"Will?" The word was deafening in the silence of the basement. My eyes darted to the dark corners, barely flickering with the dim lantern light.

  The big man was situated against one of several stone columns that rose from the ground to the ceiling. His hands were bound to the sides of the column with a thick rope, and his face was covered in dried blood. The smell of blood and waste became stronger as I stepped up to his body, kneeling down to face him.

  I rushed to him, kneeling on the stones at his feet, and lifted his face gently, his eyelids barely shifted. "Oh thank the seven," I whispered, holding a hand in front of his mouth. I could just barely feel the brush of warm air coming from his lips. I checked him over for any open wounds I might be able to see using my [Basic Medical] knowledge, and was met with a raw spike of fury when I found several places where chunks of flesh had been ripped from his arms and chest.

  Many of them were covered in dried blood now, but some leaked yellowish pus that oozed down his skin. Infection, I realized. Muttering a curse under my breath, I turned my attention to the rest of the room. There were no signs of anyone else down here, but there was a table nearby with several metal instruments laid out across the top. I recognized some of them as tools you might see blacksmiths or carpenters use. Most of them had caked blood on them.

  I grimaced and turned to the rest of the room. It was mostly bare, though stacks of crates did line one of the walls—likely stuffed with longer-lasting perishable items that the inn might need throughout the winter months. Supplies that wouldn't fit upstairs in the kitchen proper. There were also two doors, one on the wall to the left of the stairwell that I'd come down, and one directly across from it. I crossed to the one left of the stairs and pulled it open.

  The room beyond was small and I stacked full of crates and barrels along either side. More supplies, I guessed. A moan behind me drew my attention back to Will's hulking figure in the center of the room, and I rushed over, dropping to my knees on the dirty ground beside him.

  His head lifted slowly, eyelids blinking even slower. It took a long moment for his eyes to focus on me and when they finally did, they held very little recognition.

  "Wh… Where am I?" he asked, his voice raw, as if someone had shoved gravel down his throat.

  "The inn," I told him. "Do you remember what happened? What Brin did with Irinda?"

  He watched me for a long moment before speaking again.

  "Hurting… everywhere."

  "Seven hells, of course," I muttered, drawing one of the health tonics from my bag. I wasn't sure how much good it would actually do him considering he didn't have System access, but I uncorked the vial and held it to his lips.

  He swallowed the shimmering liquid with a large gulp, a spark returning to his eyes. A small one, but one that seemed to finally recognize me.

  "Aria…" he mumbled, his voice a bit less strained. "How long…" his words cut off as a cough erupted from his chest, his body convulsing against the column.

  I waited it out, keeping a hand behind his head so he didn't accidentally slam his skull into the stone pillar. "Hard to say. I've been gone for over a week."

  Will shook his head. "Took Irinda…came in the night…I was sleeping." Every word he spoke came out like a man trying to breathe through water.

  "Where did they take her?" I asked.

  He shook his head. "…think…straight…"

  "They drugged you." The realization struck me like a cord plucked by a bard. The idea reverberated through me, fueling the anger and worry in my chest. If they had drugged Will to keep him compliant, then what could they have done to someone like Irinda?

  I used [Insight] on Will, focusing the command on figuring out what kind of poison they might have used on him. However, the System only responded with the usual details, offering me a shiny [Status: Poisoned] at the bottom of his user information.

  "Useless bauble," I muttered at the System as I dismissed the message. Maybe it was something I could see if I improved my [Basic Medical] skill, but even then, I wasn't sure. Two weeks with this stupid thing in my head and I still didn’t understand all the nuances that came with it.

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  "Brin…antidote…" Will mumbled.

  I released his head and it dropped to his chest again, his eyes rolling off to the side as he lost focus again. Whatever effect the vial of health tonic had must have worn off. I let out a long sigh and turned back to the stairs as the wood above creaked. My eyes shot up to the ceiling, where it curved upward, hiding the path down.

  I lifted my sword as heavy footfalls tromped down the stairs, two boots appearing at the crest of the ceiling, then two legs, and finally, Brin's midsection. A scowl settled into place on his features as his eyes landed on me.

  "The rats always come back, don't they?" He said, the question lingering in the air. He stepped onto the basement floor and more footfalls sounded behind him.

  Two guards, both wearing thick leather armor and armed with swords appeared behind him. They spread out on either side of him, the three of them blocking off my escape to the kitchen.

  "I never understood it," Brin said, bringing a finger to his mouth. He picked at his teeth. "Why are the pretty ones always so stupid?"

  Shaking my head, I narrowed my eyes at the innkeeper. "You drugged him, beat him… What have you done to Irinda?" The weight of my fury grew with each word.

  Brin laughed. "She's fine. Safe and sound. Maybe I'll let you see here when we're finished with you." His scowl twisted into a smile, one that sent ripples of revulsion through my body.

  Everything within me begged to strike now. To slam my hand into his chest and burn him from the inside out using the fire that I could finally feel burning through my veins.. But I waited. I waited for his smile to turn to annoyance as we stood there, staring each other down.

  I waited for his guards to make their first move, their hands moving to their swords, drawing the blades out with a whine of metal against their sheathes. I waited for the fury within me to reach its boiling point. For the ability to activate. I felt its fire start to spread through me as a message appeared in the corner of my vision.

  [Lust of the Blood Dragon].

  Power rose from the dragon heart in my chest, pumping through every inch of my body. I felt it as my muscles expanded, soaking it up. My vision became sharper. Every sound louder.

  I focused my attention on the guards as Brin crossed his arms, taking up an unworried stance in front of the stairwell. The two armored men stepped forward, swords raised.

  I offered them both a wry smile and then I bared my teeth, rushing forward with a [Swift Strike].

  My sword came down hard and fast, smashing against the blade of the first guard as he blocked it. His fist shot up, aiming for my face, but I jumped backward, dodging out of his reach.

  Twisting, I caught the sword of the second guard on the edge of my own. I'd heard his footsteps coming. His deep breaths.

  How dare he try to attack me when I was distracted. It was a silly thought. But it fueled the boiling fury in my gut and I used it. Letting the power of my bloodlust and anger penetrate every movement that I made.

  I shifted, bringing my sword down and away from the other man's, spinning once more as I kicked out with my leg, sweeping it against his ankles. He wasn't a big man, and he was standing awkwardly after my block, which allowed me to rip his legs out from under him with the low kick. He toppled to the ground and I shifted again, using a [Swift Strike] to bring my sword up and parry the incoming attack of the first guard.

  The vibrations of the blades meeting rumbled up my arm, and I kicked back away from him, using [Swift Strike] to give myself some space as the other man pushed back to his feet.

  "Stop dancing around," the first guard muttered. "You're outnumbered. Drop your weapon and we'll take it easy on you."

  I laughed. "Maybe I should take it easy on you, instead." Quirking my mouth up in a smile, I shifted the blade in my hand and ran through the air over it, feeling the power that coalesced beneath my skin, begging to be used.

  [Dragon's Flame] echoed through my arm, whisps of smoke shifting around my fingertips. The ability ripped Mana from my body like a gust of cold air siphoning warmth from my skin. It began swirling around the blade, shimmering until the air around the blade sparked into roaring flames.

  The eyes of all three men widened in surprise and fear.

  "What in the seven hells," one of them asked, backing away from me. He looked like he might tuck tail and run, and Brin was already moving off to the right, hugging the wall.

  I didn't give the guards a chance to run. I rushed forward before they could react, spinning the blade around me as I did. Flames licked at the air as the sword spiraled through the air around me, painting the room in bright red and orange light that cascaded across the walls like waves. The blade struck the second guard as he tried to bring his own weapon up to block my attack.

  Sparks flew, flames licking at his face as I pushed his sword closer to his cheek. The smell of burning flesh filled the air and he let out a scream. Using the distraction made by the pain in his face, I drew my sword back and then down, jabbing at the leather armor covering his gut. The hot blade sliced clean through the leather, blood bathing the flame-kissed metal as it dug into the man's body.

  Pulling the sword out, I turned back toward the other guard, who was watching with a complete look of bewilderment. Brin had vanished, the only other door in the room wide open, showing the start of a tunnel that flickered with lantern light.

  I bared my teeth at the second man and then used [Swift Strike] to close the distance, bringing the sword to his throat before he could react. The metal tore through his flesh, cauterizing the cut as it passed through his neck. His eyes stared forward, the life gone from them, and then his body collapsed to the floor.

  After making sure none of the flames had spread to their bodies—I didn't want to accidentally burn down the inn—I turned from the guards and faced the door that Brin had fled through.

  I gave Will one last look, to make sure he was still breathing, and then started through the doorway, flaming sword held before me.

  It was time to end this.