by Aaron Thomas
Kilen looked around at the last of the dancers departing.
“We have packed your bags with supplies. I hear you have taken a liking to my sons Kapal dishes.”
Kilen gave a half-hearted smile. He wondered if he would have been allowed to stay if he had chosen to be the king. “The food is very helpful, but I wouldn’t say I liked it.”
The cook laughed enough for his belly to shake.
“I will be on my way.”
It did not take long for him to gather his supplies and give his farewells. Max ran along the beach making his own tracks disappear behind him. They headed east towards Humbridge, perhaps his mother had made it home and would know where to go from here.
Chapter 29 - Homecoming
She laughed at the thought of needing to have a campfire as she looked over to see Bowie and the others cooking some food. Kara had taken to teaching every moment that she could. At first the lessons were strange, but as she rode she was able to think about what to say and how to say it.
They had stopped their travels only three times in their attempts to flee the Earth Realm. Most of the time the fugitive wizards ran beside Ria’s cart or sat down inside. Instead of trying to focus on learning to control their anger they, used their energy to keep up. If they fell behind they would be put in the cart only long enough to catch their breath. Kara did her best to teach them while they sat in the back. She knew if she didn’t keep them focused, she would be paying for a new cart. When the party did stop, Kara used every minute to teach while they recuperated and ate. The escaped wizards sat in silence, sending off sparks and catching flame as they murmured to themselves.
It seemed to calm them when she spoke, “I am telling you. It’s not about anger, it’s about passion. You all must think deep within yourself and find the one thing you desire most. You must find something or someone that you can always look to for control.”
“My family is what I desire most, and I won’t put my family in harm’s way.” Al’tore was angry and starting to catch fire. His long black hair and unkempt beard still intimidated her just as it had when he stepped out into the dungeon’s hallway. Al’tore was the largest of the wizards that had helped defend the dungeon, he had been an asset in gaining the other’s trust. “What I desire will not work for me. You must teach me another way.” He had come from a mining family in the Wind Realm. The day his magic awoke it caused the mine to fill with flames, killing hundreds of men. He escaped the Wind Realm leaving a trail of fire until he reached the Earth Realm, seeking sanctuary. His relief was short lived when he was imprisoned.
Finally, one of them has found their passion, Kara thought.
“You will not put them in harm's way. You do not even need to be near them to use them for inspiration.”
His hair came aflame again as she knew his frustration for her grew.
“Al’tore, close your eyes and do as I say. Please.” She added in an attempt to calm him. She moved near him and whispered in his ear. “Think of your family. The ones you want to see most. Pour every emotion, every bit of your love from them into seeing every detail of their smile, their laugh, and life. Remember them as best you can. Can you see them?”
Al’tore was slowly being consumed by the flame as she pushed it away from her body to keep him from burning her dress. She continued to whisper, “I know you want to see them again. I know that you have to see them again. Make a promise to yourself right here. Right now. Pour every bit of emotion and love into that promise. Make a promise to yourself that you will do everything in your power to control yourself so you can see them again and not harm them.”
Like a candle being blown out by a strong wind, Al’tore’s flames vanished. He slowly stood, looking at his hands in wonder, then the others, and finally the sky. The others started to flame a small amount but Al’tore was fireless. He let out a scream of happiness. Brent and the others jumped to their feet in fear as they ate their noon meal.
He was hugging Kara, “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“I didn’t do it, you did. I will be polite though, you are very welcome. Come, lets have you join the others for lunch.” She turned to the other wizards sitting around a circle of stones that should have contained a fire. Instead, the fire was around the circle, on top of its inhabitants. “I will be back with some lunch. Please be thinking of the thing you desire most in this world.”
None of the other wizards spoke to her as she turned to leave. Bowie was still watching Al’tore come to sit with the others.
Kara followed Al’tore, but stopped to talk to Bowie. “Three days past and one is in control.”
“Some of the aren’t happy about the lack of control they have. I hope that you are able to teach them before one of them is too frustrated to hold themselves back.” Bowie did not take his eyes from the small circle of wizards. They had freed seven, including Al’tore. Six wizards still remained fighting off flames as they sat in a circle. Food seemed to help calm them, but it only lasted a while.
“I will keep them safe,” She said trying to reassure him.
“It isn’t them I am worried about,” Bowie said, checking the string on his bow. “You need to be careful.”
She rolled her eyes and went to gather their lunch. The six fire wizards were eating alone at their empty circle. Al’tore was telling his life’s story at the other fire and actually laughing as Auburn made jokes. Kara remembered how it felt to laugh after only a couple months of being angry. She hoped his cheeks would be not as sore as her’s were the next day.
Kara left Bowie to stand watch over the volatile wizards. She pulled up her dress sleeve and reached into the fire to grab a stick with a piece of cooked turkey Bowie had caught. She knew normally it would be hot and she instinctively blew on it to cool it off, but being a fire wizard ment never burning your mouth again. She bit off a chunk of the still smoldering meat. The turkey was good; Bowie had always brought fresh meat to their home. He was always there to protect her. She hoped by teaching the six remaining wizards, he would know she no longer needed his protection.
Kara watched Bowie reach for his hat twice in anticipation for an eruption of fire. Bowie had worn the hat ever since he saw a merchant with one. He had always looked good in a hat, but now that he was grown and without it, she thought he looked better this way. He will need a haircut though, she thought that she might be able convince him to let her cut it.
Twilix appeared by her side and whispered quietly, “This is Kilen’s best friend?”
Kara nodded, “They help each other. My brother would do his best to keep Bowie from getting into too much mischief. Bowie would teach Kilen skills that my parents wouldn’t allow him to learn. Bowie has talents handed down from his family, and Kilen was always good with books. Together they made a great pair.”
Twilix smiled, “Sounds like you know a lot about him.”
“My brother rarely wanted me around. I’m sure it’s because I’m his little sister, but Bowie let me join them wherever they went. He was like another brother.” Kara watched him while she spoke about the memories, trying to remember her brothers smile. Being near Bowie helped her feel as if she were close to him.
Bowie reached for his hat again and hit his leg after he realized he had reached up.
“Well, I think you should keep an eye out for him. Auburn over here thinks very highly of him. By her accounts she has saved his life twice. I don’t know why she is here but I could give a good guess for two reasons.”
Kara turned to Twilix, “Auburn? What does she want?”
“Like I said, I don’t know for sure yet. She was a fletcher’s daughter so it could be that she wants to learn Bowie’s skills with crafting, but apparently he’s already taught her that,” Twilix said raising an eyebrow.
Kara was turning red in the face, “He would never let me watch when he made arrows. Now he’s teaching random girls he picks up along the war trail? What’s the other reason?”
“Well, the obvious one.”
Dancing! Had Bowie danced with the woman yet? The image of the girl sitting on Bowie’s lap in a dance hall flashed into her mind. She was ready to punch the girl and she hadn’t even worked out if she really liked Bowie like that, or if the girl was trying to court him. Moving back to the circle of wizards, she tried to push the man from her mind. If she didn’t, she knew it would haunt her all day long and end up in an eruption.
**********
Twilix watched Kara stalk off towards the ring of fire wizards. Soon she had the escaped wizards pushing a ball of flame back and forth like some child’s game. She talked to them about anger and passion while they balanced the ball between them. It grew larger and smaller, then went up and down and even turned circles in the air. It was a dazzling show of light. She liked to watch Kara dance a ball of flame about the room at night but this was something different, something majestic. Fire wizards were meant to be taught this way.
Brent came to stand beside Twilix, “Do you think she will be able to teach them?”
“I wouldn’t have agreed to them coming if I didn’t, Master Parker.” She did not take her eyes from the wizards. She noticed they certainly seemed to have a lot of anger. Kara would have her work cut out for her.
Brent cleared his throat, “Yes, but do you think she will be able to teach them before we reach the Water Realm? Word has it that soldiers are being called to Keepers. You know why they are being called there. Atmos is predicting where Kilen will go. He will either go home or to Keepers.”
Twilix nodded her head.
“Do you think she will be able to teach them before we get there?” Brent asked again.
“Before we get there, no. I am surprised she was successful with Al’tore. I hope that he truly has gained control. I saw the change in her and it feels the same in him. His body no longer harbors the heat that the others do. If you look, you can see it using the water vision. He isn’t fighting the magic back like he was this morning. If she has taught him, then she’s already exceeded my expectations,” Twilix said glancing at Brent.
“If she isn’t able to teach them, we will have a big problem on our hands. The Earth Realm’s army is waiting for us to arrive. These wielders will most likely attack the first time we find a soldier wearing a uniform of green,” Brent said.
Twilix nodded her head, “We will just have to be ready for that. In the mean time let us do all we can to help Kara. As of right now we seem to be treating these wielders as if they all carry the plague.”
A snap of a twig nearby alerted the party to someone approaching. Brent and Twilix moved to follow Bowie as he raised his bow to his cheek.
Brent whispered, “It’s a man.”
Twilix nodded to Bowie confirming the approaching visitor. They were still far into the Earth Realm and were all wanted by the king. Brent watched with water vision as a man in baggy robes walked through the trees, trying to avoid snagging the cloth on thistles. The man used a wide sash to gather the extra folds around him.
“He’s a wind wielder. Bowie, your arrows will do nothing here,” Brent cautioned.
Bowie nodded his head and put his bow across his body. He pulled the dagger form the sheath hidden behind his back. A small breeze ruffled the leaves of the surrounding trees.
A familiar voice called out, “I’m glad to see you’ve had some success, Master Crescent.”
Bowie relaxed and sheathed his dagger letting go of the wind, “It’s Alexander.”
Twilix didn’t even know she was holding her breath until she finally let out the tension of air in her lungs.
Alexander finally came out of the bushes surrounding the camp. “Fine gathering you have here. Took on some extra, I see.” Alexander took a step forward and had to duck from a fire ball hurled at him from the camp of fire wizards.
“NO! He’s a friend!” Kara shouted.
One of the fire wizards threw a second flame, “He is no friend to me. He helped imprison me!”
Kara stood between the enraged wizard and took control of the projectiles. The other five began throwing flames as well. The balls of fire collided with what seemed to be an invisible wall. They struck and exploded with a loud sound like that of lightning hitting a tree.
“You need to stop this right now. If you cannot control yourselves, you will force my hand to cast you out on your own.” Kara screamed.
Alexander walked beside Kara with a stone look on his face and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “Thank you, child. You do not need to defend me. They don’t have misplaced anger. I put them into those cells myself.” Alexander turned his face to look at the six enraged wizards, “Remember that I have defeated you all once before. When I did, it was for your own good. I stopped you from harming your families and friends. Now you have a second chance at life. Do not waste it.” He held his hands out to his side as if surrendering, but Twilix knew the position of the hands did not mean he couldn’t use magic.
A fire ball struck the invisible wall.
“Let the wall down, child. I will handle them on my own. I won’t be held accountable for the harm that comes to you when they break through,” Alexander said to Kara.
Kara nodded, saying she had let her wall down, exposing Alexander. Calmly, he waited as the wizards spread out around him. Al’tore watched, unsure which side he should join. His anger did not consume him any longer. Instead of backing away, he moved towards them until they formed a half moon surrounding the wind wizard. A female wizard threw the first fireball that rushed towards Alexander's chest.
The ball nearly struck him, but instead began to swirl in on itself, remaining in place only a few inches from his skin. The others looked at one another and engulfed themselves in their power. With each fireball thrown, another ball of swirling fire stopped to rotate in front of Alexander. The flames began to combine and form one large orb.
Bowie seemed to watch in awe as Alexander used the wind to harness the heat’s power, turning it in on itself. Alexander slowly gathered a ball of thrown magic that was stronger than any thrown at him. The ball then compacted itself, turning white in color as it swirled in the air. Twilix could feel the heat emanating from it. More attacks were launched and deflected safely away from the group. Auburn, Bowie, and Ria took cover behind a nearby tree.
Alexander turned to the older wizard, focusing his attention, “What are you doing here?”
The wizard replied back in an unsure voice, “I am learning to control my anger.”
“No, Beldham. You have already learned to control it once,” Alexander said with a voice full of power.
The compacting orb whiped from Alexander’s body to the man’s, consuming him in white flame. The trees and dead leaves around began to burn as Beldham’s flesh was melted from his bone. The screams only lasted a moment.
Alexander ignored the other wizards, turning to face Kara. “Beldham was a spy. I saw him months ago being hauled down to the dungeons as if he was a newly caught wizard. When he had his awakening he was a soldier in King Atmos’ army. Beldham’s mission was to become friends with the others so he could learn how to keep them angry. He would have surely sought out your destruction had you given him the chance.”
Kara, with tears in her eyes and fists balled at her side screamed, “How do you know for sure? How are we supposed to know you speak the truth?”
Alexander moved to the fire cooking the meat and pulled a stick out for himself. “Search his body. There will be a water imbuement there. It was given to him to help keep his magic under
control.” Alexander went to the flesh stripped bones on the ground, “Allow me.” A blast of air shattered them to ashes, throwing them in all directions of the forest. Behind remained a woven bracelet with an imbued bead.
Kara picked up the bracelet and held it as she continued to cry.
“I am sorry, child. I know it seems like they all can be saved, but not that one. He was loyal to the king.”
When Kara did not respond, he walked towards Bowie. “I see you have become better with wind.”
“Kilen was able to help me learn,” Bowie said.
Alexander nodded, “Yes, he has a talent for these types of things. The voices in my head say that he’s almost too skilled with magic.” He smiled and looked between the other wizards to speak, “I have found Kilen. I last saw him inside Keepers. He won't be able to stay there long so as soon as he leaves, I will contact him. I’ll have him meet you on the east side of Lake Leviathan. He’s searching for a new Water Realm king.”
Twilix stepped forward, taking Kara by the shoulders and helping her up, “Why would he look in Keepers?”
“I think he hopes to find a lead on where he could seek a new king. Those in Keepers had tried many times to have someone take up the crown.” He took a bite of the meat on the stick, “Uhg, this meat is rancid. It’s not stringy enough to be good squirrel meat.” He muttered something under his breath as he spit the chunk out.
Bowie sighed, “It’s turkey.”
Alexander smiled and took another bite, “Well then, the voices in my head say that it is perfectly fine to eat.” He took another bite and seemed to enjoy the second. The wind wizard casually picked up a water skin to start drinking but Bowie caught his hand.
“Wait. Kilen is searching for a new king and you are going to arrange for him to meet us on the east side of Lake Leviathan?” Bowie asked.
“Yes,” He said before pulling his hand back to take a drink.
“What are we supposed to do once we meet him?” Bowie asked.
