Inassea Chronicles: The Blighted Flame

by P. A. Peña

  “What the fuck is your problem?” Aurelia shouted as she pulled the shard from Virgil’s arm. The ice sliced her hand. She hissed, blood trickling down her fingertips as she tossed the icicle on the floor.

  “I held up my end of the bargain,” Lucious said. “The conjuration is gone, and now we’re going to pick up where we left off.”

  Paisley joined her boyfriend. “You can leave,” she said, pointing to Olivia. “But we’re going to finish what we started with these three.”

  Logan summoned his gloves once again and stood firmly to block their assailants. His eyes traveled across each of them, waiting for someone to make the first move.

  Fynn stepped forward, turning to his friends. “Just hold on a second. None of us are exactly in fighting condition. This really wouldn’t be a satisfying victory.”

  “You imbecile,” Lucious scolded. “I don’t care about something so trivial. All I want is to make him regret ever stepping foot on this island.”

  “He can’t even defend himself, Lucious.”

  “Again, I don’t care. As long as he’s still awake, he’ll receive no mercy from me. Now move out of my way, before I lose my temper.”

  Fynn fell silent.

  “You heard him,” Paisley joined in. “Or are you just too slow to get it?”

  “That’s always a possibility. Fynn is a dumbass after all. Perhaps we should just—”

  “I told you to stop talking to me like me that!” Fynn interrupted, a vein nearly bursting from his forehead.

  Lucious laughed. “Exactly my point. I was talking about you, not to you.”

  Fynn tensed up as he stared at Lucious, his fists tightly wound into balls.

  “Stop looking at me like that,” Lucious demanded. “Have you forgotten my family practically owns yours? With one phone call, I could have your father ruined.”

  Fynn’s eyes widened as he unclenched his fists. “You wouldn’t.”

  “I think we both know I would. That’s the problem with new money. There are no roots. No stability. It would be a shame too. Your father showed such promise. And to think it would all go to shit because one idiot doesn’t know when to just shut his mouth and move two steps to the left.”

  Virgil struggled to stand. Aurelia tried to protest, but Virgil waved her off and continued to pull himself up. “You know,” Virgil said between breaths, “every time I think, well damn, there’s just no way this guy could be any more of an enormous cunt, you somehow manage to prove me wrong.”

  “Virgil,” Fynn said as he turned around.

  Virgil could barely breathe. Everything hurt, from the slightest hair on his head to the skin between his toes. It took everything he had just to rise to his feet, but he stood as tall as he could. His knees wobbled, and it felt as if they would give out at any moment. Even so, he kept his eyes fixed on Lucious.

  “That’s what I like to see,” Lucious said, flashing a devilish grin. “This tough guy act is going to make crushing you so much more satisfying.”

  The room began to glow red once again. Just as before, pillars of fire began to shoot from the floor.

  “Are you fucking serious?” Lucious said as he jumped backward to avoid a pillar.

  Virgil collapsed, Aurelia just barely managing to break his fall. “We can’t fight another one of those things,” she said.

  “We won’t have to,” Olivia replied. “I’m pretty sure we found the exit over there.” She pointed to a stone wall off in the distance. Lucious, Paisley, and Fynn were already making their way over.

  “Okay.” Logan walked over to pick up Virgil. “Let’s get a move on before—”

  The room shook as its borders pulsed, alternating between shades of red and yellow. Stone pillars shot out of the ground and began combining with the fire. Before long, there were dozens of humanoid creatures spread around the room.

  “This doesn’t look good,” Aurelia said.

  “How are you two doing on mana?” Logan asked.

  “We’ll manage,” the women said simultaneously.

  Virgil perked up as best he could. “I can—”

  Logan hoisted Virgil up over his shoulder. “You’ll do nothing but keep yourself alive.” He then turned and looked at his sister. “When we make it out of here, we’re going to have a serious conversation about what’s been going on here.”

  The creatures made their move, closing in on the group. Olivia summoned a mass of wooden soldiers to battle the horde. As Logan moved, he pushed the monsters out of his way. With one touch of his glove, they crumbled. Aurelia summoned waves of water that carried the monsters away. She kept them coming one after another, but it was only delaying their assault.

  Across the sea of molten monsters, the group could see Paisley fiddling with the wall. As the stone slabs shifted apart, a bright light shone through the cracks. Explosions echoed through the room as Fynn held the creatures back. The final slab lifted, revealing a white void. Lucious wasted no time stepping through it, and Paisley followed suit. Fynn continued backing up, covering their escape. He turned around to find a wall had been conjured, cutting off the escape route.

  A creature took hold of Fynn’s head. Muffled screams escaped his lips as the creature slammed his face into the wall. The beast tossed him onto the floor, blood gushing from his mouth, and the monsters began to crowd around him. Aurelia raised her hand towards Fynn.

  “What are you doing?” Olivia exclaimed. “We have our own problems to worry about.”

  “He’s going to die if we don’t do something,” she replied.

  “Again. That’s not our problem.”

  “I’m making it our problem.” Aurelia summoned a wave of water to sweep away the creatures surrounding Fynn, but a giant explosion erupted from the pile. Chunks of rock flew everywhere as smoke filled the air. Embers formed in the sky above Fynn, each of them morphing into a tiny dragon. They looked to be no bigger than a sparrow, but they were countless in number. As the dust settled, Fynn stood tall, his feet firmly planted into the ground.

  “BRING IT ON!” Fynn shouted, his nose crooked and blood spraying from his lips.

  With a snap of his fingers, the dragons descended onto the battlefield. One after another, the dragons collided with the creatures and explosions echoed throughout the room. The walls began to tremble. The group made their way through the carnage, bobbing and weaving past fire and stone flying in every direction. Fynn remained focused on his task. Even as they passed him, he continued his onslaught, unleashing his fury on the lifeless creatures.

  “I swear,” Logan said as they approached the wall. “All of you pyromancers are so short-sighted.”

  “I resent that,” Virgil murmured.

  “Okay,” Olivia said. “Do any of you know geomancy?”

  Logan placed his hand on the wall. In an instant, it crumbled, revealing the void.

  “Right,” Olivia said. “Magic gloves.”

  Logan turned around and called out to Fynn. It was impossible to tell if he couldn’t hear Logan over the explosions, or if he simply didn’t care to listen. Either way, he didn’t so much as budge in Logan’s direction.

  “Just leave him,” Olivia said. “If we don’t make a run for it now, this entire room is going to collapse on us.”

  “Logan, we can’t—”

  Logan exhaled as he took Virgil off his shoulders. “I know, Aurelia. Just make sure he gets to safety, and I’ll see you on the other side.”

  “No.” Virgil returned to his feet. “We’re not leaving without you.” He tried to take a step, but his knees buckled, and he fell into Aurelia’s arms.

  “You’ve done plenty,” Aurelia said as she and Olivia propped Virgil upon their shoulders. “You just focus on getting some rest.”

  Virgil opened his mouth to protest but stopped when Logan held out his hand in front of Virgil’s face. With a flick of his finger, Logan thumped Virgil’s forehead, and he was knocked out cold.

  Chapter 21

  Virgil’s mind stirred. A
n all too familiar sensation danced across his chest. “Aurelia,” he said softly.

  “Try again,” a woman laughed.

  Virgil’s eyes burst open to find Cordellia towering over him, her glowing blue hands caressing his body.

  “Cor-Cordellia,” Virgil stuttered.

  “Yes?”

  Virgil looked down. Only a white sheet separated his bits from the open air. “I’m naked,” he said, his face burning red. “Why am I naked?”

  “You’re not naked,” Cordellia replied, her tone quite aloof. “You have a sheet.”

  “I don’t know about you, but that’s still naked where I come from.”

  Cordellia laughed. “You were absolutely filthy. If I was going to heal you properly, something had to be done.”

  “Surely it couldn’t have been that bad.”

  “It was. Now try to relax. After all, you have nothing to be embarrassed about.”

  Virgil covered his privates with his hands. “What, what is that supposed to mean?”

  “Sorry,” Cordellia replied, laughing once again. “Bad choice of words. Although.”

  Virgil fell silent, completely mortified. He felt as hot as an oven, and was getting hotter with each passing second. Why couldn’t I just stay knocked out? he thought.

  Cordellia reached over and placed a hand on Virgil’s shoulder. “Don’t get so wound up,” she said, flashing a smile. “I’m only joking, but I do need you to be more still.” Virgil laid back, trying his best to ignore the gnawing feeling of being exposed. “Clayton and Aiden went a little overboard this year.” She sighed. “I suspect you’re to blame for that.”

  “Me?” Virgil said, taken aback. “Why would I have anything to do with that?”

  “Isn’t it obvious? You’ve sparked their interest.”

  “I suppose Clayton makes sense. I can feel his contempt for me from across the room, but Aiden, I’ve never even spoken to him.”

  “I get why you feel that way, but Clayton doesn’t hate you. In fact, I wager he respects you a great deal. Aiden, on the other hand, can’t stand you at the moment.”

  Bewilderment had yet to leave Virgil’s face. “I don’t understand. What did I do to him to make him so upset with me?”

  “You bested him in the exam. Caused quite an uproar in doing so actually.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense. Sure, I held Aiden’s conjuration back for a few seconds, but I’d hardly consider that besting him. If anything, he should be pissed at Logan.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short. Logan would never have been able to land a hit without your help. You, if only for a brief moment, were able to hold back Aiden’s fire with your sorcery and willpower alone. Of course, if Aiden had been using his full strength, I doubt you would have been able to pull off such a feat. Still. The fact remains that you were able to do something that few applicants have ever accomplished.”

  “Is Aiden really that petty? I thought the entire purpose of the exam is to recruit the strongest candidates possible. Surely, he must know that this is bound to happen eventually. More than once, even.”

  Cordellia burst into laughter. “You sure don’t hold your tongue, do you? It’s almost as if you’re not talking to a king about her ally of equal stature while we’re judging your every move.”

  Virgil swallowed the lump in his throat. “F-forgive me. I’ll choose my words more carefully.”

  “You needn’t be so nervous around me,” Cordellia said with a smile. “Just a word of caution for the others. I’m sure you’ve learned already to mind your manners around Clayton, but Roxanne can be a bit of a wild card. It’s best to err on the side of caution with her. And Aiden, well, I’d just steer clear of him for now if I were you. That should be easy enough. He’s awful busy these days. I fear if you were to meet before he’s had a chance to forget about things, you would certainly come to blows.”

  “Thank you,” Virgil said. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” Virgil paused for a moment as the gravity of her words set in. “Cordellia, can I ask you something?”

  “You want to know why I am helping you,” she replied. “You’re wondering why I didn’t have Aurelia heal you, or one of my staff. And of course, I have no obligation to give you any advice.”

  “Y-yeah. How did you know that?”

  “I was born with the talent of clairvoyance. Depending on the circumstances, I can see probable outcomes up to twenty-four hours into the future. But you’re incredibly easy to read. Like an open book.”

  “Oh. I suppose that makes sense. I’m sure all you kings were born with talents.”

  Cordellia shook her head. “Not all of us. It’s quite a rarity to be born with such a gift. To answer your question, though, the answer is simple. I like you, Virgil. Quite a lot, actually.”

  Virgil’s face flustered. “You do?”

  Cordellia burst into laughter, stopping her work entirely. “Not like that. Don’t get me wrong, you are easy on the eyes, but I’m already spoken for. What I meant was I like what you are for the Alliance. I think you’re a much-needed breath of fresh air.”

  Virgil grinned. “It’s good to hear at least one of the kings favor me.”

  “Don’t let that go to your head. The exam isn’t over yet.” Three evenly paced knocks rang on the door. “Right on time,” Cordellia said. “You may enter.”

  “Pardon my intrusion,” Aurelia said as she entered the room. “But . . .” Aurelia’s brow raised. “Is he naked?”

  “He has a sheet.” Cordellia replied as she turned to face Aurelia. “Although, I’ve been told that doesn’t count.”

  “A-Aurelia,” Virgil stammered as he squirmed on the table, making sure the sheet was still covering him. His cheeks were flushed red once again. “What, what are you doing here?”

  Aurelia closed the door behind her and began walking towards Virgil and Cordellia. “I’m here to check on you, of course. Oh, and I brought you a change of clothes, too.” She set the clothes on the side table. “I figured you’d need something new since your uniform didn’t exactly make it out of the Network in one piece.”

  “As much as I’d love to stay and continue this,” Cordellia said, “I have some urgent matters to attend to.” She turned to Aurelia. “I’m entrusting you to finish Virgil’s care. I’ve already done the bulk of the work, so it shouldn’t be much longer.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Aurelia replied. “You can count on me.”

  “Before I go, though, I want to show you something.”

  “What is it?”

  “A spell, of course. I did ask you to finish healing Virgil, didn’t I?”

  Aurelia’s eyes lit up. “You’re really going to teach me a new spell? Like seriously?”

  “I am. To be honest, I’m a little shocked someone with your skill in aquamancy hasn’t learned it yet, but of course, stranger things have happened. The spell is called Saint’s Breath. It’s essentially a more powerful version of the Healing Touch spell, but with a purification effect as well. Very useful for counteracting curses, hexes, and even some forms of lost magic.”

  “How’s it done?” Aurelia asked.

  “It’s quite similar to the Healing Touch actually. First, you’ll want to focus your mana into your chest. Take a deep breath, allowing positive and tranquil thoughts to fill your mind and exhale. Allow me to demonstrate.”

  Cordellia took in a deep breath and her chest swelled with air. She then closed her eyes as she leaned in over Virgil. She exhaled, and a blue mist coated Virgil’s body.

  “As you can see, a proper casting of the Saint’s Breath is not only more potent than the Healing Touch, but covers the target entirely, allowing for much faster healing.”

  Cordellia was right. The soothing mist caressed Virgil’s body like a plush blanket. His body tingled, but the feeling was fleeting, as Cordellia dispersed the mist.

  “There are significant drawbacks however,” Cordellia resumed as she began walking towards the door. “For one, you can’t focus the h
ealing, so more intricate work isn’t suitable for the spell.” Cordellia opened the door before looking back at the duo. “And remember, you must keep tranquil thoughts.” Aurelia nodded, an eager grin stretching across her face. “No one will disturb you for about three hours. I imagine that should be plenty of time for you two to finish up here.”

  Cordellia stepped through the door, leaving Virgil and Aurelia alone.

  “All right,” Aurelia said as she spun around towards Virgil. “Let’s get started.” Aurelia took in a deep breath and prepared to exhale only to stop when Virgil raised his hand.

  “I know you’re excited and all,” Virgil said. “But can I please put some clothes on first?”

  Aurelia looked down at Virgil. Her cheeks turned red as she sheepishly released the puff of air she was holding on to. She walked over to the side table where his uniform lay. “Are you sure you want these? You look so comfortable.”

  Virgil nodded. “I’m sure. I wouldn’t exactly describe a mere sheet keeping my meat and veg tucked away as comfortable.”

  Aurelia giggled as she handed Virgil his clothes and turned around. “Did you say meat and veg?”

  “Yeah,” Virgil said, uncovering himself and standing up. “You know. My—ugh—package.”

  Aurelia rolled her eyes, as evidenced by the bob of her head. “I know what it means, Virgil. I’m not twelve. I’m just saying who refers to their dick and balls as their meat and veg?”

  Virgil blushed as he pulled up his boxers followed by his pants. “Well, I was trying to be, you know, modest.”

  “Sure. You were a gentleman and a scholar.”

  “Okay,” Virgil said as he reached for his shirt. “I’m decent now.”

  Aurelia turned around to face Virgil and her eyes grew wide. She looked as if she wanted to speak, but couldn’t find the words to do so.

  “Is everything okay?” Virgil asked as he pulled his shirt over his head.

  “I’m fine,” Aurelia said, snapping back to the conversation. “Go on and lie back down.”

  “So.” Virgil lay on the table. “Is the third phase over yet?”

  “Not yet. There are a few teams still navigating the Network. Roxanne estimates that phase three should be over by the end of tomorrow at the latest.”