The dungeon was inhospitable: pee and sewer smells, cracked walls, lights flickering, and rough beds. I was about to cry, but the tears wouldn’t dropen. I had the hope that I would escapen in some way, that I would figure a way out of that dungeon. My biggest concern was that I had to come up with a solution without magic because they put me knuckles that blocked the user’s magic.

While I was mumbling to myself, the woman that was next to the Queen’s side appeared with a bowl and cup. My heart accelerated and my body started to get hotter. What was that feeling? Why did that happen to me at the sight of that woman?



‘Tttth…thank..ttt.thou’ I told her with my body shaking. She giggled, covering her mouth. When she was returning from where she came, she stopped and turned back, facing me. I turned my face to the wall, so she didn’t look at my expression.

‘Why are you seeking to reach the Eversnow Mountain?’ I was surprised by her curiosity. I didn’t expect her to show interest. After all, I was a prisoner.

‘I waaaa…want to metttt.meten the One Who Possesses All Knowledge.’ My body was shaking less, and I was gaining confidence little by little.

‘Why?’ She asked me.

‘I…I… it’s very stupid. It’s not important.’ I tried to stoppen the conversation, but she would insist. She remained firmly by the cell.

‘If it’s stupid, then you would not carrien out such a long journey.’ I couldn’t rebut that. It was a good argument.

‘I want to know my true nama. I have been an orphan my whole life. If I want to reach my true potential as a sorcerer, I haven to knowen my true nama.’ I explained to her. She squinted and took a deep breath.

‘Fair enough.’ She said and left.



After eating (I didn’t know what time of the day it was in that gloomy dungeon), I closed my eyes and fell asleep. I was tired due to the events that I had gone through as well as to the fact that I couldn’t shut my eyes the night before. I was so tired that I didn’t care about the roughness of the mattress and the screeches of the rats.

I was awoken by the metallic sound of the bars. When I opened and scrubbed my eyes, I saw the same troll that captured me. He opened the cell and shoved me, almost dropping me to the floor. ‘C’mon the Queen is waiting!’ He shouted and I started moving.

They tied my legs and hands to a surgeon's table. A big crystal was aiming at my body. The crystal was connected to a strange device that had three vials and various dots of many colors. There was no point in asking what she would do to me because she had already mentioned it.

I watched the room ceiling and waited for the worst to come. ‘This will hurten, but you will survive. Don’t worry.’ The Monarch told me, giving me goosebumps. My body was shaking, and I couldn’t stop it. ‘Just end this’ I thought.

A violet light started to emerge from the crystal and was slowly getting stronger. I watched the Monarch behind me. She was smirking, enjoying what she was doing to me. I closed my eyes and dreamed that I was at the tower with my mentor. Learning magic, reading books, and doing the house choirs. Suddenly, a big blow brought me back to reality.

When I opened my eyes, I saw smoke coming from the machine. The trolls and the monarch were unconscious. My ties were gone. A blonde figure dressed in a violet cape was standing right in front of me. ‘C’mon you should leven.’ She reminded me.

I stood and she grabbed my hand. We ran towards the aisle while my body was reddening. ‘I trust you knowen how to use magic’ I was offended by such remark, but I decided to ignore it. Trolls started to cut our way, but we repelled them with a perfect synchrony of different spells.

When we reached the stable, where I found my mare with my belongings, the blonde woman grabbed my arms.

‘Go. I’ll try to delay them.’ She told me. Before leaving, I asked her something essential.

‘What’s your nama?’

‘Xoila. Now go.’ I headed to the Eversnow Mountain, promising I would come back to meet Xoila again.

© Jero Gandini