Enflamed (Book 2) (11 page)

Senseless fighting deserved no
reward. Aidan had been reluctant to accept the lavish meal, but his hunger had
overcome his willpower.

He left the Prancing Dragon
Inn and enjoyed the peacefulness of the city in the festival’s aftermath. He
leaned against the wall of the inn but winced when he felt the small, hard nubs
in his back pressing against it. They often itched, and accidentally agitating
them
tended to cause him sharp pains. He shifted slightly to
the side to take the pressure off his upper back. He idly scanned the dirty,
debris-ridden streets that were devoid of the hundreds of people that had
filled the plaza only hours before.

“Ah! Aren’t you the one called
... Aidan?” asked a youthful voice.

Aidan discovered an adolescent
young man standing before him, staring in awe. The young man’s clothes were torn
to rags; his skin was mottled with dirt, as was his tawny, unkempt hair.

The youth smiled brightly. “It
is
you!
The champion of the contest.
I can’t
believe I had the great honor of watching you fight!”

Aidan frowned. “Aidan is no
champion.”

“What do you mean? All the
children here love you! You’re their hero—and mine, too.”

“What is your name, boy?”

“It’s Carver, and it’s such an
honor to know you.”

Aidan pushed himself off the
wall and scrutinized him. “Carver, when Aidan was little boy, his master once
told him, ‘There is no honor in senseless violence. It is easy to hurt people,
but hard to help people.’”

Carver lowered his head. “I
... I’m sorry, sir, I didn’t mean ... I just ... I admire your strength and the
way you move. I want to be like you. How did you get so strong?”

Aidan chuckled. “Aidan ate
good and worked hard—very hard.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but strength comes in
all forms.” Aidan pointed to one of his own bulging biceps. “This ... will
never be as strong as
this.
” He tapped the side of his head.

Carver furrowed his brow.
“What does that mean?”

“Mind is stronger than body.”

“O
–
oh, I think I
understand.... So what is the sense of having a strong body if you don’t like
to use it?”

Aidan shrugged. “Aidan uses
his strength when needed—not because he can.” He spotted faint, shadowy
movement in the corner of his eye. Curious, Aidan stared at the night sky. It
was empty, but he heard the batting of small wings and exhaled slowly.
Oh,
it must be Kaijin’s little pet bat.

He heard a crow caw in the
distance. His brow furrowed slightly.
A crow?
This late at night?
Must be my
imagination.

“Is something wrong?” Carver
asked.

Aidan turned back to the young
man and shook his head. “No, Aidan is just hearing and seeing things. He is tired.
It has been long day.”

Carver nodded once. He smiled
again and flexed his arms. “So, do you think I have what it takes to be strong
like you?”

The boy’s thin, malnourished
frame made Aidan grimace. “Aidan thinks you should eat something. You are practically
skin and bone.”

“That would be nice, wouldn’t
it?” Carver chuckled weakly. “I don’t have money, though—and I don’t intend to
beg for it, either.”

“You should go back to
orphanage with the other children. The streets are no place for you.”

“The orphanage won’t let me
in. I’m too old.
Fifteen.”

Aidan pondered a moment and
then gestured toward the inn. “Go stay in Aidan’s room, then. You will get free
meal tomorrow.”

Carver blinked.
“W
–
what?
But, I
couldn’t do that. What about you? Where will you sleep?”

“Aidan feels better sleeping
outside. Now, go. Get
key
from innkeeper. The room is
upstairs, second door on right.” Aidan cast a stern gaze when the boy opened
his mouth to protest.

Carver bolted into the inn,
yelling over his shoulder, “Th—
thank
you, sir! Oh,
thank you! You are not only a hero, but the most generous person I’ve ever
met!”

Once the boy was gone, Aidan
returned to the wall and resumed his thoughts. His eyes trailed back to the
spot where he had seen movement earlier, but all was peaceful. Somehow, though,
he still had a faint feeling that he was being watched. He slid down to the
dirty ground and drew his knees to his chest. From where he sat, he had a good
view of the empty plaza. He couldn’t stop dwelling on Gaston’s words.
A
‘savage’, he called me. And what was this ‘power’ he kept talking about?

After what seemed like hours,
Aidan’s eyelids drooped. He huddled into a more comfortable position and
finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

As Carver ascended the final stair
to the inn’s second floor, he realized he wasn’t alone. He scanned the darkened
hallway, and his ears rang from the absolute silence. After a while, however,
he shook off the paranoid feeling and quietly crept to the second door on his
right. He slid the small iron key into the lock but didn’t turn it. Perhaps
some trace of the paranoia remained, because he pressed his ear to the door and
listened carefully, instead. He heard nothing in the room beyond, and he turned
the key. To his surprise, the door was already unlocked. He slowly eased the
door open a crack and peered inside.

“Hello?” Carver called
timidly. Moonlight poured in from the open window, creating shadows that danced
about the floor and ceiling. When Carver received no response, he entered. As
he did, a black crow flew through the window. Carver stopped in his tracks,
watching in shock as the crow perched itself atop the bed’s footboard.

The crow tilted its head,
scrutinizing Carver, and then it hopped to the floor. It suddenly began to grow
in size, taking the shape and likeness of a male human. Shadows flared over the
skirts of the man’s long, flowing garb as he crept into the dim light. He
glanced briefly at Carver before turning his attention to the doorway.

Carver rubbed his eyes.
Did
I just see that?
He had an uneasy feeling in his gut, and he shuffled back
slowly. “Ah, I—I am sorry. I must be in the wrong room.” He backed away until
he hit something solid.

“No, my boy,” a male voice
commanded.

Carver heard the door shut
behind him, and he turned around. He paled, staring upon a looming silhouette
of an armored figure. “P
–
please forgive
me, sir. I didn’t mean to intrude. I will leave now.”

“No.” The man held up his
gauntleted hand and nodded to the shadowy figure behind Carver.

Carver heard soft mutterings
and saw a small flicker of firelight. The shadow-clad figure stood before them,
holding a candle. Its warm, flickering glow lit the stranger’s bearded, haggard
face. He met Carver’s gaze and cast a grim smile. Then he turned and proceeded
to light the remaining candles around the room.

“That’s much better. Thank
you, Raban,” the armor-clad man said. “After all, how are we to conduct
business in the dark, hmm?”

Carver stared at the two men.
His eyes settled on the larger, armored one, whose regal aura intrigued him. He
relaxed a bit. “
Wh
–
who
are you? What—what do you want with me?”

The armored man removed his
gauntlets. “I would like to present you with an offer. You’re a young lad with
ambition. Yet, you have fallen short of those goals.”

Carver tilted his head. “I
don’t understand....”

“You have not seen what it’s
like to earn the respect of the world. And you consult with ... lesser beings
to find your way. Creatures like Aidan are incapable of taking you far.”

Carver smiled. “Oh! You saw me
talking with Aidan? He’s really generous. Do you know him as well, sir?” Carver
paused and scrutinized the man closely. “Wait a minute. I think I know you.
From the fight, yes?
Gaston, wasn’t it?”

Gaston nodded once and
smirked. “I see my efforts have been admirable to some.”

“You were amazing to stand up
to someone like Aidan. He beat you pretty quick....”

Gaston scoffed. “I think not.
I let him win. It was all for entertainment, anyway. If I truly wanted to hurt
him, I would have.”

“I don’t know, sir. Aidan’s
pretty strong.”

Raban snickered lightly.

Gaston bristled and shot a
piercing gaze at him, and Raban’s expression quickly went stone again.

“I don’t need to prove
anything to you, boy,” Gaston continued in a sour tone. “But I warn you to stay
away from Aidan. His kind is a danger to society. He will prey upon your
naïveté and use it to destroy you.”

Carver blinked, confused.
But Aidan is too nice and generous to hurt anyone ... isn’t he?
“No, he
helped me. How could he possibly be dangerous?”

“Of course.
He’s only masking his true intentions by ‘helping’
you. His
kind are
masters of deception. Do not trust
him. This is your final warning. I’ve spoken to the guards, and they are
already wary of him and in the process of throwing him out of the city. However,
they are being cautious in their efforts, to avoid drawing too much attention
to the situation. The last thing the city needs is mass panic. Aidan may have
...
friends
—others of his kind. My group is still in the process of
seeking them out while the guards are busy doing their duties.”

Carver chewed his bottom lip.
He
was
mighty quick to help me.
“Maybe I
have
been too quick to
trust. I’ve been desperate to get off the streets; it might end up biting me in
the ass one of these days. Thank you for telling me about this, sir.”

Gaston nodded. “I would like
to offer you an opportunity to make something of yourself.
To
show the world your strength.”

Carver tapped his chin.
“Work?
You mean
,
I won’t have to
scrap for coin anymore?”

“Of course
not.
You will be among brothers
and sisters fighting for a worthy cause, cleansing the world of its evils and
being revered as a hero. And in the end, you will find riches beyond your
wildest dreams.” Gaston approached Carver and studied him. “Tell me your name.”

“It’s Carver.”

“Carver, have you heard about
the terrible tragedy that befell the town of Easthaven a few weeks ago?”

Carver blinked.
What an
odd, yet disturbing question to ask
. “Who hasn’t heard of that? I can’t
believe such a horrible thing happened! That’s why Faywald’s filled with
refugees. I heard some mages from Ghaeldorund were responsible for it all.”

Gaston chucked. “Yes, of
course, everyone blames the mages. But it is not so.”

“It wasn’t the mages?
Then, who?
I heard the city was engulfed in flames and
practically burned everything to the ground.”

“Indeed, it was. However, the
mages are not to blame—not this time.” Gaston looked at Carver closely. “The
city was destroyed by a Dragon.”

Carver gaped and paled.
“A ... a
Dragon?
How can you be so certain?”

“Because, in
my many years of experience, I’ve studied the nature of the Dragons.
I visited Easthaven—or what was left of it—just
recently, and discovered several clues that led me to believe that its
destruction was the work of a Dragon.”

“But Dragons are supposed to
be the guardians of the world, aren’t they?”

“Yes, if you believe all that
Celestran drivel.” Gaston scowled. “The Dragons have been known to flaunt their
powers and control lesser creatures—including humans. I have seen it for
myself. And it is up to people like us to ensure that they do not take over.”

“But why would a Dragon
destroy a whole city?”

“The motives of Dragons are as
erratic as the gods themselves. We may never know. All we can do is
prepare
.”

Carver frowned. “I hope
Faywald is not next.”

“It doesn’t have to be.”
Gaston smiled again, and he extended his hand to Carver. “Will you join us?”

X

“Why Ignis,
Kaijin?”

Kaijin broke from his thoughts
and regarded Nester, who walked ahead of him.
The
group—including Aidan, who had eventually made up his mind—had walked since
early that morning, trekking southward back through the Forest of Winds.

“Why not?”
Kaijin asked the brownie.

“Most ’umans I know follow
Celestra, not a god of fire.” Nester shrugged.
“Celestra’s
th’ creator an’ all that.”

Aidan scoffed. “Aidan thinks
to each his own.”

Nester glanced over his
shoulder toward the giant, who brought up the rear. “Let me guess. Your master
told you that when you were a little boy, too, right?”

Aidan frowned. “No. It is what
Aidan believes. There would be less violence in the world if people were more
tolerant toward one another.”

“Does my faith trouble you,
Nester?” Kaijin asked.

Nester whipped his head back
around.
“Nay!
I was only curious. Sometimes, I think
you’re deeper in your faith than some of
th
’ warders!
Even
I
know that fiddlers don’t get their powers from
th
’
gods.”

Kaijin sighed. “I follow Ignis
because ever since I was young, I’ve had a fondness for fire. One day, I was
given a book about the gods, where I learned that there was a god of fire.
Since then, every time I look at a flame, I try to see if I can find Ignis
inside.”

Zarya smiled. “But Ignis
is
fire, Kaijin. You are already looking at Him, yes?”

Kaijin stared at the ground.
“Yes, perhaps. But part of me senses there is something more to find within a
burning flame. I always envisioned the image of Ignis to be something beyond
its surface.” He smiled slightly.
“Something indescribable.
Something—” He halted, nearly tripping over Nester.

The brownie stood stock-still,
his eyes focused on the road ahead. His fingers twitched at his sides.

“Nester?”
Zarya looked curiously at him.

“Shh!” Nester said, placing a
finger to his lips. His ears twitched.
“I ’ear voices
nearby.”

Aidan walked a few paces ahead
of the group and sniffed the air. He slowly scanned the area.

Kaijin felt his comrades’
tension, as well as a slight shift in the air. He looked to the skies and
mentally called to Miele. Within moments, the bat fluttered from the treetops
and circled the area, letting out soft, high-pitched shrieks in her
nervousness.

He waited a few uneventful
moments before calling to his companions. “Come on, everyone. Let’s keep
moving.”

They proceeded along the road
for several minutes but soon slowed again.

Nester’s ears perked.
“Someone’s ’ere.”
He eyed the underbrush. “I think we’re
bein’ watched.”

Kaijin briefly acknowledged
the brownie, but something else caught his attention ahead. Thick plumes of smoke
billowed from a large object. Intrigued, he slowly approached.

“Kaijin!”
Zarya yelled.

Kaijin ignored her and entered
the clearing, drawn by the smoke. He found what appeared to be the smoldering
remains of wood, metal, and debris.

Something glinted beneath a
splintered piece of wood. Curious, he pushed the piece of wood aside with his
foot and uncovered an old, silver locket. He picked it up and closely examined
it. Etched on the cover was an arcane rune that meant ‘storm’.

Before he could study it further,
he felt a sharp ping in his mind. He saw Miele flying above him, flapping
frantically before disappearing into the treetops. Kaijin stuffed the locket in
his haversack, then heard the nearby bushes rustle and froze.

He looked to his group. Zarya
and Nester approached him, tensed, scanning the area around them. Aidan
remained where he stood with his head tilted back, focused on the treetops.

“Show yourselves!” Aidan
yelled.

Several dark-clad figures
flitted through the trees before concealing themselves in the shadows once
more. Two others leapt from the bushes and landed before Aidan.

Aidan narrowed his eyes at the
two strangers, leather-armored young human men. They slowly drew their
longswords from their belt sheaths.

Aidan scowled. “Let us pass.”

The elder of the two men
stepped forward, scrutinizing the giant. “You ... whatever you are ... are
trespassing. Turn around and leave.” He paused and acknowledged Kaijin, Zarya,
and Nester. “That goes for the rest of you, too.”

Another man emerged from the
underbrush and aimed a nocked arrow at Kaijin. “Get away from there.”

Kaijin blinked, startled by
the man’s sudden appearance. He clutched his haversack close to his body with
one hand and balled his other hand into a fist, as he prepared to utter the spell
that was forming on the tip of his tongue.

“’Ey, now!”
Nester stood between Aidan and the two strangers in
front of them. “No need for all this, y’know? We were just passin’ through,
aye!”

The two men sneered at the
brownie.

“Besides, I’d not get Aidan,
’ere, mad if I were you,” Nester continued. “I’ve seen this ’ulkin’ bloke in
action. ’
E’s ’arder than my Aunt Netta’s cakes!”

Aidan frowned.
“Nester!”

“Enough!” the elder man
snapped. “This is your last warning. Turn back now, or—”

A clicking sound came from the
trees, catching Kaijin’s attention. He kept the canopy in view from the corner
of his eye while he slowly backtracked to rejoin the rest of his comrades. The
archer near him followed closely, the point of his arrow trained unerringly at
Kaijin.

“No,” Aidan said, stretching
out his hand. “No violence.”

“Please!” Zarya shouted,
looking at the men pleadingly. “Why are you doing this? We mean no harm. Please
let us through.”

The elder man huffed. “We obey
no one. Go back to town with the rest of the refugees, or find another route.”

“But we’re not refugees,”
Zarya said. “We do not know any other route through this forest. We will not be
a bother if you just let us through.”

The elder man raised his hand.
“You’ve been warned.”

At the gesture, Kaijin turned
his full attention to the treetops. He heard the twang and whistles of
crossbows firing and suddenly felt himself tackled to the ground by Aidan.

“Get down!” the giant
exclaimed, shielding everyone from the incoming blows with his body.

Nester yelped from beneath the
large creature. “Don’t crush me, mate! I ain’t ready to die yet!”

All Kaijin could see was
Aidan’s broad, bare chest, covered in tiny, almost invisible, silver scales.
Being pinned beneath Aidan’s body, Kaijin felt helpless. He wriggled weakly,
trying to free himself, but Aidan’s recumbent bulk was too heavy.

“Aidan!” he cried, his voice
muffled by the bulk. “What are you doing? Get off us!”

Aidan winced and
grunted,
his face paling and contorting with pain. His
breathing became ragged.

Zarya lay on her back, staring
up at Aidan, petrified. “What have you done?”

When the attack ceased, Aidan
rolled off his comrades, stood up slowly, and faced his attackers. He turned
away from his companions, revealing rivulets of blood running from dozens of crossbow
wounds.

Kaijin, Zarya, and Nester
scrambled to their feet. They gasped at the sight of Aidan’s back.

“By the goddess!”
Zarya exclaimed. “Aidan!” She rushed toward the fray,
withdrawing her mace. Glaring at the three visible attackers, she ordered,
“Stand down! He is hurt! Haven’t you ruffians done enough?”

While the priestess attempted
to reason with the brigands near her, Kaijin heard leaves rustle and the
ratchet of crossbows being reloaded. He looked sidelong at Nester, whose ears
twitched nervously.

“More of ’em,” he muttered to
Kaijin, his gaze focused elsewhere. “This ain’t good, mate.” He pulled four
darts—two in each hand—out from his leather jerkin and scanned the trees.

Kaijin heard another sound,
and he glimpsed a shadowy figure moving about the branches. Nester flung two
darts at the figure. They hit their target, and the figure collapsed from the
hiding spot.

The fallen figure grunted, and
the crossbow dropped. The man’s leather-clad body hung limp from the branches, which
bent beneath his weight. The trees rustled as other figures scrambled to fill
the gap left by their companion’s fall.

Kaijin watched Nester dispatch
two more hidden brigands from the trees with the remaining darts. One of them
fell and hit the ground with a loud thump. Soon, the treetops were still, empty
of the archers.

Kaijin rushed to Zarya, who
called forth a translucent force shield around them both just as a flail of
arrows came at them from the three men. Four more men emerged from behind the cart,
weapons aimed at his group.

“Deal with these insolent
fools,”
ordered the fiery voice in
Kaijin’s mind.

Kaijin licked his lips and
concentrated, recalling one of his spells. The world turned a wavering orange
hue, and the air around him began to shimmer. He felt the pulsating heat of his
necklace as he uttered, “
Flammvallum!
” Flames erupted from Kaijin’s
hands, leapt to the ground, and created a blazing wall around the four
brigands, halting them before they got far from the cart. The heat and brightness
intensified, and they recoiled in unison.

“Woa!
Woa! That smarts!” Nester exclaimed, scrambling
backwards and shielding his eyes.

Amid the chaos, the three
brigands by Zarya attacked. Sparks showered as a sword blade clashed between
one of the flanges of her iron mace, and the sword’s heavy impact nearly
dropped her to her knees. Steel flashed as two more blades came at her. As she
raised her mace against the second wave of attacks, Aidan shoved her away. She
stumbled but regained her footing.

Grunting in pain, Aidan
absorbed the brunt of the attacks on his thick skin. Blood oozed from the
crossbow wounds, but he remained on his feet, swaying. “Enough. Enough
fighting....”

The three men wheeled and
swung their swords at Aidan. He fell to one knee, attempting to dodge the
incoming blows. The steel blades glanced off his silver skin and clashed
together.

Aidan struggled back to his
feet and threw himself at the group of men, knocking them to their backs and pinning
them to the ground, weapons dropped. He crushed them with his weight, and the
men cried out helplessly.

“No more,” Aidan groaned.

The flames danced as Kaijin
guided them with a subtle move of his hand, entrapping his four opponents in a
burning prison. He relished the sounds of the men’s screams.

“Do not disappoint me,”
the fiery voice told him.

Kaijin clenched his fist, and
the flames intensified. Slowly, he began to slip into the heart of the fire,
losing himself within. The ravaging flames swirled in a firestorm of chaos as
if it attained a mind of its own.

“Kaijin!
Stop it!”

Zarya’s voice sounded distant
to Kaijin’s ears. His necklace pulsated more strongly as his rage intensified.

“Enough!” Aidan growled.

Out of the corner of his eye,
Kaijin saw Aidan stand and approach him. When Aidan was mere footsteps away,
the flames’ heat intensified in reaction to his presence. Aidan halted, and
Kaijin resumed his torment of the brigands, realizing the giant was no longer a
threat. Kaijin manipulated the flames, stoking them, relishing the screams of
the four men as the fire consumed them.

The flames soon extinguished
on their own,
and Kaijin collapsed to his knees. He took a
deep breath, inhaling the ash and smoke that lingered in the air, and he
coughed. His red-orange-hued vision soon subsided. He felt groggy, as though he
had been roused from a dream.

The three
remaining brigands—archers that had been trapped beneath Aidan—rolled around in
pain.
Slowly, they clambered to
their feet, one by one. They surveyed the destruction around them and exchanged
worried glances.

“Let’s get out of here!”
Holding his midsection, one turned and hobbled off into the forest.

Another injured brigand
watched his comrade leave before taking a last look at the smoldering, ash-filled
clearing, littered with the charred corpses of his fallen cronies. Frowning, he
turned to his other living companion. “Come on!”

Together, the two men hobbled
into the forest, following after their comrade.

Kaijin had an empty, yet
satisfied feeling inside. The others in his group all stared at him in awe and
horror.