Being led to the building with his entourage of soldiers Alceran looked around as eyes watched from afar. A crowd of people gathered as news spread of the man who murdered a zealot ran through. Alceran, beaten and burned, went into the building where Scarlet sat at a desk her fire mask stayed on while she lazily read a paper.

  “Ah welcome friend. I am Captain Scarlet. I am tasked with overseeing this village while we mine away and let the peasants live away. Sit please. Make yourself comfortable.”

  The zealots shoved Alceran forward then forced him down into the chair with heavy hands. They then stepped back waiting at attention but Scarlet waved them off after standing up from her desk.

  “Leave us. You lot will make things uncomfortable.”

  They saluted and left the room while Scarlet started pacing around Alceran like a shark. She ended behind him putting a hand on his shoulder letting mana charge that felt warm.

  “Sorry for how my boys treated you. They are on edge, planar beasts, then you. It’s hard to keep them under control. If beating you a little makes them happy then what the hell. I only need you half alive to talk. Now moving on I’m curious more about your magic. There’s two ways this goes Alceran.”

  Her hand started to heat up as smoke seeped from his armor. Alceran felt the pain and spoke out in low tone masking the pain.

  “If your attempt to intimidate me is cooking me then you’ll be very disappointed. It’ll take a lot more than this to break me.”

  Scarlet lifted her hand behind her mask and a smile crept as she patted his shoulder.

  “That wasn’t intimidation. It’s just a small show of power. I’m willing to believe this whole thing was a strong misunderstanding after all.”

  She walked to front of Alceran as he stared at her with a strong gaze

  “You defended yourself, that was all. I’m more curious about your magic. A blessed calwenna citizen and magic that mortals don’t have. You must’ve been born with a hell of a trait to make that work.”

  She paused, letting him talk. Alceran grinned as he spoke.

  “It’s just my magic. It’s normal to me. It worked well when I killed your zealot. He hesitated for one moment. I watched him try to call for help while he died scared and alone while my ice broke him. I hardly even tried.”

  Scarlet nodded her head. She looked around to make sure the room was empty. Then she let out a laugh.

  “Trying to make me mad are ya? Cute attempt but I’m not so easy to crack. My personal belief, way I see it, all my boys are pawns to help me climb higher. All these faces blend together. All I see are the red hoods. It’s how I was trained.”

  She took off her mask and a human face with short brown hair. Her neck seemed to have a burn scar that spread up her left eye. On her ears she seemed to be wearing shriveled up dark elf ears that looked to be real. She took them off and leaned into Alceran’s face staring into his eyes matching his grin. She pressed a hand on his neck at first feeling cool and comfortable but with each second the temperature raised.

  “You don’t scare me sir. I'm a captain way above the average Zealot. Now who do you work for? Adventurer? Shattered eye affiliate? Perhaps a man who hates what we represent.”

  With each word she spoke her uniform grew hotter with fire dancing around her. Alceran coughed a little and closed his eyes. He spoke out. As the thick hot air clogged up the room.

  “You know nothing. I am not an adventurer. Nor do I know what shattered eyes are. I for certain don’t hate this place. I just popped up here plain and simple.”

  From behind he had a finger loosely touching the iron bars that bounded him. His hands glowed purple while his finger channeled heat. The metal around him was expanding slowly while Scarlet’s hands were branding his neck. She appeared to be shaking as her eyes widened as they focused on the teeth of his smile.

  “Popped up? Like a damn spud? You clearly hate your skin Alceran. Now drop the grin and let me hear that manly scream. It’s making me excited. You’ll be more cute when you hit those high notes.”

  She increased the temperature of her hands and squeezed hard. The mage stayed silent, he tried coughing but no sounds were made. After a moment his hands broke free and pushed her off with a powerful shove. Scarlet went back to the table and looked at him smiling as she got up. The table behind her had a few cracks into it.

  “I’m glad you have some fight left in you after all now you are free my dear Alceran. What’s the next move? Fancy a fight with a captain or are ya gonna play nice and go into the cells?”

  She held out a piece of raw iron ore and tossed it in the air and let it fall to her hands while smiling confidently. Walking forward the air continued getting hotter as both people started sweating. Alceran raised his hands not showing any fear for his opponent.

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  “As long as you know I'm not a sniveling coward who will stand still while you have your way with me. I’ll take a break in the cells.”

  Scarlet nodded her head.

  “Good boy then.”

  She walked over and cupped his hands together then put the ore on his hands and it started being smelted by her magic, pouring over before hardening into rough shaped cuffs that covered his hands. The hot metal constricted his hands, even making spells hard to summon. While Scarlet blew a whistle and from the door a few zealots wandered in and saluted.

  “Yes sir.”

  Scarlet lazily called out while looking away at a paper on her desk. She put back on her ears then her hood and mask next.

  “To the cells with him. I have had enough of his company for now. Alceran we will try again in the morning. I can’t wait, until then get your story straight.”

  Alceran was now being escorted to a building on the right. While others watched, the building was made of darkened wood while inside there were multiple cells each with a metal floor and stone walls with iron bars. Each cell was empty except for one cell which held a dwarf inside. The cell door opened where Alceran was thrown in and then shut and locked as the Zealots walked out. Alceran sat up and tried channeling magic as the dwarf talked through the wall.

  “Oi what are ye in here for lad? I imagine a simple misunderstanding, it's usually their way.”

  Alceran thought for a second of forming an explosion in his hands but the idea of losing his hands didn’t appeal to him.

  “I killed a zealot and didn’t talk now. They plan to try and interrogate me more tomorrow. They want to try and scare me and decided to leave me alone as if that would work.”

  Alceran slammed his fists into the wall multiple times trying to crack the ore to free his hands. While the dwarf on the other side listened and thought to himself.

  “That true? Killing a zealot is a serious crime lad. They will be keeping sharp eyes on you. I have to ask what’s the motivation? Did they kill your family or maybe you had also had enough of the oppressive way they handle things.”

  Alceran started growing more annoying and slammed his cuffs into the metal below denting it while the metal stayed firm.

  “He was in my way, now I need to take over this town in less than four days for my next goal to happen.”

  The dwarf laughed a little while hearing the hardened smacks

  “Then you’ll be wanting a bit of help then I reckon? I’m Brock. It's nice to meet you. I’m an important person. I have sources who want to tear apart the Calwen government, want to team up with me?”

  Alceran tried squeezing his hands apart but stopped at his words.

  “I’m already taken, sadly. I’m not looking for teammates at the moment.”

  Channeling heat he seared his hands to try and heat the metal again. He grunted under the pain while Brock spoke in a low whisper.

  “What if I make you free again? Would that convince you?”

  Alceran went silent and thought to himself while canceling his magic spell now thinking to himself.

  “Can you actually manage that in the cell Brock?”

  He heard footsteps walking around in the cell, and then a low whistle sound of a bird was made. Alceran listened with intrigue as he smiled already knowing what was being done.

  “I can manage that lad. Now wait a few minutes. I have resources all over.”

  Alceran sat and waited patiently when the door opened and out from it a zealot showed and shut the door slowly making little noise. He stared at Alceran then walked past the cell to Brock.

  “It’s dangerous to summon me when he is around. Make it quick, I need to finish my rounds quickly.”

  Brock whispered while the Zealot listened closely and looked at Alceran with a stern frown the two men stared with a subtle hatred for each other grew.

  “Brock this isn’t right he is delusional. He murdered a zealot in cold blood and Scarlet has taken a liking to him. It’ll look suspicious to everyone here. Why should I?”

  Brock spoke again while smiling at the man.

  “Aba if we release him he can be the spark we need to fully do things. I’ve got a good feeling he will be useful to our cause, if he escapes now and takes down even two more it’ll help show how weak the zealots are. Release him now.”

  Aba stared and sighed and his hands glowed.

  “Fine but if I get caught I’m taking you down with me Brock and they will go way harder on you then with me.”

  Brock laughed quietly and smacked his knee while smiling towards the zealot.

  “I'll tell them I had a rare ability to mindcontrol idiots. Now hurry before someone comes in.”

  Aba reached through the bars and held a hand on the ore. His hands brushed past the metal as he scoffed.

  “Scarlet definitely didn’t want to lose you, that's for sure. That is high quality ore. It would take three zealots to properly melt it down. I would need help.”

  He kneeled down thinking of ways to melt it while Brock suggested ideas.

  “Maybe you can create a tool of fire to break the ore? Or perhaps a strong explosion?”

  Aba took a heavy sigh and looked at Brock’s cell.

  “I’m not advanced enough to even fuel that kind of spell and an explosion isn’t really subtle. You're not a mage, you should keep quiet, magic is more complicated than thinking of stupid solutions.”

  Alceran sat in silence thinking then asked Aba in a curious voice.

  “Can you redirect mana well? Perhaps mine will be of use.”

  Aba looked at the mage and frowned a bit.

  “You want me to use your mana and my own to melt the metal? I can’t sustain that before we make progress. I would fizzle out. Not to mention the conversion rates are terrible. I would have redirect your mana into me then immediately use it. Most of it would be lost before I can even use it. Not to mention I’m good at such a thing. I've never practiced it.”

  Alceran grinned and leaned against the bars.

  “Then devote your mana to me alone. The problem is solved.”

  Aba looked dumbfounded at Alceran.

  “That would put you on par with a captain which I find hard to believe since you are locked up here and not out there free. Don’t show off when you're in jail.”

  Alceran immediately countered.

  “Shut up. If it doesn't work then nothing changes. I will not be bad mouthed by you. Do it.”

  Alceran relaxed and leaned against the bars. Aba grunted and gave in, putting his hand on the mages shoulder and focused while Alceran glowed purple.

  “What in the gods? This mana is different. It feels off yet powerful.”

  Aba took the purple mana and started siphoning it into his hands while turning it into heat that made the metal glow a bright white. Even as his reserves of mana were being drained out by Aba, Alceran felt no signs of being emptied out nor any signs of fatigue. Aba felt like he was taking barrels out of a rushing river that fought him with each scoop he took. Even though he couldn’t properly channel Alceran’s mana it still worked fast, melting away the metal until Alceran broke free. His hands were steaming and burning hot. With an iron smell in the air.