"I assume you have at least one Realm, even if you haven't opened it yet," Stormleaf said . "I can offer you a way to open whatever Realms you have . "
Jiang Fei looked at him in shock . "You can do that?"
Stormleaf smiled at her, then reached inside his robe . When his hand appeared again, he was holding a small black pill .
Immediately, the eyes of the other two Academy mages went wide with shock .
"Elder Stormleaf—" the middle-aged woman began to speak, but Stormleaf silenced her with a gesture .
"Is that… a Realm Opening Pill?" Jiang Fei asked .
The question seemed to take Stormleaf by surprise . "You know more about magic than I had expected, Miss Jiang," he said . "Although I suppose that's to be expected from a daughter of the Jiang Clan . "
"I have heard of them, although I have never seen one . " Jiang Fei's voice trembled a little as she spoke, and Arran knew that inside, she must be panicking .
"Do you know what Realm Opening Pills are?" Stormleaf asked .
"They're alchemical pills that open Realms, right?" Jiang Fei said .
"Not alchemical," Stormleaf said, sounding pleased at the opportunity to correct her . "Realm Opening Pills are entirely different from most pills . In truth, they can barely even be considered pills . "
"How so?" Jiang Fei asked .
"When mages start out, their Essence is thin, like a vapor within their body," Stormleaf explained . "To reach the Master level, a mage has to condense his Essence until it resembles a liquid . Then, to reach the Grandmaster level, a mage has to further condense his Essence, forming a solid core . "
Jiang Fei nodded calmly, and it was clear that she already this . Arran, on the other hand, listened intently . Until now, he had known little of what separated normal mages from Master and Grandmasters .
"A Realm Opening Pill," Stormleaf continued, "is the condensed Essence core of a Grandmaster . The only way to get one is to defeat a Grandmaster and take it from his body . " With a smile, he added, "You can understand why they're valuable . "
Hearing his words, Jiang Fei looked astounded, and Arran could not keep his eyes from going wide with shock . He realized that if Realm Opening Pills were taken from the bodies of Grandmasters, then the pills that Master Zhao had given him represented a dozen dead Grandmasters .
Stormleaf grinned, seemingly satisfied at Jiang Fei's shocked expression . "I took this one a week before I encountered you . It belonged to a Grandmaster who helped the murderers we are looking for . "
Arran paled at Stormleaf's words . For a moment, he feared the man had caught Master Zhao, but he quickly discarded the thought . Master Zhao would not be caught so easily . Windsong, on the other hand…
"But how does that open a Realm?" Jiang Fei asked .
Her voice was shaking, and Arran could tell that she was having trouble maintaining her composure . Clearly, she also realized who the likely source for this pill was .
"When you take the pill, the Essence contained within the core will be released within your body," Stormleaf answered . "As it surges through your body, it will break down the barriers that are closing off your Realms . "
Jiang Fei did not answer, and Arran could see her looking at the pill in Stormleaf's hand, dread clear on her face .
"Of course, the Academy considers it forbidden magic," Stormleaf continued . "But in your case, an exception can be made . "
"I cannot possibly accept this," Jiang Fei said . "It's too valuable . "
"Nonsense," Stormleaf replied . "I insist . "
"But it's too much…" Jiang Fei looked miserable, and Arran understood that she was only barely able to remain calm . Even that, he thought, was an impressive feat .
Stormleaf's face hardened at the rejection . "I offer you an escape from your problems, and you refuse it?"
"It's not that I don't want it," Jiang Fei said . "But… How could I ever repay a debt like that?"
Her face showed clear traces of panic now . Arran knew that she was desperately trying to find a way to get out of the situation, but he saw no way out .
"All I ask is that you remember the kindness I'm showing you," Stormleaf said . There was a cheerless smile on his face . "Now please, accept this gift . "
Jiang Fei took the black pill with a trembling hand . Even now, Arran could see that she was frantically looking for an escape from the situation .
"Do I just swallow it?" she asked .
Stormleaf nodded . "You will feel some pain while the pill does its work, but in a few hours, you will have opened your Realm . "
Jiang Fei's eyes were filled with fear, but she took the pill in her mouth .
"Swallow it," Stormleaf said . By now, all kindness had disappeared from his voice .
Jiang Fei closed her eyes, then did as the man said .
For some time, they sat in silence, waiting for the effects of the pill to set in . Arran saw that Stormleaf looked calm, almost bored .
Meanwhile, Jiang Fei seemed terrified, and Arran knew that it wasn't fear of the pain ahead that frightened her .
In the next few hours, their lives would be decided . If the seal Master Zhao had placed on Jiang Fei's Wind Realm held, Stormleaf would undoubtedly realize something was wrong . If that happened, both Jiang Fei and Arran would have little hope of escaping .
Finally, Jiang Fei started to groan . The sound was soft at first, but it quickly grew louder, and her body started spasming with the effects of the Realm Opening Pill .
It didn't take long before Arran saw her eyes turn senseless . He understood that by now, her mind had been overwhelmed by the pain .
The moment Jiang Fei lost consciousness, one of the Academy mages spoke .
"Elder Stormleaf!" The voice belonged to the middle-aged woman . "How could you give the girl a Realm Opening Pill?!"
"Are you questioning my judgment, Junior Chen?" Stormleaf asked in a cold voice .
"Of course not," the woman said hurriedly, and a hint of fear could be seen in her face . "But why would you give the girl such a treasure?"
"The Academy has long sought to increase its influence in the Jiang Clan," Stormleaf said . "This will finally give us an opportunity to do so . "
"Are we to rely on the gratitude of some spoiled child?" the woman asked . Her voice was subdued, but it was obvious that she didn't think much of the plan .
Stormleaf grinned . "You think I would rely on gratitude?" he said . "The girl just took a forbidden Realm Opening Pill . By the time she awakes, we will be well within our rights to detain her . "
"How does that help our cause?" The woman knitted her brows in confusion .
"We will dispose of the servant, take the girl back to the Academy, and offer her the choice to either receive our help or be punished for her crimes . "
Abruptly, Arran realized why they spoke so freely in front of him . To them he was little more than an insect, posing no threat at all . Even if he ran, he doubted he would make it more than ten paces . And now, they were planning to kill him .
"What if she refuses?" the woman asked .
"She won't," Stormleaf said . "With our help, she can rise to power within the Jiang Clan — she can have everything she wants, or she can die . The choice is a simple one . "
Understanding dawned on the woman's face, and she nodded thoughtfully .
"Now, we should—" Suddenly, Stormleaf stopped talking, and his head turned sharply toward Arran .
Arran felt an avalanche of pain surging through him as raw Essence flooded his body . He had just taken all but two of the Realm Opening Pills that Master Zhao had given him .
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login