Chased By Fire (Book 1)

by D. K. Holmberg

  He was answered by a series of lightning strikes in quick succession, far in the distance. Heavy waves of thunder followed. Roine turned, looking back down the slope.

  Toward Nor, Tan realized.

  CHAPTER 13

  Return to Nor

  Over the drizzling rain and the rolling thunder, Tan smelled the stink of sulfur.

  Roine took off without saying another word. He rode through the forest and back toward Nor. Cobin looked after him. “Tan…” He trailed off, as if unable to say anything more.

  Tan nodded. “I know.” If the lisincend had attacked Nor, what would they find? Would his mother have been able to defend the city or had the wind not answered when she called? Tan knew so little about shaping. Had she told him about what she could do sooner…but it wouldn’t have changed anything.

  Would they find Nor looking like the Aeta caravan?

  A nauseated knot rose in his stomach and he struggled to swallow against it. He’d already lost his father. Nor was home. His mother was there. Everything he knew was there. And there wasn’t any reason for Incendin to attack Nor. The mines weren’t even really active anymore. It was just a mountain town like so many others.

  Cobin watched the struggle play out over his face. “Did your ma tell you what he searches for?”

  He grabbed the reigns of his horse from Cobin and shook his head. “Nothing. I’m not sure she knew.”

  “Or that she’d tell you if she did?”

  Tan sighed. “Or that.”

  The rain picked up again when they reached the road, sluicing down, heavy and painful. Gusts of wind from high in the mountains blew at their backs, suddenly cold and biting. The sky crackled with lightning coming in rapid succession. Sharp explosions of thunder split the air. Ripples of rumbling followed, finally fading. Tan felt the silence as much as he heard it.

  Roine rode far ahead of them. Tan and Cobin chased after as quickly as possible. No one spoke. The horses seemed to sense their unease and pushed forward. Relief flooded him as the packed path began to widen.

  Roine and Cobin pulled up suddenly.

  Tan stopped alongside them. “What is it?”

  And then he looked past them. His heart seemed to stop.

  Nor was no more.

  A blackened crater spread out where the town had been. He saw no sign of the low wall that surrounded the town, none of the shops or homes within the town, and nothing of the manor house. The crater steamed like the charred fragments of wood where the Aeta caravan had been destroyed.

  The scent of ash and soot filled the air. The smell of sulfur hung overtop everything.

  Tan hadn’t known what to expect, but not this.

  He looked at Cobin. A pained look pulled at the corners of Cobin’s eyes and mouth. He had no family, no children, but Nor had been his home, too.

  “I don’t—” Cobin started. “Bal?”

  Tan jumped from his saddle and started forward. Roine held him back with a firm grip. “I need to go see—” Tears welled in his eyes.

  Roine shook his head. “Not yet.”

  Tan forced back the emotion threatening him. “Why? Why Nor? We’re no threat to Incendin. There’s nothing here…”

  “I don’t know,” Roine answered.

  “What could do this?” Cobin asked. His voice had gone high and shaky.

  Roine sighed. “This…this is the lisincend.”

  “But the caravan…”

  Roine shook his head. “That was probably a single lisincend. This is what happens when the lisincend work together.” He closed his eyes. “I have seen this only a few times. The last was long ago.”

  “Did anyone…survive?” Cobin asked.

  “This isn’t meant for surviving. They cover their tracks, obliterating any evidence of anyone who might have seen them pass.” He shook his head. “I’m so sorry.”

  When he had first seen the remains of the Aeta caravan, he had thought it a terrible fate for the peaceful people. This was worse. This was people he knew, had loved, had lived with. People he’d called friends. His mother. Bal. So many others. All gone.

  Tan turned away. He could no longer look.

  “Is this because of you?” Cobin asked. Something in his voice had changed. A hard edge had come to it. “Did they do this because of what you seek?”

  Cobin worked to choke back a sob, staring at the emptiness around them. Tan had never seen him so distraught.

  When he finally turned back to Roine, anger and rage flashed across his face. “This. This was your fault. You’re the reason my Bal died!”

  He jabbed his finger at Roine with each word.

  To Roine’s credit, he didn’t move, just shook his head. “I’m sorry. Truly, I am. It’s possible they came here searching for me.”

  “And the king. What will he do?”

  Roine frowned.

  “You’re the Athan. What will the king do to Incendin?”

  “You’re asking if the king plans to resume the war?” Cobin didn’t answer. “If I don’t manage to reach the passes first, it might not matter. If Incendin manages to get this item first…” He shook his head. “Other places in the kingdoms will face the same fate.”

  “What is it? What does Incendin think to find that would let them enter the kingdoms so easily?”

  Roine inhaled deeply. “There is an artifact…”

  Tan barely listened. Since his father’s death, he’d argued with his mother about leaving Nor. She feared he would settle, never experience the world around him, never understanding that he loved the forests and mountains around his home. But now? Now there was nothing left for him. Even if he wanted to stay, he couldn’t.

  He could go to one of the neighboring towns. Velminth. Delth. Maybe as far to the north as Galesh. Towns similar to Nor. But they wouldn’t be the same.

  Tears streamed down his face and he didn’t bother to wipe them away. Would his mother finally get what she wanted? Now that she was gone, would he finally have to leave?

  A hand on his shoulder startled him. He looked over and saw Roine standing alongside him. “Tan—”

  Tan swallowed, understanding the question in Roine’s tone. What would he do?

  “I’ll still see you through the mountain pass.”

  Relief washed over Roine’s face. “And then what?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know. My mother…” He couldn’t finish.

  Roine nodded. “She wanted you to go to Ethea.”

  Tan sighed. Ethea. The capital. The university. Going meant he’d owe the king service. Like his father. Seeing the crater that had been Nor, Tan knew he wouldn’t serve, not willingly. What was he in the face of such destruction? A weak senser, nothing more. No…Ethea wasn’t the answer.

  Only, he didn’t know what he’d do.

  “When this is over, I will bring you there if you choose.”

  Cobin watched him. Tan didn’t want to meet his eyes. What would Cobin do? He was as homeless now as Tan. And without Bal, Cobin had nothing left.

  “I’ll see you through the pass.”

  Beyond that…Cobin needed him now. Tan wouldn’t commit to anything more.

  CHAPTER 14

  Footprints and a Friend

  Tan walked into the forest, wanting to look out at Nor before he left. Nor was completely leveled. The earth curved downward in a slope, as if a huge boulder had been dropped onto the town. Everything around it was blackened and covered with ash. Low-lying smoke still hung like a fog over the land. Nothing moved.

  Tan didn’t want to go near the crater—something about it just struck him as wrong—and let his feet carry him along the once familiar woods. He paused, listening as his father had long ago taught him. Everything was silent.

  He circled the remains of the town before stopping near the remains of Cobin’s farm. The pens had been destroyed. Some of the wooden fencing remained, blackened and charred. There was no sign of the sheep.

  Tan sighed. Cobin stood in the center of what had bee
n his land, looking around as if in a daze. Tan considered going over to him, but decided to give him space. He mourned just the same as Tan. Tears coursed down his cheeks and Tan turned away.

  As he did, marks in the dirt caught his attention. Tan paused, staring for a long while before realizing what it was about the prints that seemed out of place. There was nothing unusual about these tracks; it wasn’t the type of print or the size that caught his attention. Rather it was the direction in which the tracks traveled.

  They headed away from Nor.

  The ground had been dry for weeks before this recent rain, so he knew these were new tracks, but with the rain, they should be heading toward the safety and shelter of town, not away.

  His heart skipped. Could there have been survivors?

  He followed the footprints as they led away from Nor, away from the crater of ash and smoke and into the forest. Farther from town, he found another set of tracks.

  “Tan?” Roine called.

  Tan waved his hand so they knew where he was.

  Roine came up behind him. “We should go. I’d like to get as far as we can before night falls.”

  It made sense. They didn’t want to be stuck in the open and Tan wanted to be as far from the crater as he could. Standing near this much destruction felt wrong. “I found tracks. Boots in the mud. Several different sets.”

  “Probably your townsmen moving for shelter when the rain began.”

  Cobin joined them and knelt in front of the nearest set of prints. “These move away from town.”

  “Then they are from earlier. Nothing could have survived this.”

  Tan turned away, intentionally not thinking of what his mother was doing when the lisincend attacked. Had she known? She was a shaper—and powerful, once, from what Roine said. Could she have done anything? Or had she simply died like the rest of the town?

  “We should follow them. They’re heading north, like us. If we find any survivors…”

  Roine looked from Tan to Cobin. “Can we move quickly?”

  “There’s nothing special about these prints. They should be easy enough to follow,” Tan said. Knowing that someone—anyone—else from Nor might have survived gave him something to hold onto. Both he and Cobin knew the prints were too big for Bal’s feet, but that didn’t change the hope written on his face.

  Roine seemed to sense that. “I hope we find them, Tan. But if we don’t…”

  “Then we’ll get you to the pass.”

  They started away from Nor. The tracks led up into the mountains, traveling off the known paths. This was not simply aimless wandering. The prints moved upslope quickly, forcing them to lead the horses. When the ground leveled off, they stopped for a break.

  Roine grabbed something from his pack before turning into the woods. Tan caught a flash of gleaming gold before he disappeared.

  Cobin frowned as he stared after him. “Tan—if we don’t find anyone…”

  Tan sighed. “We have to look.”

  “Your ma would have fought them. Don’t think she died sitting still.”

  Strangely, the thought lifted his spirits. “I know. And Bal…” He looked out into the woods after Roine, trailing off. He crouched in front of the ground, his back facing them. Cobin swallowed loudly. “What do you think he’s looking for?” Tan asked.

  “I don’t know. But if it’ll let Incendin cross the barrier, it must be something powerful.”

  The barrier again. “Doesn’t seem the barrier does much good, does it?”

  “Not sure what changed, but it’s held for years. Said to be made by shapers, though your ma once said she thought the elementals aided.”

  Tan didn’t know much about the elementals. Didn’t know much about his mother, either. “Was she part of it?” The idea that his mother helped create the barrier between Incendin seemed almost impossible to believe.

  “I don’t think so. She was in Nor when the barrier went up. Pregnant with you.”

  “I thought the barrier was older than that?”

  “There were earlier attempts, but none successful.”

  Tan turned. Roine pushed something back into his pack before looking over at them.

  “Could the Aeta have crossed the barrier through Incendin?” Tan had been wondering about that since first seeing them. He’d never seen the barrier, but his father always said it wasn’t something you saw. Just felt. Tan wondered what he’d feel if he neared it.

  Roine nodded. “It’s not a physical thing. It’s not brick or stone or anything you’d have to climb. It’s meant to hold back fire shapers.”

  “How do you keep back fire shapers only?”

  Roine didn’t answer. “The barrier is the reason the lisincend shouldn’t be here. It should have kept them out. If they’ve figured out a way past…well, then all of the kingdoms are at risk again.”

  They started off again. Tan led the way, following the tracks made in the soft earth taking them gradually upslope. After a while, they stopped again. Roine grabbed the item from his bag and headed into the woods like he did at the last stop.

  Tan saw it this time. A golden box made with five sides cupped in his hands as he left the small clearing.

  “What do you think it is?” Tan asked.

  “What?”

  Tan nodded toward Roine. “Some kind of box. He carries it away when we stop.”

  “What did it look like?”

  “I didn’t see it any better than that.”

  Cobin shrugged and took a swallow from his water skin.

  Tan sat and listened to the forest, sensing it. Squirrels slipped along branches, a few deer moved at the edge of what he could sense, but nothing else. Except…something felt off.

  Not hounds; that he felt as an absence. This was different.

  Tan started into the woods toward where he sensed something off. He held on to his bow, wishing for something more useful like Cobin’s axe or Roine’s sword. He kept his focus on what he sensed, listening.

  And then he heard it.

  Whimpering.

  Tan ran forward. Rocks piled together formed a small cave. He leaned in front of it and listened. The whimpering came from inside.

  “Hello?”

  A face poked out. Dirt and leaves covered it, but he recognized Bal. Her hair tangled with small branches into knots. “Tan?”

  She leapt at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

  “What happened, Bal?” If she’d made it, could there be others?

  She shook her head. “Nor…”

  “I saw it.”

  “Huge storm. Lightning blasted it like it was…like it was…”

  He cradled her as he carried her back up the slope toward the others. “I know. How’d you get away?”

  She sobbed, her mouth and nose pressed up against his chest, huge shivers working thorugh her. “I was stupid, Tan. I saw him leaving again, going up the slope, and thought I’d follow. I shoulda known better.”

  “Who? Who did you see?”

  “Lins. He started out of town when the rain started. I thought it was strange so I followed…” She sobbed again. “I wasn’t far from town when the lightning hit. I saw it…saw the…the…” She couldn’t finish.

  Tan didn’t push. Why had Lins left Nor when the storm started? Did he see something?

  Did that mean he tracked Lins’s prints?

  Tan stumbled as he neared the horses. Cobin ran up to him and grabbed Bal from him. “Bal?” he asked. He cradled her tight against him and gently brushed the dirt from her face. He carried her to a fallen log and sat down with her, rocking her as if she were a babe.

  Roine came up behind him. “Who’s that?”

  “Bal. Cobin’s daughter.” He pointed down the hillside. “I found her holed up. She said she followed Lins from town before the storm struck.” He turned and met Roine’s eyes. “She saw Nor get destroyed.”

  A look of sadness washed over Roine. “Lucky she escaped.”

  Tan wasn’t sure if it was luck o
r just Bal being Bal. She’d followed Lins again, but what would Lins have been doing leaving Nor? “If Lins left before the storm, we should see him too.”

  Roine seemed to consider for a moment. “What lies in this direction?”

  Tan tried to think about where they were. They’d gone mostly upslope since leaving Nor, but somewhat south too. Velminth wouldn’t be too much farther.

  “Probably Velminth.” Tan looked back at Roine. “You think the lisincend might have attacked Velminth?”

  He shook his head. “Not sure. How much farther until we reach there?”

  Before answering, Tan closed his eyes and listened, trying to sense the distance, searching for the void in the forest where the town would be. Just at the edge of his abilities, he felt it. “Probably a few hours still.”

  Roine looked over at Cobin. “Then we’ll make for Velminth. Leave them there if the town’s safe.”

  It made sense, but Tan didn’t like the idea of leaving Cobin and Bal behind. They were all he had left of Nor. Once they were gone, what did he have left? What would he do?

  Cobin looked back at him. Tan didn’t miss the expression of relief on his face as he clung to Bal.

  CHAPTER 15

  A Lost Village

  “Roine thinks you should stay in Velminth.”

  Tan expected more of an argument with Cobin but there was none.

  “Probably best. Not sure Bal should…” He didn’t finish. “Listen, Tan. After everything that’s happened, he’d have to understand if you didn’t want to go. You could stay with us. Not sure what we’ll do once we reach Velminth. Find a place to settle. Start over.” He placed a hand on Tan’s shoulder. “We’ve got to stick together.”

  Tan couldn’t deny the idea appealed to him. But a part of him wanted to make sure Roine reached the pass first. Without the knowing the way, would he? What would happen if Incendin reached it before him?

  “I’m going to see this through.”

  Cobin opened his mouth as if to speak before shutting it and nodding. He clapped Tan on the shoulder.

  A sudden sound interrupted the growing night.