Flame Caller

by Jon Messenger

  Xander felt a hollowness inside of him that wasn’t related to his depression. He remembered the fight with Abraxas and the power that flowed through him, how it seemed to pull from his very soul as it poured from his body. Could Sammy be right about him? Could they all be right?

  “Great,” he said, “now I just need to convince all the others.”

  Sammy cringed as she looked over his shoulder. “Looks like you’re about to have your chance.”

  Xander looked over his shoulder and sighed heavily. Of all the people to approach, Thea was probably his last choice. The stern Wind Warrior looked set to walk past him when he stepped into her path.

  Thea arched an eyebrow, expressing her displeasure. “Yes?”

  Xander took a deep breath. “I want you to train me.”

  “We tried that already,” she replied curtly. “You’re not very good. And frankly, I don’t have the time right now.”

  She pushed her way past him, glowering at Sammy as she went.

  “Please,” Xander called after her.

  Thea stopped. She turned sharply on her heel and stared at the young man. “Why should I?”

  He swallowed the hard lump in his throat. He looked at Sammy from the corner of his eye but she was staring off into the distance, either oblivious to the conversation or not eager to get involved.

  “Because I want to make a difference.”

  “Like you did with Bart?” she retorted.

  Her words stung far worse than if she had struck him. He took a step back but kept his gaze locked on Thea.

  “No, not like Bart,” he replied softly. “But because of him. And because of my grandfather. And… and because of my parents. And because of the billions of other people on this planet who are all in danger right now. Because if I don’t do something—if we don’t do something—they’re all going to die. The Fire Warriors are going to cleanse the world so it can start again. And I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to lie down and die just yet.”

  Thea stood tall but he could see her resolve faltering in her gaze.

  “Did you ever have children?” he asked.

  Thea’s hard gaze quickly returned before she shook her head. “No.”

  “But you did have family, right?” He didn’t wait for her response. “Parents, of course, and maybe some siblings. Maybe even some nieces and nephews?”

  He could see his words cutting through her rough exterior.

  “I know you don’t like me and you don’t want to help me, if you can avoid it. And I know you don’t like Sammy. If you won’t do it for me, though, then do it for all the family of yours that probably still exist out there, all your family that’s still in danger.”

  He took a step forward and was surprised when she didn’t back away. “I don’t know if we can actually stop the Fire Warriors but I’m sure not going to give up without a fight. Will you help me?”

  Xander could see her jaw muscles clenching and unclenching as she considered her options. Finally, she nodded sharply.

  “Meet me in the courtyard in fifteen minutes,” she said before turning away.

  As she walked away, she called over her shoulder, “And Xander, you won’t enjoy this.”

  Xander didn’t care about her thinly veiled threat. He smiled broadly as he turned back to Sammy.

  Sammy didn’t meet his gaze. She stared past him in the direction of the retreating Thea. He glanced over his shoulder quickly to make sure Thea wasn’t giving Sammy a sour look but only saw the back of her as the older Wind Warrior walked away.

  He turned back to the Fire Warrior. “Sammy? Earth to Sammy.”

  Sammy blinked hard as her eyes came back into focus. Reaching up, she wiped away a thin sheen of sweat from her forehead.

  “Sorry,” she said before coughing politely. “I was off in my own little world.”

  Xander couldn’t blame her for wanting to avoid any confrontation with Thea. Only Patrick would have been a more unpleasant encounter.

  “Thea’s going to train me again. Do you want to come with me?”

  Sammy smiled weakly. “I’ll be there in a little bit. You go on ahead.”

  Xander nodded and stepped forward. Pulling her close, he kissed her gently on the forehead, feeling the heat that radiated from her skin.

  “I’ll see you soon,” he said before hurrying away.

  Sammy watched Xander disappear around a building before turning her gaze back to the wall of water that surrounded the island. She knew Xander assumed Thea distracted her. She only wished it were that simple.

  Hovering behind the curtain of water, a giant reptilian eye looked down on the island and stared intently at the wayward Fire Warrior. Sammy shrunk from its gaze and felt her temperature rising, as though her skin would burst into flames at any moment.

  She had seen that eye in a hidden chamber behind her father’s throne room. It had frightened her so badly then that she had fled, never looking back. Despite knowing the threat it posed, she hadn’t seen it again outside of her dreams since. To see it hovering behind the water left her heart pounding in her chest.

  Sammy was so intent on watching the eye that she didn’t hear the tarp being pulled aside behind her.

  Alicia stepped into the bright light and stared at Sammy. The elderly woman followed her gaze toward the wall of water and furrowed her brow in confusion.

  “Is everything alright, dear?” she asked, turning back to Sammy.

  Sammy jumped and let out a slight scream of surprise. She looked to Alicia just as the grandmotherly Wind Warrior looked back at the waterspout. Despite looking directly at the spot where Sammy had seen the eye, she clearly didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

  Sammy nodded and looked back to Alicia with what she hoped was a disarming smile. “I’m fine. It’s just been a really long day, you know? I probably just need to go rest for a little while.”

  Alicia smiled. “It’s been a hard day on all of us, love. Why don’t you go lie down for a while? Let me know if you need anything at all.”

  “Thanks, Alicia.”

  The older woman disappeared back inside and Sammy exhaled a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

  Turning back toward the waterspout, the eye was gone.

  The flat of the blade struck Xander across his shoulder. He dropped his own sword and stumbled backward, cringing as he grabbed his wounded shoulder.

  “That really hurt,” he yelled to his sparring partner.

  “Then block me next time,” Thea demanded. The middle-aged Wind Warrior narrowed her eyes. Her perpetual frown deepened as she stared at the twenty-year-old man.

  Xander turned his back and rubbed his shoulder furiously. He could feel the welt forming underneath his white shirt. He lowered his head, letting his dark hair fall over his eyes, concealing the tears of pain forming in their corners.

  “Pick up your sword,” Thea said, pointing to the thick wooden weapon resting on the marble tiles between them. “We’re not done yet.”

  “Yes, we are,” Xander replied. “We’ve been training for an hour. We’re done.”

  He looked skyward, following the curve of the wall of water surrounding their narrow island. Sunlight sparkled off the glimmering walls, bathing the floating island in warmth. The marble buildings surrounding the pair of dueling Wind Warriors formed a virtual arena, flanking the two in finely carved pillars and smooth marble building exteriors. Under normal circumstances, Xander would find the remote island a virtual paradise.

  “We’re not done until I’ve dismissed you,” Thea said, quickly shattering the illusion of a wayward paradise.

  “Listen,” he replied, turning sharply on his instructor. “I have a lot on my mind right now. Can’t we take this up later?”

  “No,” she retorted. “You wanted this, remember, and I clearly told you that you wouldn’t appreciate my style of teaching. Either you can train like a man or you can run away like a boy.”

  Xander huffed angrily but didn’t r
espond.

  “You more than anyone should appreciate what we’re doing here. The Fire Warriors that killed your parents won’t stop until we’re all dead. We’re all that remains of the Wind Warriors. The seven of us are all that are left and we’re the only thing keeping the Fire Caste at bay. You know the prophecy?”

  “Of course,” he growled.

  “Then say it.”

  Xander glowered at the woman, immediately regretting his decision to have her train him.

  “Say it.”

  “Earth gives way to the sea, the sea bows before the wind, wind feeds the flame, and the flame burns the world of man down to the earth.”

  Xander had seen the Fire Warriors in action and knew how precarious their position had become. Seven Wind Warriors against a thousand Fire Warriors seemed like an exercise in futility but he refused to give up and let the Fire Caste destroy the world.

  Reaching down gingerly, Xander picked up his sword and took a few practice swings. His shoulder was stiff but he’d felt far worse before during his training. He assumed his position on the far side of the marble courtyard and hefted his sword into a ready position.

  Without a word, Thea advanced on Xander. Her sword flashed out in an unwavering jab toward his chest. Instinctively, he knocked the wooden blade aside but was unable to change his block into an offensive swing before Thea was attacking him again. He could feel the usual panic seeping into his mind as adrenaline flushed through his body. There had yet to be a sparring session with Thea that didn’t result in him floundering defensively against her onslaught.

  A twist of her blade turned Xander’s parry aside. She used her momentum to swing downward, striking his thigh. The pain was exquisite as the leg buckled and he dropped to a knee. Xander looked up in time to see her shifting her blade and preparing to strike him while he was down.

  The wind around the pair immediately grew from a gentle breeze to a driving gale. The air billowed beneath Xander, lifting him from the ground, and shooting him into the air less than a second before Thea’s blade drove into the spot where he had been. He twisted in the air, buffered by the blowing wind. Flipping over Thea’s head, he dropped toward the ground behind her.

  Thea dropped into a crouch, ducking beneath his off-balanced swing. Swinging her blade in an arc, she struck his legs. The strike broke his concentration and the gusting winds dissipated. No longer held aloft, Xander dropped heavily to the ground, driving the wind from his lungs.

  Before he could cough in frustration, the dulled blade of Thea’s sword was pressed against his throat.

  “I told you no powers,” she reprimanded.

  Xander struggled to catch his breath and could offer no response other than a muted groan. Her blade withdrew and Xander was able to roll over onto his side as he took hitched breaths.

  “It looks like we’re done for the day,” his instructor said disdainfully. “Your girlfriend has arrived.”

  Xander smiled weakly before rolling onto his back. He heard Thea’s footsteps withdrawing from their sparring arena as a softer set of footsteps approached. A thin shadow fell over his prone form as Sammy’s body blocked out the glaring sunlight.

  “That looked brutal,” she joked.

  Her blonde hair had been loosened from the tight ringlets she had worn for the funeral and her long hair hung in a wave over her shoulder. As his eyes adjusted to the shadows, Xander could see a teasing smile beneath her small button nose.

  He chuckled but it quickly turned into another groan. The laugh seemed out of place with the turmoil of emotions inside him but he was glad for the distraction. He forced a smile to go with the soft chuckle. “Don’t make me laugh.”

  She offered her hand, which he gladly took. Her hands were uncomfortably warm in his.

  Sammy’s blue eyes sparkled as she looked at Xander. After a moment, they flickered over his shoulder toward the departing Thea.

  “I just don’t know how to make her like me,” Sammy said. “I mean, after everything that’s happened, she still doesn’t trust me.”

  Xander shrugged. “It’s not her fault. You’re a Fire Warrior and we don’t exactly have the best relationship with the Fire Caste. They are actively trying to kill us right now.”

  “You think she’d remember that I betrayed my own kind just to save all your lives,” she responded defensively.

  He looked into her sparkling blue eyes and felt his heart leap in his chest. Since they first met in his college class, Xander felt an irresistible pull toward the young Fire Warrior. Though he hated to admit it, Patrick and Sammy were both right about their odd relationship. The longer they spent together, the more he knew something practically spiritual existed between them, pulling them toward one another.

  By all accounts, they should be enemies. A Fire Warrior and a Wind Warrior seemed an odd pairing. Because of Sammy’s betrayal, however, instead of enemies they were both outcasts, hunted by the Fire Warriors who wanted the Wind Caste dead so they could begin their rule.

  Xander slipped his hand into hers appreciatively. After all he’d been through over the past few weeks, he wasn’t sure he could have survived without her by his side.

  “I’ll never forget all you’ve done for us,” he said. “No matter what, I’m glad you’re here.”

  Sammy smiled, her irritation temporarily forgotten. “So what would you like to do today?”

  Xander looked over his shoulder to the departing Thea. “Not training. That was a terrible idea on my part and I’m already regretting it. No more training for the day.”

  Sean adjusted the video camera on the tripod until it pointed at his dilapidated couch. He stepped back and took a seat, making sure he was fully visible in the viewfinder. When he was satisfied, he turned on the record feature.

  “If you’re watching this, it means I’m already dead.”

  “Lame,” Jessica said from the doorway to the kitchen.

  Sean stopped recording and looked at her sourly. “Do you mind?”

  He hit the record button and began again.

  “In your life, you’re obviously the main character to your story,” he said. “But don’t forget that you’re a supporting character in a lot of other lives, and sometimes those supporting characters manage to steal the show.”

  He leaned back and ran a hand over his ample belly. “I’m not the main character here, don’t worry. My buddy Xander, he’s practically a superhero. I mean, he controls the wind. I saw him make a freaking tornado in the middle of White Halls.

  “No, I’m not the hero, here. I’m the sidekick. I’m the Robin to his Batman. I’m the Kid Flash to his… well, regular Flash. I’m the Patrick to his SpongeBob.”

  Sean reached nervously over his shoulder and pulled aside the blinds. The parking lot in front of his apartment building seemed relatively deserted but he wasn’t fooled by the quiet appearance.

  “The problem is that Xander isn’t the only one who can control the elements. There’s a new group hunting for him who control the flames instead of the wind. And, sometimes, being a supporting character means that they’re after you too.

  “If you happen to see Xander,” he said, leaning forward once again and dropping his voice into a harsh whisper, “tell him not to come home. Tell him, no matter what, to stay safe.”

  Sean turned off the video camera and sat quietly, reveling in the silence that stretched after his heartfelt recording.

  “That was dumb,” Jessica said, breaking the reverent silence. “What are you even doing?”

  “I’m narrating our story. Something crazy is going on in town and people need to know the truth. And we don’t have a lot of time. Since you were kind enough to lead the bad guys right to my apartment, we suddenly became redshirts in this episode.”

  Jessica arched a perfectly plucked eyebrow and took a drink of her bottled water. She gestured over her shoulder toward the closed bathroom door. “You do remember we have someone tied up in the bathtub, right? How about you ‘narrate’ your butt back t
here and check on him?”

  “You’re such a sorostitute,” he muttered.

  “What was that?”

  “Sorostitute. Part sorority girl, part…”

  She stomped her foot on the ground. “I can guess the last part! Now get back there and check on the guy in the bathtub.”

  Sean huffed as he pushed off the couch. “I really hate you.”

  “You’re an idiot,” Jessica said. “And I hate you too.”

  He stormed past her without looking at the pretty blonde. He would never admit it to her but he shared her concerns about the Fire Warrior unconscious in his bathtub.

  Sean cringed as he turned the door handle to the bathroom. It creaked louder than he would have liked and he could hear Jessica suck in a breath behind him. Slowly, gingerly, he opened the door.

  The tiled bathroom was dark. The blackout curtains were pulled closed and the lights were off. The shower, which they had left running for the first few hours in case he woke up and started a fire, had been turned off the day before. Now, the bathroom was as quiet as it was dark.

  Sean refused to leave the doorway, hoping he could see all he needed to from where he stood.

  For a long moment, the Fire Warrior didn’t move. He couldn’t see the normal rise and fall of his chest and he feared the worst. Suddenly, the man took in a shallow breath.

  Satisfied, Sean quickly closed the door and led Jessica back to the living room.

  “So?” she whispered harshly.

  “He’s alive,” Sean said in his normal tone.

  “But still out cold?”

  “Yeah,” he replied, scratching his chin. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. Exactly how hard did you hit him? He’s been out for two days straight.”

  “You didn’t seem too concerned about that when he was choking you to death.” Her expression quickly softened.

  He walked past her and toward the couch. Sitting down, he started pulling on his shoes.

  “Where are you going?” she asked in disbelief.

  “Out.”

  “Out? We have a guy that tried to kill us tied up in the bathtub. What are we going to do?”