Elliot was barely a woman. At only fifteen and living by herself since she was eleven, she wasn't a very confident girl, but this opportunity was to good to miss.
She had been selling a potion to a man when she heard him mention to his friend an order of people who practiced dark magic. Immediately Elliot had been curious, but she hadn't had the courage to ask the men. They both had been wearing cloaks and hoods that covered them completely, and she had been, frankly, terrified of them. But then they had returned again and again, asking for her potions. Then one had asked her about joining the group, she had, in her fear, denied. But as soon as the men had left she had started to regret her decision to turn them down. So she waited for a month until she returned, and asked to join.
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The man nodded silently at Elliot's question about if she could join the guild. "Come with us," he said softly, and Elliot's eyes widened, already wishing she hadn't asked. These men were going to take her away? To who knows where? She couldn't-! She stopped herself. This was her only chance, her only chance to be accepted, to be appreciated. So she quickly packed a small bag and followed the men from her small house and into the dark of the night.
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They had led her through dark streets and alleyways, through a labyrinth of building that made Elliot sure she wouldn't be able to find her way back to her house on her own. They came to a building, and the men had used a secret code that Elliot hadn't been able to hear to get inside. The door had opened silently, and by magic, and then they had walked down a stone corridor, lit only by a few torches on the walls, until they had come to a large wooden door. One of the men knocked, the door was opened by another man. He was quite a sight, he looked half-dead, but Elliot was not surprised, this was Dark Magic. The men had spoken to each other in quiet voices, then the gaunt man had turned to Elliot, leering at her in the most unpleasant of ways. "What's your name?" he asked.
"E-Elliot, Elliot Seerkin," the girl said, her face pale.
"And what are you good at?" he asked, still looking at her, unblinkingly.
"P-potion-making," she answered, the words sticking in her throat. "And some other Dark Magics."
The man had stared at her a long moment before turning around and walking off, closing the door behind him, after telling them to wait.
A few minutes later the gaunt man returned. He dismissed the two men who had led Elliot here and told the girl to follow him. Elliot was quite afraid now, as he led her through more and more long torchlit corridors. Then they came to another door, which the gaunt man opened and let her into another room. He motioned to a chair, where Elliot sat down stiffly.
"Wait here," the gaunt man said. "Drake will see you in a moment."
Then he left, closing the door behind him, leaving Elliot alone in the room. She could hear her heart beating against her chest, trying to force it's way out. She swore that she was going to fain, but she did not. Why, oh why had she agreed to come here? She should have stayed in her house, where she was safe from all of the dangerous and scary people in the world. And who was this Drake? The leader of this group?
Her heart skipped a beat as she heard a footstep outside of the door. She saw the handle turn, and the door silently opened, revealing a man standing in the doorway. He had black hair and yellow eyes. Elliot knew she should stant, but she felt er knees would collapse under her if she tried. She tried to speak, but no words would come.
She was terrified.
