The Exchange: Audition
A New Deal

A mile south from the city border, a soft rain gently pattered on the sparse fields of the Agerian countryside. Farmers so far from the city had little business in these areas nowadays and most had left their land to find work somewhere, anywhere, else.
In one old maize field, filled with overgrown weeds and the remains of dead crops, a slight shimmer hung in the air, not unlike the haze that heat creates on a scorched road. The shimmer grew larger until the ground and air became warped and distorted. Then, the air shattered like a glass window as a gauntleted hand broke through the surface of the distortion; it appeared as though it were hanging in midair.
Rauris followed his hand through the tear and set foot on the firm sodden ground of his home world.
“Pathetic creature...” He spat, his voice dark with contempt “You promise me a fight and you fail to deliver. That pitiful world can’t hold me if you don’t hold true to your false words and offers.”
Behind him a red carpeted corridor bearing many signs of damage could briefly be seen before the tear between worlds sealed itself up. With a grunt he looked towards the city, hefted his sword onto his shoulder and set off towards the city of Agera.

Progress was slow without a suitable steed to carry his immense weight but the gentle rain was refreshing once he’d removed his helmet, exposing his scarred face to the elements. Rauris estimated he had been gone for less than a day, he thought he would be gone for at least several weeks. The countryside he now walked through offered little to interest the eye. Simple outdated wood houses and abandoned tools were of little interest.
He mused about how these fields had once been lush and supplied crops to the city before the warlocks had taken control. Now the outer layers of the city supplied food and supplies in place of the old countryside. The city could expand to these areas but there would be little point.
The road he was travelling along was seldom used and he encountered only one trader as he headed north. The man saw him, uttered a strangled cry of fear and surprise before he flung himself down on the wet ground, bowing and trembling, not daring to raise his head again until the warlock was long past.
A bang to his right registered faintly in his mind but it was just a wooden fence splintering from stray magic and he took little notice. It was a regular occurrence to him, items or furniture being obliterated around him. Perhaps his dark mood was causing his power to fluctuate more than usual.
A different type of noise however made him stop and look behind him.
Coming up the dirt path that he had been walking along came a most peculiar contraption. It was a green cart that seemed moved without need for horse or beast to drag it. The wheels were not made from wood but some type of metal and even the rest of it appeared to be made of metal. Two orbs of light hung at the front, casting a soft glow on the ground in front of it. Rust was evident along the contraption and it looked in need of repair.
Pulling alongside him it stopped with a splutter. A man stepped out, walked forward and leaned against the front of his strange machine. “Don’t worry about this old thing,” The man said hooking a hand in his belt and gesturing at his vehicle with the other. “Drives like a dream I’ll tell ya.” He said in a rather gruff but relaxed voice, affectionately patting the machine.
The man was tall, not as tall as Rauris but still a reasonable height above most humans. He could see that the man had strength even though he wasn’t of stocky build. His garb puzzled the warlock, as did his strange carriage.
“You are not from this world.” He stated.
The man whistled and stroked his chin. “Nothing gets past you eh?”
Some form of what Rauris guessed was a hat obscured the top half of his face. It was a strange hat, covering the man’s face in shade from the light of day was the only practical use Rauris could discern of it. What he could see of his face was a chin, covered in stubble, which looked like it had seen many winters.
Rauris walked around the man’s green carriage, he was curious as to what manner of transport it was.
“Your apparel and carriage are strange to me.” He said with his deep voice.
“Oh I bet they are, hell I’ve seen stranger things though. You folks are way behind the times in this place.”
Grunting, Rauris turned around and began walking away, no longer interested. One stranger from a different world was enough for today.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa big guy. Hang about a sec will ya?” the man called after him.
Rauris stopped and turned to look at the man.
“Not a big speaker I’m guessing. That’s fine with me. See, I’m here to offer a fine warrior like yourself a deal.”
Rauris almost laughed. “Another deal, so soon after the last one? I’m not interested.”
The man sighed and pulled his cap further down, shadowing more of his face. “That’s a shame; I’ve got a pretty decent prize as well. Not to mention you’d get to do some fightin’”
“You sound just like the other one.”
Is this my punishment for escaping? Will this being drag me back if I refuse? He thought, thinking back to the way he was approached before.
“Do I? What was it before? What did they offer you, fame, money, power?”
Rauris remained silent as the man got up and walked over to him.
“Doesn’t matter, I know I have something you want.”
“I doubt that,” the warlock said. “What is your name stranger?”
The man stroked his chin before looking up. His face was still obscured.
“Well some call me Death.” He said with a sly unnatural grin.
“State you deal then, Death.”
“Usually people start panicking when they hear my name. You know, stuff like ‘Please, it’s not my time!’ or ‘I’ll do anything!’ or even ‘Take the boy not me!’ and etcetera. You seem rather unflappable.”
“I have met you many times on the battlefield, taking away my fellow brothers and sisters in arms. I am not afraid of you.”
Rauris continued to look down at Death in silence after saying that, his expression unreadable. Even though his eyes were hidden Rauris felt like he was staring down this supposed embodiment, as Death was possibly doing with him.
“Okay then,” Death said after a while “Here’s the deal. I’m hosting a little… tournament, way down in what you could call the Underworld. You, my large silent friend, seem like the kind of guy that would enjoy this.”
Rauris looked at him with the barest hint of curiosity. “Continue.” He said.
“Like I said, to win this competition you’ll have to fight.
And the prize I hear you ask? Well I suppose with you I won’t hear you ask.
One, just one mind, mortal soul of your choosing. If you win then I’ll bring you and whoever you chose back up here to live happily ever after or whatever floats your boat.”
The warlock’s expression barely changed but a small gleam had entered his good eye. He had a feeling Death was leaving out details but that didn’t matter.
“Any soul? Even one that was lost over a thousand years ago?”
Death smiled knowingly. “Oh yeah, they can be a million years old if you like…granted they’re dead and had a soul to begin with. Here take a look at my eyes.”
Death then moved a hand up to his head and took his hat off revealing his eyes. Looking into them Rauris saw a flickering white light and then he heard the crunch of snow.

It was dark, but not quite night. The sun was already hidden, blocked by clouds or already set Rauris did not know or care. Mountains stretched high to touch the heavens themselves to the north and west. Small patches of trees were scattered all around, their branches dead and withered. The northlands held much danger and yet a landscape that could be breathtakingly beautiful all at the same time.
A group of humans had made their way east of the camp on a routine patrol. Three men and two women had been selected from the humans at the camp. The elves were supposedly too busy with some new found discovery to join them.
The wind had picked up and they were making their way through a small snowstorm. Vision was limited so all five of them stood close together to avoid being separated. Rauris was wearing a thick coat to keep out the worst of the cold and wielded a simple long sword. Thane Rutilus, his mentor and guardian led them through the steadily increasing howling wind. The others had argued that Rauris was too young to be with them, that he hadn’t seen what real battle was like yet but Thane had insisted on bringing him.
“Thane!” a man shouted behind them, “The storms getting stronger, we have to head back now! The elves at camp told us not to risk our lives out here; we’re too few as it is.”
Thane looked back and nodded, his brown hair was whipping about his face violently.
“Fine. Looks like those blasted monsters have fallen back for now as well.” He said over the wind. They all knew the dangers the northlands presented. Metal armour was impossible to wear in the cold conditions so they were padded up with leather under the thick coats they all wore and with covers over their faces. Thane put a hand on Rauris’s shoulder and turned him around. Following the already fading trail they had made through the snow they began going back to the fortified camp and the protection it offered. “Those elves think they rule us,” he said to him with a chuckle, “But they won’t win this war without us.”
A sound to his right made Rauris stop, hand on his sword handle, and unsure whether the crunch of snow had been made by the group or something else. The snow obscured his vision. Just the storm playing tricks on me. He thought.
As he began forward again a large bestial figure hurtled towards them with a ghastly howl and, with a slash of its long claws, caught Thane’s back.
He went down soundlessly without a fighting chance, blood splattering the snow as he crumbled.
The creature circled around to face the others in the group. It bore the same characteristics of the warrior caste that the humans had fought in countless battles.
The powerful arms, the thin whip-like tail, the horns and the twisted mouth that spewed foul curses in their harsh tongue, all characteristics the men and women of the land had grown up to recognise in a heartbeat. Its silhouette outlined against the white snow, slowly rising up and down, ready to move in for the final blow.
“Thane!” Rauris yelled in horror, drawing his sword as did the other members of the group, pulling the fallen leader into the protective embrace of his followers. Drawing into a tight circle, facing all directions the humans stared back at the white eyes of their foes, the same beasts they had been fighting for as long as they all could remember.
The snow around Thane had turned red as his blood had seeped away and more of the demonic creatures appeared around them. They emerged from the snow and wind like grim phantoms in the night.
Looking at his slain guardian the young Rauris screamed with rage before throwing himself at the enemy.

Back on the dirt road the force of the rain had steadily increased, turning from a gentle shower to a steady downpour, creating little musical sounds as they landed on armour and machine alike.
Rauris was standing still, eyes closed and head down. His sword was resting on the ground now and both his hands were clenched tight. A faint glow appeared around his body with all ranges of colour moving about with sporadic bursts and liquid like fluidity.
The falling drops of water near him evaporated, the mud on the road bubbled, and the nearby fence that had already felt the effects of his magic was now completely and violently blasted back, obliterated in the process.
He was disappointed at himself. Such emotional outbursts of power were above him, even with his lack of self-control. The memory had renewed powerful feelings in him. Powerful feelings that were more than a thousand years old.
Death had replaced his hat and gone back to his vehicle. “Take your time deciding your next move; I got all the time in this world for you to make up your mind.
“If you’re still interested in coming along then just hop in the truck. You’re a bit too big to ride upfront in the cab with me so you’ll need to climb into the back. Sorry but I haven’t got any seatbelts back there.”
Rauris opened his eyes and, picking up his sword again and returning it to its proper place resting against his shoulder, walked over to the waiting Death with new determination.
“Make sure you definitely want to do this. There’s no turning back once we set off.
And if you lose you’ll be in the Underworld for a very long time.”
Pausing to look at Death, Rauris leaned close to the face of this new dealmaker.
“If you don’t hold up to your bargain then know this. Your world will not be able to hold me.” Rauris growled before he climbed into the back of what Death had called a truck, pushing aside a rolling canister and making himself comfy.
“We’ll see about that…” Death said with an inhuman grin as he got in the cab and turned the key in the ignition.