Chapter 141

“Have you gone mad?” The anger in Snowcloud’s tone was matched by her expression . “He’s a recruit, and you want him to go through the Tempering?”

“Lady Snowcloud, novices aren’t supposed to know about the Tempering,” Elder Naran said, frowning at her .

“Recruits aren’t supposed to undergo it,” Snowcloud retorted sharply .

“He’s hardly a usual recruit,” Elder Naran said . “Even without the Blood magic, his raw strength is enough to match a powerful novice . “

“But the Tempering kills even adepts,” Snowcloud said .

“Some die,” Elder Naran agreed . “But most survive, and grow stronger . “

“What are the two of you talking about?” Arran cut in . He had absolutely no idea what the Tempering was, but from Snowcloud’s reaction, it was clear it was dangerous . “What is this ‘Tempering’?”

“The Tempering is one of the steps of the True Path,” Elder Naran replied . “It purifies the body and mind, reforging you into something stronger . And right now, it is the only thing that might solve your predicament . “

“He wants to burn you,” Snowcloud said, anger still clear in her voice .

“Burn me?” Arran asked, looking at Elder Naran suspiciously .

Elder Naran scraped his throat . “I suppose it could be described that way . The Tempering involves using magic to slowly burn the impurities from your body, remaking you in the process . But it’s something that all adepts undergo, and ultimately, it strengthens those who go through it . “

“Only those who survive,” Snowcloud interjected . “And none of them are recruits . “

“He has a better chance than you might think,” Elder Naran said . “The Blood magic will help his body regenerate, and combined with his strength, that should be enough . ” He looked at Arran . “But of course, there are risks, and ultimately, the choice is yours . “

Arran frowned at the words .

While the Tempering sounded terrifying, Elder Naran seemed to believe he had a good chance of surviving it . And although that hardly filled Arran with confidence, it would be better than waiting for the bloodlust to grow until he couldn’t control it anymore .

“Will this cure me?” he finally asked . “Burn away the Blood magic?”

“It won’t,” Elder Naran said . “As I said earlier, the Blood magic is now part of you . “

“Then what good is it?” Arran asked .

“The Tempering will not just purify your body,” Elder Naran said . “As you reform your body, you will also acquire true control over it . If all goes well, once the Tempering is over you will fully command your body and its instincts — hopefully including those created by the Blood magic . “

The giant Elder gave Arran an encouraging look, then continued, “You’re quite lucky . Had you been afflicted with Blood magic after going through the Tempering, it would be impossible to bring it under your control this way . “

As Elder Naran finished speaking, Arran gave the matter some thought . Elder Naran’s encouragement and optimism notwithstanding, it sounded like this Tempering was a dangerous and painful affair, and even then, it wasn’t guaranteed to help him .

If it was his only option he would go through with it, but not before making sure that there really wasn’t any other path .

He turned to Snowcloud . “Do you have any other ideas?”

She hesitated before speaking . “We could return to the Sixth Valley,” she finally said, though her voice was filled with doubt . “There are many mages in the Valley, and one of them might know a true cure . ” After a glare at Elder Naran, she added, “One that doesn’t involve burning you alive . “

Arran frowned at the answer . If they returned to the Sixth Valley, Snowcloud would fall into the hands of Elder Fang, and would not be allowed to leave again . That meant she would be unable to finish the cure for the Patriarch .

While he was surprised that she would do that for his sake, he knew it was too large a sacrifice to ask of her . Yet before he could say so, Elder Naran spoke up .

“They won’t help him,” the giant Elder said . “He’s not even a full member of the Society yet . “

“I could—” Snowcloud began .

“Using your position to force the issue won’t work,” Elder Naran interrupted her . “Your influence has already fallen too far . If it hadn’t, do you think Elder Fang would have dared to order your capture?”

“Then what about you?” Snowcloud asked, though she sounded uncertain . “If he has the backing of an Elder, won’t they help him?”

Elder Naran laughed bitterly . “If I speak for him, the Waning Sun and Iron Mountain will oppose me without even knowing the issue . At best, he will be sent away . At worst, they will try to have him executed . “

“Then we can seek help elsewhere,” Snowcloud said, not ready to give up . “I can ask Lord Sevaril—”

“No!” Arran interrupted her sharply . Ignoring Snowcloud’s confused look, he turned his eyes to Elder Naran . “What if I search by myself? How long do I have?”

“If you don’t kill again, you might be able to withstand the Blood magic for months, perhaps even years — if your will is strong enough . ” Elder Naran paused before continuing, his gaze fixed on Arran . “But do you think you will be able to avoid battle as you search for a cure?”

Arran sighed . Even without the bloodlust, avoiding battle while searching for a cure would be difficult . And with the bloodlust, it was plainly impossible . A simple threat or challenge would be enough to break his control, possibly for good .

“So the Tempering is my only option . “

“It’s also an opportunity,” Elder Naran said . “Assuming you survive, you will gain the benefits of both the Tempering and Blood magic . While neither will help you control magic, your strength in physical combat will be terrifying — far beyond anything normal novices could hope to achieve . “

Arran could see excitement in the Elder’s eyes, and he understood that the man considered the situation an opportunity rather than a threat . While that did little to take away his own worries, he could not deny that the idea of surpassing other novices was tempting .

“All right,” he finally said . “When do we start?”

When he looked at Snowcloud, her expression was dejected, but she didn’t object to his decision — even if she disapproved, he knew she had no better options to offer .

“There is no point in delaying,” Elder Naran said . “We will start right away . The process will take several weeks, and the sooner we start, the sooner you can move forward . “

Without waiting for a reply, Elder Naran stood up and left the room, Arran and the others following behind him . They passed through several hallways and descended a number of stairs, finally arriving in a large circular chamber with bare stone walls .

To Arran’s eyes, it looked like it had once been a dungeon — or perhaps a torture chamber . But now, it was completely empty, lacking even a single piece of furniture .

“Take off your clothes and set your belongings aside,” Elder Naran said . “Then sit down in the middle of the chamber . “

“My clothes?” Arran asked with a frown .

“The Tempering will disintegrate them,” the Elder explained . “As well as anything else you carry on you . Hurry now, this is no time for modesty . “

Arran did as the man said, trying his best to ignore Snowcloud and Tuya as he disrobed and put his belongings in a little pile on the side of the chamber .

It didn’t help that Tuya gave him an approving grin as he undressed, or that Snowcloud’s normally pale face had turned scarlet . Quickly, he reminded himself that he was about to face an ordeal that might kill him .

When he finally finished and sat down at the center of the chamber, he covered himself as best he could with his hands .

“Now what?” he asked .

“Now, we begin,” Elder Naran said .

Without waiting for a response from Arran, the Elder raised his hands, and a moment later Arran felt a painful heat flooding over him, as if he was lowered into a scalding bath .

To his surprise, he could Sense no Fire Essence coming from the Elder, nor could he see any flames . Whatever magic Elder Naran used, it was invisible to both his Sense and his eyes .

Gradually, the feeling of heat intensified . Where it had first been merely uncomfortable, it now began to hurt, causing a pain that seeped through his entire body . There was nothing for it but to clench his jaw and endure — he already knew it would get far worse .

Yet suddenly, the heat vanished, and when Arran looked up, he saw a shocked expression on Elder Naran’s face .

At once, the Elder turned to Snowcloud and Tuya .

“Leave!”

“What’s the—” Snowcloud began

“Out! Now!” the Elder yelled . “And don’t return until we emerge from the chamber!”

He roared the words, and although he had earlier treated Snowcloud almost as an equal, it was clear that this was a command that could not be disobeyed . After a moment’s hesitation, the two women did as the Elder said, and Arran could see concern fill Snowcloud’s face .

“What’s going on?” he asked fearfully .

Elder Naran did not reply, instead making some gestures at the door and walls — creating seals, Arran thought, though he did not know for what purpose .

Only after he finished did the man turn to face Arran, who was now on the brink of panic . Yet when Arran saw the Elder’s expression, it held no threat — only surprise and excitement, in equal parts, as if he had just made a great discovery .

“Why didn’t you tell me?”, the giant Elder said, his voice trembling with enthusiasm .

“Tell you what?” Arran asked, dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events .

“That you have a Destruction Realm!”