Edwin woke in a small stone room. His hands and feet were bound to the chair that he was sitting in. He could feel stone on the backs of his arms and shoulders. He had been set as far away from the door as possible.

A small bed lay just a few feet out of his reach to the left. He recognized the woman laying in the bed. He couldn’t place a name though. He knew that he had talked to her before.

She was sleeping softly. She wore a strange mask. He couldn’t see much of it as she lay facing a different way, but he remember two eyes, each a different shape of the moon and a faint smile that made him uncomfortable.

“Why am I bound, woman?” he asked loudly. If he was a prisoner, then there was no point in etiquette.

Immediately, it seemed as if her breathing stopped. She rolled over and sat up. For a moment, Edwin thought the he saw an eye inside one of the mask holes but it was gone as fast as it appeared.

“I am glad you are awake, Edwin,” she said softly. The words that flowed from her covered face weren’t muffled in the slightest. They sounded clear and crisp. He would have believed she was singing if someone told him so.

“Why am I bound?” He demanded. He tugged on the cords and felt them tighten.

The woman tilted her head to the side. “We would not let someone enter our den unbound. Especially not someone so dangerous.”

Edwin didn’t reply. It was true that he was a dangerous swordsman, but he had no swords. He also couldn’t understand when she meant by their den. Who else was keeping him captive.

A soft knock on the door broke the silence. Tilted strode in. The knock was apparently just to inform them that he was entering. “Edwin, good. You are awake. We must talk.”

The blue-eyed man man waved his hand. The woman nodded and left silently.

Edwin stared silently at the man. He had a few questions, but he knew that answers would come.

Tilrer was frowning. His black hair looked limp and lifeless. “You have heard of the Masked, correct?”

Edwin nodded. Tilrer seemed to be a very straightforward person. He liked that. “Just the name. That’s all I know.”

“There are many that know more, but you were a guardsman. Many of your nobles know us. Same with the rich in the largest cities. We maintain their order.” Tilrer said. He flashed a cruel smile at the thought.

Memories flooded back to Edwin. He was a young guard. Fresh from training. He was assigned to work next to a captain. The dishonor on his name, so they watched him closely.

He and the Captain had to investigate a grizzly murder and a mask identical to the woman’s was left at the scene. The victim was discovered to be a rapist. Edwin remembered his joy when the man’s deeds were uncovered. He deserved to die.

“Good. You remember,” Tilrer said casually.

Edwin glared at the man. “How do you know that?” he snapped.

“I am a Vaoriin. I know many things. Many more than most.” Tilrer said. His face never changed.

Edwin tugged on the cords, and they pulled tighter on his wrists.

Tilrer seemed to not notice the man’s pain. “Edwin, I know everything about you. I know you better than you know yourself. That isn’t what is important though. The Masked killed the man that you remember because he deserved justice that you and the other guard weren’t giving.”

Edwin stared silently and the black haired man. He felt the words. Tilrer was right. Edwin knew just as well as Tilrer that the guards in any city weren’t perfect. Crime went unseen constantly. “So you are the enforcers then? You take justice into your own hands then?” Edwin asked.

Tilrer nodded. “We do. We are the force of justice that normal men are unable to be. We are the sword of justice.” Tilrer’s reply was firm but gentle.

“Why did you kidnap me, Tilrer? I’m an exile. Wrong or right, I should not be in anyone’s home or any form of civilization. I am to be killed. That is justice!” Edwin hated that fact, but it was true. The curse of the exile was that he was to be killed on sight by any that saw and recognized him.

“Edwin, do you think that you no longer have purpose?” Tilrer was glaring. He obviously thought not. “You would not be here if that was so. I would have allowed you to die. An innocent man though, duty bound and containing great potential, should not be left to die. That is not justice.”

Edwin’s jaw was clamped shut. He was an exile no matter what. He wanted to believe that he could find a way out of that, but he didn’t believe that it was possible. “Why am I here?” Edwin spoke slowly and clearly. He could feel his anger boiling.

“I want you to become one of the Masked. Honestly, you have no choice.” Tilrer’s glare never lightened.

Edwin’s hand slid over to the knife in his belt. Everything felt right suddenly. He felt that he needed to become one of the Masked. “You’re right. I have no other choice. I can either rot and die in the wild, or I can be a force for good.”

Tilrer’s glared lightened. “Smart man. Shyra will come in and release you. Then you will start training with her. She seems to have claimed you.”

The Aishan didn’t wait for a response. He turned and left without another word.

The masked woman was waiting outside the room. She strode in as soon as Tilrer was out of her way. She tugged a section of the cord tightly; it loosened around his wrists and feet. “Welcome to the Masked, Edwin.”

“I’m guessing that you are Shyra, then?” He faintly remembered her sharing her name, but his memory was foggy.

She stood with her arms crossed; he assumed that she was staring at him, but it was hard to tell through the mask. “I am, but you can keep calling me woman if you want to wake up without your tongue.”

He chuckled. He liked her attitude. It reminded him of Princess Lilia in a way. “I would like to keep my tongue a while longer Shyra. I think, I’ll use your name from now on.”

She nodded with satisfaction. Everything about her screamed beauty to Edwin. “We need to get your equipment, and then we’ll start your training. I will make sure that you survive.”

He knew that he didn’t want to find out what she meant by that. He would need gear to be able to do anything useful. “I’ll follow you Shyra,” Edwin said with a smile.

Shrya turned gracefully and led the way out. The walls and floors were made of grey stone. The halls were long, and they were lit with small lamps. The doors were few and far between. There were no other Masked in sight the entire time.

Shyra stopped at a reddish, black door. She had a key that turned a heavy bolt and pushed the door open.

Beyond the door was an armory. This is where the Masked spent most of their time. There were used whetstones scattered throughout the room, the stone floor was heavily worn, and every blade in the room looked to be razor sharp. There were 6 tables in the room. One was empty, but every other table had dozens of blades and tools scattered across their tops.

“Your table is the empty one over there. There are blades along the back wall. Pick three. As you work, you will earn and gather.” Shyra sang. She waved toward what had to be the back wall. She then opened a small cabinet and began digging in it. Edwin thought the woman strange.

Edwin searched through the blades along the wall. There were blade of every shape and size. Some were attached to blades. Most of the blades were small. Easier to conceal. He realized that his hand was on his dagger. Maybe it is time that I try out something new, he thought. He grabbed two daggers similar to the dagger that he wore on his belt and a one-sided shortsword. They felt good in his hands. They were all too light, but he would get used to it.

“Are you ready yet?” He heard Shyra ask. He hadn’t realized that he was taking long.

“Sorry about that. I didn’t realize.. There are some strange blades here. Styles that I’ve never heard of.” He shook his head as he strode over to his empty table and set down his new blades.

Shyra was holding a mask. It looked nothing like hers. The mask had one similarity. They were both white. The mask had four red lines slashed across the face. It looked like a bloody hand had been scraped across sideways. The eyes were thin vertical lines. Edwin liked the look. Perfect for a killer. “Is that mine, Shyra?” he asked.

She stared at the mask for a moment before handing it to him. “Be careful. any mask is dangerous in more ways than one, but this mask is more dangerous than most.”

He took the mask. Staring into its eyes, he asked,”What makes it so dangerous?” He had the urge to put in on, but he resisted. Once I know the answer, he thought.

“Imagine being totally anonymous. No one knows who you are. That means that you will feel like there are no consequences for whatever you do. People can lose their humanity with that kind of power.” She sounded like she was talking to a foolish child. The answer seemed obvious.

He traced the four red lines across the mask. “What makes this mask more dangerous than other masked? You don’t seem to be affected by your mask in some extra way.”

He heard a small indignant puff. She didn’t like that, but Edwin didn’t care much at all. She crossed her arms. “Masks that we wear are unique. Mine is very different from that. Have you heard of magic?”

Edwin’s grip tightened on the mask. “So that's the secret, then? Tilrer uses the evil power to manipulate the Masked?

Magic had been outlawed as long as he could remember. Even in the history books that he read, he had never heard of a time that the use of magic wasn’t deemed illegal.

Shyra straightened. “Magic is not evil. Man is just afraid of what it does not understand. The books that you have read lie to you, Edwin. Magic was once used by everyone that could use it.”

Edwin grunted, but he listened. He was raised to hate magic. Few thought that it was more than tales told by grandmothers to scare children into obedience. Edwin knew better. He had seen the effects of the dangerous. Those that used magic often ended up killing themselves and those close to them.

“I want nothing to do with that. I’ll be a Masked but no magic,” Edwin said firmly.

“Put on your mask,” Shyra said. She seemed to ignore Edwin’s protest to magic.

Edwin hesitated. He would not use magic. No matter the cost. His body seemed to take over and slid the mask over his face.

The world blurred for a moment. Edwin collapsed but Shyra caught him and helped him to his feet. “Are you ok?” she asked. It was the first time that Edwin felt concern in her voice. Her voice no longer seemed to be a song.

“What is this cursed object?” he asked. He could feel the unevenness in his voice. He had to keep himself from cursing in order to catch his breath.

The Masks have innate magical properties, but don’t worry. Once you learn to control that power, you will be able to remove it. The Mask won’t allow you until then.

He wanted to strike at the woman, but he could see her strength with the mask on. He could explain what that meant, but he knew that he couldn’t lay a finger on her. He released his fists. There was no other option but to accept this new fate.

“I’m glad to see you do not fight the inevitable. You were broken by the exile then. Maintain this humility for awhile longer, and I will make you strong.” She moved fluidly. Edwin saw the knife coming. It looked like she was moving slowly, but he wasn’t able to react in time. She stopped her swing just before his throat. “I’ll teach you how to do much more than just kill.”

She turned away from him. “Follow me. It is time to train.”

Edwin followed. He had only seen a person move that fast in the castle. The Dragon Knights and Initiates were the only ones that were able to move like that. Was that magic too? he wondered. He had always thought that the tonic that they were given was some foreign mixture of herbs, but magic was seeming to be the true reason.

“Is magic secretly common?” he had seen little evidence of it but he was unsure now.

She looked over her shoulder at Edwin. “You forgot your knives on the table.”

Edwin didn’t think that he would need real weapons for sparring, but he went back and grabbed them. He could see clearly through the slits. He hadn’t thought anything of that initially, but he was distracted before by all of the details that he had to take in.

The pair walked slowly back toward the room where Edwin had been bound. On the way Shyra was doing her best to give Edwin every detail about Masked that she seemed important.

There were Seekers and Hunters. One of each former a pair. Seekers worked as scouts and the Hunters were the executioners. Each Seeker and Hunter had a single partner. It was rare that they ever changed. Masks identified Seekers from Hunters. A Seeker’s mask was simple, while a Hunter’s mask was more ornate and showed more of the power that they contained.

Edwin’s mask was a Hunter’s mask. Masks were reused. The previous owner of his died on a mission, but a pair had gone in simply to retrieve the mask. The man that wore it before him was partnered with Shyra. Edwin thought that was why she was attached to him. She intended on making him her new partner.

The room that they entered was empty except for a small, platform. The platform was made of three rings. Each ring was stacked on top of the other. The rings grew as they crept close to the ground. The formation created strange steps that rose to around Edwin’s knee.

Shyra led the way up the platform. She stopped at the top in the center. “Come here. You will not like this at all, but it is necessary.” She offered him her hand.

Edwin frowned. He knew that she couldn’t see it though. He took her hand and stepped on the platform next to her. There were strange shapes on the three rings. Not one of the symbols was the same. The symbols all began to glow except for a single one. “I already hate this.”

He heard her chuckle and then mutter something before the world went white. His entire body felt like ice immediately. The cold and light faded slowly. The whole experience made Edwin’s skin crawl.

He was in a forest. Nothing looked right. The bloated trees were a shade of dark red and seeped green pus out of tears that looked similar to stretch marks. The sky was bleak and grey, and the air smelt sickeningly sweet.

Edwin could only see a dozen paces in any direction. The forest was thick. He knew where he was from the stories that he read while he was in the castle. This was the Blight. He had been taken into the Madlands.

Edwin turned to face Shyra. “Why did you take me here? Do you have a death wish?” He was mad and afraid. Too long in the Blight and they would both go mad.

“No one truly understands how the Blight works, but our masks protects us. Either way, we aren’t going to stay here. We’re must go into the Palewood. That is where we’ll train.” She said gently, as she started walking.

Edwin felt like a child when she spoke to him that way, but he bit his tongue. He would make her respect him one way or another. “Why did that thing send us to the Blight?” he asked, ignoring his frustration.

She looked over her shoulder to make sure that he was following her. “We call them Travel Gates. No one really remembers their names. Not even Tilrer. They work by moving you as close as they can to the location that you say. Sometimes you land a mile away while other times you end up in the next city over. I’ll explain more once you understand more about the workings of magic.”

Again he felt as if she considered him a child. He was a seasoned soldier. He was the personal guard for the Princess. He didn’t that she was treating him fairly, but he bit his tongue.

The pair walked silently for almost an hour. The entire time Edwin imagines how he would prove himself to her. He realized suddenly that he was acting like a child.

“Shyra, I’m sorry for being so foolish,” he said. He knew that acting so childishly never would earn him respect. “What training can be done in the Palewood that cannot be done anywhere else?”

“Do you know much of the Palewood,” she replied. Her voice was even. Edwin thought that may have been pleased with his new attitude, at least for a moment.

He paused thoughtfully before replying,”It is always dark, except for where man has cleared the trees. The trees are all white, that is where the name comes from. Also many people consider it more dangerous than even the Blight. I can’t say that I agree with that though.” He had read many accounts from the simplest of folk to the greatest heroes of disappearances inside the Palewood. It was almost always attributed to the creatures in the Blight wandering out in search of prey.

“More proof that you are a fool then,” she said gently. Again he felt like a child.

“What do you mean I am a fool, woman?” He let his temper flare.

Shyra faced him. He couldn’t read anything past her mask, but he thought that she was angry. “I am going to show you how to do things that you never knew were possible, but now I do not want to travel with you. Go west to the Palewood. Once there find the town of Va’el. I will be waiting there.”

Edwin knew that he shouldn’t have lashed out or gotten angry with her. He knew that he was a proud man, but that was no excuse.

Before he could apologize, she strode toward the dark side of the nearest tree. It looked as if she stepped into the shadowed side of the tree as if it were some type of doorway.

Edwin walked over to the tree. The was nothing out of the ordinary about the pus-covered tree. The was no doorway nor any trace of Shyra. She had simply vanished. A chill ran down Edwin’s spine. He wasn’t sure that he would ever get used to the strange workings of magic.

He turned west. Va’el was supposed to be filled with odd people that have very strange superstitions. Edwin thought that they might know something that had been forgotten by the rest of mankind. They were under the rule of High King Arthfael by territory, but he had charged Lord Everset to watch over the King’s territory until their family returned and a new king was named. King’s couldn’t focus their efforts on both governing a region and running the nation as a whole. Traditionally, they leave their lands to be governed by another nearby trusted lord. It was considered a great honor and a great burden.

Edwin frowned. He was thinking too much about a king and a group that turned their backs on him. He decided that they may think that have tarnished the name Thronebreaker for good, but Edwin knew otherwise. He would make sure that if they refused to praise his name, then they would begin to fear him.

Edwin smiled as he quickened his pace toward Va’el.