THE FORGE
“He’s not ready,” a voice echoed in the dark room. I stepped forward and the sound of liquid underneath my foot echoed along the wall-less room. It wasn’t water. I bent down to investigate. It was dark and congealing, its texture almost rich. Sounds of a scream and of sword cutting through bone filtered through the room, and suddenly I knew what the substance was.
“He’ll have to be, we’re running out of time. He will not fail us, I have faith,” another voice answered.
Who were they talking about? Fail at what? I wanted so desperately to yell out into the darkness but found my throat closed up. As if to answer my apprehension, the second voice addressed me.
“Soon, my child. We will need all of you.”
My legs were sucked into the blood-soaked floor. I scrambled around, searchin
