Rise of the Flame

by K.N. Lee

  Risa pursed her lips, but didn’t dispute the claim. Jaiza was right.

  Jaiza twisted her fine, blonde hair into a bun at the top of her head and tied it. She had killed before. She didn’t need her hair getting in the way.

  “He’s mine.” Jaiza stood and led the way.

  The large stone doorway at the end of the hall was open. Sheer curtains floated into the hallway as the open windows let a gentle breeze into the manor. The master doors were always open. There was no need for privacy when you had an entire wing as your personal quarters.

  They tip-toed towards the door with many doubts and fears circling their minds as they contemplated what they were about to do. Jaiza held Risa’s hand as she abruptly stopped before the door. She put a finger to her mouth and looked at her sister.

  “Shh,” Jaiza whispered as quietly as she could. “Try and hold your breath girls.”

  Risa sniffed the fragrant toxins in the air and covered her mouth and nose.

  They heard him snoring and nothing else. It was so hot that Jaiza could feel the sweat drip from between her breasts. She drew in a deep breath and motioned for Risa and Kelsi to stay put.

  The Duke of Avia’Torena was a cruel master and from the darkness, the girls glared at him with disgust and hatred. Jaiza slid the dagger from her sleeve and stalked into the room. Not a floorboard creaked or a footstep was heard. Jaiza could have been the stealthiest girl in the world.

  Pirin had taught her well.

  The others waited in suspense, afraid that one of the house guards would come at any moment. They had chosen the perfect night. The entire staff, soldiers and servants were drunk on potent wine and slept in a stupor.

  With a little help from the kitchen, the guards even had spiked soup for supper. The cooks help was irreversible, she had already set the other slaves free, but the twins had more business to attend to. They could not fail. If they were captured they would be hung as an example towards every slave or servant in Avia’Torena.

  But soon, they would all be free… as long as Jaiza didn’t betray her skills. She was ready. Nothing could stop her.

  Up until that night there had been little hope of escaping, but when they heard the Duke of Avia’Torena talk of how the Flame had escaped the imperial palace, Jaiza and Risa knew. Their destiny was not to live as slaves for the rest of their lives. Their destiny was to be by Lilae’s side, saving the world. That was how it always should have been and they now knew and accepted that fact.

  Without the slightest sound, Jaiza clamped her hand over the duke’s mouth and slit his throat. She watched his eyes pop open and then the blood began to gush from his neck, soaking into his bed. A tear fell from Jaiza’s eyes as she watched him stare at her in terror and pain.

  The duke tried to yell, but only a grotesque gurgling sound was heard. He deserved every moment of agony for what drudgery and perversion he put them though.

  When the light faded from his eyes she gave him one last courtesy of covering his face with a thin quilt at the foot of his bed. Then, Jaiza turned and wiped her wet face. With a nod, the girls all smiled. They couldn’t believe it. It was done.

  Now; to escape.

  Jaiza crossed the room and the others followed behind her. Down the long, labyrinth-like, hallways they went and the cook was waiting. She wrung her hands together. A look of worry creased her forehead as she watched them approach.

  “Is it done?” Emirra asked, still wringing her hands nearly raw. Her gray hair was pulled into a messy ponytail and her face was smeared with soot from cleaning the hearth. Despite knowing she would be either escaping or hung that night, she still made sure everything in that kitchen was spotless.

  “Of course it is,” Jaiza answered. “We told you we could do it.”

  Emirra gave a nod. “Good,” her eyes counted the girls. “All right, we better get moving then!” She grabbed her sack from behind the kitchens heavy wooden door.

  The other girls went to the cupboards and pulled their own sacks from the shelves. They packed essentials, food and a change of clothes from the duke’s wife’s wardrobe. Risa and Jaiza stood ready. They were used to such nights when everything was left behind, except the essentials. But never had they been more ready to leave a place in their entire lives.

  “This way,” Emirra motioned for them to follow her and down the dark hallway they went.

  The silence with in the manor was deafening and each girl held their breath in fear of being seen or heard. Jaiza could feel her heart thumping in her chest. She was afraid of getting caught but that only meant that she and Risa would have to kill more people, for their freedom.

  Nearly a year ago Jaiza knew she was right. They had seen Lilae at the port. They had been on separate ships but once they reached Avia’Torena she was sure she saw Lilae. Her red hair had captured the light like a crystal, making a glare in her direction. Jaiza had cried out for her and had suffered a swollen lip in return.

  She began to wonder if any men left in the world had a shred of compassion or empathy. Brison, the man she was meant to marry, had faded from her memory a long time ago. Those days all seemed like such a blur. She could barely remember happiness. The days of a slave were all the same, dark and full of suffering.

  Work, work, work. The same routine was only disrupted by beatings, being starved for talking back, and public humiliation. She almost wished it had all been work. Work they could live with. Jaiza shivered at the memory of being summoned to the duke’s bed chamber. Those nights alone with him, she would bury so deep that she prayed she would forget, forever.

  Once outside, the air was just as hot and thick as inside the manor. They all held their breath once they stepped foot outdoors. The guards were armed, but they were sleeping. Still, they could take no chances. The twins were wary. There was a lingering fear if Emirra’s concoction was strong enough to keep those men asleep long enough to escape.

  Risa slowly knelt down before one of them. Her heart raced, but her face betrayed not the slightest emotion. She stared at his face, watching his eyes flicker with dreams. His chest heaved up and down with his steady breaths. She watched him, focusing on his closed eyes as she gently pulled his sword free from his scabbard.

  Jaiza nearly gasped aloud when she heard the steel clank slightly against the brass scabbard. Risa held her breath. Her eyes widened and she looked terrified as he began to stir. She worriedly glanced at Jaiza and quickly back to the man. When she looked back at him, she nearly choked on a scream. His small, dark, eyes stared back at her.

  Risa reacted quickly. She yanked the sword free and stabbed him in the chest. The tip of the sword slid through his body and stopped at the clay molded wall on which he leaned against. It made a slight scrapping sound that she was sure the other men had heard. He began to shout and she quickly clamped his mouth with her hand.

  She shook with fear, hoping the other men wouldn’t awaken as well. They would have an all-out battle on their hands if those men saw them trying to escape. And they knew they would lose the moment they called for the duke’s own private sector of soldiers who weren’t too far away.

  He was strong. He wouldn’t die. He reached for Risa and grabbed her neck with his rough, callused hand and held tight. She held her breath, hoping she could outlast him. Sweat dripped from her forehead as she waited for him to die. His eyes pierced into hers. They were still full of life and what was unmistakably a thirst for revenge.

  Jaiza reached a thin arm across Risa and slit his throat with one sawing motion, ending all struggle. She grabbed Risa. Risa withdrew his sword and ran with her. Risa quietly tried to catch her breath as they passed the other men. They had tried to kill the guard as quietly as possible, but they couldn’t relax until they were far from the manor. No one else awakened.

  There were dozens of armed guards and they tip-toed past them and out to the open fields. Women of Avia’Torena weren’t accustomed to wearing pants like the men, so the tall yellow grass reached to their waists and scratched them
on their exposed legs. Once the manor was out of sight they all took a breath of relief. Emirra hurriedly huddled the three girls together.

  “You just couldn’t resist could you,” Jaiza scowled at her sister.

  Risa shrugged. “We needed this!” She swirled the sword around with a flick of her wrist. They’d never forget their training.

  Jaiza shook her head but didn’t press the matter. Maybe Risa was right, but the risk was too great. They turned their attention to Emirra.

  “Ok girls,” she began. “We must separate now.”

  They nodded. They had discussed the plan before. Everyone was ready. Kelsi hugged Jaiza tightly, sniffling, then Risa. They had been through so much together. She had been a familiar girl from Lowen’s Edge, and that had been a slight comfort. Back before the massacre, Kelsi had been thought of as quite snobbish and cruel in her own right, but time as a slave could change anyone.

  “Go with Emirra,” Jaiza told her with the friendliest smile that she could muster. Tears trailed down Kelsi’s face and Jaiza wiped them away with her thumb. “Please don’t cry. Emirra will take good care of you now. I promise.”

  Jaiza was worried. Kelsi would have a hard time blending in with the people of Avia’Torena. Her auburn curls were hard to tame, very different from the raven-haired women native to Nimvissia. She didn’t know where Emirra would take her, but she hoped it would be far, far, away.

  Jaiza and Risa would have to keep their blonde hair cloaked as well. Just like Lilae used to do. Jaiza almost smiled at the memory. They used to make fun of her for it.

  Kelsi looked to Emirra, who nodded. “But why can’t I go with you?” she whined. “I saw what you girls did that day the soldiers came. You fought. I’ve never seen anyone fight that way before. I would feel safer with you.”

  Jaiza and Risa both shook their heads. They had come to treat her like family. Being alone in a foreign land had been incredibly hard. It was wise to stick to those you knew.

  Risa put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s too dangerous, Kelsi. You have to go where it’s safe. Flee from Avia’Torena and start a new life.”

  Kelsi nodded. She tilted her head with a curious look. “You’re going to find Lilae aren’t you?”

  They nodded. She could never imagine how much they missed their little sister. They didn’t care that she wasn’t blood. The day Delia had come to their little cottage in Auroria had changed them. They would have grown up spoiled and oblivious to what the real world was like. Even as a baby they had loved Lilae like their own.

  The twins had only been five and had pretended that Lilae was their little baby doll, carrying her around and playing with her. It pained their hearts to imagine that Lilae had suffered the same fate that they had experienced in Avia’Torena.

  The dead bodies of their friends and the destruction of a place they had grown to think of as home steadily haunted them. They had watched her get knocked out and dragged away by a creature humans hadn’t seen since before the ancient barriers were created to separate the races. A Shadow Elf.

  Kelsi stepped away towards Emirra. “I hope you find her well.”

  Jaiza rushed to her and kissed her cheek. They began to walk away when Emirra stopped them.

  “Don’t forget girls,” she said. “The man you seek is named Vaugner. He is a great friend to anyone in need. He makes potions that heal people and he has always been charitable to those who seek him with a pure heart. Only those who are evil, or seek to harm shall fear him. But do not worry, he will help you.”

  “We won’t forget. We wrote directions to the goblin city,” Risa assured her.

  “Thank you Emirra,” Jaiza added and took her sisters hand again. It was as if they were linked to each other, and only truly felt safe or strong when holding each other’s hand. It had been a comfort to them since they were babies in their basinet. They shared so much more than the same face, when Risa hurt, Jaiza felt that same pain.

  They couldn’t waste any more time, and they began to run, without looking back. They could have gone all night at that speed without getting tired. The fear and determination to find Lilae drove them to run without stopping.

  They were both grateful that they were the same size as the duke’s wife. The boots were more comfortable that anything they’d ever worn. And the lightweight silk tunic kept them from overheating. Still, even though they weren’t in slave’s rags, they couldn’t risk running into anyone.

  The twins still didn’t fit in with the western people. Even with tans from working in the hot sun for hours at a time, they were still obvious foreigners. They did wear kohl on their eyes now, and that one trick did help them blend.

  They continued to run as quickly as their legs would take them. It had been too long since they had trained, but their bodies weren’t too out of shape. They used to run in the fields every morning with their father, building their endurance.

  It was too painful to recall those memories now that he was gone. They jumped over log fences and crossed rivers. The avoided heavily trafficked roadways and paths until they were certain that the capital of Avia’Torena was far behind them.

  The sun began to rise and still, they were too afraid to rest. They wanted their sister. Lilae was all alone out there. Jaiza prayed to the gods that were still on their side that she was safe from the Shadow Elf that killed their father.

  Author Bio

  K.N. Lee is an award-winning author that resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. When she is not writing twisted tales, fantasy novels, and dark poetry, she does a great deal of traveling and promotes other authors. Wannabe rock-star, foreign language enthusiast, and anime geek, K.N. Lee also enjoys helping others reach their writing and publishing goals.

  Her works include, The Chronicles of Koa: Netherworld, Dark Prophet, A Gifted Curse, Wicked Webs, Empty Your Heart, Pixie Dust, and the paranormal collection of short stories, Thicker Than Blood.

  Author, K.N. Lee loves hearing from fans and readers. Connect with her!

  www.Kn-Lee.com

  www.WriteLikeAWizard.com

  www.Facebook.com/knycolelee

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  Note from the author:

  Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed Rise of the Flame. If so, I would be greatly appreciate a customer review on Amazon, or wherever you’ve purchased this book.

  Cheers!

  K.N. Lee