Ignite

by Hannah Parker

  I guess we were having too much fun to notice we were the only pair left on the dance floor. Our pace slowed, and his eyes locked on mine. We stood there, silent, for what felt like an eternity. I felt his breath against my cheeks, his hand pulling me against him. I had to fight my every instinct to run away, just like before. My mind, and my heart demanded I stay put. I closed my eyes, feeling his cheek press against my own. I wouldn’t flee, not this time. I felt his lips against mine and I couldn’t help but return the gesture. It was perfect, just like the stories told, sweet but not too strong. Gentle, yet empowering.

  “Get a room you two,” Mara’s voice rang out.

  We pulled away, both of us now flushed and looking away.

  Mara laughed, the music settling into quiet before us. Before Kiyne and I had a chance to let go, Mara wrapped her arms around us and squeezed.

  “What do you say you two?” she said with a grin. “Shall we head home in the morning?”

  I took hold of Mara’s arm, squeezing back just as tightly. Home... I’d nearly forgotten like time had escaped us here. But it had only been a couple of days, hadn’t it?

  Mara’s eyes locked on mine, expecting an answer, any answer.

  I nodded, smiling and pulling her close, “let’s go home.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Home...I’d been far too caught up in my own journey to remember our village, our people. They’d lose it all, and here I was learning how to fight and how to use magic.

  I didn’t get much rest before dawn began to rise. The stars twinkled one last time, fading against the amber skyline as it swelled before me. We raced down the pathway, saying our farewells and clutching what few things we could carry.

  “Alina!” a voice called after me.

  Lily had been quick on our heels, something wrapped tightly in her arms.

  I stopped, worried we’d miss our departure but I couldn’t simply ignore her.

  “Here!” she said, pushing the small bundle into my arms. “Now go!”

  I smiled, hugging the package before pivoting around and darting off again.

  I arrived on the shoreline, heart beating loudly, and fighting to catch my breath. A familiar roar rang out behind us and Graven emerged from the tree line once more, coasting over the shallows before landing on the sand.

  “I thought you’d left us,” I said playfully.

  “Now why would I do that?” he replied.

  Two more roars echoed from beyond the trees, a pair of dragons soon appearing, gliding over the water like dual winds before they settled at Graven’s side.

  “I brought some friends,” he announced. “This is Keldi and Ove.”

  I shouldn’t have been surprised when our previous companion didn’t show. She wasn’t bound for our world, and all she ever wanted was to be home again, to be free. Now, before us, stood two more beasts of legend, one standing much larger, and more brutish than even Graven.

  Ove, as he was named, was sturdy and rigid. His body was covered in iron like scales, similar to the plating that Kiyne had crafted back at the Dens. It armoured his size from head to tail, sections splitting to reveal row after row of jagged spikes. His eyes were an icy blue, staring down at us from above. Two horns protruded from either side of his head, twisting and curved like daggers away from the steel-like scales that covered his head from snout to neck. Smoke misted from his nostrils constantly, claws like swords pulling up sand and filtering it like a plough through the fields. I didn’t even know if he could be mounted, he stood too tall for even Mara to leap onto.

  Keldi was small but still sizable when compared to Graven. Her scales reflected the land and sea, each one shifting to adjust in the breeze. At one moment we could see her, and the next she was gone; camouflaged in the environment by a quick shift in the wind. Her eyes were deep and purple, like late-blooming tulips in spring; they held power, but also kindness. A single row of fins and barbs descended down her back, fluttering gently in the wind like whiskers on a cat. Her horns were small, three on either side, gently curling back toward her head. Her form showered she was sly and speedy; she could disappear at the flick of the tongue and dip into the trees unseen. She reminded me more of a large cat than a dragon but I’d never tell her that.

  “Hurry now,” Graven instructed, “we have little time to beat the horizon this time.”

  We all agreed, securing our things for the journey onward. I had adjusted my bag but I still held the bundle from Lily. What could possibly have been so important that she’d chase after me just to deliver it?

  I undid the bit of twine that held it together, tossing it aside as my curiosity took hold of me. It was a black piece of clothing, soft, and durable. I flipped it outward, trying to display its entirety; it was a cloak. My cloak! It smelled like cedar and felt like that plush bed, the one I’d miss so much when we finally left Algundar. It had a strange weight to it, feather-light, not like the wet burlap I’d weighed on me before.

  “Try it on!” Mara called out.

  I tossed the cloak over my body, feeling almost renewed as I was once more layered, concealed from the world. I pulled down the hood, doing a quick twirl for amusement. It fit perfectly.

  Slow claps broke my dream state, reminding me we were on a strict timeline.

  “Let’s go!” Kiyne shouted. He had latched onto Ove almost instinctively, his hands finding the right spots to grab on and hoist himself up with. He sat on his back, looking all too fitting atop the armoured behemoth.

  Mara had already taken a seat on Keldi, the two seeming to share a few unspoken thoughts through the meet of their gaze. I often wondered if Mara was an Arcanon but, in the years of our friendship, I’d never thought to ask.

  Graven arched his tail, allowing me to climb on with ease. I took a seat at the base of his neck, ready to hold on this time.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “Ready,” I replied confidently.

  We raced through the air, Mara and Keldi moving like a bolt of lightning against the rising sun. Graven and I were close behind, watching as Keldi and Mara spun downward and disappeared into the horizon with a blink. We followed the same path, spinning down before we once more coasted against the surface of the water. I’d only briefly seen Kiyne and Ove at our backs, their flight much slower, but still timely. We’d all made it through safely but, this time there was no stopping on the shoreline This time we headed for home.

  Wings beat against the morning sky, the sun rising behind us as if we were pulling it ourselves. We flew over familiar lakes and small farmsteads, the wind from our flight shaking the trees as we moved overhead. It was a new sight for many of us, and I couldn’t help but admire the world from afar.

  “Look over there,” Kiyne called from our backs.

  We leaned right, our eyes turning back to see he and Ove shift their flight pattern. We could see a plume of smoke rising from a small glen, and the reality began to sink into me again.

  We couldn’t dive any closer, the trees too tightly bunched for us to find a good spot to land. I looked to Mara, she and Keldi able to get the closest. Her face was painted with sadness, her head shaking.

  Another one.

  We picked up speed, flying forward again on our route. Random plumes began to appear as we got close to the mountain. Farmsteads were destroyed, cattle sprawling across acreage without a master. An inn had collapsed, barrels of ale and mead bled dry at its front step. The closer we came to our own home the more carnage began to appear. Was this all the Marauders’ doing?

  Silence held our landing, the place where our village had once stood. Now it was a clear path to stop upon. The smoldering embers had ceased here, and all that remained were heaps of settled ash.

  I sighed, hardening myself for what I knew came next. We had to confront our people, I had to confront them. I’d brought this upon all of us, and now I was going to end it.

  Mara had placed her hand to the soil, her ears twitching below her golden braids, listening, tracking carefully.
“They’re westward,” she said. “Seems most, if not all of them, took to the Mist Lands for shelter.”

  We situated our gear, beginning our journey on foot. The Mist Lands were only a few hours from our village but Dragons couldn’t land there easily. Rocky outcrops were hidden by a valley of near-constant mist that rolled in from the mountains. It concealed the village both from attack as well as sight entirely.

  We’d all taken the trip many times, knowing each twist and turn to take. And how many steps between rocks were needed before another turn on the path was taken Even in the mist, we could manage our way, and we knew even the Marauders couldn’t find guidance to this place.

  “So, what’s the plan?” Mara asked, leading the way as usual. “Sell your soul and let them flay you?”

  “I thought I’d let them stone me first,” I snorted.

  “Right, better to be tenderized first,” Kiyne commented.

  We snickered, but deep down we all feared what awaited us. Would they be relieved? Confused? Angry? Could we tell them about the Ethereal? Had Bryden told them about Graven? What if they thought I was eaten?

  Bursts of fire snapped me from my thoughts. We were getting close, and the fire spouts meant Dragons roamed nearby.

  “Seems the Arcanon made the trip safely as well,” Mara remarked. “I thought they’d take to the mountains.”

  “They must know something’s off,” Kiyne added.

  “They’re likely here for protection,” Mara corrected.

  Protection from what? From us? No... they meant the Marauders.

  Voices began to fill the air, mist clearing from our path as we entered the small village of Unadine, home of the once-proud Horsemen of the Hills. Huts spanned far as the eye could see, most tucked beneath the shadows of a rock, where others merely chose to remain small, easily mistaken for ruins rather than dwellings.

  We were nearly unnoticed until the Arcanon spotted us. A voice called out, causing Mara to turn on her heels and glare. She shouted back, something snide, and most definitely crude from her tone.

  “What’d he say?” I asked.

  “The deserters live,” she began, “come, explain your treachery,” she hissed under her breath.

  Kiyne had snuck up behind us, his body close as if to guard us from any further remarks or potential attacks.

  “Alina!” a familiar voice rang out.

  “Bryden!” I said, spotting the blacksmith as he ran forward.

  “Kiyne... Mara too?” Bryden said, pausing before pulling us all in for a tight hug.

  We laughed, both relieved, yet uncomfortable. His words had brought attention to us. And now the whole town seemed to stare at us with hurt in their eyes.

  I desperately wanted to pull up my hood but, Bryden was quick to defend us before any words were even cast against us.

  “These young folks saved the Dens!” he shouted, arms spread out to demand the attention on him. “They freed the last of our mounts. Preserved the Arcanon!”

  “They brought darkness upon us!” another voice rang out.

  “They took those mounts and ran!” another chimed in.

  Soon a barrage of voices shouted at us, hurling insults and misunderstanding. It was all such a mess; people fighting to be heard, whether by us or the town, we couldn’t tell.

  Slowly, Dragons began to crawl in from the mist, their riders in tow.

  “Enough!” another voice, from beyond the mist, commanded.

  “Father...” Mara said in a hush.

  “Let them defend themselves,” he stated quite firmly.

  Blond hair was tucked behind his ears, a crown of wild thorns atop his head. His armour was dark, iron, and intricately crafted to display his lineage and his victories. His deep blue eyes had paused on Mara, despite his words being meant for all of us.

  “Lord Arden,” Bryden whispered, moving aside.

  Mara stepped forward, prepared to fight for all of us, as always. She was always there to cover us when we got caught, whether an adventure or a mishap. I was too hot-headed, too brash. But I wouldn’t let her take the fall for it. Not this time.

  I stepped beside her, grabbing her hand and staring deep into her grey eyes. I took a deep breath, her hand sliding from mine as she withdrew from her platform.

  “We are not deserters!” I boomed, pulling every bit of confidence I could from within. “We brought down fire and ash but... we... I never meant to. Kiyne... Mara... they did nothing wrong!” I nearly choked on my own words. “They saved me... when they probably shouldn’t have.”

  The people seemed unphased but Mara and Kiyne were both stunned by my confession.

  “I held something these Marauders wanted, but I didn’t know. Not until it was too late. I wanted to give it to them, to stop this, all of this but, I’ve seen what they’ve done, to us, to others. I don’t think they’ll ever stop, no matter what we give them.”

  Voices began to rumble, first in whispers amongst one another, and then growing louder.

  “I will face them. I will put an end to this hatred. This attack on our lands, and homes. I have seen their trail of destruction, and I will stop them in their tracks, I swear it!”

  A powerful choir of roars erupted from by back, Graven flying overhead and breaking through the mist with Ove and Keldi at his side. The Arcanon looked upward, spotting the beasts with surprise as they landed on a large gathering of rocks.

  I smiled, taking note of my back-up now for all to see.

  “We will finish what they started. I promise you...”

  Chapter Sixteen

  We hadn’t gained any real allies but, our list of enemies certainly thinned out by the afternoon. We were no longer considered to be ‘deserters’, and both Mara and Kiyne had managed to earn back the respect of their peers after a long conversation. However, I was still the outcast.

  I didn’t mind much, it left me with more time to plan my attack than have to explain my return again. I rolled the gemstone around in my pocket, thinking, plotting, and aching.

  I’d mapped out their attacks, the places they’d already burned, like our own. Their trail was odd, it didn’t seem to travel in any specific direction. Heading South was easiest, all downhill, but they’d hit the eastern villages, and moved north, then continued around, like a whirlpool. Were they following someone?

  “You seem flustered,” Mara interrupted, taking a seat beside me in the small inn. I’d thrown the map over the table, marking spots with charcoal as I looked at it over and over again.

  “Any leads on where they’ll strike next?” She asked.

  I shook my head, defeated, pushing my hands through my short hair. I was completely stumped.

  “It looks like a swirl,” Mara commented, tracing a line from our village with a bit of magic from her fingertip and dragging it along each torched location.

  I pulled the gem out of my pocket, placing it at the center of the map. The pattern was the same; the swirl on the gem moved counter-clockwise from the center, outward, just like the Marauders’ warpath.

  “It’s the same!” I shouted, returning my attention to the map.

  I followed the swirl again, mentally noting the route as Mara had done with her magic. I stepped back, swallowing hard when I figured out their next target.

  “It’s here,” I whispered. “They’re coming here.”

  We hurried across the small town to where the Arcanon had taken up residence. Kiyne had rejoined them, fixing their armour as best he could with the few resources at his use.

  “They’re coming to Unadine,” I stated, marching through the crowd of armoured Elven and straight to Kiyne’s makeshift workbench.

  I threw down the map in front of him, watching as a few other eyes began to pan over. I placed my finger on the town.

  “Three days they’ve traveled, from one location to the next. They hit here... tonight!”

  Kiyne stepped away from his work, looking down at the map and hearing my warning loud and clear, “how? How do they know wh
ere to look?”

  “Unadine has been shielded for centuries by the mists of the mountain. No one is coming here,” An Elven man piped up.

  “I don’t know. Look at the targets. Not all of them were towns. Some were just farms or Inns. Someone amongst them knows these lands, our people.,” I retorted.

  Lord Arden joined us, having heard my warning and the onslaught of denial. He stared down at the map, and for once, I could hear Mara gulp in fear.

  “Prepare our forces,” he said sternly. “We’ll have to keep watch on all sides.”

  I was somewhat relieved; someone had believed me, and that someone was willing to offer us aid, even if his men found it to be more of a nuisance.

  We rounded the townspeople into the hills, just up the mountainside, still veiled by the mists. Only those who wished to fight would remain in the village. We wouldn’t let this one fall; it wouldn’t burn like the others and I promised that.

  Night fell quickly as we rushed to prepare. Through the thick of the mist I could only see red eyes peering back at me. That was all I needed to give me the confidence to stand at the ready, waiting for the attack.

  I clutched the small axe in my hand; I hadn’t gotten much practice but, I’d watched Kiyne more than enough times to know how to dodge and evade, or when to swipe and attack. He stood beside me, his sword on his back, and a bow in his hand to start. Mara was to my left, high on a rock ledge, and concealed by the dark and mist. I couldn’t see her but, I felt her presence, knowing she already an arrow on hand, prepared to strike.