by Serena Yates
"Really?” The fire imp perked up and moved towards the artfully folded construction. After a moment of hesitation, it moved forward and completely engulfed the magically constructed object.
With a loud whoosh the whole thing turned into a blaze of bright flames that was gone after a few seconds, leaving nothing but grey ashes behind. They rained down to the floor, leaving a grimy layer of dirt.
The fire imp moved back, obviously waiting. As soon as it no longer touched the edge of the alcove, the ash vanished and a stack of twigs, thicker branches and a few large logs appeared from thin air. Jumping up and down with glee the fire imp moved closer until it enveloped the material. Crackling flames licked along the logs, caressing them like a lover's hand. The twigs burst into flame and were almost gone by the time the first branches caught fire. Once those were aflame in turn, the logs started turning black and the first wisps of smoke rose towards the ceiling. Finally, a sea of flames engulfed the logs until they crumpled and finally turned to ashes.
The fire imp moved back again, already jumping up and down in expectation of what was next. When a wooden rack appeared, that had several pieces of clothing hanging from it, the fire imp hissed at it as if it were a flamethrower. The flare-up lasted a little longer than the one based on paper, and the wood took a while to destroy, but the alcove's floor was covered in a layer of ash very quickly.
The fire imp tried out a few more objects. Some repeated after a while, but usually in different combinations. The ones with flame retardant materials were a big success, as were the ones with metal or other parts that just wouldn't burn down. Finally, the fire imp seemed to have played enough for the moment and moved away from its new toy.
"Impressive.” The guardian glowed a bright orange. “That is a worthy gift and I thank you for it. I will keep my promise and release this piece of the Magic Key to you before returning to my new favourite activity."
"What do you want me to do?” Elryk seemed exhausted but sat up straight at the fire imp's words.
"The piece of the Magic Key is hidden within my body.” The fire imp flared brightly as if in pride. “You will need to reach inside me to retrieve it."
"What?” Kaythan held Elryk more tightly. That—that thing had just burned several different types of material to cinders and now it was asking Elryk to put his hand inside what was obviously a very dangerous fire—or whatever it was? How was his mate going to survive without serious injury? Was he expected to just stand by, let him go ahead, and say nothing?
* * * *
Elryk smiled when Kaythan's arms tightened around his middle after the fire imp had told them what to do. It looked as if his mate was worried for him. Maybe he even wanted to protect him. Not that the gorgeous man needed to be anxious, but it was nice to have someone care about what became of him. He hadn't had that basic level of selfless interest in his well being since he was five years old. Tears pooled in his eyes and he wiped them away quickly.
This was the worst possible time for him to remember how his parents and little sister had died, their house struck by lightning on a perfectly sunny day. Lightning that he had caused because he was playing with his magic and had lost control. Sure, the counsellors they'd made him see had explained that it wasn't his fault, that he hadn't been trained and that accidents happened. But that hadn't lessened the guilt for a long time. And the pain was still there almost fifty years later. It was less intense than it had been, but nevertheless, he could still feel it clearly. He doubted that it would ever go way, no matter how long he lived. And, since he was a wizard, that was probably going to be several more centuries.
"Elryk? What's wrong?” Kaythan's voice pulled him back to the present.
"Nothing.” He smiled at his worried-looking mate, trying to project a conviction he didn't feel. He wasn't sure he could deal with Kaythan knowing what he'd done. He was beginning to care about the other man. His opinion mattered more to him than he wanted to admit. What if he told him the truth and his mate ended up hating him?
"I have a hard time believing what you say when you look at me like that.” Kaythan stroked his back slowly, the movement soothing him a little.
"Like what?” Shit, had he given himself away?
"Like you've lost something very important to you, something you'd give anything to have back. But you don't have a clue how to do it.” Kaythan looked straight into his eyes, not willing to let this go.
"I'm fine. You don't need to worry.” He tried to sound convincing, but his voice broke. Seeing the compassion in his mate's eyes was too much for him to bear. He didn't want them to keep secrets from each other. If he expected Kaythan to be honest, he had to be prepared to give him the same in return.
"Look, I can't force you to talk about something that's obviously bothering you a great deal. I'm just worried that it's linked to the fire magic and this next task. And if you're distracted by something, you might not be able to fully focus on whatever needs to get done.” Kaythan's gaze was intense.
How could he resist trusting the man? Even if this was one of Elryk's biggest secrets and a source for everlasting shame? The memories of his family's deaths weren't directly linked to fire magic, but they were linked to fire. The house burning down may have been caused by lightning, but its close companion, fire, had done the actual destruction.
What if Kaythan was right, and his being afraid or hesitant around fire would be a distraction? What if it was significant enough to cause him to fail? He couldn't afford to let that happen.
So he told his mate the whole story, embarrassing tears rolling down his cheeks as he relived everything. The sounds of his family screaming and the scents of burning substances had been the worst. He'd been in the garden and hadn't seen much through his tears. He suspected that shock had muted many of the more detailed impressions that his five-year-old mind hadn't been able to deal with.
When he was done, Kaythan still held him tightly, rocking them both gently to help him calm down. Even the fire imp was more subdued than it had been before. No hissing or crackling came from it and its colour remained a muted red throughout.
When he'd cried himself out, Kaythan kissed away his tears, making him smile a little at the tenderness the other man was showing. He didn't seem to be angry or disappointed at all. It felt so good to be held by strong arms and accepted the way he was, despite the mistakes he'd made.
"I'm sure they told you that it wasn't your fault, right?” Kaythan smiled sadly. “I know that it doesn't make your family come back, or your pain go away, but it should at least make you feel less guilty."
"That's exactly what they told me. I just had a hard time believing it. Still do, actually.” He sniffed and sat up, trying to pull himself together. “I guess I'll never know for sure."
"But I do! I know for a fact that it couldn't have been your fault.” The fire imp brightened slightly and grew a little larger.
"What?” Elryk looked up so quickly his neck hurt. “How can you know anything about this?"
"Just because I've been sitting here guarding a piece of the Muyd'Zel doesn't mean I'm stupid or have no idea what's going on.” The fire imp was almost back to its initial level of indignation.
"I didn't mean to imply that.” Tah’ but this fellow was sensitive. “I was just surprised that you're so certain that you know something about an event that is surely insignificant in the larger scheme of things."
"Not as insignificant as you may think.” The fire imp puffed itself up again. “Have you ever wondered why no other wizards under the age of ten have ever destroyed anything as significant as an entire house with their magic?"
"Not even those who became Grand Masters later in their lives? They should have had power levels comparable to mine, right?” Elryk frowned.
"You're right, most of them did. But any wizard's power level at that age is not sufficient to cause the destruction you were talking about. Even if they turn out to be very powerful wizards later on, nobody can do that sort of damage earlier in
their lives. It simply isn't possible.” The fire imp brightened its colour to light red, a sure sign of excitement.
"Maybe they were all in better control of their powers. Maybe I was just slower to learn.” He looked at the floor, afraid he wouldn't be sufficiently in control even now.
"No, their being better at it than you at that age has nothing to do with it. The real development of magical powers doesn't start until about age twelve. Some experts believe it has something to do with how the body develops. That also means that very young wizards only need to learn a minimum of control. The real learning can only take place when they're old enough to have come into their powers and have gained the mental maturity to learn the control that is needed.” The fire imp sighed. “You know all this, why do you pretend you don't?"
"I was told that I was different.” And how stupid did that sound? Well, it did with hindsight. “The testing was scheduled for a few weeks after my family's death. When I attended the Muyd'pol like all the other children my age, I was told that most of my lightning magic was gone. They thought I had lost it by expending too much at once, too soon. I guess it was the reason I wasn't killed by the Xoh'kas. They didn't see me as a threat. In a perverse way, it saved my life."
"That alone should have told you that it was no coincidence!” The fire imp was now bright orange.
"What?” He moved back against his mate, trying to grasp what the fire imp had just told him.
"Isn't it obvious?” The fire imp started flickering in a range of colours, clearly agitated. “Someone wanted you alive and probably away from your parents’ influence. So they set it up so that you'd take the blame for their deaths, at the same time making sure you survived by getting you away from the Xoh'kas. That also brought you under constant official guard in the orphanage, didn't it?"
He was too shocked to speak.
"So who did this?” Kaythan's voice rumbled in his ear, helping him relax.
"That—I don't know.” The fire imp shrank to its normal size again. “But I'm sure they'll appear, either before you have collected all the pieces of the key, or right after. They have a vested interest in Elryk and his abilities."
"Oh, shit.” Just what he needed, more people interested in him and what he could do. This one sounded like an old and powerful enemy.
"That makes it even more important that we complete this task as quickly as possible and keep our eyes open for anyone who wants to stop us.” Kaythan kissed him on the cheek. “How do you want to do this? I'm still not happy about you reaching inside that fire."
"Now that I have some of my magic back I can use it to protect me.” Elryk grinned. “It's a good thing fire came towards the end."
"Oh.” Kaythan relaxed a little and tilted his head in thought. “I guess you could use water magic, right?"
"Now you're thinking like a wizard.” Elryk nodded. “I'll have to use a variation of water magic. I suspect that the heat inside the fire imp will be so intense that I'll need ice to protect my skin from burning."
"Okay, I can see how that might make sense.” Kaythan nodded.
His mate finally let him go after squeezing him one last time. Elryk walked over to the fire imp. The air got warm, then hot as he approached the flickering being. He stopped when he could feel its heat on his face.
Focusing on his hands, he cooled his skin, then surrounded it with a thick layer of magic ice. Only then did he reach inside the fire imp.
Elryk almost pulled back out immediately. The heat was still intense enough to burn his skin, even through the protection he'd conjured up. Strengthening the ice magic a little more he took a deep breath and focused on detecting the piece of the Magic Key.
He smiled when he felt the tiny flame that was hidden in the very centre of the fire imp's body. That flame wasn't hot at all, it was nice and warm. He enclosed it inside his fist and pulled out his arm.
Kaythan's eyes widened when Elryk sat back in his lap, the little flame dancing on the upturned palm of his now open hand. It started sparkling and soon covered his entire arm. The fire magic started engulfing Elryk's body, making him feel hot all over. It was wild and untamed, ravenous and almost playful.
He absorbed all it had to give, feeling warmth, then heat, sink into him, smelling smoke and crumbling ashes under his feet. Red-hot passion flooded his veins and his breath sped up. After a few seconds the imagined sensations faded and he returned to reality. His hands were empty and the little flame was no more.
"Goodbye my friends.” The fire imp came closer, but instead of burning heat there was a soothing warmth that lulled them to sleep.
Elryk leaned his head against Kaythan's shoulder and closed his eyes. Why was he so tired all of a sudden? Surely they weren't supposed to fall asleep at this point in the race?
There was another type of magic to regain, he was sure. What was it again? Fuck, why did his brain feel like molasses all of a sudden?
Kaythan held him close as they drifted off. With a last flare, the flame vanished and just before Elryk fell asleep, the landscape around them changed. Barren desert surrounded them, a grey wasteland with some dead trees between the rocks and blackened bushes.
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Chapter Eight
* * * *
Kaythan twitched when the crackling tension travelled along his skin. It pinched and tweaked, making him feel jittery. All the little hairs on his body, especially those at the nape of his neck, stood up. What was going on? Was someone trying to shock him awake by using electricity on him?
His eyes flew open. He'd fallen asleep? Crap!
After they'd finished their task with the fire magic, surely they were supposed to have been transported into the fifth chamber of the temple of Tah'Muyd to obtain the last part of the Magic Key? But he couldn't seem to remember anything after Elryk had absorbed the little flame and all it held, and they'd fallen asleep in the fire imp's cave.
He must have missed the transportation itself. He snorted. A fine bodyguard for his mate he was turning out to be, falling asleep on the job. This cold darkness certainly neither felt nor looked as if there was any warmth close by. So they must have been transported somewhere while they were sleeping.
Just having awoken, his eyes had no trouble with the low light levels. There were skeletal remains of trees that looked like skinny ghosts reaching for the sky with long, scraggly arms. The charred and burned-looking bushes made him feel uneasy, and the only things available in abundance were rocks and large boulders strewn across the desolate landscape. There were some hills and high mountains in the east, and a flat expanse of what might have been jungle or grassland stretched to the horizon in all other directions.
Dark clouds rolled overhead, covering most of the sunlight, and an ice cold wind was blowing from what seemed like everywhere, changing direction every few seconds. What looked like the mother of all thunderstorms was approaching from the west. It seemed about ready to break. The very air around him felt tense and decidedly uncomfortable.
Elryk was still asleep, snuggled against him. His mate's breath was shallow and fast. An occasional shudder went through his body. Kaythan knew the other man probably needed to rest as much as he did, but neither of them had that luxury right now. He put a hand on Elryk's shoulder and carefully shook him awake. They couldn't afford to lose more time than they already had. Who knew how much further the Xoh'kas had gotten in their attempt to sabotage them finding all the pieces of the Muyd'Zel while they'd slept?
"What? Where?” Elryk sat up with a start, clinging to Kaythan's arm and looking around him in a near panic.
"Shhh, it's okay.” Kaythan stroked the back of Elryk's head while holding him close to his chest. “I don't think we were supposed to fall asleep, but we both did. It looks like we're in a new chamber, but I have no clue whether we're in the right place. It looks very remote and quiet strangely empty and completely desolate. No evidence of a guardian so far either."
Elryk's dark eyes widened as he looked around
more slowly to examine their new environment.
"Tah', it's bleak enough here to depress anyone.” Elryk rubbed the last remnants of sleep from his eyes and blinked a few times. “I thought I saw this devastation right before I fell asleep, but I must admit that I didn't believe it was real. It looked wrong. In fact, if this is the fifth chamber of the Tah'Muyd, something definitely isn't right."
"You mean it shouldn't be like this?” Kaythan's entire body itched with the electricity or whatever it was that kept touching him. The first distant lightning bolt from the approaching thunderstorm lit up the sky and made him flinch. “Or do you mean that we're in the wrong place?"
"I don't think we're in the wrong place. I can feel the lightning magic all over my body, so we're in the right chamber. But it shouldn't be this barren.” Elryk shook his head as his eyes surveyed their immediate surroundings yet again as if staring at them could make them change. “Lightning is the spark that brings life. It's a positive elemental just like the other four when used correctly. The way this chamber looks makes it all about death and destruction. That's just wrong."
"So this tingling and itching on my skin is what lightning magic feels like?” While he was relieved to find out what those strange sensations were, Kaythan still didn't like them. “It's almost like the feeling at the back of my neck when we were trying to ignore the mate bond, except this time it's all over my body."
"You can feel it, too?” Elryk's eyes widened. “Now I know something is wrong. Non-wizards aren't supposed to be able to perceive magic. I've certainly never heard of one who did."
Screeching laughter suddenly surrounded them. It came from air that sizzled with static. Kaythan could feel some sort of presence, but whatever it was, it wasn't anything visible. He didn't like it at all. Not being able to see a potential enemy, or at the very least opponent, was not helpful.
"Clever, clever wizard.” The voice sounded like rumbling thunder about to crack in the air right above them. There was a scratchy undertone as well that made it very unpleasant to listen to. “Unfortunately for you, this brilliant deduction will not help you obtain the last piece of the Muyd'Zel."
