Inassea Chronicles: The Blighted Flame

by P. A. Peña

  “Th-three usually does it,” Fynn stuttered.

  “He’s a pyromancer, you imbecile. You honestly thought three of your little fireballs were good enough?”

  “They’re not fireballs,” Fynn grumbled.

  “I don’t care if they were fucking frisbees! If you have a shot, you don’t half-ass it.”

  “Whatever,” Fynn said as he replaced his missing dragons. “You had a shot, too, you know.”

  “What was that?”

  “What’s wrong?” Virgil interrupted as he raised his palm to the air. Despite his injuries he bore an intense grin on his face. “Don’t tell me you’ve lost your cool over a trashy little hunter.”

  A ball of fire formed above the men. It looked as if a second sun had appeared above them. With a snap of his fingers, the swirling inferno plummeted to the ground, splitting into a countless number of smaller fireballs.

  Lucious fired off a volley of ice shards in response. As the shards connected with the balls of fire, clouds of steam filled the air, making visibility murky at best. Fynn waved his hand. His dragons converged in the sky and began to fly in a circle. Their flight created a vortex, pulling the steam away from the battlefield.

  Why did he have to be an aquamancer? Virgil thought as he readied his defenses. He then turned his attention to Fynn. If I can just eliminate him, I can focus on Lucious.

  Virgil charged towards Fynn, his fists covered in flames.

  “Another frontal assault,” Fynn said as he readied an attack.

  His dragons swooped at Virgil head-on, forcing Virgil to change his flight path. He flew through the air with the dragons hot on his tail. From the corner of his eye, Virgil saw an object hurling in his direction. Lucious had fired another barrage at him. Virgil tried his best to dodge the ice, but he couldn’t shake them all. An icicle clipped his leg, tearing his jeans and slicing his flesh. On its own, Lucious’s attack wasn’t enough to inflict significant damage. However, the strike caused just enough drag in Virgil’s flight to allow one of the dragons to catch up. As the dragon sunk its fangs into Virgil’s leg, it exploded.

  Virgil cried out, and a searing pain shot through him as he hurtled to the ground. Anticipating the worst, he concentrated his mana and erected a barrier of fire around himself. The remaining dragons piled onto him, setting off a symphony of explosions. The sky lit up with fire, and the trees swayed back and forth.

  Virgil crashed into the ground, and his barrier vanished. His body was smoldering, covered with a multitude of burns and bruises. He pulled himself to his feet as Fynn and Lucious closed in on him. His knees buckled as he stood up. He drew in a deep, painful breath.

  Fynn let out a hearty laugh as he summoned more dragons. “I like this guy. You don’t go down easy, do you?”

  “Not at all,” Virgil said, between gasps. “That’s quite a signature you have there. I’ve never seen a pyromancer use his magic in such a way. It’s a shame you keep such bad company.”

  “Why don’t you show me your signature? I’d love to see what someone with your reserve of mana can produce.”

  Virgil summoned fire around his hands once more. “I hate to disappoint you. But I’d rather not reveal my secrets.”

  Fynn reached over, petting one of his dragons. As he rubbed it, its flames grew in intensity. “In that case, I’ll just have to burn it out of you.”

  “Stop toying with him!” Lucious commanded. “I swear you’re like a fucking dog. No, that’d be giving you too much credit.”

  “S-sorry,” Fynn stammered.

  “I’m tired of playing games.” Lucious clenched his fists. “I’ll show you what a real signature looks like.”

  Lucious’s aura began to swell and billow outward. He then placed his palms together with one on top of the other. “Glacial Beast!” He slid his palms across one another, then locked his fingers in place. A sphere of ice began to surround his body, spreading quickly until it covered him entirely.

  “You’re in for it now,” Fynn said, recalling his dragons. “No one’s ever beaten Lucious’s signature.”

  The sphere continued to expand until it hit tree height. It took a new shape, sprouting tentacle-like tendrils from its base and forming a large beak. There were eight tentacles in total, each flailing, knocking trees over with ease.

  Lucious lifted one of the ice kraken’s tentacles high into the air. “Let’s see you get back up after this!”

  Virgil took off to retreat and regroup. A blur whizzed past him. Against his better instincts, he stopped and turned back around. Logan stood there, looking up at the frozen beast. His fists were wrapped in an elegant pair of gloves. Each glove was adorned with a golden lion’s head on the back of the hand. Glistening rubies were encrusted in the eyes, and the mouths were stretched wide. Despite the size difference between himself and the kraken, Logan stood unwavering.

  “GET OUT OF THERE!” Virgil shouted, but Logan didn’t so much as budge.

  The kraken’s tentacle came crashing down on top of Logan. However, he not only caught the massive limb, he lifted the beast and began swinging it around as if it were weightless. With a mighty roar, Logan released the kraken, forcing it to collide with Fynn.

  Logan turned to Virgil. “I’m surprised,” he said, clearly brimming with confidence. “When we met, you didn’t strike me as the type of man to run away from a fight.”

  “I wasn’t running,” Virgil replied as he approached Logan. “I was merely repositioning.”

  “But of course.” Logan gave Virgil a once-over. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look terrible.”

  “Yeah, I feel that way too.”

  “You should let me finish these two off. Start making your way to the castle.”

  The smart thing to do would be to take Logan up on his offer. Virgil’s body throbbed. Even with the rush of adrenaline coursing through him, his muscles twinged, pleading for him to rest. “Sorry, but that’s not exactly an option.” He then pointed over to Fynn and the kraken who had yet to get back up. “However, if you feel like you have to do something, go ahead and take care of the redhead for me.”

  Logan’s brow raised. “Are you sure about that? It’s going to be quite difficult for you to overpower an aquamancer, and you’re not exactly firing on all cylinders there.”

  The kraken rose up and began charging towards Virgil and Logan. It was evident from its rampaging nature that Lucious was furious.

  “I’m sure,” Virgil confirmed, not a shred of doubt in his tone. “I owe this prick a proper beating.”

  The kraken focused in on Logan. “Do you honestly think you can just toss me around like a rag doll and get away with it?” It cocked back and swung its tentacles at Logan once more.

  Virgil lifted his hand, summoning a wall of flames between Logan and the tentacle, melting the ice upon collision. “Don’t worry about him. Like I said before, I’m going to beat some humility into you.”

  Chapter 9

  The ice kraken chased after Virgil like a raging bull. It had been several minutes since Virgil and Lucious had begun their solo bout, and Logan left to deal with Fynn. Virgil still had plenty of mana at his disposal, but his body ached. He had no choice but to push the pain out his mind and push forward. If he didn’t and took another blow from Lucious, it would likely be his last.

  “What’s the matter?” Lucious goaded. “Where’s all that bravado you had a minute ago?”

  “Don’t worry,” Virgil said, grinning as he looked back. “I still got it.”

  “You insolent little shit,” Lucious summoned a massive wall of ice, and Virgil took a sharp right to avoid a head-on collision. He stopped, managing to dodge a tentacle by mere inches. With nowhere to go, he spun around to face Lucious.

  I’ve got to end this before—

  The wall of ice came crashing down behind Virgil. Only it was no longer ice. Lucious had changed its state into liquid. The enormous wave of water swallowed Virgil. He held his breath as the liquid tossed him around, but bef
ore he could gather himself to retaliate, Lucious converted the water back into ice.

  Virgil felt cold, and his vision was blurred. He couldn’t move, and the pressure closing in on him was immense. He could feel his heart beating in his chest. There was only one way out. He focused his mana as best he could and surrounded himself in fire. The ice began to shift as it melted, giving Virgil a bit of leeway. A stark chill overtook Virgil, and the ice began to reform. Lucious must have been fortifying the ice jail. Virgil doubled down. His flames exploded in intensity and change into an azure blaze. In no time at all, every bit of ice Lucious had conjured was gone.

  The radiant blue fire shimmered, and the air grew thicker as Virgil’s aura rippled around him. His body felt like one enormous bruise pulsating in pain with every beat of his heart, but he stood tall, fighting to keep his legs from buckling under his own weight. He looked at Lucious, who was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. “You’ve run out of mana,” Virgil said with a smirk as he recalled his flames.

  “I see you’re all wrapped up here,” Logan interjected as he approached Virgil.

  “Yeah,” Virgil replied, loosening up, careful not to move too drastically. “We’re done here.”

  He looked over towards Logan, his eyes instantly drawn to the carnage left in his wake. Chunks of rocks were scattered about, and trees were uprooted everywhere. Fynn lay on the ground, clutching his mangled right hand. “I, uh, see you’ve finished your battle as well.”

  Logan walked over to Lucious. “Your friend tells me you have collected the fang of a two-tailed fox. Please hand it over without issue. There’s no honor in beating a man who’s already been defeated, but if you refuse me, I’ll take it by force.”

  Lucious blinked at Logan. He looked exhausted and was barely able to point to their pilfered loot. Logan walked over and picked up the fang, tucking it away into his vest pocket. As he did, his lion gloves disappeared from sight.

  “Thank you for complying peacefully,” he said as he looked back to Lucious. “Your friends require serious medical attention. I suggest you assist them before they incur any permanent damage.”

  With the battle over, Virgil and Logan continued heading north. Initially, Virgil tried to walk normally, but the physical strain on his body proved to be too much. Instead, he levitated just inches above the ground. The two men traveled in silence, the unfortunate side effect of not being in the same party, but heading to the same destination.

  Virgil looked over at Logan, whose attention was fixed on the path in front of them. “Thank you,” Virgil said, more bluntly than he had intended.

  “Hmm?” Logan replied.

  “I-I was just saying thank you. I wasn’t sure how I was going to defeat both of them at the same time. If you hadn’t shown up when you did—”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  The men fell silent again, allowing awkwardness to overtake the air once more. “Virgil,” Logan began without taking his eyes off the path in front of them.

  “Yeah.”

  “I must speak with you honestly, and I pray you understand what I have to say. I never intended to aid you in your fight with those nobles. At least not at first.”

  “What do you mean?” Virgil asked.

  “When I discovered what my item was, I knew my only chance to succeed would be to take it from another examinee. The thought of it sickens me even now, but it is an indignity I must endure to make sure I move onto the next round with Aurelia.”

  “I imagine it would be hard to track down a two-tailed fox if you can’t detect aura signatures. It must suck to be mana-less.”

  “Your battle stirred up quite a commotion. I was merely checking to see if my item was present at the battle.”

  “I see,” Virgil replied. His eyes widened and he turned to face Logan. “Wait. What if you found out I had it?”

  Logan paused for a moment and let out a heavy breath. “It’s my job as Aurelia’s brother to protect her from harm. I know my sister through and through, and although you two have only just met, I can tell that she has taken a liking to you.”

  “If you say so. Like you said, we’ve all only just met. I mean, you guys do seem cool and all, but it’s not like we’ve gotten to know one another.”

  Logan chuckled. “I agree, but I’ve known my sister for a very long time. I can tell she sees you as a friend and ally. As such, Aurelia would have been furious with me, but I would have taken the fang by force if you refused to hand it over.”

  “That’s understandable. We do what we have to for our family. That’s why you’re taking the exam, then?”

  Logan nodded. “Becoming a Crusader has always been her dream. I’ve tried to convince her that there are other safer, more practical ways for her to help people. But she is insistent on taking this path. As much as it pains me to see her subject herself to such anguish, I’ve come to realize I could never keep her away from this. My only option is to catch her should she fall, reaching for the stars.”

  “That’s very noble of you. If you don’t mind me asking, what is your dream?”

  “My dream?” Logan replied, as if the thought had never once run through his mind.

  “Yeah. Surely you must want something for yourself?”

  Logan paused for a moment, allowing silence to creep back between them. Virgil turned his attention forward, believing himself to have offended the man.

  After a brief moment, Logan broke his silence with a definitive tone that left no room for misinterpretation. “What I want is inconsequential.”

  “I see. Well, I hope you change your mind about that one day. Having a dream is a wonderful thing. No one should ever feel like what they want doesn’t matter.”

  Logan stopped in his tracks so abruptly Virgil didn’t even notice until he was a few feet in front of him.

  “Is something wrong?” Virgil asked as he turned around. Logan stood still. Virgil could nearly see the gears turning in his head as he thought. “Logan?”

  “Yeah,” he said, snapping back to reality as he looked to Virgil.

  “Are you okay?”

  Logan resumed walking. “I’m fine,” he said. “Let’s get a move on. The sun will set before you know it.”

  As Virgil and Logan rounded the bend of the forest trail, the castle came into view. It was huge, making it evident that sorcery obscured it to the human eye from an aerial view. It appeared to be made entirely of cobblestone and hardwood, and consisted of many wings, courtyards, and terraces. Four main battlements rose high into the sky, each with an insignia carved into the stone and a colored banner waving in the wind. When connected, they formed the shape of a triangle.

  On the western battlement, a white banner with a circle was carved into the stone. Within the circle, several carved swords rained down from the sky.

  Like the western battlement, the northern battlement had a circle engraved in the stone. However, this circle’s line waved back and forth, like a pebble tossed into a lake. Inside the waving circle was a roaring wave, and next to the insignia was a black banner.

  A hexagon was carved into the stone of the southern battlement. There was a red banner next to the insignia, and a flame carved inside of the hexagon.

  Finally, in the center of the triangle stood the final battlement. Upon its stone surface was a square engraved next to a yellow banner. Within the square a range of mountain peaks had been carved into the stone.

  As Virgil and Logan approached the castle gate, they were greeted by a familiar voice. “You made it!” Aurelia gushed as she ran up to the two men. She took both of them in her arms, hugging them tightly.

  “Of course, I’d make it,” Logan said as he patted Aurelia on her head. “I promised we’d become Crusaders together. Didn’t I?”

  Virgil tried to speak, but Aurelia’s grasp proved to be too much. He barely had the strength to continue breathing. There was no way he could fight off her affection.

  “You did, but still. I always do the tracking. I was worried yo
u wouldn’t be able to make it through. Virgil must have helped you.”

  Logan rubbed his neck as he looked away. “Not exactly.”

  “Virgil,” Aurelia continued. “Are you all right? You haven’t said a word.”

  Aurelia let go of the two men and Virgil collapsed onto the ground, his eyes fluttering. Her words echoed in his mind, but he struggled to make them out.

  “Virgil!” she cried out. She then turned her attention to Logan. “What happened?”

  “He had a scuffle with that Lucious fellow and his comrades,” Logan explained. “By the time I arrived, Virgil was already pretty banged up. We managed to defeat them, but—”

  “YOU LET HIM KEEP FIGHTING?”

  “I told him I’d handle it, but he refused.”

  Aurelia exhaled. “Just help me get him inside before it’s too late.”

  Aurelia proceeded to lift Virgil up, but Logan stepped forward, assuring her he had it. Logan lifted Virgil into the air and propped him over his shoulder.

  “Hold on, Virgil,” Aurelia said as they entered into the castle grounds. “Just hold on.”

  Virgil opened his mouth to speak, but his words turned unintelligible. With each passing second, his vision became hazier, until finally darkness overtook him, and he slipped into unconsciousness.

  Chapter 10

  The moon’s light shone brightly, bathing the forest in an eerie crimson glow. Tension thickened the air as Virgil watched his younger self skulking through the trees. It was clear he was pursuing someone.

  His target wore a long coat, rugged jeans, and a t-shirt. His dark brown eyes were a near match to his long flowing hair, and he stood nearly six feet tall. His skin was just a few shades lighter than Virgil’s, complemented well by the black tooth necklace hanging from his neck. The man ran with intent, quickly and quietly sweeping the forest. He was searching for something. Or perhaps, someone. Although the young Virgil couldn’t keep up with the man’s intense speed, he could feel the faint imprints of aura the man left behind, making it easy to safely follow him.