Soulburned: The School of Souls
Chapter 17 (Part 1 ): Tribulations
Adler was woken by the changing of the guard.
"Turney, call it a night. Thale and I will finish your shift."
Magnus had returned.
Fear.
"Sure about that, boss?" Adler's current guardian asked, "Thale's a little... green, yeah?"
"That's why I'm here, Turney, go get a drink. Unwind, I've got it from here."
The icy burns from the last round of questioning still lingered on Adler's skin, despite Sylane's persistent healings.
They had gotten nothing from him. Not a kernel of truth at least. He fed them some lines, nothing too obscene, he wanted them to trust him again, to let thier guard down enough to let him wander the tower.
If nothing else, he needed to get out of this room. He needed to get away from that man.
"Sorceror," Magnus said through the barred door. "Have you decided to answer our questions?"
"It-It has a Logos Mark." The new arrival said.
Surprise.
This one was young. He had to be only a few years older than Adler.
"My name is Adler," he said to the newcomer. "I am not an it."
The young man just stared at Adler, his mount agape and twisted into a disgusted grimace.
"Why does he have a Logos Mark!?" He demanded of Magnus.
He. Good. This one can learn.
"Relax, Thale. The Archmage placed that Brand on him himself."
Thale.
"I almost drowned in the Logos fountain..." Adler said, "The Archmage marked me to save my life."
"Talkative tonight are we?" Magnus said, "Tell me, rat. Who have you been passing messages to."
"Would you trust anything I said without Marelda, Magnus? Maybe it was the Archmage himself."
"Perhaps I'll go wake her."
Alder waved a hand.
"Go then. I'll be here when you get back. But you already got the answer. I have passed no messages out of the tower. Marelda coined it true, yet still, you beat me."
Magnus grumbled but made no sign of moving.
"Have you come to beat me again?" Alder asked.
More silence.
"Thale, is it?" Adler asked, " I have a question... how does one so young as us, manage to acquire a Shrive Blade?"
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Adler made the age comparison on purpose. If he could humanize himself with the boy, perhaps there could be an opening. Adler needed more allies.
"You know damn well how the Blades are-"
"Herclis," Thale said.
Guilt.
The emotion, as always, was swiftly and mercifully consumed by the fire of his Thymos.
"He was my favorite." Adler said, "I would miss him, I think..."
"Quiet, snake." Magnus spat.
Adler complied.
A long quiet settled over the chamber.
Adler tried to return to sleep but found the temporary escape elusive. The pain caused by his Logos Mark was starting to become a problem and seemed to be increasing by the hour.
"Magnus," Alder said, eventually breaking the silence.
The Guardian didn't speak, but Adler could see him looking through the door.
"I think it's killing me. The Mark."
"Good." the man grunted.
"It feels worse than your flames."
"Good." the man snarled.
"The shield will not survive me."
Silence.
"Void!" Magnus cursed. "Thale, wake up."
"I'm awake."
"I need... Void... Where are you at Eros-wise?"
"Seventy percent."
"Good. I need you to watch the prisoner."
"What?"
"I need to get the Archmage. You don't have clearance. We can't leave him alone."
"So you're going to leave me with him?"
"If he so much as moves. Use the sword. Shriving Arcs, just like this morning. I'll be right back."
Magnus left, leaving a stunned Thale alone.
Silence.
Adler's forehead continued to sear, he began to sweat.
"Do you have any water?" Adler asked.
Silence.
"Were you the one that killed the Soul-Eater? Sylane mentioned you."
Surprise.
Alder flinched.
"You know Sylane?" Thale asked.
"She patches me up once Magnus leaves. Passes secret messages out of the tower."
Why did I say that?
Confusion. Disbelief.
Confusion, this time Adler's.
"You are a snake," Thale said.
Somthing was wrong. Adler's vision began to swim. Those bursts of emotion hadn't been his own.
"You don't believe me," Adler said.
"Magnus is a good person," Thale said.
Doubt.
Alder grimaced in pain and pressed his hand to his forehead.
"Not as good as Sylane."
Confusion. Jealously.
Surprise.
"Agh!" Adler screamed. He reflexively pressed his hands to his temples, trying to keep his head from exploding.
Fear. Confusion.
Adler could no longer tell who the signals were coming from.
"Get the Void-damned, Archmage!" Adler growled.
"He's here." Magnus snapped.
Relief.
"Open the door." Said the Archmage.
"Prisoner." Magnus said, "Against the wall."
"For Void's sake, Magnus, open the damn door!"
The door swung open.
Adler was barely hanging on to consciousness but felt the Archmage's Logos quickly probe around his Mark.
The Archmage recoiled, as if burned.
"We need to get him into the catacombs. He needs to be Trialed, or else he won't survive the night."
"Thale, grab his legs." Magnus barked, "We're moving."