Playing With Fire

by Jordan Mendez

  Great, there’s nothing like the possibility of turning into a demon to brighten up my life.

  “Just do what you can,” I said solemnly. The woman nodded and placed a hand on the unfinished imprint again.

  “In nomine Medicum malum puerum istum in vinculis teneantur et flamma atque hanc iterum vacare puer.” Her words were gibberish to me, but as she removed her hand from my stomach, light began to envelope my body. I looked to Kyra in fear, and she smiled reassuringly. The light faded, leaving a new imprint on my body. Chains snaked across the unfinished imprint and my stomach and back. They also snaked across my right shoulder and a little bit down my hips. Madam Gale looked tired, but tried her best not to show it.

  “Try using your power now,” She said. I concentrated hesitantly on the spoon she held. Sure enough, the top of the spoon caught on fire and I felt no pain. The little woman hit me with the spoon and I smiled in spite of the crabby priestess. The flames receded from her spoon and I hugged the small woman.

  “Thank you!” I said almost in tears.

  “It’s what I do, no need to thank me,” She said while patting my back. I released her and beamed at Kyra. She smiled in return.

  “What is this?” Madam Gale asked while examining the pouch that held the mysterious stone. I had forgotten I still had it. I took it off.

  “I’m not sure,” I replied. “I just kind of found it I guess.”

  “May I see it?” she asked. I nodded and handed it to her. She examined the pouch intently with her fingers.

  “Do you know what it is?” I asked. She didn’t respond right away.

  “It’s just junk, you should leave it here, it would just weigh you down,” she replied finally. I agreed, and soon Kyra and I were leaving.

  “Kyra, bring Scarlet back here again soon, so I can teach her some manners!” the small woman said as we were leaving.

  “Alright,” Kyra said even though she saw my silent pleading and begging for her not to. The second we walked outside, the cottage disappeared. I was the only one who was staring in disbelief.

  “Where did it go?” I asked Kyra after running to catch up.

  “You can only find Madam Gale’s home if you’re lost,” she said plainly. “That’s how she’s avoided Velkire finding her for a hundred years.” My mouth dropped open.

  “She’s that old?” I asked in disbelief.

  “No,” Kyra said. “She’s a lot older. She’s an Eternal.”

  “A what?” I replied.

  “An Eternal,” she began to explain. “They are humans with special powers, like the Sight, but amplified. They can live for almost ten thousand years, and they age about a fiftieth the rate regular humans do.”

  “Are there a lot of them?” I asked.

  “Not anymore,” she replied. “But there are a few left.”

  “What kind of powers does Madam Gale have?” I asked curiously.

  “Besides being a priestess, she has amplified Sight, which is why she is blind. Having vision and the Sight is the norm, but amplified Sight takes away normal vision, and make people an Eternal.”

  The walk back to camp was much shorter than going to the priestess’s home; it took about half an hour.

  I was rejoined with my brothers shortly, and I told them what had happened. After seeing the part of the seal I was comfortable showing (which was the part on my shoulder) they all quickly accepted it. My brothers and I were getting comfortable around a fire in the tent they stayed in. I still shared a tent with Kyra, but I chose to spend most of my time with my brothers. Occasionally Vaze would come and hang out with us too, sometimes to teach my brothers how to fight a little better or just to talk. I started to feel like he was becoming more like a friend to me than some annoying boy who dragged me into the biggest mess of my life. I was also starting to like the camp and make actual friends. I even began talking to Ed a little bit, or at least as much as he could. I found out he wasn’t just a shy kid. He could be really funny sometimes.

  As days turned into weeks, I also got acquainted with the non-human part of the camp. Eventually, the only people who didn’t like me were Cain and the old senile people that were crabby about everything, and I didn’t necessarily like them either.

  Kyra began training Vaze again, and I usually watched simply because I was bored. She taught him how to use strange weapons that I’d never heard of before, or even imagined in my wildest dreams. Every lesson Kyra gave him Vaze excelled at, although most of them he nearly took my head off by mistake. However, one day I wished that I didn’t watch him train, because Kyra dragged me into training with her too.

  Everyone in the camp was required to know how to fight, so my brothers and I were no exception. They were each chosen by different trainers that saw talent in them. Seth was taught by the captain of the archers, Jake and Darren were chosen by a knight, and Al was chosen by a mysterious man who no one would tell me about. We all had to train most of the day, but Kyra made me train at night as well. The only one who looked as tired as I was every day was Al, which made me wonder what he was being taught. Days that Kyra didn’t train me harshly were the days she brought me back to Madam Gale. Every time I went I got another bruise from her spoon, and sometimes a bite from a strange little golden squirrel that was with her all the time. The little thing punished me more than the little woman did.

  “You two have really gotten better,” Kyra said as Vaze and I were training one day. I collapsed from exhaustion in the torched half of a field that Kyra had me train in. Vaze fell to his knees beside me breathing hard as sweat plastered his shirt to his skin. His wings disappeared into the tattoos on his back. Our training had been to practice fighting together. I had to set dummies on fire while on Vaze’s back in the air. It was difficult, but eventually we figured it out without me falling off. The many times I did fall off before we achieved this were quite traumatizing to me. Whether it was Kyra, Ed or Vaze who caught me, it took about five minutes for them to pry my arms off.

  “You’re evil, you know that?” I said breathlessly. Kyra laughed and patted me on my back.

  “You’re not the first to tell me that,” she said. “As I was saying, you two have really gotten better at working together. I think you might be ready to start missions like my other students.” Vaze bolted to his feet with excited eyes.

  “You mean missions like looking for Moraj?” he asked hurriedly. Kyra shook her head, and Vaze’s face filled with disappointment.

  “I don’t let my students who are still young be wasted on that,” she said. “I was talking more along the lines of a rescue mission. A surveillance team came back with reports of a bandit camp nearby with a number of hostages. Most of them are children. I’ve been assigned to rescue them with a team of my choice. You two are a great team together, and I could really use both of your help on this mission. So, are you guys up for it?”

  “Will we have to kill the bandits?” I asked remembering my previous killing spree.

  “If we have to we will, but we usually don’t need to,” she replied. “Ed has a special gift, and can take care of the bandits quickly, but without killing them.”

  “I’ll do it,” Vaze said.

  “I’ve got nothing else to do,” was my response. The mission sounded easy enough, especially if Ed was going to take care of the bandits. The next day we left camp to find the bandits. The weather was nice and the trip was easy. The light leather armor that Kyra gave us was extremely comfortable and durable, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that that mission was a very bad idea. The mission was going to be easy—just escort hostages back to the camp—but it felt like it would be much more difficult than that. I should start listening to that feeling every once in a while. It could save a lot of energy from being spent on trauma.

  Chapter Nine

  We found the bandits that night. Under the cover of the trees, we observed the camp while coming up with a plan. A roaring fire was set in the middle of the bandit’s hideout, casting long shadows from bandits tha
t sat around it. They were all still, but we could distinctively see there were humans there. The shadows were also cast over the cage at the edge of the camp where I made out silhouettes inside. The one thing we could see clearly was a girl with yellowish tan skin and raven black hair tied up by the fire. She looked skinny and beaten, but from the shallow rise and fall of her shoulders we knew she was alive.

  “Scarlet, do you remember what I want you to do?” Kyra whispered. I nodded, and she made a signal to Ed. He understood and began to set the plan in motion. Ed took hold of me around my waist and slowed his breathing. We began to shrink to the ground and turned as black as the shadows. With only a thought, we dashed through the undergrowth towards the camp, avoiding the light and sticking to the other shadows. I took an offensive stance as we began to take physical form again, in the shadow of one of the bandits. I hardly waited for my body to completely change from a shadow to my normal self before I struck the first bandit across the head.

  He fell to the ground and made a dull thud. I waited for a reaction from the other bandits. But there was none. I looked to the bandit on the ground turning his face around, and cursed. He was a dummy, and so were the rest of the bandits.

  “You idiots!” a strong but tired voice said from behind us. Ed and I turned to see the girl, fully awake with a face full of fear. “This is a trap! Get out of here now!” But it was too late.

  From the forest we heard Kyra scream. Kyra never screamed—she was the only one who didn’t scream in a bad situation. Flashes of glinting silver dashed around the camp, along with occasional snarls. I cut the girl’s binds and tossed her one of my daggers.

  “You will fight with us,” I demanded while drawing two more daggers from the hilts on my thighs. The girl jumped to her feet and held the dagger in a defensive way. She looked like she knew how to fight, but she would need more than looks.

  Ed pulled his enchanted dagger from its hilt, and he melded with the shadows.

  A flash of silver darted towards us, but as soon as it touched a shadow Ed came partway out and slit the attacker’s throat. A lumbering beast with silver fur crashed to the ground as Ed disappeared again. The beast resembled a wolf, but had long limbs like a human. Its arms were as long as it’s legs. The creature was larger than a grizzly bear. Its long muzzle was stained with blood, and had long pointy white teeth poking out of its snarling mouth. Before I could examine more, another one of the strange creatures lunged from the shadows towards me. One flash inferno later and it turned into a well done barbequed dog.

  The girl was attacked, but she quickly dispatched the wolfish creature. With one hate filled stab, the creature was dead. I was impressed. The girl really did know how to fight, and had a harsh intensity behind each blow. But I saw hate swimming in her dark brown eyes. There was no trace of fear, but in a way where you have nothing left to lose.

  “That’s the last of them here,” the girl growled.

  “How can you tell?” I asked, refusing to drop my guard.

  “Do you hear any more growling?” she pointed out. I strained my ears, but I heard nothing. I shook my head.

  “Then those were all that were sent to kill us,” she replied.

  “She’s telling the truth, Scarlet,” Ed said, solidifying as he stepped out from the shadows. Ed’s power still freaked me out a little. His dagger, Sombra Piloto, allowed him to become a shadow and made it impossible for him to be attacked long as he was in shadow form. He could also travel at speeds no human should be able, but it was a technique Kyra had taught him. “I checked the entire perimeter. There are none left around here.”

  “Look, thanks for helping me out,” the girl said. “But you should really get out of here. I’ve got some unfinished business with those things and it could get ugly. You should leave while you still can.” My fighting instincts took over. I wasn’t used to being the one told to leave.

  “We’re not leaving until we complete this mission,” I said. “And until my whole team is safe.”

  “You mean that woman who was screaming?” the girl asked, with seemingly the same instincts of not backing down. “She’s probably dead now. And if you’re mission was to save the hostages, they’re all dead now too. The things that attacked us killed them and the bandits about a week ago, and put me here to draw in more victims, like you two. If either of you two had any brains at all you’d get the hell out of here and leave this to me.”

  “And what makes you think you can kill more of those by yourself?” I argued.

  “Because I have the strength to do it.” Her hate filled eyes bore into mine. “And I have a reason to.” I had had enough. I grabbed her by the shoulders in a death grip. It surprised her but she still stood her ground.

  “Look kid,” I started, but calling her ‘kid’ was strange to me, because we seemed to be the same age. “I don’t know why you want to kill them, and honestly, I don’t care! But my friends are in trouble, and I’m not going to let them die here! Like it or not, we’re going to have to work together. Tell me what you know about these things.” We exchanged a hate filled stare, both daring the other to crack. Finally, she talked.

  “They’re called Blood Wolves,” she said. “They used to be peaceful until a new She-wolf joined their ranks. She corrupted their minds and turned them into her puppets. She’s only half Blood Wolf, like the people of my tribe, but while my tribe cooperated with the Blood Wolves, she took control of them. Not wanting opposition, she slaughtered everyone in my tribe. I am the last one, and swore an oath to kill her. She makes the Blood Wolves bring her live offerings. If your friends were captured, there is a small chance they are still alive, but you would have to hurry.”

  “Do you know where this She-wolf is?” I asked hurriedly. She nodded.

  “If you let go of me I can take you there.” I released my grip and the girl began to shake. Her eyes changed from dark brown to a dazzling gold. Her arms and legs grew, and her body began to change. Her ears grew long and slanted and her mouth and nose began to morph in to a muzzle. The girl’s feet grew longer until they were paws, and her fingers lengthened until sharp white claws jutted out of the tips. Black fur sprouted everywhere on her body until she had a nice glossy black coat. There was no sign at the end of the transformation that she had ever been a girl that I was actually eye level with.

  “Get on my back,” she growled. Ed and I did as she said and mounted the furry beast/girl. I didn’t know what to hold on by so I latched my arms around her neck like I did when I rode on Vaze’s back when we were going too fast. Ed latched on around my waist and held on for dear life as the girl/beast raced into the forest. If she had been a horse girl, she would have been one that was fast enough for Kyra’s driving. Trees and bushes were a blur as she maneuvered through the dense undergrowth. She seemed to know where she was going.

  Flashes of silver fur darted in and out of sight beside us, but with no intent to attack. One of them made a low and eerie howl that was responded by another, and another and another. Distant cackling could be heard above it, but just barely.

  “They know we’re here,” the girl said in her scruffy wolf voice. She didn’t sound scared. We broke through the forest and into a clearing with a bed made from twisted roots at one end. As the silver white light of the full moon grew brighter, I saw a beautiful woman sitting on the bed smiling at us. She had black hair like the beast girl, but it was long braided. Her ruby red lips parted in a smile, revealing sparkling white teeth. The girl transformed back into a human when we dismounted, and stared up at the woman with her hate filled eyes burning bright with the intent to kill.

  “It’s been a long time, Yuki,” the woman said in a sweet voice. “How is the family?”

  “They’re dead,” Yuki replied flatly.

  “Oh, how tragic!” the woman said holding back giggles. “Even your dear little brother Elijah?”

  “You should know,” she said slowly. “You killed him.” The woman burst into laughter.

  “I always found him
to be annoying,” she said. Yuki shook with anger.

  “How can you sit there smiling like that, you monster?!” she screamed. “Have you no shame of killing your own sibling!?”

  “Not really, no,” the woman replied still grinning. “I’m about to do it again. And let me personally thank you for bringing me what I need to present to my master.”

  “What are you talking about?” Yuki fumed.

  “You brought me what Velkire wanted,” the woman said while pointing at me. “I only need to dispose of you and the others my Blood Wolves caught.” Yuki couldn’t take it anymore. She transformed again, much faster than before, and lunged at the woman. Immediately two silver Blood Wolves burst from the forest and bit both Yuki’s arms to the ground.

  “So, little girl,” The woman said to me, ignoring the screaming and snarling Yuki wolf desperately trying to free herself. “You came for these, am I right?” She lifted two bodies from beside her throne and I gasped. In her hands were Vaze and Kyra, both covered head to toe in cuts and bruises.

  “What did you do to them?!” I yelled, afraid that I was too late.

  “Same thing I am going to do to you,” she said smiling. Flames began to grow around me as my anger grew. Kyra began to stir a little, and relief flooded in me. If she was able to move a little then that meant they were both still alive, but just barely. The woman looked at her with little interest. She tossed them both back onto to the ground, but Vaze still didn’t move.

  “I’m starting to get bored,” the woman sighed. “Entertain me, pests.” Immediately Blood Wolves began to emerge from the shadows of the forests snarling and growling. Some had big creepy grins on their faces.

  “Ed, are you ready?” I asked while drawing my daggers again.

  “Unfortunately,” was his shaky reply. I nodded and made my flames blindingly light the night. As the Blood Wolves covered their eyes, long shadows were cast behind their huge bodies. Half of them fell to the ground either dead or mortally wounded as Ed attacked from their shadows. A few Blood Wolves caught on and attacked me, forcing me to stop my inferno as I slashed and jabbed at the oncoming wolves. Ed didn’t miss a beat. With less shadows to work with he started using a direct assault. He switched out his dagger for a strange weapon with two blades that were connected by a long chain. He thrust one end at a Blood Wolf and it embedded itself in the beast’s chest.