Resurrected as a Drow 3 Chapter 3

“Fynn, you seem to be enjoying this,” Nodrin said, and I tore my eyes away from the growing structure to look at the wizard, who was smiling at me widely.

“Uhh, yeah? That’s the coolest thing ever.” I couldn’t help but turn my head to stare at the huge organic matter before us, and as if the beanstalk knew I couldn’t be more impressed, a spiraling staircase started to descend from the top of the tree-like structure and continued down until it landed in front of the wizard. “What is this?”

“This,” the wizard said as he gestured for me to start ascending the staircase before us, and I wasted no time complying. I rushed forward and gripped the smooth stone handrails and angled my feet so I could better climb the steep, slick staircase, and I barely noticed the wizard was following me until he spoke again. “This is the stairway to the Wizards’ Market.”

“Wizards’ Market?” I asked as I half-turned to look at Nodrin, but I was wary of losing my footing, so I didn’t want to look away for long.

“The Wizards’ Market is a magickal space that is specially reserved for only those possessing a certain status,” he explained as I turned my head back to the staircase so I didn’t lose my footing, but I kept my ears pricked so I could hear the old man’s words. “We have access to things that, in the hands of others, would be either outrageously dangerous or completely useless.”

“What are the status conditions?” I asked as we continued to climb the steep stairs. I was quickly becoming winded, but I still reveled in the sight of the magickal beanstalk as we climbed higher up into the thick, pronged trunk. The leaves grew in width in relation to how much the stalk grew in circumference, and the higher we climbed, the more I felt like… what was his name?

Jack.

Jack and the beanstalk. I instinctively cupped my fist as if it contained beans and shook them. Then I motioned as if I was tossing them out in front of me, and I felt the wizard’s curious gaze boring into me, so I half-turned and shot him a grin.

“Flash of another life?” he posited, with his eyebrows raised in amusement.

“You’ll get used to it.” I smirked.

“I hope I do.” The wizard smiled serenely as I turned my attention back to not falling down and shattering my neck.

“So, what are those status conditions?” I said as I got the conversation back on track.

“Well, firstly, you must possess a Wizard Lyte,” the wizard chuckled, and I heard him tap his pendant with his fingernail. “And you must be part of your House’s Inner Circle.”

“Inner Circle? What’s that?” I asked as I tried to silently suck air in through my teeth. The elderly wizard didn’t seem to be winded at all, while I felt like I… like I smoked a pack a day.

A pack of what?

I pondered this memory for a second, but I quickly gave it up when I started accidentally talking myself into feeling lightheaded and dizzy on the narrow steps.

“Once a House establishes over one thousand residents, like Claden’Du once had, then the House establishes its own intricate inner hierarchy,” the wizard explained.

“I guess the name did give it away,” I snorted as I tried to cover my distress. “It’s an inner circle. I take it the Matron Mother is the head of the Inner Circle? So Mother Sevahtra was the head of Claden’Du’s Inner Circle?”

“The Matron Mothers and their first-generation offspring.” The wizard nodded.

“But now there are only the three sisters left,” I said slowly. “Tryss, Helly, and Dagwyen. What about the kinship? Are Drindessa and her daughters part of the Inner Circle now that the Houses have joined alliances?”

“My, my, Sevvy was right, you are a quick one, aren’t you?” the wizard quipped, and I couldn’t help but grin.

“I have to be to keep up with those women,” I said with a playful shake of my head, and the wizard laughed jovially.

“They are a handful, aren’t they?”

“To say the least.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” the wizened wizard chuckled.

“Same.” I grinned.

“But, yes, young Fynn, you are correct. With the alliance between the two Houses, Drindessa and her daughters are part of the Inner Circle now. I believe you’re, ah, well acquainted with the twins?” The wizard grinned again.

“I am.” I smirked.

“Everyone wants a piece of the male with the light powers,” Nodrin said.

“I’m just a lowly male doing what I’m told,” I said as I spread my hands wide, but my growing smirk gave me away.

“What a well-behaved male you are,” the wizard chuckled.

“Who else is in the Inner Circle?” I asked as I nearly slipped off a particularly narrow step. “You, I assume?”

“Correct, the Matron Mother’s consort is almost always part of a House’s Inner Circle. There are rare exceptions, but not for Sevahtra. And, the last accepted members of the Inner Circle would be the Matron Mother’s choice of Named Sons.”

I turned to see him giving me a pointed look, and I felt my stomach do a little flip. I hadn’t been around long, but I knew Mother and the others were impressed with my work here so far. I was already honored with the privilege of being a Named Son of Claden’Du, and I didn’t want to get ahead of myself, but I was willing to bet I’d have a good shot at being in the Inner Circle one day.

“You said when a House reaches a thousand residents,” I prompted the wizard to continue explaining the inner workings of the House.

“That’s right, which of course, was no problem for Claden’Du before that tart Daria Ozin-Na sent her slag daughter Belia to wipe out our House.” Nodrin scowled.

“Attempted to wipe out our House,” I corrected the wizard, who chuckled.

“Attempted, thanks to you,” he agreed. “Do tell me, how did it feel to end that bitch’s life?”

“Amazing.” I grinned.

“I knew it,” Nodrin said with a small shake of his head, like he was sad to have missed out on the action. “So, the way it works is that there are usually three basic ‘classes’ in a House. There’s the Inner Circle, which is the top, of course. The sort of mid-level class would be where the Matron Mother’s other children would be, along with any of her preferred servants and guards, any male that catches her fancy, you know the deal.”

“Right,” I said with an understanding nod. I was still sucking in air, and I couldn’t help but notice that the wizard still wasn’t. I would be annoyed, except I was fairly certain there was some sort of magick involved to aid the elder wizard on his walk. I was just lucky he did that Rejuvenating spell on me earlier. Otherwise, there’d be no chance I could’ve made it up these never-ending stairs.

“Then there’s a lower class that makes up about six hundred souls, filled with the rest of the chattel and some more guards,” the wizard continued. “Then, eventually, the Houses tend to gain more chattel, which leads to more lower classes, and that’s when the Named Sons in the Inner Circle step up and take charge of the lower classes. They are referred to as Overseers, each assigned their own field, if there are enough Sons and chattel to warrant it.”

“Hmm,” I intoned as I took in the information. I knew most of Claden’Du’s residents had been wiped out in the raid, but I had faith in Mother’s ability to rally, and I knew it wouldn’t take her long to replenish her House’s ranks. It was a devastating loss to have the entire lower House members wiped out in one go, and as much as the women of the House put on a tough front, I had seen firsthand when they let the grief take over, and my heart ached at the memory. I also knew that Sevahtra had her own vaults that contained her wealth, but they were presently unreachable. I knew once she accessed it, though, she’d be able to replenish her House. I was also certain the powerful woman would be able to convince others to defect from their own Houses to join her ranks, especially if she had a plan in the works to rise up through the Noble Tower.

Which meant, eventually, she’d have extra lower classes that would need Overseers, made from Named Sons. Of which I was the only one. My heart flipped again in excitement, and I was beginning to realize that my presence in the Inner Circle was less of a possibility and more of a certainty, especially with the House’s depleted resources.

I took a moment to ponder over this while we climbed in silence for a few moments, and I watched as a wisp of cloud floated past a broad leaf. The leaf swayed gently at the touch, then stilled, and it looked like a large platform that stuck out over the Citadel Center below us. I pictured myself standing on a platform above a sea of workers, with Tryss by my side while I shouted orders at my own assistant. Maybe I’d get a hobgoblin for an assistant as well, Fespius really wasn’t that bad once you got past the annoying beyond comprehension part of his personality.

It looked like things were looking up for the House of Claden’Du and, well, me.

I glanced over the handrail to the ground below us, but we were so high up that clouds of mist covered any visibility of the Citadel below us. I took a moment to study the beanstalk structure we continued to climb, and I became fascinated all over again. Then I reached out to touch the thick stalk that the staircase spiraled around. It felt real. So did the leaf I grazed my fingers over as I passed it, and I couldn’t contain my curiosity anymore.

“What is this thing?” I asked as I gestured to the magickal beanstalk and the space above us. “And what’s with this Wizards’ Market? A magickal market above a… different magickal market? And how come I’m allowed up if I don’t meet the requirements? I don’t have a Wizard Lyte, and I’m not part of the Inner Circle… yet.”

“Trust me, my son, this walk would’ve gone a lot faster if you did have a Wizard Lyte,” Nodrin chuckled, and my hunch that magick was involved in the old man’s ascension on the staircase was proven correct.

“Sorry,” I said, but the old man waved his hand.

“Don’t be, dear son, I’m happy to stretch my legs after being held captive like I was. But the answer to your question is, you don’t need a Wizard’s Lyte to ascend the staircase if… you are the Apprentice of a Wizard.”

I stopped in my tracks so suddenly, Nodrin almost ran right into me, which would have sent us both toppling ass over heels down the stairs we’d just so laboriously climbed.

“Seriously?” I asked as I turned my wide eyes to the wizard, and I was too shocked to continue up the steep steps. “You want me to be your Apprentice?”

“It’s not a matter of ‘want,’ dear Fynn, it’s simply a matter of what is,” the wizard explained. “But before this discussion can go any further, you must pass a test.”

“A test? What kind of test?” I asked as I felt my stomach drop a little bit. If it was anything like Mother Sevahtra or Drindessa’s tests, I was in for one hell of a ride. One I wasn’t sure I could stay on for.

“Have a look,” the wizard said, and he motioned behind me.

I spun around to see the top of the staircase had come into view, and I could just make out the edge of a fence.

I hurried up the short remainder of the staircase that led to a large landing with an intricate stone gate with the words ‘Wizards’ Market’ carved into the beautiful arch, which was also embedded with colorful crystals that caught the light just right. The gate appeared to be made of the same smooth, white stone the staircase was, and it was guarded by a doorman who looked familiar. I studied the ogre male’s face for a moment and realized he looked strikingly similar to the guard at the Nils Dorei, the inn run by an Unhoused Kinship, where all business was welcome, dodgy or legitimate. Behind the gate, I could make out figures moving around, but the sound from the magickal market was muffled, probably by magick.

I heard the wizard step onto the landing behind me, and I spun around to face him again. I must have looked out of my depth, because he gave me a sympathetic look before he spoke.

“The test is given by the Gatekeeper,” Nodrin explained, and he nodded to the familiar looking guard, who nodded back at him. “It’s a test of logic, you are not required to perform an activity or use magick in any sense. You must pass this test in order to be considered worthy of beginning the long, dangerous path to becoming a Wizard, and should you fail, your journey ends here.”

“O-Oh, okay,” I said as I felt a lump form in my throat.

In all of my other ‘tests’ of abilities since I’d been here, I usually had some external help. Mother Sevahtra tested me by forcing me to cross a dangerous path most wouldn’t risk with just Greenie and Fespius for company, but both of them proved to be valuable companions. Without them, I wasn’t sure I could’ve made it out alive. Drindessa and Mother Sevahtra had also both tested me physically before, but I was often able to tap into my ether to help me, and those instincts came naturally. A test of logic, while I was confident in my intelligence, seemed to be much easier to fail. There were still a lot of nuances to this world that I didn’t understand. What if the test was about something that I had no idea about? Would my recently acquired desire to be a wizard be destroyed so soon after I got it? That didn’t seem fair.

But, as I was quickly learning, life as a drow wasn’t always fair.

“Don’t be nervous, my child,” the wizard reassured me as he laid a comforting hand on my elbow. “A Wizard must learn to clear his mind when the situation calls for it. Let me show you a breathing technique to help you accomplish this.”

“Please,” I said eagerly.

“It’s very simple, but it calms the mind so that one may think clearer,” Nodrin explained as he gestured to his face. “Simply inhale through your nose quickly two times, then slowly exhale through your mouth. Do this three times, then focus on your task in front of you. Give it a try.”

I followed the wizard’s instructions, but when I finished, he shook his head at me.

“Too slow on the inhale, and too fast on the exhale. Like this.” The bearded sage closed his eyes and demonstrated how he drew in two quick, sharp breaths through his nose before he formed a small O with his mouth and very slowly blew that air out. Then he opened his eyes and motioned for me to try again, so I followed his example, and the wizard smiled.

“That’s better. Whenever you’re unsure about a task ahead of you, and your head is spinning with options, try this to center your mind.”

“Thank you,” I said sincerely. The trick did lower my heart rate, until I looked back at the shiny gates and realized I still had a logic test to pass, and I felt the nerves creeping up again.

“I trust you’ll do well, son,” Nodrin said in that reassuring way, and he gave me a small smile and nodded to indicate I should approach the gates.

I took his cue and cautiously approached the intimidatingly large ogre by the gates, and as I drew closer to the gatekeeper, he switched positions from parade rest to attention. I didn’t know how I knew the names of his standing positions, I just did. Then I wondered if Nodrin would help me be able to get to the bottom of this whole two worlds colliding thing.

Or maybe, if I passed the test and eventually became a Wizard, I could get to the bottom of it myself.

The ogre didn’t move from his attention position as I got closer to him, not even when I stopped in front of him. I looked up at his wide, rather ugly face, but the Gatekeeper kept his gaze forward and didn’t even spare me a glance.

“Uh, hello?” I asked, but the ogre responded with silence. I waited a beat to see if this was some sort of test, but the ogre continued to stare ahead.

Maybe there was something specific I was supposed to say? I turned to Nodrin for his advice, but the wizard simply shrugged at me.

When I turned back to the ogre, I found his face only inches away from mine, and I jumped back in shock.

“Gahhh!” I cried out, and I stumbled over my own feet trying to back away from the large, smelly face.

The Gatekeeper simply howled in laughter, he even clutched his stomach and bent over. I looked back at Nodrin in shock, but the wizard was chuckling.

“What the…” I muttered, and the ogre straightened himself up and wiped a tear from his eye.

“Ahh, that never gets old,” the ogre said between giggles.

“Maybe not for you,” I grumbled as I straightened myself and tried not to glare at the ogre who held the keys to my future as a wizard in his hands.

“Well, I’m the only one that matters right now,” the ogre said as he puffed out his chest, and I couldn’t disagree with him.

“Yes, Gatekeeper,” I said humbly and bowed my head.

“What’s with the eyepatch?” the ogre asked, and he stuck out a stubby finger to point at it.

“Oh, um,” I stalled. I wasn’t sure how much information to give away from the start, and I was learning less was more in this world, so I knew I had to choose my words carefully. “Old injury.”

“Nice,” the ogre said with a nod of approval.

Of course, his race would value physical aggression over all else, which made me wonder why he was the one giving me the test of logic.

“I am merely the vessel,” the ogre added as if he’d read my mind.

“The… vessel?”

“Yes. Your test will come to me, I will repeat it, you will get thirty seconds to answer, and if your answer is correct, then the doors will open.”

“Oh,” I said as I pondered this new information. “So… do you know the answer?”

“Nope,” the ogre said simply. “We can begin whenever you’re ready.”

Then he positioned himself exactly in front of the gates, and he motioned with his baseball glove-sized hand, whatever that was, for me to stand in front of him.

I quickly shuffled over and stood directly in front of him, and I tried not to look too nervous.

“O-Okay,” I stammered as I shot one last look back at Nodrin, who gave me a reassuring smile.

Then I finally turned back to the ogre, closed my eyes, and did the breathing trick Nodrin had just taught me. If I only had thirty seconds to answer the riddle, I figured it was best to get my mind cleared immediately. Once I was finished, I opened my eyes and looked up at the ogre, who was waiting for my cue.

“Okay, let’s do this,” I said, with more confidence than I felt.

The ogre nodded at me once, and then he slowly closed his eyes and let his chin fall to his chest. He began to mutter things, and I leaned in closer to hear.

I hoped this wasn’t the test. Would I get docked off my time if I needed him to repeat it?

“Eye,” the ogre suddenly muttered, and my hand instinctively flew to my eyepatch. I wondered if I should have been truthful with the ogre about the powers of my Dark Eye. Or rather, truthful with whoever was on the other side of this vessel. I considered interrupting the Gatekeeper’s quiet ramblings, but before I could, his eyes flew open and penetrated me with an intense stare.

“Ahh,” I said as I cleared my throat. I wish I could do the breathing thing again, but I didn’t want to risk missing anything, so I just stared right back at the ogre. Then the Gatekeeper opened his mouth and spoke in a voice that wasn’t his own. This voice was much deeper and sounded knowledgeable in a way the ogre’s voice didn’t.

“They follow and lead, but only as you pass.

Dress yourself in darkest black,

And they are darker still.

Always they flee the light,

Though without it, there would be none.”

When the ogre finished speaking, his eyes snapped shut again, and his head fell to his chest. Then, in his normal voice, the ogre began to count down.

“Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight…”

“Shit,” I said as the words he said whipped around my head. What were they again? Follow and lead, but only as you pass. Fuck, was this something unique to this world that I didn’t know about? Or would that have been taken into account by whoever gave me the riddle? But how would they know?

“Twenty-four…”

“Shit,” I said again, but then I pushed away the worrying thoughts and focused on the riddle. Follow, lead, as you pass. Okay. Dress in black and then they’re black? No, that’s not right. They’re darker. Right? I chanced a glance up at the Gatekeeper, whose eyes were still shut as he continued to count. “Umm, can you repeat the question?”

“Twenty-one…”

Guess not.

“Shit,” I repeated like it was my mantra, but then I shook my head and focused. If I’d known the logic test was just going to be a riddle, I’d have been less nervous. But if I’d known I only got to hear it once and only had thirty seconds to solve it, then I’d have been nervous again. And I didn’t know any of it, so I was already nervous, and great, I’d just made myself twice as nervous.

“Nineteen…”

“SHIT!” I cursed for the last time, and I forced myself to shut my eyes and focus.

Follow the lead, only as you pass, dress in black and they’re still dark, something about a light. Going away from? Yeah, that was it, they fly from the light? Flee. They flee the light, but without light they wouldn’t exist.

Was this a reference to my eye? Or my powers?

“Fifteen…”

But if it was a reference to my eye or my powers, the answer would be more magick based, and not logic based, and Nodrin had said this was a logic test. Or was magick considered basic logic here, something everyone should know?

“Twelve…”

The ogre’s voice rang in my ears and added to my already noisy thoughts. I knew it was a risk, but I decided to try Nodrin’s breathing technique again, so I shut my eyes and breathed as he instructed. Two quick inhales, one deep exhale. And again. And again.

“Seven…”

Okay, that took longer than I thought. But my mind was clear, and the words of the puzzle started to take shape in my mind. They felt real for the first time, and I could see the whole riddle clearly in my mind.

“Four…”

“Shadows,” I said in a calm voice, even though I had to squeeze my hands together to stop them from shaking.

The ogre opened his eyes and stepped aside.