Ark flexed her fingers, watching closely as the muscles running down her forearm tensed and untensed. After a few moments of silence, she looked up and whispered, "I can feel it. Whenever you did, I can feel it. Right here." She pointed at her chest.

  Vral looked at her, then glared at me. "What did you do? And why does she feel it in her heart?!"

  Holding up my hands and putting some distance between myself and my jealous goblin girlfriend, I said, "I didn't do anything! I swear!"

  "Then why does she feel it in her heart, huh?" Vral thumbed the hilt of a dagger. "Better start talking. Otherwise, I'll start cutting you in a place you really don't want me to cut."

  "I'm also uncomfortable with what just happened," Tristan said as she stepped up beside her and crossed her arms. "What did you mean by the Dark Lord?"

  "I'm not happy either." Na-Ya stepped in front of Tristan.

  Ro gripped his hilt and stepped in front of both girls. "The Dark Lord?"

  "Everyone, calm down..." I took a slow breath. And we were having such an easy, peaceful quest. "I think the Dark Lord just bound these goblins to me." The instant I said the words out loud, I realized they wouldn't comfort anyone, anywhere.

  "The Dark Father?" Ark hissed. "You serve Him?!"

  At her words, the pack of goblins immediately started thrashing and shouting.

  "Damn it, Ark!" Grort shouted. "We'd have been better off dead!"

  "Yeah, we've all seen those poor bastards back in Brightwater." Lutz shook his head. "We're worse than dead now."

  "We should have never sworn ourselves to him!" Klart screamed.

  Frik kicked his pitiful companion. "Shut it, or he might just kill us now!"

  "Hold on!" I shouted. "I'm not killing anyone!"

  All five of them looked at me. Ark's eyes burned as she spoke. "Be honest. Do you serve Him?"

  I shook my head. "No, I don't serve him. But he marked me a while back. I hear His voice sometimes, and He occasionally intervenes in my life."

  "Is that any different?" Ark rubbed fingers over the inflamed skin of her left forearm.

  I couldn't help but laugh. "Good question. I have no idea. I sure hope it is." Shaking my head, I added, "I'm a Chosen, though! That counts for something, right?"

  The goblins all looked at one another. Together, they said, "No."

  Tristan walked toward me. "Why would He do this?" Grabbing my hands, she asked, "And why now?"

  "He said I should have more tools to use." I sat in the grass. "They're supposed to help me create the world I see in my head."

  Sitting beside me, she whispered, "I wish our life could be normal."

  "Me too." I took her hand. "I really do."

  Vral stomped up to me. "Why the hell would He bind these chumps to you for, huh?" She looked livid as she sat in front of me. "Why them?"

  I didn't understand her point. "What do you mean?"

  "Why them and not me?!" She slapped the ground with the heel of her palm and, cupping her hands over her mouth, she shouted at the ground, "Was I not good enough, asshole?!"

  "I don't think this is something to be jealous about, Vral." Tristan shook her head. "I think both of us would rather you be our equal than..." She looked at the goblins. "Whatever they are. I don't even know what to call them. Servants? Slaves?"

  Vral looked at Tristan, then me. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She blushed, then laughed. "I like that better, too, actually."

  I patted her head and said, "He called them vassals." My arm was itching terribly under my left bracer. "I know the word, but I don't know what it means in this context."

  Shaking her head, Tristan said, "I feel like I've heard of something like this before."

  "Me, too." Na-Ya knelt beside Ark. "Can I inspect that brand, miss?"

  Shrugging as much as she could with the ropes binding her, Ark said, "Sure, why not? It's not like I can go anywhere with these ropes around me, and I'm a slave or some shit now anyway. I'm stuck."

  "Let them go." I nodded to Ro. "Take their ropes off." I wanted to test something.

  "You sure, brother?" Ro looked at me as if I were insane.

  "Yeah. I am. If they're stuck with me, the least I can do is make their life a little better."

  Nodding, he and Na-Ya began untying their ropes. The goblins mostly stayed still as they worked, and within a few moments, the five were sitting on the grass, free.

  Grort laughed. "You're not much of a boss, friend! You make stupid choices!" Leaping to his feet, he charged at me.

  Ro's blade was out in a flash, and Na-Ya's staff was already burning with white light.

  "Wait!" I shouted. "Don't do anything!" It wasn't like he could hurt me, especially not without a weapon.

  "Cocky!" Grort screamed as he snatched a large stick from the grass. "You're dead!"

  The other goblins watched, wide-eyed, as he crossed the gap between us, but, luckily, none of the others tried to move.

  "I'll get us out of here! Just wait!" With a mighty heave, he raised the makeshift club high and swung. Before the weapon made it an inch, though, the brand on his shoulder flashed blood red, and he shrieked. "Fuck!" His skin began smoking. "That hurts! Make it stop!"

  I thought so.

  "Put it down, you idiot!" Ark sprang to her feet and ran to him.

  "I-I can't!" Her mate roared.

  Grabbing the club with both hands, she ripped it from his fingers and threw it into the woods. Only then did the brand stop burning on his shoulder.

  Grort slumped to the grass and clutched his smoking shoulder. "Damn it..." Smacking the ground, he whispered, "I thought I'd get us out of here..."

  [Healing Light]

  white light washed over the goblin. The blackened skin of his shoulder turned green again.

  "T-thanks." He stared at Tristan. "Priestess."

  "Of course." She smiled at him. "It's what we do."

  "I didn't tell you to do that!" Ark smacked the back of his head. "That's why I'm the boss around here!" She froze, looked up at me, smiled a shy smile, and added, "Well, that's why I was the boss, at least."

  Na-Ya stepped up to her, sat down, and took Ark's arm. Running her fingers along the symbol burned into her skin, she said, "I can feel magic in it. Coming from it, it almost feels like... a thread?" Nodding at Tristan, she said, Tris, tell me what you feel."

  "Yeah, sounds good." She walked up to Ark and touched the brand. After concentrating for a moment, she sucked in air and whispered, "Wow."

  "Right?" Na-Ya stood and made her way to the next goblin.

  Tristan followed

  One by one, the girls looked over each of the goblins. When they finished, Na-Ya walked to me, took my arm in hers, and said, "Can I check something?"

  "Okay." I let her have my arm.

  Unbuckling my bracer, she pulled the armor off, then rolled up the sleeve of my gambeson. There, burned onto my arm exactly where it had been itching, was the same shield symbol.

  Closing her eyes, she ran her fingers over the brand. Staying like that for a couple of minutes, she eventually reopened her eyes and whispered, "I think I understand it now," before letting go of my arm and sitting beside me.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  I took a long look at the symbol burned onto my arm. "What the hell are these?"

  "I don't know, but it's clear that it's connected their threads to yours. Whatever it is..." Her sapphire eyes met mine, then trailed back to the brand. "It's powerful magic. And dark, almost like a curse. I don't even think Varga could break something like that."

  "Great." I put my head in my hand. "Just great."

  "Hey." Tristan grabbed my arm next. "I think I know something about those things... I remember reading about them in one of the books about the War of Black Night."

  "I was thinking the same thing, but I was afraid I was misremembering it." Na-Ya considered Tristan. "It does seem similar, doesn't it?"

  "Yeah." Tristan nodded. "It really does."

  "That's the war at the beginning of the fourth era, right? The one when the Dark Lord first came to the surface?" I pretended that I knew what Arden was saying during most of our lessons, but some stuff stuck. The War of Black Night was one thing that did.

  "It was." Na-Ya's eyes stayed locked on my brand. "And, if we're right, the Dark Lord used those brands to control the people who fell under his sway."

  "I thought the magic was lost, though," Tristan shook her head. "So how could this happen?"

  "He did it," I contributed. "I could feel his magic take hold."

  "But how? He's stuck in the Abyss." Tristan pointed toward the Great Tower. "And we're sitting here under the Goddess's light. He shouldn't be able to affect anything up here. He can't cast powerful spells like these all the way from the Abyss, can He?"

  "He can't." Na-Ya sighed. "At least, I hope not." She turned to the goblins. "Maybe it has something to do with their race?"

  "That's my guess, too." Tristan looked at them, then Vral. "It has to be because they're already..."

  She wanted to say tainted. I could see it. But she knew it would hurt Vral to say.

  Vral's face darkened. "It's alright. You can say it. I know what my people are. We're a fucking blight."

  Ark's head dropped. "You're not wrong, girlie."

  Vral turned and considered Ark. After a moment, she said, "At least we agree on something."

  "That's not what I was going to say, Vral." Tristan took Vral's hand in hers. "And it's not what I mean."

  "That's because you're nice." She bared her teeth. "I'm not."

  "Stop that." I stood. "That's a bunch of shit." I looked at Vral, then the others. "You're people, just like the rest of us."

  Ark snorted. "Tell that to everyone who uses us." She pointed at the sack. "Like the fucking mage who hired us. I bet he knew we'd meet you out here. That's why he sent us out to grab some stupid crystals in the middle of nowhere."

  That was right!

  Kasimir.

  I'd been so distracted by the brands and the binding that I'd almost forgotten about him.

  Why the hell would he hire goblins from Velmire to mine crystals when we were right here? It made no sense. Unless... Could he actually have that much foresight? Did he set all of this up? Or was all of this by chance?

  "What did you say that sack does again?" I asked Ark.

  "It sends whatever we put in it back to him." She tilted her head. "Why?"

  "And he said you could keep it after?" Tristan's eyes narrowed. "That seems generous."

  "Too generous," Na-Ya agreed. "Magic like that is incredibly rare. No mage would just give away something so rare as payment for a simple job."

  "I don't understand why he didn't come to us," Ro said. "He and Faye both gave us the quest to go to Velmire. He could have given us both at the same time."

  "I..." My mind was racing now.

  The sack.

  The brands.

  The goblins swearing themselves to me.

  Had Kasimir known what would happen? Had he wanted this to happen?

  I didn't think I'd ever understand his way of thinking. But I did know that he never did anything by accident. Everything he did had a purpose.

  An idea came to me. "You know what?" I stood and walked to Ro. Holding out my hand, I asked, "Can I have that sack for a couple of minutes?"

  "Sure," He unslung the bag and gave it to me. "Keep it, if you want it."

  Examining the bag, I questioned whether what I was about to do was the best idea.

  "What are you doing?" He asked.

  I laughed. "Screw it." I untied the sack's mouth and opened it up. All that was inside the sack's opening was swirling black mist. "Hey team, count to a hundred. If I don't pull myself out by then, rip this thing off of me."

  "What are you thinking?" Tristan stood.

  "And why a hundred?" Vral stood beside her.

  "Because that's how long I can hold my breath for." Without hesitation, I took a deep breath and pulled the sack over my head.

  The instant the cloth surrounded me, everything went black. The swirling black mist I'd seen at the sack's opening rushed up around me. It was utterly cold and suffocating, and I couldn't see a thing. I could only hear... something. Something deep, deep in the darkness. It sounded like a deep rumble.

  I wondered if I'd made a mistake.

  The thing rumbled again. Then again. At first, it was distant. Then, as the sound grew louder, I could feel a presence. It made my skin crawl.

  There was another rumble. This time, it was close.

  It vibrated through my bones until my teeth rattled and my bones shook. Then, my lungs started to burn.

  How long had I been in here?

  Twenty seconds?

  Thirty?

  A minute?

  I couldn't tell.

  Sparkling points danced across my eyes.

  I was going to pass out.

  My hands moved to rip the sack off, but before I could, the world lurched.

  The mist vanished.

  The roaring stopped.

  Just then, there was light. The air became warm. The air smelled like woodsmoke. As my vision cleared, I realized I wasn't in the forest anymore. I sucked in a lungful of air. Sweet, sweet air.

  I sucked in air and felt gratitude that my stupid idea paid off. Then, slowly, I began looking around at... wherever I was.

  I was in a room. A study, from the looks of it. Polished wooden floors, dark wooden walls, and ornate wooden shelves lined with books. A fireplace was crackling in the far corner. Beneath me, there was a large pile of glowing crystal haphazardly on a wooden floor. Strewn throughout the crystals were dozens of those bronze orbs the goblins were using.

  Where the hell was I?

  The soft scratch of a quill on parchment filled the air to my right.

  I turned my head, which I realized was nothing more than a disembodied appendage floating a foot up in the air. Across the room, hunched over a massive oak desk covered in papers, books, and what looked like several dozen different magical artifacts, sat an old man. His robes were dark blue, his long white hair fell past his shoulders, and his lips were turned down in a deep scowl.

  "Kasimir." I tried to move, but the sack's fabric pressed against my shoulders, keeping me in place.

  The old mage didn't look up. His quill continued its steady scratching across the page, occasionally pausing as he dipped it in an inkwell.

  "Kasimir!" I shouted.

  His hand froze. Slowly, he looked up. Searching the room, he looked everywhere before he noticed me. Only then did his eyes go wide. "Boy?"

  "Why the hell don't you use a magical quill?" Even us lowbies back at the temple had quills that never ran out of ink. He was the world's strongest archmage! There was no excuse.

  He set the quill down, steepled his fingers, and said, "Because I prefer the experience of using real ink." Staring for a long moment, he eventually asked, "And why is your head floating in my study?"

  "I like the experience of being a head floating in your study." I normally was pretty up front with people, but his stupid face pissed me off. It brought out my inner Vral.

  "I see..." He stood and walked around his desk. "Why, pray tell, have you chosen my study to float in?"

  "Because I felt like it." I looked around. "It's dusty in here. You should clean more."

  He looked around and took in the space. With a chuckle, he said, "This may be the only time I say this, but you're actually right." He snapped his fingers. The air rippled around him, and three nearly invisible shadows appeared beside him. "Clean," He commanded.

  The shadows hissed as they sprang into action. In seconds, his books were being tidied, his floors were being mopped, and his shelves were being dusted.

  Clearly satisfied, he turned back to me. "So, what exactly do you want? I'm a busy man."

  "Clearly." I nodded at his desk. "Those letters weren't going to write themselves."

  He looked back at his desk. "It's important work, keeping the world from falling apart while my meathead sister and her simpleton friend continue to neglect it."

  "At least they're not assholes."

  Kasimir scoffed. "Happy feelings and kind words don't save lives, boy. Remember that."

  He might be right, but fuck him. "Wait, aren't you supposed to be fighting with Faye and Greta in Evron? I thought you three were heading to Bleakrock?"

  He crossed his arms. "What I do and how I do it is of no concern to you. Suffice to say, I'm completing tasks that are of great importance."

  "It's my problem now, considering I just ran into a group of goblins you hired in Velmire."

  His eye twitched. "Ah, you found them, did you?"

  That was a tell. I remembered Faye talking about it. But why? What was he hiding? "Why didn't you ask us for help with... whatever you're doing?"

  With a light smile, Kasimir said, "I hired them because, based on feedback from Varga and Renard, I assumed hiring some fodder would be a good training opportunity for you."

  "All we've done is train. I can't see what fighting people weaker than us can do for us."

  He shook his head. "You're still far too green to be useful."

  "Fine, assuming you're right, you hired some goblins to train us somehow. Why? And for what end?"

  He laughed. The sound was bitter and hollow. "What could be more straightforward than known criminals, especially ones comprised of that tainted race we allow to infect our lands, meddling with powerful magics and antagonizing the people of Istaera? Even someone like you would choose to do what you had to do to protect the land and its people. Right?"

  "You're the worst." I had to say it.

  "I don't care what you think." He stepped toward me. "So, did you do what needed to be done? Or were you hindered by your sympathies, like that idiot witch always is?"

  Oh yeah... What was her name again? "Yeah, something like that." I decided then and there to avoid telling him about the brands. He already hated me enough. I didn't need to add more reasons. "Okay, so I did what I did. Now what?"

  "Excellent." He crouched next to me and patted my cheek. "Now, if they didn't already do so, finish harvesting any crystals you find. They're needed to restore the seals. And don't forget those orbs. The gathered light is an essential ingredient in the project I'm developing."

  "Do it yourself." Asshole.

  "I..." He hesitated. "I cannot."

  "Why not?" I smirked. "I thought you were some badass archmage? This'll be the second time that I end up doing something you can't."

  He frowned. "Once again, that is my business." He reached for a nearby shelf and grabbed a leather belt. Hanging on it were a half-dozen potions of different colors. Shoving the leather into my mouth, he patted my head again before saying, "Now begone, and take these with you. You're going to need them when she shows up."

  "Shhhe?" I asked through the leather.

  "Yes, she." A wave of power washed over him. "Oh, and do be quick about it. You don't seriously think I hired only a single band of misfits to harass you, do you?"

  "Yesssh?"

  "Stupid boy." Power emanated from him, pushing me back into the swirling black mist of the sack. "I hired dozens of the filthy creatures. So be quick. Due to your unfortunate proximity to one of the filthy beasts, I'm sure you know exactly how foul they can be when given the opportunity."

  Don't talk about Vral like that, you piece of shit! "Wwhy?"

  He chuckled. "Why not cleanse the world, train you, and have my needs met all at the same time?" He grinned. "Now, get to work. Time is ticking, my friend." He waved his hands. "And don't attempt the sack trick a second time. I'll be changing the parameters of the spatial link to exclude living beings. If you try putting your head in the sack again, you'll die."

  I was thrown out of his study, through the black mist, and onto some tall grass. The sack fluttered down next to my head.

  "Hey!" Tristan's dropped to my side.

  [Healing Light]

  I felt her power was over me.

  "You okay, boss?" Vral fell to her knees on my other side and grabbed my arm.

  "Yeah, I'm alright." I took a breath. "But fuck that guy."