Zarya nodded quickly and stood beside Kaijin. She touched his shoulder—soft, soothing. He shivered, disinclined to shake her off. She bowed her head and said almost inaudibly, “Forgive me, Kaijin.”
Her soft words surprised him, and yet, they seemed to be just enough to ease his troubled heart. Forgive me, as well.
“Now, then, Kaijin,” Kyniythyria continued, “tell me about the voices you mentioned you heard.”
Kaijin sighed. The last thing he wanted to do was recall that sinister voice.
He heard the Flames. He always heard the Flames. “It crackles. It tells me to destroy. It tells me to punish. It demands my obedience. Then, I feel like I’m dreaming and someone else is controlling my body. Recently, I’ve found myself able to cast any fire-based spell without the use of components. My fire ... sometimes it turns white and burns so hot, I’m certain it can melt the skin off a person. And yet, it feels wonderful.”
“White fire? Interesting.” Kyniythyria pondered.
With the bottom of his robe still pinned under the rock, Omari sat down cross-legged. “You act as though that is strange, Kaijin? Even you should know that fire is at its hottest state when it burns white.”
“White fire is what encompasses Celestra’s sword,” Zarya interjected. “As it states in holy texts, ‘The fire is whiter than purity, burns brighter and hotter than the heavens; it has the power to bring destruction to the darkest evil ...’”
“Yes, pretty much,” Kyniythyria nodded to the priestess, then looked back to Kaijin. “That is the essence of what makes you a Firebrand. What you are seeking cannot be found here. You must travel to the Pyre in the east. That is where you truly belong.”
Truly belong. Kaijin had to smile at that. Would the Pyre finally grant him a sense of belonging, something he’d forgotten for so long? Zarya’s hand slid off his shoulder. He bowed his head to the Dragon and stepped back. “Thank you, Great Mistress.”
Kyniythyria observed each of them in turn. “You have all done a great service, to not only me, but to the goddess. May She continue to give you strength during your travels.”
Aidan stood, and that was everyone’s cue to leave. Kyniythyria plucked the large rock off Omari’s robe, freeing him. With Percival perched on his shoulder, Omari headed outside. The rest of the group took a minute to pack enough rations and water to last them for a few days.
“Thank you, Great Mistress,” Zarya said as she followed the rest of the group out.
“Safe travels, all of you.” Kyniythyria returned to her nest and curled up with her child.
After saying their good-byes to Carver and Sigmund, who were engaged in swordplay outside the cave, the group descended the winding mountain path for the last time.
XXIV
Kaijin and his friends had walked for less than an hour when they arrived at a swiftly flowing river. Nester, leading the way, halted at the rocky edge of the riverbank.
“Now what?” Omari grumbled.
“Dead end, mates.” Nester pointed to the rocks, dead trees, and sparse wilderness across the way. “It’s a long way to th’ other side.”
Kaijin eyed the rushing rapids and cringed. Miele, who soared above them, briefly flew to the other side of the river, then returned.
“Is there no other way around?” Zarya asked.
Nester shook his head. “Nay. The Valdell River runs a long way north and south.”
Aidan, remaining silent, walked to the bank and waded in. The rushing waters crashed against him, but he stood as firm as a rock. “Aidan can swim across.”
“Swim?!” Kaijin repeated, eyeing the giant with awe. “Aidan, are you mad? The current is too strong!”
Aidan shook his head. “Aidan can handle it. Besides, water feels nice.”
“Well, that’s all well an’ good, Aidan, but what about th’ rest of us?” Nester asked.
“Aidan will carry as many as he can on back.”
Zarya blinked. “What? No, Aidan! That’s ludicrous! Do not risk your or anyone else’s safety like that. Please, get out of the water.”
But Aidan remained where he was. He looked across the river to the other side, then turned back and nodded curtly. “Aidan can do it.”
“Well,” Omari began, “unless someone else has a better idea, it looks like that is your best bet in getting across. As for me, I think this is where I will take my leave.” When all eyes fell on him, he bristled. “You did not honestly think that I would be accompanying you to the Pyre, did you? I have accomplished what I came here for. I must return to the Citadel now.”
He can’t be serious. “You can’t possibly survive the rest of the way on your own, Omari,” Kaijin said.
Omari huffed. “Says you. I feel more powerful now than ever before. No one had better challenge me. You heard the Dragon—my powers have been enhanced.”
“Kaijin’s right, you know.” Zarya waved her finger at Omari. “These lands are no place for people to travel alone.”
Omari gave her a cool gaze. “I am sorry, priestess, but I have made up my mind. And no one will change it—not even you.”
“This is foolish, and you know it,” Kaijin said.
“Do not tell me what to do, Kaijin.” Omari scowled.
“I’m not. You are your own man. Why do you have to always be so damn obnoxious?”
Omari narrowed his eyes. Percival snarled on his shoulder, echoing his master’s fury. Omari stormed over to Kaijin and thrust his face so close to Kaijin’s that their noses almost touched. “What did you say?”
“’Ey! ’Ey!” Nester moved between them and broke them up. Soddin’ ’ells! You two bicker worse than two brothers!”
Omari reluctantly stepped back, still glaring at Kaijin. “I do not give a rat’s ass who he is or what he is. The day I am related to him is the day I drink poison.”
Kaijin scowled. That day can’t come soon enough.
Omari spun on his heels. “I am leaving, and that is final. Do not try to stop me, or else.” He held up his staff and shook it threateningly. He secured it to his back and began walking along the riverbank, upstream.
He’d only made it a few steps, however, when he was grabbed from behind by Aidan. The lower half of Aidan’s body was soaked, and he left a trail of large footprints in the mud leading down into the river. The giant held Omari by the back collar and lifted him a few inches off the ground. Percival leaped from Omari’s shoulder, to the ground, and wildly chirped at Aidan.
Omari thrashed. “Put ... put me down, Aidan!” he demanded. He tried reaching for his staff, but he couldn’t get his hand past Aidan’s big arm.
Kaijin, Nester, and Zarya watched, not daring to intervene.
Percival nipped at Aidan’s ankle, trying futilely to sink his teeth into the giant’s tough skin.
“As Zarya said.” Aidan ignored the weasel. “These lands are no place for people to travel alone.”
Omari gritted his teeth. “This is none of your business, Aidan. You—none of you understand the importance of my test. I must not stall any longer than I already have. Now, confound it, put me down this instant!”
Ignoring Omari’s pleas, Aidan carried him into the river and waded back in until the water reached his waist. “Trust Aidan for once.”
Terror filled Omari’s eyes. “No! Stop!”
Aidan took a deep breath and lunged into the water.
Omari scrambled atop Aidan’s back, pushing the giant’s head down and grasping handfuls of his hair as he clung for dear life. He shivered. Percival ran after his master and hopped upon his shoulder from a large rock, only seconds before Aidan swam off.
Aidan, still seemingly calm in the wake of Omari’s panic, swam like a fish across the river, his head and body submerged just below the surface as if swimming came naturally to him. The rushing current crashed against the giant’s massive frame, veering him only slightly off his path. Kaijin, Zarya, and Nester watched as Aidan went from one side of the river to the other in mere minutes.
; “Wow! I didn’t know Aidan could swim like that!” Nester gawked.
“You and me both,” Kaijin agreed.
Zarya smiled at them. “Aidan is just full of surprises, isn’t he?”
When Aidan reached the riverbank, he flung Omari off his back and returned to the rest of the group. He carried each member one by one across the river, not looking in the least bit exhausted when he had finished.
He grabbed Kaijin last. Hells, I don’t think I’m ready for this. Kaijin was hesitant to enter the water, but like Omari, he had little choice in the matter. He held onto Aidan as the cold water soaked his body and face, making him shiver uncontrollably. His heart raced, but something seemed to keep him calm. His necklace pulsated intensely, warming his body. Miele flew overhead as Aidan swam to the other side with ease.
After setting Kaijin down on the bank, Aidan stretched his arms and legs. “That was good exercise.”
Zarya laughed as she finished wiping water from her weapon. “It was! I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. Please forgive me for doubting you before.”
“Aye!” Nester grinned, sheathing his many blades, which he’d thoroughly dried. “You make a great boat, Aidan!” He shook water off his face like a dog, getting droplets on Zarya, who gave him a playful pout. Nester wrung out parts of his clothes, and slicked his hair back.
Aidan smiled sheepishly at them.
Kaijin, soaked and still shaken from the ordeal, warily eyed the rapids. He opened his haversack and checked its contents. The dagger was dry, but parts of his spellbook were not. He frowned, fearing some of the pages might have been damaged.
Zarya knelt beside him and held out her hands. “May I?”
Kaijin glanced at the priestess. He clutched his spellbook, at first reluctant to surrender it to her, then finally did so, slowly.
Zarya gently ran her hand along the spellbook’s outer surface while she spoke a soft prayer. A faint, blue glow emitted from her fingertips, and moments later, the spellbook was restored to its former state. Zarya handed the book back to Kaijin with a smile. “There. Much better.”
He skimmed the crisp pages. “Thank you.” He beamed.
He glimpsed Omari nearby, and his happiness faded. The other mage sat with his knees to his chest, his face pale. He rocked back and forth, staring blankly at the river. Percival ran in circles around him.
“Omari? Are you all right?” Kaijin approached, head tilted in curiosity. Omari said nothing. He looked more scared than someone who’d seen a ghost. He breathed slowly. Percival chirped.
“Omari!” Kaijin grabbed the other mage’s shoulders and shook him. “What’s wrong? Get a hold of yourself!” Aidan, Zarya, and Nester started toward them, but Kaijin gave them a look over his shoulder, stopping them. “No, let me handle it. Stay back, please.”
Concern showing on their faces, the three halted and remained silent.
Kaijin turned back to Omari. The older mage’s eyes were hazy. “Omari!”
Omari gasped, blinked a few times, and looked around frantically before his gaze settled upon Kaijin. His breathing was ragged. “Where ... I ... I am still ... alive?”
Kaijin was taken aback. Is he actually afraid? He replied, voice low, “What? Of course you’re alive. We all are. What happened to you?”
Omari bit his bottom lip. “I thought ... I thought I drowned. No, I was certain I drowned.”
“Aidan carried us all across the river, safe and sound.”
Omari’s expression hardened, and he wriggled out of Kaijin’s grip. “Right, of course I am alive. Why would you think I would drown, idiot? I know how to—” He stopped abruptly and shifted his gaze.
“Swim?” Kaijin finished, raising an eyebrow.
Omari glowered at him. “Yes. Swim.”
Kaijin leaned back and mulled over the other mage’s actions. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. I don’t know how to swim, either.”
Omari’s eyes widened. He looked behind Kaijin, perhaps to see if any of the others had heard. “Idiot!” he snapped in a loud whisper. “Of course I know how to swim! I just ... I just forgot, all right?”
Kaijin sighed. “Why can’t you just swallow your foolish pride?”
Omari crossed his arms and growled in his throat. “Fine.” He sprang up. “Fine! I do not know how to swim!” He froze.
The others stared at Omari.
“Don’t know ’ow to swim?” Nester repeated in a sarcastic tone. “You? Th’ Great Unstoppable Omari?”
“Nester!” Kaijin glared. He turned back to Omari. “Look, it’s all right. No one is perfect. I’ll make sure they keep their lips sealed about it if you agree to come with us to the Pyre.”
Omari’s eyes widened. “What! You are blackmailing me, now?”
“Of course not. You seriously don’t expect to still travel alone after this, do you?”
“Well? Why not? I will brave the rest of the way myself.”
“And what will happen if you are thrown in a lake? Or forced to cross a river to escape danger?”
“That will not happen.”
Kaijin slapped his forehead. This is getting nowhere. “Didn’t we have this conversation before? Surely, I don’t think your master would be so foolish as to send you out alone on such a treacherous journey without help.”
Omari fidgeted with his hands. “Sometimes I believe he underestimates me. Some of the other masters did not even assume I could successfully get my staff enchanted. Look, Kaijin. Your help is noted, but not needed. I must prove to the masters that I am worthy to ascend as a full-fledged mage.”
“But what if part of your ‘test’ was seeking help from others? There is no shame in that.”
Omari slowly shook his head. “You do not understand. You will never understand. You are an outsider; you do not understand the inner workings of the Citadel.”
Kaijin opened his mouth to respond but quickly closed it. He remembered the time Jarial had abandoned him during his field training—or at the very least, had made Kaijin feel as though he was abandoned. “This could simply be a test of your pride. I may not know the Council of Nine like you do, but I would think that even they would call on each other for help when needed. What makes you so different from them?” He paused. “Or are you simply afraid to ask for help?”
“I am not afraid of anything.” Omari scowled.
Kaijin rolled his eyes. “You would’ve not gotten your staff enchanted in the first place if it hadn’t been for all of us working together.”
Omari lowered his head and thought. He looked up from Kaijin to the rest of the group, then sighed deeply. “Fine. We will do it your way, Kaijin. But if I am punished in any way for delaying my assignment, you will be the first one I lay blame to.”
Kaijin nodded. Part of him was relieved to have finally gotten through Omari’s thick skull. “Feel free to blame me for everything. I don’t care. I’ve nothing to lose anymore. I’m only here on this journey because I am heeding the call of the Firelord. If I’m to be punished for obeying a deity, then so be it. I will take it willingly.” And maybe the voice will stop torturing me.
Omari raised an eyebrow at Kaijin’s rambling. “Either you are very serious or very stupid.”
“Or perhaps I am both.” Kaijin chuckled softly and then motioned to the rest of the group. “To the Pyre.”
XXV
Kaijin and his friends trekked through the Wilds for two days. While the rest of his group talked amongst themselves to pass the time, Kaijin lagged a short distance behind. He feared and anticipated what he expected to find at the Pyre.
Nester stopped just short of a rocky path that ascended, leading into a mountainous landscape. The others nearly tripped over him.
Zarya frowned. “Nester, will you please not stop so abruptly like that?”
Nester smirked. “Sorry, beautiful. Look over there!” He pointed toward a massive golden structure far in the distance that sat high in the mountains and was encircled by a thick blanket of smoke.
Kaijin gaped. What a magnificent sight. He beamed at Miele, who screeched happily as she soared above him. Kaijin could smell charcoal in the breeze and hear a faint crackle of flames that nobody else noted. A soothing, welcoming heat bedazzled his mind, calling out to him.
“Come closer,” the fiery voice beckoned.
Kaijin slid his foot forward. Rocks scattered under his boot. “Is this why you harassed my mind for so long? Is this why you’ve made me do such terrible things?”
When he received no response, he brushed past his companions and continued along the path. His heart pounded in anticipation. His necklace pulsed with an urgent intensity.
“Kaijin? Are you all right?” Zarya approached and placed her hand on his shoulder.
Kaijin shivered at her touch, and then shrugged her hand off. “I ... I’m fine, Zarya. Really. I’m just ... curious as to what I might find there.”
Zarya smiled. “We all are.”
“I did not come all this way with you for you to hesitate now,” Omari grumbled.
Kaijin glared at Omari. “I may adore the Firelord, but I am still a mage. I might not even get past the front door.” He continued climbing the path, a little more confident than before.
Omari snorted. “Let us hope not.”
“Oy! Those fiery warders are a buncha strange blokes,” Nester added. “They shooed me off last time I came ’ere.’
“Why? Were you annoying them?”
“Omari, enough!” Zarya snapped, the first one to react to Omari picking on Nester yet again.
“If they are true believers of Ignis, then they should accept you no matter who or what you are, Kaijin,” Aidan said.
Kaijin glanced over his shoulder at the giant.
Zarya nodded. “Aidan is right, you know. Besides. The Mistress called you a Firebrand. The words of a Dragon should be reason enough for them to accept you. Dare I ask, Kaijin, if you have ever considered becoming an Ignan priest?”
Kaijin stared at the plumes of distant smoke that rose gently into the sky. “Maybe once. But I don’t hold the same interest in the divine arts as I do magic.” At least, I don’t think I do.
Enflamed (Book 2) Page 25
