Forced into Fantasy

Chapter 10 - Tricked

Adomis;

After a long trek up to the high tower I finally knock at his door and wait for him to greet me. It is the middle of the day and he is usually pottering about up here, reading up on his various collection of ancient scripts or testing new potions and contraptions.

I lift my hand to knock once again and I hear the sound of the door suddenly opening inwards, his head pops out around the corner of it and his eyes meet mine. 

He smiles.

"My lord, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" he enquires, stepping out from behind the door's cover.

The Mage is in his late fifties, has a bald head and several strange tattoos running down the sides of his neck. He wears a long brown robe with a hood attached, though he only ever wears the hood on rare occasions. 

There is a large golden pendant hanging around his neck, in the shape of a diamond with a large circle around it.

"Zarkin, I need a word..." I announce, glancing back down the staircase to see if I had perhaps been followed. I see that I have not and continue with my request, "...In private."

"Of course sire, please..." he pauses as she steps aside and opens the door further to allow me passage, "...come inside."

Once inside I slowly make my way in past all of his strange shelves and desks covered in colourful potions and endless books piled on top of one another. 

He's always been rather messy, but to each their own. He leads me across to where there are several chairs seated by a roaring fireplace and extends an arm as he speaks.

"Please, have a seat. Can I get you anything?"

I lift my hand as I speak, "No, I'm fine thanks..." and then sit down on one of the chairs as he had suggested. 

He does the same, but on the chair opposite me.

"So, what can I do for you?"

"Something happened to me yesterday, something I was rather hoping you would be able to explain in a little more detail for me." I began.

"Of course sire, whatever I can do to assist." he nods his head with a smile.

I take a moment before announcing the next part aloud to him, as if I am uncertain that anyone else should know that it had happened.

"I believe... that I may have... bonded with someone."

Zarkin's eyes widen with surprise.

"Bonded sire? With whom?" he asks.

"A young woman who at the time was a captive from a recent raid performed on her village. I don't know much about her, other than the fact that her name is Ivy."

"I see..."

"And there is something else, something I will need you to keep between us. You must swear to tell no one of this, do you understand?" I warn.

"Of course sire."

"She bears the marking of the creator, Zarkin." I announce.

His reaction is one of shock, disbelief and excitement, all mixed together into one. He appeared to think for a moment in silence before looking up to meet my eyes before he asked his next question cautiously.

"Sire, would you allow me the pleasure of meeting with her?"

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