Chapter Three

Alex tugged uncomfortably at the thin strap of leather that was wound around her neck. She really hated what the strap represented, being a slave. The smell of burnt brick and charred flesh stung her nose as she walked carefully through the remains of what had once been the White City. She could help but notice that Taraleen had fallen quicker than any of the others that they had destroyed. Alex wondered why he had them destroy the city rather than just conquer it as he had the others. What had made this one so dangerous to him, or was it special.

Alex felt a small hand slip into hers and she squeezed it lightly while she smiled down at the small Elvin child standing next to her. The girls face was smudged with coot and ash, her body too thin and her clothes in tatters. Alex had taken care of the child for the last four months when they had reached her little village spreading the good word of the Master. Those who would not reform to the Masters ways where found guilty of crimes against the good of all, and publicly executed. Those who had magic in the places that were reformed were given the choice to join the Masters forces and fight for the good of all. Alex knew that there was no choice in the matter at all. Either you joined or you were found guilty of plotting against the Master and beheaded.

Those that chose to accept the Masters offer were bathed dressed and a leather band was placed around their necks. Others of the army thought it was to show which were the magic. The camp followers thought that it was to show who the Masters favorites were. Alex knew that the band was for only two things. It was to show ownership, that they the most powerful witches and sorceress belonged to him and him alone. The other reason was for control. Not just control over them but control over their minds and their power. The Master could enter the mind of any who wore the leather. He could bring them joy or pain, though she could not think of any that he had brought joy to.

Alex glanced about the ruins of the city without any emotion at all. After all these years serving the Master she could show none. He had trained them not to have any at all. He could after all feel what they were feeling through the magic that he controlled them with. So they walked, the girl and her, through the city that only minuets before had stood tall and proud and now was a pitiful heap of burnt rubble. Alex knew that it was wrong to call the girl next to her a girl for she was probably twice her age though in Elvin years she was still but a child.

Alex's breath caught in her throat as they came to the city center and she caught her first view of the Palace of Knowledge. It stood straight and demanding in the midst of destruction. The glistening white side of the building caught the sun and Alex caught herself drawing in a breath of admiration. The Elvin child next to her loosened her grip on Alex's hand and looked up at her. “Isn't it beautiful.” the girl said with pride,” This was the founding city of the great Lady Taraleen, and this,” she pointed to the gleaming palace,” was, or is the Palace of Knowledge. I was to come here and study next year that is before my own home town was over run by the Master and I was taken as a slave of the magic that I had yet to learn to use.” Her face suddenly lost all joy at the memory of the fall of Stalio.

Alex had been there in Stalio when it had fallen. She had led the attack on the small town that lay on the outskirts of Authorn Forest. It had taken only a few moments to capture the town and even less to round up the nonbelievers. The only thing about the fall of Stalio that wasn't brutally quick was the hour it took Alex to get the blood out of her tan dress. She even remembered trying hard not to feel anything as small children clung to the lifeless bodies of their parents. If anything she felt envy for them. They would now be raised under the protection of the Master and would never know what the war was costing them. But then that wasn’t true either now was it Alex thought to herself. They would know, there was no way that anyone living under the Master could not have known. They were also servants of the Master, controlled, used, and killed as he wished.

Alex knew that there was a reason that they were converging on the giant palace. She also knew that in order to survive Walking Fire the palace had to have had some pretty old and powerful magic. So this was not going to be easy she thought. She knew that the Master wanted something that the giant silent tomb held and would not be satisfied until he had it. And if by chance they did not retrieve whatever it was the he wanted Alex knew too that they would not be getting any sleep tonight.

Alex had not been paying attention and when she looked up they were at the gates of the great imposing structure she was awed at the sight that stood before her. No one moved forward, they had no reason to. Everyone expected the Masters magics to come running up to the front and make sure that if they were to pass there would be no resistance or death from any lingering ancient spells. Out of the corner of her eye Alex saw the carriage marked with the Generals crest on it roll in front of the imposing army. It stopped in front if her, and Alex’s breath caught in her chest.

She hated having to be anywhere near the vile man that lead the Army under the Masters’ rule. Alex stepped forward and watched the curtains over the windows part. Not allowing any emotion to show on her face she peered at the scared face that was covered with dirt and grime. His head was shaved except a narrow strip of black hair down the right side of his head. When he grinned at her his eyes taking in her slender form Alex found herself shivering from the cold intent in his grey eyes. He was missing two teeth making him look even more incomplete. A long scar ran from his ear to his nose distorting the skin on his face.

The Generals eyes stopped traveling her body and rested on the missing button of her tattered dress and the tops of her exposed breasts before returning to her face. Alex instinctively drew the Elvin child closer to her and slightly behind her as the General gazed out over his army. She hoped the he would have missed the slight shift she had made. She was careful to keep her mind clear of her intent least the Master be reading her mind.

“The Master wants the Palace of Knowledge. It holds some valuable magic inside. He wants to make sure that he holds all of the wisdom that the Palace has. Bring me all the books and scrolls inside unharmed. Take as many men as you need. And as many magics as is necessary. If there are any pockets of resistance left cowering inside like the spineless bastards they are He wants you to crush the life out of them.”

Alex bowed her head slightly and backed away from the carriage. She took a breath for the first time sine the carriage had approached her. As soon as she was back in the ranks of the army she felt the arms of the Elvin child wrap around her. Glaring she watched as the carriage rolled off down the road. Alex knew that there was no need to repeat the orders as they had been echoing in the minds of all the Masters’ slaves. Wasting time meant that they would all be beat severely so they all started towards the gates of the White Palace, the Masters’ magics heading the small detachment.

Alex could help but to feel that maybe inside this place would be the answer that would set them all free. She had no idea how she knew that but it was unmistakable in her mind. Inside this Palace that represented all of the Elvin power and wisdom would either be her salvation or her death. She smiled down at the Elvin girl trying to reassure her that everything would be alright. They walked hand in hand toward the gates to the place that would determine their fate.

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