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“My name is Sophia,” I replied.
“I know who you are. There are many prophecies that mention a girl transported to a realm that is not her own,” she continued.
A part of me sighed in relief. “Terraheim is in danger. I need to break the king’s curse to save it,” I said quickly.
“That you do. Stand back. I don’t want you to get hurt,” she said with a grin. I saw no sign of malice in her expression, so I took several steps towards the back of my cell.
I watched as she lifted her palm in front of the lock. A small purple flame spiraled in the center of her hand, growing larger and larger until it burst towards the door. Supernatural sparks exploded around the lock and the door slammed inward, the clang of metal echoing off the rock.
“Let’s go. Quickly, before someone realizes you’re gone,” Mais said in a hushed voice. She beckoned me forward, and I quickly sprung in her direction. She turned on her heel and swiftly strode down the hall. I followed, looking back and forth into the dark cells all around me. Every single one of them was empty.
“I was the only prisoner?”
“We’re in the old capital city of Taverna. You and I are the only ones here, aside from the elvish guards currently sleeping off their body weight in mead,” she answered. There was a telling smirk on her lips, and I laughed softly.
“I take it that has something to do with you?” I asked.
“Maybe… Maybe not,” she said with a wink.
“Plausible deniability,” I answered, and she chuckled.
“Something like that,” she replied.
I chewed my lip, trying to decide what to do next. There was no use focusing on Queen Isolde. She believed that I was the end to her world. She was protecting her people and her crown. The prophecy ran through my mind once again, and I stopped short, glancing at the back of Mais’ head.
Perhaps she could be my ally in this.
“Do you know where in Terraheim I might find a wizard’s keep? There is something I must find there,” I explained quickly.
“You must mean Sorrenthiel,” Mais said with a warm smile. When she saw my confused look, she cleared her throat and explained further. “Sorrenthiel is a fortress built straight into the Stony Ridge mountains in the north. For thousands of years, no one but mages could enter through its gates, but there are less and less born every year. Very few sorcerers inhabit its mighty walls now.”
I followed her up a winding staircase, climbing several stories before there was any hint of daylight.
“Is it far from here?”
Mais opened a wooden hewn door, and the warmth from the sun streamed down from above, caressing my cheeks. I breathed a sigh of relief. I was free.
“A few days’ ride on horseback or so. See those mountains over there? Sorrenthiel is hidden in the mountain pass, deep in the valley between the two tallest peaks. I should warn you though. The path is treacherous. Unless you know the way, it’s ridden with traps meant to keep the wizard’s enemies out,” she replied, her tone deadly serious.
“The realm is depending on me. I have to go.”
* * *
Mais and I walked through the ruined city together, side by side.
Once a thriving metropolis, the city now lay in ruins, a haunting testament to Roken’s wrath that had descended upon it a long time ago. Once magnificent structures now lay in scattered heaps, their grandeur reduced to debris strewn across the desolate cobblestone streets. The once vibrant colors of painted walls and bustling marketplaces were obscured by layers of ash and dust, while the scent of charred wood and smoldering embers still permeated the air hundreds of years later. Roken’s fiery breath had left a devastating mark, reducing a once thriving capital to a ghostly shadow of its former glory and leaving only tales of loss and devastation in its wake. It was haunting to imagine, and I shivered, keeping my eyes trained all around me for any hint of a threat.
“Where are the guards you mentioned?”
I stiffened when she pointed to one of the only buildings still standing across the street from us. It was a small two-story house made out of plaster, but the exterior was scorched with black soot. Parts of the roof had blown away, allowing light to stream into the structure. Pieces of the exterior were crumbling, and others were covered by a thick carpet of winding vines. Seeing the look of alarm on my face, she pressed a single finger over her lips, insinuating that we should both keep quiet. I nodded once, and she crept along.
A light green supernatural glow entangled within the vines caught my eyes, and I stopped.
“Hold on,” I whispered. She stiffened, but I used my fingers to rip some of the vines off of the wall, revealing a beautifully crafted elven blade. The handle was wrapped in gold filigree with several emeralds laid into it. I wrapped my hand around it and hefted it off the ground, finding the weight comfortable and perfectly balanced. I tucked it into my belt. At least I’d be able to protect myself, should the need arise.
She beckoned me forward, and I followed until we passed the crumbling wall that surrounded the city limits only to see a beautiful black horse tied to a tree.
“Yours, I take it?”
