Lord of Fire: #1 The Fire Chronicles

by Susi Wright

  ‘I am Luminor,’ he said, bowing slightly, his eyes downcast, as in respect.

  ‘Fralii, go immediately to your father! I will send your companion up soon!’ Runo ushered Fralii to the stairway and Luminor into the reception room, inviting him to partake of a refreshing pekunis juice while he waited.

  ‘Thank you,’ Luminor said quietly, obediently taking hold of the drink, and trying unsuccessfully to swallow past the lump of dread in his throat. Saying little was easy, at least. Runo merely thought he must have difficulty with the language, noticing the accent and the very foreign clothing, so he kindly left the stranger to his refreshment, while he hurried to tell Sala they had guests for dinner, sending a boy to stable the samblars and relay the good news to Simban.

  It was not long before Fralii reappeared, sent by Chadren, who was still abed but eager to meet her brave rescuer and reward him for his trouble. Luminor followed her meekly up the stairs like a labis-lamb to the slaughter. Knowing he was nervous, she reached back to give his hand a reassuring squeeze.

  The door to Chadren’s room was open, and having heard their approach, he called out loudly, ‘Fralii, come in! Luminor… is it? Come in!’ They stepped inside, standing a small deliberate distance apart. Chadren first smiled lovingly at Fralii, then looked over to Luminor, to address him. As his gaze took in first his manner of dress, the faintly glistening tunic, the feather cloak over his arm, rising slowly to his face, and drawn immediately to those brilliant green eyes that Luminor could no longer hide, his expression changed dramatically with his mood, from joy to abject horror, recognising one of the beings he hated beyond hate. Now he knew they were real. They had murdered his beloved Zula! He choked, ‘What are you doing with my daughter? If you have beguiled… or damaged… her…’ His voice held a threat as his anger rose.

  Fralii was dumbfounded. She could not understand her father’s reaction. Lumi had done only good! As Chadren sputtered with rage, and Luminor stayed silent, Fralii attempted his defence. ‘Father, Lumi is a good man! He is kind… he rescued me!’ She was starting to worry that her father might be having a seizure; his face was reddening quickly, his arms were flailing around, but then he seemed to be gathering himself to speak. ‘Get away from here, now, or I swear I will kill you!’ He grasped his dagger from the bedside table, waving it in the air. The words like a knife in her heart, Fralii looked frantically at Luminor, expecting him to defend himself, and saw him slumped on a chair, holding his head in his hands.

  At the same moment Chadren had recognised the stranger’s origins, Thunis’ perception had entered Luminor’s thoughts like a thunderbolt, causing something like sharp pain. This then took the shape of a throbbing headache and an undeniable order of silence, a clear edict to return for punishment and to attend to a matter of great import. Luminor stood up, powerless to do anything but stumble blindly out of the room, still rubbing his temples, and down the stairs without a backward glance.

  Fralii rounded angrily on her father, demanding why he had been so rude. Chadren just sat with his lips pressed together, still furiously red-faced in shock and anger, stubbornly refusing to explain. Fralii could not understand any of it, except he had ordered Luminor, her Lumi, away. And Luminor leaving, looking as though he might have fallen suddenly ill. She hurried downstairs to see what was ailing him, to find him gone from the house. Gone from her. Without a single word. She pulled open the front door, glancing up and down the street, even raising her eyes desperately skywards. Not a sign of him.

  Runo tried to comfort her, asking what had happened upstairs. He had heard the yelling, saw Luminor’s back as he left in an almighty hurry, and was puzzled at the turn of events. Fralii sobbed into her grandfather’s shoulder, ‘Father threw him out! I fear he has gone mad! And… Lumi is ill, I think! Oh, where did he go?’ she blurted. ‘I can hardly bear it! I care so much for him!’

  Runo had suspected there was something, when he had earlier caught a brief glimpse of their hands joined as they went upstairs. He was not sure why Chadren had reacted so violently. He would find out later, but for now, he did have the piece of parchment the young man had scribbled and left on the hall table as he rushed out the front door, his fingers to his temples as if in pain. Kindly, Runo tucked the note into her hand, though having read it, he doubted it would provide much comfort. ‘Here! He left this, my sweet!’ She took it, sniffling hopefully. Her lips quivered as she deciphered the scrawled handwriting: Fralii. I am sorry. That was it. And she collapsed into her grandfather’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

  * * *

  The world seemed to have taken on a claustrophobic blackness, far deeper than the colour of this present night. That Thunis’ projection had hit with such intensity was, in hindsight, to be expected, since the separation would naturally cause Luminor’s receptivity to be greatly enhanced. In this oppressive moment, filled with powerless frustration, he felt inclined to curse his origins, and the Ancestors, and his own father. Admittedly, he found the intense pain of his discovered deception receding gradually the further he flew on the stiff breeze, away from Fralii, and closer to his homeland. Poor consolation!

  Chadren had been in no mood to listen, even if Luminor had not been forbidden to explain. But the worst of it was not being able to make Fralii understand. His heart felt close to bursting with regret at upsetting her so! He could still feel her desolation, her despair, within him now. His head throbbed dully. His thoughts were still jumbled from the impact of Thunis’ intervention. He felt the effects of the edict, like a chain, squeezing his soul, and he knew he would not be rid of it, until he had faced his father and accepted his fate, as it loomed darkly ahead. A few short hours of flight, would see him there, forced to confront it. He was not looking forward to it.

  Chapter Thirty

  Thunis paced irritably, as he waited for his errant son to arrive home. He should have been here already, as soon as the separation was over. Thunis had been able to locate Luminor not where he should be, feeling an enormous amount of anxiety and turbulence there, obviously in the company of humans, caught red-handed interfering in their affairs. He had thought him past such mischief by now, that he might have been mature enough to perceive the meaning of the threat he would encounter in the caves. And it rankled, to have to mete out suitable punishment when there were far more important matters at hand. Before this misdemeanour, he had been eager to receive his newly initiated son with pressing news, if Luminor had not already come to understand, and decisions of far-reaching consequence. Much contemplation of his own during his son’s absence had brought him to this pivotal point. His own perceptions were extremely strong, honed over the better part of one hundred and seventy years of life, not so his body, which continued to grow weaker—a weakness that seemed to be accelerating recently, probably from the debilitating effects of that wretched kudros bite. He knew life was finite; it was the way of Nature, but a healthy Gaian could expect to live to more than two hundred years of age, retaining much of their strength well into old age. His power and authority these days came from his inner strength and will. If the truth be known, and he was sure his wife Aleana would be aware, he had not felt physically strong for years. Since his children had been born (that in itself a miracle), he spent almost every waking moment making sure they were trained to the highest level in every discipline, particularly his two sons, so when the time came, they would be ready. And he now knew that time was upon them. Already he was aware of the existence of the pyrothon, of the havoc it was wreaking on the human villagers and the environment in the mountains. He recognised this as the Dire Circumstance, the advent of which had been prophesied for centuries. The Lord of Fire was the only being in existence who could destroy the flame adder. He held that title since his father had returned to the Ancient Realm, had occasion to use it in his younger years when they lived through a war with invading hordes in far-off Lealand. But now he knew his body’s life force was not equal to the task, so he had come to the decision which was allowed to a chief
of his advanced age, choosing to cross over to the Other Side, thus enabling his eldest son, young and in his prime, to inherit the supreme power over Fire, and take on the quest.

  It was the only way to ensure victory over this monster, which posed a threat to all Life. It was paramount to fulfil their purpose as Gaians. Thunis had intended to announce his intentions officially yesterday, and prepare for the ceremony without delay. Now this! He was disappointed, and angry. He opened and closed his fists in frustration, convinced Luminor was deliberately taking his time, flying on a slower wind than he could, and not for the first time today, he was sorely tempted to set a gale to Luminor’s tail, the sooner to confront him, but refrained, hoping Luminor would use this short time wisely, to ponder the error of his ways.

  * * *

  Luminor knew well enough the trouble he was in. More than the painful throbbing in his head, he felt the sharp pang of shame that he had disappointed his father. But above all, he burned with regret and sadness to have been compelled to leave his newly found soulmate bereft and crying. He longed to be with her again, to comfort her and make her understand. Her desolation was also his.

  He realised Thunis must have detected his blatantly roiling emotions, as he and Fralii had paused outside the gates of Splendo, and his extreme anxiety at meeting Chadren. Regrettably, his guard had been down, so he was not sure if Thunis was fully aware of the deep nature of his involvement with Fralii. Certainly the intimate times they had experienced the Link together were before the allocated number of days had passed, so that, at least, was known only by them.

  On the way to the caves with his father for his sojourn, he had been extremely successfully in masking his intention to rescue Fralii. But then, he had been concentrating. And all along, he had suspected there was some unwritten ‘law of Thunis’ that actually forbade the choosing of a human soulmate, though he had never specifically been told about it. Why should it be wrong? Why could humans and Gaians not live side by side? When his father was in a better mood, he would plead his case, and openly ask these burning questions. Until then, he would be very careful to make use of his newly developed mental-cloaking skills. An ideal opportunity to practise, on Thunis, master of Perception! He took small comfort in this rebellion.

  As he approached home, his head cleared considerably. He allowed the tailwind to release him gently to the ground, and began organising his thoughts, disguising any disturbance in them as fear and respect for his father. This he would maintain as long as necessary. He took a deep breath and prepared to face what he could already feel over the distance: his father’s anger, disappointment, and something much more weighty but, as yet, indefinable.

  Thunis emerged from the tent, expecting Luminor’s arrival, his expression stony, his fists still clenched at his sides. Luminor slowly met his piercing blue stare, and staying strong, held it defiantly. Thunis recognised the great increase of power in his son, since he had left him at the caves, much deeper and stronger than he had expected. The sojourn had at least served its purpose. For absolute clarity, he voiced his disapproval. ‘You have already felt my anger… you know I forbid meddling… the time for games is over! Methinks you feel much shame!’

  Luminor refused to break eye contact, even though he secretly admitted to himself his father had the truth of it. Thunis’ next words surprised him. ‘But, I have just decided… there will be no punishment! There is little enough time! You have encountered the flame adder.’ Luminor held his elder’s gaze as he answered with absolute certainty, ‘Yes. It is very dangerous, but I will kill it… next time!’

  Thunis took measure of his son’s new strength and maturity, at first keeping his emotion neutral. ‘You must know, now. You carry the weight of our destiny on your shoulders. Dire Circumstance is manifest! You must take up your responsibilities as leader of this clan… you know what that means!’ He came to place a hand on Luminor’s shoulder in a surprising gesture; the anger was gone, replaced by deep affection and encouragement. ‘The ceremony will take place tomorrow. At first light, I will call on the Guardians of the Higher Realm to receive my soul. My title will come to you. I am aware you are strong enough now to take possession of the power over Fire!’

  The family had overheard the exchange while they waited for the audience to finish. Aleana, Altor, and Rihann, all openly happy to see Luminor, rushed forward to embrace him. Altor slapped him hard on the back. ‘We have missed your ugly… I mean… serious face around here, Brother!’ he jibed. But despite the lightness of Altor’s tone, Luminor detected in his sibling a ripple of sadness for what was about to happen. In fact, there was sadness in all of them. Inevitable as it was, this was to be their last night with Thunis, much-loved and respected husband, father, mentor, lord.

  The celebration of the family’s reunion that night had a sombre undertone. They sat down to share refreshments, and to listen eagerly to Luminor’s account of his sojourn. Removing his cloak, in the warmth of the tent, Luminor joined his family circle, to begin the traditional storytelling, the Telling, a rare time when words were entertainment.

  Thunis noticed immediately the partly healed wound on his son’s exposed arm. In empathy, he relived his own agony. ‘You encountered kudros!’ he exclaimed, surprised Luminor was actually with them to tell the tale, and apparently stronger than ever.

  ‘Yes. There was some immunity… I think from you, Father,’ Luminor kept cloaked, for now, the part in the story where Fralii’s gentle ministrations had helped him back to health. ‘And the Prian herb.’

  Thunis studied his son from across the room, detecting only steely power, and resolve. He was impressed. Luminor would need all of it.

  The whole clan had started to gather, awareness of the coming ceremony spreading through their ranks, ready to hear the tale of the sojourn from their chief-to-be. As he regarded the company, he acknowledged amongst them his faithful tutors, who, proud and expectant, attended the telling. Luminor obliged by recounting every detail, except mention of his beautiful companion. That memory he kept locked deep within his heart. Altor assailed him with questions about the flame adder, asking for a chance to help defeat it. That same enthusiasm was shared by all the warriors of the clan. They had, to a man, been ready for action for years!

  The enjoyment and camaraderie lasted well into the night, all reluctant to lose precious time together by sleeping but, with the third telling of the tale over, clan members drifted off alone to prepare for the ceremony. They would not sleep, spending a few hours in solemn meditation, readying themselves for dawn.

  Thunis took his leave among the first, needing all of the time available, to prepare. Each family and clan member chose their space—some outdoors, some to their tents. Luminor sat on a favourite hill some distance from camp, to organise his thoughts. On this occasion in particular, all contemplation would be inward, so there was no danger that Luminor’s innermost emotions would be discovered.

  He allowed his thoughts to turn to Fralii, wishing his perceptive skill would let him convey his love to her across the considerable distance that separated them. Fralii, who had now become part of his soul, and for whom he yearned with a fierce longing—he had felt her anguish as keenly as his own. But as much as he tried, now he had some time alone, he could not quite reach her, his projective skill falling short by a league or more. Dutifully, he realised he should bring his thoughts to present matters, anticipating he would need complete clarity of mind to receive the Supreme Power, in just a few hours. With every new experience and challenge over the preceding days, and as he had recovered from the kudros bite, he had felt his capabilities mysteriously increasing and, unlike his father, felt so much stronger than before. He could now clearly define the supreme challenge that lay ahead. It was his destiny, and that of countless living beings. He now understood his father’s single-mindedness as pure dedication. The impetus to succeed in his quest surged within him. All at once, he had no doubt he was equal to the task. He would vanquish the flame adder.

  * * *<
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  The clan congregated silently and solemnly, in the misty dawn, awaiting Lord Thunis, their much-respected leader of the last one hundred years. He would address them one last time, ceremoniously present Luminor as the next chief, give his blessing, and call on the Guardian Ancestors to accept him into their care, allow him to cross to the Other Side. Then he would retire to his tent, and the clan would not see him alive again. Shortly, he joined them, his wife Aleana watching him lovingly as he approached, his head held high and proud stature obvious, though he had become much thinner lately, and his gait faltered because of the weakness in his legs. A tear slipped silently from the corner of her eye, as she thought how much she would miss him in this existence.

  Addressing his people now gathered loyally around him, the mood poignant, he began, ‘My brothers and sisters, I will say little. This is our way. Luminor is strong, ready to take my place. This is the first of many changes.’ He looked proudly at his son. ‘I present him to you as your chief, with my blessing!’ He approached Luminor to drape over his son’s shoulders his own cloak, the traditional cloak of the Gaian chieftain, woven from the lustrous black feathers of the obsidian swan. Then he uttered the words of Relinquishment, ‘I call upon the Guardians to receive me! My son, think freely, fly true, and use your powers wisely! Remember always the code of our clan… kindness, honour, courage. I give you my title, and with it the Supreme Power: Lord of Fire!’ He took Luminor’s hand, looking deeply into his bright green eyes as they glittered with genuine emotion and respect, kissed the open palm, and placed his ceremonial sword firmly into Luminor’s grasp. Without hesitation, Thunis turned, strode towards his tent, disappearing inside to await the eternal sleep. He was at peace with it, his body was tired, and the fate of all Living was at stake.