Dragon's Archon - Ch. 9 - Trials of Malice - Alpha (Patreon)

Updated this chapter to make Malice not so confrontational and more flirty Let me know if you like this better.

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When I saw no one in the darkness, I shouted, “Whoever you are, show yourself!”

Burning chains erupted from the shadows, wrapping themselves around my arms and legs. They pulled me down until I kneeled on the platform. An hour-glass figure rose from a circle of fire that swirled in the void in front of me.

Her face was soft with a grayish-black color. Her lips looked as if she’d colored them with charcoal. Long pointed ears held back her fiery red hair that dripped as if made from the core of the planet itself. From the neck down, her body was covered in hardened rock. It was shaped like armor, with the flexible parts glowing a bright orange-yellow like flowing lava. Two rocky-antlers sprouted from her head.

The entity clicked their mouth in sequence before speaking. “You’ve made a grave mistake coming here. You’ve doomed yourself to a long and painful death.”

“I did not come here to die today,” I said, pulling at my chains. “I’m here to claim that which is rightfully mine!”

“Rightfully yours?” the woman said, growing more disdainful as she spoke. “I only have one master and you are not him!”

I cocked my brow at the entity’s odd phrasing, as though I implied I came for her. “I come for the helm. By Heluna’s grace, it is mine by divine right.”

“Heluna?” the woman asked with a tilted head. “Ninazu’s progeny?”

“I come as her Archon. She put me on the quest to acquire her father’s armor.”

“You lie! I will not listen to your blasphemy.”

I raised the gauntlets. “I do not. Here is my proof.”

The woman stalled, wide-eyed. A sly smile formed on her face. She waved her hand up and said, “Rise.”

My chains loosened but still secured. I stood, towering over her.

She circled me, eyeing me up and down like a bull breeder examining her new acquisition. “An Archon? A welcomed surprised from the previous fools that attempted to steal the helm. And I see you’re wearing my master’s gauntlets. Yes… he said this day may come.”

“Then you know why I’m here.”

“To free my master of his wrongful imprisonment.”

“Not exactly. As Heluna’s Archon, it is through my conquest that I shall fuel her power. With that power, she will see her father and mother’s release.”

“This is… unexpected. By my master’s wishes, it should be Heluna to claim me. Not some mere mortal.”

“Well, I don’t know what to tell you. I’m the one here, and I’m not leaving without claiming the helm.”

The chains pulled me back down to my knees as the entity spat, “You fool! You misunderstand your position. You are a worm speared on the hook. You do not make demands of me. You are in my domain and subject to my control. With but a simple desire, I could kill you.”

“Then do it!” I shouted. “I have no time for your games, entity. Either tell me what I must do to prove myself or I’ll rip these chains off and take it by force.”

The woman let out a howling laugh that pissed me off. She leaned forward and grabbed my chin. As she turned my neck, she eyed me from side to side. Her toothy grin exposed her long canines. “The fire within you burns hot,” she said. “I can feel your resolve. It’s much like my masters. Unwavering. Tell me your name, Archon.”

“Devon Blackthorn.”

The entity grinned unnaturally wide. “Blackthorn? A most malevolent name. One of great power and destruction.”

“And you?” I asked.

“Malice.”

“It seems we share that in common.”

“Indeed, we do. Now what shall I do with you?” With the release of my chin, my captor turned around, walked a few paces, and spun. “I’ve made up my mind. I’m not going to kill you, Devon Blackthorn.”

“Then release me from these chains and give me what I came for.”

She shook her head. “No. I have a much better idea.”

The platform underneath me disappeared, and I fell. Waterfalls of lava spilled from the surrounding nothingness into a giant lake of swirling fire. Molten rocks rose like islands, creating a land bridge of stone buildings that led to an octangular platform of blackened rock in the center.

With a superhero thud, I landed on a floating rock. The heat radiated through the surface, threatening to cook my feet. Each pop of a nearby bubble sprayed sizzling liquid into the air.

I knew this couldn’t be real. I was likely still standing frozen in the middle of the Orchard. But from what Moira said, her initiates were killed. So the threat of death was real. I thought back to one of my guilty pleasure movies. If I die in here, I die in real life.

I stood straight. Three stone platforms floated on the river in front of me. A stone door with flames carved into it stood beyond it, mounted into a dome-shaped building.

“What is this?” I shouted. “Some kind of test?”

“Yes,” Malice called out from every direction. “Beneath the Mortughal Mountains, in the deepest depths under Talis’ surface, Ninazu rescued me from the dungeon of my creator. If you wish to prove your worth, you must repeat his steps. If you succeed, I’ll give you what you seek.”

She said it again, I thought. “You keep speaking as though you and the helm are one and the same.”

“That’s because I am the helm and the helm is me. The gauntlets you wear are shards of my body, as are the other pieces of Ninazu’s armor.”

That… complicates things, I thought. The option of killing her doesn’t seem viable. Doing so could destroy the helm and gauntlets. Then I’d be totally fucked.

“You said I need to repeat Ninazu's steps to reclaim you,” I said. “What does that mean?”

“Pithomas the Bold, my creator, was a master craftsman and hunter. After besting me in combat, he took my remains and forged them into pieces of armor, binding my soul to each of them. Like all of his treasures, he placed me in a deadly dungeon that led to a vault, similar to the one you see before you. It was built to test an individual's mind, body, and soul. He boasted no mortal could survive to claim his treasures within.”

“What about an Archon?”

“My creators' dungeons were known throughout Talis for their complexity and brutality. Even the Archons of old dared not to tempt their fate.”

“Then it seems Pithomas was right if it took Ninazu to claim you.”

“That’s very true. There were other bound souls among Pithomas’ treasures like me. We were prisoners locked away inside of our own twisted bodies, unable to reach the void as we should. Ninazu took this as sacrilege and used his actions to teach Pithomas humility. After completing the dungeon, Ninazu then forced Pithomas to repeat the course himself at which point he was killed by his own creation. His soul was then reaped and forced to watch as the God of Death destroyed everything he held dear.

“If he destroyed everything, how do you still exist?”

“Unlike the others, I was content not to die as long as I had purpose. I offered myself to Ninazu to be his protector. For a reason unbeknownst to myself, he agreed.”

I clapped my hands and rubbed them together as I prepared myself. “All right. I think that’s enough of a history lesson. All I need to do is complete the course and claim the helm.”

“I will watch with excitement. Please don’t disappoint me. Otherwise, you’ll end up like the last men who wished to claim me and failed.”

“I won’t fail.”

“Oh… such determination. I love it.”

I eyed the small islands between me and the next building. They looked sturdy enough to hold my weight. However, I didn’t want to chance it by jumping from one to the next. Instead, the idea was to treat it like a Ninja Warrior course and use my forward momentum to step off each with an opposite foot, allowing my speed to carry me forward. But doing so would throw me directly into closed doors. The carvings didn’t look protruded enough to use it to climb on top of. There was only one option.

If I can’t go above it, I’ve got to go through it, I thought. I squatted in a sprinter's stance and readied myself. I’ve only got one shot. I’ve got to make this count.

“Don’t slip,” Malice taunted.

I took in a few quick breaths and dashed forward. As I pushed off the ledge, the control of my strength in my legs was perfect. I landed exactly where I wanted.

However, the river of fire underneath the rock was more viscous than I predicted. The rock shifted forward with my weight and momentum, throwing me off balance.

“Fuck!” I shouted, pushing off as quickly as I could. With the finesse I needed, my whole body rotated forward, and I was on the verge of a very spicy dive into the boiling lake.

My eyes stared at the next rock. Everything slowed down around me. My body reacted on instinct.

When my foot contacted the back edge, the rock rotated toward me. I used my hand to push down like a panther, mid-leap, and pressed as hard as I could with both appendages. I hurtled toward the closed door. I let out a barbaric shout as I pulled my fist back.

When I slammed my fist into the door, the stone crumbled. I collided with the fragments as my body continued to spin into the darkness. I hoped there wasn’t another pit of lava on the other side. When my shoulder hit the ground, I rolled and kicked myself up.

“You’re not the most dextrous person, are you?” Malice asked. “It must be all that weight between your legs. I was certain you were going to dive into the lake.”

I tilted my head at her directness. Is she flirting with me? I wondered. After brushing myself off, I quipped back, “I got the job done, and that’s all that matters.”

“True. I just have high hopes for you, Devon. I don’t wish to see you fail so soon.”

Inside the center of the dome, two platforms rose a few feet off the ground. The closest to me was empty. The furthest held a table and several potion bottles of different colors. In between them were two matching holes, no larger than my fist that were drilled out in the ceiling and floor.

Scribbled across the walls were hundreds of letters, like the world's largest word search. Floating in the air were blank scraps of parchment. I spun on my heel and raised my fist when I heard something behind me. The stone fragments rolled back into position, sealing me inside.

My eyes dilated, and everything shifted to various shades of gray, blue, and purples.

As I walked around the room examining everything, Malice said. “To get started, step on the empty platform, and I’ll give you the instructions.”

“I will when I’m ready,” I said.

“Ugh. You’re taking too long and becoming a bit of a bore.”

“You never said there was a time limit, so I’m taking my time.”

“Maybe flex a little as you walk?”

I couldn’t help but let out a short laugh. “Leave me alone so I can concentrate.”

“I will… for now,” Malice giggled.

As I examined the room, my mind raced with the possibilities of what the test would involve. The letters did not seem to be in any patterned order. It wasn’t a crossword. No matter which direction I looked, there were no lined words. However, in one section, there wasn’t a letter, but a star. It was the only star on the entire wall. If I hadn’t taken the time to walk the entire dome, I could have easily missed it. With nothing else to see, I checked the table.

There were four bottles with cork tops. The contents were all different colors. When I picked them up, they each slightly vibrated, signaling to me their magical contents. I didn’t know how to detect one thing from another, so they might as well have been four different flavors of soda for all I knew.

With nothing else to look at, I assumed my position on the empty platform. “Okay now I’m ready.”

Shackles appeared from nowhere and clasped around my hands and feet. They chained me to the pillar. My whole body tingled with a weakness I’d never felt before. I tried tugging at them as hard as I could. Nothing worked.

“What have you done?” I shouted.

Malice cackled. “This is all part of the first trial. Now pay close attention because I will not repeat myself. When I finish speaking, the trial will begin. Floating above you are seven pieces of parchment. Each will present a clue to a letter that is on the wall. The combination of letters will give you the word which will unlock your bindings. Once your bindings are unlocked, you will proceed to the other platform where you will need to determine which bottle contains your escape. But if you choose incorrectly, the poisons inside will spell your death in seconds.”

“What clues?” I asked, looking up at the parchment. “They’re completely blank.”

Malice never responded, but the bubbling lava that crept up through the hole in the floor told me that the trial had begun. I jerked up once more. Text appeared on each of the parchments as they spun. Each one began with a single direction. Underneath it was a mathematical equation.

I wouldn’t call myself a math wizard, but the PEMDAS method had been drilled into me since grade school. And from what I could tell, this was simple arithmetic. It might’ve been difficult for someone from Talis with no formal education, but I felt better about my chances.

“Up fifteen,” I said after solving the first one. I navigated back to the wall. If I hadn’t examined it earlier, knowing where to start would have been impossible to guess. However, there was only one star. From that point, I counted up fifteen spaces.

“E.” I had my first letter. With a smile, I glanced down at the lava pouring in. My satisfaction vanished as quickly as it came. The burning liquid wasn’t quick, but seeing it reach both pillars caused my chest to tighten. I still had six more to go.

The spinning parchment played against me. Only one side had the equation on it, and they spun every few seconds. I felt like I was back in grade school doing timed times tables as fast as we could within five minutes. Only this time, a poor grade wasn’t the worst thing that could happen; it was burning alive.

E and R were the next two letters I solved for. The heat filled the room as the lava now reached the walls of the dome. It was becoming an oven, threatening to cook me alive. Out of habit, I wiped the non-existent sweat from my brow.

“Uh oh,” Malice said. “The lava is getting close. Do you need a hint?”

“Don’t say anything,” I said. “I have to do this alone. Otherwise, how could you respect my victory?”

“Too true.”

By the time I got D and F, the lava was halfway up the platform. I gazed at the ceiling. Both of the remaining parchments had their backs turned to me.

“Come on, come on!” I shouted. I tried blowing air. It was a foolish attempt and that had no effect. But it felt better than standing there waiting.

“That’s not going to work,” Malice said. “They’re magical…”

“I know! I know!”

“Just think about all the fun you’ll miss out on if you perish here.”

“You’re not helping!” I yelled.

When I looked up again, the pages had already turned halfway around. I panicked and tried to read through them. I’d never mathed so hard in my life. After counting, I claimed two more letters.

“E, E, R, D, F, M, O,” I said. “That doesn’t spell anything!”

My stomach sank. The idea that the star was the wrong place to start crept into my mind and nearly crushed me. A popping bubble sprayed burning rock over my leg. I cursed and looked down at the burnt hair and red skin. After a few seconds, the scorched flesh slowly healed.

“Thank you past me for taking that perk,” I said. I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate. “E, E, R, D, F, M, O… An anagram? Freedom!”

The shackles locking me to the pillar vanished. My strength immediately returned. I jumped to the other platform just in time for the lava to round the top of my own. Frantically, I climbed on top of the table.

The lava reached the bottom legs and lit them aflame. The weakened wood creaked under my weight. I was out of time. There was no way I could solve another puzzle before the river of fire ate through the table and me.

Let’s hope my other perks work in here too, I thought as I picked up each bottle and downed the contents. The first three were definitely poisonous. They all tasted bitter and scorched my throat like I was drinking battery acid. The last one tasted like cantaloupe flavored water.

“No!” Malice shouted. “Why would you do that? You’ve just guaranteed your death! What a waste.”

The table crumbled underneath me just in time for the potion to trigger. My entire body separated at the atomic level. It actually felt pleasant, as if the spell released all the pressures of weight and stress at once.

When I looked around, I saw myself as a floating mist. I glanced up at the hole in the ceiling where the rest of the heat and smoke escaped. After flying through the fist-sized opening, I exited the top.

A bridge extended from the top of the dome further across to a flat stone arena. A giant cube sat motionless in the center of it. When I floated toward my next goal, I ran into an invisible wall. All the pieces of my body returned to their original places and I once again stood as a man. I glanced down at my hands and body, ensuring everything was in its proper place.

“How!” Malice screamed. “You should be dead!”

“Are you sure you put poison in those bottles?” I asked with a smirk. “They tasted fine to me.”

Malice let out a short laugh. “Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer, Blackthorn. While impressive, don’t forget, you’ve still got two more trials to go.”

I rolled my eyes and headed toward the bridge. When I reached it, I realized it was a trap. Each board looked to be made of the same rock that the rest of the complex was made out of. The center of each platform had a string pulled through it which connected to two perpendicular ropes that stretched the entire length.

I tossed out the idea of sprinting fast enough or having enough balance to step off of each board perfectly across the entire length of the bridge. Instead, I gripped along one side of the bridge’s rope and eased myself down the dome. When I was far enough down that I could stretch my full length, I hopped up and down. It held my weight, and I didn’t hear any stretching of the fibers. It was good enough for me to begin my trek across.

“Don’t fall,” Malice said.

Hand over hand, I swung my way across the rope. In my old body, I would have fallen after the first ten feet. But my new body made this effortless. With a slight sway of my hips, my momentum pushed me forward.

It wasn’t until I reached the halfway point that I froze. A column of fire blasted underneath the bridge. When I retreated back into the river, the center part was on fire. The bridge sagged as it burned. I panicked.

I swung forward and tried to grip as little as I could. The fire scorched my hands. The skin of my palm melted away with each grasp. But there was nothing I could do. I gritted my teeth and powered through.

I didn’t look back when I heard the snap. All I could do was scream. The bridge split and I fell forward. I instinctively raised my legs as I got closer and closer to the impending river of fire. My shoulder slammed into the rocky wall that held up the platform.

The heat singeing my ass hair was enough of a motivator for me to climb as fast as I could. In a few seconds, I reached the top. I rolled myself over the edge, and took a moment to catch my breath. But the other I shared the domain with had other ideas.

“You think you’re done?” Malice asked. “You’ve only just reached the second trial.”

I felt the ground shake underneath me. When I turned my head, the giant cube moved. Its surface stretched and twisted like there was something underneath the surface of its skin.

“You gotta be fucking kidding me,” I groaned as I pushed myself up.

The surface split like a knife tearing through paper. Worm-like strands twisted together to create thick muscle fibers. A torso and legs formed. Black hair grew from the flesh. By the time the transformation finished a flesh giant loomed over me. Its red eyes glowed like a T-800 terminator on its mouthless head.

With its transformation completed, the bands of muscle split, wiggling as if composed of hundreds of snakes. I covered my ears when it released a high-pitched screech. With a quick glance, I looked for any sign of a weapon. There was nothing.

Hopefully, the gauntlets still work the same, I thought.

I sprinted forward, rolling as the beast swung its log-sized arm at my head. Reaching my hand out, I grabbed a strand that composed its leg. My eyes widened.

The gauntlets didn’t trigger. Instantly, the knowledge flooded my mind. This wasn’t a living creature. Its body was a construct brought to life by the dungeon’s magic.

I didn’t see the blow. My body soared through the air before skirting along the stone. I had enough sense to dig my gauntlets into the rocky surface just in time to catch the ledge.

I glanced down at the boiling lava below me. Burning alive was the fate that lay before me should I fail. It was a stark motivator.

I pulled myself back over the ledge just in time for the giant to bring down his arm. With a millisecond to spare, I rolled to the side. With as much force as I could muster, I pulled my arm back and slammed my fist into the beast’s leg.

The tendrils exploded, spraying brown clay everywhere. The foe squealed as it dropped to its knee. It twisted its torso, swinging both elongated arms towards me. I was better prepared this time.

I raised my arms over my head to absorb the blow. It skirted me back a few feet, but didn’t knock me over. With its head eye level, I charged forward.

I threw a combination of punches one after another into the creature’s head. Each thud splattered more goo into the surrounding platform. The pressure of my strength sent shockwaves down its torso and down its back, shattering the twisted bands of clay-like tissue.

The friction of my punches liquefied the creature’s flesh; a sludge dripping in between the cracks. Victorious, I thumped my chest and let out a bestial shout. “Is that all you’ve got, Malice?”

Malice’s laughter echoed throughout the dungeon. “Oh you poor soul. This fight is far from over.”

My foe’s body moved, and before I could jump away, the strands wrapped tightly around my body. The oozing liquid slithered back into its form. Its wounds healed in seconds. I strained to break its grip; its strength proved capable.

It rose me like a doll and slammed me into the stone platform. It repeated the motion, knocking the air from my chest. Pain radiated through my back with each blow, my body’s healing effect trying to counteract it. After the third or maybe the fifth, it left me lying in the crater of broken stone.

As it raised both fists in the air to deliver another powerful strike, I kicked off my feet and rolled backward. The creature lunged forward like a wild cat chasing its prey. I slid in between its legs as it tumbled forward near the edge of the platform.

With its back facing me, I saw my opening. I dashed toward my foe and leaped into the air. Once my legs collided with its back, I pushed as hard as I could. The monstrosity stumbled forward over the edge.

When it hit the lake of lava below, it let out a horrendous squeal. The wormy strands of its body shriveled and separated. As they boiled in the heat, they slowly dissipated under the surface until there was nothing left.

I took a moment to recuperate. This was the first time I’d felt pain from combat. While my perks were my saving grace, it was eye opening. I’d felt invincible up until that point. However, there were things in this world that could hurt me. I needed to be more careful and become a better fighter. I needed to train.

The sound of slow clapping echoed all around me. “Well done, Devon Blackthorn. For a moment I’d thought you were done, but you’ve proven yourself… durable. A necessary requirement for all beings of Talis, but even more so for a leader.”

“I told you I wouldn’t die here today.”

Malice let out a soft moan. “Mhmm… you did. And I eagerly await to see what you’ll do if you complete the third trial.”

A grinding sound of stone pulled my attention to the center of the platform. The square pieces recessed downward in small rings, creating a spiraling staircase that led down into the darkness. With nowhere else to go, I descended.

I don’t know how long I continued down. The ring of light above me disappeared. Darkness surrounded me.

Eventually I came to the end. Standing by itself were two doors. But they weren’t like the wooden or stone doors I recognized on Talis. They were metal framed glass doors. Light shined through them, but I couldn’t see what was inside. I opened the doors and stepped through.

My jaw dropped at the sight before me. I was in my local gas station. The same store where I’d lost my life. The dark-haired cashier looked up from the magazine she read and nodded at me the same way she did before.

I moved without thinking. After walking down the candy aisle, I stopped in front of the refrigerators in the back. I grabbed my favorite energy drink.

When the door shut, I froze after seeing my reflection. I was in my old body. Like the world’s worst case of déjà vu, the front door’s jingle rang. I turned around to see the same thug in his all black ensemble pointing his Glock at the cashier.

I knew what was supposed to happen. After crouching up behind him, I’d take him by the throat, slam my fist on his arm to drop the weapon, and then hear the second shot. This time I watched instead.

The second gunman walked in shortly after wearing nearly the same identical outfit. Their focus was so much on the money that they didn’t look back. They shouted obscenities to the cashier to hurry up. After cleaning out the cash register, the slam of the drawer spooked the first assailant.

I slapped my hands to my ears when they rang from the gunshot. The two men took off outside the door. I walked behind the front desk and found the cashier clutching her gut. Blood poured from her wound as she looked up at me, panting.

“Why?” she asked.

Her breaths eventually slowed until she took her last one.

When I blinked, I was walking back into the shop. The cashier stood alive, giving me the same nod as I entered. An overwhelming sense of determination filled me. The dungeon was giving me a second chance to stop my killers, and I was going to take full advantage of it.

I scoured the room, looking for any kind of weapon. When I saw a wooden mop leaning in the room's corner, I sprinted over to it and unscrewed the wooden handle from the head. With a weapon in hand, I waited for the first assailant. When he came in and turned his back to me, I attacked.

I swung the handle as hard as I could at his head. His body and gun skirted across the floor. I dropped the handle and lunged for the gun. Once I picked it up, I spun just in time for the door to open. I fired two shots. Blood splattered on the shattered glass door behind him. His body slumped motionless to the ground.

“Take that, you piece of shit!” I shouted. Until that moment, there was nothing more satisfying than killing my killer. I celebrated with a short victory dance while I waited for the next step.

My smile faded when the scenario reset, and I walked back into the store.

“What?” I asked. “But I did it. I stopped them both!”

I half expected a response from Malice, but no chidding remark came. In disbelief, I readied myself again and repeated the same moves, just in case it was a fluke. After the gunshots, both men lay on the ground, dead. I waited until I blinked again. Only to walk right back inside of the store.

“No, no, no!” I shouted. “This is it. This is the solution!” I attempted the same thing again and again until I lost count. I killed them with each gun, my fists, and a knife. When those didn’t work, I started getting creative by building elaborate traps like a twisted Home Alone spinoff involving string, motor oil, an atm, and a lighter.

It was cathartic for a while, but the repetition built resentment. I tried leaving the store, only to walk right back inside. Frustrated, I took my anger out on the furniture. I kicked over the aisles and smashed the glass fridge doors. After wearing myself out, I poured myself a slushie and sipped on it while I thought about what to do. It took a few more cycles of the worst Groundhog Day episode before I realized what I was missing.

This was supposed to be a test of my spirit, I thought. If I kill them, then being here wouldn’t have happened. Heluna would have never recruited me. I never would have met Yda, Cartha, or Ophelia. And I never wouldn’t have found the helm. But Ophelia said if I die in here, I die in the real world. But… if this is a test of spirit, perhaps accepting my death is the goal.

I was about sixty-forty on deciding whether this was a good idea. But my logic hadn’t failed me so far. Nor did I believe that this was the end of my journey.

When time reset and I walked through the door, I retraced my steps. I walked to the back, grabbed my drink, and waited for the jingle. When I heard it, I crouched down and snuck up at the thug. Using my drink as a weapon, I smacked him in the back of the head and wrapped my arm around the neck. When the door jingled, I closed my eyes and heard the shot.

When I opened them, I was back at the beginning of the dungeon, standing in total darkness. I looked down to see I had my new body back, wearing the helm and the gauntlets. Scorching chains erupted from the darkness underneath me, wrapping around my wrists and legs. They pulled tight, keeping me secured to the ground.

A volcanic fissure cracked along the bottomless floor in front of me, creating a pseudo-red-carpet for my observer. She rose on a geyser of molten rock and flame, sitting on it like a throne.

“Well… well… well…, I must say I’m impressed,” Malice said with a conniving grin. “Never did I think a mere mortal could best my creator’s dungeon.”

“Yet I have,” I said. “I’ve completed your trials. Now give me the helm.”

Malice smirked before lowering herself to the ground. She walked over to me, draping her finger across my body as she circled me. She stopped glanced down at my groin and back up into my eyes. “I’ll admit, Devon Blackthorn, you do… intrigue me.”

She slid her hand across my chest. “Yet, here you stand trapped in chains because I will it. I believe in strength overall. If you believe yourself to be who you are then prove it to me. Show me you have the power to take what you desire!”

A burning fire lit inside of me. I let out a bestial shout as I pulled on the chains. When they didn’t budge, I wrapped them around my forearms for more leverage and pulled with everything I had. The metal groaned as it reached its breaking point. When they snapped, the bindings around my arms and legs disintegrated in a shower of sparks.

I stomped toward Malice and loomed over, still hulking in my rage. “Give me what I want.” I growled.

Chunks of stone fell off of her body while the bright orange center dripped onto the ground below. What I’d assumed was her body was actually a type of protective shell. When it had all fallen off of her.

Her skin was a grayish-black that sparkled as if coated in diamond dust. Her breasts stood perky with dark centers. The bottoms of her feet, palms, and slit glowed with the same orange-yellow color as the lava that had dripped off of her.

Malice swayed side to side, biting her lip. “I do not give, Archon. Only the strong submit the weak.”

“Stop speaking in riddles! Tell me what you want.”

With a wave of her hand, cobblestone flooring rose. Four walls erected around us. A wooden bed of fine silk sheets appeared in the center.

Malice backpedaled to the bed. She turned her wide hips, and bent over. A small bead of liquid flowed from her slit down the inside of her leg. The scent of her arousal hit my nose like a lit firecracker. She looked back at me with her chaotic eyes in a display of flexibility.

“You still have one trial remaining,” Malice said. “One that will test your strength and stamina. Perform well, and you’ll claim your prize.”