In the sweltering heat, Felkin and Kieron sat trying to try to ascertain their situation despite the extreme temperature making clear thought more difficult. The heat was intense enough that it made rational thought hard and clouded their train of thinking. “What do we do now…” Felkin who had only a single droopy eye open, either due to exhaustion or the blowing desert wind. He spotted a structure in the distance. “There. Looks like a place we could go to.” She squinted and put her hand above her eyes to take a better look. “I think I’m looking at something. At least whatever it is, is better than being out here. Problem is can we even get there with this heat. Plus, I don’t think you can walk far with your wounds.” She remarked.
“My wounds are not a problem. If I just lay here and rest for a while, they’ll heal and I’d be able to walk.” He promptly closed his eye and began napping on the sands. “Hey wait. How long will this take?” “Maybe around a day.” “Hey! I don’t think we’ll make it much longer without any water.” She looked around angrily and then took to poking at him with little success. “Maybe you can, but I’m not waiting here until I’m completely buried and entombed in the sand.” She grasped onto his collar and began dragging him across the sand with one arm. She furiously walked under the blazing sun, tugging at Felkin who was ineffectively dragged across the ground.
“If you’ve gone and croaked, don’t blame me if I get hungry and I have to chop you up and roast you over a fire.” “Hmph.” Felkin grumbled as he put one hand on his sword. “Its just a joke, well if it’s a matter of living and dying, doing it won’t be so bad of a thing. I don’t suppose it’ll matter much because I’ll die here, around all this stupid sand with no one to ever find me.” She stopped walking momentarily to kick the sand.
“Would you be willing to do the same? To survive, I mean.” Kieron asked, genuinely. “I’d rather eat sand.” Felkin said sluggishly. “Those bandits back in the village, why did you kill them?” Kieron asked. Felkin ruminated on the question. “No reason except they attacked me, I had to defend myself and survive.” He remarked. “Are you considering the fact that maybe they were just trying to do the same?” She asked. “They’re the type to attack others’ first, I’m not going around and raiding villages.” Said Felkin. “What will you do if you come up on a camp of them?” He went silent as she put him down and retrieved some rope from her pocket and put it around Felkin’s body and began pulling him that way instead.
“I think you probably would wipe them out, and then if you need some supplies, you’ll “pick” a few items before leaving.” Kieron remarked. “I… Suppose you’re right.” He remarked. Silence. “We probably shouldn’t talk much, it’s a waste of energy.” Said Felkin. She grumbled something about dropping him and leaving him on the sand before returning to being quiet.
Back at the safehouse the others were in preparation. Metas sharpened his spear intently whilst trying to ignore the wound on his shoulder and was deep in thought. Ellyn tinkered with her prosthetic arm, a few chunks of the damaged wood splintered and crumbled off much to her dismay. Yuria held one of the bones left over from their meal, her eyes closed and in deep focus, small spears of blood jutted out from the space in front of her as the bone dissipated into thin air. “Guys, I don’t think this is a good idea.” The boy worriedly suggested to them in contrary to their plan. “Woah!” He remarked as he came face to face upon the blood tendrils before they receded into the ground. “I think we should be planning more? Maybe discuss a few things?” He suggested.
“Time is of the essence. The guarding of the capital is getting tighter, and they’ll quickly be on the lookout for me, for us.” Said Metas. “Maybe we can wait it out, wait for the search to go and eventually stop.” The boy remarked. “They already suspect them and they might even suspect that they’re somehow related to my actions, no doubt they’ll be detained or will have been already.” Metas answered. Ellyn emerged from the upstairs carrying crossbow bolts which she stuffed into her quiver. “Besides there’s something in the air, I can feel it.” Yuria interjected. “That bandit could also make a play for the cities at any time.” Answered Ellyn. “Where’s the barkeep? Let me get another opinion to convince them!” “He went back out to manage his business, also he has a name.” Answered Yuria.
“Hrk!” The boy was startled just before a large pillar of flame burst out of the ground, breaking apart a wooden table as a figure emerged from the center of the large room. The herald stood atop his mount, standing high enough to nearly touch the ceiling. Almost instantly, Ellyn shot a volley of arrows, Yuria sent out a blood tendril and Metas threw his spear much to the surprise of the rider. The horseman conjured a lance and deflected the arrows, created a spurt of flame to vaporize the blood, but found the chain spear thrown towards him inches away from his helmet and with a swift wave of his hand the projectile stopped in its tracks as well as the people there. Ellyn was in the middle of loading her arm’s crossbow with more ammo but was unable to move and dropped the bolts. Yuria was reaching into a pouch but could not manage another attack, and Metas was stopped just before he finished the motion of snapping his fingers to ignite his flame.
“Thou of the bright flame. I am herald to which I proclaim unto you; make way to your fated destination and-“The herald was cut off by a flash of steel, a swift attack which he barely blocked by his weapon, Jura jumped backwards as he held his pickaxe and shovel tightly. The herald’s horse jumped backwards and its hooves brought down furniture as a sharp glare could be sensed even from behind his draconic helmet. “You meddle in the affairs of my masters, old man?” His voice before was cold and uncaring but a hint of arrogance could be heard. The others were still motionless and Metas’ chain spear lay motionless in the air. The horseman aimed his lance at Jura while he readied himself with his weapons pointed in some sort of stance. Just before they both were going to jump in to attack, the white clothed Lady entered the room and placed a hand on the wall, and white vines suddenly emerged and encroached on the walls and up to the ceiling.
The herald taking notice of this, starts to fade back into a portal of flame. “I am a herald; I will see to it that my message will be conveyed. The flames cannot be controlled, we will not fade.” His gaze met the boy who cowered behind the others who stood still but was not forced to be unmoving. The boy had a concerned look on his face. The herald disappeared into thin air and then the group fell forward as their movement unwillingly continued. Metas’ chain spear fell to the ground and he quickly pulled it back and turned to Jura, pointing it at him. “What was that?” Metas asked. “Calm down. Put your weapon away.” Said Jura. Ellyn and Yuria were still on guard and they looked all around the room, at the white vines that grew upon it. The caretaker of the keep rushed in brandishing a crossbow and exclaimed: “What happened? I heard a commotion.”
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
“Its been taken care of.” Jura said as Metas and the others slowly lowered their weapons. The barkeep saw the broken furniture and the damaged interior and sighed. “Answer my question.” Metas’ expression remained serious. “That was a herald. A being from the realm bathed in flames.” The Lady clothed in white remained silent but smiled as she gently removed one of the leaves from the wall and the foliage disappeared. “Ah, back where it belongs.” She remarked. Metas stare shifted to her momentarily and then back to Jura. “I think you know more than you’re letting on. At every step, you’ve known more, and that there’s many that you’re withholding from us.” Said Metas. “Don’t you have something to attend to?” Jura moved and clinked his weapons together. As soon as he moved, Metas shot out a ball of flame but they soon found themselves outside.
All three were surprised and raised their weapons but Metas put his spear down in disappointment. The spot outside where the structure they where in was completely vacant, and Metas walked off to think. “Maybe I can do something to allow us to get back in?” Yuria asked. “No. We have all we need; we should just follow the plan.” Said Metas. “The plan could use him though…” Ellyn responded. “Let’s hope.” After Metas and the others disappeared, the small bullet of flame sped towards Jura which he promptly swatted it from the air. He then slowly leaned his weapons against a nearby chair and sat on with a deep sigh. “It seems like the seals were undisturbed.” She said as her hand tapped the wall and a sigil previously unseen appeared in the ceiling, glowing white and appearing to be a crown of flowers encircling a white dove. “Huh, we’ve not been here together for a while…” The boy said whilst sitting next to the windowsill.
The expanse outside was of a pure white color. The entire structure sat on what seemed to be an endless pile of white leaves, curving, and stretching out like plains of white hills as the sky was of the same color. It seemed dreamlike, everything shone with a bright radiance but it seemed monotone. The man was the only one who remained in the room that was of a more ordinary mortal sort, and he gawked at the view outside. “This place… My father told me about it!” “ “Oh yes, you were still here. What was your name again?” Jura asked. The man coughed briefly. “Henry. We briefly talked a few times.” Henry then walked forward and put down his crossbow on the counter.
He bowed to the lady and she did the same as response. He looked through every window each one giving view to an equally vast stretching landscape. “Ah!” He was then startled as a giant creature flew overhead above the structure. Squinting, he looked outside and saw creatures flying in the distance, that were hard to see because of their color matching the landscape. They appeared to be featureless flying creatures, like an shape merely resembling of a bird he had seen once. “What are those?” “Ah. They’re just curious about a new object in their territory, they’ll leave soon enough.” The lady remarked. “I hope so.” Henry quietly uttered. After she finished checking the smaller seals that adorned the walls, she walked to Jura to continue their discussion. “For a flame herald to enter here knowing its stepping out of its territory it must have been something important.”
“They’re gathering their power, preparing for a resurgence.” Jura answered. “Sorry to interrupt you sir, madam. But how exactly am I going to get out of here?” “Ah yes, you aren’t able to leave here.” The lady exclaimed. “Well, I can tidy up a few things around here.” He stated as he looked at some of the broken furniture and fallen decorations that were caused by the scuffle. “Its alright.” She then flicked her wrist and vines sprouted from the walls and pulled the broken pieces back together, seemingly with them being intact again and back into their rightful places. “Um.” Henry remarked. “Oh right.” Jura then stood up and picked up his shovel and pickaxe and tapped them together producing a faint ‘clink’. Henry then found himself outside, returned to the back alleys of the town. He was startled but then looked around. He looked back at where the building was, in awe.
“I at least hoped that I would catch the others here.” Said Henry. It was getting late in the day, after moments of standing around he set off into the town proper. Back in the realm of white leaves Jura took off his gauntlets and put them down on the counter. He slowly twisted and flicked his hands which were wrapped with bandages and old scars could be seen peeking from the wrappings. He sighed, sat on a stool and picked up something to drink. He raised his chin plate and drank. He then put the bottle down.
The lady in white cloth stared and waited, with a pleasant but vacant smile. “So where is he now?” she asked. Jura wore his chin plate again and strained his eyes. “Huh. He’s somehow come up on the realm of sands, dormant but alive.” He answered. “That place, few have traversed it and remained alive.” She stated with a quiet chuckle. “If he is weakened, he might fade out before you can reach him.” Jura looked harder. “No. There is someone with him, one of the sands. Looks like a capable warrior.” Jura clutched his head in discomfort. She put a hand on his shoulder. He then stood up and quickly wore his gauntlets. Lowering the plate on his face once again, he took a large swig of the bottle and put it down empty.
“I’m going to go now. These old bones tire easily.” As he walked towards the door, she interrupted him with conversation. “Another matter. The other boy, the knight of flames.” She exclaimed, referring to Metas. “Yes, the herald came for him.” Said Jura. “He possesses the hold of two realms, one of fire and one of death.” She answered. “I noticed. Those two forces have been warring so it seemed contradictory. ‘She’ must be making a move then.” The lady exclaimed. With these words Jura tightened his grip on his weapons. “Her. How long has it been…”? She exclaimed. “I will keep that in mind.” Jura then continued to walk towards the door.
Before going outside, he locked eyes with the boy who was in the corner of the room, watching them silently with a stern expression. ‘When I was away, you spoke with them. I don’t know what you told them but I hope it is something that would contribute to their survival.’ ‘I entrust them with you.” The boy nodded and seemed to understand him even without a word spoken between them. Jura opened the door and went out. He took a deep breath and gazed at the vast sight.
Using his weapons, his tools; He dragged them across the ground slowly and the motion kicked up leaves and slowly turned, in a sight which resembled a sort of ritual or dance. He crossed his weapons together and slammed them into the ground. The leaves slowly fell and settled on the ground as Jura was no longer to be seen. The boy remained inside, unspeaking and in deep thought. “Jura…” “Guys, I wish you luck.” His mind flashing to distant days of camaraderie and to the image of Metas’ group. The Lady briefly looked at him and then continued to attend to the house. With a sigh, the boy exerted exaggerated effort and jumped up, with a look of determination.