Role

Chapter 9

as each master mage stepped up in turn and touched Krystoff, his eyes, his ears, his tongue, his
nose and the skin over his heart. At each interval Krystoff screamed, pain and anguish as
few ever know. When it was done he lay there, tears streaming from his eyes, panting, and his
words already beginning to show his loss of hearing. Students picked up the pitiful body
and carried him out. That was the last Susu ever saw of him. Turning to her, the Archmage said
"And you, you shall be our notice to all of Thera. Turn on us and you will know such misery
that few have ever endured. Upon you we shall lay our curse, and never shall it be gone from
you for too long, a reminder what your family has earned!" And with that the necromancer master
and the Archmage together joined in chanting and gesturing, as great light swirled over
her helpless form. After what felt like an eternity of fear and loathing, the light seemed
to seep into her flesh, down to her bones, her blood, with a great shock of pain. Her spine bucked,
her back arched as far as the bonds would allow, her body taut with the pain. And just like that, it
was gone. Sweat dripping from her body she was released. The Archmage gave her the bag
her father had given her, saying "There. Begone. This is no longer your home, and you are our
warning to all the rest. Go!" And so she did.

Having nowhere else to go, she went to the only place she had ever heard of, Galadon. She had
long known the pathways of the shadow grove, her veritable back yard, and the road through
the weald, while crumbling, was easy enough to follow, and after not too long she found herself
at the west gate of the largest city she had ever imagined, let alone seen. One of the elite guards,
impressive to her child eyes in his crips blue and white uniform, gave her directions to the
shops at the market and along the trade road. Wandering, she came to a dark alley where
a young man beckoned her over. Innocent and somewhat naive, Susu simply went to him, not
giving a thought to the danger. With a leer he grabbed her and started dragging her into
an abandoned house on the west side of the alley. Powerless to stop him she tried to scream
but he placed a hand over her mouth, and only a whimper emerged. She tried to free
herself but even at her best she had not the strength, certainly not after all she had recently
endured. She thought of her father and in her mind she apologized for not being stronger.
Just as she resigned herself to die, there was a slight rustling in the shadows. Quicker than
she could follow, a hand seemed to come out of nowhere, reaching out of the shadows, followed by
an arm, then a shoulder, then a body. The hand gripped a dagger, which in that same fluid motion
seemed to gently kiss the throat of the brigand holding her. Warm red blood splashed her face
and body, and the hands on her fell limply away, the body lifeless almost instantly. "You