The figure lay sprawled in the wreckage of the long wooden table he had crashed through. White light flooded one side of the room while torchlight cast the large man's shadowed form across the crumbled remains. He moved forward cautiously, stopping at the edge of the wooden crater. Leaning in, he examined the figure more closely, noting embroidered human writing on unfamiliar green fabric.

  The large man's eyes narrowed as he reached across the figure's body and grasped the strange cylindrical object in the figure's right hand. He pried it free, carefully avoiding the white beam of light shining from its tip. Pointing the device upwards, the guide gently moved his finger and then the rest of his hand into the beam. Looking up, he found it emitted a perfectly circular area.

  Lowering the device, the large man traced his thumb along a small circle with a rough texture; it featured the icon of a nearly complete circle with a line at the top. When he pressed down on it, a soft, dull click sounded. Upon releasing his thumb, the light vanished, plunging him and the figure into the orange glow of the torch. The guide pressed the circle again, and the beam of light returned. His brow lifted as a quiet hum escaped his throat.

  After setting the device and the larger metal cylinder held in the figure's left hand on his chest, the large man examined the figure's face. He had smooth white skin, messy chestnut hair, full cheeks reddened by the cold, and a neatly shaved jawline. The large man carefully opened one of the figure's eyes, finding an ivory white contrasting with a brilliant aquamarine.

  "Huh," The guide murmured as he closed the figure's eye and pushed open his mouth. The teeth were pristine and white, without any discoloration or imperfections. The figure's shallow breath was rapidly fading, barely tickling the hairs on the large man's hand. He placed his head on the figure's chest and listened to the figure's raspy breathing. Standing up, the large man reached out a hand and closed his eyes; a golden glow slowly pulsed from his fingers into the air around them. "Oitanas sunam."

  Alex's eyes fluttered open; his vision swam, and the world spun around him. The crackling warmth of a campfire flickered nearby, illuminating the reddish-brown stone floor in a small circle of light. He tried to push himself up, but his arms trembled and collapsed beneath him, too weak to bear his weight.

  "Don't get up," A soft voice said beside him.

  He turned his head to see a girl with brilliant turquoise eyes and hair whiter than the purest cloud knelt beside him. Cat-like ears adorned her head while a long white tail coiled behind her. She wore a thick brown leather coat, pants, and soleless leather boots.

  "You took a nasty fall," She said gently. "give yourself a minute to recover."

  He closed his eyes and let his head rest flat on the cool stones. "What happened?"

  "Fell through floor." A gruff masculine voice said.

  Alex lifted his head slightly to see a large man in thick, Inuit-like fur sitting on a set of steps on the other side of the fire. The man had blood-red skin, peaceful green eyes, and a black beard.

  "Are you the ones who brought me here?" Alex lowered his head and stared into the darkness above him.

  "To where lay? Yes. To castle? No," The large man stood, walked over to Alex, and sat beside him. "Why you in mage tower?"

  Alex shook his head, an ache spreading through his skull. "I don't know. One second, I was at work. The next, I was here. I can't remember anything in between."

  Alex grit his teeth and tried to push himself up. The cat-eared girl put a hand on his back and helped him. He breathed heavily, his shoulders heaving as his back ached. Looking around, he could see only darkness, but he found his flashlight and water bottle sitting behind where his head had been.

  "So you just appear in mage tower?" The man folded his arms in front of him and shook his head steadily. "That is no likely"

  Alex nodded slightly, pocketing the flashlight before popping the lid on his water bottle and taking a long swing. "It's…what happened."

  "You must have hit your head pretty hard." The cat-eared girl chuckled. "You can't have just appeared in the tower out of nowhere."

  "Device of magic he carries and clothing made of fabric never seen." the large man stood and walked back to his seat on the steps. "He tells either truth or he noble."

  The cat-eared girl's eyebrows rose at the man's words. She backed away from Alex towards the man, eyes wide and cat ears flat against her head. "A noble?"

  "Yes," the large man nodded solemnly.

  Alex opened his mouth to respond, but before he could speak, a voice rang out. "Perhaps he is a noble, perhaps not."

  A man in brilliant silver full-plate armor emerged from the shadows; firelight from his carried torch bounced off the polished steel. Beneath his armor was green-dyed leather with unseen chain mail that clattered as he walked. Emblems were engraved on both his shoulders, depicting a stylized pine tree centered inside a wedge-shaped shield within a set of laurel leaves. On his side rested a longsword in a simple leather sheath.

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  The large man's eyes narrowed, venom in his words as he sprang to his feet, sword drawn in one fluid motion. "How you get here, noble."

  "There are ways beyond your reckoning, malefic wretch." The noble's voice was calm, almost pitying. His gaze flickered briefly to Alex. "Strange clothing, my friend. You must tell me its origin when this is over."

  With a soft clatter, the noble cast his torch aside. His silver blade hissed free from its sheath. The large man answered with a sharp step forward.

  Steel met steel in a deafening crash.

  The force of the impact rattled Alex's teeth as sparks sprayed into the dark. With a snarl, The large man deflected the noble's thrust and arched his sword in a deadly downward slash. The blade glanced off the noble's shoulder plate with a shriek of metal.

  The noble sidestepped and raised his blade. "Flame! Fury! And Forge!." He lowered it to point at the large man. "Elemental Weapon."

  His sword ignited with an orange glow. Tendrils of fire writhed along its length, shimmering in the air. The large man's grip tightened; He closed his eyes and raised his blade in front of his face.

  "Muilixua," the large man whispered into the steel. "Anivid etnevaf."

  Golden light flared along his blade, crackling with power. The large man lunged forward with a vicious slash. The blades crashed, sending fire and sparks flying as the sound of steel on steel cascaded around the chamber. The noble surged forward with a cry, fire trailing in his wake.

  The blades locked in a deadly slide, the noble's blade pushing towards the large man. The large man pulled his blade back and lept away. The noble pressed forward, his blade poised like a scorpion's stinger.

  "Ecsimertnoc etna mari sinimun mari!" The large man's eyes locked on the noble soaring towards him. "Odnu suoicinre!"

  A wave of shimmering gold blasted from the large man's mouth, slamming into the noble like a wall. Alex and the cat-eared girl covered their ears as a torrent of dust ripped past them; the campfire stretched away from them, barely remaining lit. The noble flew backward, silver streaking into the stones as his back scraped along the ground. His sword flew from his hand; its orange glow flickered but remained lit as it tumbled into the darkness.

  The large man charged toward him, boots thundering like war drums against the stones while his blade sliced through the air like a lightning bolt. The noble rolled to his feet and slid to the side. The blade shot beneath his arm like a bullet, narrowly missing the noble's torso. He enveloped the blade in his elbow and armpit; his fingers twisted around the crossguard.

  With a slight twist, the noble yanked hard. The large man stumbled forward, his grip faltering as the blade wrenched free from his hand. The noble pivoted before the large man could recover, slamming the pommel into his face with a bone-jarring crunch. The large man staggered, blood trickling from his nose.

  The golden glow faded as the noble let it fall to the ground. The large man staggered back, swaying on his feet as blood flowed down his face. The noble's fist cascaded through the air and slammed into his gut. The breath rushed from the large man in a harsh wheeze as he folded forward. The noble's hand pulled back and flew upward, colliding with his chin with a splitting crack. With a sickening thud, the large man fell, blood and spit flew from his mouth.

  Alex recoiled as wet droplets collided with his face. His heart thundered in his chest. He reached up and touched his cheek; tiny red droplets clung to his glove.

  The noble walked to his fallen sword; the orange glow slowly faded as he picked it up in a reverse grip. The large man tried to push himself up with a groan, but the noble planted his foot on the fallen man's chest.

  "It's…over," The noble hissed between heavy breaths; he raised the sword above his head.

  The sword arced downward, a flash of silver in the dim light.

  The large man fell still, a red puddle slowly flowing from his back onto the floor beneath him. The noble stood silently before pulling out his blade with a sickening squelch. He flicked the dripping red blood off his blade, stepped off the corpse, retrieved his discarded scabbard, and slid his blade into it.

  The cat-eared girl sat still, her eyes fixed on the body and lying on the cold stones. Tears began to flow down her face, rapidly reddening her eyes. The noble walked past her and extended a hand to Alex. The young man sat still but eventually reached up to take it.

  "So, who are you, my friend." The noble pulled Alex to his feet and raised his visor, exposing warm hazel eyes and a wide smile.

  "Ummm…I'm." His voice was faint, barely more than a whisper, which only he and the noble could hear.

  The noble reached over Alex's shoulders and guided him to the steps illuminated by the torch he left on the ground. The pair sat down as the girl's faint cries echoed around them. "Please, tell me."

  "I'm…Alexander, Alexander Stevens." Alex looked down at himself; the cold of the noble's steel armor bit into his shoulders and neck.

  "And where are you from? Are you a noble?" He squeezed Alex's shoulders and laid his other hand on Alex's knee.

  "No," Alex shook his head, tears swelling in his eyes. He looked up at the cat-eared girl. "Who is she?"

  "Escaped slave, I think," The noble stood, followed by Alex. The pair descended the steps towards her. She quickly retreated away from them. The noble reached down, picked up the large man's sword, and extended the hilt to Alex. "Hold on to this, my friend; I need your help."

  Alex reached up and grabbed the hilt with his right hand. The smell of copper filled the air around him. He carefully laid the blade in his left hand and stared at it. Streaks flowed from his eyes, through the tiny droplets of blood coating his face, and into his mouth. He reached up and wiped them off.

  A piercing stream washed over him, prompting Alex to look up. The noble grabbed the girl by the hair and dragged her towards Alex. She kicked and screamed, trying desperately to free herself from his iron grip. He tossed her in front of Alex, then grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to sit on her knees; he placed one hand on her head and held it.

  The smile remained on the noble's face as he gestured to Alex. "If you would, my friend."

  Alex's chest tightened. The sword in his hands began to swell in weight. The cold steel seeped into his soul. The girl's eyes locked onto his, her small frame trembling as tears flowed down her face like a tsunami.

  Alex inhaled sharply. He pulled the sword back—and thrust it forward.

  The blade plunged into the noble's neck; blood surged around the steel. The noble stared into Alex's eyes as his jaw hung open. Alex pulled the sword back; the noble fell to the ground with a heavy thud that echoed in his chest long after the room fell silent. The fire crackled in Alex's ears, accompanied by the faintest howling from the subsiding storm.

  Alex dropped the sword; its clang against the stones reverberated through his bones. Alex's chest heaved as he stepped back and sat on the steps. Deep, dry coughs wracked his body as his heart pounded in his ears. His vision blurred as the intense smell of copper flooded his nose.