Firemancer Collection (Fated Saga Box Set Book 1)

by R. H. D'aigle

  “Seems odd they would choose to live in a really sunny place, then.”

  “Everyone has to sleep sometime,” said Ivan, handing Meghan a meat pie.

  After eating, Meghan set in to her duties. Her nerves got the best of her right away. She saw Ivan about to say something and shushed him. He frowned but backed off. After a few more tries, she successfully created a small, controlled fire in the palm of her hand.

  “Now for the hard part,” she whispered. She tried to focus on what she wanted to see… the path ahead of them and their destination, but she saw nothing but flames.

  “Anything?” questioned Ivan.

  “No. Nothing,” she answered. Nothing, is better than visions I wasn’t trying to have. “I’ll try again in the morning, before we head out,” she told him. Ivan agreed and advised Meghan to get some rest. He would do so as well, once he had looked over the map again.

  As exhausted as Meghan was, she found it hard to relax. There were actual, real, living Goblins wobbling around outside their cave. Moreover, leaning against a hard rock wall, with just a small blanket for cover and a sweater for a pillow, did not condone a good nights rest. Sometime during the night, she did finally fall asleep, while listening to Ivan pace the cave floor.

  He awoke her early the next morning. It was still dark in the cave. Meghan wondered if Ivan had slept at all.

  “Get packed up. I want to get out of this cave and moving as soon as it’s safe to do so. It seems as though the Goblins are moving back into their day positions.”

  Meghan packed up, ready in just minutes. She wolfed down another meat pie and then set to seeing. She was about to give up, again thrilled that she had not seen any nightmarish visions, when she did see something: a figure, following a red rock path, and hiding in caves, watching the valley come to life just as they had the previous night.

  “Oh no,” she whispered.

  Ivan knelt down beside her. “What?”

  “There’s someone else wandering through the valley, and they’re heading in the same direction we are,” she gulped. “We’re not alone!”

  She gazed into Ivan’s concerned eyes. He slumped down exhaling deeply. Meghan knew he was growing impatient, waiting to depart.

  “It’s not by chance some part of your Initiation is it? Friendly competition perhaps?”

  “No. I’m confident it’s not. Banon Blackwell took me aside and… well, let’s just say the only people that know about this little jaunt of ours is us, and her.”

  The Goblin’s rock bodies groaned against the ground as they shifted into a comfortable position to sleep away the day.

  “We must get there first!” insisted Ivan.

  “Maybe this person I saw isn’t headed where we are, Ivan.”

  “We cannot take that chance.We will have to travel faster today!”

  Meghan frowned. Her feet were still sore from the previous day’s hike. However, she did not want to disappoint Juliska. She took a deep breath, digging deep, trying to find her determination.

  Minutes later light filtered into the cave. Ivan stepped out first, carefully, to check that the Goblins were rock formations once again.

  He took out his map and let the light filter through. Their pathway had changed. The Goblin formations were not the same as the previous day. It appeared they did not stay in the same place night after night.

  He motioned for Meghan to follow and the journey began again.

  ##

  ##

  The bird sat on Colin’s shoulder and together they gazed into the valley, watching the Goblins shift their way into the darkening distance. After Colin had come to, he could not help but watch, mesmerized by the creatures’ movements. Awhile later, Colin decided he had better go deeper into the cave to rest and eat. Colin talked aimlessly as he took out a meat pie, sliced off a piece for the bird, and ate the rest himself.

  “I know you can understand me, so I’ll just talk. I guess if you ever want me to know who you are, you’ll tell me, or show me. Thanks by the way, for coming with me. I hate to admit it, but I did not like the idea of doing this on my own. I just know I have to save Catrina.”

  He paused to finish his meat pie, and dreamily continued.

  “She’s beautiful you know. Wait until you see her, you’ll agree.” Colin looked at the bird. “I wish I knew what your name was.”

  The bird shrugged as if to say, sorry, but not today.

  “Well, maybe I’ll give you a name then,” decided Colin.

  Thinking of a name to call the bird took Colin’s mind off the frightening challenge that lay ahead, as well as the Goblins slithering raucously across the valley floor outside. He went through a list of names, none of which sounded right.

  “You know, I only know you as the bird or the bird-human, and no other name fits. So I’m just going call you Bird. But I won’t think of it like you’re a bird, more like the jazz musician, who was nicknamed Bird.”

  Colin wished that he had his I-Pod and could actually listen to music, what a pleasant distraction that would be.

  The bird nodded its acceptance and squawked gently, as if laughing. It shook its feathers and stalked through the cave, acting silly. Bird had Colin laughing in no time. At one point, he was afraid he had laughed so hard that he had gained the unwanted attention of their outside captors.

  Before turning in for the night, Colin took out the map. As he did so, Magicante’s pages flipped open, stopping on a green and yellow shimmering leaf.

  “I think it would be wise,” the book spoke, “for you to learn something new.”

  “New magic?” Colin could barely contain his eagerness.

  “Yes, I believe you will find this lesson prudent to the current situation.”

  “How so?” he asked the Magicante, curious.

  “I sense danger in this place. One can never be too careful,” the Magicante’s voice hissed.

  “Danger,” stuttered Colin. “More than what we’ve seen already?”

  “Ah. Not to worry, Kid,” the book spoke. “Nothing you cannot handle without proper training.”

  “Okay,” said Colin. “What do I do?”

  “Any real magician,” started the book, “knows the value of using a spell without having to speak it.” Magicante paused, as if waiting for something.

  “And?” questioned Colin.

  “Well, why is it important?” asked the voice of Magicante.

  “Oh. Okay. Um, my guess would be secrecy. No one would know what kind of spell you’re using against them.”

  “Naturally,” agreed Magicante. “But here is what you do not know: spells thought, rather than spoken, use less energy to perform. Something many a fool that calls himself a magician does not know.”

  “Oh. Okay,” said Colin. “Kind of makes sense when you think about it.”

  Magicante had Colin practice various spells, thinking them rather than speaking them. Colin was sure to use Abdo in order to hide the fact that he was using magic. He took a stack of rocks and set in to hurling them deeper into the cave.

  “I did not think you’d have a problem with this bit of magic,” said the cranky voice of the book, after seeing Colin succeed easily. “But I decided it was time for you to know it! One of those little secrets apparently lost in magical teaching today.”

  “Any other helpful hints?” asked Colin.

  “That is all for tonight.” The book slammed itself shut and set into a soft snore.

  Colin decided it was time to do the same. He wanted to get an early start. Bird nestled into a crevice and curled its beak underneath its feathers. Colin dozed off but woke with a start. He glanced around, but there was nothing there except for Bird, sleeping soundly. Colin shook it off, glad of Jae’s magic tunic. The air was chilly, but he was not cold at all. Before long, he was sleeping again.

  A few hours later, in the middle of the night, Bird awoke with a start. This time, something approached the cave. He left the sleeping Colin and flew outside to have a look. The valle
y was empty as far as Bird could see, with the exception of an approaching Catawitch.

  Bird transformed into human form. There were no Goblins nearby and Colin was sleeping soundly inside.

  “Nona,” a male voice spoke. “What are you doing here? Why aren’t you with Meghan?”

  “Well hello to you, too. Bird is it now?” She laughed a girlish cat laugh.

  “Very funny. Like I could tell him my name. Now back to my question.”

  “Meghan asked me to stay behind and watch Colin. She became afraid to leave him. Little did I know he had his own journey planned,” she answered in her cat voice.

  “I’ve got Colin’s back. You should catch up with Meghan.”

  “I do wish greatly to be at her side, but how would I explain. No. I will stay and do as she asked.”

  Bird nodded. “Do you want to come inside the cave then?”

  “There’s a few hours left until morning. I’m going to hunt for some food and snoop around. I’ll be following you tomorrow.”

  “Be safe then, Nona.”

  Bird transformed back and took flight, landing next to the still soundly sleeping Colin.

  ##

  ##

  Light filtered its way into the cave. Colin opened his eyes, not believing he had slept so well. He jumped up and packed his shoulder bag. “Better get moving.”

  Bird followed overhead as Colin stepped out into the daylight, extracting the map. His path had changed directions. He realized that the rock formations he was looking at were not the same as the previous night.

  “What a map!” he said admiringly. “When this is all over, I need to do something really nice for Corny. But what do you get someone who is completely crazy?” he muttered to Bird, as their trek began again.

  ##

  ##

  Meghan stood behind Ivan, waiting as he again studied the map. She took off her pack and sat down. As she did, a plume of red dirt wafted off from her clothes.

  “I’m never going to get these clean,” she whined.

  “While we’re stopped, can you…” Meghan cut him off.

  “Yeah, yeah. Just a sec.” She took a minute to gather herself and then created a fire in the palm of her hand. She focused on their journey, and the figure she had seen earlier that morning. She saw the same shadow of a figure, hiking through the valley. Nothing had changed. She searched the flames for any hint of what they might face ahead. However, there was nothing new in her vision.

  Ivan shook his head in confusion after Meghan informed him they were still not alone. A sense of urgency came over them both and they decided to eat lunch while walking.

  After awhile, the quiet of the valley grew on Meghan’s nerves. Hoping it would not turn into the catastrophe it had the first time, while in Grimble during the carriage ride, she attempted conversation with Ivan.

  “Tell me about the Svoda, Ivan, the other groups I mean. Do you know anyone in the other groups?”

  “I was only four, almost five, when we started traveling again,” he answered. “So no, I don’t really know much about the other groups other than they exist.”

  “How about Jul.. Banon Blackwell, then. She is the leader of all the Svoda, right?”

  Ivan shot her a look that said, DUH!

  “What I mean is,” she clarified, “how did she end up here, with this particular group?”

  “Oh. Well, when the time came for the Svoda to divide themselves amongst the different groups, Banon Blackwell knew she would have to choose just one. She wanted it to be a fair decision, so she, along with those selected to be leaders of the other groups held a raffle. A regular pull-a-ticket-out-of-the-hat kind of raffle, actually. Each ticket had a group number on it and Banon Blackwell drew this group.” Ivan actually sounded happy explaining this to Meghan.

  “I wonder how the other groups handle not having her around. They must miss such an incredible woman…leader, I mean.”

  Ivan chuckled. “She is admirable, to say the least,” he agreed.

  A short while later, as the heat of the day wore on Meghan, a voice echoed through her head.

  “Colin?” she whispered, knowing instantly that it was not her brother. Her block was still firm. She sensed Colin in the back of her mind, but did not contact him or let his thoughts in. So whose voice was she hearing?

  “Aahhh!” she suddenly yelled, falling over. She had not been watching her steps and was now laying face first in the dirt.

  Ivan shook his head, but grabbed her hand, helping her up. Meghan wiped off the red dirt now plastered on her face, spitting out bits that had wormed their way into her mouth. She poorly ignored Ivan’s humor-filled eyes.

  “You are enjoying my discomfort a little too much, aren’t you?” she mumbled.

  A sly smirk snuck through his lips but he said nothing. Throughout the rest of the day, the unfamiliar voice periodically entered her mind, but never clearly enough to hear what was being said.

  “Great,” she thought. “Just great! Hearing voices while stuck in the middle of nowhere on a mission with Ivan. Just perfect!”

  Meghan’s frustrations grew more obvious as the day progressed. Ivan’s sly smirk turned to agitation as Meghan slowed and stumbled more often. As the second day ended, Ivan announced their hideout for the night was not too far, but they needed to pick up the pace to get there in time.

  Once again, they found themselves scurrying to the cave with just minutes to spare.

  Ivan looked quite pleased.

  “What?” prodded Meghan.

  “We made good progress today. We actually went a lot further than I expected we would. We will arrive at our destination sometime in the late morning, if all goes well.”

  “No wonder I’m so damn tired,” retorted Meghan. “I thought this journey wasn’t supposed to be that long.”

  “I have a theory about that, actually. I think the valley changes. That even though the Goblins sleep during the day, something changes. Like a defense mechanism, to keep people from getting through the valley. I don’t think Banon Blackwell realized we might walk in circles a few times.”

  “Have we been?” Meghan had not noticed.

  “Yes. A few times.”

  “I’ll say it again, then. No wonder I’m so damn tired!”

  “You survived,” replied Ivan, adding, “Same drill as last night. You see and I’ll get us some dinner.”

  This plan was all well and good, except for the fact that Meghan was not in control of her emotions.

  As soon as she started her fire, the unwanted vision came: Jae, on his pillar, the dark silhouette drowning him… killing him.

  Again though, the vision was not the same. At the end, when the silhouette was about to pick up Jae and throw him into the black abyss, Jae fought back. His eyes turned black, fuming with anger. Meghan quivered at the sight of Jae’s coal black eyes.

  Even more disturbing, was that Jae’s body changed, too. His teeth were sharp and snapped at his opponent. His body was no longer the tall, frail, thin body Meghan was used to seeing. His arms were rugged and strong.

  Jae charged the silhouette, forcing it to the edge of the pillar. It toppled into the black abyss, leaving Jae the lone victor. He turned to Meghan. His eyes pierced hers, as if he could see her. He snarled, easily leaping from his pillars to hers.

  Meghan screamed.

  The vision ended.

  Ivan picked her up off the cave floor. After Meghan had regained her composure, he let go and turned around, facing the cave wall, angrily.

  “Will you ever trust me enough to tell me what’s going on with Jae?” she asked, still shaking.

  Thus far, they had avoided any real confrontation. Ivan whirled around and squatted so that he was eye to eye with Meghan.

  “Yes, I will actually.”

  Meghan’s eyes opened wide, reading Ivan’s face as he replied.

  “But not today, right?” she whispered, realizing he was just taunting her.

  “No. Not today.”

&n
bsp; “Why not?” she asked, genuinely interested in his reply.

  “You’re not ready… yet.”

  She wrinkled her nose at him. “In your eyes, Ivan Crane, I doubt anyone would ever be deemed ready!” Meghan folded her arms and huffed.

  “I am going to tell you something, Meghan Jacoby.”

  He stood back up, looking quite tall and foreboding.

  Meghan did the same. She wanted to be on even ground when he insulted her, so she could defend herself properly.

  “I have certain goals I very much intend on fulfilling. Failure is not an option. Nothing will get in my way. Nothing!”

  Meghan recalled the violent dream she’d had, where Ivan had attempted to kill her, and claimed something eerily similar.

  “You are an asset, Meghan,” he went on. “The Banon likes you, for whatever reason,” he added dryly. “Therefore, I like you. The way I see it, we are unwilling business partners. You are helping me get what I want, and I, eventually, will give you what you want.”

  “So this is like ‘let’s make a deal’ or something?” Meghan guffawed. “You rub my back and I’ll rub yours?” Meghan shook her head in disgust. “No wonder you don’t have any friends, and to think…” she accidentally admitted, “I was almost starting to not despise being around you.”

  Ivan lunged toward Meghan, pinning her against the cave wall.

  “Having friends is a luxury I cannot afford, Meghan Jacoby. Friends make you care. Friends make you realize what you’re giving up. Friends get in the way.”

  Meghan gulped, hard, unable to take her eyes off Ivan’s face, only inches away. Many thoughts raced through her mind at light speed.

  What did Ivan mean?

  What was he giving up?

  What was he hiding?

  Perhaps he was just angry with her, because her Firemancy had allowed her into his secretive mind. Colin hated when she did that, too. She knew it was the one place he always felt safe and free. Perhaps Ivan was worried she would see too much. She suddenly remembered the phrase keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Did Ivan think of her as an enemy?