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Rated: 13+ · Book · Dark · #1988186
The first draft of my dark fantasy novel.
Author's disclaimer: This is a first draft. I have begun the revision process but this is the first version of the story. There will be spelling, tense, grammatical errors -- and that's OK. They will be fixed later. I'm posting this draft up so that it can be compared to the revision notes and to help other writers get a visual reference for the revision process.



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Chapter One



         The Glass Plains shimmered with a thin layer of frost. Early morning dew had turned the jagged crystals to ice. Malisyn leaned against a large purple shard and was careful not to cut herself. She stood very still and watched as her breath froze in the air. She closed her mouth and tried to breathe from her nose.

         “I'm going to find you!” A young boy's voice echoed off the columns of glass. She knew he was getting closer. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She was afraid he could hear her. She waited, then dashed across the icy ground. Each scrambled footstep resounded like a hammer.

         Deadly shards bent towards her in all directions. One slip on the frozen ground and she'd impale herself. She slowed her footsteps and looked for a better hiding place. She whipped her head around frantically. Just off the cleared path, she saw a dark spot. She ran for it.

         She felt her foot slip and turned her fall to a leap. She dove for the shadows of the glass shard and was fortunate her back hit the crystal first. Her heavy cloak absorbed most of the impact, though she knew the fabric had snagged. She heard it rip just as she slammed on to the ground.

         The ground was soft. Too soft. And wet. She pushed herself up and caught her breath. She heard footsteps outside of the small cave. She bit her lower lip to keep from giving herself away. She tried to sit up and her hand brushed against something was not glass.

         Malisyn realized she wasn't alone. There were no animals that lived here. Nothing could survive on the Glass Plains. No plants grew here, and the only fresh water was miles away. She slowly pulled her hand back. Her fingertips felt damp and cold. Sunlight filtered through the crystal and lit the cave with a dancing purple glow. She squinted in the low light and screamed.

         Her voice echoed loudly in the small cave. She closed her eyes against the sight and shuffled backwards blindly. She stopped screaming when she backed up and hit something. She looked up to see a familiar face staring down at her. His pale blue eyes were wide.

         “What happened?”

         The color drained from her face. She struggled to stand and the boy held out his hand. He was half her size and his strength would do very little but she took it anyways. He grunted with the effort and Malisyn stood to face him. She glanced back over  her shoulder, then turned towards him. She put both hands heavily on his shoulders.

         “I need you to stay here. Right here. I'll explain when I get back. Can you do that for me?” The boy nodded.

         Malisyn turned to walk back towards the cave. She reached down to her belt and opened a leather satchel. She pulled out chipped stone and struck it against the smooth stone surface. The light-stone began to glow and felt warm in her clenched fist. She closed her eyes, preparing for the worst, and re-entered the cave.

         She opened her eyes to look upon the body of a child. She guessed she was close to ten summers old. She was laying on her back, limbs stiff from death. She hated that it reminded her of a dead spider. She looked cold. Her eyes were open and she stared blindly into the sunlight. Malisyn shivered beneath her cloak.

         She moved to bring the light-stone closer to her body. The girl's clothes were well-made and relatively clean, compared to her own. They were not ripped or cut; she hadn't been running to escape through the Glass Plains or she would have been covered in lacerations. She didn't recognize the girl by name but knew she was from the Tor'vic orphanage, like herself.

         Light glinted from a necklace that hung around her neck. All children in the orphanage had a necklace to help identify them. It would tell her what she needed to know; but it would mean touching the girl's dead skin to reach it. She swallowed hard.

         “Allyn?” She heard shuffling outside.

         “I'm here. I'm not moving unless you tell me to, sis.” She allowed herself a twitched smile. She reached towards the girl's chest.

         “Just checking. I'll be out in just a minute.” She tugged on the leather necklace as hard as she could while talking. It allowed her to ignore what she was about to do.

         The necklace was cold in her hand. Malisyn withdrew as quickly as she could and held the metal against her chest. She looked back at the child. So young. The child's blonde curls were matted with mud.

         She must have gotten dirty before she came out here. I wish I knew what happened. The Matron never mentioned a missing girl. She took a sharp breath through her teeth. She wasn't done yet.

         Malisyn shoved the necklace in her leather satchel. She reached out and patted the girl's sides, moving along carefully to check and see if she missed anything. She touched the fabric as softly as she could. She didn't want to find anything, but knew if she could take something back to the Matron, it would be helpful. The child's pockets were empty.

         As Malisyn pulled away, she noticed what she had touched earlier. Her fingertips were still sticky. Blood had turned to ice around the child's back. She was laying in a large puddle of frozen liquid. The Glass Plains would absorb it over time but it had pooled around where the girl had fallen. Malisyn's fingers had touched the surface and made small indents in the frozen pool.

         Malisyn backed up so her knees didn't touch the blood. She held the light-stone over the girl's stomach. She didn't see any obvious wounds. No bite marks, no slashes. Just a few rips from the crystal shards, but nothing that should have caused the girl to bleed to death.

         Maybe she was out here playing, just like us... Malisyn doubted it. Few children in the Tor'vic Orphanage snuck out to the Glass Plains. Few children could face the wrath of the Matron if they were caught. Malisyn happened to be good at sneaking out and in.

         The girl's eyes stared lifelessly at the ceiling of the small cave. Malisyn reached out towards the girl's face. She tried to lower her hand, to close the girl's eyelids. Her hand started to shake and she pulled her hand away. She had watched the Matron do it, at the last burial. She couldn't bring herself to touch the girls' face.

         Malisyn stood carefully, trying not to hit her head on the low ceiling of the small cave. She unclasped her heavy cloak and lays it over the body of the girl. The cloak covered the child's body completely. She retreated from the cave and immediately regretted she didn't bring a back-up cloak. The morning wind cut right through her blouse.

         “What happened to your cloak?”

         Malisyn rubbed her shoulders and stopped when she realized she was making her brother worry. She smiled past the cold.

         “Someone needed it more than I do. Come on, we need to head home. I need to talk to the Matron.” Allyn looked past her towards the cave but didn't ask any more questions. His light brown eyebrows furrowed.

         “But–I found you. That means I won! Of course we can go home now.  I get to lead!” He kicked at a broken piece of glass and picked up his pace, trailing aimlessly in front of his sister.

         Malisyn turned to look back over her shoulder at the cave. Her hand drifted to the small kitchen knife at her belt. The Matron would never allow her an actual knife; she had stolen it from the dinner table last night. Now, she gripped the carved bone handle, hoping she wouldn't have to use it.

         Chilled wind tore across the Glass Plains. As it slammed relentlessly against the shards, it picked up a hollow whistling sound. The rest of the world was silent; only the sounds of their careful steps kept them company. Allyn had soon lost his interest in taking lead when he discovered he'd take the brunt of the wind.

         He was pressed against Malisyn's side and tried in vain to throw his short cloak over her back. He was losing to the wind. She smiled and held pulled him close. They kept their heads down and pushed past the cold. Malisyn's dark brown hair whipped at her face. She tried to tuck it in to her cloak – then remembered it was gone.

         The glass was not the only reason the children were not allowed to wander on to the Glass Plains. Malisyn hadn't expected the morning to be so cold. She clenched her teeth and moved forward. She tried to picture the little girl in the small cave. They couldn't slow down, someone had to know. She had to be brought back and given a proper funeral.

         “--it's so cold. What's that?” Allyn's shivering voice broke through the wind and her thoughts. She looked up from studying the smooth glass path before her. The sunlight reflected against the path before them.  She saw something move in the distance. The light made her eyes tear up.

         The figure was moving towards them. It was using the sunlight to it's advantage. Her stomach turned to ice. The little girl's face was fresh in her memory. She wanted to move, to get off the path. Fear made her limbs root to the ground. Distantly, she felt Allyn tugging at her sleeve.

         “We have to hide. Come on, we'll be in trouble if we're caught.” His voice was now an urgent plea.

         Malisyn couldn't move.

         Allyn pulled as hard as he could and managed to budge Malisyn from her stasis. She remembered to breathe. Whatever had happened to the little girl, she couldn't allow it to happen to them. She jerked her head around to stare at her brother. He didn't know, he hadn't seen – he didn't understand why she was so afraid.

         I have to protect him. Her thoughts flowed like mud. She blinked away the sunlight and forced her legs to move. She'd never protect him like this. Together, they moved quickly off the glass path, searching for a place to hide.

         Malisyn pushed Allyn down against the smooth glass and put her arm over his back. She tried to keep his head facing down. The glass was ice against her chest. Her teeth started to chatter and she put her free hand over her mouth. Her chin banged painfully against the glass.

         Allyn remained quiet but shifted on the ground. Malisyn turned silence him – but saw he was just reaching in his pocket. He pulled out a small wooden figure of a horse and clutched it. His knuckles were white.

         Crunching boots and shifting leather broke the silence. A tall man marched down the path and stopped. Warm sunlight reflected off a sheathed dagger at his belt. A dark red cloak hung at his shoulders and whipped behind him in the wind.

         He turned on his heel and made a dramatic bow in the direction of the children. As he lifted his head, he looked directly at Malisyn. His gaze was the color of the Shard Sea after a storm. Turbulent, shifting. Blue and dark gray. She felt him look straight through her.

         He gave the slightest of smiles.

         “Now, as much as I'm impressed by your ability to slip past Matron Hawk,” The man knelt as he spoke. “I'm afraid I have to ask you to step out on to the path. You know it's too dangerous to be out here without an escort.”

         Allyn squirmed and Malisyn tightened her grip. She turned to look up at the man. He arched a pale eyebrow and stood slowly.

         “I might not have seen you, if you hadn't hesitated.” Malisyn tried not to flinch. She felt her face turn red.

         “Come up here, and tell me what's going on.”

         Malisyn shook her head.

         “Not until you tell me who you are.” Her free hand moved slowly towards her belt.

         “Malisyn--” Allyn's voice was a hiss. “Look at him, he's a Bloo--”

         The man crossed his arms over his broad chest and interrupted.

         “A fair question. Will you come out if I answer you?” Allyn nodded enthusiastically. Malisyn ignored her brother's excitement and nodded, slower.

         The man let one arm drop to his side and held one up with his wrist facing the sky. His skin was bare from shoulder to elbow; his forearms were covered in ornate leather bracers. Calloused fingers untied the straps on his bracer and he set it down on the ground. His forearm was covered in ugly scars. He reached for the dagger at his belt.

         Malisyn tensed. Allyn watched, transfixed.

         The man drew the blade across his skin in quick precise cuts. Blood welled to the surface and dripped down his arm.

         The world seemed to grind to a halt. Droplets of blood fell at an agonizing speed from his skin. With tedious care, he wiped the blade across his cloak to clean it, then sheathed it. He broke eye contact with the children only to sheath his dagger. His forearm was now covered in blood. His upraised palm tightened to a fist.

          Malisyn watched as the livid wounds closed. A roaring sound filled the air as fire ignited around the man's arm. Heat-less flames licked around his shoulders and tumbled to the ground. Allyn gasped and Malisyn stopped herself from leaping towards the man. No smoke, no smell of burning flesh. The flames and sound winked out as quickly as they had appeared.

         Only a small fire remained on the ground in front of the man. Malisyn cocked her head to the side. The fire was in an odd shape. Did he really just..?

         The small fire spelled out the man's name. After she read it, the flames disappeared completely. The man did not miss her gaze. His mouth curved to a grin.

         “Nox'tellan is the traditional spelling, but it's easier to spell Nox. Less blood, you see. Captain Nox, of the Blood Mage Citadel. I believe it is your turn.”

         Allyn stood up without waiting for his sister's lead. He muttered as he climbed past her.

         “I told you he was a Blood Mage.”

         Nox reached down and picked up his bracer. He began re-lacing the leather as he watched Allyn climb the slope. Malisyn sighed and followed after. The two children approached the Captain. Allyn had a bounce in his steps that made Malisyn smile.

         She reached out a hand and rested it on his shoulder. She kept Allyn an arms length away. Captain or not, he was still a stranger.

         “Malisyn, of the Tor'vic Orphanage. This is my younger brother, Allyn.”

         “Your given name?”

         “Ry'one, sir. Captain.” Malisyn stumbled over her words. Not just a Blood Mage, a Captain! Nox smiled. Malisyn's mouth went dry. He can't hear me--

         “Ry'one? I know that name.” Nox reached to his belt, opposite his dagger. He opened a dark leather satchel and pulled out a bound book. He flipped back towards the beginning.

         “Nine summers ago, abandoned. Eleven children in total. Six were of San'daran blood.” The Captain looked to Allyn and studied him. “Allyn would have been no more than a babe.” Malisyn nodded. Allyn stood up straighter.

           “The Matron gave you all the name Ry'one. How many are left?” Captain Nox closed his book and returned it to his satchel. Allyn spoke first.

         “Just us, Captain. The rest were adopted or..” His low voice trailed off. His eyes opened wider. “I was little, but that was so long ago. I'm ready to be a Guardian now! I want to protect Malisyn! She's going to be a Blood Mage, just like you!”

         The Captain laughed. He reached out and ruffled Allyn's hair.

         “You've got enthusiasm, that's more than most of us have left. Now, that's just the records. I know you because the Matron knows you. Seems you're both very good at sneaking out.”

         Malisyn stepped forward, just inches away from the Captain. She stood on her toes and tried to whisper. Nox leaned down to hear.

         “Excuse me, Captain. Something awful has happened.” Malisyn stepped back. Nox looked from Malisyn, then to Allyn. He nodded slightly.

         “Allyn, I'll give you your first lesson on being a Guardian.” The Captain turned back towards the clear path and pointed.

         “I need water to clean my dagger. Could you take my waterskin and collect some, just down the path? I saw a small pool while I was--” Allyn snatched the water skin Nox held out and ran off before the Captain could finish.

         Malisyn watched as Allyn scrambled down the path. She turned back to Nox.

         “There was.. a girl. We were playing hide and seek. She was frozen. Dead. In a pool of..” Malisyn swallowed.

         “I'm listening.”

         “A pool of her own blood, Captain. She died out here, but I didn't see any kind of wounds. It didn't make sense. I found this.” She reached to her satchel and pulled out the dull necklace. The Captain held it in his hands and studied it.

         “We were on our way to take it to the Matron but, when we saw you, I thought..” She couldn't finish.

         Nox placed the necklace carefully in his satchel.

         “Malisyn! Captain Nox! Help!” Allyn's screams echoed across the Glass Plains.

         Nox turned towards the sound of Allyn's frantic voice. He looked at Malisyn and started to run. Malisyn tore after him.

         “Stay behind me,” Nox yelled over his shoulder. She could only nod stiffly and try to keep up.

         Allyn had fallen backwards. The waterskin had landed on the ground in front of him. The spilled water crept down a rivulet towards a red frozen pool. Allyn's eyes were closed tightly. Nox jumped the last few feet and landed squarely in front of the boy. His boots gripped hard against the ground.

         The Captain had put himself between Allyn and the body that lay on the ground. Malisyn approached, slower.

         Another body..? The Captain knelt down and picked up Allyn without a word. Allyn was limp in his arms. Nox looked to Malisyn and then to the body. He climbed up the gentle slope and set Allyn on the ground.

         Malisyn's heart tightened at the sight. She had tried to protect him, to spare him. She knew he would have nightmares. She felt so helpless.

         Nox removed his long cloak and wrapped it around Allyn's quivering shoulders. Tears fell down Allyn's cheeks but he did not respond. The Captain looked around the open pathway. He drew the dagger from his belt and walked back towards Malisyn.

         Malisyn forced herself to look at the body. The blood was in the same shape. This time, the body belonged to a young man. Malisyn recognized him.

         “Is this the same as the girl you found?” Nox tied his bracer to his belt as he spoke. Malisyn nodded. Nox drew the blade across his arm in a very deliberate pattern. Longer slashes, slower cuts. His jaw was tight. He closed his eyes.

         “I know him,” Malisyn whispered. Nox didn't respond. Blood ran down his arm. The blade rested against his arm but he wasn't moving. His eyes were still closed. His breathing slowed.

         “Captain Nox?” She frowned. His eyes fluttered open. They were a darker shade of blue-gray.

         “I need to get the two of you back to Tor'vic.” Nox was looking at the body. He walked in a circle, skirting the edges. As he passed the waterskin, he reached down and picked it up. He poured the remaining water over the dagger.

         “You'll come back and find the girl, too?” Malisyn asked.

         Nox turned and looked at her.

         “Yes, I will come back. I'll take care of them both. Right now, I'm more concerned for the living.” He reached to his satchel and removed a dark length of silk. In the light, it looked red. He used it to dry off his dagger and sheathed it again. He carefully folded the scrap and returned it to his satchel.

         “Leave him.” Malisyn drug her gaze away from the young man. What could have done this? She turned her attention towards Allyn. She followed the Captain up the small slope and knelt down by Allyn's side. He sitting numbly on the ground. He had stopped crying.

         “Will he be alright?” Her voice began to falter.

         The Captain looked down at them. His eyes were still dark.

         “With time, perhaps. The nightmares will pass. It's time to go.” Malisyn moved to lift Allyn. Thankfully, he moved with her. She slipped an arm around his waist and lifted with a grunt. Nox's cloak was heavy upon his shoulders.

         “I can stand,” Allyn's voice trembled. He casually pushed away Malisyn's grip and stood up straight. He shrugged off the heavy cloak and handed it towards the Captain. Nox arched an eyebrow but took the cloak and returned it to his own shoulders.

         Together they walked down the path cut through the Glass Plains. Captain Nox allowed Malisyn to lead the way, and Allyn followed in silence. The sun rose higher overhead as they walked. The harsh wind began to die down.

         The winding path gradually began to get steeper. Summers of traveling the forbidden path had given the siblings a sense of the Glass Plains. As Allyn began to recognize the change, he picked up his pace. He moved closer to his sister.

         “We're not very far. An hour from the Tor'vic gates.” Nox remarked as he checked the sun in the sky.

         “Less than an hour,” said Malisyn. Nox raised an eyebrow in disbelief and shrugged. His leather armor creaked as he walked.

         “Well before the Matron knows you're missing.” This time, he did smile.

         They crested the hill and Allyn pushed past her. In the mid-morning sun, the colors were nearly blinding. Allyn always liked looking out over the hill. He pointed across the plains.

         “We'll be home soon,” Allyn spoke, mostly to himself. He stared out through a break in the glass. The hill descended to a vast valley, and just at the bottom of the gradual hill, was a wall surrounding their home village. They had only to follow the winding path and they'd be back to Tor'vic within the hour. Allyn began the decline.

         “Captain Nox?” Allyn asked. His voice seemed happier. “Can I ask you a question?”

         “Yes?”

         “How long have you been a Blood Mage? Were you taken from the orphanage? Were you born here in Tor'vic?” Allyn was walking with his head craned to the side, carefully stepping over bits of uneven glass.

         “That's an awful lot of questions,” Nox said with a laugh.

         “Please? I've always wanted to be a Guardian. The Matron doesn't let us talk to the Blood Mages in town, and Malisyn-- she may not say so, but she loves Blood Mages!”

         “Allyn!” She shot a look at her brother. Her cheeks felt hot.

         “It's true. Please?” Allyn was nearly jumping as he spoke. The Captain gave an exaggerated sigh.

         “We do have quite a walk in front of us,” Nox took a moment to check behind them and studied either side of the path.

         “I've been a Blood Mage for longer than I can remember. Longer than I care to talk about. I was not born here, though it is the only home I've ever known.”

         Allyn's eyes were wide.

         “Do you have a Guardian?” Allyn had taken his wooden horse figure out of his pocket and was clutching it now. Malisyn smiled.

         “I did, a very long time ago. As a Captain, now, I mostly stay away from battle. Boring work, really, but I get to meet interesting folk,” Nox was smiling.

         Allyn didn't seem to notice. He was staring in to his small hands, brushing the wooden figure with his tiny fingers.

         “Have you seen many.. of the dead?” Allyn's grip tightened.

         “More than I can count, sadly. And it never gets any easier.”

         Allyn nodded at the Captain's words. He stared at the wooden  horse.

         “Could he be a Transcender, Captain Nox?” Allyn's voice sounded distant, distracted.

         “Could who be?” The Captain was looking directly at Allyn now.

         “The.. man. The one I found. Maybe he'll come back?”

         Nox gave a reassuring smile and lied.

         “It's possible.”

         The remaining journey was spent walking in silence. Allyn occasionally pointed out protruding crystals but had stopped asking questions. When the wall to Tor'vic became visible, hec looked to his sister sadly.

         “The Matron is going to be upset when she finds out, isn't she?” He glanced towards Nox.

         “I'd rather not think about it.” Malisyn sighed. They always knew they'd get caught eventually. I just never imagined it would happen like this. That poor girl.

         The path along the Glass Plains began to give way to rocks and sand. The first tufts of grass had forced themselves to the surface. The glass floor was replaced with smooth cobble stone that led towards the village of Tor'vic. The path was now flanked with trees and a spatter of flowers that could withstand the chill of the morning.

         They approached the large wooden gates of Tor'vic. Captain Nox took the lead. Men and women stood on either side of the reinforced gate. By their mismatched armor, they were part of the Tor'vic militia. They nodded and saluted as Nox approached.

         “Captain Nox!” A woman yelled down from the wall. Two wooden towers flanked the closed gate. A blond braid whipped around as a woman hung her head out the open window.

         “Open the gates!” The woman barked. Men scrambled along the wall. The woman was much older than the Captain. The gates groaned with the effort of being lifted. Nox nodded to the woman and led the siblings under the heavy iron gate.

         “Close your eyes,” Malisyn whispered to Allyn. He nodded and  reached out and grabbed her hand as they walked under the darkness of the archway. The gate closed shut behind them with a crash.

         They reappeared on the other side, following close to the Captain. The blond woman had come down from the tower and stepped out from the crowd of guards to bow to Captain Nox.          

         “Glad to see you've arrived, sir. New recruits?” The woman turned and smiled towards the siblings.

         “The very best,” he said with a grin. “Lianca, send a message to the Grand Master. I need to arrange a meeting. Tell him I'll see him at sunset.” Lianca nodded and saluted.

         “There's a situation. Double the patrol along the pathway. I'll explain when I get back.” Lianca nodded and turned to flag down a group of young men.

         Captain Nox continued to walk through the group of militia. People parted to let him pass. Men who easily could have been as old as his own father, bowed and saluted as he passed by. Nox sighed.

         “I wish they wouldn't do that,” he leaned down and whispered to Allyn. The young boy giggled.

         They walked down the path and turned to the left. A massive set of stone stairs rose towards a multistory building. At the base of the stairs, a weathered sign swung on heavy chains. The Captain took the stairs two at a time. He cast a glance over his shoulder, and Malisyn and Allyn tried to race him to the top.

         Nox reached the top first, followed closely by Malisyn. Allyn struggled to the very top and sat down with a huff. Malisyn tried to catch her breath.

         “Consider that lesson number two, Allyn. Guardians must have great endurance. One day, you'll need to protect Malisyn, and you'll have to be ready.”

         Nox walked towards the heavy wooden doors of the orphanage. Allyn caught his breath and jumped up to follow. The doors were two slabs of delicately carved wood. Allyn brought his hand up to rest on his favorite carving. His arm stretched straight out; Malisyn could remember when he had to stretch to reach it.

         His hand rested on the carving of a beast that no one could name. It appeared to have the torso and face of a horse but the body of a cloud.

         “The symbol for the Guardian,” remarked Nox with a nod. Allyn smiled.

         Malisyn brought her hand up to touch the smooth wood of the door. The surface was warm to the touch from the mid-morning sunlight. She ran her fingers along the carving of a Blood Mage, along the violent arches of fire and felt the heat from the sun. She traced the carving down to where she would always eventually stop.

         The carving of a baby, swaddled and left alone on the very steps they had just climbed. Left as a newborn – the image of an Abandoned – a child left by their parents in the care of the orphanage. Not even an orphan, since the baby was left with a sealed letter. Malisyn recognized the seal of the Citadel.

         The Abandoned; the children who had been left willingly. Left with the full knowledge of their parents. Worse than orphans. Malisyn closed her eyes. She didn't want to remember.

         Captain Nox used the large metal knocker and pounded on the door. The knock echoed down the stairs. They heard nothing on the other side of the door. Nox knocked again.

         “I am not to be disturbed!” Allyn and Malisyn both recoiled at the anger in the Matron's voice. Nox's mouth twitched; he leaned forward slightly. He spoke calmly, a series of words neither sibling understood. They did recognize it as the language of the Blood Citadel. Malisyn waited to see if the Matron would respond. The door opened slowly.

         An old woman with a tight smile and jaw peered out from the darkness of the doorway. Her skin glistened with sweat. Her dark eyes took a moment to study the group. The low-light gave her hooked nose an even more dramatic appearance.

         “Matron, I can explain--” Malisyn began.

         “Matron Hawk,” Nox interrupted with a slight bow, “I'm sorry to have kept your children so long. I needed them for a specific task, on the Grand Master's orders.” As he rose from his bow, he gave a quick wink towards Allyn.

         The Matron gave a short click with her tongue and pushed the door open with her bony shoulder.

         “Tell that old bag to warn me next time. Thought the Ry'one children had run off again. Come along.” She jerked her chin towards the inside. The siblings followed without hesitation.

         Matron Hawk squinted from the doorway.

         “Nox'tellan? Nox Rha'vin Vallenknight?” She sucked in a breath of air. Nox smiled.

         “The one and only.”

         The old woman gave a laugh.

         “I thought you died years ago,” she remarked.

         “I could say the same for you.”

         The Matron shook her head. With a grunt, she began to close the door.

         The Captain was left on the stairs alone. He stared at the carving of the blood mage. He turned to walk down the steps

         “I did, Matron Hawk. A long time ago.”
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