The Girl Who Walked Through Fire

by Dana Gricken

  Panic spread across their faces.

  “We need to tell the others. I’m sure the dragons and witches will help us save the city. That’s what we’re all fighting for, right?” David asked, but Elara shrugged.

  “I don’t even know if they’ll help. I don’t even think Emperor Sarv likes me! They’re too busy getting ready for the battle. Oh, I feel sick.”

  Emperor Sarv heard the last part of the conversation and joined in abruptly. “You have a worried look on your face and it’s annoying me. Tell me what’s wrong.”

  “A small human city named Haven is the next target for The Fallen. They want to completely wipe the town off the map,” Fane replied.

  Elara nodded. “The Wards can’t survive another attack. We lost half of it already.”

  Sarv shrugged. “Who cares if a few humans die? I fail to see the importance. In war, there must be sacrifice.”

  Elara shook her head. “You don’t understand. Haven is my city. The Fallen are doing this to try to lure me into their trap. They won’t quit after Haven. There’s nothing stopping them from turning every human city into another Serenity.”

  Sarv sighed, before whistling over at Emperor Lucina, Korno, and Zarian. They were so busy training their soldiers that they didn’t even hear him at first. They took a break for a moment to see what Emperor Sarv wanted, as they walked over to where the group stood.

  Sarv sighed. “We have a problem. The Fallen are planning to attack some dirty little human city.”

  “It’s not dirty. It’s my home, Haven. It has a name, and I’d like you to use it,” Elara replied, and Sarv rolled his eyes.

  Emperor Lucina gasped. “Oh, dear. By the Eternal Flame, this is terrible. I am sorry, Elara. My heart breaks for your people. The Fallen are ruthless.”

  “I need your help,” Elara began. “Please, don’t let my city die. We have to save those people.”

  “I’ve lost my wife already and nearly my entire city. I’m willing to die if it means destroying The Fallen. You don’t have to ask if I’ll fight Colrek. The only question is when,” Emperor Zarian added, with fury in his eyes.

  Emperor Korno looked at Sarv for guidance. “What do you suggest we do? The Amera respect you, and we’ll follow you anywhere.”

  Sarv sighed. “I’m not risking the lives of my soldiers for a mission like this. I’ll do it.”

  “What about the witches? We have others who can help,” Elara replied, but Sarv shook his head.

  “The witches will stay behind. It’s better if they’re out of my way. The Emperors will fight this one with Elara and Fane. If Colrek wants Elara, then we’ll bring her to him. He insists on making this personal, and I can’t wait to rip his teeth out of his skull myself.”

  “Wait a minute,” Fane interjected. “Isn’t it a little dangerous to bring Elara with us? Colrek wants her dead.”

  Emperor Sarv rolled his eyes. “Don’t be stupid. He’ll have to get through me for that to happen, and we both know I’m much stronger than him.”

  “I want to go, Fane. My city needs me,” Elara replied. “Thank you, Sarv. I appreciate it.”

  “No. Don’t thank me. It sounds too soft, and it makes me want to smash something. Luckily, it’ll be Colrek’s face and not yours,” The Emperor replied, before gesturing towards Tavia.

  “You, witch girl – tell the soldiers where we’re going. I have no time to do it myself, and you’re not doing anything anyways.”

  “Since you asked so nicely,” Tavia replied sarcastically, “I’ll get right on it.”

  Emperor Sarv ignored her and nodded towards Elara and then the sky. “We better get going, unless you want your hometown to be nothing more than a black hole.”

  Elara nodded as Fane transitioned, and she mounted herself on his back. Tavia waved her down to get her attention, gesturing back towards the city.

  “I’ll tell the others what’s going on. My mother will want to know, as per usual – and I’m sure the dragons will have a million questions. Lucky me,” Tavia told her, shaking her head. “And for the love of The Source, be careful – all right, Red? We can’t do this without you.”

  David nodded in agreement. “Seriously, Elara. Come back in one piece. It wouldn’t be fun taking down the Grey Knights without you.”

  “I’ll be fine. I promise. All I ask is that you’re ready for the battle. I’m nothing without the support of my friends.”

  Tavia and David nodded and waved as the Emperors took flight and made their way to their destination. Elara just hoped it would be enough to stop The Fallen. They had taken so much from her already.

  PRINCE FERGUS SAT ALONE in his room, quietly sulking over the tone his father had taken with him. There was no way he was content with the King’s plan. He was far too stubborn for that.

  He called over Master Knight Adam Cormac, who was already busy informing the other Knights of the situation.

  “You asked to see me, my Prince?” Adam asked as he entered Fergus’ room in a rush. “I’m afraid I don’t have much time. The capturing will begin shortly. We have weapons and vehicles to prepare.”

  Fergus stood up from the chair he was seated in. “This won’t take long. It’s about what I mentioned to my father earlier.”

  Adam scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. “You mean The Departed? I’m afraid I can’t help you there, my Prince. The King was pretty clear with his orders.”

  Fergus smirked. “The King is a smart man; that much is true. But by overlooking allies, he stands to lose. Do you want the King to lose?”

  Adam paused for a moment. “No, of course not. What are you suggesting?”

  “As I said earlier, The Departed are enthusiasts of the Grey Order. They respect us. They’d help us in a heartbeat if we asked.”

  “What if the King disapproves? What if he punishes us for this? We shouldn’t make the King angry. I was only just promoted to Master Knight. I don’t want to follow in David’s footsteps.”

  Fergus shook his head. “Nonsense. Once the King sees how useful The Departed are, he’ll change his mind. I’m sure of it.”

  Adam nodded, although he still wasn’t entirely convinced. “All right, my Prince. The King will be traveling just outside the castle shortly. I suggest talking with The Departed quickly before he comes back.”

  Fergus smiled. “Excellent. I’ll invite The Departed to Orana and ask for their help. They’d be stupid not to accept. Thank you, Adam. Believe me – we’re doing the right thing. This will bring us closer to destroying the dragons and witches once and for all.”

  “But the King doesn’t want to destroy them,” Adam replied, in confusion. “He wants them as slaves.”

  Fergus chuckled. “I guess we’ll just see what happens, won’t we?”

  IT HADN’T TAKEN LONG for Elara, Fane and the Emperors to reach the city of Haven. As they retreated from the sky, they caught the attention of everyone in the Wards. Word spread quickly, and crowds began to form below them.

  Fane allowed Elara to withdraw from his back, and she jumped off; looking closely up at the sky. There was nothing. The Fallen were nowhere in sight.

  “Where are they?” Elara asked, looking at the Emperors in confusion.

  Fane shrugged. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

  “They better show up soon. I’m ready for some skull smashing,” Emperor Sarv snarled.

  Emperor Zarian shook his head. “Stay calm and be patient. The Fallen never disappoint.”

  Suddenly, the sky turned to a blood red. Elara noticed that Colrek was furiously approaching, but she didn’t see anyone else with him.

  “Everyone, inside your homes. Now!” Elara called out, and the citizens of Haven followed her orders.

  In a blaze of light, Colrek fell from the sky and landed gracefully a few feet away from Emperor Sarv. Rock and dust flew up from the impact of his decline, clouding Elara’s view. He was alone. Once he noticed the Dragonwitch, he smiled.

  “I knew you’d learn of your city’s de
struction eventually. Unlike Camena, you won’t be able to stop me. Everyone will die this time – especially you.”

  Sarv took a step forward, nearly knocking Elara out of the way. “We’ll see about that, Colrek, when you’re badly injured and coughing up blood.”

  “Emperor Sarv, is that you?” Colrek asked, smirking. “Time hasn’t been good to you, my old friend.”

  “We aren’t old friends, Colrek. I never liked you. You’re too weak to even be my slave,” Emperor Sarv spat, with fire seething behind his icy blue eyes.

  “You killed my Alona, Colrek,” Emperor Zarian replied, as he stepped forward. “And for that, you’ll suffer.”

  Colrek shrugged his shoulders. “She was a casualty. You should know this, Zarian. You led your army during the War of Fire. The brave die all the time.”

  “Is there a way to solve this peacefully?” Lucina asked, gesturing towards the city. “This place has seen enough suffering. There are children here, Colrek. Look inside your heart and you’ll see the truth.”

  “My dear Lucina. You were always the peacemaking one. It’s a shame I have to kill you.”

  “Enough talk!” Sarv bellowed, and it shook the earth. “I could defeat you in my sleep, Colrek. You’ll die here.”

  As Sarv took a step forward, hundreds of dragons came into view, flying towards the small city. Calianna was in front, leading the army towards the Wards.

  “Dragon spit! This isn’t good,” Fane muttered under his breath, before he stood in front of Elara to shield her.

  “We should retreat,” Emperor Korno warned them, shaking his head. “They’re too powerful for us.”

  Zarian fell to his knees once he noticed Calianna. “My sweet Cali, what are you doing? How can my own daughter commit these evil attacks?”

  Sarv growled before he lunged forward and attacked Colrek, dragging him to the ground with a thud of ash and dirt. They began to pummel each other with fire and smoke, while the other Fallen Ones moved in closer to the city, hurling fireballs and magic spells below.

  “How do we stop them?” Elara yelled, as she narrowly avoided being hit.

  “I don’t know. Stay on guard!” Fane called out, as he battled a nearby Fallen One.

  It was like Camena all over again. Elara had no one to turn to, as both Fane and the Emperors were busy in battle.

  Suddenly, Elara heard faint yelling off in the distance; discernable even through the shrieks of terror and brutal fighting. She followed the cries of pain to a house not too far from where she stood, which had fallen apart.

  She noticed two people trapped underneath the fallen rubble. She lifted the burning wood off of the two citizens – a young boy and his mother. Elara patted out the fire which had spread onto herself. Their eyes widened in shock once they realized who she was.

  “It’s you again,” The mother, Susanne, said, as she dusted off her son. “You’re the girl who walked through fire! You’ve saved my son’s life twice. How can I repay you?”

  “Just get somewhere safe,” Elara told them, nodding towards the nearby forest. “Watch out for fireballs.”

  As Susanne and Curtis ran off into the forest, Elara turned to walk back towards Fane when Calianna landed in front of her, blocking her path.

  “We meet again, Dragonwitch,” Calianna told her, smirking. “And it’s about time I finish you.”

  “You couldn’t stop me in Camena. What makes you think you’ll do it this time?”

  “You may be immune to fire, but you still bleed – and that means I can kill you,” Calianna told her, as she stepped forward; ready to bare her teeth and skin the girl alive.

  “Bria!” Fane shrieked, as he watched from afar.

  Elara braced for the attack, not having enough time to reach for her sword. Fane was pinned down by a Fallen One he was fighting and was unable to get to her. Just before Calianna unleashed any real damage, Emperor Zarian tackled his daughter to the ground.

  “You’re my daughter, Cali – and if I have to kill you, I will – no matter the guilt and sorrow I’ll suffer for it!” Zarian told her, as they fought on the ground.

  Zarian wasted no time. He was brutal and unrelenting as he fought his daughter and won the upper hand. Her blood sprayed across the sidewalk as she screamed in agony. Colrek noticed Calianna was in trouble and stepped away from Emperor Sarv.

  “Are you giving up so soon, Colrek?” Sarv taunted, laughing at him. “I knew you were weak!”

  Colrek ignored the Emperor’s comments and instead ran to Calianna’s side. He lifted her - saving her from the battle against her father - as they levitated in the air.

  “Fallen Ones, retreat!” Colrek called out, as he flew further upwards. “Don’t think this is over! We’ll destroy all of humanity soon! You can’t hide from us forever, Dragonwitch!”

  Sarv reached for Colrek, wanting to battle him one last time, but the Palarri dragon was too quick for him. In the blink of an eye, they flew away and disappeared into the distance.

  The sky turned back to its original shade of blue, and the citizens deemed it was safe enough to leave their homes. Luckily, there weren’t too many casualties. Fane, Elara, and the Emperors were physically fine, except for a few minor scratches and cuts.

  Sarv was angry and disappointed that Colrek had gotten away, as he picked up a nearby piece of fallen wood and threw it out of frustration.

  “I’m glad you’re safe, Bria,” Fane told Elara, once he caught back up with her. “I was afraid for a moment. I shouldn’t have been so far away from you.”

  “I’m fine. We were lucky. I’m glad The Fallen couldn’t do to Haven what they’ve already done to Serenity.”

  Fane nodded. “As am I. We won this battle and saved lives, but The Fallen won’t quit.”

  Zarian picked himself up, wiping away a few tears. “We should return to Deniva immediately.”

  “Father, are you all right?” Fane asked, but the Emperor waved him off.

  “I’m fine, but I think our kingdom’s days are numbered.”

  “You’re wrong,” Sarv told him, shaking his head. “Our days are still plentiful. It’s Colrek and The Fallen who’ll suffer for this.”

  Elara noticed the citizens were looking towards her and the dragons, with a look of pure fear. She didn’t know what to say to them. She doubted it would make a difference.

  “Come on,” Sarv grunted, “We can stand here all day but it won’t change a thing. We should go. Our work is done here.”

  Elara nodded. “Fane, we need to go to the Beyondlands and ask the Orkin to join us. You saw The Fallen. We can’t take them on alone.”

  “Of course.”

  “And Sarv?” Elara began, “Thanks for your help.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t thank me yet. The war hasn’t even begun.”

  Project Black Skull

  Colrek flew above the tall trees of the Beyondlands, carrying Calianna within his arms. The Fallen Ones tried to ask him questions, but he ignored all of them. His only concern was Cali. Once he reached the tower, he moved quickly through the building towards his bedroom where Calianna’s injuries could be treated.

  “Move!” He bellowed while pushing the nearby Fallen Ones out of his way.

  He laid Calianna down on his bed, gesturing for several witches to join him. “She’s dying. We need to save her.”

  The witches nodded. Together, they merged fire and magic in an attempt to heal her wounds. After the spell was completed, it was like nothing had happened. Calianna was still unconscious.

  “Why is the spell not working?” Colrek asked, furiously. “My dear Cali, you must wake up! I demand it!”

  After a few moments of silence, her eyes fluttered open as she groaned and looked around the room. “Colrek? What happened?”

  “Leave us!” Colrek demanded the curious group, and The Fallen Ones fled the room quickly. “Don’t you remember the battle, Cali? Your father almost killed you. I had to pull back our forces in order to save your life.”

>   She shook her head. “No, it can’t be. He attacked me? His own daughter?”

  Colrek nodded. “I’m afraid so, Cali - and Fane didn’t intervene. In fact, they both seemed more concerned about the girl. Zarian may say I’m the monster, but I would never try to murder my own child.”

  Calianna sat up slowly, wincing at the pain. “I guess you’re the only one who really cares about me. Thank you, Colrek. I’m sure leaving the battle was difficult for you.”

  “Yes, it was. I’m not one to run away from a fight, but I couldn’t watch you suffer any longer. I’ve always thought of you as my daughter, Cali – whether or not it’s biological.”

  Calianna nodded. “I’ll never doubt you again, Colrek. Wherever you go, I will follow. I don’t care about my family anymore. They mean nothing to me – not after today.”

  Colrek nodded. “That’s good to hear. I have an idea.”

  “What is it? How can I help?”

  Colrek turned around, hiding his shame. “It seems no matter what we try, our plans are always thwarted. I’m sick and tired of it. Who knew it would be so difficult to kill one human? We need allies. It’s clear we’re not strong enough to destroy humanity – especially not with our own species in the way.”

  Calianna nodded. “What are you suggesting?”

  “There’s a small group of witches in the Darkwoods. They practice Malefica magic – the most dangerous kind. They can conjure spirits and control minds with only a few words. Their leader, Bella Morgana, is one of the most powerful and wicked witches I’ve ever heard of. We could use their help. It’s our last chance.”

  “Are you sure they’ll help us? Would they even care?”

  Colrek chuckled. “I won’t be asking, Calianna. I’ll be demanding. They will help us. I’ve heard rumors that their tribe and the Miracari witches have fought for a long time now. If we promise to help them kill the witches of Deniva, I believe they’ll offer to do the same for us with humanity. A favor for a favor.”

  “Are you sure it’s wise to play with forbidden magic? I hear it can do awful things. What if the others disagree?”