Deception

16 ¦ A Brief Reprieve

I hardly slept a wink after my night terrors, nor did I dare meditate. The thought of experiencing another magical vision filled me with dread.

Did the serum make me hallucinate? Was Dahlroth reaching out to me for help? Or was my mind playing tricks?

After that madness, I wasn't sure if I wanted to tap into my abilities again.

Promptly after the ninth bell, metal screeched against metal as a guard unlocked the cell door. A female Dragonborn leaned against the door frame.

She took one look at me and shook her head. "I wish the damned bastards didn't have to drug your ass," she growled under her breath. "That does all kinds of crazy shit to the system."

Tell me about it.

After she ensconced a torch on a metal wall fitting, she sat beside me. "Bet it feels like a tornado screwed a hurricane inside your head."

"That covers it, more or less," I replied with a groan as I propped myself against the stone wall.

"They give apprentice magic users and healers that crazy tonic to suss out their skills."

"Wait, what? How does that work?"

"It's a kind of assessment test for magic," she said. "Unlocks sealed areas of the mind and gives Lord Darius an idea of what you're good for."

"He was watching me?"

"Mm-hmm, inside your visions." The guard reached into her leather belt pouch, took out a vial of viscous blue liquid. "You probably don't remember."

All too well.

"You're the first to wind up here, though. What d'you do to piss him off?"

"I don't know. I don't have to do much to upset him."

"Yeah," she said with a toothy grin, "I think he sees something in you."

I furrowed my brow when she handed me the serum.

"Seriously, lady?" she said with a snort. "If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't need poison."

I was no match for a Dragonborn warrior--the guard could probably crush most human males in one hand. Her legs were almost as large as my whole body, and I'd read that very few weapons could pierce her race's dense, coarse reptilian skin. That didn't even take into account those large, sharp horns on either temple.

Under my scrutiny, the guard's reptilian pupils narrowed. "What? You ain't never seen a female Dragonborn before?"

"Only in books."

"Get over yourself and take the damn health tonic," she said with a scoff.

I gulped the potion without any further protest, grimacing at the bitter, soapy flavor. "It tastes like crap on a rat turd, doesn't it?" the guard said, curling her lip. "It'll help you feel better, though."

I muttered my thanks. Within a few minutes, my haze began to clear and my nausea and headache settled.

The guard rummaged in her other pouch and pulled out some food in brown baking parchment. When she opened the wrapper, she handed me a golden-brown roll, and my stomach growled with envy.

"Here, have a bite to eat. The honey will help."

I took the roll from her, and as soon as I took the first bite, I discovered a ravenous hunger I didn't know I had. I couldn't wolf the bread down fast enough, and the guard gave me a wry smile.

"If you manage not to piss off the Shadow Rider, you can get on with your training," she grumbled.

"Yeah, that's the trick, isn't it?" I retorted.