Before Suri’s eyes, a spacious room with high ceilings unfolded, bathed in the interplay of light streaming from the solitary stained glass window. The sun, teetering on the edge of setting, cast its final rosy hue upon everything its rays touched. Outside, fluffy clouds lazily drifted, tinged by the palette of the gentle luminary, carrying the scent of sweet cotton candy.
Suri disregarded everything else, wholly engrossed in the panorama. Yet, it petrified her. The girl was anchored to the spot, unable to shift her gaze from the boundless expanse that drained away all her courage.
Cassia’s gentle touch pulled the wanderer from the clutches of childhood nightmares, and Suri looked around, dispelling the remnants of unpleasant sensations.
Magister Pankratz scrutinized the guest with a sleepy, contemplative gaze while lounging on a nearby chair with unexpected dignity. Besides him, there were two more people in the room.
A somewhat excessively thin and pale woman was hunched over a table, surrounded by a pile of various manuscripts and scrolls. The faded robe, adorned with an exquisite chain, didn’t look as awkward on her as it did on Magister Pankratz. However, it didn’t enhance her appearance either. Beneath the bulky turban, not a single strand of hair escaped from the silky, ink-black curls. But the most remarkable feature of her appearance was her eyes: large, black, with fuzzy lashes, reminiscent of a doll’s gaze. With unwavering attention, she observed Suri, as though studying a new scroll, her slender fingers lazily tracing the edges of the parchment.
Another stranger stood near the window. Suri felt a shiver at the proximity to the immense height beyond. On the other hand, the man exuded self-assurance, proclaiming with his entire demeanor that nothing could shake his determination. The black leather armor only emphasized this feeling. His posture, mannerisms, tightly pressed lips, seemingly from dissatisfaction, all portrayed him as a fighter. A smoothly shaved head and an eagle-like profile completed the image of a person rigid and entrenched in his views. Unlike the others, he didn’t even deign to glance at the guest. This man was ensnared in the trap of his own stubbornness.
“It seems your art’s ability came in handy at just the right moment,” Magister Pankratz broke the silence.
“Yes, Magister,” replied Cassia, bowing her head in a respectful greeting.
“In that case, stay.”
Magister Pankratz rose from his seat, making a brief gesture inviting Suri to take one of the stone chairs in the center of the room.
The girl didn’t hesitate to accept. Memories of the recent humiliation were still vivid, and she couldn’t imagine the reactions of these undoubtedly significant individuals had she entered the room on all fours.
“So, what is our guest’s name?” The question was directed at Cassia, but Magister Pankratz`s gaze remained fixed on the wanderer.
“Suri, Magister,” the attendant answered softly. “It seems she doesn’t remember anything.”
“Are you certain?” inquired a woman with doll-like eyes.
Cassia hesitated, casting guilty glances at her charge.
“I hear nothing except what aera wishes to convey.”
“We cannot risk it this way; we need to be sure…” began the warrior, but Magister Pankratz stopped him with a raised hand.
“Aera Suri, we all know who you are, but your situation is different from ours. Allow me to clarify this misunderstanding. Before you stands the esteemed prior of the Savants Circle, Archmage Velda, and a slightly impatient but equally respected prior of the Warrior`s Order, Paladin Ingwild. We are the Council, and it is up to us to decide your fate.”
Magister Pankratz fell silent, choosing his next words carefully. He wants answers from the guest, and if he and the other Council members didn’t find them satisfactory, the Judge would execute the verdict instantly. Ingwild was right. There was no time to rely on luck. However, the hunter squads hadn’t returned with live wanderers for a long time, especially not with powerful blood mages.
“We can’t afford the luxury of trusting wanderers, especially those who can pose a threat to our safety. But we have been observing you all this time, and you appear to be a person shaped by challenging circumstances,” the man continued at a leisurely pace, occasionally glancing at Cassia to gauge her reaction. Unlike the lively expressions of the attendant, Suri’s face remained as impassive as her lips.
“Perhaps you are now eager to regain lost memories, like all the wanderers before you.”
Suri didn’t react outwardly, but her soul turned upside down after the man’s words.
“So there are others like me?”
The less she revealed about herself, the more information she gathered.
“There is a source capable of satisfying your curiosity for a proportional price, naturally, through a fair exchange.”
The Council`s members attempted to maintain their composure, occasionally stealing glances at Cassia—the lone voice of the blood mage—unintentionally betraying their tension.
Cassia, with wide-open eyes full of undisguised reverence, stared at Suri. Even in her boldest thoughts, she couldn’t have imagined that the Council, despite their irreconcilable differences, would gather in one room for the sake of this extraordinary stranger.
Despite the apparent indifference, Suri noticed everything. She had long confirmed that Cassia’s peculiar ability was limited only to directly posed questions. Cassia couldn’t read her thoughts and perhaps only sensed the shades of the most intense emotions.
Suri had nothing to fear; Cassia wouldn’t voluntarily or involuntarily reveal her bluff. Focusing her gaze on the girl, Suri mentally formed a question into a single sentence.
“Why do you assume I want the same as the others?”
Cassia’s lips parted at the same moment, unmistakably lending the silent question her own soft and slightly hoarse voice.
“All wanderers are insatiable beings, ready for much to fill the bottomless cup to the brim,” the Archmage interjected. “If you, blood mage, need a reason, how about this: simple curiosity.”
“What nonsense are you spouting, woman?” Paladin Ingwild muttered, irritably rubbing his nose. “Don’t judge everyone by yourself, crazy mentat.”
The large black eyes framed with fluffy lashes didn’t spare him even a second of attention, depriving him of the opportunity to express dissatisfaction in any other way.
Suri fully agreed with the man. It was foolish to get involved in something you didn’t understand just for the sake of curiosity. However, this was exactly what she intended to do, seeing no other way for herself.
“In that case, I want someone to finally answer my questions,” Suri took the initiative into her own hands.
Magister Pankratz cast a disapproving look at the woman, but she merely shrugged, indicating that the stranger had given her consent.
“Remember, aera, we were talking about a fair exchange,” Magister’s voice sounded somewhat tired, as if the burdens of numerous sleepless nights had descended on his shoulders at that moment.
The girl nodded, confirming the logic of his words. In response, the man absentmindedly pointed somewhere out of the window, capturing everyone’s attention.
“Azur will fall,” he continued in a different, firmer tone, “and our searches have led us to a unanimous decision. Only a blood mage can resolve this. The Council has sacrificed much to discover this, but much more will be lost if we face another failure.”
Magister Pankratz’s words sounded ominous, subtly intensifying the atmosphere in the room, bathed in a warm, peach-colored light. But with each passing minute, the gentle sunset glow transformed into a bright crimson hue, staining the clothes and faces of everyone present as if dipped in fresh blood.
“No matter how harmless you may appear, we know that we are making a pact with forces we do not understand and likely never will. But that is our choice.”
“So, you agree to grant access to all the information… Knowledge you have?” Suri asked through Cassia’s mouth. She felt that she might finally get answers to the long-standing questions. What is this place? Where and how was she found? Who were the others before her? And what does “blood mage” mean?
Magister Pankratz shifted his gaze to the two Priors, awaiting their opinion. The blood mage used peculiar phrasing, indicating the unusual nature of her origin.
“Our fates hang in the balance, tipping unfavorably. The Savants Circle are prepared for any consequences,” replied Archmage Velda, stretching her lips into a faint smile. “Especially since this time the wanderer will be risking much more than us.”
Paladin Ingwild nodded briefly and somewhat indifferently, but when he glanced at Suri, she shuddered from the bloodthirsty desire directed at her. He didn’t trust her, and as a result, didn’t believe a single word she said. However, being in the minority, he had to accept the final decision.
“The Order of Warriors gives its consent.”
His ominous promise sounded much quieter: “If death awaits us, blood mage or whatever you are, you will be the first to know our fate.”
Suri’s heart was weighed down by a foreboding sense of doom. All she wanted was to understand what was happening to her. But for some reason, a threat of losing her life hung over her. Could her questions really cost so much? Moreover, the dark atmosphere in the room left no doubt that if negotiations reached an impasse, an inglorious and swift end awaited her. The so-called Council offered Suri a choice, depriving her of other alternatives, and the conditions of the deal remained much more mysterious.
Suri feverishly sifted through her memories, recalling everything she knew about medieval castles and the disasters that long-gone generations faced. Could blood mages possess unique skills capable of resisting siege, rebellion, or plague? She had spent all her free time in the endless archives of the International Data Storage Foundation, cataloging countless texts that somehow captured hidden information. Even her exceptional talent for memorization, fueled and developed by achievements in science and medicine, couldn’t give her confidence in her own abilities. The girl doubted the success, completely not understanding her assigned role. However, this was the moment when she had to rely on chance.
Magister and priors closed in around the stranger, shedding all remnants of their previous indifference. The Council members’ once aloof gazes now penetrated the girl to the bone, making it difficult for her to breathe.
“Blood mage, I will open the path to the Heart of Azur for you,” the Magister’s authoritative voice resounded. “But it will be up to you to determine whether you can obtain answers to your questions.”
Suri locked eyes with the man. His words exuded hopelessness, a feeling she herself couldn’t shake.
“I agree to your conditions.”
