Firebrand

by Prioleau, R. M.

  IX

  Evening gripped the ruined city of Easthaven, draping darkness over the ashen devastation of an unknown, inconceivable entity. The remains of small fires extinguished, as a cool breeze swept through the wreckage. Rocks from smoldering buildings, remnants of broken, scorched corpses, and fragments of glass cluttered the streets. A foul stench of blood and rotting, charred flesh lingered in the air as a constant reminder of the city’s fate. The life that had flourished there was forgotten in the flames of ruination.

  Hours later, the rising moon shed its light upon two small sparks of life.

  Miele’s high-pitched shrieks echoed, as the bat hovered not far above her larger companion, Sable, who slinked her way through the destruction. Disconnected from their masters, both animals were in grave, mental pain.

  Sable’s ears perked, and she stopped. She glanced up at Miele and meowed, her voice heavy with anguish.

  Miele fluttered toward the plaza where she sensed the faint presence of life. She screeched in confirmation as she spotted the bodies of two men, blanketed in debris. Miele swooped down and landed on one of them. After a moment of sniffing and appraising, Miele shrieked happily.

  Sable heard the cries and bounded for the commotion. She scanned the scene curiously before her keen nose caught a familiar scent. Sable scampered over to the other still man, pounced on him, and eagerly licked his dirty face.

  * * *

  Kaijin roused to his familiar’s sounds of distress. He opened his eyes and observed the small bat sitting on his chest. “Miele.” He smiled weakly. He reached out to stroke the animal’s tawny fur. His hand twitched, along with the rest of his body with the remnants of the power that had coursed through his veins.

  Miele shuddered at his touch and shrieked, sensing their empathic link strengthening with his warm affection.

  A chill wind hit Kaijin’s face. He sat up and felt numbness in his side. As he moved, the debris that buried his legs and arms fell away. He felt Miele’s tiny claws digging into his arm as she crawled to his shoulder. Kaijin scanned the destruction. When he spotted Jarial, memories flooded his mind. His ears rang with the deathly silence that had settled over the area.

  “Master?” he called weakly. When Jarial didn’t respond, Kaijin crawled over to him.

  Seeing Kaijin’s approach, Sable hissed in brief protest, but moved away from her master’s body. She curled herself beside Kaijin and observed, purring anxiously.

  Kaijin bit his bottom lip. I think ... I remember... Is he really dead? Peering down at his own filthy hands, Kaijin spied globs of melted glass in his wounded palm.

  Did I do this? Kaijin stared at Jarial. He didn’t want to believe he had destroyed an entire city and claimed innocent lives, including that of his master. Holding back tears, Kaijin brushed debris from Jarial’s body.

  Why couldn’t I stop this? Why did I allow ... He winced when he felt something burn against his chest. He slipped his shaky hand under his robes and felt for the invigorating warmth of the holy symbol.

  The hissing, crackling voice of flames spoke in Kaijin’s mind. “Beautiful. Purified. Cleansed of the taint of mortal fools.”

  “What have you done?” Kaijin exclaimed. “Who are you?”

  The entity didn’t respond, and Kaijin was left in silence.

  Kaijin’s body shuddered as he made another desperate attempt to hold back his tears. He regarded his master and gave his body a firm shake, calling, “Master! Please, wake up!”

  There was no response.

  * * *

  Somewhere in the grey depths of the unknown, Jarial’s mind wandered aimlessly in search of repose. He scanned the hazy, windswept area, listening to the low, howling sounds of the echoing voids. He couldn’t recall a single spell, nor did he sense that he had control of his own body. He surrendered helplessly to an unseen force.

  From the swirling grey skies above, a familiar voice called to Jarial, “Master! Please, wake up!”

  Jarial halted and looked up. A small smile parted his lips. He was relieved to know he had not yet succumbed to the Eternal Sleep. “Kaijin,” the mage responded, stretching his hand toward the sky in hopes of touching the unknown presence. “I am here, Kaijin!”

  “Please, don’t die, Master!” Kaijin’s trembling voice echoed.

  Jarial’s smile faded. Was Kaijin unable to hear him? He began to wonder if he was dead, after all. He stared down at his dirty hands. “This can’t be,” he muttered. “I feel very much alive. I can hear Kaijin’s voice; I can feel Sable’s presence.”

  Sable. He tried calling out to her empathically, but met with no response. Frustrated, Jarial yelled at the sky. “Kaijin! I am here! Listen to me! I am not dead!”

  The air around him grew hotter as Kaijin’s distant voice sounded more distressed. The rise in temperature made Jarial wince.

  “No!” Kaijin’s voice cried out from the grey heavens. “Please, don’t leave me alone, Master!”

  Jarial trembled as he listened to the young man’s cries. He felt a sudden sharp pain in his left arm. Looking down, Jarial saw small finger marks appear. His skin burned within each mark as though he were being branded with a hot iron. Jarial collapsed.

  * * *

  Jarial gasped, and his eyes sprang open, as if he had awakened from a nightmare. He reached for the source of the pain in his left arm and almost scalded his fingers in the process. After retracting his seared hand, Jarial looked frantically at Kaijin who was encompassed in a fiery aura. Kaijin’s hands were ablaze and clutching Jarial’s arm, violently shaking him in a desperate attempt to rouse him.

  The pain of the heat was unbearable. “Arrgh! Kaijin! Get a hold of yourself, boy!” He cringed as the smell of his own burning flesh hit his nose. He attempted to utter a protective spell around his body to shield away the scorching heat, but his concentration was impaired. He stared helplessly into Kaijin’s eyes whose pupils were replaced by flickering fires.

  * * *

  Sensing her master’s distress, Sable hissed at Kaijin and lashed out swiftly, swiping her claws across his face. She arched her back, taking a defensive position next to her master.

  Kaijin yelped. The unexpected strike was painful enough to break his hypnotic state. Trickles of warm, copper-scented blood flowed out of the fresh wounds on his cheek. The burning heat in his flaming hands subsided. He blinked and looked around before placing his hand over the bleeding wound.

  Miele screeched from above and dove at Sable in a fearless attempt to avenge her injured master. She swooped past the cat’s face and nipped one of her ears with her tiny teeth.

  Sable’s reaction wasn’t fast enough to catch the bat who soared back into the dark sky out of reach. Sable hissed with exasperation.

  Kaijin watched the two animals and cast a scolding look at Miele, who landed on his shoulder once she no longer sensed danger. “Leave Sable alone.”

  Jarial stirred and spoke weakly. “Sable was only doing what needed to be done, Kaijin.” He ran his fingers over the burned flesh of his arm and grunted in pain. “Have you calmed down, now?” He eyed Kaijin, frowning.

  Hearing his master’s voice again sent a wave of relief through Kaijin’s mind. His fiery eyes returned to normal, and the raging flames of his anxiety waned. “M ... Master?” Kaijin spoke in a small voice and reached out to touch the man’s face.

  Jarial huffed and gave Kaijin’s dirty hand a weak smack. “Yes, Kaijin, it’s me.” He fished through one of his belt pouches and retrieved the ‘emergency’ blue potion. After uncorking it, he downed the contents in a single gulp. Moments later, the expression of pain on Jarial’s face was gone. The burn wound closed and healed at a rapid pace.

  Kaijin watched in amazement at the potion’s effects. “I never thought I’d see the day in which you finally used that potion. What kind of potion is that, anyway?”

  “It is a magic potion.” Jarial smirked faintly. “It is a special concoction that dulls pain and speeds up the healing of wounds.”

&n
bsp; “Did you make it yourself?”

  “No, I bought it from a traveling priest. It was my one and only charitable deed after leaving the Citadel. And then I met you.”

  Sable relaxed and rubbed her body affectionately against Jarial’s torso. He smiled at his familiar and rubbed under the chin. Sable closed her eyes and purred loudly.

  Jarial took a moment to regain his bearings. He rubbed the back of his head and winced.

  “Master ...” Kaijin’s eyes were teary. “Thank the gods you’re safe! I thought you ... everyone is—”

  “Where is it?” Jarial scanned the ground, ignoring him.

  “Where is what, Master?”

  Jarial spied the mess of blood and melted glass in Kaijin’s left hand. “Don’t play ignorant with me, boy.” He grabbed Kaijin’s hand and examined it briefly.

  Kaijin cringed as some of the substance was picked from his palm. Was that ... glass?

  * * *

  When Jarial had examined the melted shard long enough, he lowered his head solemnly.

  Xavorin ... Jarial’s soul couldn’t help calling out to his old friend. He sighed and regarded Kaijin silently.

  Kaijin met Jarial’s gaze. “Master, I don’t know what happened, or even how or why. I am just grateful that you are all right, at least. I don’t know what I would’ve done if ... if you—”

  “Get a hold of yourself, boy,” Jarial interjected in a weak, but scolding voice. “I told you that you no longer need me. You’ve proven that already.”

  Kaijin held back his tears. “I have proven nothing, Master. I heard people screaming, strange voices ... I am in pain, and I don’t know why. Where did all this glass come from? Why am I bleeding? How did I end up here amid all this destruction? All this death? Have I done this? Are people dead because of me? It’s no different from what happened out in the fields, right? I didn’t want to kill anyone, Master! I swear!”

  “What?” Jarial arched his brow. “No, it’s impossible for you to have done this on your own. I’m sure there are other survivors.” He turned to Sable. “Go and scout the rest of the city. Alert me to even the faintest hint of life.”

  Sable meowed in response then scampered off.

  * * *

  Kaijin watched the cat for a moment before looking at Miele, who remained perched on his shoulder. “You too, Miele. Go on, now, and be careful.”

  With a small shriek, Miele took to the dark sky and followed Sable’s path.

  Kaijin found his bag beneath the wreckage and searched through the tattered remains. Much to his relief, his spellbook was still intact. Beneath the leather-bound book, however, was Rorick’s lizard, Viridis. It lay lifelessly on its side, revealing its smooth, white underbelly.

  Kaijin gasped, picked up the dead lizard, and held it in his hand. “Viridis! No! I promised Rorick I’d protect you!”

  “What are you rambling about now, boy?” Jarial scowled.

  Kaijin knelt down beside his master and showed him the lizard. “I think it was his familiar, but Rorick never told me. It’s dead, Master! And I promised Rorick I’d keep it safe!”

  After examining the creature, Jarial shook his head. “Impossible. This couldn’t have been his familiar. I sense no arcanic properties in it. And it’s not dead.”

  “What do you mean ‘it’s not dead’?”

  Jarial rolled the creature onto its belly and carefully rubbed its head. Moments later, the creature twitched. Soon, it crawled out of Kaijin’s hand, up his arm, and perched on his shoulder.

  Kaijin’s eyes widened. “Amazing, Master! You revived it!”

  Jarial snorted. “It was simply playing dead. It’s a defensive mechanism certain species of lizards use.”

  “Oh! I see.” The fact that Viridis wasn’t dead sent a wave of relief through Kaijin.

  “Rorick was never magically inclined enough to acquire a familiar on his own, anyway,” Jarial continued in a flat tone. “I think he simply found that thing and decided to keep it as a pet. But why in the hells are you taking care of it now?”

  “Because Rorick asked me to take care of it before he—” Kaijin lowered his head.

  Jarial waited for him to finish. He examined his own body, and then brushed his robes somewhat clean of the dirt, blood and torn, seared flesh of inhuman creatures before attempting to stand. He teetered and reached out to grab something—anything.

  Kaijin glanced up just in time to see his master falter. He sprang up to his feet and offered his support by taking Jarial’s arm. Kaijin almost stumbled under the mage’s weight.

  “I’m fine, Kaijin!” Jarial protested. “Get off me!”

  Ignoring him, Kaijin grasped his master’s arm more firmly.

  After some moments of struggling, Jarial surrendered out of pure exhaustion. “I wish Xavorin hadn’t returned.”

  “Xavorin? Why did he come back, Master?”

  Jarial sighed. “He claims he returned against his will. Perhaps I am inclined to agree. But it was his choice to pursue the Forbidden Art. The spirits overwhelmed him to the point that he gradually became one of them, as evidenced by this.” He glanced down at the fragment of melted glass in his hand.

  Kaijin frowned. “Glass? You mean ...”

  “Yes.” Jarial’s response was barely audible. He clenched the melted fragment.

  “I don’t understand, Master. How can such a small thing hold so much power?”

  Jarial shook his head. “Such items are used for confining the souls of their bearers. When one practices the Forbidden Art long enough, he goes through a series of transitions—essentially losing a piece of his own soul in the process. Eventually, they become the abominations they revile. The phylactery is essentially the last of their sanity. It’s what sets them apart from the restless dead. Therefore, the only way to kill a necromancer is to destroy their phylactery.”

  Kaijin eyed him carefully. “Did Xavorin really have to die, Master?”

  Jarial’s left eyelid twitched, and he seemed insulted by the question. He slowly raised his hand, as though he were about to smack Kaijin, but lowered it again at the protest of his exhausted body. “Yes, Kaijin, he had to die. This could not persist any longer.”

  Kaijin sensed slight uncertainty in his master’s response, but kept silent.

  “I dare ask how you—we managed to survive this.” Jarial’s eyes trailed back to Kaijin. “This sort of destruction is unnatural. Not even a horde of undead could cause this. Do you not smell the stench of burning flesh all around you, Kaijin? It’s obvious that everything has been ... burned.” The mage regarded him suspiciously.

  Kaijin met his master’s hard stare. He swallowed nervously. He felt a look of guilt on his face, but for what reason? He had little recollection of what occurred. There were vague memories of the soothing voice of the flames whispering to him before trapping him in darkness. He had become a host to something beyond his imagination and didn’t understand why.

  “Kaijin,” Jarial spoke in a firm tone, breaking the silence. “Tell me what happened. Tell me everything.”

  Kaijin shook his head. “I don’t know, Master. I swear, I don’t know. I wish I did ... I want to find the one responsible. My parents ... Rorick ... they are among the slain ... I saw the horrible things done to them, Master!”

  Jarial exhaled slowly. “I think ... perhaps you should search for the answer. You need to find your own way now, Kaijin. I believe you’ve reached that level of understanding.” He gave Kaijin a weak shove and hobbled away to stand on his own. He began his sluggish trek in the general direction of his home.

  Kaijin watched him, still not quite comprehending the man’s words. “What are you talking about? I don’t even know what in the bloody hells happened!”

  Jarial never stopped his slow shuffle. “Then maybe you should embark on that journey and find out.”

  Kaijin opened his mouth to protest when he suddenly sensed a wave of distress flooding his mind. Wincing, he held his head for a moment and listened to his familiar�
��s cries before acknowledging Jarial. His face fell. “Miele was unable to locate any survivors.”

  The animals emerged from the shadows and dust that whisked through the debris. Miele landed on Kaijin’s shoulder while Sable sought refuge at Jarial’s ankles and walked alongside him. The cat meowed in a saddened, anxious voice.

  Jarial stopped walking and gazed down at Sable, frowning, before regarding Kaijin. “Not a single one.”

  Kaijin felt his heart pound. “Master ... please ...” he whimpered. “Please don’t tell me this was—”

  “Whatever did this,” Jarial interjected, “was thorough. Perhaps, it was even necessary. The powers of the undead creatures overran this place. It was only a matter of time before everyone would be affected by their taint. Your abilities are strong, unpredictable, and at times, uncontrollable. But I sense the destruction unleashed here had little to do with you, so lay the matter to rest.” He continued his walk.

  Kaijin’s tears froze, and he gawked at his master. “‘Lay the matter to rest’? H–how could you say that? Did you not hear me before? My parents are dead! Rorick is dead! Everyone is dead!”

  Jarial stopped again and let out an exasperated huff. “And what do you expect me to do about it, Kaijin?” He glanced over his shoulder. “Bring them all back from the dead?”

  “At least have a little decency—a little respect for my—”

  “Look elsewhere for pity, boy, because I have none.”

  “I’m not looking for your pity. I’m looking for guidance.”

  “Then pray to your beloved Firelord.”

  The mention of Kaijin’s god drew sparked surprise in the young man. He fell silent and lowered his head in brief reverence as though his actions were compulsory.

  Jarial watched Kaijin wrestle with his thoughts, then spun around and continued with more forceful steps back to what remained of his home.