by DB King
Maimonides could say that all he wanted. Uriel could, as well. But the fact remained that a rivalry was growing between Alec and his elvish partner. Although the two had very little time to interact with each other directly, it felt as if they were always passing each other by. Just as Eleira promised, it was barely half a week before the elvish ranger entered the second door and joined him in the marsh, using the Elements of water and fire to destroy the half-formed creatures there.
More than once as he advanced through the series of doors on the first floor, Alec caught the elf girl looking at him with more than professional interest. It made him wonder if Eleira had a crush on him—and if so, what it might mean. Back in the Temple, it seemed as if there were only two kinds of boys: the stoic ones who never mentioned the fairer sex, and the ones who obsessed over them at every opportunity. Alec’s proclivities had always tended more toward the first than the second, so much so that he wasn’t even sure he was capable of romantic feelings.
Perhaps I have them already, he thought, summoning a pillar of water to decimate a pack of kobolds during the fourth week. The pillar was powerful, but nowhere near as strong as the unicorn he’d summoned against the bandits. Maimonides had explained that magic like that appeared only in times of great need, when the lives of his friends and those he cared about were threatened. In order to activate that kind of power, it wasn’t enough to merely put himself in danger—others had to be there with him as well.
He wouldn’t have minded Eleira being with him, to put it plainly. The elf girl worked harder than any boy he’d ever been paired up with in the Temple, and her robes at mealtimes never ceased being tight and fine. Perhaps one day, he truly would have romantic feelings for her—but for now, the training had to take precedence. Maybe that was why Eleira never went much further than staring at him on occasion while he fought waves of monsters.
“Looking forward to a little R&R?” Eleira asked him on week six. Both of them had advanced to the next-to-last door on the first floor of the House of Doors, a mountainous region covered in volcanoes and lava flows. The air around them felt like an open oven, and the monsters beyond this door seemed all either made of molten metal or carved from flames. The Element of water was necessary in order to proceed, but it was in short supply—until Alec figured out how to draw moisture from the hot, balmy air around them.
“You know, I think I’ve forgotten what rest is,” Alec said, swinging the Diamondspear through a rock monster as he covered a group of lava lizards in a spray of sprinkling water jets. “I get up, I eat, I fight monsters, then I go to sleep. All while Master Maimonides lectures me.”
“At least you don’t have to memorize dusty old tomes,” the elven warrior laughed. She tossed a throwing dagger into the eye of a creature climbing from the lava, then plucked it free and turned an entire section of glowing magma into rock with a cold spell. Eleira’s spells fizzled far less than they had when they first met, and her control of magic had increased by leaps and bounds. “I swear, going from combat to the library—it’s like going from a carnival straight to a funeral.”
Alec laughed at the juxtaposition. “I know what you mean,” he said, spears of ice flowing from his fingertips. “About the only thing that catches my attention any more is you.”
Eleira missed a step, nearly falling before the assault of two more lava lizards. Alec had to help her with a wave of icy foam, knocking the pair of lizards off their feet so Eleira could get at them with her daggers.
“For a moment, I thought you meant that,” the elf girl said, a look of keen interest in her eyes. “Now I see you’re just trying to throw me off-balance so you can be Uriel’s favorite pupil. You’ll stoop to anything to beat the better student, won’t you?”
Eleira pirouetted away before he could confirm he’d actually meant what he said. Well, no matter. Maybe when the two of them had some time to explore the town outside of the Northmund Estate, they could get to know each other a little bit better.
Tucking the thought away into the back of his mind, he returned to the ebb and flow of battle. In no time at all, the pair had demolished every monster thrown at them, bodies piling at their feet. The very landscape around Alec had been transformed by the force of his magic, going from blasted heat to frigid tundra thanks to the Element of water.
“Alright, that’s enough!” Maimonides called, his voice magically amplified. The gnome stood a short distance away, his ever-present magical shield up to ensure monsters focused on the pupils and not the teachers. Today, a special guest sat with him—Uriel Diamondspear, on a small wicker chair that seemed too slight to support his frame. “Take a break, both of you.”
They did so gladly. Alec pulled the waterskin at his side from his belt and drank half of it in a single long gulp. He’d never worked this hard before—compared to Maimonides, the most conscientious of the monks at the Archon Temple were slackers. If it weren’t for the daily increases in his magical power and the change in his muscles from constant battle, he might have felt resentment toward his new tutors.
Maimonides and Uriel conversed for a few moments as Alec and Eleira recovered, the mages’ heads together in a quiet argument. Whatever point they disagreed on, Maimonides had apparently won, because the gnome was all smiles as he dismissed the magic shield. “You’ve both done very, very well my pupils. Urry and I are very proud of you. So proud, in fact, that we’ve decided both of you are ready for a test to see if you’re prepared for the next level of training.”
Triumph soared in Alec’s chest. He felt like jumping for joy—in contrast, Eleira looked almost offended. The gorgeous elf blew a lock of long chestnut hair out of her face as she stared Maimonides down. She still hasn’t forgiven those cracks he made about her when he met her, Alec thought. Or maybe there was some animosity between elves and gnomes he failed to comprehend.
“A test?” Eleira asked, gesturing at the piles of bodies. “What would you call this, then?”
“Training,” Maimonides said wryly. “Eleira, Uriel will handle your test. Go with him, and he’ll explain the basics to you. Alec, you’re with me. Once your test is explained, both of you will have the rest of the day off to prepare.”
That wasn’t much. It hadn’t taken Alec long to realize that no matter which door they stepped through in the House of Doors, the time was always the same. The sun—or suns—hung in the same position in the sky, and night fell at the same moment no matter where you were. Alec wondered if this was something that would hold true on the other floors of the House. Hadn’t Uriel said some of these portals lead not only to other wheres but to other whens?
Either way, such a thing was likely only offered to very advanced students. Alec put it out of his mind for now and followed Maimonides to the door for this realm—a rectangular break in a waterfall of lava, through which the main hall of the House of Doors could just barely be seen.
“What kind of test are you going to be putting me through?” Alec asked his teacher as they stepped between the flows of lava. Instantly the temperature dropped, replaced with the cool dry air of the lobby of the House of Doors. Alec’s shoulders sagged with relief. “You know I can handle anything you can throw at me, Maimonides. I’ve increased the power of the Diamondspear and the Shield Ring. Not to mention, I’ve grown more adept with the Bloodcloak, too. Even without my magic, I’m a formidable fighter.”
Maimonides nodded. “You’ll need all that and more to pass this test,” the gnome said darkly. “Tomorrow, young man, you’re going in there.”
He pointed. There was only one door on the first floor that neither Alec or Eleira had entered yet—it was right next to the stairs that led to the second floor’s landing. Unlike the others, it was no ordinary door you might find in a village hamlet or manor house. Thick strands of plant matter covered a rectangle in the wall, each of which was threaded through a multifaceted jewel in the center of the opening. Alec remembered putting his hand against it on his first trip through the House of Doors, and had felt
a faint echo of… something on the other side. At the time it had filled him with a deep sense of foreboding—now he felt nothing but excitement.
“I’m ready,” he told himself, all bluster and bravado. “How many monsters are waiting for me in that realm, Maimonides? A thousand?”
“Just one,” the gnome said, taking off his spectacles. “Here’s the substance of your test, young man: you are to face the monster beyond that door down and return to the entrance of the House of Doors with both your life and your soul intact. I won’t tell you how to use your magic in an effective way against the creature—that will be for you to discover in the heat of battle. Succeed, and Uriel’s agreed you can go on to the next floor. Fail, and… well…”
“Why, Maimonides,” Alec said, trying to laugh. “You make it sound as if I’ll be killed!”
A sad look flickered across the gnome’s face. “No, the creature beyond that door won’t kill you,” the gnome said, shaking his head slowly. “But it will take you out of action for quite some time. Fail, and I’m afraid the beautiful Eleira will have more than enough time to surpass your learning. And if you wind up convalescing in one of the infirmary’s beds, you won’t be able to take her around the town during your break, now will you?”
Alec gasped. He’d never said a word about Eleira to Maimonides, yet he knew his feelings toward the elf girl. He must be using magic, Alec told himself.
It would be a long time before he realized Maimonides didn’t need magic to see the way Alec felt about Eleira. He simply needed eyes.
“I won’t fail,” he said, feeling the thought harden into certainty.
Maimonides nodded. Then the gnome went up onto his toes and put a hand on Alec’s shoulder, barely reaching it.
“I hope not,” his tutor told him. “Because tomorrow, young man, you’ll be walking through that door alone.”
Chapter 19
Most people would have butterflies in their stomach at a time like this, Alec thought, staring at the strange door. Instead, I have something very different…
Three Elements—Earth, Water, and Fire—warred within Alec’s core, filling him near to bursting. At his request, Maimonides had taken him through several of the doors on the first floor of the House of Doors that morning, allowing him to absorb magic from the various touchstones he’d encountered along the way. Now the two of them stood in the lobby before the final door, waiting for Alec to enter.
He still wasn’t sure if he’d made the right choice. Maimonides had been uncharacteristically quiet all morning, as if he’d been instructed not to give Alec anything that could potentially be considered a hint about how to handle the situation waiting for him. Today, it seemed, the final door on the first floor of the House of Doors was a puzzle he’d have to solve all on his own.
Starting with how to open the door, he thought, running his hand along the thick vines over the rectangle. The glowing jewel in the center glittered like an open eye as he stepped closer, testing each side of the door for any potential openings. No knob. No lever.
Well. There had to be something, right?
“Am I allowed to use magic on this door?” Alec asked, glancing over at Maimonides. The gnome had been watching him with an uncomfortable expression for several moments now, as if the effort of remaining silent physically pained him. “Or are you not allowed to answer that question, either?”
“You may ask me questions,” Maimonides said briskly. “Whether I can answer them or not is a wholly different story.” The gnome pursed his lips in thought. “Remember the instructions I gave you yesterday,” he said by way of help.
Alec thought. Maimonides said I would have to use my magic effectively, he told himself. Which means I should be allowed to use any magic I want.
Reaching for the nearest vines, he channeled fire. The itch of it felt like the aftereffects of a spicy curry in his chest, which flared brighter for a moment as flames lapped at his fingers. The burn faded as it flowed from his hands, covering the vines in flickering fingers of blaze.
The fire spread rapidly over the door. The jewel at the center darkened for a moment, almost like a wink, then the vines retracted into the floor. The doorway stood open before him.
“Good luck,” Maimonides murmured as Alec prepared to enter. Was that fear he heard in his tutor’s voice? Worry? Either way, there was only one thing to do about it. He had to go inside.
He stepped through the portal. The door began closing behind him like an irising eye, leaving him standing in a long hallway. The floor, ceiling, and walls brimmed with the same vines he’d seen before.
Moments later, the verdant scene shifted, as if an earthquake shook the ground—no, not the ground, but the space itself. The door had almost closed when Maimonides’s voice cut through the low rumble, “Alec! Come back, something terrible—”
The door shut with a sharp, final scream. A bright light flashed.
When his eyes cleared and his ears stopped ringing, the portal was entirely different. No, he realized. Not just different. Inverted. The thick, lush vines had become sickly, pale tendrils, spotted with thorns. The air was heavier. Darker.
Alec looked for the door but found that he could not find it, no matter how hard he searched. Whatever Maimonides had meant, whatever he had feared, Alec would have to discover for himself. There was no way out of here except to continue. Steeling his resolve, Alec pressed onward.
The sense of dread increased as he made his way further inside. Where all the other realms beyond the House of Door’s portals were wide open forests and lush valleys, this felt like he’d stepped into an old broom closet. The air was stuffy, the walls only free of dust because of the lack of any living things passing through this realm. His footing grew uncertain over the vines, even as the hallway widened into a single chamber the size of a storeroom or a cellar.
Another step and he saw the first corpse.
It was a spider, curled upside-down with its dried, crinkling legs wrapped around its body. Something had been nibbling at the corpse, leaving little more than a desiccated shell behind. Another lay just beyond it, and abruptly Alec realized the floor of the chamber was littered with tiny bodies. What in the world?
The chamber blazed with light. Alec threw his hand in front of his face, suddenly blinded. When his vision cleared, he found himself staring at a woman in a high, straight-backed chair. She would have looked like a queen on a throne if it weren’t for the rest of her appearance, which was frankly demonic.
The demoness batted red eyes at him, her long lashes fluttering like a maiden’s. That was the only maidenly thing about her—everything else from her long horns to the flickering tail between her legs spoke of blood and lust. She wore armor of black scales that covered her from head to toe, yet clung to her ashen gray body so tightly it looked as if the demon were unclothed. The hot sensation he associated with seeing Eleira at the table in her dressing gown doubled within him.
“Why, hello there,” the demon purred, licking her lips with a too-long tongue. “What have they sent me this time? A boy?”
“A man,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady. Another disquieting thought had just occurred to him—this creature could talk. He’d had no trouble wielding the Diamondspear against spiders and lizards—those were nothing more than monstrous beasts. But this creature was almost human. If she could talk, she could beg for her life, and Alec didn’t relish the thought of slaying an intelligent monster.
The demoness crossed one leg over the other, reclining on her throne. “Prove it,” she said with a little giggle.
Her pose was so casual she nearly had her claws in Alec before he noticed she’d shifted.
The demoness moved with inhuman speed, leaping from the throne like one of the spiders from beyond the first door. Only his magic saved him—he reached for the Earth Element, turning his flesh to stone in a single instant. The demon’s claws raked across his throat and chest, seeking his heart, kicking up nothing but a cloud of dust.
&nb
sp; “Ha! A skilled one!” The demon looked almost giddy at the prospect of a real fight. “I grow weary of eating spiders, young man. Boyflesh tastes so much better.”
Alec suppressed a shudder. Something had gone wrong. Even so, he had no intentions of becoming food for this creature.
With a quick turn, he drew the Diamondspear from his robes. Alec watched as the creature’s eyes went wide at the sight of the weapon. She recognized that spear.
“Ah, so you’re one of those,” she purred, stroking the sides of her long horns. Her nostrils flared in the balmy air, widening like the door he’d just stepped through. “Yet you don’t smell like a Diamondspear. Could Uriel be giving his weapons to bastards?”
He held the blade before him. “Call me a bastard again,” he dared, feeling the power of the Shield Ring. “I dare you.”
The demoness gave the most adorable smile, and his heart skipped a beat. That was all the time she needed to strike.
Her claws flashed again and again, striking the stone surface of Alec’s enhanced skin. To his surprise, it was beginning to hurt—a lot. He clenched the Diamondspear as the demoness tore at his stone skin, looking for a chance to strike back. But as he raised the weapon, she swiped it from his grip as if shooing a fly from her meal. The Diamondspear clattered as it fell a few feet away, out of Alec’s reach.
Now unarmed and desperate, his hands gripped the demoness, Earth energy flowing through his fingers. An image of the plant in his window flickered through his head—he’d kept it in his quarters as a kind of lesson. If he could do to the demon what he’d done to it, he could walk back out again a free man…
It didn’t work. Oh, the demoness’s skin turned to stone, alright. But the spell had failed to freeze her. Her movements slowed, yet filled with a power she hadn’t had moments before. Damn it!
