“Miss! What are you doing out here in these treacherous lands?!” the man called out, his regal-sounding voice tinged with genuine concern.
I narrowed my eyes at the stranger suspiciously. “N-No,” I stammered, “I … I must be seeing things. You are not really here. This is all my imagination.”
The man tilted his head curiously at my response before hastening his steps towards me through the shallow, murky swamp waters and finally stood before me.
I lowered my head and ended up staring down at two, steel-plated boots.
“Are you all right, Miss?” he asked in a soft tone. He waited a few moments before finally placing his gauntlet-covered hand on my shoulder gently.
I immediately tensed at his icy touch. Beneath the layer of care and concern that the man sported, something about him unnerved me. After some hesitation, I slowly raised my eyes to meet his. I gazed upon a man donned in exuberant armor branded with the city of Lakis's emblem. His emerald eyes reflected a mix of concern and curiosity.
“Miss? Are you hurt? Can you understand my words?” he inquired again, looking at me closely.
I averted my gaze around the rest of the swamps, fearing that Master Dagg would suddenly return and catch me associating myself with an outsider. I wanted to run, but doing so would risk the stranger discovering Master Dagg's hidden home.
Turning back to him, I sighed deeply and nodded in response. “I am fine,” I said morbidly. “Please, leave.”
He raised a thin, ebony brow and reluctantly lifted his hand from my shoulder. “Leave you? In these swamps? You must be mad. You are lucky to have not been eaten by that accursed creature that lurks in the area.”
His comment sparked my curiosity. “What creature do you speak of?”
He looked around the swamps briefly before returning his attention to me and lowering his voice. “It is a Dragon — a terrible, black Dragon with the face of a skull, to be exact — and he is the very cause of this dreaded blight that our beloved country has been forced to endure for many months.”
My eyes widened slightly at the mention of a Dragon, then stared at the stranger in disbelief.
“Surely, you jest,” a small, amused smile hinted across my lips. “Dragons are such rare and elusive creatures. I have not heard news of any sightings since I began residing here. I assure you, Sir, there are no Dragons here — only fish.” I emphasized the point further by gesturing to the small schools of tiny fish that swam around his ankles.
He glanced down at the fish briefly then regarded me once more with a hint of a smile. “Allow me to make your acquaintance, Miss. I am Banin Solanum, leader of the Hemlock Hunters of Lakis. We've been tracking down a certain Shadow Dragon necromancer for several months, now. Alas, our travels have finally led us out here into these swampy lands. He is responsible for the deaths of many men, women and children, and his necromantic arts are the very source of this never-ending blight that has plagued our country. Undead and other anomalies have been spotted around here on a daily basis since the Dragon took up residence a few months before the blight began.” He paused to acknowledge my shocked reaction, and then continued. “Please, believe me when I tell you that your life is in danger the longer you remain out here. He holds no remorse for the living and only seeks to use the Forbidden Arts to make these lands forever suffer for his own twisted amusement.”
I continued to stare at Banin in surprise and ignored his concerned tone. The man's unnerving vibes made me skeptical of any integrity his words might have held. Frowning, I stepped back away from him and began heading farther into the swampy lands. For Master Dagg's sake, I felt inclined to keep his sanctuary a secret from the likes of this man.
Banin watched me back away and he extended both hands out to me in a calm, reassuring gesture. “Please, do not run, Miss. I am only here to help you. I will take you back to Lakis where you will have access to food and accommodations. Will you at least tell me your name?”
As I continued watching him cautiously, I took a few more steps back. “No,” I retorted, “I will not. Go away! Leave this place and never return!”
As he advanced, I turned and hastened my steps into the voids of the wetlands.
For a few minutes, he gave chase, calling for me to stop. He nearly caught up with me at one point, but the heavy armor he wore soon induced fatigue in his body. Out of breath, Banin finally slowed to a halt and watched me disappear into the unknown lands of the swamps.
I ran to a tree and hid behind its wide trunk, then peeked out towards where I left Banin, who was now but a small dot in the distance. He eventually left the swamps and I waited a few minutes longer to ensure that he was gone for good before quickly heading back to the cave.
I went to the laboratory where I remained, looking for something —
Briefly glancing up from my notebook, I noticed the stern, yet calculating expression Master Dagg gave me in return. His gaze was more than enough to affirm that he knew something was troubling me. Strangely, however, he did not confront me about it. Instead, he simply began unloading one of the bags of supplies.
For several minutes, I felt the tension build in the room as I resumed my ‘reading,’ hoping Master Dagg would not question my motives.
When he finished unloading and rearranging his new supplies, he moved towards the large wooden table where I sat. Standing behind my chair, he peered over my shoulder, curious to see what I had been staring at for so long.
“You have been reading that same page for several minutes,” he hissed. “Is such a simple picture of an oak leaf too advanced for your little human mind to comprehend?”
I knew the question was rhetorical, and thus, pursed my lips in thought, trying to find the words to explain all that transpired earlier. Finally, I shut the book and turned to him, my head still lowered shamefully as I was expecting some sort of heinous punishment to follow afterwards.
“You had a visitor today….” My voice was soft and meek, remaining submissive to his powerful aura. “While I was out hunting, a man came with the intent to take me away and find and kill a Dragon of sorts for its many crimes. I did not lead him to the cave, but he had treaded dangerously close. I'm unsure if he is aware of the hidden entrance, yet.” I looked at him nervously.
“Banin,” Master Dagg promptly growled in annoyance, as if recalling some past memories of his own. “I know all about him. He and his band of idiots intend to kill me for a crime I am not responsible for. I am an arcanist — ”
“ — You are a
“Do not correct me again, you foolish girl,” he growled warningly, “or I will sever that tongue of yours.”
I shivered and rubbed my red, stinging cheek. Looking to the floor, I chewed on my bottom lip nervously. “F — Forgive me, Master Dagg,” I said apologetically. “I did not mean it as an insult. It's just that you work with the dead on a daily basis. You are a master of the art of death.”
“‘Necromancy’ is a term coined by those who do not understand nor appreciate the true beauty of the Art,” he explained. “You would do well to remember that, Jasmine; else, I will find other, more creative ways of reminding you.”
I cringed. “That … That will not be necessary.”
His demeanor suddenly changed to a more calm state as he pulled away from me to resume unpacking the other supply bag. “Good, because I would hate to have to destroy a perfectly-good test subject due to insolence. It has been over three months since I rescued you from your impending doom.” He paused and shot me a brief, warning gaze. “Do not make me regret my decision.”
I nodded slowly, not looking up from the floor. Master Dagg made me into the person I was and thus, had the power to also break me whenever he wished. I was sealed in this debt, not knowing for how long I would remain bound to him. My mind continuously went over the earlier meeting with Banin and I slowly lifted my eyes towards Master Dagg.
“May I ask you something?” I asked in a meek voice.
