Oerthe's Crown

The Apprentices

"Honor is a child's tale."

-Erasyl

***

It was dark. Very dark. Pitch black, in fact. Seren was lying down, and her body ached all over. She didn't know where she was, or why she was there, or what was happening. All she perceived was that the bed she lay on was extremely comfortable.

Seren opened her eyes, feeling instant fear at the sight of a roof above her head. The stars were her usual cover. She sat up a tiny bit too quickly, giving herself a small headache, and instantly observed the fine room she was in. The blankets that had covered her moments before had fallen onto the marble floor. She'd never quite experienced a room like this. Placing the maroon blanket back onto the bed, she stood, her bare feet cold on stone. To her right, a mirror was adorned with a golden frame. A wooden counter stood beneath it, and a wardrobe to it's left.

Her reflection mirrored her movements as she walked closer, peering at herself. Seren had only ever seen a few reflections of herself, most from dirty window she walked by. If she twirled fast enough, she could see her reflection in small flashes. There was no need for her skill now.

Oh, she was a mess. Hair tangled like frayed threads, dirt laying as a mask, clothes in tatters. She was a copper coin in a pile of gold. The girl laughed, delighted with the insanity of it all. Here she was, entertaining her own vanity, when she had just been kidnapped.

Fool, she thought to herself. Now she was starting to worry, a tight sense that made her feel as if an hourglass decided her fate.

Looking away from the looking glass, Seren walked instead towards the door. It was located sideways to her bed and opened an entirely different place. The hallway was dark, illuminated only by the few torches that hung on the wall. A word popped into her mind. Fortress.

"Seren."

She certainly had not spoken out loud. She certainly had not changed into a man. Seren turned to the sight of a crimson covered figure. In one fell swoop, her memories floated back to her.

The man took his hood off, "Come with me."

His gray eyes pierced hers. They glowed with the brilliance of the moon, revealing a weathered face as wrinkled as a dried peach. It was only for a second, that he looked at her, but it was enough for her to want to know more. More about everything. The man turned and walked away.

"Wait," she said, her heart pounding. "Why am I here?"

Where was here? She thought to herself.

He did not respond, continuing down the hall. The long scarlet cloak trailed on the ground.

Frustration built. "How did you know my name?" Her voice was raised now. Loud and demanding, as it had been when she was an impatient child. "Where are we?"

She walked forward and grabbed his arm.

It was the first mistake of many.

Searing, fiery bursts assaulted her mind. The pain came like a sudden squall at sea, spreading through her body. Seren fell to her knees, clutching her skull, screaming. The man didn't flinch, knowing full well the extent of his powers, and thinking about how he would have to train her to resist torture. All at once, the pain was gone, as if it had never appeared.

"Get up." Harsh, demanding, critical.

She couldn't, not with the pounding of drums in her head, not with her body frozen with fear.

"Get. Up." He reached down and forced her to meet his eyes.

Her will was lost to his magic. She rose, knees shaking. She could not speak, she could not turn, she fought for every breath. And with grudging admiration, Erasyl saw that the girl kept her tears.