《The price of wonder[hinatus]》


 Prologue - 00

    Good evening, have you heard of the great achievements of the so called Magisters?


    Trained and willing to bend the very laws of our world to their every whim, they manipulate


    the energy that fills our world to create miracles and wonders. But as a coin, there are


    always two sides to a story, so let me tell you of the side behind the miracle, for every


    wonder has its price.


    Our story unfolds in a world much like yours, so similar yet so different. Follow me


    into the depths of the burrow and decide for yourself if this price may be too high.


    Thick fog billows over the mountains grazing the pine trees that litter the valley with


    their thick grasp. There in the centre of said valley on a rocky cliff thrones a mighty tower,


    glittering in the sparse light and warding off the thick fog. Its delicate arches and


    massive walls speak of the wonders it might contain. But it is deep under its lowest floor,


    shrouded in the catacombs that reach deep into the earth right now the price for


    another magic is paid.


    A young human girl is strapped to an earthen table in one of the rooms, she feels fear for she


    knows what is approaching. The wooden door protests against its opening as the wrinkly


    figure of a stern man in a long robe forces his entry. A wave of his hand ignites the


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.crystals in the ceiling banishing the darkness in the room with their pale light. The man


    scoffs at the obvious discomfort of the girl, donning a white glove with blue symbols he


    traces the odd bumps on her bare back.


    Seemingly pleased with whatever he just found a smirk flashes across his sunken cheeks.


    With the grace of practised movement he opens the wooden case he brought along, unveiling


    its silvery contents. Rows upon rows of knives and bottles, his hands stroke across the


    blades seemingly undecided which one to choose. A glint in his eyes signal his decision as


    he grabs a small sliver blade not unlike a scalpel.


    With a swift movement he cuts open one of the bumps retrieving a small green package


    from underneath the skin. Checking its contents he repeats this with 5 more of the bumps


    retrieving two green and three blue packages. Exchanging his blade for needle and thread,


    he proceeds to seal the wounds. After applying a cream to the cut and checking his work he


    removes her binding and dismisses her.


    Wordless and near soundless the girl disappears into the endless labyrinth that are the


    catacombs. For she is one of the servants of this tower and this is her story.

 Chapter-01

    It has been years I spent in the darkness, but I am not sure how many it


    have been. Time is relative down here only the shifts for work bring


    some stability into our life deep under the tower. Who I was before I came


    here I do not know, the apprentices of the Magus clean us of their so


    called ¡°unwanted memories¡±. They even took my NAME! But that has


    been so long ago, did I have family? Are they still alive? So many questions


    but to find the answer is unlikely.


    I claimed the name ¡°Mare¡± for my own ¨C short for Nightmare. I estimate


    myself around 12 years old but I can''t be sure. I heard the Magus claimed


    me from another Magister that apparently lost a duel to him. We have to


    address him and his apprentices as ¡°master¡± and are not even allowed


    to look into their eyes.


    The cuts on my back itch like crazy that damn cream makes me want to


    scrape my skin off. But it prevents our death to the rot. I once saw a new


    one that scraped it off, his back turned black and he died a few days later.


    But time is running short, I only have limited time to rest after each operation


    and trust me you do not survive here for long if you do not take every bit of


    rest you can.


    The catacombs are riddled with small blue mushrooms that faintly


    glow in the dark. Their light is minimal but it is enough to get by. Just don''t eat


    them, very bad idea * shudder * they taste like old shoe mixed with a stale


    fart and make you bleed from every hole you have for the next few days. I know,


    I tried. They had to bring me to a healer up in the tower if not for my caste they


    would have likely just let me die.


    We are called ¡°Rancar¡± the most privileged yet the most doomed of the slave


    caste. We are used to store valuable material that can only be used if it is fresh.


    One of the older Rancar (an achievement in itself) told me that the small packages


    drain our vitality/life force/mana call it whatever you want to preserve or even


    restore their content. Depending on the color they may only give you a slight


    headache or they may drain decades of your life in a day.


    There are good sides though as Rancar we cannot get physically punished, no


    one even the apprentices are allowed to cause us any kind of harm and we get


    triple rations. I guess our payload keeps us alive and kills us at the same time


    kind of ironic if you ask me.


    Cautiously I make my way through a side tunnel close to my lair, I avoid the bigger


    tunnels and the deeper hallways. Ever since the mushroom incident light hurts in my eyes


    and the darkness offers safety from most things that are down here.


    A nervous breath escapes me as I close the massive door to the small chamber that


    I call my own. With a deep * thud * the wooden beam I use to barricade the door


    from the inside slides into its place. The catacombs are old, far older than the tower,


    generations of Mages and their kin have riddled the deeps with the horrors and


    leftovers of centuries of work. Head my advice perk your ears and get rid of your shoes


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.you will live longer down here.


    Just last week some kind of golem awakened and tore seven guards to shreds before


    it was stopped. A healthy dose carefulness will keep you alive down here. The things


    that lurk down in the deeps you cannot fight them.


    The long scar on my lower belly tells the tale of my own run in with a Duskspider while


    exploring one of the deeper levels.


    Sitting on the wooden bed I try to calm my thoughts, Anniese a fellow Rancar showed


    this to me, if you sit in a special position and empty your thoughts you can meditate


    and recharge some of your mana. It works better than sleeping and offers a weird view


    on the world. Apparently the mages use this for training.


    Carefully I close my eyes and take deep and steady breath ¨C in and out ¨C in and out -


    Slowly my vision shifts and the weight falls off my shoulders, Anniese called this


    ¡°the ether¡± a plane of pure energy and thought.


    Then with a weird jolt my vision detaches from my body, this is so wonderful you


    are weightless and all the beautiful colors that do not burn my eyes. If I did not have


    the ether I may have killed myself years ago. Taking a look around everything looks


    fine, even the old wards one of the mages anchored in the walls are fine. They are


    the main reason I took residence in here, they deter most magical foes that may


    wander up here.


    My small table may need a new leg soon though, the constant dampness down here


    practically eats away at any kind of wood. Then I see myself sitting on the bed,


    the first time I saw this, I thought I had died and ran head first into a ward out of panic.


    Perched on the wooden board I call bed, sits a small girl in a brown robe, the red hood


    sign of a Rancar loosely drapped around her small frame. Shoulder-long brown hair


    falls a bit messily out of its folds. Her pale skin seemingly glows under the light of


    the blue mushrooms that even grow in this chamber despite all my efforts. You can


    rip them out but they pop out again a day later or two.


    The most noticeable is the thick leather band over her eyes. My protection against light,


    most servants find it creepy and avoid me, even the other Rancar. Only Anniese did not


    mind, but she died at least 2 years ago. Now I am alone but I feel safer this way, one


    of the slaves tried to rape me after pretending to be my friend. But I got away from him


    and avoid an encounter at all costs.


    Well time to get to work. Gently I begin to form and guide the swirling colors into my


    body, it feels like dancing and the pleasant tickle where the energy enters my body


    feels so good. It was so hard to get used to, imagine someone petting your head and


    brushing your hair and you have to keep concentrating or the energy breaks away.


    Time is so fleeting in this form I nearly missed the bell that signals the next day.


    Well time to wash up and get ready or the old Mister Frisk will find a way to punish


    without even touching me.

 Chapter-02

    Shaking my legs to get the fuzzy feeling out of them i heave myself from my bed,


    carefully listening for movement in front of my door i remove the wooden beam.


    I try to be as silent as possible as i sneak through the corridor towards the


    washroom in this layer. I am not the first in the room but the red hood deters


    all too eager gazes. The water is a bit murky but the quick wash is still an


    improvement.


    Donning my robes again and pulling the hood deep over my head i make haste


    to the relay, a small stand where a servant from the upper layers hand out our


    daily rations. A small brown bar that honestly tastes like stale bread, but whatever


    it is made from a single bar keeps an adult alive for a day. Three bars disappear


    into my pocket the servant knows me, and impersonating as a Rancar is


    a crime punishable by death down here. Some have tried, but it was a pain


    to remove the blood after the execution.


    Worfing down one of my bars I arrive in front of Mr Frisks office.


    POV change Mr Frisk


    I nearly missed the tender knock at my door, it is the freak again, I try to


    ignore the feeling but she gives me the creeps. At least this is hopefully the last


    day I have to deal with her. Shall Madame Sinclere deal with this menace.


    ¡°Come in!¡±


    The heavy door opens and the hooded Rancar I detest so much enters the room.


    Her bare feet make not a single noise, if I did not clearly see her, I would swear


    that I was alone in the room.


    She gives a servant bow and looks at me through this thick leather band over her eyes.


    Slightly tilting her head she stares at me, like a bird or something worse.


    Someday I could swear it glows behind that black ragged piece of leather. I had nightmares


    where she took it off and there was a mouth behind that thing.


    Honestly she gives me the creeps, she is too thin and pale, and her lacking


    presence makes her seem like a ghost.


    ¡°You are hereby ordered to report to Madam Sinclere she will be your


    superior until further notice!¡±


    She nods and disappears only the door makes a small creaking sound as it falls back into


    its frame.


    A lone drop of sweat runs down my back, dear mother Gaia please I implore you,


    I want to NEVER see that aberration again, please....


    POV change Mare


    Well that was weird the old Frisk that snarky weasel is sending me to the upper layers


    and he even transferred me to a Madame Sinclere whoever that is.


    Not that I mind to finally be rid of that stinking man. Those small beady eyes of his


    always muster me like a spider. Cold and unrelenting. Also I am sure he has something


    against me if not for the red hood he would have gotten me killed long ago.


    With a small skid in my step I head towards the staircase to the basement floors.


    Two guards in shiny plate-mail armor and a halberd stand before a heavy metal


    door.


    Seeing my approach one of them stands up and addresses me with a cold and commanding voice:


    ¡°State your name and purpose¡±


    Coming to a stop roughly 5 meters in front of the guard close to the guard zone, an


    area we are only allowed to enter with the guards approval.


    ¡°Name is Mare I have to report to a Madame Sinclere on the upper floors by command of


    Mr Frisk.¡±


    The other guard draws a parchment from a case skipping over its content.


    ¡°Slave Mare one of the guards behind will take you to Madame Sinclere.¡±


    He says after a nod to the sitting guard.


    ¡°Open the gate!¡± The sitting guard yells, then his voice is overshadowed


    by the immense cranking and screaming of metal on metal as the massive gate is


    slowly heaved upwards.


    From the other side a man in full plate armor appears, the quality of his gear way


    superior to the guards inside. ¡°Follow me.¡± Is the only thing he states as he disappears


    through the door. I make haste to catch up to the giant clad in more metal than I have


    ever seen(not counting the door).


    The world that awaited me behind the gate I would have never dreamed to ever see it,


    while brightly illuminated the walls are made of clean and dry set stone. There are tables


    and chairs, servants in colorful robes hurry from left to right, like an ant-hive deep in


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.the catacombs. All busy everyone has its role.


    I do not remember how long the walk towards the office we ended up in front of was,


    everything here was clean and sparkling. No speck of dust showed itself on the


    weird shining wood all the furniture seemed to be out of.


    Is it possible to polish wood? It looks polished but how did they get it to not splinter,


    I tried with my table but it only splintered.


    The guard knocks at the door with his metal glove, the booming sound results


    in a sharp ¡°Please come in.¡± from the inside.


    When I entered I saw the most unbelievable sight I had ever seen. Sitting behind a


    wooden desk the size of my chamber (there is wood that big?) was a woman that


    defied all my knowledge about how a woman was supposed to be.


    Long curly yellow hair, a lightly brown skin and piercing blue eyes. I could not rate


    how old she was, her face showed some wrinkles but not as bad as one of the older


    apprentices. But the real catch was her chest, how by all great elementals is she walking


    with these?? Can she even stand up? Please mother gaia if that is my fate as woman if


    I get that old I rather succumb to the drain of a package right here and now.


    ¡°Welcome Mare you might be wondering why you are here, well to make it short


    we are in need of a special kind of maid and you fit this role perfectly.¡±


    Her voice was sweet and melodic it had kind of a soothing effect on me.


    ¡°You see, we will get some high standing visitors very soon and we need a maid


    that cannot read, write and is unaffiliated with any of the great houses out there.


    Come here and let me see with what I have to work here.¡±


    She waved me over and showed me that my initial assumption was wrong,


    walking was indeed still possible with these.


    She pulled back my hood, then the world erupted in pain, she took my band.


    Contorting in pain on the floor I could only scream ¡°it hurts¡± as I pressed my hands


    in front of my eyes.


    ¡°Do you need a healer?¡± She asked, her voice drenched in worry. Then pleasant darkness


    fell over me, she had thrown some kind of blanket over me.


    POV change Madame Sinclere


    The first moment was a shock, I knew light was something people from the catacombs


    were not really used to but the reaction that little girl showed was something I did


    not expect. My heart felt a short pain as the denied mother in my old chest saw the small


    life in front of me contorting in pain.


    My first reaction was panic and the stupid question ¡°Do you need a healer?¡± before my


    head snapped back into action and I threw a blanket over her.


    Instantly she got calmer. I reduced the brightness of the illumination crystals with a short


    wave of my hand. (That little education on magic came in handy). As I turned back to the girl


    I saw something that shocked me, I saw her eyes glow through the blanket.


    ¡°Dear are you alright? I have never seen someone react that bad to the light. Is it getting


    better?¡±


    She sat up under the blanket and nodded. She looked small and vulnerable down there,


    another pain jolted my heart as my instinct clawed at the confines my logic hat shackled it in.


    She was a slave and also a Rancar but if my duty had not ingrained discipline into the last


    50 years of my duty I would have adopted the little one ON THE SPOT.


    Shaking my head a little to regain my bearings I pushed the leather band under the blanket,


    painstakingly avoiding any entrance for more light.


    She immediately put the band on again. ¡°Is it alright to lift the blanket I have reduced the light?¡±


    I asked her. She nodded again.


    Carefully I took the blanket off her and put it back on the couch where it was supposed to be


    and awaits its use to warm my old bones a little.


    ¡°Please little one remove your clothes, I need to see what I have to work with, but keep


    the band I don''t want to cause you pain.¡±


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Author corner for those interested, i am not a native speaker and mainly


    write for myself. Updates depend on inspiration and my mood. Feel free to leave a


    comment  MfG : Dr_Dac


    Edit: Added fiction cover, not my own i do not claim ownership.

 Chapter-03

    POV Madame Sinclere


    The girl trembled shortly but then began to disrobe, the quality of the


    fabrics were lacking for any intelligent being, i will need to fix that.


    Dear mother Gaia i have never seen such pearl white skin, she is so


    thin and scrawny i hope a few good meals can fix her a bit. Her


    chest is coming out quite nicely though only the rows upon rows of scars


    on her back destroy the picture of an angel.


    "Please turn slowly i need to get a good look on everything."


    Obediently she turned around. I think i can work with her. Now


    where did i put the measure band. Ah there it is, she flinched a


    bit as the cold band wraps around her body, i can''t resist to tease her a bit.


    I give her a soft flick against one of her bare nipples as she becomes


    redder than any vegetable our Magus has ever seen. This is going


    to be fun.


    POV change Mare


    She FLICKED me, never in my life have i been that embarrassed.


    I hope it is not some curse, i do not want to have breasts her size.


    She keeps wrapping a cold band around certain parts of my body and then


    she draws some weird scribbles on a little piece of parchment.


    I think she is measuring me, do they want to eat me? I hope not


    but unless they soon start feeding me lots to fatten up i am sure


    it is just some weird speculation.


    Then she gave me back my robe and garments. With a cold tone she


    never showed to me a guard is called in. He is tasked to take me to


    something they call "cafeteria" whatever that is supposed to be.


    After a short walk the guard and i arrive in the room with the most


    food i have ever seen! The guard leads me to a little desk with


    a weird animal sitting behind. I have seen a picture, it is supposed to be


    an owl?


    Please don''t eat me, look i have nothing on me. I try to reduce my size as


    much as i can. The guard looks surprised and whispers something to


    the owl person, her giant pupils expand and then contract after whatever


    he just told it.


    It stands up and walks towards me. "Please don''t eat me" i whisper. There


    are no escape routes here. It has wings on its back and is way too close.


    I am so dead.


    It arrives before me, kneels down and for the love of gaia picked me up!


    I must have fainted because i awoke in a side room of the way bigger


    cafeteria, sitting in a chair that has some kind of plushy fabric on it.


    Who the hell wastes fabric for a chair? The owl person is still there. She


    is standing in front of some weird metal box and steam is rising from it.


    It smells so goooooood, what is this why is my mouth so watering?


    POV change Rineska (aka Owl person)


    What a weird little thing madame Sinclere has tasked me with, a small


    human girl is sitting in front of me desperately eyeing the steaming hot plate


    of mashed potatoes with eggs and me.


    ¡°Well little human girl why are you not eating? Your stomach is roaring loud enough


    for attention already?¡±


    Timidly she reply''s ¡°I can''t the big woman may eat me if I get too fat.¡±


    Oh, so adorable ¡° No one is eating you, we have enough food here come eat up.¡±


    I had not even finished talking as she starts inhaling food in a speed I have never seen.


    Where is all that going in her little frame.


    After the seventh plate she is finally full. The food induced lethargy allows me to get


    close enough to her. She still flinches a bit as I offer her my talon-ed hand. ¡°I am Rineska


    of the gray Owl tribes. And Madame Sinclere has tasked me to get you in shape and


    teach you everything you need to know about your coming duty. Lets get along little


    Mare, I will bring you to your quarters and inform you of your coming schedule. ¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    POV change Mare


    I have never been so full in my entire life, holy mother Gaia I offer my prayer to you


    for bringing us lowly beings your gift called potatoes. While still a bit scary Rineska,


    seems like a nice person. Apparently she is from a race we humans call ¡°beast-man¡±.


    Our tongues lack the function to pronounce their real name and as far as I understood,


    the beast-man never cared about how we call them.


    Rineska told me of the seven great tribes the beast-man have. The biggest is the cat-tribe


    they are traders and the wealthiest of the tribes. The wolves are the second, while not


    nearly the size of the cat tribe they are a clan of Mercenaries and warriors, their honor


    is their greatest good. The gray Owl tribe is a nomadic tribe full of explorers and


    researchers, they travel and work wherever they can learn something new. The bear


    tribe is the fourth, they build villages and cities where they work as farmers and builders.


    Then there is the fox tribe, they live in a symbiotic relationship with the bears, they


    are crafters and focus on delicate work. The sixth is the snake clan, the lack of hands


    has made them masters of nature magic, the very forest they live in is part of their


    tribe. The seventh clan is frowned upon. The rats, they deal in anything illegal and


    following Rineskas words NEVER speak the truth.


    She also brought me to a chamber and told me that from now on it is my living quarter.


    It is so beautiful, a bed with a fluffy square on it, a blanket, glossy brown furniture and


    a table with stable legs. I NEVER want to go back to the catacombs. The sleep I had


    in the bed that shift was the most comfortable I ever had.


    The lessons were hard and some knowledge was tedious, like which tableware


    was supposed to be in which order. Or how a certain folding of a bed sheet


    signaled a message or a statement.


    I really started to like both Madame Sinclere and Rineska, they taught me many


    things and fed me really well. I also have new clothes that feel really good on


    the skin. The best of all I do not have to carry any packages while I work in


    this function.


    I had to take off my leather band though, the light still hurts but if I close my eyes


    and just look through my eyelids it is manageable. To top it off it hides the blue


    glow of my eyes, Madame Sinclere is certain that it will help me to build


    relationships and not scare any people.


    POV change Madame Sinclere


    Mare has really come a long way, in the beautiful maid dress the tailor made for


    her coupled with her excellence of her memory she became a near perfect


    little maid. She is sitting in the chair in front of my desk, this is the last


    prep we have before the guests arrive in a few hours.


    ¡°Mare you are tasked to attend to one of the highborn twins, his name is Ludwig


    and he is the first in line for his fathers title. We have received instructions how


    to attend his needs. The only difference to your training, he is a long sleeper and


    we have permission to ¡°get him awake¡±. Also avoid his twin if you can, the second


    in line Regibald is a dark fellow. He has no power over you, if he asks anything


    of you relay it to his assigned aide. That is all, grab something to eat and await their


    arrival on the high floor.¡±


    Mare bowed gave me a smile and excused herself to follow the orders.


    She has grown so much, from the scrawny kid blossomed a refined rose, I am sure


    she will break many hearts. But up til now she has rejected any offer from the


    male staff, I am fairly certain that she will grow into that soon though.


    Time to sit back and get myself a nice tea, the chill of the morning refuses


    to leave my old bones today.

 Chapter-04

    POV Mare


    With a filled stomach I approach the high floor, the task I have prepared for is getting


    close. I wonder if the two royals that accompany the great Magus Heras are as we


    were told.


    The valley looks like it wants to present itself from its best side, the sun is banishing


    the ever so present fog. But even with the suns onslaught, there are still bits of fog


    lingering between the towering trees. It is as if the fog is making a promise, to return


    and once again rule supreme in this little valley.


    Placing a napkin on one of the short pillars to prevent any kind of dirt on my uniform


    I prepare myself to wait.


    In the next half an hour the remaining servants arrive on the high floor, the honor guardwith


    their shiny uniform and dull lances gets into formation as a barely noticeable reflection in the


    distance tells of the approaching guests.


    Within minutes they are close enough for all to see. Thus I retrieve my napkin and


    walk to my assigned position behind the waiting Madame Sinclere.


    Had Rineska not shown me drawing of the majestic Airships that came into sight,


    I fear I would have run to the dock like any of the small children that were barely


    held in check by their assigned nanny''s.


    The ships could have sprung from a painting, long sleek hulls made of white wood,


    each metal piece silver and sparkling, the sails on the beautifully carved masts made


    of carefully woven fabric. To produce that much beauty the owner must of paid


    a small fortune.


    If I had not known how they were powered, I would also be agape in wonder.


    Deep within each of the ships are slaves, bound to the very core of the machine,


    drawing in their life to power its flight. A single voyage may drain several


    slaves. The knowledge of how this contraption powered itself in its bloody belly


    made me sick.


    The three ships began their descend and started to slow down, one by one the sails


    were reefed. Until they gracefully came to rest in the prepared docking beams.


    I could not refrain from staring at the engine section, it could have been my


    fate to be bound to a giant crystal with metal piercing my body. I tried to


    kill the nausea before it got out of control but was only partly successful.


    An elven man was the first to disembark the vessel, clothed in ridiculous plushy


    clothes and armed with a trumpet he began to announce the titles and professions


    of the guests as they too disembarked.


    The captain of the royal guard, Theoduin Aesys, his second in command Onas Yesleth.


    The names and titles began to flow into each other, how can anyone survive such


    a welcome any time he arrives somewhere?


    ¡°The royal twins, third and fourth born princes of the house Ludove, Ludwig and


    Regibald Ludove!¡± shook me out of my stupor.


    Prince Ludwig looked like the hero from one of the books Rineska so loved to read,


    dressed in a sturdy yet elegant tunic with a rapier at his side. His golden hair that


    surrounded his enigmatic face drew the people in. If he was supposed to be day,


    next to him walked night, Regibald could only be described as dark. His whole


    presence made him unlikable, the black robe and nasty toothed dagger on his belt


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.did not improve my first impression of him.


    I kneed in front of Ludwig ¡°your majesty I am Mare, I am the assigned aide during your


    stay. Do you want me to guide you to your quarters or do you require anything before that?¡±


    A dangerous glint shortly flashed through Ludwig''s eyes if not for the sad expression on


    Regibald''s face I would have missed it. His whole stance seemed to pity me but I would


    not find out why until later.


    ¡°Guide me to my quarters, the journey was long and we require rest.¡± Was all I got as


    reply but I did what I was tasked to do. And led him to one of the royal suites on


    the fourth layer of the tower.


    Using the talent any servant has to erase as much of my presence as possible I sunk into


    the shadows of his room preparing for any wishes my temporary master may have.


    The hours flew by and Ludwig awoke, a black robed man had entered through the window,


    he seems to have missed my presence but I kept to myself as the man kneed in front of


    the bed. ¡°My prince I bring urgent news!¡±


    Ludwig seems to have been long awake ¡°Ivor you are getting rusty, servant leave us alone!¡±


    I arose from my chair in the shadows and left the room, the man in black somehow looked


    shocked at me, but I did not hear anything after the thick door closed behind me.


    ¡°Well time to grab something to eat, I guess...¡± was all I mumbled was I made my way


    to the cafeteria.


    Nibbling on a filled piece of bread I made my way back to the royal suite as I encountered


    Regibald. I went to the wall to allow him free passage as I was trained to do, when the


    prince turned toward me.¡±Good evening madame I thought you were tasked with tending


    my brothers needs?¡±


    I deeply bowed and replied ¡°His majesty does not wish to be disturbed as he is with a guest.¡±


    His eyes widened ¡°WHO!¡± he yelled in my face, he scared me ¡°please your majesty I am


    not allowed to disclose a masters information.¡±


    ¡°Answer me or I will have you flogged before sundown!¡± Some kind of pressure emanated


    from Regibalds body, each breath got harder than the one before. ¡°Some ugly fellow named


    Ivor, please your majesty have mercy!¡±


    The pressure disappeared as fast as it came and his scorn was replaced with a deep sadness.


    ¡°Ivor you too?¡± he mumbled. Then his eyes focused back on me ¡°Leave as fast as you can,


    if you have seen that mans face your life is forfeit!¡±


    Instead of an answer I opened my uniform a little, until the deep black burn scar in form of


    the tower seal became visible.


    ¡°I am afraid your majesty I cannot follow your orders, I am unable to leave the tower.¡±


    He look deeply sad, ¡°then I will pray for your soul, may I know your full name as I plan


    to at least offer you a proper burial if the master of the tower allows.¡±


    But my answer went under in the commotion as one of the Magus apprentices arrived with


    a full guard regiment in tow. ¡°Slave Mare you are under arrest for treason do not resist!¡±


    Iron shackles closed around my arms as I was dragged with them, leaving behind a very sad


    looking Regibald.

 Chapter-05

    My voyage ended in a small cell deep within the catacombs, this cell was even worse


    than i had feared, a steady stream of murky water ran down the black encrusted stone


    walls. They had stripped me of nearly all my clothes, only a thin square of linen i had


    wrapped around my body covered my chastity.


    It took a few hours until the old apprentice showed himself in front of my cage. His


    beady eyes lecherously wandering over my body.


    ¡°What a shame, if the prince had not called in a favor I could have made you my


    personal concubine, but as it stands I will still be able to conduct an experiment.¡±


    A dark pressure robbed me of my consciousness only to be awakened to unbearable pain.


    My mind was still in tatters as I saw things dangling at the wall in front of me


    that I never wish to see again. Two arms and two legs hang pierced by hooks on


    a metal chain, blood slowly dripping from the stumps. I try to lift myself up,


    until the horror descend upon me, those are MY LIMBS!


    I try to scream but my mouth barely opens, thick bindings sew my mouth shut.


    Then the apprentice comes into sight. He is riddled with blood and grinning


    like a little kid on his name day party.


    ¡°Oh look who is awake! Don''t worry dear, we just removed some unnecessary


    things.¡± He then proceeds to give me the creepiest smile I have ever witnessed.


    ¡°But sadly you have awoken just before the final treatment, well nothing we can


    do about that.¡±


    He rummages through a large bag and retrieves a dark gray scale. ¡°You see


    little lamb, the magus refused to let me test some of my theories on humans.


    This scale is from some kind of mythical creature whose remains we have


    unearthed under the catacombs. I have infused it with the essence of various


    other creatures but have been unable to infuse it with vitality.¡± He makes


    a melodramatic pause.


    ¡°Therefore I tried with some slaves to no success but you my child, born with


    a tint magic and boundless vitality, with your body I may resurrect this


    beast!¡±


    ¡°Feel honored as you are part of my genius discovery. For the small price


    of your life we will write magic history!¡±


    He rambled some incoherent things as he drew a large dagger. Under all the


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.pain the big gash In my stomach barely registered, but as he pushed the


    scale into my entrails the pain made me scream so hard my lips ripped and


    my mouth finally opened again.


    The pleasant blackness surrounded me again. I threw myself into the shadow, any


    distance from the pain was worth the price the shadows may ask. My sanity?


    TAKE IT! My life? Do whatever you want with it, JUST MAKE IT STOP!!!


    POV change the old apprentice Ymo Umbra


    What audacity! In the middle of my glorious speech that lowly slave fainted!


    Can''t she appreciate what turning point in history this is. How can she faint


    while listening to my GENIUS!


    The cart carrying my unconscious patient nears her final destination. The


    magnificent Ley line we have discovered under the tower. Boundless


    energy from the planet itself. With her as catalyst it will succeed,


    this time I will show the old fart my talent. He will give me a life pill


    and I can further my research!


    What would I give for the formula my master created! Eternal life what a


    magnificent thing. If this works, it shall be mine.


    ¡°hehehehhihihi¡±


    Oops nearly fell into my bad habit again. Then it came into view the


    magic stream of the world, a river of pure power flowing through the cave.


    ¡°Throw her in but don''t forget the chain, if she gets dragged away by the


    stream we will never find her again.¡± I yell at my men.


    My personal guards started lowering the squirming torso towards the thundering


    river.


    Slowly she disappeared under the ravaging waters. The chain holding her


    started to glow, Orihalcum the strongest magic resistant metal known to man.


    Cost me quite a bit to aquire that chain, but even enchanted Mithril is unable


    to stand up to a mana stream. I back away a bit from the intense heat.


    My men fare not much better, sweat is rolling down their faces.


    Suddenly everything went wrong, a deep tremor ran through the tower, stones


    started falling from the ceiling. One of my guards was squashed like a wet berry,


    the remaining guards followed my enigmatic example and RAN!

 Chapter-06

    The mana or elemental crystal is a mineral deposit commonly found


    in places rich in energy. Its composition his highly fragile and strong


    force or a physical trauma can shatter it with ease. Doing so is dangerous


    for these crystals contain condensed energy of their surrounding area.


    They can be enchanted or can hold magical formations for secondary use.


    A charged crystal will hold its energy until released or destroyed. An


    empty crystal can be recharged, but it cannot be allowed to fall


    completely empty otherwise it starts to decay. With help of an enchanted


    crystal even people with zero affinity can release previous enchanted spells.


    Only the rarity and effort to create said spell crystals prevents a wide


    military use. Influential people or adventurers often carry a few of these


    crystals charged with healing magic for emergency use.


    -Extract from Minerals and you! Author unknown.


    POV Mare


    The pain is gone, I feel so light everything is so quiet, the stream


    is everything. I do not know how long it has been since I entered the


    waters and if not for that little nagging voice in the back of my skull


    I would have let go long ago.


    I feel myself dissolving, losing my form, is it really needed to stay


    myself? The warm embrace of the stream is so inviting.....


    A single picture comes into my mind, Rineska with her long pipe telling


    me of the wonders the world contains. The great falls of the north, the


    endless deserts in the iron mountains. But not a single emotion arises.


    Then another picture, my limbs on a chain, the pain... ANGER!!!!


    How could I forget? Clawing at the peaceful stream, I will KILL that


    bastard! I will make him PAY!!!!


    I could not see, but it was not necessary, for my ANGER was my guide.


    Everything trembled the stream started to reject me, like a splinter in


    a palm. In a giant blob of condensed energy it spat me out.


    I could only watch from my ethereal view as what remained of my body


    fused with the dissolving chain and the pure energy. With all my anger


    I lashed out against everything in range, rocks liquefied into raw energy


    and the earth trembled under my fury.


    Then the ceiling came down and sealed me deep under the earth. But I kept


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.lashing out against that what had ruined my life! If I cannot live, so I will


    take everything with me!


    At the same time on the highest level of the shaking tower.


    POV Ymo Umbra


    I barely got away from the cave in, two of my guards were not so lucky,


    but I will get a replacement soon. Just a few men I can replace them at my


    leisure.


    The tremors were getting worse, even in the tower level fine fissures started


    to appear in the walls.


    I rounded a corner and stood face to face with the man that owned my life.


    I nearly broke my knee as I threw myself into a kneeling posture.


    ¡°Master!¡± In front of me stood the man I revered and hated the most the


    Grand Magus Jarin Euvrouin. His piercing gaze penetrated my very


    being.


    Before i could say anymore a single question made me freeze up.


    "What did you do Umbra? Do not dare to lie i smell the energy and blood on you!"


    "Oh great master those tremors are but a small side effect of an experiment.


    They should subside soon as the Ley line deals with the impurity."


    His left eye twitched, not a good sign. "What did you throw in the stream...?"


    I humbled myself in front of him, "just a lowly slave that turned traitor my lord"


    His eyes widened, a small bead of sweat ran down his face. ¡°Please by the great


    elementals, tell me it was not a female Rancar around 12 years old.¡±


    ¡°How do you know Master? It was but a lowly slave.¡±


    Anger and fear switched places on his face. He reached for his staff activating the central


    runestone of the tower. His voice thundered through the whole tower.


    ¡°Evacuate the lower levels, clear the outer floors, we have an emergency the tower


    will activate its flight crystals. I repeat get everything you can we are going


    airborne!¡±


    ¡°But master its but a few tremors they should subside soon.¡±


    That was the biggest mistake I could have made, his rage barely contained,


    he thundered at me:


    ¡°You senile fool do you have any idea WHAT you just threw into concentrated world


    energy? A freaking half-blood that I acquired under extreme personal sacrifice,


    that slave is worth more than half the tower!¡±


    I could only sit in silence as he shouted me in the ground.


    ¡°It is a damn ELEMENTAL halfling you blind toad and you just had to throw


    one of the most unstable creatures on this plane into a quagmire of energy.


    We are lucky if we get far enough from the stream before she becomes unstable


    and everything here blows up!¡±


    Then he stormed off, a small warm puddle formed under me, there was but one


    question I had for myself ¡°What have I done?¡±

 Chapter-07

    We spotted the creature 7 days of march east of Ramshire, it looked like


    a wyvern afflicted with some kind of disease. It may have become corrupted


    by the recent magical catastrophe. We had to watch as it devoured an


    entire herd of cattle. Its very body expanding and growing


    with everything it took in. The crunches of its feasting will never leave


    my dreams. We call that thing.... a Nightmare.


    Part of the weekly report of guard captain William Sharner stationed in Ramshire.


    POV Mare


    I had to helplessly watch as the tower ripped itself from its foundation, parts of


    the catacombs still hanging to its walls. I don''t want to be too sure but it looked


    like there were humans falling off the crumbling walls. Two names cycled


    in my head fueling my rage: Ymo Umbra, Jarin Euvrouin, Ymo Umbra. Jari.....


    They caused all this, they have to PAY! With all the pain and rage I could muster


    I kept lashing at the glowing shields that covered the tower, the ripples caused


    by my strikes ran across its surface. The tower started to accelerate, bits and things


    falling from its ascending arches.


    Smaller and smaller became the picture of the tower, every attack took more strength


    than the one before. Until I could not strike anymore. Exhausted I fell back into the


    bubbling thing that was my body. I felt it more than anything, whatever I had become


    I became unstable. I could only wait until the meltdown that I was sure was coming.


    Then the entire world became white. And my thoughts faded into oblivion.


    I dreamed of a world without pain, danced with the dreams of many others. Watched


    gods play their idle games. But above all I saw mana and what it truly was. We had


    been wrong all along, mana was never depleted, it is energy and a basic building


    block of every matter that exists. All the Rancar wasting away for those tiny dregs


    of energy that can be distilled out of some vitality. As much joy such a realization gave me,


    it caused even more pain.


    How much time passed I am not sure, but one day a dreamer noticed me, a god of


    destruction caught me in his immense hands. He looked like one of those ancient


    statues deep in the catacombs. A giant frame with chiseled features and muscles


    like a trained soldier.


    Out of spite I bit his hand, sweet fragrance filled my mouth, the energy flooding me


    jolted my very core as the giants hand opened in shock.


    With a wave of his arm chains bound me, sealing me in place. The giant inspected his


    hands, a tiny stream of blood ran down his finger. Then he started to laugh and the


    very space thundered under his emotions.


    Then he spoke the very first word I heard from one as him ¡°interesting¡±. His deep


    and masculine voice carrying far in the endless reaches his domain contained.


    While he was inspecting the damage and apparently laughing about my only


    defiance, I tried to bite the chains but to no avail.


    ¡°You are interesting little one, it has been millennial since anyone drew my blood.


    Pray tell where are you from?¡±


    A big smile radiating across his face. I doubled my effort and finally one chain link broke,


    but my euphoria was short lived as it regenerated.


    ¡°Ah come on little one it is not often that a sealed god gets a visitor, if you don''t run


    away I will release you, I only want to talk. Its gets really lonely after a time...¡±


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Before I could reply the shackles dissolved into nothingness and the great god looked


    at me with the biggest puppy eyes in existence. How can such a thing be fair, I call


    FOUL PLAY!


    ¡°Okay great and scary thing that can obliterate me with a thought, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°What I want is to get out of this seal and smite the gods that imprisoned me here


    with trickery! But this seal only allows entry, not exit, I am afraid small one you


    will have to bear with me for quite some time.¡±


    He looked sad, the years of loneliness left the deepest sadness and longing I had


    ever seen. How could someone survive that long without interaction.


    ¡°Why don''t you break the seal and leave?¡±i asked. He raised his arm, muscles flexing


    and slammed his bare fist to the side. A field of energy lit up forming a cube above the


    small patch he sat in blocking his strike without a reaction.


    His eyes seemed to say ¡°look I tried¡±.


    I had an idea, worst case it did not work but it may get me away from the big guy.


    ¡°Hey big scary guy mind me trying something?¡± He looked confused but only


    shook his head.


    As I neared the field it lit up, dammit so much for leaving early. But every magic relies


    on energy, energy is not used up but only transformed. Maybe I can... yes that might work.


    Cautiously I reached for the field, the energy thrumming under my palm. A single loose


    strand in the woven fabric caught my eye. Staking my entire life on this plan I grabbed


    the strand and took a deep breath. A screeching sound reverberated through the space as


    I tore strand by strand out of the field like eating noodles.


    Bit by bit a small hole appeared in the golden field, its borders colored in a deep red.


    I felt so full I could nearly burst, any more and I would literally explode. The


    hole was barely large enough to fit my head but it was not closing and the fabric of


    the spell looked very damaged.


    The vibration of something big moving made me turn. ¡°What the frig!¡± was all I could


    say, the giant god of doom was prostrating in front of me.


    ¡°Please free me I offer you my very being!¡± Big tears running down his face, I guess


    a single one of those tears could literally flood a chamber in the tower. But I was at loss


    on what to do with the big crying god, I had never been very good with emotions


    or consoling others. So I flew over his head and petted him.


    ¡°Sorry big one that may not be possible, I appreciate the offer though.¡±


    His weeping was erased, Scorn flashed over his face as he grabbed me out of the sky.


    ¡°WHY? Am I not worth enough? You teared down ancient weaving like it was nothing,


    do you resent me that much?¡±


    His scorn broke down into lethargy as he released me and slumped down on his behind.


    Honestly his outbreak scared me but who knows how long he has been locked away


    here. Looking at it in this light I may forgive him this time.


    ¡°Hey big guy look, I did not rip it, I ATE your scary field and if I eat any more my


    body that is lying under a shit ton of rock will explode again. The last time it happened


    I barely survived. And right now I am so full I could not eat a spark.¡±


    A glint flashed in his eyes. ¡°So you ate it..... we just have to make you hungry again.¡±


    The grin that plastered his face made me uncomfortable, he had the exact same expression


    as the old guard that made us servants run around the field.


    I backed away a bit ¡°Mr god you are scaring me right now.¡±


    His smile became even wider ¡°My true name is Abbadon and staring today I will train you.¡±

 Chapter-08

    To be honest the fiction started as a fix idea one evening, badly planned and in no


    way up to standart. I told myself to release the first dew chapters and see how


    or if there is a response. Since there was none i will save myself the hassle of


    proffreading and go back to write for myself in my native language.


    I would still appreciate some comments on what to improve though even if


    i am fairly sure most will not read this.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    (Abbandon)"Sit like me and breath steadily. Empty your thoughts and feel the mana


    around you."


    The instructions were pretty clear but to empty your thoughts, try it yourselves,


    it is super hard to hold for more than a few minutes.


    (Abbandon)¡±Just imagine a big pool of water, you are floating in it face up. The


    water is cold and serene, not a whisper around to hear. You are slowly sinking,


    but you can breathe, now feel around your body. Tiny specks of light buzzing around.


    Try to grab one but don''t force it. Be gentle.¡±


    POV Abbandon


    She is a monster, a genuine monster it took me decades to reach what she is


    accomplishing in days. She is still far off from being any higher being, but if


    she keeps that speed I may still be alive to see it. She may even be.... no that


    is too early to even think about.


    But her talent is something else, it looks like the mana is dancing around her, as if


    every speck of energy LONGS to be with her. I have never seen such a frightful thing.


    The hole is currently the size of my pinky finger, all the energy she gains we use to


    cultivate her soul. Only with a strong soul will she be able to brave what is to come.


    The time in my prison is extremely slowed compared to the outside, I believe it is to reduce the


    damage I can deal to the seal. But now it is working in our favor, it gives her time


    to train and strengthen herself before the rules notice her.


    I may be able to start teaching her for real very soon.


    POV Mare


    Call me weird but I started to like the old goof of a god, he kinda had the feel of


    a grandfather watching the children play. He never scolded me or harmed me,


    but his training was dreadfully hard on the mind.


    The first step he said was to improve the soul, so that one can resist energy and


    mind related attacks. He had me collect energy and compact and fuse it until an


    ocean became a grain of dust. Then I had to absorb the grain into my very core and


    then feed energy to the grain.


    The time in this box is slowed he said, we have every time in the multiverse as he


    proclaimed. (have to ask him what a multiverse is later)


    The speck of dust has become a marble and it felt like it cannot grow bigger anymore.


    He told me I need to create 6 more marbles but he would now train my mind.


    GAMES! He insisted that card games are the best way to sharpen the mind, he willed


    them into existence like nothing. My dropped mouth seemed to bolster his confidence


    and he puffed his chest with pride. Sometimes he is really funny.


    He wiped the floor with me, I had 0 chance in any game, the smiling grandfather is


    a devil I am sure of it! I could not even win the luck based games. But I refuse to give


    up, ¡°I will get you old man!¡± I proclaimed to myself.


    Time skip ????


    We are still inside the seal, the hole is now so big Abby can shove his arm through.


    I decided to give him a nickname, he refused at first but gave up on his protest


    shortly after.


    Today I finished the last marble and am close to what I DREAMED to achieve.


    ¡°checkmate¡± I grin like mad, I have finally WON for the first time, I lost count of


    my losses. Abby wiped a small tear from his left eye, then his arms enclosed me


    in a bear hug.


    ¡°Careful Abby I am fragile.¡± as I pat his back.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    (Abby)¡±Then today I will lead you on your very first step to become powerful. Look


    at the marbles, they each have a color. Some may have more than one, choose one,


    the more colors the better.¡±


    Okay lets see I never really checked the colors.


    Marbles:


    Blue/White


    Red/Green


    Blue/yellow/Red


    Black/White


    Red/Blue/Brown/yellow


    White


    Black/White/Violet/Red/Blue/Brown/yellow


    Blue:Water


    Red:Fire


    Green:Nature


    White:Light


    Black:Shadow


    Brown:Rock


    Violet:Void


    Yellow:Air


    His right eyelid twitched a bit as I told him of the last marble and he practically forced


    me to use it for the next step.


    (Abby)¡°Place the marble with the most colors in the middle and make it spin, it will start to


    glow and create a vortex.


    Then place the remaining marbles evenly around it and make the vortex grow until it


    grabs all the other marbles. And then just watch.¡±


    The vortex grew by itself and grabbed all the marbles at the same time making them rotate


    around it.


    Faster and faster it went. Then with a pang the marbles fused into a white glowing pyramid that


    slowly rotated in my core. The resulting shock wave must have knocked me out, because as


    I awoke I was sleeping in Abby''s giant lap. Abby was petting my head and was humming


    a melody but just in that moment my stomach had to growl, way to destroy a nice moment


    filthy meat sack!


    (Abby)¡±I welcome you in the rows of immortals, little one. Has your soul pyramid formed


    correctly?¡±


    (Mare)¡±Hey Abby how long was I out? And yes the weird thing formed you just never


    mentioned the weird symbols it has.¡±


    (Abby)¡± You were out about a decade, and the symbols are important, they are your true


    name. Never tell anyone your true name, if he knows it you cannot hurt him anymore!¡±


    (Mare)¡± You told me your true name! And what did you mean with immortal?¡±


    (Abby)¡± Yes it is my true name, by telling you my name I have entered an unspoken pact.


    It also shields you from the raw energy I emit, it was hard to not accidentally kill you


    before. Whenever you mortal body may die you can reform yourself around


    the pyramid. And now concentrate on the pyramid, it should be easy for you to complete


    the last step.¡±


    The pyramid rotated slowly and seemed to call me, as I came close it sucked me in, the


    following feelings were the best I ever had. Complete and utter bliss awaited me.


    But sadly it was short lived.


    (Abby)¡±That little pyramid now contains your very soul. As long as the pyramid exists


    the passage of time will not affect you. Attacks of the mind will be less effective and


    it enables you to take the next steps in your training. Try now to eat more of the seal


    you may be surprised.¡±


    More of the seal unraveled filling my stomach, but my hunger was endless no matter


    how much I ate I was not full. Then I reached the core of the spell and hungrily rammed


    my metaphysical teeth in the ball of pure magic. It felt like swallowing a potato without


    chewing. Suddenly the whole seal broke down.


    With a giant explosion Abby shot into the air lightning sparking from his arms.


    ¡°FREEDOME¡± he roared.


    I waited for his emotions to calm down, being tied down for so long, I can only imagine


    the feelings he now had.


    He sank back to me and kneed in front of me,


    (Abby)¡±You have given me my life, thus I pledge my life to you I offer you my blessing


    and swear upon the very cosmos to aid you if you call upon me.¡±


    (Mare)¡±I have but one wish for you Abby, do not charge into your doom. Prepare yourself


    and make sure that you survive it would sadden me to see you perish.¡±


    I gave Abby a smile and followed the pull my body exerted. The last I saw of Abby was


    the old god staring into the distance. He mumbled something and shot towards the horizon.


    Time to rejoin my body and see if I can do anything to get my revenge.