Before I begin this Chapter I just want to say... This story might not have a happy ending. I haven't fully decided yet, but don't assume it will all go well. I have lots of ideas about the ending, and don't expect me to pick the easy option. Ok, go read the Chapter now! ^w^
I woke with an undignified snort, startled out of my patchy sleep by the clunking of the door being unlocked. It swung open just as I jumped up from the crumpled bed. The same guard from the night before (or was it a different one? It was hard to tell) came in, sword gleaming at his belt. His lip twitched slightly in disdain at the sight of my crumpled old clothes, and he brushed an invisible bit of lint from his perfect black uniform and gestured for me to follow him. Grabbing my bag, I did so, not bothering to shut the door behind me.
There were three other people in the corridor, one of which was another guard. With him was a young woman with thick, curly auburn hair in a black tank top and plain grey trousers. She looked extremely excited about something - no prizes for guessing what. The other was a man, perhaps in his forties or fifties, with a light grey beard and a messy head of hair. Despite his age, he looked hardened and ready to put up a fight. He nodded to me and turned away.
The guards gestured down the corridor and we walked in silence to the exit. We then got completely lost (as far as I was concerned) in a maze of corridors before finally being spat out into the main hall again. My breath caught in my throat when I saw what had been erected overnight.
A huge black doorway stood on its own in the centre, crowds of people gathered around it. They parted to form a path and I saw the Head of Council at the base of the construction. He appeared to be waiting for us.
I looked around, but none of my new companions seemed too eager to approach the curious thing. I didn't blame them - it loomed ominously over us, like a gateway to Hell. The man sighed and started walking, but a guard blocked his way with an extended hand.
"Him," he said simply, nodding at me. The man stepped back.
"Off you go, kid," he said. I took a deep breath and started walking, vaguely aware of the others walking behind me. I drew level with the Head and he turned to me.
"Before you go, I would like to offer my condolences about your friend," he said, a little smile playing about his lips. Rage welled up in me, demanding that I pay him back for what he did to Firenze, but I kept it in check. Punching him in the face wouldn't be a very good way of starting this trip, and would most likely reduce my chances of survival to absolute zero. Possibly even negative numbers.
I heard shoes clicking on the tiles behind me and turned to see Chris walking up to us. He nodded to me, his face unusually serious, and turned to the Head.
"You called for me?" he asked.
"Indeed I did. Have you prepared yourself?" the Head asked him. Chris nodded.
"Good. Join the others." Chris stood next to me.
"You signed up for this?" I hissed. It was bad enough that I had to go, but now my best friend was coming too!
"Of course! I can't wait to do it! It sounds fascinating," Chris replied happily. I opened my mouth to tell him the truth, then remembered I couldn't possibly tell him without alerting suspicion. Chris didn't really know the meaning of 'surreptitious'.
A guard came forward with a sharp curve of flint and a small block of iron. He scratched them together to create a spark, and then jumped back quickly. The spark gently glowed on the black stone, then caught alight into a flame. It grew into an inferno, but for some reason I felt no heat coming from the fire. The flames filled the entire frame, flickering dangerously. I noticed a small patch of the fire near the centre slowly getting redder, then turning almost... purple? The purple flame spread, filling the whole portal, and the fire changed shape. It turned to swirling circles of light, emitting flecks of flickering purple. I released a breath I didn't realise I had been holding and glanced at the others. They had all retreated in fear.
"Enter," said the Head, smiling with glee. We glanced at each other – it was clear no one wanted to go first. I sighed and stepped into the black doorway, clenching my teeth together preparing for whatever happened. The purple substance was cold against my skin, seeming to cling to me. The purple grew in my eyes until I could see nothing but the purple vortex whirling around me. I felt a curious sensation, like tingling all over my body, and felt something pull at me. It pulled harder and I felt myself lifted off the ground and spun around. The swirling light and dizziness from spinning overcame me, and darkness filled my vision. I felt myself slump against the side of the frame and knew nothing more.
By the way, I'm really sorry it took so long to get this out! I had complete and utter writer's block this weekend.
