Inassea Chronicles: The Blighted Flame

by P. A. Peña

  A rancid mass of aura off in the distance swirled with a mix of hatred and contempt. The feeling alone was enough to stand young Virgil’s hair on end, but the fact he was heading toward the source of it made his skin feel like lightning was traveling across it.

  Young Virgil slowed his approach. The mass of aura was just beyond a pile of bushes. He tip-toed closer, keeping his body low to the ground. The man was there, but what drew young Virgil’s attention was the wooden altar. A young woman rested upon it, and a much older and withered woman leaned against it. The old woman didn’t move. Her eyes had rolled to the back of her head, and her mouth hung open. Dozens of candles hung in the air like wayward spirits. Each of them was adorned with green sigils matching the carvings in the altar, and they pulsed rhythmically.

  The young woman was stunning and as bare as the day she was born. While her white skin looked to be supple and lightly tanned, it wasn’t without flaw. The same runes were carved into her chest and stomach. The young woman rose to her feet and stretched. Although blood drizzled from her wounds, she appeared unfazed.

  The man raised his right hand towards the woman, and a flurry of fire swirled around it. “Answer me this,” he began, his voice hard and steady. “Are you the witch known as Cecelia Holland?”

  The young woman looked her body over, paying no mind to the man’s demands. Her hands began to glow a bright blue, and she ran her fingers across her body. Where they touched her wounds, her skin closed, leaving no trace she had ever been injured at all. Her fingers approached her chest, and she took hold of her breasts. Smiling, she gave them both a gentle squeeze. “I must say,” she said, “I picked quite the cutie this time around. I’ll certainly be able to have a good time in this body.”

  The man’s necklace began to glow, and his flames grew tenfold, turning from their orange hue to a bright white. “Answer me!” he shouted.

  With a wave of her hand, the young woman summoned clothes that formed around her figure. In a matter of seconds, she was draped in a green dress and a black hooded cloak concealing her bouncy, sandy blonde hair.

  The young woman looked at the man, her shimmering eyes like polished emeralds. “You haven’t really given me much incentive,” she replied. Her words slid off her lips like silk. “In fact, it seems to me like no matter what I say, you’re going to kill me.”

  The man let out a hearty laugh. “I suppose that’s fair. Let me make it worth your while then. If you happen to be just another random witch, you have my word I’ll grant you a quick and painless death.”

  “And if I happen to be this Cecelia you’re looking for?”

  “If that’s the case, I’m going to spend hours melting every inch of flesh off your bones.”

  The woman gasped, covering her mouth. “Oh dear,” she cried, but despite the harshness in the man’s tone, she spoke almost playfully. “You’re quite the brute, aren’t you? How can you say such a thing to a poor defenseless woman?”

  “I’m beginning to lose my patience.”

  The young woman paused for a moment as she looked the man over. “All right,” she said. “You’ve found me.” She raised her hands forward, and they began to glow a bright green. Her eyes changed from their perky demeanor to a menacing scowl. “Now what are you going to do about it?”

  The man grinned. “One last question while you can still think coherently. Do you remember a young man named Daniel Truesdale?”

  “Daniel?” Cecelia perked, “Ah, the young alloster. Yes, I remember little Danny.”

  The man trembled as his flames grew wilder. “You have no right to call my son by that name!”

  “Oh! So you’re little Danny’s father. I must say you’re looking a lot more accomplished than your son. I guess the apple doesn’t always fall near the tree.”

  “You know,” Danté said, his eye twitching, “I think I’m going to start with your tongue. Let’s see how slick your mouth is after I turn it into a pool of bubbling flesh.”

  Young Virgil shot up from the bushes. His fists were balled, and tears flowed from his eyes. His gaze held on Cecelia. “IT WAS YOU!” he shouted. “YOU TOOK DANNY AWAY FROM US!”

  “Virgil,” Danté said, his face full of shock as he turned to his son. “What are you doing here?”

  Cecelia turned her attention to the young Virgil. “What do we have here?” she said intrigued. “Is this another son of yours? How precious.”

  Despite his father calling out to him, young Virgil’s attention remained fixed solely on Cecelia. He coated his hands in fire. “You’re going to pay for what you’ve done to my brother.”

  Cecelia laughed. “Is that so, little boy. And just what makes you so sure I’ve done anything to him at all?”

  “Get out of here, now!” Danté called out.

  Young Virgil tightened his fist. “I have every right to be here. I want to see this bitch burn for what she’s done.”

  With everything he could muster, young Virgil fired off a ball of fire at Cecelia. Raising her hand into the sky, Cecelia summoned an enormous creature reminiscent of a bear, made entirely of wood. The bear absorbed the blast, and as the wood turned to ash, the glow surrounding Cecelia’s hands intensified. “You should have listened to your father.”

  Cecelia fired off a blast of sorcery that illuminated the night sky in a burst of green light. Young Virgil’s eyes widened as the wave of magic speeded towards him. His legs trembled and his stomach lurched, but he refused to run away. He had to stay and make Cecelia pay for tearing his family apart. He raised his hands in the air and erected a barrier of flames. Closing his eyes, he braced himself for the impending attack.

  Chapter 11

  Virgil’s eyes burst open, his heart racing as he thrashed about.

  “Take it easy,” Aurelia said, placing her sparkling blue palm on Virgil’s chest. “You’re safe now.”

  Virgil looked up to find Aurelia looming over him. She was smiling, and her hand was cool to the touch, soothing his skin like a wet rag on a hot summer’s day. Virgil took a deep breath, followed by another. As Aurelia gently swayed her hands from side to side, calm began to return to him.

  Virgil looked to his hands. “I didn’t burn you, did I?” His voice was hoarse, and it pained him to ask. Still. He had to know.

  “Of course not,” Aurelia replied. “What would give you that impression?”

  Virgil looked around to find they were in a small room equipped with a bed, a table, and a couple of chairs. Logan slouched in one of the chairs, fast asleep and snoring vigorously.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Virgil said as he laid back and rubbed his throat. “Where are we exactly?”

  “This is your room. Or at least it will be once you pass phase two. Roxanne was nice enough to let me treat your wounds in here.”

  “I see.”

  “Yup. Now sit up a bit and open your mouth.”

  “E-excuse me?” Virgil coughed.

  “I said sit up and open your mouth.”

  “No, I heard you just fine. What do you want me to do that for?”

  Aurelia groaned. “Just do it. You are thirsty, aren’t you?”

  Virgil looked at Aurelia. Beyond the suppression in her aura, he couldn’t sense anything amiss. With reluctance, he obliged.

  “Was that so hard?” she asked, as she twirled her finger in a circle. A small orb of water formed above Virgil. Aurelia flicked her finger downward, and the sphere began to drizzle into Virgil’s mouth. The crisp, ice-cold water instantly soothed Virgil’s parched throat.

  “You said this will be my room after I complete the second phase.” Virgil laid down again. “So, does that mean you two have already made it through?”

  “Logan has, but I haven’t gone yet. It’s a good thing you woke up when you did. Roxanne said they would move us towards the end of the list, but if you hadn’t woken up by the time they came for you, they’d have no choice but to disqualify you.”

  “I take it I’ve been out for a while then?”

&nb
sp; “Not too long. Just a couple of hours.”

  “How many is a couple?”

  “About five. No, wait. Six. It’s almost midnight.”

  Virgil gasped. “Are you serious? That’s more than just a couple.”

  “I don’t know why you’re surprised.” Aurelia’s tone turned stern. “Logan told me what happened. What were you thinking, trying to take on three mages at once? You’re lucky I was able to get to you when I did. I may be a trained aquamancer, but I’m not a miracle worker.” Virgil averted his eyes. “I’m serious,” she continued. “You could have been severely injured, or even killed. Did you at any point consider the consequences of your actions? What would you have done if Logan hadn’t shown up?”

  “It’s not like I asked them to ambush me,” Virgil blurted. “I didn’t have a choice.”

  “You always have a choice. Nobody was forcing you to stay there and fight.”

  Virgil tightened his fists. “Running away wasn’t an option. Not after what they did.”

  “Oh, really. Then tell me, what was so important that it compelled you to do something so stupid?”

  Virgil looked up at Aurelia. They locked gazes, prompting Virgil to scoff and turn away once more. “You wouldn’t understand.”

  Aurelia reached over and placed her hand on Virgil’s cheek. Gently, she guided his eyes to meet hers. “I think you’ll find I’m a lot more understanding than you’re giving me credit for.”

  For a moment, Virgil laid there looking up into Aurelia’s eyes. His stomach began to turn and his chest tightened. “Lucious and his friends,” he began. “They were stealing items away from hunters so they’d be disqualified. They eliminated twenty of us by the time they got to me. I couldn’t just run away and let them go unpunished for destroying people’s dreams like that.”

  Aurelia was now the one frozen in silence.

  “I’m sorry,” Virgil continued, although he wasn’t quite sure why he was apologizing. “I shouldn’t have been so reckless. Regardless of the situation, it was stupid to take them all on.”

  Aurelia broke her silence. “No. You’re not stupid, and I’m sorry for saying so. It was very brave of you to fight for people you’ll probably never even meet. I’m sure they would appreciate it.” Aurelia’s hands stopped glowing, and she took a step back. “You’re all set now. Just try not to get so banged up next time. Okay?”

  Virgil sat up on the edge of the bed and looked his body over. He was ache-less. No, it was more than that. There were no cuts. No bruises. No burns. If it hadn’t been for his tattered clothes, a casual observer wouldn’t have been able to tell he had been in a fight at all.

  “This is incredible.” Virgil rose to his feet. “You must have been trained extremely well. You’ve even restored my mana. Thank you.”

  “It was nothing.” Aurelia took a seat in the empty chair.

  “It’s absolutely something. You spent five—no, six hours tending to my wounds. I definitely owe you one.”

  “It was nothing. Really.”

  That’s when he noticed it. His satchel and the Fang of Kayveon were sitting on the table. Virgil walked over and picked up his necklace. He slid it around his neck, and a reassuring comfort washed over him.

  “So,” he said as he walked back over to the bed and sat down. “What do we have to look forward to in the next phase of the exam? I imagine your brother must have said something before passing out.”

  Aurelia shook her head. “The Alliance swore him to secrecy, and Logan would never break an oath he’s made.”

  “I see. Your brother is quite an honorable man. Has he always been this way?”

  “Ever since we were kids. He’s always tried to be like our father. Whenever I’d feel frightened, he would pat me on the head and tell me everything was going to be all right. Just like our dad used to do.”

  Virgil smiled. “I know what you mean. My dad was the same way. If he was around, you just knew everything was gonna be all right.”

  “I don’t know what I’d do without Logan. He’s all I have left now.”

  Silence crept into the room, as Aurelia’s words rang in Virgil’s mind. Aurelia gasped and she covered her mouth. “Oh, no.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m so sorry,” she said bowing her head. “I’m such an idiot. Here I am talking about my family, while you’re all alone. Please forgive me for being so insensitive.”

  Virgil laughed. “You have nothing to be sorry about. You’re a saint compared to those assholes at the docks.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Yeah. Before this whole exam even kicked off, I had my own band of groupies. They just wouldn’t let up with questions about the famous demon slayer Danté Truesdale. Not a single one of them could take a hint to fuck off.”

  Aurelia giggled. “Be that as it may, I should have—”

  “Don’t do that. I’ve really enjoyed talking to you. It’s been a treat I don’t get to enjoy often.”

  “Really? Don’t you have any friends back home?”

  “Nope. Honestly, I don’t really have a home, either. Well, not anymore anyway.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. It sounds incredibly lonely.”

  Virgil sighed as he shrugged. “I’ve gotten used to it. Even as a kid, it was kind of always just my family and me.”

  “Well,” Aurelia said as she held out her hand. “I hope you consider me to be your first friend. Oh, and Logan, too.”

  Virgil looked at Aurelia. Her smile was as wide as the ocean blue, and she radiated a sense of warmth and comfort Virgil had long since forgotten existed. A series of loud knocks on the door interrupted them. A kurara man stepped into the room. His skin was tan, and his black beak curved downward. He wore a pair of black slacks that were wide enough at the bottom to accommodate his talons. The wings on his back were made of brown feathers, and he was without a shirt.

  “I’m glad to see you’re awake, Mr. Truesdale,” the man said. “We weren’t sure if you were going to make it in time.”

  “No worries there,” Virgil replied. “Nothing’s going to keep me from passing this exam.”

  “Of course. My name is Kaenara. If you would please follow me, I’ll escort you to the testing room.”

  With a wish of good luck from Aurelia, Virgil left with Kaenara. In no time, the two men were standing in front of a set of wooden doors. Kaenara gestured Virgil to open it. He didn’t budge. His hair stood on end. Beyond the door were pools of aura, potent and overwhelming. They were staggering, nearly pulling the air out of his lungs, and Virgil hadn’t even entered the room yet.

  Chapter 12

  “Is everything all right, Mr. Truesdale?” Kaenara asked. “If you’d like to forfeit—”

  “I’m fine!” Virgil said sharply as he reached for the door.

  Virgil pushed the doors open and stepped through. Dim candlelight coming from the many sconces on the walls lit the room. A long rectangular table sat in the middle of the room. Three people sat on one side, with an open chair on the other. Virgil recognized Roxanne sitting in the middle of the three, but the other two were a mystery.

  Sitting to Roxanne’s right was a mountain of a man with light brown eyes, and dirty blond hair. He was the tallest among them and quite muscular. It looked as if he could crush steel balls between his bronze biceps. Despite his grand physique, he wore a white long sleeved collared shirt, a black tie, and neatly pressed black slacks.

  To Roxanne’s left sat a nymph. She was almost as tall as the man, but quite slender. Her only curvature came from the fullness of her breasts. She wore a simple black t-shirt and a pair of tight blue jeans. Her skin was pale, scaly, and tinted pink, which contrasted heavily with her inky black eyes. Her ears were webbed, and behind her, a long tail waved to and fro. At its tip was a fin in the shape of a crescent moon.

  As Virgil approached the table, his knees wobbled.

  “Go ahead and take a seat,” Roxanne said.

  Virgil complied, pulling in his c
hair as he sat down.

  “You already know who I am, but allow me to introduce you to the others. On my right, we have Clayton Stone, the Amber Mountain, and to my left sits Cordellia Love, the Black Wave.”

  Virgil swallowed the lump in his throat. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said, his stomach twisting into knots. “Er, both of you. It’s nice to meet you both.”

  “Please try to relax. The second phase of the exam is merely an interview conducted by the kings of the Crusader’s Alliance. Unfortunately, we are short a king, but that’s typically the case with Aiden.”

  Virgil let out a breath of relief and his stomach loosened. Clayton’s eye twitched. It was slight, and if Virgil hadn’t been paying close attention, he’d have missed it. “I’m glad to hear that I won’t have to fight any of you,” Virgil confessed.

  “Goodness no,” Cordellia exclaimed, covering her mouth as she laughed.

  Clayton, on the other hand, found no such amusement in Virgil’s comment. He sat, still as a boulder, staring through Virgil as if he were examining his very soul.

  “We’d never test our applicants through direct combat,” Roxanne explained. “Doing so simply wouldn’t be a fair assessment of your abilities.”

  “So, all we’re going to do is sit here and talk?” Virgil asked.

  “Correct,” Cordellia answered. “You see, Virgil, the role of a Crusader is one that comes with a great deal of duty and responsibility, as well as pain and sacrifice. As the leaders of the Alliance, we have to ensure that we promote those who are not only physically capable of carrying that burden but also mentally capable as well.”

  “All right then,” Roxanne said. “Now that we’ve gotten the formalities out of the way, let us begin your interview. We’ve each read Orlando’s dossier. He obviously thinks very highly of you. If accepted, he estimates you’ll make queen. Assuming an opening presents itself, of course.”

  “Orlando’s praise must be taken with a grain of salt,” Clayton said, his voice stern. “Let us not forget about his relationship with the Truesdale family.”