Fireweaver

by Ryan W. Mueller

  They walked and walked in the cool, damp air. The farther they walked, the more desolate the terrain felt. Could anyone live in such a place?

  Giant cracks ran through the landscape, as if tremors shook the land from time to time. Apart from that, the light brown rocks were unremarkable.

  Unnatural gray light filled the air. There was no sun, no sky, nothing that could provide them with any sense of direction. For all Deril knew, they could be walking in circles. Panic surged within him, and he took a few deep breaths. They didn't help.

  After what felt like an eternity of walking, he saw golden light in the distance, illuminating the thick clouds of mist.

  "What do you think that is?" he asked, pointing.

  "Looks like a Sunlamp," his father said.

  They walked toward the light, and when they reached it, they did in fact find a Sunlamp. In the shadow of that Sunlamp, a road stretched as far as Deril could see. More Sunlamps lined the edges of the road, providing welcome warmth and light.

  "If there are Sunlamps," Deril said, "then there are people."

  "And if there's a road," his father said, "then we can follow it to find these people."

  Deril glanced left, then right. "Which way do you think we should go?"

  His father shook his head. "Your guess is as good as mine."

  "Let's go left," Kadin said.

  Deril frowned at him. "Do you have any particular reason for that?"

  "No, but someone needed to make a decision."

  "All right, let's go that way," Deril said. No one disagreed, so they started along the road. It was uneven, filled with all kinds of holes in which they could easily twist an ankle. For hours, they walked along the deserted road. Nothing changed.

  Thankfully, they didn't encounter any monsters. Perhaps the light of the Sunlamps kept them away, or perhaps they'd been lucky so far. They didn't speak much. At times, Kadin and his sister carried on quiet conversations.

  Just when they all thought they couldn't walk any farther, a low rattling sound came from the distance, accompanied by the clip-clop of hooves.

  Were there horses in this desolate place?

  The party stood at the side of the road as the sounds grew louder, approaching from behind them. At last, the horses and the cart they were pulling emerged from the mist, which had grown thicker in the last hour or so. A man sat in the driver's seat of the cart, leading the horses along the road. When he saw the party, he stopped the wagon.

  "You need some help?" he asked.

  "A ride to the nearest town would be nice," Deril said.

  "You're not gonna rob me, are you?" the man asked. "That wouldn't be a wise decision, you know. I'm a talented Fireweaver, and so are my guards." He gestured toward the back of the cart, where two large men sat among stacks of crates.

  "Of course not," Deril said.

  "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

  "We don't want any trouble," said Deril's father, "so we won't cause any. We're stranded here, and all we need is a little help."

  The man frowned down at them. "How'd you end up this far out with no transportation? Only someone insane would walk this far."

  "We came through a portal," Kadin said.

  Deril shot him a warning look. They'd just met this man, and they couldn't trust him with the information that they'd come from another world. Had Kadin gotten them in deep trouble? That was Kadin's problem. He rarely thought before speaking or acting.

  The man narrowed his eyes. "You aren't from the Church, are you?"

  "No," Deril said. "Why?"

  "They're the only ones who ever come here that way." He fixed his gaze on them, examining them. "I don't know. You don't look like Church people to me, but looks can be deceiving." He scratched at his stubbly chin. "But Church people wouldn't be wandering out here like this. They usually know where they're going."

  "Is the Church a fixture here?" asked Deril's father.

  "Not around here, but if you head a few weeks that way, you'll find their territory." He pointed to their right as the wagon rattled along the rocky road. "As far as I'm concerned, they can stay there. Don't like them meddling in our affairs."

  "Have you heard of a man, or perhaps god, named Vardin?" Deril asked.

  The man's expression tightened. "He's their leader. Lives far at the other side of the Realm of Shade. They say he lives in a place called Mist's End. At least that's what I've heard. I try not to get mixed up in things like that."

  "And what do you know about him?" Deril asked.

  "That he's evil. Ain't much more than that."

  That wasn't a useful description of this Vardin figure. It might be true, but Deril needed more information. "Where would we find him? Where is this place called Mist's End?"

  "Why in the Core would you want to go there and find him?"

  Deril was beginning to grow more relaxed around the man. "It's about taking down the Church. Everything they've told us is a lie, and if we can prove that this Vardin exists, then we can end the Church's reign, end the prejudice against Fireweavers."

  "Why don't they like Fireweavers? Most of their leaders are both Sunweavers and Fireweavers anyways. Makes their magic a lot more powerful that way."

  Deril could barely keep his mouth from hanging open. "What? You can be both a Sunweaver and Fireweaver?"

  "Of course," the man said. "Couldn't survive long down here with Sunweaving alone."

  Chapter 28: Chaos in the Temple

  "Faina, we have to go now," Father Alvin said. "Their plan went wrong. They'll need us down in the Realm of Shade."

  Faina hopped to her feet, her heart pounding a sudden drumbeat. She didn't need to hear the implications of his statement. Kadin was in trouble, and that was all that mattered. She grabbed her sword and a couple of daggers and strapped them to her clothing.

  "What do you need me to do?" she asked, trying to quell her panic.

  "Follow my lead." Father Alvin left his chambers, and Faina followed. Out in the corridors, Sun Guards were racing back and forth, calling out orders, their movements frantic.

  "Please return to your chambers," one called out. Faina and Alvin ignored him, pushing through the swarm of bodies that suddenly filled the corridors. They weren't the only ones out and about. Something big had happened. But what?

  "Is there a problem?" asked Father Alvin, placing a hand on the shoulder of a nearby guard.

  "That information is confidential. Please return to your chambers."

  "They must know already," Alvin said.

  The Sun Guards kept telling people to return to their rooms, but the corridors became more and more chaotic as the temple's residents stepped out to see what was causing the commotion. All this chaos could be a good thing for Faina and Alvin. They were able to push through the crowd. Whenever a Sun Guard stopped them, they said they were on their way to their chambers. The Sun Guards were too busy to check on every individual person.

  Where was Captain Hanir? Faina figured he'd have this situation under control. Somebody had let the information slip. That had to be the reason for the panic.

  She could hear it in snippets from people's conversations.

  "Did I hear right? Is the Sunlord really missing?

  "I heard the new Sunlord disappeared with him."

  "The Sunlord's son, too. Deril."

  Faina kept close to Father Alvin, pushing through the crowd.

  "My mother just told me there are riots in the streets."

  "People are scared."

  "We can't survive without Sunlords."

  Faina turned to Father Alvin. "Teravin has to be behind this. For some reason, he wants the people to panic."

  Alvin nodded. "I suspect you're right."

  "Captain Hanir should know what has happened," Faina said.

  Alvin tugged her around a corner. "Do you think he can help?"

  "I trust him," she said. "He's the leader of the Sun Guard, and he knows what I am. What Deril's mother is. He could have us kille
d, but he hasn't."

  "Very well. If you trust him, I will trust your judgment."

  They pushed through the ever-thickening crowds, heading toward Captain Hanir's office. When they reached it, they found it empty. Faina glanced around in panic, wondering where he might be. He could be anywhere in this chaos, giving orders, trying to control the situation.

  She slapped a hand against her forehead. "Why am I being so stupid? I can contact him with a Blue/Purple weave."

  She wove the colors. Captain Hanir, this is Faina. I need to talk to you Now.

  She waited a long time, but there was no response, so she sent the message again. She did the weave four times before she finally got a response.

  I’m a bit preoccupied at the moment, he sent.

  It's about Deril, Kadin, and the Sunlord, she sent.

  All right. I'm listening.

  You need to meet with me and Father Alvin, she sent. She relayed the location of the stairwell that led down to the portal to the Realm of Shade. She didn't explain why they were meeting there, figuring that would be easier to explain in person.

  When Faina and Alvin reached the location, a large contingent of Sun Guards had set up at the top of the stairwell, preventing entry. Faina had heard that there were Sun Guards completely under the Church's control, but she hadn't believed it.

  Now she did.

  She and Father Alvin waited around the corner, staying just out of sight. After a few minutes, Faina turned to see Hanir striding toward them. He looked exhausted already.

  "Can you explain?" he demanded. "The whole city's in chaos. Someone let slip that the Sunlord is missing, and we can't find him anywhere. I've already prepared a statement to the people—or rather a complete lie, telling them that this was all a mistake." He turned his stern gaze to Father Alvin. "Can you tell me what has happened to them?"

  "First," Alvin said, "you need to order the Sun Guards at the top of these stairs to go elsewhere. We can't risk them hearing what I have to say. Or following us."

  "Very well." Hanir stepped around the corner. "You! What are you doing here? The entire temple's in chaos and you're just standing here!"

  "Sir, we are guarding this location, as we always do."

  "You have new orders now. Report to the garrison at the western side of the city. We have to stop these riots."

  "Sir, we can't do that."

  "Are you refusing an order?" Hanir asked.

  "We have orders from a higher authority."

  "I am the captain of the Sun Guard. You will obey me, or I will have you executed for treason. Have I made myself clear?"

  "Yes, sir. But we still cannot obey your orders."

  By now, Hanir was almost screaming. "And who in the Core gave you orders to disobey your commander."

  "That would be me."

  Faina glanced to the left to see High Priest Teravin striding toward them, his posture commanding, his gaze lingering for a moment on Faina and Alvin.

  "Your Eminence, you are not the leader of the Sun Guard," Hanir said. "That is still my job, and I have given these men orders. I don't care what you've told them. You are not part of the hierarchy, and you cannot give orders to my men and women."

  Teravin shrugged. "I think you'll find that I can."

  "On whose authority?" Hanir demanded.

  "My own, of course." Teravin turned to the Sun Guards. "I want all three of them dead. These two are Fireweavers," he said, pointing at Faina and Alvin. "And your former commander knows it and has been harboring them. They all must die."

  "As you wish, Your Eminence."

  "You can't do this!" Hanir shouted. "I am your commander!"

  The man in the lead shrugged. "Not anymore, sir."

  "Run!" Faina shouted. She and Alvin were quick enough to get away, but Hanir was too close to the Sun Guards. She had no idea how he died, but his screams echoed in the corridors. There was no time to dwell in his death, though. She had her own life to worry about.

  As they sprinted through the corridors, Faina and Alvin wove Yellow/Blue shields. Weaves of fire and lightning came from behind them, but for the moment, their shields were holding. That wouldn't last long, however. There were too many against them.

  "We have to think of something!" she shouted as they rounded a corridor.

  Alvin kept running. "I wish I had an answer for you."

  Their pursuers were growing closer, their steel-booted steps pounding against the stone floors. Faina and Alvin rounded a corner.

  And found themselves face-to-face with more Sun Guards.

  A man in the lead stepped forward. "You need to go back to your chambers."

  Good. These Sun Guards apparently weren't in league with Teravin's. But Faina's relief lasted only a few seconds. When she looked back, she saw their pursuers. Teravin was at the front of the group.

  "Kill them!" he shouted. "They're Fireweavers."

  "We need orders from Captain Hanir," said the man.

  "He's dead," Teravin said, about twenty feet away. "These Fireweavers killed him."

  The change in the Sun Guards was sudden and dramatic. They all drew their swords, and now they were closing in from both sides. Faina's heart pounded.

  This was how she was going to die.

  "Faina, lend me some of your Yellow and Green reserves," Alvin said with remarkable calm.

  Faina didn't question him. She focused on sending him Yellow and Green. She couldn't do this weave, as she remembered all too well from her time on the plantation, but Alvin must have been talented. When she combined her pathetic weave with his much stronger weave, the floor shifted beneath them.

  It crumbled away, and Faina's stomach lurched as she plummeted. She wanted to close her eyes, sure she was going to die, but she forced herself to remain calm.

  "Weave a shield," Alvin said. "It should protect you from the fall."

  Faina wove Yellow and Blue moments before she hit the ground. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she skinned her knees on the stone floor, but otherwise she was unharmed. As she got to her feet, she glanced up to see that they'd fallen at least fifty feet.

  "Are you all right?" Alvin asked, offering her a hand. She took it, and he helped her to her feet. Then they took off running. She didn't recognize the corridor they'd entered. It was as bright as the corridor above, so she didn't think they were in a restricted part of the temple.

  Thuds and grunts came from behind them. She glanced back to see that some of the Sun Guards had made the jump as well. Teravin stood at the front of the group.

  "How are we going to escape?" she asked, panic swirling within her.

  "I don't know. This just bought us some extra time."

  They rounded corner after corner, passing people who looked on with confusion. The building feeling of chaos in the temple had reached a critical point.

  A pair of Sun Guards stood in the corridor ahead. They started forward as if to stop Faina and Alvin, but Faina and Alvin were so fast they pushed right past the Sun Guards. The guards pursuing Faina and Alvin were close behind, and when those pursuers reached the pair of Sun Guards, they all joined the chase together.

  Faina's breath came in sharp gasps. She wanted to rest, but there was no time.

  "I think I can get us back to those stairs," Alvin said. "Follow me."

  They rounded a few more corners. Their pursuers were closing in on them. Weaves were flying through the air. Faina kept her shield going, but she could feel her reserves dwindling.

  "Right here," Alvin said, tugging her around the next corner.

  But when they reached the entrance to the stairwell, eight Sun Guards were standing in their way. Faina expected a moment of hesitation and confusion, but instead the Sun Guards all unleashed weaves at once. She poured everything she had into her shield, knowing that even if it did protect them from these weaves, it wouldn't hold beyond that.

  The fire and lightning surged toward them. Faina tensed, knowing she was going to die. When the weaves struck their shields, they s
tood resolutely, holding their shields. Faina strained against the bombardment, sweat pouring down her face. Her legs trembled.

  But their shields held, and soon the weaves died down. The Sun Guards looked on with wide eyes, probably wondering how two people had withstood that barrage of spells.

  Faina glanced back. Their pursuers were less than thirty feet away.

  "You've run long enough," Teravin said. "Time to die."

  Alvin tugged at Faina's arm. "We'll have to charge them."

  They raced toward the Sun Guards blocking the entrance to the stairwell. Exhausted from weaving their powerful spells, they didn't react quickly enough. Somehow, Faina and Alvin squirted past them. A moment later, Faina felt the searing heat of a fire weave coming from behind. She glanced back to see that Teravin had unleashed the weave with no regard to the fact that the Sun Guards were in the way. That shouldn't have surprised her, but it did disgust her.

  She and Alvin reached the stairwell and raced down, heading toward the location where they could find the portal to the Realm of Shade. But Teravin and his Sun Guards were close behind, sending powerful weaves down the stairwell. Fire and lightning surged everywhere. Faina could feel more and more of the heat as her shield weakened.

  "I can't keep this up much longer," she said, feeling as if she might collapse.

  "We're almost there," Alvin said.

  But when they reached the bottom of the stairwell, they came to a stop. Another dozen or so Sun Guards were blocking the door they needed to go through. The Sun Guards didn't hesitate at all. They prepared the weaves that would kill Faina and Alvin.

  "What now?" Faina asked, panic gripping her like never before.

  "We fight back," Alvin said, unleashing a fiery weave unlike anything Faina had ever seen. Instinctively, the Sun Guards wove shields, letting their offensive weaves die. Faina wove Red and Orange as well, adding her weave to Alvin's. It didn't do much, but she figured anything she could do would help.

  The Sun Guards scattered out of the way, and Faina and Alvin darted through the opening they left, finding a gap in the flames. Their pursuers were close behind, though, leaping through the flames as though they weren't even there.

  Alvin seemed to know where he was going, but Faina felt completely lost. The corridors down here were darker than the rest of the temple, illuminated by only a few scattered Sunlamps. Alvin tugged at Faina's arm, leading her into a new chamber.