The Chronicles of a Scalebound Sage: Wandmaker Vol.2

WM [37] The Stronger Path

The room was quiet, save for the constant sniffling sobs of the young woman sitting on the floor with her back against the wall. Nightfall was creeping in, the last remnants of daylight fading into the encroaching shadows. Though a window and a door offered the illusion of freedom, she knew there was no real escape. Her prison had changed its form—from the dank, oppressive cellar where she had been bound to a pillar, to this slightly more comfortable room—but the chains still held her just as tightly.

As the final rays of the sun disappeared, plunging the room into near total darkness, Adelheid's hand instinctively moved to the black chain around her neck. It wasn't really a chain anymore, but a delicate-looking necklace, a disguise crafted by the demon who so easily defeated her. The construct looked like metal but didn't feel like it. Instead it felt like some deep cold that was a constant reminder of her subjugation, its once menacing form now deceptively beautiful, but no less binding.

Her thoughts went back to the moment her father had come to the cellar, she thought they had won, that they had come to rescue her and Falko. But that hope had been cruelly snuffed out. He didn't return as a victor, he had lost. He was beaten and only saved from death at the cost of his pride. The Golden Striders had been soundly defeated, many of their best hunters slain during the hunt for the hydra. The names of the fallen, friends and mentors she would never see again, haunted her like specters.

Worse still, she was left behind here with nothing her father could do. She would have to endure whatever tortures her captors devised for her. She was no stranger to pain, but this was different. The thought of the tortures they might inflict upon her churned her stomach, filling her with dread.

The sound of approaching footsteps snapped her out of her thoughts, and she flinched involuntarily. She had come to recognize the distinct cadence of each of her captors—the tiger demon's heavy, deliberate steps, the wendigo girl's light, almost ethereal tread no doubt due to noble training, and the soft, rhythmic tapping of the hydra pup's claws on the wooden floor. They were coming for her, and she knew that whatever they had planned, it was about to begin.

Adelheid took a deep, shaky breath, forcing herself to stand despite the terror constricting her chest. She was a warrior, after all, not some frightened child. Wiping the tears from her face with trembling hands, she straightened her back, summoning what little courage she had left.

"I think I should be ready by then. Two days seems good." Tanisha said.

"We can set up in the Jackrabbits' camp tomorrow." Joha responded. "I had no idea how large their claim on the land was. It should be classified as a village of its own at this point. But first let's get your new sparring partner."

The door creaked open, flooding the dark room with light from the hallway. Adelheid tensed, her heart pounding in her chest as the tiger demon was the first to step inside. His presence filled the room, towering horned tiger demon against the sudden brightness of the hallway. He reached out and touched one of the two light crystals beside the door, causing it to flare to life. The sharp, crystalline light revealed the details of the room that had been hidden in darkness. Joha's gaze fell on Adelheid, who stood pressed against the wall, her posture rigid, trying to conceal her fear. His eyes swept over her, then shifted to the room itself, noting its virtually untouched state. She hadn't even sat on the bed not wanting any of their fake kindness.

Following closely behind him, Tanisha entered, carrying a tray of food. She moved with a casual ease, setting the tray down on the small nightstand without a word. Bjorn was sitting outside the door, and he didn't walk in to not crowd the room. There was a brief moment of silence before Tanisha looked at Adelheid, her tone matter-of-fact as she broke the tension.