A/N: The *on a chapter means an edited first draft. More info at the end of this chapter.

Waves crashed against the surface of the sea as booming thunder rolled over the heavens. Sharp streaks of light pierced the wall of stormy clouds, lighting up the sky in shocks of brilliant blue. Even submerged, the action above was tangible. Avira gazed upwards, where the surface taunted her. Her lungs burned as they cried for oxygen, clenching with each drifting second. Her body was tossed and hurled by the currents like a leaf under the mercy of the wind. Eyes stung from the salt present in the water, blackness tinting the edges of her vision. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, throbbing with swelling intensity. She felt her spirit ebbing away gradually, dissipating and dissolving to merge with the sea, exuding her body steadily...

Avira gasped as she awoke in her cell, sucking in air greedily. Her chest rose and fell with each breath. She pulled her hands to find them restrained. Realization dawned on her as she remembered she was bound. Her arms were clasped high above her head by manacles. Two more chains sprouted from the wall at her back, trailing down to her upper thigh. Shackles hung from them, enclosing her ankles behind her rump. They left her dangling on the wall like a butterfly pinned on a board. Her limbs were sore, muscles strained with pain after days of restriction.

Clinging keys from the outside made her sigh in relief. After being held there for about three days straight -more than she had ever been bound- the torture had come to an end. The door clicked open and two men in uniform came into view. One stayed by the doorway while his comrade marched over to Avira.

He entered one of the keys into the locks of her shackles and her legs slid lifelessly from the wall. Next came her hands. As soon as they were unlocked, she fell to the ground with a loud thud. There she lay, muscles screaming with tension. Her limbs ached and throbbed with pain. She rolled onto her back and closed her eyes. Blood was slowly flowing back to her limbs but she was weak. The last time she had eaten was about five days ago, when the exercise began.

"Get up," the closer guard ordered. He was young, in his early twenties, with short brown hair and matching eyes.

Avira opened her eyes and snarled in warning. The man visibly tensed and shuffled away. She almost smiled. He was afraid of her. Of course. An Arcane's power was not something to take lightly. But she didn't have her magic, not exactly. Nevertheless, he was still frightened.

"Oh, for gods' sake." The other guard moved from the door and grabbed her arm roughly. "Are you gonna help me or just stand there like a pussy?" The young man snapped out of his startled daze and rushed over. Together, they lifted her off the cold floor and dragged her out.

Avira didn't want to be carried around like a rag doll so she struggled to walk. It took a few tries before she could somehow shuffle in their pace. They climbed the stairs and turned left to a torch-lit hallway, passing the numerous laboratories and "special rooms" without a second glance. Even though they left a cold chill in Avira's bones, it was the large metal doorway at the end of the tunnel that made her breath hitch in her parched throat. She'd endure every inspection, every probe and prodding in those rooms if she never had to step one foot into the Maester's lair.

The guard rapped the steel twice. The reply was instant. "Bring her in."

She was led to the center of the room before she could regain control of her breathing. Avira's legs shook with fatigue -or a hint of fear?- but she remained as upright as she could. Her eyes slid over to the man by the long table. He had his back to them, studying the papers scattered on the table, hands clasped behind his back in the black sleeves of his robe. Slowly, his head swiveled to face them. His head jerked slightly to the door and the guards left with a bow, leaving Avira and the Maester alone. Without the support provided by the two men, she slumped against the wall to remain upright.

Finally, he pivoted completely to take her in, his icy blue eyes raking over her skeletal form. With his close-cropped hair and smooth features, he looked like a man in his early thirties but Avira didn't know how old he really was. He could be called handsome, but his appearance was tainted by his character, a handsome sculpture splattered by mucky tar.

"You look flaccid," he stated simply, voice flat.

She clenched her jaw and raised her head in defiance. You are the reason I look this way, you cold-hearted bastard.

He narrowed his eyes as if detecting her contempt. She fought down a shiver of fear and held his stare. Maester Enzar could invoke only two emotions from Avira: anger and fear. It was the latter that evoked the fire of the former.

Abruptly, he spun on the balls of his feet and strode toward the table. She let out a silent sigh of relief and closed her eyes. She hated herself, hated how a mere look from him was enough to transform her from the powerful Arcane she was to a mewling kitten at the mercy of a wintry wind.

"Drink."

She started, opening her eyes to see the cold man before her with a vial in his hand. Inside, an orange liquid glowed with tiny bubbles swirling inside it. Erenix. He brought the glass onto her lips. They parted, allowing the elixir to trickle into her mouth and down her throat.

The effect was instant. As she swallowed, strength seeped back into her limbs. She took in a deep breath, closing her eyes in satisfaction. Her mind brightened with activity. Ears became sensitive to sound and when her eyelids lifted, her eyes were as acute and sharp as a newly forged blade.

Avira moved away from the wall and stood on her two feet. She gazed up at the Maester, studying his expression. This wasn't something he gave lightly. It took hours to prepare before it was ready for consumption. The only reason she was given Erenix was that he wanted something in return.

The paralyzing dread that she had clamped down when she saw the metal door came back in waves. She remembered the exercise she was to execute, her blatant refusal at the inhumane task, his cool demeanor, her punishment for defiance in the Dark Room. She had thought it was over and done with, but it seemed the Maester wasn't finished teaching her obedience.

He studied her appearance carefully and gave a small nod. He went back to the table and took something in his hands.

"Take off your dress."

The command chased the last of the energy the elixir had provided, leaving her knees weak and limbs shaking. Her eyes never left the dagger.

Maester Enzar turned to face her, fixing his cold eyes on hers. "Take," he repeated slowly, "off your dress."

Her heart was a drum, beating louder and louder until she was sure it would burst in her chest. Hands shaking, she took the hem of the drab clothing too ugly and dirty to be called a dress and pulled it over her head. The cloth fell to the ground with a muffled thud, leaving her naked but for her loincloth. Keeping her arms from covering her bare breasts, she forced herself to maintain eye contact with him—but the flash of the blade caught her eye once more and refused to release it. Ancient runes were carved into its handle, curves that empowered it with dark magic. Avira never knew where such an abomination had been found but she knew why it was kept for such occasions.

With precise steps, he made for her naked form. Determined not to squirm, she straightened her back and met his unnerving gaze. You will not make me cower. You have no power over me. Maybe if she repeated the words, they would give her some courage. However, at the sight of the blade, her resolve withered and died.

His bony fingers clutched her face, their firm grip painful enough to keep her still. She saw a twinkle light up his eyes as he looked at her abdomen, one marked with lengthy scars. Clutching the dagger's handle, he trailed the blade lightly around her stomach, searching for the perfect spot. The dagger paused near her left rib-cage, just beneath her breast. A breathless gasp left her parted lips.

Then the torture began.

As soon as the tip of the knife gently pricked her skin, pain flooded her senses. The point dug deeper and a cut formed. He drew the blade diagonally across her stomach. A red line trailed behind it and blood welled up in the wound. A burning sensation trailed in its wake, making her fists clench. With each beat of her heart, the fiery feeling grew stronger and more powerful, as though every thud fanned its flames. 

Soon it became unbearable and a scream crawled its way out of Avira's throat, bouncing off the walls. The laceration turned as black as the night sky and dark veins bulged around it, throbbing and pulsing. Blood caught the unnatural hue and finally broke free, scorching her skin as it trickled down her stomach. Tears mingled with sweat rolled down her face. When the Maester retraced the slash with more force, she shrieked louder as she dug her fingers into her palms. He let go of her face and she collapsed.

He crouched to where she lay on her side and rolled her over to back with a kick to her shoulder. With a flick of his wrist, he made a smaller cut across the longer one. It was quick but sent waves of agony wracking through her body. She shook with controlled sobs and brought her hand near the wound, only to receive another shock of pain. Finally, she let herself cry in pain, in anger, in fear, barely hearing the door close as the Maester left the room.

Minutes flew by but she didn't notice, attempting to control the pain convulsing through her body. As the door opened, her eyes shut instinctively. Two feet went past her and dropped something, which landed with a loud thud. The weak gasp that followed made her eyes spring open and rest on the bony form before her.

Calling him thin would have been considered flattery. The skeleton-man was all bones, with skin stretched too thin over them. His face was gaunt and hollowed around the eyes. He was almost bald. When his eyeballs scrolled up to her own, she saw pain and torment flashing within them.

"Do you recall the little exercise I gave you?"

She jumped at the low voice behind her. Maester Enzar stood staring at the starved man. She didn't have to think hard to remember his command. It was hard enough to forget.

"I would like you to execute it. Properly, this time."

She wanted to say no, to refuse once more to carry out such a fiendish task, to spit on his face and stand against him. But she remembered the pain, the anguish that would follow as it had before, and she swallowed any protest that dared rise against Maester Enzar. 

Carefully, Avira got to her feet and faced the man in front of her, trying to ignore the stabbing pain ripping into her stomach. A twinge of guilt sprang up when she saw his shaking frame and she fought it down. It would do no good in the inevitable. She had learned from that mistake.

Maester Enzar neared the table and grabbed a small black box. Opening it, he carefully extracted the necklace, its blue gem glistening. He strode behind Avira and delicately laid the chain around her neck. A wash of power flushed over her, dulling the pain and she relaxed, enjoying the safety and comfort it provided. Now, she was able to access her magic—and use it.

The Maester circled around the prisoner like a vulture, his steps echoing in the hollow chamber. When he stopped, he gave one command: "Begin."

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and dove into the darker part of her mind, where her emotions were nonexistent. A chilling cold coated her like a second skin, and she welcomed it with open arms. Finally, she felt nothing. She was nothing.

Her eyes trained on her quaking victim. Meeting her gaze, he shook harder. But no emotion sparked to life. None at all.

And so, she began.

Avira extended her senses to the man, becoming one with his body. She felt his weak heart, his rapid pulse, his strained muscles, his failing organs—most likely as a result of being a prisoner under the Maester's tests. Her mind focused on his chest and imbued her will on it. Instantly, the flesh tore open, slowly, deep enough to be fatal but not enough for him to die on the spot. A scream shook the room. The tear extended down to his abdomen, wide enough to see the organs throbbing and spurting blood.

Quickly, she centralized her focus on his face. She raised her arm slightly and clenched her fist. His eyes became dark red and blood flowed from their sockets. His mouth opened in a soundless shriek. Bones bulged from his neck and she scrutinized them. Suddenly, splints of bone pierced through the skin of his throat and reached outward. Very slowly they moved out. Avira felt his life force fading rapidly and forced herself to quicken her pace. She brought both arms before her and clenched her hands, drawing them together. The man's body snapped and crackled as it was pushed together as if it were being squashed by two enclosing walls. There was a loud snap and her concentration broke. The body fell in a lifeless heap. The sudden absence of sound made her realize that he had been screaming the whole time.

The Maester studied the mangled form and nodded slightly. "Good precision," he murmured. He nudged the body with his foot and frowned. "He died sooner than he was supposed to."

It took a few tries to regain her voice, and even then, it cracked. "I tried."

"Hmm." He finally looked up and straightened his back. "Go wash up. We'll continue later. The King will call for you in a few hours." With that, she was dismissed.

Avira did not bother picking up the dirty dress. Taking off the pendant, she laid carefully into its box, feeling her wonderful magic disappear with it. Then she turned around and left the room, as another shard of her humanity shattered and died.

Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did, please don't forget to vote by clicking that little star :)

Questions: What do you think of Maester Enzar? What's his motive in doing all this?

[EDIT: Since I've been wanting to edit some parts of BB before I continue writing the story, I'll be editing the chapters one at a time, then I'll finish the book. Afterward, I'll be polishing the book into a second draft:)]