Broken

"You know you kind of owe me." Valrya was talking (that was her name Valrya, she prefered Val, I've known a lot of Vals over my life, currently I know two, ones a short bartender, the other a brutal assassin, Valrya would fall more into the brutal murderer part, but I dunno maybe she made good drinks?), that's all she'd done for the first few days of my captivity, she ate and she talked.  Her voice would drone on and on, I'll admit after a time I started to see her point of view, whether this was some magical influence, hunger, or just plainly giving up I don't really know.

"How so?" I was actually curious, and hungry so damn hungry.

"I took you out of a border situation prior to what will probably be a very lage war between the Ronerawth and the Red Hand." The worst part about these early days was the smell, Valrya was a great cook and the damn smell from all the food was maddening, she gave me water, but never food, another technique for breaking someone.

"Bullshit, neither side is gearing for a war."

"Oh I forgot the part time trader/horse watcher knows all about complicated political matters, let me let you in on a little secret Trezlan, I know a war is coming because I set one up, thats the benefit of living a long time aligning political factions to do what you want." It really is honestly, sometimes this can be used for long term destruction, other times it can be used to simply outlive a competitor and buy out all his stock and sell it for nothing (I'm very petty I'll admit, Valrya used her long life for political goals to better guide the world in her favor, I've used mine to win bar bets years later and destroy small towns).

"Why why would you do this? Do you know how many people will be killed?" Oh to be young naive and actually care about others.

"I'm hoping for thousands personally, Ronerawth was making strides to alliances with the Red Hand and I can't have that, a central government is dangerous even more so if its the monarchy of the Ronerawth, hopefully it doesn't lead to one side winning over the other, but I have contingencies for that." This conflict would be the one that lead to the construction of the divide in case that wasn't obvious.  In the end thousands did die, entire cities were annihilated and the Red Hand came close to wiping out the Ronerawth.  I would use this animosity later on for my own goals.

"You're a monster!"

"Please again with the simple beliefs, you really are dense Trezlan, you make worry I made a mistake with you." She left for a time, blowing out the candles in the cave area I was in so I was in the dark (another technique of hers). A small gift was her having removed the lifeless corpse from my cell (because being alone in the dark with a dead body is just terrifying). It would be days later before she would return, by this point I was half mad with hunger, and thirst.  In a suprising turn she opened the gate of my cell and lead me to a small table with food and water on it. I was stunned hestitant at first to even eat anything, fearful of poison or some other enchantment.

"Its not poisoned you idiot." Valrya demonstrating that kind loving nature of any mother.  I gorged myself on what was there, my stomach ached from having not eaten, the light was also a welcome relief. "Once you finish get out, I'm through with you." Its stupid to be hurt by someone who murdered everyone you cared about to turn you to her way of thinking, but when you are a magic user and another one had offered to train you and then turns their back on you for being beneath them? Well your ego does stupid things.

"What why?"

"Because you think too small, I misjudged you, you're worthless whatever ability you possess is not worth the effort it will take to get you to accept my guidance, go, die in the wilderness alone and uncared for." She turned to walk away and I grabbed her arm.

"I can learn! I'm all alone now Valyra you can't just do this to me and leave me to this world! I have nothing."

"And you'll do as I say without question Trezlan? You won't hesitate or consult your concience?"

"Yes." She stabbed me at this point, I felt the knife slide into my stomach and she withdrew it with a simple flourish, I put a hand down by my guts and could feel them almost falling out.

"You're first test begins now Trezlan, that wound will not kill you right away, you have a good hour before you're pretty much dead," She produced a scroll and handed it to me, "On this scroll is a ritual of necromancy, you must read it, learn it and use it." She handed me the scroll and lead me to another part of the cave that was secured by a heavy wood door, in it was a young girl locked up in a cage much like I'd previously been she looked gaunt from not eating and terrified.

"On her?" I managed to get out.

"Yes Trezlan, either you die or she does, this is your first test." Valyra left, I heard the door lock behind her. I looked at the young girl and felt the blood running between my fingers, obviously since I'm writing this I killed her and took her life, but there is more to it, and for that I'll have to have some time to think it over how much I really want to write down for other people to read.  Honestly that life taken is one that still haunts me.