A mysterious man only known as the Pied Piper haunts Aschein. Not only does he lead children away, but he robs many towns of the magic that sustains their life. Now, monsters overrun the world, and humans are being driven into a corner, unable to fe...
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The second I stepped into the training room, I immediately knew that something was wrong.
For one, Elise was smiling—and not the kindly, appreciative kind of smile. No, it was a cunning smile, hinting at a gruelling training session for me.
Two, there was another figure standing beside Elise. He was wearing a plain leather jerkin and calfskin trousers, with strong sturdy boots and a belt to finish off the look. Yet the simple clothes didn't disguise the man's rugged, fierce look. He could have been anywhere between thirty and sixty—the lines on his forehead were noticeable, but he exuded the dominance of a man who was young and eager to challenge the world. His dark hair was cropped ruthlessly; a nasty, gaping scar ran down the left side of his face.
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I resisted the urge to bolt out of the room.
"Klaudia, I thought you were never going to arrive," said Elise, as though the man weren't there at all.
"Mistress Elise." I curtsied, counting one, two, three, four, five—before I finally rose up. "You have something special in mind for today?"
"Why, yes," she said. She gestured towards the hulking brute. "Klaudia, this is Frederick, one of our Fighters."
"Milady." The brute's voice was surprisingly smooth, and didn't match his appearance at all. He stepped forward, and without my permission, took my hand and planted a kiss on it while giving a bow. I barely managed to stop myself from recoiling.
"Frederick will be assisting in training today." Elise nodded at her companion. She looked unbearably pleased with herself. "I think it's time you learned the magic capabilities of the other sorcerers around here."
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "Fair enough."
"I knew you'd be excited about this!" Elise was fairly bouncing on her feet. "Now, you two stand on opposite sides of the room."
We obeyed her without a word. Even from across the room, I could see the menacing smirk on Frederick's face. If only I could reach over I wipe it off. Preferably with the back of my hand.
"All right, the goal is to make your opponent yield," shouted Elise. She was standing safely away at the edge of the room. Her face was glowing with anticipation. "Sorcerers, Saint Bromilde be with you!"
I didn't realise that our little duelling match had already begun until something invisible caught my arms.
I tried to move, but I couldn't. With panicked eyes, I looked at Frederick. He had drawn a blade without me noticing. Its point gleamed like a serpent's fang; he was holding it outstretched in one hand, aiming it towards me, chanting furiously under his breath. I fought against his magic, trying to retrieve my flute. However, he sensed my renewed efforts to break free of his grip, and the torrent of words flowing out of his mouth grew stronger. In turn, the invisible hand clamping down on my body tightened; I couldn't even move my head without straining my neck.
