Order of the Fire Box Set

by P. E. Padilla

  She thought of what she knew before she joined the Order. It was a shining example of military precision and honor, full of heroes and selfless men and women that gave their all in the fight against the demons. To protect the whole of humanity.

  She had come to a stark realization since she had been in the Order that it wasn’t like that at all. They put on a good show for outsiders, but in her experience, much of the structure of the Order of the Fire seemed to consist of rot and decay and putrid things that dwelt in the dark places of the world.

  But maybe she was just being bitter. Maybe her perception was skewed because she was reacting emotionally to things happening to her, her friends, and those she respected.

  She had to take a step back and focus on what was important. She had wanted to join the Order her entire life, and now she seemed to be heading down a course that would leave her fighting against it. That was insubordinate, treasonous. The structure of the Order must be maintained.

  But what about the things she’d seen, the things some in the Order were doing? She could only blame so much on the Order being made up of imperfect men and women. Shouldn’t the command structure account for that and have safeguards in place to prevent corruption?

  It all made her head hurt. Almost as much as her heart. She was too tired to think about it anymore. Blowing out the lantern, she settled back into her bunk and stared into the darkness. She would think more on it in the morning. Perhaps the sunlight would help her mood and clarity. She hoped so. All she felt now was the darkness, which seemed as if it would swallow her and all she knew whole.

  9

  Kate was on duty at the gate with Visimar Torten and Benedict Dressen. They had been in the relaxation room when the bell rang, and the three Black had run up the Great Stair to the gate. The skeleton force the new procedures provided at the gate were holding the wall, but just barely.

  There were not even a great number of demons coming through this day.

  Kate scanned the line, wanting to detect any breaks as soon as they happened. As she did, she caught the other two Blacks in her peripheral vision. They were doing the same as she, but they were also chatting. Chatting!

  She smiled under her mask. It made her feel good the two were getting along so well since Benedict had told Visimar the truth about what happened to Visimar’s sister Aleria.

  It was at least one good thing that had come from their trip into Hell.

  Kate shook her head. That wasn’t fair. Their mission had arguably saved all of mankind from the demon invasion. Jurdan’s absence still hurt, though. It would be a long time until she got over that. But she would try to keep it from coloring her perception of everything else.

  The clang of the gate shutting brought Kate out of her reverie. The battle had already ended, another great victory for the new, pared-down Red.

  The other two Blacks joined her as she headed back down the stairs.

  “It’s something, eh?” Benedict said. “The way the demon attacks have been so light since they cut down the number of Reds manning the gate? Lighter than I’ve ever seen. Almost too few of them. Like they’re not even trying. The demons, I mean.”

  Kate checked around them for listening ears. “Shh. Wait until we get back to the Black section. There are too many people around.”

  The other two nodded, changing subjects smoothly as they walked toward the barracks.

  Once the three of them got to the relaxation room, Kate scanned the hallway and then closed the door.

  “Right,” she said. “So, about your comment earlier.”

  “I know, I know,” Benedict said. “I shouldn’t have said it aloud in the open like that. I was—”

  “No, no, I wasn’t going to scold you. I wanted to talk about it.”

  “I do, too,” Benedict said, plopping down in a chair. “Don’t you think it’s strange how the stupidest strategic move since trying to defend the gate without shields seems to be working like it’s pure genius?”

  “It’s obviously some kind of setup,” Visimar added. “Like someone is reducing the number of demons coming through or making the battles easier to prove the changes are effective. Then, when everyone is convinced it was the right thing to do, there will be even more ridiculous changes.”

  “Do you really think so?” Kate asked. “I thought the same thing, but half suspected I was being paranoid. The entire world seems to be turning against us, against the Black specifically, and I don’t know anymore what is reasonable and what is paranoia. The thought of someone cooperating with demons to limit the troops attacking seems far-fetched.”

  Benedict shot a look at the door. “Vis and I have been talking about it. Something is going on, Kate. There have been issues before, with some in High Command trying to disband the Black, but the Supreme Commander wouldn’t stand for it. He has always been committed to using us as much as he can.

  “It scares me. I just finally embraced the soul of the Black—not just going out to kill demons, but the true reason for them, to do what others can’t to end this war—and now everything is falling apart. After all this time, I have finally become part of the family. I don’t want to see it end.”

  Visimar nodded. “Not to mention that if there were no Black, the demons could probably beat us in a matter of days, if not hours.”

  “True,” Kate said. “But what do we do about it? I mean, all we have to go on is that people don’t see the Black the same anymore and there are a few stupid rules that have been put in place. It’s not much to base an accusation on.”

  “Don’t forget the mysterious deaths of Dervis Malarie and Thoumas Cristall you and the captain saw in the Battle of the Breach,” Visimar added. “It may not be related to all these other things, but it’s still unexplained.”

  “Right,” Benedict agreed. “I almost forgot about that with everything else going on.”

  “Wait,” Kate said. “The Battle of the what?”

  “The Battle of the Breach,” Visimar said again. “It’s what they’re calling the battle we joined from Hell’s side.”

  “Oh.” Kate shook her head. Stupid name for a battle. “And what about Thozrixith knowing we went into Hell? It’s obvious there’s at least one traitor in the Order, and a high-placed one to know about that mission. Again, it might not be related, but I have a feeling it is.”

  Visimar’s face scrunched as he squinted and tilted his head. “It wouldn’t necessarily need to be someone placed highly. We were visible to any humans who looked our way the day we went in. We were only hidden from the demons’ sight. It could just as easily have been some Red spying for the demons. Or a Blue. It could be anyone at all.”

  “Or more than one,” Benedict said.

  That stopped the conversation cold. The three traded glances and took turns scanning the door for signs that someone was listening.

  “Really,” Kate said, “how many people do you think are in conspiracy to end the Order?”

  Visimar fidgeted. “It is not a comfortable thing to talk about. Maybe we should leave this conversation for another time, one where we can feel even more secure.”

  Kate let loose with an explosive breath. “Fine, but we will talk about this again. It’s too important for us not to.”

  “Agreed,” said Visimar.

  “Of course,” Benedict said.

  “I feel like a walk,” Kate continued. “If the bells ring again, I’ll meet you at the gate.”

  The others waved and then began to discuss something. Kate took it as agreement and went off to think.

  Kate had always thought things through better when she was active. Training, especially, seemed to heighten her thought process, but she didn’t want to be in the middle of a training session if the bell rang again, so she opted for a walk.

  In the time she had been at Gateskeep, she had developed favorite routes, and she took one now. It wound through the section of the city with her battalion’s barracks, around a corner of the market street, past Central Command, thr
ough the Parade Square, up to the battlements on the east wall, skirted the barracks area for parts of the Second Regiment, and finished by going past the library.

  Kate waved at one of the Reds guarding the market firestone. He waved back, and one of the other guards said something to him that made the first guard scowl at the commenter. The other three guards watched the whole thing passively, not acknowledging Kate’s presence or taking sides in the apparent debate the simple gesture had started.

  Kate shook her head and walked on. One thing the rules had not changed yet was that five Reds stood guard at each large firestone at all times. It always seemed like overkill to Kate, but she saw the utility of it more and more as events unfolded. She wondered if the tradition was put in place because of a period of similar doubt and disunity.

  Before her walk took her by Central Command, she stopped.

  Periods of doubt and disunity. Of course.

  Kate changed direction and headed toward the library. Why hadn’t she thought of it before? What was wrong with her thinking?

  Kate burst through the door to the secret section of the library. The lights flared up automatically, as always. Aside from the entry, though, the rest of the area was dark. She passed through the study area and rows of books to Molara’s private section.

  It was dark, too.

  Kate frowned at the darkened area. “Molara? Are you there?”

  It wasn’t late. Molara couldn’t be asleep yet. Kate couldn’t remember coming to the library when Molara was not there. What if something had happened to her?

  A noise from behind her caused Kate to react without thinking. In a blink, her sword was out of the scabbard and pointed toward the source of the sound.

  “Kate?” Molara said. “Oh, how long have you been here? Were you looking for me?”

  Kate’s friend stepped into view carrying a basket of vegetables. She looked as she always did, perfect and beautiful, with the fine chain holding back her long, dark hair and holding a small gem in place in the middle of her forehead. Her glacier eyes locked onto Kate’s.

  “Are you all right?” the Purple asked. “You look…tense.” Molara switched her gaze from Kate’s eyes to her drawn sword.

  “Oh.” Kate put her sword back in its scabbard. “You surprised me. I drew out of habit. Sorry.”

  “No problem. This is probably the safest place—or at least the most secure—in all of Gateskeep. No need to draw your sword here.”

  Kate looked toward her boots. “I know. Sorry. The way things are right now, it has me on edge.”

  “Follow me.” Molara stepped into her private section and began unloading the contents of her basket onto the counter in her small kitchen. “So, what brings you here to jump at shadows? Were you here to see me or to enjoy the library?”

  “Sort of both,” Kate said. “I wanted to look something up in the books, but I also wanted to ask you about it.”

  Molara leaned over her counter, put her elbows on the surface, and put her chin in her palms. “Wonderful. What do you have for me? I love answering questions.”

  “Great. Let’s start with this one: have there ever been divisions within the Order to such an extent that new protocols were put into place to protect against human enemies?”

  “Yes.”

  Kate’s knees weakened enough that she grabbed the table to keep from falling. “What? Really? It’s that simple?”

  Molara eyed her friend as she stood straighter. “You asked me a simple question and I gave you a simple answer. What did you expect? The Order of the Fire is made up of humans, and if one thing can be said about humans, it’s that there are good as well as bad.

  “Think about it, Kate. Why would the Purple be secret? For that matter, why have a secret section of the library? It’s true that some of the information in the books in here could be dangerous to someone who doesn’t know how to properly use it, but it’s more to protect the knowledge from being leaked to the outside world.

  “Just out of curiosity, why did you ask the question?”

  “I passed by some of the firestones earlier, and when I saw the guards, it occurred to me that maybe something once happened to cause us to guard the stones at all times.”

  “Ah,” Molara said. “You’re right about that. That is exactly why we keep guards on the stones. Do you want to hear about it?”

  Kate pulled a chair out, sat in it, and scooted it closer to the table. She put her own elbows on the table and mimicked Molara’s posture until they were scant inches from each other, looking into each other’s eyes. “Yes, please.”

  Molara pursed her lips, ready to break out in a smile or to blow Kate a kiss, Kate wasn’t sure which. Her eyes sparkled and she flashed a bright smile, perfect white teeth reflecting the lantern light. “Very well. But first…tea!”

  The dark-haired Purple sprang to her feet and put a kettle on the fire as she busied herself in getting the tea leaves, honey, and some small cakes that Kate had been meaning to ask Molara about. They were fantastic. Where did they come from?

  Before she could ask, though, she thought of something else. “Molara, you told me that there are wards on the secret section here that keep sound from passing them. I’m on duty, so if the bell rings, I need to run for the gate. What if it rings and I can’t hear it?”

  “No worries about that. The bell is made to pass through any sound wards in the fortress.”

  “There are others?”

  “Of course, but none you need worry about.”

  Satisfied she could still perform her duty, Kate waited for the Purple to finish making tea.

  When everything was set out and the water was ready, Molara poured for herself and Kate.

  “We can’t very well have storytelling without tea and little cakes, now, can we?”

  Kate had been fidgeting, watching Molara scurry around the kitchen. She thought she had done a fine job of being patient, but it was at an end. “Molara! Will you just tell me the story already?”

  Molara’s lips slanted down into a pout as she flicked her hair from her face. Her ice blue eyes became liquid and she dipped her head.

  “Oh, please,” Kate said, and threw a cushion from a nearby chair at her.

  Molara burst into laughter, a fit of wheezing, snorting, honking laughter.

  Kate sat there watching her friend, her mouth a thin line.

  “Damn me and my inability to keep a straight face,” Molara said, tossing the cushion back.

  Kate finally smiled and laughed herself. “I thought for a second there I had misjudged you. I thought maybe you’d burst into tears because I’d hurt your feelings.

  “Then I remembered that you are the coolest, calmest person I know, and unless you were ill or under demon control, nothing as small as a scolding would make you emotional.”

  Molara mock scowled at her friend and then rushed her. Kate barely got her arms up in time to catch the hugging projectile that was her friend. They held onto each other for a moment, laughing into each others’ shoulders, and then released.

  “You are much too smart, Kate Courtenay.”

  “Which is why you love me so much,” Kate said reflexively.

  “True, true.” Molara pulled a stray wisp of hair from her face. “Well, then, if you are quite finished goofing off, I would like to tell you a story.”

  Kate hefted the cushion threateningly.

  Molara laughed again. “Okay, okay. Here, let’s have some tea and I’ll tell you what I know. Spoilsport.”

  Kate gently moved another stray lock of hair out of Molara’s face and trailed her finger down the Purple’s cheek. “Thanks, Mole. I knew you’d have answers for me. You’re the best.”

  “It’s true, I am. So then, the story. There are others, mind you, but the one I’m thinking of was close to three hundred years ago.

  “There was a group who called themselves the Eye, and they were in direct opposition to the Order. They had this grand plan to make a deal with the demons and hand over all of hum
anity if they were allowed to live. They bargained for a high position after the demons wiped out the rest of the humans.

  “It isn’t clear if they ever actually talked to any demons or if they were just deluded by the demons’ mental attacks. It didn’t matter, because they got it in their heads to sabotage the Order’s ability to fight the demons.

  “The first thing they tried was assassinating key officers. They were moderately successful, killing half of the eight they targeted. All of Gateskeep was in a buzz, trying to figure out how four of the higher officers were suddenly dead. Command pieced together what was happening by the accounts of those who survived. The ones who lived were not young, but were tough combat professionals. They fought off their assassins and survived, though one was seriously injured.

  “When that didn’t do the job, the Eye took the next logical step. They went after the large firestones covering the fortress and the gate area. They weren’t able to destroy them, thankfully, but they did steal two of them and remove them just before the demons launched a massive assault. It could have been a coincidence, but I think they had communicated in some way with the demons, or the demons with them.

  “The difference in protection against the demons was slight. Each Order soldier still wore his personal firestone, so though the battle went a little rougher than normal, the Reds were able to push the demons back to the gate. When it closed, the Order turned its attention to the missing stones.

  “That’s when the Black got involved.”

  Molara took a sip of tea and Kate raised her hand. “Wait. Why did they call their group the Eye?”

  “Oh, didn’t I mention that?” Molara said. “They based it on one of the runes on the gate itself. There’s one at the top, to the left of center, that looks like a half-lidded eye.”

  “But, what does the rune mean? It has to mean something, right? Does it have a deeper meaning for the group?”

  Molara frowned at her friend. “I’m sure it does mean something, but no one has ever been able to translate the runes. They had nothing to start with, nothing to compare it to. Throughout the Order’s history, there haven’t been many who could even understand much of the demon language, and none like Peiros.