Emily stood in the center of the chamber watching this old man with a sour expression.

Now that she was more familiar with this world it was not all that strange for the man to know her name, hell, she had a skill that could tell her people's names, but there was something off about this man. He exuded pressure and yet from the look of things, he could barely move, let alone get up from his swaddling of blankets.

In some ways, he reminded Emily of the guru's back on earth. So thin she could see his ribs poking out at the bottom of his stomach, and yet there was a strength in his eyes that rivaled her own.

Unable to help herself, Emily triggered Eye of the Persecuted, less than a second later her skill came back with alarming information.

Name: Zauren, the stonecaller

Fifth bridge opened.

Title: Hearthspeaker; Wellwatcher; Bloodroot.

Emily's brow twitched as she tried to figure out what any of the titles meant. All of them were higher-order titles which meant they had meaning to do with Zauren's life.

For example, Wellwatcher had to mean he looked after the well they were in right now but how long did one have to do this to get a specialized title for it?

Emily was still lost in the implications of this when all the other Shamans dropped into a seated position.

She decided to follow suit and crossed her legs to look up at Shaman.

He too had a grand-looking headdress but it rested off to the side of his seat, his sparrow-thin neck probably unable to hold up the weight for long.

When she looked into the Hearthspeaker eyes she was a child-like amusement there. He knew she'd used a skill on him.

"Now that introductions are out of the way, we should speak about your actions out there," he said heartily.

Emily looked back to the Shamans but none had raised their heads as of yet.

"Well, alright. What is it you want to know?"

The Hearthspeaker chortled happily and lifted a finger for her to come closer.

Seeing this Emily pursed her lips but complied, getting up and sitting down in front of him.

As she did so, Zauren's expression hardened and a keen light entered his eyes.

"I will now put down a spell to stop you from lying, prepare yourself."

Emily started to object but there was a brief flash of heat coming from the Hearthspeaker's chest and all at once Emily felt like they were sitting around a campfire.

Soft echoes bouch around them filled with laughter and music. When she glanced out of the corners of her peripheral vision all she saw was an inky void.

However, Emily didn't care too much. Her eyes locked on the Hearthspeaker and her gaze dilated on that distant point, almost unwilling to look away.

Breaking out of mental skill effect was usually easier for her, but this was the strongest one Emily had encountered yet because the pleasure of the sensation made her unwilling to try.

When Zauren spoke his words spoke his words forced themselves into her brain.

"Young Emily, why have you come here, do you mean my tribe harm," he asked, all the warmth gone from his tone, replaced by fridge air.

The words came out of her unbidden.

"Not at all, I only wish to pass through to the heart of the desert, but if your tribe hurts Alex, Ashe, or Kael, that will change. I will feel very little over draining your people dry, even if Kael came to help you with that sapphire."

Her own answer bothered her because she seemed to have no control over what came out.

Zauren's face turned into a hard line at the mention of the gem and he rubbed his chin.

The only silver lining was when he asked that question the hold his spell had on her lessened, two more of those and she'd be able to break free.

"Did you know that using your foreign rituals was forbidden on this land?" he asked.

"I did, but I also informed them that should our safety be threatened I would not hesitate to step in. Your rituals are in place to protect yours, it is so strange that I would protect mine."

As the second answer came out of Emily's mouth the effect lessened further and she struggled to the surface, but before she could make it he asked his third question.

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

"You have been named Kaelan's mouthpiece, if you were taught the rites would you respect them by following our traditions."

Emily tried to hold the answer back but it was useless, the spell was too powerful.

"I would love to learn from your people, but I would only follow your traditions as long as they severed me."

The moment the third answer was out, the world's blurry edges sharpened and the chamber came back into focus.

Emily's shoulders drooped and she glared up at the Hearthspeaker. She had to physically stop herself from grabbing the old man and shaking him.

"I did not consent to that," she growled.

Zauren nodded, but before he continued he turned to the rest of the Shamans.

"Leave. Now!"

They didn't hesitate and got up making their way down the pier and closing the door behind them.

When the others were gone, the warm light in his eyes returned.

"And I'm honestly apologetic for how that went down, but it was the quickest way for me to determine your intentions. Will you grant this one your forgiveness?"

Emily's anger was cooled as she looked at the man, unsure what to say. First, he was a warm old man, then he turned into an inquisitor, and now he was back to a polite senior citizen.

Emily blinked unable to decide if she felt insulted enough to react, but before she could decide Zauren pulled out a handful of bright yellow berries. He ate a few and then held the rest out to her.

"These are a rare delicacy here in the desert, they're called Zozo berries, try a few they're delicious, and then we can start talking."

Once more she didn't know what to say. Usually, Emily could control the pace of the conversion, but this man was effortlessly guiding her where he wanted, and for some reason, she wasn't that insulted.

Taking the berries she tried to figure out why that was, popping them in her mouth released a sweet and sour explosion of flavor. They tasted like lemon and lavender.

As she ate Zauren continued.

"I don't think I need to tell you your tribe is in a bad position, but I am willing to help if you give me a little more information about this sapphire you mentioned," he said leaning in.

Emily shrugged.

"I don't know much, just that it was a deciding factor of Kael coming back here. It gave off a powerful, cooling energy, but beyond that…"

Zauren leaned back.

"Interesting. If that item is what I think it is then I can offer you a way out in exchange for that gem. The others will expect to see you punished, and that is what we will give them, but at the same time, I will also be able to give you a chance to help Kaelan. Would you like that opportunity?"

Emily paused to swallow and compose her thoughts. She had no idea what Kael was going to do going forward with the challenge. Were they going to run again like Alex had said, or was there another plan this time? What would helping Kael entail?

All of this was just too much to think about because the final answer was obvious. They were holding the Wandering Fangs hostage and the moment Kael slipped up they were done for.

If she could help Kael she needed to try.

Sighing she nodded.

"Alright, what do I have to do?"

The corners of Zauren's mouth pulled up.

"It will be dangerous but if you can manage it you will have the right to challenge the order of things here, and that includes lifting Kaelen's dishonor."

Emily squinted at the man. How did he know so much of Kael's business?

The Hearthspeaker didn't give her all day to think, as with the next clap of his hand, the doors the Shamans had exited before, clattered open, and in they walked. They had to have been right outside to react so quickly.

When they walked in Emily could see their expressions ranged from uninterested to sheer hostility with only a few showing curiosity, but when Zauren began they all shifted to awe and respect.

"I have spoken to the outsider and determined her punishment. In five days she will enter the storm and undertake the trial of glass."

Several of the Shaman recoiled while some looked satisfied, however no one argued.

"Teo, you will be her guide through all of this. Take her to an empty room and teach her our ways over the next three days, on the fourth, she will travel to the storm and challenge it."

A young Shaman stepped out of the crowd and lowered his head in acknowledgment. He was one of the few that had an inquisitive light in his eyes.

"I hear and obey Hearthspeaker," he said firmly.

Emily stared at the wily old man but didn't have anything to say, so when Teo tried to usher her out she didn't fight him.

It didn't look like they would give her any more information anyway, no, that was Teo's job.

When they had left the chamber that everpresent pressure left her shoulder and Emily realized she'd been holding her breath.

The young Shaman beside her let out a sigh as well and looked at Emily with a genuine interest in his eyes.

"Nice to meet you, please come this way while I find you lodging."

Emily followed as they went back into the passages and headed for a further door. There she found a row of openings lining the halls.

There were no doors on them, just rough curtains blocking the views of the different rooms.

Teo went to the furthest room and pulled the curtain aside.

When Emily arrived behind him she saw a small bedroom with a raised bed made from clay, and recessed into the wall were shelves filled with scrolls, similar to a wine rack.

Emily didn't bother with the literature and headed over to the bed. It was covered in thick bundles of cloth, but at least when she plopped down on it there were no dust clouds. They kept the place fairly clean, which was nice but then she saw Teo's expression. It was one of worry.

"This will be your room Miss for the next three days. During that time I will do my best to teach you our ways and how to go about the challenge correctly."

Emily nodded and turned to look at the young man.

"Alright Tao, hit me. Where do we start? What have I gotten myself into this time." she said calmly.

The languid tone in her voice made Tao's expression all the more worried.

"Miss, I believe it would be smart for us to first go over what your trial will entail as that is the most important thing right now," he said, an edge of concern in his voice.

Emily wasn't about to hesitate.

"Right, well?" she asked.

Tao seemed to want to avoid her eyes and she was confused as to why the Hearthspeaker had given Tao as her guide. He seemed inexperienced, in fact, he seemed the youngest of the Shamans, but perhaps that was the real reason.

"Well, I'm not sure how else to say this, but the trial of Glass is one of the most difficult trials for Shaman. If one takes the challenge and completes it, they are afforded a voice in the circle of Shamans. Even an outsider may take the trial. But because of its difficulty, very few had passed it."

Emily's brow went up.

"How many have managed to finish this trial then?" she asked skeptically.

Tao chewed the inside of his lip and set his shoulders.

"As of right now, only two Shamans have ever completed it. The first was the one that created the trial many years ago, and the next was the current Hearthspeaker."

Blood points: 622

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.