Chương 30: The test

Ch 30: The test

"Please, father." Isa stepped out from the side of the court. When she met Felix's eyes, he could see the real panic. That probably wasn't good.

"I trust this man," she pleaded.

"His soul is too powerful to scourge. It could kill him, and mark anyone who tries. If you could…"

"You are now the heir of my house," her father snapped.

"Soon you will learn to see past your…womanly grace and sympathy. Some decisions are hard, even cruel, but must still be made." Felix smiled as he looked at his beautiful girl. Yes, he'd decided already she was his. His heart warmed that she'd at least tried. But he knew a man like Amadi couldn't announce a thing and change his mind. He was surprised when Cara, too, stepped out to stand beside Isa.

"I trust him also, lord. I would take responsibility for him. Watch him. I am sure he is not a spy." The High Lord stared, obviously surprised by the bodyguard's reaction. But his eyes didn't change. If anything, he looked at Felix with even more skepticism.

"It seems you've made an impression on my daughter, and her guardian. Perhaps they sent you because of your way with women. My order stands. Take him to the temple grounds."

"You grieve for your sons, and I grieve for my brothers." Isa's eyes were red.

"Don't take it out on a man who's been our friend and ally." Felix winced at that. You could only push a leader of men so far. He had to maintain face. Authority. His brave water princess wasn't backing down. But he hoped it didn't make things worse…

"There isn't a pool alive strong enough to do what you ask," Isa said more quietly.

"With his power he'll…"

"Then I'll use more than one," Amadi snapped back with a cold tone. Felix was really hoping Isa got the message and backed down. She did not.

"And what will happen to them? At least let me be there to protect them if something goes wrong. I'll send for Cici. With us there maybe a few innocent women won't have to die. Because they will, father. You know they will." Felix wasn't sure if he was more concerned or curious. What exactly were they about to do to him? And why would it involve dead 'pools'? All he knew is the word 'scourge' didn't sound good. To his great surprise, Lord Amadi actually nodded.

"I often forget how rare and powerful my youngest child is. One day, daughter, you will make a fine master of this house. But may the Gods have mercy on your husband." Despite the tension, most of the court let out a low chuckle. Felix would have liked to share it, but the whole 'imminent magical torture' thing didn't really strike his funny bone. The guards finally tried to push him along. When he didn't budge, they gestured somewhat politely instead. He went quietly. Every eye seemed to follow him out.

One last look at the foreign 'tri-wizard', is it? Before they stick me in my zoo? Felix resisted the urge to yell something profane, and break one of his guard's arms. It wasn't the time to resist. If he was going to break free and escape, being close to a court full of water wizards didn't seem like the place to do it. So he let them take him down to the narrow passage that led to the temple, counting guards and remembering corridors. As he walked he had time to think.

After learning he was a 'tri-wizard' he began to suspect his ability to 'absorb' every kind of magic he'd encountered was because he had three types of mana. And because the old world didn't have earth mages. Maybe that's what a 'lifestealer' truly was. A tri-wizard. Driven insane because they were slowly overwhelmed by their own mana, pulled in too many directions. If so, it was only natural that they were feared. All the old world used was fire, air, and water.

Which meant the only type he couldn't absorb was earth. What could a wizard do against him? Nothing. At least not directly. Which meant all he really needed to do was deal with any earth mages, and he could pretty much just smash his way out and run. He hadn't seen a single bow, or sling, or crossbow on the island. They hardly had any weapons at all. These people used magic for everything. Except he had no idea how to identify an earth mage. They'd said House Amadi had some.

And it was probably only a matter of time before the other types of mages figured out to hit him with secondary effects. You couldn't burn a lifestealer. But you could knock a tree down on top of him. Or throw a knife into his throat. In fact it seemed pretty likely they'd have a lot of experience doing just that, considering every other mage would be able to absorb their own element, too. He walked on, mind lost in the possibilities. They'd nearly reached the temple, and he knew it was time to make his move.

The passage here was narrow. The temples were full of confusing passages with little lighting. He could lose them inside, make his way to another exit. Sprint for the coast. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings. He glanced over his shoulder to see how many were following, then froze when he saw Isa. Cara was with her, too. And so was High Mage Hasha. Fuck. He didn't know what the powerful water wizard could do to him, but he had a bad feeling.

He looked at each of them—Isa gave him a brave and re-assuring smile. Cara gave no expression and said nothing. But the son of a bitch High Wizard shook his head. Like he knew. Was he telling him not to because he believed it was impossible? Because he was trying to tell him it wasn't necessary? Because he just didn't want to have to deal with it? Felix looked front again and ground his teeth. The temple doors were in sight. They opened as the priestesses unlocked and unbarred the way.

All he had to do was burn the ridiculous rope they'd thought would tie him—smash the nearby guards and charge through a bunch of women. It would be almost easy. Isa's hand touched his arm. She squeezed past him in the narrow corridor, giving him a subtle hug as she went.

"It'll be alright," she whispered.

"We'll get you through this." Then she was calling to the priestesses and telling them they'd need the testing room and the temple cleared. Felix stood there counting, multiplying in sevens to control the fire already ramming against its cave.

"You'll be alright," Hasha repeated behind him.

"I've only seen a couple die. Better chances then on the run."

"I don't know. I'm pretty fast," Felix said bitterly.

"What the hell are they gonna to do to me, exactly?" The big man took a deep breath.

"Drain so much of your mana you're weak enough for a water spell. Then half drown you with a spell that makes you tell the truth. It's unpleasant. Water comes out your nose and mouth. You'll probably throw up and forget your name for a bit. But it won't kill you."

"Then how do people die?"

"The spell only works on wizards if their souls are practically drained. We'll try and get it just right. But a soul drained too far can cause…damage. Usually just pain. But sometimes madness. Sometimes death." Felix turned and glared, getting the urge to break free again.

"If it's any consolation," said Hasha, "with a soul as powerful as yours, it should be easy to leave the level low. It's like having a giant tub of water to work with. More room for error."

"It isn't. And why is there danger to the pools?" Felix said, starting to worry about Isa now.

"A soul is more than mana. We need you to wear yourself down from use. We'll force you to channel. You'll drain your own mana, and you'll drain as much from a pool, or multiple pools, until your soul is exhausted. But…there's danger to the pools if you draw too much."

"I won't, then. And why not use the ocean, or something? There's plenty of mana there." Hasha sighed, reverting to his defacto tone, like he was talking to an ignorant child.

"External mana doesn't work for this spell. And there's a phenomenon we call Mana Thirst. The more drained a wizard is, the hungrier he becomes for mana. As with many things, fire is the worst. The urge is wildest and hardest to resist. Or so say the fire wizards who go around killing and burning. It's all very convenient, if you ask me."

"I'm pretty good at resisting things. I've been doing it my whole life. But what happens if I fail?"

"To you? Not much. But with pools around, you'll try and drain them dry. First you mark them. Then you could bond them. Go too far, and you could hurt or kill them."

"How will I know when it's too much?" Hasha nodded like it was the first good question.

"You'll sense it. Removing such a large quantity of mana from a pool is…dramatic. At first, it's pleasurable for them. Then painful. Then fatal. Stop when there's pain. If you can."

"I will." Hasha gave him an indulgent smile.

"That's like an alcoholic promising just one drink. Easy to say while you're standing here sober. But when you're caught in the midst, it can be… very difficult to stop. Even for a water wizard like me." Felix shook his head, angry and afraid, then even more angry because of the fear. It was like being a child again, afraid he'd let out his 'gift' and hurt someone. As he followed Isa and the others up the cool, damp corridors, he soon accepted that he'd made the decision not to run.

If he ran, it would tell the lord and everyone else he was guilty. Even if he escaped he'd have to run to another family, or somehow steal a boat and leave the island. It wasn't what he wanted. It would break Isa's heart, too, and he'd meant what he told her. He had no intention of hurting her. He could handle this.

"I don't suppose I get a last meal, or something." They were back in the testing area now. The priestesses were stripping him back down to his underwear with Isa right there. Cara and Hasha waited nearby. Isa met his eyes and smiled.

"You just ate."

"Alright," he said, much more quietly.

"One more night, then. Away from prying eyes." Isa glanced at the silent priestesses, then dismissed them when they were almost finished. Maybe it was her new status as the heir of her house, but he noticed the priestesses didn't hesitate for a second to obey. She put her hands on his arms and pretended to adjust his bandages.

"You'll be alright," she whispered.

"I'll make sure you're not too drained. And once you've been truth-tested, then everything will be better. The court will be satisfied. Father will understand. And we'll do just like we said. You'll study, and we'll be together." He smiled for her, but struggled to accept it. He was a little boy again. His mother was dying of the plague. He was standing with his friend being told about how life really was. About the people who were lucky, and the people who weren't.

"Don't worry, princess," he said.

"It'll all work out just like it's supposed to." She nodded and matched the smile, taking a deep breath.

"I'm here! Isa? Oh I hate this place. It's so wet and dreary." Hard taps came up the stairs. Cici walked into the testing area wearing a particularly open shirt that barely covered her breasts. She practically strutted down the temple corridor, swaying her way straight to the water princess before kissing her cheek.

"Thank you for coming." Isa put her hands on the other girl's arms.

"I know it's far too much to ask. That you've already come as a favor to me. If it's too much, I understand, it's just, I don't want to risk anyone, and I don't know who else to…"

"Isa, I'm here already, stop apologizing like always." Cici smiled like she was just teasing and hugged the shorter woman warmly, giving Cara a polite nod. The fire pool whispered something in Isa's ear. The hug got tighter and more intimate, Isa shedding a tear on the other girl's shoulder. Felix assumed she was giving sympathies about her dead brothers. And he started to wish he wasn't just standing beside them in his underwear. He also tried not to picture them naked, because that was wildly inappropriate.

And led him to recalling Cici kneeling in front of him with his dick between her lips.

"Well." Cici eventually pulled back and let out a breath like she was fighting her own emotions.

"We'd better get this over with." She raked him with her eyes, smiling when she noticed the slight bulge of his manhood. Felix looked between the beautiful women, their arms still around each other's lower backs. Then at Cara standing behind. And he decided he'd really like to live long enough to have sex with one, and possibly all three of them. That would be a pretty good way to die. He walked to the inferno in his soul, which was already waving back and forth, wagging like a dog's tail ready for a game of catch.

It didn't look concerned in the slightest. And he hoped these people knew what the hell they were doing.