Reading a book by candlelight in the quant and nearly barren office of the baroness, Ark furrowed his brow as he went over the details of the ledger before him.

After talking with Vermal for two hours straight, Ark reached a better understanding about the Fey household and his current predicament.

For starters, Baroness Fey wasn't a noble, not originally at least. She had worked in Roland’s palace as a servant, an attendant to the Queen and babysitter for Loyd before tasting a soup meant for the young prince that left her with a life-long disease.

As compensation for her actions and saving the youngest prince, she was awarded a barony and the company of an old knight to be her steward.

And what did she do with that reward?

She created a home for slaves and prostitutes, buying young girls like Vermel and various slaves to put to work on her fields where they wouldn't be beaten and mistreated.

A noble deed, but one not without consequences.

Ark looked over the various documents and ledgers of slaves who had been bought and freed as well as the costs of smuggling and sending slaves out of the country.

In short, there was a reason the house was falling apart.

“Incredible…” Ark said, a newfound respect for the baroness despite breaking into her office.

From what Vermal had disclosed, nothing the baroness did was illegal, after all the people she bought were considered her property, but it did eat up an astronomical amount of money. In fact they were hermorging money in pursuit of this goal.

Ark sat back in Lady Fey’s chair, a small smile on his face.

“Guess there's still some good in this world,” Ark mused to himself before turning his attention back to the books and reading the names of the various merchants.

“Mr. Yellow, Mr. Green, Mr. Red…” Ark muttered, turning the page. “Aliases no doubt…”

Maybe he could use them.

Suddenly an orange glow began to peak into the room, catching Ark’s eye who turned and looked out the window.

“The hell?” Ark frowned, eyeing the fires raging at the edge of the plantation.

Suddenly a bell began to ring a long with shouts and screams of distress as those outside woke up to the flames.

“Shit,” Ark closed the ledger and raced out of the office, moving towards the foyer where Welkin stood in his bunny imprint pajamas speaking to the guard named Sain.

“What's going on?” Ark demanded, quickly descending the stairs.

“Milord, nothing to worry about, seems a serf left a fire unattended, we're currently handling the situation right now,” Welkin said as the double doors of the manor burst open.

“Sir Welkin!” The red-haired guard from the training yard yelled, fear on his face and out of breath as he entered the domicile. “The fire is spreading rapidly! We don't have enough buckets!”

“Kent, take a sleipnir and ride out to Chelsea manor and request Lord Chelsea for aid,” Welkin ordered before turning to Sain, “Wake all available serfs, have them organize into fire lines from the wells to rush water to contain the flames.”

“Welkin?” Lady Fey asked, shuffling down from a corridor with Vermel’s help. “What's going on?”

“Nothing you need worry about milady,” Welkin said as the two guards took off.

Using the Baroness’s distraction, Ark stepped outside to observe the growing blaze in the distance.

“At that rate the flames will consume the domicile,” Soliloquy stated as Ark pursed his lips and opened his spell list that had almost recovered.

Got any idea how to help? Ark asked, at a loss of how to combat such a fire without the aid of a mage.

“The flame isn't magical in nature, if you grasp the flame, you should be able to delay the spread at its current size.”

Ark blinked, looking down at his palm.

Alright, let's do this.

Ark took off, alarming Fey who sent Welkin after the teen racing through the fields.

“Get more pails! Anyone that can hold a pail bring them here now!” A serf yelled, throwing water at the blaze that seemed to have little effect on the fires consuming the crops.

Upon approaching the blaze Ark stopped and gawked, admiring the wall of fire that stood before him and the crowd hard at work fighting the fire.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

How the hell am I going to stop that?

“We must position ourselves on the opposite end.”

You want me to run through it?!

“Mortal flames shan't harm your vessel featherling.”

Are you saying I'm fireproof?!

“Fire resistant,” Soliloquy said, the chicken on his shoulder seeming to be mulling over something.

Well am I resistant enough to run through scorching flames?! Ark sent, doubting the phoenix as the flames inches closer.

“Trust thee or don't. If thou wish to save your nest then you must brave the flames as all featherlings do.”

Ark grit his teeth, the fire reflecting in his eyes as Welkin finally caught up.

“Young Lord! It isn't safe! You must away from here!” Welkin barked, approaching Ark who turned and flashed a smirk.

“Fuck it. We ball,” Ark muttered.

The old knight went wide-eyed, jaw agape, his heart skipping a beat as the disowned prince suddenly leapt forward into the flames.

“MASTER LOYD!” Welkin reached out yet, froze his hands snapping away from the flames.

Ignoring the numerous panic screams and shouts of disbelief, Ark raced forward, the flames biting his skin and setting his linen clothes alight.

“Resistant huh?!” Ark yelled through gritted teeth before his body suddenly became filled with energy.

[Status: Ignited]

His breathing became easier, body lighter, his muscles stronger as he sailed through the flames.

Out of the flames Ark soared, landing on the opposite end of the raging inferno with his body flooded with vigor and vitality.

“What is this…” Ark muttered, his body oozing out impurities as his ki became energized.

“Now or never featherling,” Soliloquy said, snapping Ark from his stupor with the latter throwing out his palm towards the heat.

“Grasp flame!” Ark yelled, the blazing inferno twisting and heeding Ark’s beckoning as Soliloquy opened her beak.

The fire began to move exponentially, the flames spiraling towards Soliloquy's mouth whose tiny body began to emit black flames.

“Pull harder!”

Ark dug his heels in and pulled at the air, the heat that wrapped around his hand intense as the fire succumbed to his will.

Before long, the flames began to wane, the heat in the air dying down with Welkin stepping forward along with a number of guards to eye Ark who stood with a flaming chicken in his hands.

“A phoenix…” Welkin muttered, fear and disbelief clear in his old eyes.

Ark frowned, “I can exp-”

“This fire is not natural.”

What? Ark blinked looking down at the Soliloquy.

“There is accelerant. Naturally occuring flames spread rapidly but not as fast as this.”

How can you be sure? Ark sent, ignoring Welkin attempting to speak to him and looking around.

“I am the mother of all phoeni, featherling, I know flames.”

Ark pursed his lips, the edges of his eyes crinkling as he tried to piece together why someone would lay out accelerant and start a fire unless-

“A diversion…” Ark muttered, eyes wide.

“What?” Welkin asked.

“A diversion! The fire was a diversion! Get to the house!” Ark yelled, taking off towards the manor with new found energy coursing through his small frame.

Arriving at the manor’s foyer, Ark felt a pang of pain shoot through his body as his eyes settled on the fresh blood staining the floor.

“Lady Fey!” Welkin barked, drawing his sword and rushing after Ark who followed the trail of blood leading down the corridor towards the Baroness's room.

However, contrary to their fears, the path of blood led not to the Baroness, but to a dead stranger garbed in leather with his throat cut.

“Assassins!” Welkin hissed before a scream sounded and a loud thud echoed through the home.

Ark and Welkin were off, racing through the hallway where they were met by a band of intruders. At the forefront, a woman with purple hair wielded a bronze axe with a handguard on it.

“Shit,” The woman scowled as Ark’s eyes went round, his gaze focused on the bloodied Vermel who lay unmoving with a dagger beside her body.

Beside her, the baroness doing her best to stem the bleeding from the injured slave as two red-haired women brandished makeshift weapons of a table leg and a curtain rod to protect the noble.

“Fiend!” Welkin spat, rocketing forward so fast Ark's eyes could barely register the man's movement until his weapon clashed against the purple-haired assassin's axe.

“Kill the bitch! I'll keep the old man company!” The woman spat before she was sent flying out the window but not before grabbing ahold of Welkin and taking him with her.

The bandits moved on the noble, completely ignoring Ark who they disregarded.

But this was a mistake, Soliloquy jumped up, illuminating the room, her tiny frame ballooning for a moment before spewing hot flames that disorientated the ruffians long enough for Ark to grab a hold of Fey.

“LET'S GO! GRAB VERMEL!” Ark roared, ordering the two slave girls as Soliloquy set the entire room alight.

“Go! I will cover our rear milord!” Sain yelled, the young guard brandishing his blade as Ark and the others ran with the injured woman.

Racing out of the manor Sain shut the double doors, locking the intruders inside while the Baroness called for her guards.

“Get in! Go!” Ark ordered, bringing the baroness to the sleipnir carriage that had been set up to retrieve House Chelsea mage.

“Loyd! What are you doing? Get in here!” Fey demanded as Ark waited until Vermel was inside before shutting the door.

“Take the baroness away from here! Now!” Ark ordered, the young guard named Kent hesitating for a moment before nodding and taking off despite the baroness screaming. “Go! Go!”

Ark clenched his jaw, his brow furrowed with anxiety as he watched the carriage depart and Sain scream out as the sound of shattering glass sounded.

Then, a moment later, Ark spun, turning to face the group of bandits forcing their way out of the manor as Sain and the other House Fey guards readied themselves for a fight.

Ark inhaled, holding the scent of ash in his lungs for a moment before exhaling.

A smile descended on Ark’s face, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous glint as he wet his lips.

“I don't need to eat them to steal their time right?” Ark asked, seemingly to no one as the Fey guards rallied to defend him and face off against the intruders.

“You need only claim a life to steal it's time. However it would be more efficient to eat them.”

“How about I let you feast their corpses?” Ark asked, holding out the iron dagger that he'd picked up from Vermal.

“... That would suffice.”

“Perfect,” Ark said before giving the order to attack.