At the top of the stairs we exited into another dim hallway. Other than being wider and a little warmer, it was much the same as the prison hallways downstairs. A slight draft blew from the right, and the man in brown turned unhesitatingly in that direction. His outline turned oddly translucent, and I realized he had fallen into Stealth. With a mental effort, I pushed myself into Stealth as well.

As we crept forward, I could hear faint sounds in the distance, but we remained undiscovered as we padded quietly along. We passed multiple doors and hallways. Twice he held up his hand, and we halted. For long moments he would wait, head cocked as if listening for something. Then he would lower his hand and we would continue.

I don’t know how long we continued this way, but fatigue began to weigh upon me. Stealth required far more effort than simply walking down the hall. The small of my back began to ache. My thighs and calves burned, and I felt that my feet might start to cramp at any moment. I was greatly relieved when he stopped, leaned his ear against a side door, then opened it, and motioned me inside.

Letting out a breath, I relaxed and came out of Stealth.

He whispered to me, “We are approaching the castle exit. This fortress was never built to be a major stronghold, so once we leave the building it shouldn’t take us long to reach the walls and exit through the gate. Spiral Castle was only recently re-garrisoned, and not with a complete force, which is why we have been able to avoid discovery thus far. That may soon change.”

“Spiral Castle?” I interrupted.

He raised his hand and spun his finger around, indicating everything around us.

“In ancient times it held the border between two warring kingdoms. It had been abandoned for centuries but is now being reinvested. As you have seen, the occupying force is not friendly.”

I nodded vigorously.

“Unfortunately, we are now approaching the populated area of the keep, so leaving unseen will be tricky at best.”

“How did you get in?”

He shrugged. “It was dark, and the orcs are not observant. However, it took quite a while to find you, and I believe daybreak is imminent. We are much more likely to be exposed than when I first entered, so you must be prepared to flee. If at any time I shout at you to run, do so without hesitation. No questions. If I am shouting to you it means we have already been discovered and speed is now our only hope. Do you understand?”

I swallowed and nodded.

His tone was deadly serious as he said, “These creatures, they will have no mercy. If we are caught, we will die.”

I muttered, “Not like I want to go through that again.”

The man blinked.

“What do you mean?”

“Uh, I don’t want to die again. I know it sounds impossible, but it happened to me once down in the prisons. An orc killed me. The words even said so. You have died. And then I woke up back in my prison cell.”

Pensively, he thought for a bit and then murmured to himself, “I suppose that only makes sense.”

He seemed to come to some kind of decision because he abruptly reached into a pocket and pulled out a small blue gem. It glowed with a soft steady radiance that neither flickered nor dimmed.

“If we are parted during the escape, find a safe place and use this.”

“What is it?” I asked as I received it from him and tucked it into the dirty orc pouch hanging from my dirty orc belt next to my rusty orc short sword.

“It…” He hesitated. “It’s difficult to explain, but it will allow you to change the location where you resurrect.”

My eyes widened. Change the location? So I wouldn’t wake up trapped in that awful cell again?

The side of his mouth quirked up as he saw the understanding and excitement spread across my face.

“Yes, but remember--choose carefully. It can only be used once, and you must be sure that the location is absolutely safe.”

Pain filled his eyes for a moment before he repeated himself.

“Remember--absolutely safe. Do not waste it.”

I answered resolutely, “I understand. I’ll guard it...er...with my life.”

“One last thing,” he said. “If we are split up while escaping, head west to the nation of Paravel. It is a human nation, so you should blend in without any trouble.”

He hesitated.

“If...if you find yourself alone and unsure what to do, find a man called Rafe. He’s something of a rascal yet good hearted withall. He’s also a bit of a drifter, but he enjoys his ale. Check out the inns when you enter a city. When you find him, tell him to remain true to the Stricture of Mercy, and he will help you.”

Confused, I asked, “But he could be anywhere! How am I supposed to find this one man out of an entire nation?”

The man in brown looked steadily at me before saying, “You asked for your name. I will give you one now. There is power in names, and they are not to be given lightly. This name is not the one you were born with, but you’re starting a new life now. A new life deserves a new name.”

He reached towards me and gently touched my chest over my heart.

“Paol,” he breathed. “Your name is Paol. May it serve you better than your last.”

My heart felt pained, and I took a deep breath.

“You are marked, for better or worse. That mark brings both danger and fortune. If you search for Rafe, I think you will find him.”

“But I don’t understand,” I whispered.

Questions burning within me threatened to spew forth in a furious tide, but his eyes stopped me cold. Pain shone in them, naked and raw. My mouth went dry.

“I know,” he said softly. “I know. But the day will come when you do understand...you’ll understand everything. It’s different for you this time around, so I think that when that day comes, you will find yourself wishing you had remained ignorant.”

He shook himself suddenly, and it was as if a spell was removed from between us. Looking up and down my form, he frowned.

“You’re going to need something better than those rags.”

From somewhere within that brown cloak he pulled out a large pouch.

“Just in case, tie this to your belt. There are some clothes and other necessities in it.”

Then his eyes fell on the battered, ugly short sword that hung at my side.

“That...will not be enough. You need a better weapon.”

He hesitated and looked down at the longsword hanging from his side. He unbound the scabbard from his belt and traced the length of it with his finger before nodding decisively and holding it out to me.

“Quickly, exchange weapons with me,” he commanded. “You may have the Swords skill, but I suspect it is at Level 1, yes?”

“Yes, that’s right,” I answered.

“You’ll need a better blade to help make up for your low level. No weapon can transform a novice into a master, but there are some weapons that can help. This is one such weapon.”

The scabbard was plain and worn, and the hilt of the sword showed sweat stains and signs of wear. Clearly, it had seen much use. I remembered how the sword had looked after he had killed Tozk. Shining as if from an inner light, it almost seemed as if the sword had made a soft hum when he flipped the orc’s blood off of it.

“Her name is Veritas. Be true to her and she will serve you well.”

You have been offered the soul bond for the sword Veritas. Do you accept? Y/N?

“What is a soul bond?”

“It means the sword will be bound to your soul. If you die, Veritas will be with you when you awaken.”

I unsheathed Veritas halfway from the scabbard, and once again I saw those faint etchings dancing along the blade. I compared the beautiful sword to the battered, rusty piece of metal at my side.

“It’s too generous. I can't,” I said. I don’t know why I was saying it. I desperately wanted the sword. It was so clearly superior to the scrap I was wearing. The image of it slicing through Tozk’s neck like butter was very clear in my mind.

“Just do it, Paol. I can get by with your weapon if need be, but you--you need every advantage you can get right now.”

I knew I should have felt a little insulted at that, but I couldn’t get upset with a man who had saved my life and was about to gift me something so precious.

Yes.

And just like that, Veritas was bound to me. There was an almost visceral ‘click’ somewhere inside me, and I knew that this was a weapon that I could never truly lose.

"One last thing," he said solemnly. "Veritas was never truly mine. Neither does she belong to you, soulbond notwithstanding. You will know when you meet the man to whom she belongs, and when you do you must give her up. Do you understand?"

I didn't, but I nodded anyway.

The man in brown examined his new piece of twisted metal with a bemused look on his face. He buckled it on and then motioned towards the door with his chin.

“Ready?”

I took a deep breath and nodded. He opened the door and slipped out, growing faintly transparent as he did so. I followed.