Fireweaver

by Ryan W. Mueller

  Rella shivered as she recalled the frigid waters. "You don't want to know."

  "So I was curious. I instructed my guards to pull you out of the water and take care of you so I could talk to you before making any kind of decision. I'm glad I did. If you are speaking the truth, then we are facing a major threat." He narrowed his eyes. "But how can I believe you? Perhaps you have made up this story to escape the law."

  Kae chuckled. "Don't you think we would have come up with something more believable?"

  "In truth, I believe what you're telling me."

  "You do?" Rella asked.

  "The Sun Guard communicates with us. We knew of the situation involving the Sunlord and Halarik's potential freedom. We prepared for that eventuality. It only follows that Atarin would find another way to achieve the same results."

  "So you see why we needed to come here?" Rella asked.

  "I do. Normally, you would be executed for your crimes, but I don't think that will be necessary." He lowered his voice. "To tell you the truth, I try to avoid executing people when at all possible. I'm not fond of that law."

  "Well, I'm glad you're a reasonable man," Kae said.

  Commander Radus laughed softly. "In my profession, you don’t often hear that."

  "Then we're free to go?" Talin asked.

  "You are." He stroked his beard again. "If you're looking for information on the Lost Weaves, you should visit the Imperial Library in Sardeka. The journey there will take you a few weeks, but the scholars there know a lot. They might be able to help you."

  "Thank you," Rella said. "You didn't have to be this kind to us."

  "Don't worry about it. It's part of being a decent human being."

  "Perhaps I haven't met very many of those," Rella said.

  Commander Radus frowned. "Decency does seem to be a lost art these days." He strode to the door and opened it. "I wish you luck in your endeavors."

  "Aren't you going to inform your military?" Talin asked.

  "Don't worry. I will tell them. I'm not sure what they can accomplish, though. You've given me very little information. I know that's all you have. I can see it in your eyes. In my time with the Border Guard, I've learned to spot deception, and you aren't deceiving me." He shook his head in resignation. "I'll do what I can, but it probably won't be enough."

  Rella, Kae, and Talin all got out of their beds and followed him toward the door. As she walked, Rella's legs felt a bit weak, but soon she recovered her strength. The healer must have done a good job on her because she hadn't expected to walk with so little difficulty.

  "I'll show you the way out," said the commander. He gestured for them to follow, and they passed through the door. After a few twists and turns of the corridors, they found themselves standing before the garrison's exit.

  Rella thanked the commander again, then followed Kae and Talin out onto the streets of the port city. She didn't even know its name.

  "Again, I wish you luck," said Commander Radus.

  "Thank you," Rella said. We'll need it.

  They started through the streets of the city, keeping close to the warmth of Sunlamps. It was a mild day, and no snow covered the ground, but Rella still enjoyed the heat of Sunlamps. Any warmth felt comforting after her harrowing experience in the ocean.

  Her thoughts drifted back to the sea monster that had attacked them and knocked her into the ocean for the first time. Where had such a monster come from? There were legends of monsters from the times before the Sunlight War, but they had disappeared along with Halarik. Why had they returned now, and how many more would there be?

  Rella turned to Talin. "What do we do now?"

  "We head east of course. We need to visit the Imperial Library."

  Normally, Rella would have asked for a chance to rest, but she'd done plenty of that in the garrison. In fact, she felt as if the healer had infused her with more energy than she'd ever had. She wondered if she could walk for days without tiring. Walking beside her, Kae and Talin looked to be more energetic themselves.

  Perhaps it was the fact that they'd just escaped death. Again.

  "We don't have any of our supplies," Talin said, ruining the mood.

  "Then how are we going to pay for anything?" Rella asked.

  Talin smiled. "Have you forgotten that I was once a bandit?"

  A few hours later, thanks to Talin's skills, they had a small supply of gold coins, which they used to buy some food and clothing. At the city's eastern edge, they paid for horses and a wagon, for which Rella was glad. She hadn't wanted to walk the entire way. The owner of the stables told them which roads they needed to follow. It was a fairly simple trek. One well-kept road led from the port city of Parmel to the capital city of Sardeka.

  Soon they were on the open road, following a path lined with Sunlamps. For the first few days, their trip was uneventful. They'd stop occasionally to let the horses rest and to eat. From time to time, they encountered small settlements, at which they stabled the horses and paid for warm rooms to sleep in. Somehow, they left these inns with more money in their pockets.

  Rella didn't ask Talin or Kae any questions about the money. Normally, she would have rebelled at the thought of theft, but there were bigger concerns at the moment. They needed this money, and it didn't matter how they got it—well, as long as no one got hurt in the process.

  On the fifth day after leaving Parmel, they encountered their first problem. Dozens of Sardeki soldiers had blockaded the road. A few other wagons had stopped just ahead, and Rella could hear disgruntled voices. What in the Core was happening?

  "I'll see what the problem is," Talin said. He hopped down from the seat of the wagon and made his way toward the soldiers. Rella followed.

  A soldier stepped forward. "I'm afraid you can't go through this way."

  "Why not?" Talin demanded.

  "There have been sightings of monsters here. For your safety, we ask that you stay here while we deal with the problem."

  "We can handle ourselves," Talin said.

  "Well, there's no law stopping you," the soldier said. "But I should warn you that we are not obligated to help you should a monster attack. We have our own duties."

  "I understand," Talin said. "We'll take the risk."

  "Another group decided to do the same. Insane if you ask me."

  "What did they look like?" Rella asked.

  "Looked like they were pretty wealthy to me," said the soldier. "They didn't talk much. Seemed intent on where they were going."

  Had this group been Atarin, Karik, and the others?

  "How long ago did they pass through here?" Rella asked.

  "About a day ago."

  "Thank you," Rella said. The soldier frowned. He probably didn't understand why she was thanking him.

  Talin returned to the wagon, beckoning for Rella to follow. Once they were all situated, Talin led the horses to the north of the road, bypassing the military blockade. A few of the soldiers shook their heads as the wagon passed, but no one stopped them.

  "Monsters again," Rella said. "Why are there suddenly monsters in the world?"

  "I'm not sure," Talin said. "Maybe the library will have some answers for us."

  Rella was tense and alert as they crossed the muddy brown terrain, passing the occasional lake. A light rain fell, making her feel cold and miserable. She cast Red to battle the cold and dry off her clothes. They hadn't purchased a wagon with any kind of cover. Talin hadn't wanted to steal that much money.

  Riding in a wagon reminded Rella of the fateful day she had first met Kae and the others, the day when Rendir had tried to kill her. The last time she'd ever seen Azira and Tarell.

  Through everything that had happened since then, she had almost forgotten about them. That was strange when she considered that they had been her lifelong friends. Now it felt as if they belonged to a different world.

  In many ways, they did. They were not Fireweavers. They had not become part of world-changing events. They were normal people struggling to sur
vive in a harsh world.

  Her life had become something more. What did she have in common with them now?

  "Rella, you look troubled," Kae said.

  "It's nothing. I'm just thinking about everything I left behind."

  "I know that feeling," Kae said, and Rella felt a twinge of nausea. She'd only left friends behind. She hadn't lost her husband like Kae. How could Rella be so insensitive, complaining about her life while others had it much worse?

  "I'm sorry," Rella said.

  "It's all right," Kae said. "I'm a strong woman. I can handle being reminded of him."

  But Rella could see the lie in Kae's eyes. She had only kept going because she was trying to find her sister so she wouldn't lose her too. Rella didn't want to know how Kae would react if Andra died as well. There was only so much loss a person could take.

  The monsters appeared in the blink of an eye, as if they had been summoned from some other place. They were about six feet long, their bodies gray and almost skeletal, skin stretched tight over their bones. Their long and thin bodies were shaped with the predatory grace of a cat. At the end of their short tails, they had long stingers.

  The pack of six monsters took notice of Rella's party and charged toward the wagon. The horses reared up, spooked. There would be no reasoning with them until the threat was gone. Rella hopped down from the wagon, facing the approaching creatures, and she tensed, wondering which weave she should use. She wove Red and Orange, and fire burst toward the creatures. They jumped through the wall of the flame as if it were nothing.

  Panicked, Rella glanced at Talin. "What should we do?"

  Talin said nothing, focused on the monsters instead. He sent a field of lightning at them. The lightning crackled in the air but didn't deter the monsters. Now perhaps thirty feet remained between them and the party. Rella's legs were trembling. If fire and lightning didn't work, then what would? Those were the two most powerful offensive weaves.

  Rella pulled out a sword they'd bought on the road. She didn't feel comfortable with the blade in her hands, but it was the best chance they had. One of the creatures launched itself toward her, and she raised her sword, hoping to fend it off. The force of the impact sent her tumbling backward. She hit the ground hard but kept her head from striking the rocks.

  The beast weighed a lot more than she'd expected. She pushed against it but couldn't break free. It tried to tear at her with its sharp claws, but she was still holding it just far enough away that it couldn't hurt her too badly. Still, the scratches across her chest stung.

  Sweat poured down her forehead. Her arms ached. She couldn't hold the monster away much longer. As it tore at her, it shrieked and snarled, its putrid breath filling the air.

  Just when she thought the monster would kill her, Talin slammed against it, sending it flying to the side. As it lay on the ground, he approached it with his sword and stabbed it through the stomach. It let out a high-pitched shriek, then fell still.

  Rella hopped to her feet, her scratches stinging. Blood drenched her clothes, but she tried to ignore it. They still had to defeat these monsters. The beasts were charging all around, their movements fast and dizzying. A few of them had fallen at the hands of Kae and Talin, who were currently engaged with some of the beasts.

  Staggering across the rocky terrain, Rella felt lightheaded. She thought her legs might collapse. When she looked down at her clothing, she was alarmed at the amount of blood she saw. Could anyone lose that amount of blood and survive?

  Her surroundings became foggy. The cold air felt suddenly frigid. Her legs collapsed, and she hit the ground hard, but she barely registered the pain. Everything looked brighter than usual.

  Was this how it felt to die?

  Chapter 22: A Dangerous Road

  Karik woke to someone screaming. He felt suddenly alert. After grabbing his sword, he raced out of the tent in which he'd been sleeping. Their campsite was in chaos. The horses had run off. People were running back and forth, shouting orders.

  Karik spotted Atarin and raced toward him. "What's happening?"

  Atarin pointed to the south. "That."

  Karik's gaze swiveled in that direction, and he felt as if his insides had turned to water. Approaching from the south was the largest creature Karik had ever seen. It was covered in thick gray fur, and two enormous tusks protruded from each side of its mouth. The creature was as large as many buildings back home.

  The ground quaked with every step it made.

  Karik stared at it, trying to quell his fear. "What in the Core are we supposed to do?"

  The beast continued toward them. There was no doubt. It intended to attack them. As it approached, it hastened its pace, covering a lot of ground with its enormous legs. It let out a mighty roar, and Karik covered his ears, but still they were ringing.

  "I don't think fire or lightning will work against a creature this large," Atarin said. "They might delay it, but that's all. We have to find another plan."

  "Trap it," Karik said. "Yellow and Green."

  "Of course," Atarin said. He turned to the other Firelords, shouting commands to them. A few moments later, they all started the weave together, directing it toward the ground ahead of the creature. Slowly, the rocks shifted, rumbling faintly.

  Faster, Karik urged silently. He poured everything he could into the weave, but the ground didn't seem to be shifting fast enough. Soon the creature would reach the spot.

  "We don't need precision here," Atarin shouted. "Just move the rocks. Weaken them so that it will fall through when it steps on them."

  Karik did as instructed, feeling the energy of all the Firelords working together. At last, the ground shifted more, but Karik wasn't sure it was enough.

  He held his breath, exhausted from pouring everything into the weave. The creature stepped upon the area they'd altered. At first, nothing happened, but then the rocks crumbled beneath the creature. It reached out with one of its enormous legs, trying to find purchase, but every rock it touched crumbled beneath its weight.

  Soon it fell into a hole even larger than its massive size. It roared again, the sound deafening. Karik covered his ears, but the sound still felt almost painful. When the roar finally died down, he and Atarin took tentative steps toward the creature.

  The hole they'd created had to be at least one hundred feet in diameter. Karik was amazed at what Firelords could accomplish when they all worked together.

  The monster was at the bottom of the hole, too far down to climb back up. It also appeared to have broken a leg, which stuck out at an odd angle.

  Karik almost felt sorry for it.

  He chuckled. "Guess those soldiers weren't lying about the monsters out here."

  "But why are there monsters?" Atarin asked.

  Karik glanced toward the other Firelords. "Maybe we should ask Vanara."

  Atarin nodded, and they returned to the rest of the group. Vanara sat close to the wagons, her face pale. She might have been a Firelord, but she was much more accustomed to spending time with her books. A battle like this had to be quite a shock for her.

  Vanara leaned against the wagon. "You're going to ask me about the monsters. I hate to say it, but I have no clear answer for you. I can speculate, but that's all."

  "All right," Atarin said. "What are your speculations?"

  She wiped sweat from her brow. "Back during the Sunlight War, there were monsters. Most of them were sent to the Realm of Shade along with Halarik, and most likely Aralea. When we tried to free Halarik, I think it may have opened a rift between our world and the Realm of Shade. This opening has allowed some of these monsters to break through."

  "Is there a way to stop it?" Karik asked.

  "I have no idea."

  "For now, there are other worries on my mind," Atarin said. He turned to Soren, who was standing nearby, doing nothing. "I need you to round up the horses."

  Soren sighed. "Of course, Firelord."

  While Soren and some of the others searched for the horses, Karik ma
de his way to the wagon in which they'd created a makeshift prison for Andra. There were no bars, but she had been chained to a post within. A Yellow/Blue shield had also been erected around the wagon, preventing her from doing any Fireweaving.

  She leaned against the wall, looking bored and weary. Karik couldn’t blame her. No one had spent much time with her.

  "Is the monster dead," she asked.

  Karik settled down a few feet from her. "No, but we trapped it."

  "That's good."

  "I'm sorry about all this."

  "I think it's a little late for apologies," she said.

  "We're only doing what we have to do."

  "What you think you have to do."

  "Why can't you understand?" Karik asked. "You're a Fireweaver, Andra. Once we free Halarik, our kind will no longer have to live in fear."

  "We'll only be trading one form of tyranny for another."

  Once, Karik would have argued against that point, but now he had doubts. If Halarik killed all Sunweavers, how would that be any better than Sunweavers killing Fireweavers? Blaming every Sunweaver for the actions of the Church was an oversimplification of the problem. It was easy, but it wasn't right.

  "I'm not so sure about that," he said. "Firelord Vanara has some very interesting theories. According to her, everything we know about Halarik and Aralea is wrong. They are not enemies, or at least there's a chance they aren't. If we can bring them both back, we can show the world that there is no difference between Sunweavers and Fireweavers."

  "That would be nice," she said distantly.

  He sighed. "You don't believe a word of this, do you?"

  "I need some proof before I'll believe something like that."

  "Then we'll just have to find that proof."

  '"And hope you don't destroy the world in the process."

  Chapter 23: Nights of Fear

  Rella woke to the pain of being submerged in icy water. Someone was holding her, and she thrashed against their hold, her heart pounding.

  "Relax." It was Talin's voice. "I'm trying to heal you."