by Dreagen
“Because I was scared, Rex. Scared of what I would do if I used it that way…afraid of what it would do to me.”
“It?”
“Anger.”
“Anger?” A thin smile spread across Rex’s face as he patted EeNox on the back harder than he would have liked. “Now you’re speaking my language.”
DiNiya had been searching all morning for Rex when she discovered he was not in his room or any other in the house. She had run into town and checked the shop, but when she did not find him there, either, she began running through the streets asking anyone if they had seen a boy with red eyes. Most just told her no, but a few seemed put off by the question, something she realized after the fact when she remembered that not everyone knew about Rex yet, and that the idea of another SaVarian with a red flame probably sounded like a morbid joke. Especially when coming from her. Still, she was determined to find him; however, after almost two hours of searching, she began to worry, for she knew it was unlike Rex to just go wandering off. Or is it? she wondered. After all, how much did she really know about him? For all she knew he could have had enough of KaNar, or of her, and simply left in the night. But he’s afraid of the forest, and for good reason. He wouldn’t take such a risk even if he did want to leave.
She continued playing out possibilities and scenarios in her head while, unbeknownst to her, she wandered out of the main city gates and into the fields. She would have continued on without realizing had she not suddenly bumped into someone. Looking up, she saw it was LyCora, who was about to say something but closed her mouth and just stared back for a brief but awkward moment before giving an irritated snort and continuing on her way.
DiNiya watched her walk away for a moment, contemplating calling out after her but deciding against it. She had more important things to do now, like continuing her search for Rex. Then again, perhaps LyCora had seen him that morning, and she quickly turned back around to call after her, only to see she was now gone from sight. With a sigh of regret, she turned, then went wide-eyed as she realized she had strayed so far from town.
“What am I doing out here?” she wondered as she looked around. Far off in the distance, she could see the workers who were moving to and fro in the fields. The long towering necks of the BorMax could still be clearly distinguished even at such a great distance. Their low trumpeting calls echoed timelessly across the open expanse of the mountain valley like music on the wind. DiNiya felt a cool autumn breeze wash over her, bringing with it the sweet smell of mountain flowers. She closed her eyes and drunk in the aroma of the natural world around her. She knew this smell would be gone soon, for the winter was quickly approaching and most of the mountain’s flowering plants would become dormant until the spring.
She stood there for a time, enjoying the tranquility, when the breeze changed direction and brought with it a new smell—one that was also familiar. Lowering her head and opening her eyes, she took off in the direction LyCora had come.
Increasing the pace in which she put one foot in front of the other, she put more distance between herself and KaNar. Eventually she began to hear sounds coming from up ahead—voices talking, voices she recognized. With a smile, she broke into a sprint, climbing a small incline before coming upon a scene she had not expected to see: her brother instructing Rex on something. Slowing to a walk, she drew nearer and could begin to make out what was being said.
“Now try to focus your flame into a tiny ball in your hand,” EeNox said encouragingly to Rex, who reluctantly held up his right hand, staring at it intently. “Come on now, just do it like you did before. Don’t try to force it, just let it happen because you want it to.”
DiNiya watched as a small ball of red flame sparked then ignited mere centimeters above Rex’s hand, causing an elated smile to spread across her face . To her surprise, Rex seemed to possess one of his own, albeit more subdued, and he marveled at the small success in the palm of his hand.
“I did it,” he said, sounding surprised with himself.
“Best of all, you did it without having to get angry,” EeNox said encouragingly.
DiNiya watched the two of them in silence, proud that Rex was finally taking steps to fit in and that her brother had at last taken a liking to him. I wonder how this all came about? But her joy diminished as a creeping sense of sorrow took her by surprise. As she watched Rex extinguish and reignite the tiny ball of flame in his hand, she saw his smile broaden and realized there was a sense of longing within her. One that reminded her that even in a world where, odd as it was to have a flame like Rex’s, to be without one was to be in a league of solidarity all its own.
“DiNiya,” came her brother’s voice, shaking her free of her mournful thoughts. She looked up and smiled.
“What are you doing out here?”
“Witnessing a dream come true,” she replied as she walked up and gave him a hug.
EeNox hugged her back before noticing Rex staring, then pulled away feeling slightly embarrassed. “All right, all right.”
DiNiya giggled and shook her head before turning to Rex. “Are you…all right?” she asked nervously.
“I think so,” he replied, meeting her eyes.
“When I didn’t see you this morning, I went out looking for you but couldn’t find you. So I got…worried.”
“Worried? About me?” Rex cocked his head as if trying to discern the meaning of such a concept.
“Well, of course you,” she said with more intensity in her voice. EeNox shifted his gaze from her to Rex, then back again. “I didn’t know if something had happened to you, or if you had maybe…left?”
“Left?” Rex replied with a laugh. “Where would I go, even if I could? I don’t exactly know my way around.”
“I know…” she replied, digging the toe of her boot into the ground awkwardly.
“Besides,” he added seriously. “You’re my only friend in the whole wide world. So why would I go anywhere else?”
DiNiya looked up and saw the same burning intensity in his eyes and realized it was not always of rage, but a silent intensity that she was now coming to understand was how Rex viewed life—pushed to its limits then beyond. The sound of EeNox clearing his throat prompted them to look over and see him giving Rex a less-than-pleased look.
“Well, I guess I should say ‘two friends,’” he corrected himself.
EeNox smiled and folded his arms with a nod, looking quite pleased with himself. Rex regarded them both in earnest. “I have a lot to thank you for, both of you. I suppose I didn’t really realize how much until just now. I know I’ve been a bit of a handful, and that it’s probably taken its toll on everyone who’s had to deal with me.”
“Go on,” EeNox said before DiNiya elbowed him in the side.
“And that if you two will help me, I’d like to be a part of this community.”
DiNiya and EeNox exchanged looks before turning back to Rex, who looked more than a little uncertain of what their response would be. At last, after making him sweat sufficiently with anticipation, DiNiya wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tightly.
Rex recoiled before succumbing to his desire to feel accepted and enjoy the feeling of being close to someone. EeNox felt somewhat awkward, but DiNiya reached out and pulled him into the embrace. They stood there for a time, the three of them holding each other close, the warmth of their embrace forging a bond that none of them could have foreseen.
Finally they pulled apart, and the two boys were surprised to see DiNiya wiping tears from her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” her brother asked with concern.
“Did I squeeze too hard?” Rex asked frankly.
“No,” she replied with a laugh. “I’m just…well, happy is all.”
The two of them exchanged glances.
“Well, I’ll admit that it does take a load off my mind to know that I don’t have to butt heads with this guy over here,” Rex said, thumbing over to EeNox.
“Feeling’s mutual,” the other boy replied.
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“Now if I can only get LyCora to stop hating me.”
DiNiya’s smiled suddenly faded as she recalled her brief but intense encounter with her only moments ago.
“Good luck with that,” EeNox said, sounding less than confident. “I’ve known that girl my whole life, and I’ve never seen her cast a kind eye on anyone she decided to think less than kindly of. Oh, DiNiya, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s all right,” she said, waving a hand dismissively. “No sense acting like it’s anything other than what it really is. LyCora is not the overly trusting type. Never has been.”
“I know how she feels,” Rex said solemnly as he turned to look out the way LyCora had gone. “Trusting people is…a harder thing to do than most realize.” The two of them nodded respectfully.
“That’s what makes it so important to the people you choose to do it with,” DiNiya said gently, placing a hand on his arm. “Thank you for giving me your trust. I promise I won’t betray it.”
“Well, I guess the same goes for me,” EeNox added.
“You guess?” she said, giving him a stern look.
“Hey, come on, we only just stopped despising each other this morning. I think we’ve taken a big step here.”
“He’s right,” Rex agreed. “I mean, I only stopped wanting to kill him like thirty seconds ago, when we hugged.”
EeNox whipped his head around before the other two broke out into laughter.
“Oh, yeah,” EeNox chuckled awkwardly. “That’s uhh…real funny.”
The procession of laugher continued for several minutes before finally subsiding with Rex and DiNiya trying to catch their breath.
“So be honest with me,” EeNox asked his sister. “Do you think there’s any chance of LyCora coming around?”
“Well, I suppose anything is possible,” DiNiya replied, sounding more uncertain than he would have liked. “I mean, it’s not like Rex did anything to her really, so I suppose it’s really just a case of her, well…being her.”
“I did sort of almost kill her twenty minutes ago.”
“You what?”
The next several days seemed like a dream to Rex, who spent them under the watchful eye and tutelage of DiNiya and EeNox, who after enthusiastically telling VayRonx about their breakthrough with teaching Rex how to master his own flame were exempted from work for a time so they could spend it focusing on his training.
Every morning they would wake up extra early, something Rex was initially less than pleased to have to do, eat a hearty breakfast, then run out to the same spot, where they would start out by teaching him to first commune with the flame burning within him, then on channeling its power to where he wanted it to go.
To his surprise, EeNox took to the role of instructor rather quickly and seemed to even enjoy it. He was most surprised to see how easily he was able to teach Rex how to control a power that was so very different from his own. The fact that the red flame could be controlled by will itself actually proved to be a beneficial teaching device, because as he and his sister were quickly learning, it was much easier to explain to someone else how to do something based on what they wanted than it was by mere impulse.
EeNox remembered being taught by his father and VayRonx how to simulate the same chemical release in his body that triggered the natural impulses he experienced in everyday life that caused all young children’s flames to ignite by reflex. It had been a long and at times a highly frustrating process, but in the end, he could think of no more satisfying a moment in his life than when he realized he was mastering the skills to harness his own power.
Now he saw in Rex the same potential, even though he was the same age. DiNiya had managed to break through his exterior shell, which he had used as a means to stay cut off from the world and everyone else. Because of that, she would probably always be closer to Rex than he or anyone else could be. So he decided to take on the role of teacher—the one who would focus at cracking the emotional restraints that bound him. He just hoped that doing so would not result in getting himself killed by the tumultuous temper that his unpredictable student possessed.
Still, it had been DiNiya herself who had perhaps contributed the most effective teaching tool into the mix: exercises involving basic hand-to-hand techniques. They did not contain the power of flame for obvious reasons, but because of that, they forced Rex to use his body to fight without his flame. It meant restraint. He marveled at how quickly he adapted to this concept, for it fed into his natural instinct for fighting, but he also laughed every time he inevitably ended up on his back as a result of DiNiya’s superior skill.
“That’s the seventh time I’ve put you down,” she said, extending a hand down to him.
“You know, if you wanted to get me on my back, all you had to do was ask,” Rex replied, grinning as he folded his arms behind his head. DiNiya blushed and looked away, dropping her guard, and before she realized what happened, she felt a pair of legs wrap around her waist and flip her to the ground, where she found herself on her back with Rex on top.
“Blink and you’ll miss the move that takes you out,” he grinned.
“Blink twice and you’ll miss the one that kills you,” she replied, giving him a wink.
Rex suddenly felt a numbing sensation begin in the back of his neck; it then quickly spread all over his body. It was then he realized that DiNiya had gripped the back of his neck on her way down, rendering him incapable of igniting his flame. “What did you do to me?” he asked, standing up and stumbling awkwardly.
“Temporarily subdued your flame,” she said, rising to her feet and smiling smugly.
“Huh?”
“The nerves throughout your body regulate many of its natural functions,” EeNox explained as he walked up to him. “The flow of your flame through it being no exception.”
“Basically, I hit a pressure point on the back of the neck that regulates the signals your brain sends to the body to release your flame,” DiNiya explained. “Don’t worry, it’s only temporary.”
“What’s temporary?”
“About thirty minutes…give or take.”
“I see,” Rex said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “So you think that’s funny, do you?”
DiNiya’s smile faded and was replaced by one of worry, as she feared she might have inadvertently angered him. Rex then bared a mischievous grin and immediately rushed forward, scooping her up in his arms before taking off running.
“Hey! Where are you going?” EeNox called out as he watched them disappear into the forest.
“Where are you taking me, Rex?” DiNiya demanded
“You’ll see,” he said, leaping over several thick roots protruding from the ground as it began steadily inclining upward.
It was then that DiNiya realized where he was going and gave him a look of panic. “Don’t you dare!”
Rex just looked down and gave her a wink before the ground beneath his feet ended and he pushed off the edge of a ten-meter waterfall, the very same they had passed on the way to the destroyed section of forest days before.
DiNiya screamed as they rose into the air before Rex suddenly shifted her in his arms so she was vertical and pressed her against him. The two hit the water with a small splash seconds later. Above, EeNox reached the edge of the cliff and peered down, just in time to see the two of them break the surface of the water.
DiNiya whipped her fur out of her face breathlessly as she stared at Rex in wide-eyed bewilderment. He grinned back in turn, his eyes covered by wet fur.
“Wha…what has gotten into you?” Rex just laughed, prompting her to shake her head in wonder. “I thought you were afraid of the inner forest.”
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” Rex replied simply.
“Oh? And just what was it you hoped to gain by scooping me up in your arms and jumping off a cliff?”
“That beautiful shrill cry of terror you graced me with the whole way down,” Rex replied evilly before being splashed in the face.
“You know, I’m going to get you back for that,” DiNiya said as she quickly swam towards him.
“You’ll have to catch me first,” he replied as he moved as fast as he could to stay out of her reach.
Back up top, EeNox plopped down and let his feet dangle over the edge of the fall and watched Rex and DiNiya playfully chase and splash each other in the crystal clear water. It had been some time since he had last seen his sister so happy and carefree. For some time now, she had been distant and removed from the world around her, and while she did an impressive job at putting on a smiling face for others, it was always a farce. Now, however, he watched as she felt joy truly for the first time in a long while, as she played and laughed like a girl half her age, making up for lost time. She, however, was not the only one that appeared lighter on their feet these days. Rex, who was normally cold and malevolent, was now acting like a normal teenage boy: boisterous and full of vigor. So different was he now in this moment that it seemed more believable to think that he was watching an imposter rather than the real Rex. Yet, there was only one Rex, and EeNox was quickly learning that he was an individual of many faces, most of which he kept hidden. But those kept close to the heart seemed to come out when around DiNiya. Was it because she was the first to reach out to him, or perhaps because that, like him, she was something of an enigma? It seemed so trivial on the surface, but how would anyone feel if they went through life thinking they were one of a kind? Would they revel in their individuality or long for familiarity? It was a question that the two he now watched below were uniquely qualified to answer, and he suspected they already had.
After another fifteen minutes of watching them laugh and splash each other, he decided to make his way down, whereupon seeing him, they moved towards the bank.
DiNiya’s body suddenly trembled as a shiver ran through her. “Brr,” she said as she rung out her long auburn fur. “Could you dry us off, EeNox?”
“I suppose,” he replied as he held out his hands and sent out a warm green glow, spreading it over them.
