Fire

by Cheryl Twaddle

  "What do you mean, different worlds?" I asked, wondering if Gregorius the Second knew about the portal. If so, then he could be the key to getting us back. I looked at him again and considered whether or not the lives of Max and Barker could actually depend on him. I hoped not!

  "You do know about the different worlds, don't you?" he asked. "How else could you have one of the Fire People with you? He certainly didn't come from this world!"

  "Why do you call them Fire People?" asked Cornelius, keeping away from talk about different worlds. It was best not to reveal too much to this guy before we knew more about who he was and what this world was like.

  "Isn't it obvious?" Gregorius asked. "Just look at the colour of his hair and the tinge of his skin. See it? What else would you call someone so enveloped in the colour of fire?"

  "But, there're lots of people with red hair and freckles," I said.

  "Really?" he laughed as if I was making it up. "Show me, then."

  "Well...," I started and then remembered I was in a strange world and had no idea if there were any redheads here. "I can't."

  "Of course, you can't," he smiled. Another explosion sounded, this time even closer than before. "We should go. Amelia will want to see this. We must get him to the healer as soon as possible."

  Robert lifted Marshal over his shoulder with Gregorius watching his every move. I looked around at all the destruction that surrounded us and wondered what kind of war was being waged here. By the looks of it, it had been going on for some time. All these questions would have to wait, however. None of it mattered right now. Right now, we had to get Marshal help and, if this Gregorius guy could take us to someone who could help then we had to go with him. I looked at Marshal and wondered if he could be saved. There was no sign of life in him at all. In fact, he looked like he was already dead.

  Chapter 3

  The healer worked and lived in a three-story building that served as a hospital. I was a bit surprised that it wasn't any bigger but, then again, I had no idea how big the population was here. As soon as Gregorius announced his presence through an intercom, the doors were opened and we were rushed inside by a woman who was dressed completely in black. She didn't seem to have pale skin like the Second but her eyes were the same pale blue and her hair was just as black. I could see that she immediately knew who Gregorius was and was making every effort to please him. Wow, I thought, I guess he really is important.

  "Sir?" she asked. "What brings you here? Are you hurt?"

  "No, no, Casey," he said trying to brush her off. She was attempting to take off his jacket so she could examine his wounds, if he had any. "We have a very important patient that must see the healer immediately."

  "No one is more important than you are, sir," she smiled shyly and turned her head away. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Really? I thought. She's googly eyed over Gregorius? Wow, apparently power could make a person more appealing to some.

  "Please, Casey," he seemed irritated by her adoration, "I have told you before, I have no interest in any woman, especially one set so far out of my class."

  "Sorry, sir." It was barely a whisper but I heard it. I looked at Gregorius and felt the blood rush to my face once more. What a dick! I so wanted to tell him off but getting Marshal to a doctor was more important, so, I held my tongue.

  "Yes, well," Gregorius shook his shoulders and stood a little taller. "These people have an injured man in their party that requires attention."

  "But, sir," Casey stammered. "The First doesn't want our healer to help outsiders. With the war getting worse, we are strictly forbidden to..."

  "Oh, I think she'll want us to help this one," he smiled and stood aside so Casey could see Marshal who was still dangling over Robert's shoulder. Her eyes widened in amazement.

  "Is that...?"

  "One of the Fire People?" Gregorius could hardly contain himself. "Yes, I believe so. Amelia will be surprised to know that they still exist. Who knows how this will affect the uprising? I want him conscious. I want a chance to talk to him before my sister knows he's here. You need to keep quiet about this. You can't tell anyone, especially Amelia. Can you handle that?"

  "Y-yes, sir," said Casey as she turned and headed down the hall. "Follow me. The healer will be excited to treat such a rare being. Do you think this means there are more of them? Are they coming back to Algar?"

  "Save your questions girl!" Gregorius seemed furious with the girl. "Just take us to the healer and do it in silence!"

  "Yes, sir," Casey whispered and I thought I could see a tear forming in the corner of her eye.

  "Thank you," I said as kindly as I could, trying to let her know how much of a jerk I thought Gregorius was being. She gave me a sideways glare and then kept her head down, not saying another word. Wow, I thought, testy.

  We followed Casey down the hall and up a couple of flights of stairs to the second floor. I found myself wondering, for some stupid reason, if there was an elevator. Not that it mattered; I was very capable of walking up stairs. When we reached the second floor and made our way down the hall, I could see that there were rooms on either side but their doors were shut. I couldn't see into any of them so, I had no idea if there were other patients in them or not.

  Casey led us all the way to the end of the hall, to another closed door. I watched as she reached out and knocked lightly on the door. This must be the healer's office, I thought. There was no response so, she knocked again.

  "Jeremiah?" she spoke through the door. "There are people here to see you."

  "Send them away!" The voice was loud and gravelly like an old man's voice. "You know I only see the dying!"

  "I know, sir," Casey insisted, "but these people travel with one who is dying. They need your help."

  "Travel?" A little hesitation in the question. "Whose side are they on? Where have they travelled from?"

  "Believe me, Jeremiah," said Gregorius in his best authoritarian voice, "I would not have brought them here if it was not of the utmost importance."

  "Is that the Second I hear?" I could hear sarcasm in his voice and was surprised by it. Maybe not everyone adored Gregorius Huxley after all.

  "Yes, Jeremiah," Gregorius sighed. "It is I and I want you to open this door and heal this man! We have no time for idle talk."

  "What man could be so important as to ruffle the feathers of the Second?" I could hear a commotion in the room and then the door opened wide, revealing a man that must have been well over a hundred years old. His face was full of wrinkles and his silver hair flowed down his back almost to the floor. He had pale skin and his eyes were pale blue. He wore robes of black and I could see his hands barely poking out through the long sleeves. They were twisted and gnarled from age. Holy crap, I thought, give him a beard and a pointy hat and he could be Merlin.

  "He is," answered Gregorius and stepped aside so Jeremiah could see Marshal.

  "It can't be!" The old man stared at Marshal in shock and disbelief.

  "Oh, it is," smiled Gregorius, happy that the old man was just as surprised as he was when he first saw Marshal. "I found him on the side of the road with these, um, people."

  "What?!" I was furious. He didn't find us on the side of the road! We found him, huddled behind a car, scared shitless. Cornelius squeezed my shoulder and I turned to glare at him for holding me back. He slowly shook his head and gestured towards Marshal. I looked at my friend and realized his recovery was the only thing that was important right now. Whatever story Gregorius wanted to tell this healer I'd have to let him. We could sort things out later.

  "But that's impossible!" The old man didn't even hear me as he rushed towards Robert and Marshal. He reached into some hidden pocket of his robes and pulled out a tiny pair of glasses that he held up to his eyes to examine Marshal. He moved Marshal's head from side to side and touched his red hair. He used his twisted fingers to part his eyelids and look inside. "Blue! I think you're right; this man is one of the Fire People or, at least, a very direct descendant of them!
You found them on the side of the road?"

  "That's right," said Gregorius, proudly, "on the side of the road."

  "Yeah?" Jeremiah lifted his eyebrows at the Second. "So, you left the Court after all. Amelia was right, then. It's a waste of time to assign guards to protect you. You do whatever you like, even if it puts others in danger."

  "I am not a criminal," stated Gregorius and I could tell this wasn't the first time he had to defend himself against his sister's wishes. "I refuse to be imprisoned in my own house!"

  "You know better than that, Gregorius!" Jeremiah said. "Your sister only has your safety at heart. She loves you and doesn't want harm to come to you."

  "My sister's only concern is that I not be captured and used as a means to get to her," Gregorius answered angrily. "My welfare only comes into play if the people start to think she's cold because she doesn't help me."

  "You know that's not true!" said Jeremiah and I could see a hint of doubt in the healer's eyes. Perhaps the sister and brother had some unresolved sibling rivalry that needed to be dealt with.

  "Again, I'm sorry for being such a burden on my sister," said Gregorius, "but I had to see if the rumours were correct."

  "What rumours?" Jeremiah asked.

  "There's been talk that the wolf is back," Gregorius answered.

  "Faelen?" Jeremiah seemed more skeptical of this than of Marshal being part of the Fire People. "Surely, boy, you don't still believe such nonsense. Faelen does not exist. He is simply a legend created to explain how the Fire People will return."

  "I've never believed it was just a story," Gregorius said, proud that his faith had never wavered.

  "But surely a wolf didn't bring this man here?" The old man looked closely at Marshal again, trying to figure out how a legend could suddenly seem very real.

  "Surely," Gregorius smiled at the confusion in the old man's eyes. I could see how it made him feel superior to have his beliefs verified. "This man proves there are still, somewhere out there, Fire People, pure Fire People. Ones who have not been tainted by generations of inferior blood."

  "And you think Faelen brought him here?" Jeremiah asked, trying to ignore the inferior blood comment.

  "How else could he get here?" Gregorius was beaming now.

  "I wonder," Jeremiah rubbed his chin as if pondering all the possible answers, then addressed our group. "Tell me, did a legendary wolf guide you to Algar, leaving this near-dead man in your care?"

  "Absolutely not!" I cried out, happy to put Mr. Smarty-pants in his place and then I paused and the smile faded from my face. A legendary wolf may not have guided us here but a very determined shepherd-cross did. It must be coincidence, I thought.

  "I thought so," it was Jeremiah's turn to smile but Gregorius was not as calm about it.

  "They're not going to admit anything to you!" Gregorius was not to be denied. I could see that Jeremiah was getting flustered. "Why would they? If they tell everyone they meet how and why they came here, they would be putting their lives in danger. They don't know who they can trust and who they can't. They didn't even know who I was!"

  "Did they not?" Jeremiah gave us a sideways glance. "Funny, you would think that if they were in charge of getting a man from the legendary Fire People safely to Algar, they would know a little bit about Algar."

  "Well, they don't," Gregorius was getting frustrated with the old man. "All I know is that the legend foretells of Faelen returning one day with the Fire People. Then, I hear rumours of Faelen running through the city and, out of nowhere, these people show up with a half-dead man who looks very much like one of the Fire People. It has to be more than coincidence. I don't care what you say!"

  "If you know the legend so well," said Jeremiah, "then you know that Faelen was burned alive."

  "Wait...what?" I didn't like the idea of burning anything alive. "They set a wolf on fire?"

  "Actually, Faelen was put in a cage, set on top of a platform and set on fire," explained Jeremiah. "It was a well documented ceremony witnessed by a crowd of over a hundred people in the center of Algar."

  "Oh, much better," I said sarcastically.

  "Yes, he was in a cage but the cage was covered by a black curtain and no one actually saw him devoured by the flames," said Gregorius. "He could still be alive."

  "He was in a locked cage!" exclaimed Jeremiah. "There's no way he could have gotten away without being seen."

  "Others, and I believe them, swear they saw his shadow race through the woods as the platform burned," Gregorius explained. "It is written that, when they sifted through the ashes, there was no evidence that anything had been in the cage when it burned."

  "Even so," said Jeremiah. "My boy, it was over three hundred years ago. How could he still be alive? It's impossible!"

  "Not for Faelen," Gregorius smiled, sticking his chin out in defiance.

  "Suit yourself," said the old man. "Whatever you believe doesn't matter; you must think more wisely when choosing to leave the protection of the Court."

  "Amelia's there. What more does anyone need?" asked Gregorius, rhetorically.

  "I told you, your sister cares for your welfare even if you do not," said Jeremiah. "Now, if you don't mind, could you please bring the patient into the examining room. We'll talk about your defiance later." Robert followed the two of them through a doorway off to the side. I started to follow as well but felt a hand touch my arm and hold me back. I turned and saw Colonel Al with a questioning look on his face, his eyes staring intensely into mine.

  "What is it?" I whispered.

  "Faelen; do you think it could be the Private?" he asked. Obviously, he was also thinking about the way Barker led us here.

  "The Private, as you call him," I said, "is far from being a wolf."

  "I know," he said, "but it's quite the coincidence don't you think?"

  "It is," I said, "but I don't want to think about it right now. We have enough to worry about without thinking our pet dog is actually some legendary wolf from another world."

  "It was only a thought," said Colonel Al. He turned and followed the others, leaving me standing there trying to decide if Barker could actually be this wolf called Faelen.

  The examining room was very basic. Along the wall were shelves holding bottles of various shapes and sizes. They contained all sorts of powders and liquids which I assumed were different kinds of medicine. There was a counter at the back of the room and on top sat a tray containing an assortment of metal instruments. I saw a couple of sharp knives about the size of a scalpel, some small metal rods, a pair of tweezers and a couple of more things I had never seen before. Beside the tray was a stack of plates, some cloths and sponges and, I had to look twice, a collection of rocks of varying colours and sizes. There was a sink wedged into the corner, between the counter and the wall. Well, at least he washes his hands, I thought. In the middle of the room stood a metal examining table. It had a white sheet draped across it and looked very cold and hard. Robert, with the help of Casey, gently laid Marshal down on the table.

  "First," said Jeremiah, "we need to lessen the number of people in here." He looked at us, omitting Gregorius with his gaze.

  "No way," I said. "Marshal is my friend. I owe him my life and I will not leave him in the hands of strangers."

  "I'm sorry," said Jeremiah, "but I can not do my work with so many people in here. Some of you will have to leave."

  "Make him leave," I pointed at Gregorius. "He doesn't even know us! He doesn't know Marshal! Why should he stay?"

  "We'll leave," said Robert and I looked at him in surprise. Why was he volunteering to leave Marshal with these strangers? Anything could happen. Robert looked at me with reassurance. "It's alright. You and Gregorius stay; the rest of us will wait right outside this door. Marshal is in no shape to withstand a debate right now." I nodded and turned my attention back to my friend as the rest quietly left the room.

  "Very well," said Jeremiah. "It's still more people than I would like but there's no time to waste. This m
an looks like he doesn't have a lot of time left. Casey, get me the green stone." Casey walked over to the tray and reached for the pile of rocks.

  "Don't tell me you're going to try to fix him with a green rock?" I knew that rocks were the key to opening the portal to come here, I could accept that. Using one to get a bullet out of someone was a whole different story.

  "No, I'm not going to fix him with the green stone," said Jeremiah impatiently. "I'm going to assess his injuries with the green stone. I'll try to fix him with whatever stone the injury calls for. Probably the red one." I wanted to scream out how insane that sounded; he was going to use a rock, a friggin' rock, to fix Marshal. What the hell? I looked at Gregorius who didn't seemed bothered by this, like it was common practice to fix injuries with coloured rocks. Maybe it wasn't insane, maybe they did do this all the time. Who was I to judge whether rocks could heal people? Maybe they could. I didn't really have any other choice.

  "But..." I started.

  "Would you please let the man do his job?" Gregorius glared at me with a look of frustrated annoyance. I glared right back at him.

  "I was only going to say," I started, trying to hold back my anger, "that I know what's wrong with him. He was shot in the back, just below his ribs."

  "Shot?" asked Jeremiah as he paused to look at me and then shifted his gaze to Gregorius.

  "Yeah," I said. "We were ambushed by a group of men who wanted to kill us. When we turned to flee, Marshal was shot."

  "I see." Jeremiah turned Marshal onto his side, lifted his shirt and peeled off the duct tape we had covered it with to stop the bleeding. He made a "tsk, tsk, tsk," sound as he looked at the wound.