Chapter 63

Aeraxor stood in the middle of a sparsely furnished room, its walls surrounded by gray stone. Before him, on a low table, lay a person of simple standing. Not a slave, but also not of particular importance – perhaps a servant or craftsman, he did not know himself.

The man had short, brown hair that fell in disheveled strands over his forehead, and his clothes were simple and made of coarse linen. His hands, lying motionless beside him, showed the signs of hard work.

He didn't know the person, but he didn't want to.

Should something happen and he fails in his task, it could destroy the person, or rather, their mind and thus their entire being.

Not knowing him makes it easier for him to sleep.

A hand on his shoulder pulled Aeraxor out of his thoughts. He looked up and met the penetrating gaze of Emperor Kaelarys Baelaeron. "Don't worry," Kaelarys said in a calm voice. "He is not someone you should waste your thoughts on. Look into it, then you will understand."

Aeraxor followed the emperor's gaze to the glass candle, which was lying in a wooden box. Carefully, Aeraxor took it out with both hands and placed it gently on a small table set up next to the man.

The table itself was from Yi Ti and so low that one had to sit on one's knees to use it. It was a practice that seemed strange and unusual to Aeraxor, but after all the things he had seen in his life, this was one of the less questionable ones.

"You do understand the risk, don't you, Your Majesty? I have hardly any training, and if I make even one mistake, it could kill me. Or, in the worst case, I could remain trapped in his mind."

The emperor had accepted him as a student in the mythical arts of magic because he recognized his talent and wanted to promote it. But when it came to glass candles and looking into minds, he was still a beginner.

He had looked into the mind of a newborn in the short time he had been trained in it, but looking into the mind of an adult was a completely different matter.

A number of problems could arise. A particularly strong mind could displace him, he could be thrown off balance himself if he wasn't careful while trying, or in worse cases, his character could change or disappear altogether.

It was different for a newborn. The mind was not strong enough and very simple compared to the complexity of an adult human.

"I am aware of the risks and trust that you will take care of yourself, but you must take this step if you want to continue the apprenticeship. Besides, the greatest rewards are not far from great danger. Face it and you will thank me." Kaelarys promised and he knew he was not lying, but taking the last step still scared him.

Aeraxor closed his eyes for a brief moment and took a deep breath, going within. "Okay, I'll do it."

"You won't regret it."

Slowly, Aeraxor turned to Glass Candle and let his gaze slide deep into the black flames rising from the candle. The shadows danced in the flames as he felt his mind wander.

The subconscious mind offered little resistance, but it was also slow and sluggish when he wanted to access specific memories.

He wandered through the memories, looking for something that might be of interest. The emperor would not just give him a random person. Something had to interest him, something he should be looking for. That was the training behind it.

He let his mind wander, through fleeting images and fading scenes from the man's life. They were mostly inconsequential moments, simple memories of daily life, but he immediately noticed that the surroundings and the people were quite different.

He had never been there himself, but he had seen enough paintings to recognize the similarity in structure. It was Yi Ti. He couldn't say which city exactly, but he was fairly certain it was the capital.

He kept looking through the man's memories before he found one that interested him.

He blinked to orient himself and suddenly found himself in a narrow, dirty side street. The light was subdued, the sun seemed to be low and cast long shadows over the walls.

In front of him stood a person, cloaked in dark robes, his face hidden in the shadows

Aeraxor sensed the strangeness of the situation as he found himself trapped in another man's body. His voice, sounding strange, echoed in his ears as he heard himself speak.

"So, what is it this time that you want? Another murder, or something a bit more delicate this time?" It was a strange, uncomfortable feeling to utter these words – not himself, but the man whose memories he was reliving. And yet it felt so real, as if he himself were in control.

The cloaked figure did not answer immediately. Instead, he took a letter from a hidden pocket and handed it to him.

Aeraxor, or rather the man in whose body he was, carefully accepted the letter.

"Don't ask any questions that could get you into trouble," came the cutting reply. "Complete the task and you'll get your money."

"Why me?" he asked. The thought crossed his mind why someone like him was chosen for such dangerous missions.

The cloaked figure laughed softly, almost contemptuously. 'Believe me, I've asked myself that question many times,' he replied with cold mockery. "But someone seems to think you're competent. But trust me, I don't. And it would give me great pleasure to kill you. Unfortunately, it seems that you have not yet fulfilled your purpose. So don't mess it up if you value your life."

Aeraxor felt his anger rising.

It was a wild, seething rage that took hold of his chest and was only kept under control with great effort. His hatred for the hooded figure was overwhelming, so strong that he could hardly concentrate on the conversation. Every muscle in his body screamed to pounce on the man, to strangle him, to punish him for his arrogance and threats.

But the man Aeraxor possessed held back his rage, if only just.

Suddenly everything around Aeraxor blurred. The dark alleys, the cloaked figure, the roar of his own rage.

Then everything became clear again.

He found himself back in the room where he had started. The man still lay motionless in front of him.

"You saw it, didn't you?" Kaelarys asked, and yes, he did. But he still didn't know what his mission was or how he ended up in the hands of the emperor.

"Yes," Aeraxor replied hoarsely, while he tried to organize his thoughts. "I saw him in Yi Ti and how he accepted orders from dubious people. But what exactly those orders were, I can't say... You took me out too early."

Kaelarys nodded. "I did. For your own protection. It's not wise to probe too deeply into the mind of a man like that, at least not on the first try. Your curiosity, as understandable as it is, would only have led you further into danger. And to satisfy your curiosity further – the man whose mind you read was here to steal plans. Plans of a ship. But he was nothing more than a disposable pawn in a much larger game. He had no significance and only fragmentary knowledge about those who sent him. He knew enough to carry out the assignment, but not enough to tell us anything useful about his employers."

"So he was just a piece of the puzzle," he asked.

"Exactly," Kaelarys confirmed. "An expendable piece of the puzzle that has lost its value. But don't worry, I know who is behind this and they, like all others who stand in the way of House Baelaeron, will pay dearly for it."

But before he could think about it further, a loud knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.

A servant entered, bowed deeply, and respectfully kept his distance.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Your Majesty," the servant said with his eyes cast down. 'The empresses have asked for you."

Kaelarys turned to the servant. 'Tell them I'll be right there," he replied. The servant nodded and closed the door behind him.

"It seems that further lessons will have to wait. But for now, you have done well. Keep it up."

Without another word, Kaelarys left the room and Aeraxor looked at the man and the candle one last time before he too left the room.

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Sorry, but on weekends I'm usually out partying and less likely to be motivated to write. But, here's a chapter.

Men scroll

Men see

Men smile

Men gifts Stones

Men leaves Review

Men leaves happily.

Yours,

Jasonenrick!