.

“I thought I told you assholes, I am not to be distu– Your Highness!? Hells, what has he done to you!?” a gravely voice cut through the sounds of me gasping for air. Before me stood an elderly man of shorter stature, wearing Maroon robes, trimmed with gold, the Crest of Solas placed on his chest. This man was the Archmage of Solas, Advisor to the late King Virun Renir, Aidran Luthelis. 

“Don’t worry,” The words escaped my mouth with a chuckle, each one causing my lungs to burn “Just a brotherly fight.” I tried to keep my words light but the old man saw right through me, his eyes scanning my hunched frame, lingering once on each of my still-open wounds.

“Honestly, the fact that you still have the never to joke around in a situation like this. Go on, have a seat, they shouldn't be able to find you here so we have some time before I must send you off. Give me a moment to grab my satchel.”

“Thanks. You wouldn’t happen to have a glass of water lying around here, would you? I haven’t had anything to drink for the last couple of days.” 

As soon as the words left my mouth I remember feeling an overwhelming thirst rush to the forefront of my mind, the wall I had built up to keep it away during my days in captivity, crumbling like a sandcastle before a charging Thunder Horn. The old man had waved his staff and the pitcher by the far wall began to move on its own, pouring water into a cup that then flew across the room into my hands. I thanked the old man once more as he limped away from me into one of the side rooms, his staff supporting him. I gazed around the room in his absence, seeing walls covered by large depictions of spell circles and their parts, tables and shelves carrying various material components, by the leftmost wall I could see the skull of a young dragon, the surface marred by intricate patterns and varying symbols. I approached the skull, my hand stretched out to trace the grooves but before I could lay my hands upon it, a voice rang out.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“I wouldn’t touch that if I were you.” The old man spoke from across the room, satchel in hand staring at me apprehensively.

“And why is that? Will it explode or something?” I asked, stepping away from the skull, suddenly fearful about what I had been about to do.

“No no, nothing as dangerous as that. It’s simply got an anti-theft spell placed on it and in your current state there's a high likelihood that the pain would kill you.” Time slipped by as the old man patched my wounds with a set of artifacts, none of which I had any idea how to use, before standing up and walking back toward the room he had just come from, this time beckoning me to follow. This room was round, the walls were barren, and the whole space was bathed in an orange light emanating from the spell circle carved into the ground.

“Ok then, let us begin.” The old man shoved the pack he was holding into my arms, pushing me into the circle's center.

“Alright just stand there, Inside your pack should be enough supplies and gold to last you a month, from there you're gonna have to figure it out on your own. Remember to keep a low profile, just because you’ve escaped this time doesn’t mean your brother won’t still be searching for you.” the man looked at me with sorrow in his eyes and for the first time since being taken into those dungeons I felt sad, I thought I had closed myself off from my emotions but with the pain of the few days finally gone I let my self relax, until I heard a knock on the door.

“Archmage Luthelis, could you please bring my brother out here, I’d like to speak to him.” My brother spoke from outside the room.

“Shit,” the old man exclaimed “They know you’re here” and he snapped his hand outward toward the door, wordlessly the mage projected a spell over the door keeping it shut as the men behind it began attempting to break it down. Without another word, the mage began chanting his spell, his voice drowning out the shouts coming from the other side of the door. The heat of the room intensified and the circle pulsed. His Aetheric words spilled over me, their meaning eluded me but their power was evident, and just as he reached the climax of his chant, the door to the study was blown apart in a wave of flames, and yet the mage chanted still. and with an audible Twang a crossbow bolt was fired through the mage's throat, cutting off his chant. Instantly the room went cold, the power of the old man’s spell exploded outward and the last thing I saw before darkness filled my vision, was Ailas Renir, my brother standing there, a maniacal grin plastered on his face, then nothing.

~ ~ ~ ~

I killed a man… that was the only thing I could remember. Pain was my only companion as I floated aimlessly through the emptiness. I spent an eternity drifting in the void, wracking my brain to remember where I am, and how I got here. I spent another eternity like this until I came across… something, a distortion, a fault in the empty void. I pushed myself against the fault, for the first time since entering this void I felt grounded, like I was atop a solid surface. It was like a wall, something solid, something to keep the endless abyss at bay. I slammed my fists against the wall, trying my hardest to break through to no avail. But Just as I had begun to give up hope I heard a voice.

“Fine, I’ll Help you out” the voice echoed in my head, cold and strange, yet familiar. For the third time in my life, I felt the chilling sensation flood out from my chest, and I felt my body lurch through the fault with the sound of glass shattering and my mind drifted into unconsciousness.