Missteps Book Two

Chapter 1 - Aleton

It was cold as the wooden cart rumbled along the dirt road towards Aleton. The road was marred by deep ruts that were deeper than what the cart could handle. As a result, Carric had to drive in-between the ruts or risk their axle. Next to him, Kerri played with the still-young giant weasel, Shomma. The weasel threatened to spill out of her lap with every move, but the bard kept a good handle on the make-shift harness they'd been able to cobble together.

In the back of the cart, Lia and Ander played a precarious game of chess. With every jolt of the vehicle, their pieces threatened to scatter. Elaine watched with an amused expression as she lounged against the side, her armor off and a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Trailing a bit behind, were Jun and Iados. The two fighters kept up a lively conversation as they swapped stories of their past careers as they trudged through the sloshy snow. The snow wasn't very deep, and all around they could see patches of bare ground through the melting slush. The druid and ranger had been quick to point out that this milder weather would only last another couple of weeks before the brunt of winter was back.

After receiving their letter from the Circle with more details of their newest assignment, the group had wasted no time in leaving the capital. They stopped for the night in Lorbridge before they made their way towards Aleton, a couple of days out. The sun was already low in the sky when they reached the outskirts of the city.

Unlike most of the cities they'd seen so far in Marblebrooke, this one was not surrounded by an exterior wall. Instead, portions of the city were walled off separately. As the cart passed through the stone arches that lined the streets, they passed various signage for different companies. Many of them were ale or beer based, while some showcased wines or stouts. Jutting out of the walled portions, were small pubs and gardens.

Jun chuckled as they passed one of the gardens, the seating already filled and the sound of music and laughter wafting out. "I dare say this place lives up to their name."

Iados grinned as his eyes flitted from establishment to establishment. "Let's hurry up and get to the church so we can explore."

"Will it really take all seven of us to set up at the church?" Kerri asked as she tied a length of rope to the back of Shomma's harness. The weasel's nose twitched at all the delicious aromas around them.

The cleric shook her head with a smile. "I'd rather we all stay together, this being a new city and all." The others all agreed with the sentiment, and Kerri sighed in defeat.

Carric flagged down a passing human and got directions for the church. Within twenty minutes they had arrived at a wrought-iron gate with a large brass bell built into the design. A plaque affixed to the wall next to the gate identified it as the Church of Vowil, and the Awellian Boarding Academy. Beyond the gate, the group could see two buildings, one three-story and the other two-story. The windows of both were lit. Elaine jumped out of the cart and rang the bell.

An older human man in a thick winter coat bustled out of a small guardhouse on the other side of the gate. "How can I help you?" He asked.

"My name is Elaine, and I'd like to speak to someone about staying on the premises." She showed the man her holy symbol.

The man shook his head. "I'm afraid there is no one to talk to. Curfew has already come, and the gates cannot be opened till morning."

"We don't need actual rooms, just a place to set up our tower." The cleric explained.

The man shrugged. "Rules are rules I'm afraid. With the academy on the premises, we have to take extra precautions due to the young charges, you understand."

Elaine tightened the blanket around her shoulders. "Of course. Can you recommend somewhere else we can go then?"

"Most of the lodging in town is for the workers. You might find some in the Sanis District, but I can't promise it'll be available." The man stroked his bald chin as he chuckled. "I wish you luck."

Elaine nodded. They got directions to the District and headed out. On the way, they passed numerous buskers with trays laden down with various forms of alcohol, most of them of the ale, beer, or stout variety.

"Is there some sort of festival?" Iados snagged a stein out of an oblivious busker's tray as they continued past.

Kerri laughed. "Kind of, I heard about this while I was in Lorbridge. Winter tends to be rough in this area, so the whole city shuts down for the worst of it. Before then, its tradition for the pubs to clear out old inventory to make room for spring." She tossed a coin onto a tray and grabbed her own drink. "Basically it's a last hurrah for the townsfolk before a few months of suck."

"Let's be quick about getting our assignment then, I don't want to be stuck in another town because of weather." Ander grumbled as Jun handed him a drink.

The berserker laughed. "We'll take care of that tomorrow. Tonight, let's just bask in local traditions."

When they reached the Sanis District, as proclaimed by a large metal sign situated on an archway, it was just as crowded as everywhere else. In a large square in the center were a multitude of small buildings crammed into the space. Stairs led up the second level of buildings that had seemingly been constructed on top of the first-level buildings. For the better part of the next hour, the group visited every establishment on their hunt for lodging. None of them had any rooms available, and none knew where there was room.

"Looks like we're setting up outside town." Carric shivered as the cool night air swept over him. They all stood in the wide road around the stacked buildings. Benches, tables, chairs, and even crates had been pulled out of the small pubs and bars and into the street. It seemed that the entirety of the town's population had poured out into the space as they feed a very merry atmosphere.

Iados shook his head and grinned. "Let me try something." The former pirate walked out into the center of the inebriated bodies. In one motion he hopped onto the top of a crate, hooked two fingers into the corner of his mouth, and whistled. The sound was loud, too loud to have been natural as it reverberated in the space.

The crowd quieted and looked at him expectantly.

The akudaem held up a gold piece between his fingers. "Who here has rooms that my companions and myself can use for the night?" He nodded towards the huddled group of M.A.

The crowd murmured.

"How many do you need?" A voice called out.

"Three preferably, but we'd make do with two." Iados hollered.

More murmuring.

Finally a large man with a bulging belly and tusked teeth stood up. "I got room for ya, but it'll cost you more than a gold." He motioned with his head for the group to follow him out of the district. He led the way down a few side streets until finally they reached a large, iron-bound, wooden door set in a walled portion. A wooden sign hammered into the stone identified it as part of the Kenoshe Brewing Company. The man pulled a key ring out from under his shirt and unlocked the door. He held it out for his guests to enter first.

The group hesitated.

The man sighed heavily. "I've no reason to rob you, and to tell you the truth I haven't the patience for it." He walked through first. As the door began to swing closed behind him, Jun caught it.

"We've followed him this far." The berserker grinned and went through, a hand on the warhammer affixed to his belt. Everyone followed.

Just past the door was a sizable yard space, surrounded by three buildings. The man pointed towards the left-most building. "That there is the dormitory. You're free to use any of the rooms you want. First floor houses a kitchen, living space, and wash room. The latrine is in a small building on the other side. Three gold and I'll let you have the run of the place."

"What about the dorm's usual occupants?" Elaine asked.

The man shook his head. "They've already headed out of town, and won't be back till spring to help with the planting. It's just me and a small skeleton crew till then, and we're bunked in the main house." He nodded towards the right-most three-story building.

Ander tilted his head. "What kind of operation is this?"

The man gave a tusked grin. "Beer, of course. This town was built upon it, and I at least will die on it." He gave a full-bellied laugh and pointed to the middle building. "That's where we do all our brewing. It's off-limits to you, don't want to risk you messing up any of our fermenting stock." The half-orc held out his hand. "I'll take my payment now. There's a stable around the corner for your horse and cart." Jun handed over the money, and the man turned and walked away.

Iados hauled his pack onto his back. "Straight and to the point, I like him."

Kerri chuckled. "You like anyone who doesn't ask questions."

The akudaem playfully bumped the bard. "Doesn't everyone?" The group made their way into the dormitory, save for Carric who took the cart and horse to the stable.

The inside was cold and dark, but the furniture seemed to be well-taken care of. The bedrooms were sparse, with each one having two twin beds and two chests each. Ander set out about getting food ready in the simple kitchenette, and everyone took a turn in the washroom. Their magic tower abode was nice and convenient, but the lack of a wash tub was a source of ire.

"So tomorrow, we have to go to the Circle's local chapter house, right?" Carric asked as he sat and dried his hair with a small towel. He was careful to avoid the white stripe in his otherwise red hair, a leftover memento from a recent near-death experience. Since then he'd discovered that whenever the stripe got wet, it got icy cold.

Ander nodded as he stirred his potato stew, made with a few found spuds from the cupboard. "According to the information packet, we are to meet Master Bymer and pick up an artifact that will help us find the manor house."

Kerri picked through the papers of the open information packet that they'd spread out on the table. "And we have no idea what the artifact is." She clarified.

Lia sighed as she picked up one of the pieces of parchment. "This packet has more information on the region the house is in, rather than the house itself."

"I would imagine that the lack of information is the reason we're being sent." Ander added some seasonings to the stew.

"What do you know about this Master Bymer?" Jun asked as he leaned back in his wooden chair.

The halfling shrugged. "I took one of his potions classes while at the Circle Academy. He can be intense, but very knowledgeable. Back in his youth he was an adventurer for the Circle. As far as I know he's still an active member of the Recovery Department."

Iados raised an eyebrow. "What's he doing in Aleton?"

Ander shook his head. "No idea, he splits his time between here and Sageburrow." He spooned soup into a bowl and held it out to the group. Soon everyone, save Elaine who was washing, had a warm bowl of soup.

"According to this report, we're not the first group that's been assigned this task." Lia scowled as she jabbed the piece of paper with her spoon. "The report doesn't say what happened to the others."

"I'm sure that Bymer will know." Iados scooped the soup into his mouth hungrily. "Do you think that the brew master will give us some beer if we go to the main house?"

The bard laughed. "You've had like four tankards already!"

"Technically I only drank like two and a half, I wasn't exactly careful going through those crowds." The akudaem grinned as the group chuckled.

"We'll ask after drink tomorrow, I think we should all make it an early night. Like Ander said, we don't want to get caught in the weather, so let's make this a short visit." Jun advised. Elaine joined the group and got her share of the food. That night everyone took their own room, save for Iados and Lia who shared a room and pushed the twin beds together.

The next morning, Iados grumbled his way through breakfast.

"What's wrong with you?" Elaine asked with a raised eyebrow as she stirred her oatmeal. The group had briefly opened their magic tower behind the dormitory so that Ander could grab some supplies to cook with.

The akudaem groaned as he tried to stretch out his back. "Didn't sleep well."

Lia smiled wryly. "When we pushed the beds together, there ended up being a crack between the mattresses. He got stuck in the crack."

"I didn't mind it at first." Iados explained. "However, no matter how I tried to stay on my side, I ended up rolling into the crack."

"Not surprised, you're a very active sleeper." Jun stirred a bit of sugar into his bowl. "I'm shocked you don't fall out of the beds in the tower."

"Or that Lia can manage to share a bed with you without significant bruising." Carric added. He passed down a piece of bacon to Shomma, who took it and hid beneath Elaine's chair as they devoured it.

Elaine and Kerri shared a brief look over their oatmeal before they both glanced over at Lia. Ever since their trip to the palace, the elf's sleep had been anything but restful. Frequently she would wake up from nightmares. It'd gotten so bad, that many nights Lia didn't even try to sleep. Instead, to give her body the rest and energy it needed, she would mediate for a few hours and draw strength from the world around her. Elaine was of the opinion that this was only a stop-gap, and was concerned as the bags under the elf's eyes grew larger with every passing day.

Lia hadn't been the only one to come away from the palace with a changed aspect. Ever since Kerri had given away a piece of her soul, she'd felt…off. It was easier for her mind to wander, and at times she felt detached from her body. Of course, this sensation could also be because of the magical mark on her shoulder blade. Now that she knew the truth of its intentions, she was mindful of her actions. Almost unconsciously she would try to match them with what she'd done in the past, to assure herself that they were actually her actions. Of course Elaine had noticed her odd behavior, and Kerri had had to come clean about giving up a piece of her soul. The cleric wasn't happy, in fact she was infuriated about the act, but she agreed that it could unbalance someone. When she asked the bard what she'd gotten in return, Kerri didn't answer. She wasn't ready for anyone else to know.

About mid-morning the group packed up and headed to the local Circle Chapter House. Their information packet had contained directions on how to find it, so it took them no time at all. Even without the directions they were all fairly sure they would have been able to find it. The chapter-house building itself was a modest three-story wooden structure. However, in the center was a very large stone tower that continued on for at least four more stories. It was covered in small windows, and a multitude of different colored smoke trails billowed out. The whole area was bathed in a mixture of smells, none of them acrid or unpleasant. It was like the group had walked into an open-air bakery/florist/perfume maker's shop.

Out of a first-floor window, a lanky blonde-haired teenager with pointed ears was smacking a small rug against the side of the building. Before any member of M.A. could hail him, the teen looked up and saw them first.

"Oy, you the adventuring group?" He yelled out as he paused.

Iados cupped his hands and yelled back. "Depends, which group are you waiting for?"

The teen reached up and scratched his cheek. "I don't remember their name. Why don't you give me yours and I'll check?"

The akudaem shook his head. "No offense, but we don't know you. How do we know you're not a fey creature who'll just run off with our name?" Behind him, Lia rolled her eyes at the antics. She made to interject, but a grinning Kerri stopped her.

"I'm not a fey, I promise!" The teenager dropped the rug out the window as he brought his hands and waved them in front of him. A hand suddenly shot to his ear, and his eyes widened. "I mean, I have a little fey blood, but it's not enough to really count myself as a fey! I'm only half-elf, well technically it's closer to three-quarters cause dad's a half-elf and mom's a full-blooded elf, but I promise I'm not gonna steal your name!"

Carric stepped up next to Iados. "You go find out the name, and then we'll tell you if we're them." He shooed the boy away from the window. With a vigorous nod the lanky teenager disappeared back into the building. The half-elf turned to the akudaem. "You encounter many fey on the high seas?"

The former pirate shook his head. "Not personally, but I heard the stories. One time a whole ship had to be renamed after a bet gone wrong."

The front door opened, and a large woman stepped out. This woman wasn't large in terms of girth, in fact she was rather skinny all around. No, this woman was very tall, at least seven-feet by Carric's estimation. She wore a dusty apron over a black robe, with a dark kerchief over her thinning gray hair. Her face was lined in wrinkles and had a grayish pallor, and she had a slight hunch that took maybe a few feet off her full height. She held up a spider-web covered broom and brandished it at the group.

"You the ones named after a bush?" Her voice was scratchy as she yelled out.

Kerri rolled her eyes. "Unfortunately." She answered.

The woman gestured the group over with her broom and disappeared back inside. M.A. approached and entered through the doorway into a large entry hall. Several rooms opened up from here, and all of them seemed to be in various processes of cleaning. Furniture was covered with white cloths, while all forms of rugs, tapestries, or drapery were being rolled up and stowed in several chests.

The woman directed the teenager to clear off a nearby table before she turned back to the group. "You sure took your time getting here. My name is Ms. E, and before you take another step in this house, you will place all your weapons, gear, and magical items on the table. We don't want to risk any of your belongings messing up our experiments."

"You referring to those colors coming out of the tower?" Jun asked as he set his warhammer down gently on the table. He instinctively wanted to avoid scratching any of the furniture as this woman brought back memories of his own adoptive mother.

Ms. E waved him off. "Those are from my own personal cleaning concoctions. Bymer is a brilliant man, but he's completely blind when it comes to hygiene. I told him that he if expected me to live here, than he better expect me to make this place fit to live in." Behind her, the teenager disappeared through a door. Ms. E pointed at Shomma on her leash. "I've got a cage that one can sleep in."

Carric shook his head and picked up the wiggling creature. "Shomma stays with me." Ms. E narrowed her eyes, but didn't say anything else.

Ander wrapped his necklace, a purple crystal on a silver string that served as a magical focus, in an extra pair of socks before he stowed it in his pack. "How long have you known Master Bymer?"

"We've known each for over ten years, but it was only a couple of months ago when the stupid fool finally asked me to marry him." Ms. E chuckled. "I expected him to ask me years ago, but then I got pulled into a project and we didn't see each other for five years. When I came back, I hadn't been back home a full day before he proposed." The large woman smiled softly.

"Was it awkward, seeing him after all that time?" Kerri asked.

Ms. E shook her head. "Not awkward, but I was afraid that he'd moved on." Ms. E turned her attention to the rest of the group as she cast a critical eye over them and made sure they hadn't missed anything. Satisfied, she turned and led them further into the house.

They arrived at a stone wall, and with a wave of her hand a rune appeared. The large woman pressed it and an archway shimmered into existence. Beyond was an empty small circular room, save for a carpet that covered the entire floor. A dark red runic circle had been dyed into it. Ms. E led the way into the middle of the rune, with Ander right behind her.

Ander raised an eyebrow as the rest of the group hesitated outside the door. "What's wrong?"

Carric nodded down at the circle. "Care to explain that?"

The halfling rolled their eyes. "It's not going to hurt you, I swear."

"Get over here." Ms. E reached out and grabbed Carric's collar before she easily dragged him over the threshold. She was a lot stronger than her thin frame would have suggested. No one had any hesitation after that, and the rest of M.A. crowded into the space. The archway faded away.

Once everyone was in, Ms. E pulled a crystal out of her pocket and spoke a word. The crystal was cylindrical in shape, and had seven notches in from the bottom to the top. Once activated, a small ball of light appeared at the first notch. Underneath their feet, everyone could feel the room as it began to drift upwards, and the light in the crystal moved up. The light got to the second notch, and the room stopped moving. The archway appeared again.

Ms. E bustled everyone out of the magical elevator and onto the second floor landing. She pushed them all down one of the three hallways, towards a set of double-doors set at the end of the small hall. The lanky teenager from before stood waiting for them. As they approached, he opened the doors.

Inside the large room, were several empty shelving units that stood at attention in the middle of the room. Stacked against a far wall, were several wooden crates, next to which were precariously stacked empty specimen jars. The whole room was illuminated by a large window that took up a majority of the right-hand wall. The only other piece of furniture was a small stool, on which sat a man in his early 60s, wearing a black shirt with a white waistcoat, and a pair of black slacks. He browsed a handful of leaflets as he puffed on a pipe. The only other noticeable thing about the room, was the magic circle right in front of the door leading into the room.

With a large smile, the man tossed the papers to the floor and stood up. "Welcome to the chapter house. Please excuse the mess, we're in the middle of a little winter-cleanup." He waved the group into the room.

The teenager went first, and had no hesitation walked through the five-foot magic circle. This time, even Ander was hesitant of the circle.

Ms. E bent down. "All it does is collect any dirt off your shoes. Remember what I said about the experiments?" She whispered loudly. With this explanation, Ander stepped in first. Seeing as he remained unharmed, the rest of the group followed after, still keeping a wary eye out. This was more magic in one place than most of them were used to, or comfortable with.

Bymer chuckled as he watched the group move hesitantly into the room. "I commend you on your sense of caution. It's always imperative for an adventuring party to have a healthy dose of skepticism for the arcane." He puffed on his pipe. "However, a party also needs a healthy dose of situational awareness." He pointed up.

Everyone turned their attention upwards, to the much larger magic circle above their heads. They heard Bymer begin to chant, and the circle glowed. Before anyone could react, a blue light cascaded down and enveloped the entirety of M.A. In an instant, their vision went black as they fell into unconsciousness.

***

When Jun awoke, he was alone. His arms were spread out as thick manacles encircled his raw wrists and chained him to the wall he sat against the base of. His whole body was tired, sore, and he could taste blood every time he swallowed.

Slowly, memories filled his mind. He and the rest of M.A. had been captured. Their captors had been torturing each member for information for weeks. For all that time, he'd been forced to sit here and struggle against his bonds as he'd listened to the screams of his teammates. Forced to be an audience of one to their cries for help, for mercy, and finally for death. It hadn't taken their captors long to realize that the group didn't have the answers they wanted, but that didn't seem to matter. Jun quickly came to the realization that information was a secondary goal of this group, especially after he'd spied the symbol of the evil god of Zhagra emblazoned on the captor's torsos.

With each passing week, the sounds of his team lessened as one voice after another disappeared. Now it'd been two days since he'd heard any other living individual besides himself. In his entire life, he'd never been so alone.

"What are they waiting for?" Jun asked the silence, grimacing as the scratchiness of his voice sent a wave of pain down his throat.

"For you to die." A voice answered from near the door. "They've got a betting pool on how long it takes you."

Jun looked up, and saw the vision of the former Champion of Zhonnic, Neolemus, as he leaned against the door. Once again he wore only trousers and a loose vest, with his white hair tied back. "What are you doing here?" The injured captive asked.

The former champion smiled warmly. "To keep you company."

The cell door opened and a young woman walked in. Her long, black hair was tied in a single braid over her shoulder. Her green eyes shone out in the darkness as she quietly closed the door and hurried over to him. She knelt down and lightly caressed the berserker's face. "Don't worry, this will be over soon, and you'll be in a place where it no longer hurts."

Jun's forehead furrowed at her words as they echoed in his mind. This woman seemed familiar to him, but he was so tired, and so hurt, that he didn't have the strength to figure out why. He watched as she pulled out a green snake from a small satchel that was across her chest. He recognized it immediately as a very lethal species from his home in the Nydag Empire. Instinctively he tried to move away from it.

The woman shook her head and continued to caress his face as she tried to soothe him. "Don't be afraid. All it will take is one little moment of pain, before you drift off to sleep." She handled the snake with two hands as she moved it towards one of his chained hands.

Jun looked desperately at Neolemus, who had not moved from his place by the door. "Stop her! I don't want to die like this." The dead-Champion didn't answer.

Pain exploded in his palm as the snake bit down deep into his flesh. As the woman had said, the pain was only for a moment before the wound went numb, and that numbness traveled down his arm and towards his heart. As his eyes grew heavy, he turned his gaze away from Neolemus, and towards the woman. He watched as the woman smiled at him softly, tears in her eyes, as she turned the snake to her own neck. The last thing he heard before he succumbed to the growing darkness, was her apology.

With a start, Jun awoke once again in the darkness. He looked at his hand, and was relieved to find no sign of a snake bite. The memories of what had happened to him and his team once again flashed through his mind. He gritted his teeth. "What's going on?" The berserker growled.

"They're waiting for you to die." The voice of Neolemus rang out. "They've got a betting pool on how long it takes you."

Jun narrowed his eyes at the leaning form by the door. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

Neolemus shrugged with a sad smile on his face. "I'm here to keep you company."

Once again the door opened, and the woman walked in. His face paled as she approached him, the same sorrow on her face. As she caressed his face, he was struck with a sense of déjà vu.

He turned his gaze to Neolemus. "Please, don't let her do this. I don't want to die, not like this." The former champion made no move to help as the woman brought out the snake. Jun gasped as the snake bit his hand once again, and his vision went dark.

This cycle repeated for a third and fourth time. Each time Jun would look to Neolemus for help, and each time the former champion would do nothing but watch.

When he awoke for the fifth time, he was angry. The memories of his tortured friends didn't even register when they flashed across. His eyes immediately sought the dead champion against the wall. "What is this?" He growled.

"They're waiting for you to die." The vested man answered. "They've got-"

"A betting pool, I know." Jun sighed heavily and beat his head on the wall. "Is this some kind of poetic justice for you? You died from poison, and now you're here to watch me die of it?"

"I may have died of poison, but my death was from battle." Neolemus answered.

Jun's head snapped up at the different reply. "Why are you the one to keep me company? Why not the spirits of one of my dead teammates? Or better yet, why not just let me die alone?"

Neolemus shook his head. "Do you not remember what I told you in that forest?"

The berserker furrowed his forehead as he thought back to his last encounter with Neolemus, in the freezing cold after nearly dying after a battle. He gave a shaky chuckle. "You mean that bullshit about being one of Zhonnic's Chosen?"

Neolemus nodded. He crossed the room and crouched in front of the chained berserker. He took a hand and silently traced the tattoo on Jun's bicep.

Jun's breathing softened as he felt the soothing motion. "Did he send you?"

The dead-champion smiled. "Zhonnic knows the pain of dying alone, and that's not a fate he wishes for any of those under him. I'm here to keep you company." The door behind him opened, and the woman walked in. Neolemus stood up and moved to the side.

Jun's gaze never left the champion. "Surely Zhonnic can do more than just have you serve as an audience!" He struggled against the chains, ignoring the woman's caring caresses against his face. "Where's the glory in this death? This isn't a battleground, and this poison isn't from a fight! Give me a chance to fight, and I will make Zhonnic proud in my final moments. I will give him a death worthy of his Chosen!"

The woman's ministrations stopped as she looked at him with wide eyes. "Even if you fight, you will die. The outcome will remain unchanged, so why do it?"

Jun stared into her green eyes, so reminiscent of his own. "I'd rather die trying to live, than to die from giving up. How can I rest in the afterlife if I didn't give it my all to avoid it? How can I face my loved ones on the other side with that shame?"

The woman reached into her satchel, but instead of a snake, she pulled out a metal key. She used it to unlock his manacles, and helped him stand up. Neolemus came up behind her, and handed him his warhammer.

She reached up and cupped his face. Tears still lined her eyes, but now she wore a look of pride on her face. "Whether it be a god or a loved one on the other side, you will never be alone, not even on your darkest day." Her hand traveled down to the tattoo. She leaned forward and kissed the empty fist as it became colored with a reddish/golden hue to match the first. Only the lightning bolts held by the fists remained empty.

The door to the cell room opened out into a dingy hallway. Neolemus crossed and stood by the door. "Ready to die a warrior's death?"

Jun looked down at the woman one more time. He still couldn't name her, or place her, but the fact that she'd given him her blessing had filled with him strength. He leaned down and lightly kissed her cheek. He heaved the warhammer onto his shoulder, and stalked towards the door.

As he crossed the threshold, his vision seared with a blue light.