Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire

by Chris Miller

  “I…I…don’t know,” I said guardedly.

  “You don’t know? What do you mean, you don’t know?” Saris said. His tone switched from friendly to slightly irritated. “If it told you to carry it to Torpor, don’t you think it meant for us to see it?”

  “Sorry, it’s just that…well,” I fumbled for words.

  “Spit it out, boy, what is it?”

  I let out a sigh.

  “How can I trust you won’t take it from me…for yourself?” I said at last with a somber tone.

  Saris sat stunned for a moment. His face reddened in the silence as if he was offended by the question. Then for no apparent reason at all he broke the tension with a burst of laughter so loud and contagious the rest of the group soon found themselves joining in. When at last he settled himself down, he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.

  “Trust me, indeed. Oh, that is a good one, son! You had me going there for a moment. My dear boy, it’s not me you have to worry about, I can assure you. I only want to help you in fulfilling your quest.”

  “How?”

  “Well, considering that Petrov is dead, I think it is safe to assume that we are not the only ones who know about the Flame, right?”

  I nodded.

  “Then you will also be in need of protection—protection I can offer you. Pardon my saying so, but your small company is not the most adequate for the job of keeping such a great treasure safe.”

  “We can manage ourselves,” Rob said in a challenge, holding his Veritas Sword in front of him with pride.

  Saris lifted his hands to calm him. “Now, now! I meant no harm by it, boy! I’m sure you’ll all do your best. But are you prepared to be tested beyond all possible imagination? Are you prepared to fend off the whole of the Shadow armies if that is what it comes down to? No doubt about it, Petrov knew what he was doing when he gave the Flame away. As long as he held the Flame, he would never be able to live a normal life. Someone knew he had it, and they would not rest until it was theirs. Giving it away was the only way to protect the Flame and himself. He was frightened by the thought of it, I suspect.”

  “He was not!” I shouted back, once again forgetting to think before I spoke. “He was a braver man than any of you know. Even in death he showed no fear! I watched it myself.”

  “In death?” Saris asked accusingly. “And how would you know that boy? Did you kill him yourself to take the Flame?”

  Stoney’s temper flared up at the wild accusation, and he spit out his defense. “How dare you suggest that sort of thing of these kids! They were stayin’ at me inn when Hunter here saw a vision of it—a good full day’s journey from wherever Petrov holed up, mind you. Why, we barely even escaped with our own lives from Galacia that night.”

  “So you say,” Saris countered. “But how do I know I can trust what you’re saying is true? If it wasn’t Hunter who killed him, then who was it? What is it you know; what are you not telling me?”

  “Stop it, all of you!” Trista shouted. “Bickering is getting us nowhere! You’re all acting like a bunch of children!”

  Boojum jumped from her arms and ran off to some darkened corner. I figured he’d been scared off by all the shouting until I felt the warmth on my chest. Looking down, I saw that the medallion had begun to pulse with a blue light, now even lifting itself gently away from my chest. I knew what the Flame was calling me to do.

  Amidst the ongoing argument, I pulled the medallion over my head and held it out in my open hand. The Author’s marked pulsed with blue light at the touch of my skin. Then, slowly it awakened and hovered over the medallion, burning brightly in my palm for all to see. A hushed quiet washed over the others as they each became aware of the miraculous light.

  The flaming glow was no bigger than a fist to start with, but then…slowly and gradually it began to intensify, both in its brilliance and size.

  Saris immediately fell to his knees in reverent awe of the Flame.

  “Beautiful,” he said, his eyes widening in amazement. “Like Life itself.”

  Philan and the others knelt as well, honoring the Flame I held in my hand. I wanted to let go, to release the Flame and kneel too, but I found myself unable to move; the power at work in this moment held my body frozen in place as the fire continued to grow. Then, an extraordinary thing happened. I lost all control of my senses; even time seemed irrelevant. Words began forming in my mouth, but I neither knew what I said or that it was in fact me that said them.

  “Forgive me, Author,” Saris replied to the message I had unknowingly delivered. “I have doubted you, and I would have led us into a trap. May it be as you say.”

  In a flash the fire was gone. I blinked, recovering from the trance to find the medallion still set in my palm. It glistened ever so briefly, indicating the fire had safely returned to its place. Saris was lying on his back, his eyes gazing into an unseen distance. Philan knelt nearby, grasping his own chest as Trista, Stoney and Rob tended to Saris.

  “Wh-what happened?” I asked, still shaking from the experience.

  “You mean you don’t know?” Trista answered, looking up at me.

  I glanced around at the others; they were all staring at me now as well.

  “No, I don’t.”

  “You just anointed Philan as the next captain of Torpor!” Trista said aloud.

  “It wasn’t Hunter,” Rob said boldly. “It was the Author who did it. He was speaking through Hunter.”

  “And it was the Flame that marked me,” Philan said, pulling his tunic’s collar lower so all could see. There on his left collarbone was the three-tongued mark of the Flame. The same mark Petrov had been given.

  “Well, I’ll be,” Stoney said in amazement. “We were in the right place after all!”

  There was a moment of quiet reflection as the significance of what just happened sank in for each of us. The second of seven had been found!

  Saris moaned something unintelligible, prompting Trista to place her hand to his forehead. “He feels hot,” she said. “We need to get him to a bed.”

  As we lifted him up to a standing position, the captain seemed to come to, looking about and mumbling, “No…no. There is no time…no time for rest now…”

  “Sir?” Philan reached in and caught the frail man before he tipped over. “It’s going to be alright.”

  Saris shook his head and reached weakly for the straps on his armor. “Take this,” he said in a hoarse voice. Coming to his assistance, Trista helped undo the buckles and removed the breastplate with its captain’s cape still attached, hoping it would make him more comfortable. But Saris took hold of the breastplate in Trista’s hands and pushed it toward his young lieutenant saying, “You…you must…be ready…”

  “Be ready? For what?”

  “They’re coming…for the Flame. You will lead now…”

  “Sir?” Philan was confused. “Sir, who is coming for the Flame? What am I supposed to do?”

  Saris simply looked Philan in the eyes and said, “Lead.” Then, all at once, the gray-bearded man’s eyes fluttered, his knees buckled and he fell limp. Stoney and I were able to move quickly enough to catch him before he hit the ground, but the captain had once again fallen into speaking indiscernibly with a far-off look in his eyes. Philan summoned a pair of Codebearer guards who tended to Saris right away. They carried him off to receive care in his room.

  Looking down at the caped armor in his hands, Philan tried to make sense of what Saris had said. “How am I expected to prepare our battalion for a threat when I don’t even know who or what it is?”

  Swallowing the lump that had built in my throat ever since Saris gave his warning, I started to share what I knew of the man hunting us and the Flame.

  “His name is Xaul,” I said. “He is the one I saw kill Petrov in my vision before leaving Galacia. He carried a kind of dark Veritas Sword I’ve nev
er seen before. Petrov believed he was Xin.”

  “What made him think that?” Philan asked, his eyes a mix of both shock and concern.

  “The way he fought,” I replied, “or dressed. He wears a red X on his belt.”

  Philan nodded gravely. “Then you are already in more trouble than you can possibly know. If he is truly Xin, he will have extraordinary tracking skills. But the Xin warrior is only one threat, the Shadow will certainly be after you as well.”

  “You know,” Stoney said, “I’ve been thinking abouts them ships we seen…a whole fleet of ’em with the Emissary’s.”

  “What about them?” Philan asked.

  “Well, seems a bit much for peace negotiations. Like something’s afoot. I wonder if it ain’t best for me to stay with the sky ship and keep a close eye on their activities. Has all the makings of a Shadow attack if you ask me. Might help to have a spy out in those parts, if you know what I mean.” Stoney winked at us with his good eye.

  “I think that’s a great idea,” Philan replied.

  Stoney wasted no time heading back to the ship, leaving us behind with Philan and the small gathering of Codebearers.

  “So what happens to us?” I asked.

  “Well, you’re going to have a dangerous and uncertain road ahead of you. At least we know that much,” Philan answered light-heartedly.

  “No kidding,” I replied. “I hardly know where to start looking for the next of the seven.”

  “I imagine the Flame might offer help there, when the time is right. It hasn’t steered you wrong this far. Trust the Flame and your path will be true,” Philan reassured us.

  Looking at Philan now, I was impressed at how he was rising to the incredible appointment of captain. He was still young, but he was not untested. He spoke with confidence in the truths he had been taught and I knew I could trust his words. A sleeping strength the Fire will wake, I couldn’t help but think to myself.

  “But what do we do until then?” Trista asked.

  “You train,” Philan said, and it was not a suggestion.

  “Hang on,” Rob answered, “I already know how to use the Veritas Sword.”

  Trista and I just raised our eyebrows at him.

  “What?” he said. Clearly, he had forgotten how clumsy he was with the weapon. If you asked us, he could use all the help he could get.

  “You know the basics, yes,” Philan replied kindly, “but there is always more to learn from the Code of Life. The Shadow have many techniques they will try to employ to catch you off-guard and weaken your defenses. Once word gets out that the Flame is in your possession there is no telling what evils will come searching for you. It is best to be as prepared as possible. So what do you say, are you ready to commit yourselves to our instruction?”

  We all agreed.

  “Good, then there’s no time to waste. We start now!”

  Chapter 18

  The Way of the Codebearer

  In the Training Round, Philan began instructing Rob and me on the deeper knowledge of the Code of Life, while Trista sat across the room getting basic training on the use of her bow from Alice.

  “Remember,” Philan taught, “the battle is more than what you see alone. It is a battle for your mind that is either won or lost from within. The Shadow know this well, and they will try to distract you with lies during battle. Only by embedding truth in your mind can you hope to counteract the enemy’s temptations and deceptions with the words of the Writ.”

  “Memorize the truth, got it,” I said grabbing my sword. “Let’s get to it then.”

  “Hold on. We won’t be training with the sword quite yet. A deeper knowledge of the Code comes by meditating on the words of the Writ first. The Veritas Sword is a powerful weapon, but it is only one in the arsenal of a true Codebearer.”

  “I thought it was the only weapon able to kill Shadow.”

  “It is, but where does it get its power?”

  “From the Code of Life,” I replied.

  “And that same Code is what can empower you to do more than swing a sword in battle. It will provide you with a ready defense for all kinds of attacks.”

  “Like what?” I asked.

  Philan smiled and stood.

  “Swiftness,” he said, speeding across the room and then back again in a silvery streak of light. “To flee an encounter you are not called to engage in.”

  “Agility,” he continued, arching back onto his hands and springing high into the air in an amazing display of acrobatics, “to dodge your opponent’s attacks.”

  “Discernment,” with a wave of Philan’s hand Rob’s sword flew out of his hand and into Philan’s own, “to disarm your enemy before damage can be done.”

  “And resistance, to force your enemy away!” Rob said boldly, hoping to beat Philan to the punch. As he quoted the phrase he jolted his right palm forcefully out in the direction of Philan’s chest, apparently hoping to thrust him backward. Instead, the invisible force of his movement backfired and he ended up launching himself backward instead.

  “Yes, that’s right, Rob,” Philan chuckled, “but I think your approach needs a little polishing up…wouldn’t you say?”

  Rob tried to smile as he picked himself up off the floor.

  “Maybe just a bit.”

  “Good. The main thing to remember in all of this is that these disciplines will come from one source alone. The Author grants them to us through our meditation on the Code of Life. So, let’s get to work, shall we? There are many passages we must learn to arm ourselves well.”

  As Philan led us through a series of passages and truths from the Author’s Writ, I couldn’t help but steal a glance over at Trista once in awhile. She had been working so hard all day to produce an arrow for the bow, but had not been successful. I could tell she was getting frustrated with herself and the whole lesson.

  By mid-afternoon, Rob and I were starting to get better at our swiftness and agility exercises. But poor Trista was still at square one with Alice. Finally, she threw her bow to the floor and stormed out of the room in a mess of emotion.

  Stepping away from my training, I raced after her to see what the matter was. When at last I found her she was sitting on the floor in the corner of her bedroom, her knees pulled up to her chest and her head pressed back against the wall.

  “Can I come in?” I inquired.

  “No,” Trista said somewhat forcefully, “just leave me alone.”

  “Why? What happened in there?” I asked, ignoring her answer.

  “Nothing happened, absolutely nothing. That’s the problem,” she sulked. “I feel like an idiot out there. You guys are doing all kinds of cool stuff, and I can’t make even a single arrow for my bow. I’m obviously wasting everyone’s time. Maybe I’m not even supposed to be here in the first place.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Trista was always so upbeat and happy. I had never seen her so angry before in my life. Something had hit a nerve.

  “You’re not a waste of time, and you wouldn’t be here if the Author didn’t have a purpose for you too,” I explained.

  “Yeah, well, I don’t see it. You’re the one with all the visions, and you carry the Flame, and Rob—well, he saved us from the Treptors and helped us figure out that Boojum was making the compass go wrong. But, what’s my purpose? Why am I even here?”

  Her question was real and heartfelt. I knew whatever I said would possibly define how she saw herself. I didn’t want to give a trite response so I replied as truthfully as possible.

  “I hate to disappoint you, but I can’t answer that. I have no clue why the Author brought you here.”

  Trista looked shocked. It wasn’t the answer she expected.

  “Exactly! I want to be someone who does something important. But right now I feel completely useless. I’m just the girl who gets in the way. What if we�
��re called away tonight? I’m not going to be ready to be a part of the mission.”

  “Yes, you will, it just takes time,” I said, sitting down beside her and putting my arm on her shoulder.

  “Easy for you to say; you can actually use your sword already. I haven’t produced even the slightest glimpse of an arrow, let alone shot one. I’m no good at anything.”

  Her words were obviously an echo of something deeper, a wound in her heart from some past failure. I knew the feelings well.

  “Who told you that?”

  “Nobody told me, I just know,” she said, followed shortly by, “I wish I could just go home.”

  “No, you can’t go home. If you give up now, you’ll never know what your purpose is here. You have to keep trying, Trista. Don’t give up, please!” I was practically begging.

  “Calm down, Hunter! I’m just frustrated with myself; you don’t have to overreact like that.”

  “Sorry, it’s just that my friend Stretch came to Solandria with me last time. He had a really bad experience here too, but instead of trying to find the purpose in it all, he chose to leave. When he did, it was like the whole trip never happened for him.”

  “I didn’t know Stretch had been here.”

  “Neither does he. Now that you have seen that Solandria is real, I don’t want you to give up either. I don’t want you to forget what you’re learning here. I can’t lose another friend.”

  It was the first time I had called her my friend. Until that moment, Trista had always been Emily’s friend. Now we had been through so much together, I had started to feel she was becoming more than just my sister’s friend…she was mine as well.

  “Don’t worry. I don’t really want to leave, Hunter. It’s just that I’m not sure I’m going to be ready to fight the Shadow with you guys. I have so much to learn and even though I think I understand things, it feels like I’m not making any progress.”