Order of the Fire Box Set

by P. E. Padilla

  “My eyes?”

  “Yes, your eyes. Do you realize that only two percent of people in Telusium have green eyes? Even in Brasea, where red hair and green eyes are more likely, it’s barely twelve percent. They’re very rare, and yours are fantastic.”

  Kate’s face heated, and she looked away from Molara.

  “You’re one to talk.” Kate said. “I’ve never seen eyes like yours. They’re so light-colored, almost like the ice of a glacier in the afternoon sun.”

  “Aww, now you’re going to embarrass me, too,” Molara said. “Let’s just leave it at both of us are fabulous.” She pushed Kate, but wasn’t strong enough to budge her. “Anyway, get used to my eyes looking at yours. We’ll be spending a lot of time together. There are things you have to learn, and I’m the best one to teach them to you.”

  “Thank you, Molara,” Kate said. “Really. I know I’ll enjoy every minute of it. We can just sit and talk sometimes, too, though. I appreciate having someone to talk to also. It’ll be wonderful.”

  “Agreed. Just let me know when you need some information and we can talk. I’m normally here in the secret section all the time, so anytime you’re not training with the Black or on duty at the gate, stop by. You have access to everything but the rooms set aside for my sleeping area, my kitchen, and my office workshop. I can give you access to that, too, if you want.”

  “I appreciate it, but that won’t be necessary,” Kate said. There’s nothing I’ll need in here if you’re not home. I better get back to the Black section. I’ll need to figure out a schedule for training and learning. Talk to you tomorrow?”

  “Absolutely,” Molara said. “I look forward to it. Congratulations again on making it to the Black as not only the youngest woman ever to join but also the youngest person, man or woman. I expect great things from you.”

  “I’ll do my best not to disappoint you,” Kate said.

  As she made her way toward her room, Kate smiled at the sky. She had finally found someone who might become like a family member. Wilfred was a friend, but Molara, she could be a best friend, someone Kate could talk about anything with. The thought of it made her giddy.

  Maybe, just maybe, she would find a family in the Order after all.

  7

  Kate narrowly avoided the horizontal slash of the blade and then barely got her shield up in time for the backslash that followed at unbelievable speed. She cut at her opponent, but didn’t expect the blow to land. It merely allowed her to back step out of her adversary’s range.

  She had been training and sparring with the Black for over two weeks, and it was clear that these men were many skill levels above the normal Order soldiers. And that included Dante, though it saddened her to think it. She had always believed—and in fact still did—that he was one of the best swordsmen around. She could best him, but then again, she wasn’t a swordsman.

  Her Black brothers almost gave her a run for her money.

  But she had a few tricks up her sleeve. She leaped into the air, torqueing her body into a front flip. Her shield came down first, pushing her opponent’s sword aside and then, as her body uncurled to utilize the force of her flip, she extended her sword to strike. The blow landed on the man’s shield with such force, it dented the metal and drove him to the ground with a cry of pain.

  Angus Lloyd, the Black brother she was fighting, raised his arms to yield from his prone position on the ground.

  “That was fantastic,” he said, dropping his practice shield and sword and rubbing his left forearm. “What do you call that move?”

  “Well,” Kate said as she swiped a stray hair from her sweaty face, “I don’t really call it anything, but some of the recruits called it the Courtenay Crush after I used it to defeat the demon commander at my last battle.”

  “Aha!” Angus said. “I like it. I’d never be able to do it, mind you. I’m much too heavy for an acrobatic move like that. But I do appreciate the physicality of it. Well done.”

  “Thank you,” Kate said with a slight bow.

  She had been learning things daily from the other members of the Black. She had also been spending as much time as possible with Molara, learning fascinating things about the Order, the Black, magic, and the demons themselves. She could hardly wait to get up each morning to learn more things.

  Kate had thought she was strong and fast before, training with Dante, but the Black had their own secret training methods and fighting styles. They all handled combat a bit differently, and she learned something every time she sparred or trained with them. It was no wonder they were considered myths walking around among men. They were talented, but they also worked harder than anyone Kate had ever seen.

  And she was one of them.

  “Thank you so much for sparring with me and teaching me,” she said to him. I’m in the best fighting shape of my life and feel stronger than I ever have.”

  “It’s a good thing,” he said. “The demons are not forgiving. We have to be the best to survive what we have to do. I’m glad I can help, Kate. The better you are, the more likely it is that you’ll save my ass one of these days.”

  She laughed. “There’s always that.”

  “The captain says you’ll start rotations with us tomorrow. How do you feel about that?”

  “I can’t wait,” she said. “Training and learning things is great, but I’d like to trade a wooden practice weapon for real steel.”

  “You’ll find that it’s not all that exciting most of the time. We’re assigned on call duty and if, during our on-call time, the bell rings, we have to hightail it to the gate. We’re much too valuable to be waiting around at the wall like the Red do. Still, being on call has its anticipation, too. It makes time go very slowly.”

  “But you’re there for every battle,” Kate protested.

  “We are, yes. Two or three of us are there as fast as we can get there after the bell rings. But we only go out when the wall is failing. Be honest, Kate, how often did you see the Black take the field? How many times have you witnessed that in the time you stood at the gate?”

  She frowned. “I don’t know, maybe three times, four at the most.”

  “Exactly. We’re there, but we do not often engage in combat. It involves a lot of waiting around and watching other people fight.”

  “Oh,” Kate said. “I never really thought of it that way.”

  “I just want you to be realistic,” Angus said. “We’re either bored or we’re in danger of dying in the blink of an eye. There isn’t much middle ground with us.”

  “I guess not,” Kate agreed. “I’ll have to wait and figure out how things will be for me. I do thank you, though, for accepting me and helping me with training.”

  “Of course, Kate.” He bowed to her. “You are one of us, a Black sister with thirty-six brothers. Any one of us would die for you, as you would die for any of us. That’s how it is to be in the Black.”

  Kate smiled and nodded, not quite knowing what to say.

  She put her training gear away and donned the harness holding her real sword onto her back. She was supposed to meet Molara and Wilfred for lunch at the dining hall. It was the first time the three of them would be eating together. She didn’t want to be late.

  Hurrying down the hall, she turned a corner and nearly ran into a man with a yellow cloak. No, not just any man. This one had a sneering face with a crooked nose topped by a short mess of sand-colored hair. She couldn’t help but think how doughy he looked, not at all fit like the soldiers he commanded. Kate’s stomach roiled, but she kept her face calm and saluted.

  “Captain Wills,” she said.

  Captain Cornac Wills, the man who had taken her from the Red and put her in the Blue, was a horrible officer and a worse man, in Kate’s opinion. She would have preferred never to see the despicable man again, but he was an officer, and so she was required to salute him. Not all officers had the attitude Captain Achard had.

  “Ew, Courtenay, wasn’t it,” he spat, without returning the sa
lute. “I heard you had been put into the Black for some reason or another. Most likely to entertain the men. Just as well. I didn’t want you causing trouble in my company anyway.”

  He stepped around her, muttering, “The entire Black Command should be disposed of. No reason to keep the tavern thugs around. Sullies the reputation of the Order…”

  Kate stared at him wide-eyed as he stomped down the hallway. It was the second time she had heard him ranting on the subject. What kind of moron wanted to disband the Black? She made mental note to talk to Captain Achard about it. He probably already knew, but she wanted to discuss it.

  Shaking her head, she continued on toward the dining hall.

  When Kate finally arrived at the dining hall, Molara and Wilfred were waiting outside the large double doors, specifically not looking at each other.

  “Uh, hi guys,” Kate said. “Sorry I’m a bit late. I ran into someone I know in the hallway. Almost literally ran into him. Thinking back, it would have been better if I had rammed him full force, like a shield bash.” She thrust her left arm out as if she held a shield. Hers was strapped to her back, over her scabbard. “Anyway, sorry.”

  “It’s not a problem,” Wilfred said. He was in his blue robes, as always.

  “It’s okay,” Molara said at the same time. She was wearing her tan robes, the ones she always wore when not in the Purple section of the library.

  “Molara, this is Wilfred. Wilfred, Molara. Have you two been talking?”

  “Nope,” Wilfred said.

  “No,” Molara said.

  “Oh,” Kate said. She looked from one to another, searching for some sign of what they were thinking. She put an arm around each of them and pulled them along with her into the dining hall. “Oh, come on. I know you two are not very social—I’m not either—so let’s be antisocial together. You two are the only friends I have here.”

  Molara smiled at her and Wilfred chuckled.

  “That’s just because you haven’t been in the Black long enough,” Wilfred said. “I’m sure you’ll have a lot of friends soon.”

  “Maybe,” Kate said, “but that doesn’t matter. You two are my friends now and will continue to be so. Come on, let’s eat. I’m starving.”

  It only took a few minutes of eating and Kate trying to draw out the two before they were chattering like they had known each other for years.

  “What do you Tan do?” Wilfred asked Molara.

  Kate tensed.

  There was no need. Molara waved a fork in the air and smoothly answered. “We do a lot of research, but we also maintain the library, cataloging books and such. It’s probably not exciting to you. You’re always where the action is, either on the battlefield or whenever anything big is happening, like celebrations.”

  Wilfred cocked his head and studied Molara. “Yes, I guess we are at that. Still, I do love books.”

  “Only if they’re the books for a gambling house, though,” Kate added.

  Wilfred laughed but Molara looked puzzled.

  “Gambling house?” the Purple asked.

  “Oh, it’s a long story,” Wilfred said.

  “Good,” Molara countered. “I have the rest of the afternoon off. A long story sounds like just the thing.”

  Wilfred rolled his eyes, but he didn’t protest too much after that. He didn’t often hold the attention of two women. By the looks of the envious stares, it wasn’t doing his reputation any harm. Kate smiled and listened to the tales she had heard before.

  After lunch, Wilfred had duties to attend to, so Kate went back with Molara to the secret section of the library. She brought her sword and shield, as Molara had asked.

  “Why did you want me to bring my weapons?” Kate asked.

  “I’ll show you,” Molara said. “There is something we need to do.”

  They went to the Purple’s small workshop in a section of Molara’s rooms.

  “Put your sword and shield up on the bench, there,” Molara told Kate.

  Once the items were in place, the smaller woman began chanting in a language Kate didn’t know, gesturing with her hands. At one point, Molara sprinkled some kind of dust on the items as she continued her strange ritual. She shouted an exclamation with a final flourish of her hands.

  A light flared around Kate’s possessions and then dimmed, but didn’t go out completely. The sword and shield continued to glow softly with a muted red light.

  Kate had been standing silently with her mouth open the entire time. After Molara had finished her performance, she reached over and pushed a finger under Kate’s jaw to close the taller woman’s mouth.

  “What was that?” Kate asked.

  “That made your weapons more powerful against demons. It’s a variation on the firestone spell, just a little something to give you more of an edge, no pun intended. Now you can do more damage than before.”

  Kate swiveled her head back and forth from Molara to her items and back again. “Thank you, Molara. That’s fantastic. I noticed the weak glow of the Black’s weapons before, but thought I had imagined it.”

  “You’re welcome. All the Black have their weapons enchanted like this. We can’t get enough of the powdered crystal to do it with every weapon in the Order, but we can give the Black an edge. You are the elite of the Order, after all.”

  Kate didn’t respond, too caught up in examining her newly magical items.

  8

  Kate started her rotation at the gate with two of the other Black. She had already met one of them. Jurdan Vora had long silken hair the color of dirty straw. He, like most of the Order, was from Brasea. As with all the Black, he was very good with a sword, but he excelled with the bow. She had seen him make impossible shots, hitting targets from such distances she could barely see the target. It made her shoulder blades twitch to think an arrow could kill without the victim even seeing the archer.

  The other man was called Aurel Brunn. He was a massive man, well over six feet tall, with short, kinky black hair, skin the color of aged wood, and a death mask of old, beaten copper. His deep brown eyes that seemed too big even for his size could not be seen through his mask like most of the others because a fine wire mesh covered the eye holes. He preferred a huge, two-handed sword, eschewing the shield altogether.

  During her time on call, Kate tried to be calm. It was a losing proposition. Every unfamiliar sound would cause her to jump, but not out of fear.

  Though she wasn’t required to be anywhere in particular, some of the Black had made it a habit to wait out their on-call time in one of the barracks building rooms used for informal meetings and for winding down after a tour of the front lines. Most of them simply called it the relaxation room.

  “Was that the bell?” Kate asked Aurel.

  “No.”

  “Kate,” Jurdan said, “when the bell rings, you’ll hear it. There will be no doubt. Quit being so nervous. You’re making me tense.”

  “Sorry,” Kate said. “My mind plays tricks on me, making me think I hear the bell. I’ll try to relax.”

  Aurel laughed.

  “What?” Kate asked.

  “It is humorous.” The giant of a man ducked his head as was his custom. “We all did the same thing. It has been long and I had forgotten. It makes me smile. Soon, it will be second nature to you. Do not worry, Pretty Kate.”

  He always called her that. With some men, Kate may have taken offense, but Aurel seemed like the big brother she never had. It was a name of affection, and spoken in a tone of respect. She liked it. She found him to be one of the gentlest people she had ever met, and the thought that he might be insulting was unfathomable to her.

  The air vibrated with the sound of a bell. It sounded like it was just on the other side of the door. Kate jumped up, but this time, the other two did so as well. They grabbed their weapons and ran for the gate.

  “It’s time,” Jurdan said, going through the door first. “You never forget your first time, Kate.” He winked at her.

  That was a little creepy, b
ut Jurdan, like Aurel, had never treated her with anything other than respect. She chalked it up to him being comfortable enough to joke with her like he did with the other Black.

  As they went, they unhooked their death masks from their belts. Jurdan’s was a white face attached to a black hood that went over his head. The eyes were exaggerated and swept upward like flames in a soft wind. The mouth, open in a laugh, showed sharp teeth and long fangs, with blackness in between. A bright red insect, somewhat like a centipede, crawled over the right cheek of the mask. When Kate had asked why the bug was there, Jurdan gave her a long explanation about most people being secretly afraid of small, crawling things. He hoped demons were the same way.

  Aurel’s mask looked like something out of a nightmare. A strange nightmare. Designs and whorls were carved into the left side of the beaten copper from the chin to the top of the hairless head. The sharp nose protruded down over the teeth that ran from one side of the face to the other, as if it was smiling with gritted teeth.

  Kate had opted for a classic look, loosely reminiscent of her ancestor Fulin’s death mask. It was made of leather with a horizontal cut-out that allowed both her eyes to see through it and a smaller hole just under the tip of her nose for breathing. Over her mouth, a group of small holes punched through let her move air to and from her mouth as well. Faint designs of teeth graced the front above where her teeth actually were, but the rest of the mask was a flash of fiery red, simulating flame itself. It was not so elaborate as some of the masks she had seen, but she liked it.

  They reached the gate in no time. The demons had barely grouped in front of the shield wall by the time they arrived.

  Kate stood and watched as the Red repelled charge after charge. It seemed to her that the number of demons was lower than many times when she had been holding a shield. She stayed for three hours, at which point the demons gave up and retreated back into the gates. With a clang, the doors closed.