Inassea Chronicles: The Blighted Flame

by P. A. Peña

  “And this is what happens when you question my methods,” Roxanne continued. She scoffed as she crouched down to look Virgil in his eyes. “When I was training, my master would teleport me to the cold vacuum of space without so much as a moment’s notice. He’d leave me there until I was so close to death I could taste it, or until I learned how to void myself back to Earth. Do you have any idea how long it takes for a deity to reach the brink of death in such conditions?”

  Again, Virgil opened his mouth to speak, but to no avail.

  “You have tremendous potential, but do not confuse potential for strength. Over our time together, you will come to hate my very existence. You will loathe the mere mention of my name, but when everything is said and done, you will thank me for the warrior you will become.”

  Roxanne stood up and summoned a void behind her. “I’ve transported you to another one of my dimensions,” she said as she walked away. “This one I’ve created solely for the purpose of training without any restraints. Your training will begin every morning at six o’clock sharp. If you are still asleep when I come for you, you will find yourself punished in the same manner you were just now. For every infraction, you can expect the punishment to worsen. Your training today will consist of trying to get up from that spot. Assuming you can get up before noon, lunch will—”

  Roxanne turned around to face Virgil. He was struggling to lift himself off of the ground. His body trembled as energy surged through his body and he pushed his hands into the dirt.

  Roxanne chuckled. “That’s quite a valiant effort, but I—”

  A luminous blue fire erupted around Virgil’s body. The flames swirled ferociously. Gradually Virgil pulled himself to his feet. His breaths were heavy and elongated, but he set his jaw with determination.

  “Well, okay then.” Roxanne dispersed her void. “I admit I didn’t expect you to be able to pass that test so soon.”

  Virgil doused his flames and took in a deep breath. “I told you before. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get stronger.”

  “Fair enough,” Roxanne said. “Let’s move on then. Go ahead and show me your signature.” Virgil paused, his shoulders tensing up. “If you’re afraid you’ll hurt me—”

  “I’m afraid I’ll kill you,” he confessed.

  Roxanne laughed. “I assure you, I’ll be fine.”

  Virgil pointed off to the side. “Summon a barrier over there.”

  “Is that really necessary?” Roxanne said, fixing her glasses.

  “If we’re gonna do this safely.”

  “All right then.” She waved her hand. A glowing metal wall appeared about ten feet away. “I’ll bite.”

  Virgil turned his attention on the barrier and placed his left hand across his right wrist. “Hand of Destruction. Immolation.”

  Virgil’s right hand turned entirely into a shimmering purple flame. The air became cold causing Roxanne to shudder a bit. Virgil placed his hand on the metal barrier, but it didn’t catch fire. Instead, it began to disintegrate, slowly rotting away as if the metal were eating itself. In a matter of seconds, it was gone.

  Virgil turned to face Roxanne, and his hand returned to normal. He opened his mouth to speak, but his legs collapsed from under him, causing him to fall back onto the ground.

  Roxanne grinned. “That was impressive. The amount of mana it must take to convert your physical flesh into raw magical energy is just, it’s insane.”

  Virgil gasped for air. “Yeah. I only ever get one shot, but anything I touch—”

  “Is completely destroyed.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Again. The sheer mana needed to cause that level of destruction. It’s—”

  “Insane.”

  “Precisely.” Roxanne stroked her chin inquisitively. “Are you sure you’re human?”

  Virgil laughed. “Yeah. I’m sure.”

  “I’d expect a signature such as this to belong to a more magically adept race such as an elf or a dragon. To think a human could pull off such a feat. I shudder to think of the kind of power you’ll wield once we teach you how to use a catalyst.”

  Roxanne snapped her fingers, and again Virgil felt a tremendous pressure cascade over him, pinning his body back to the ground. This time, however, the gravitational force was much more robust. “I’ve doubled the force this time around,” Roxanne said as she turned to walk away, summoning another void. “Given your fatigued state, I doubt you can make it up before lunch. However, I hope you won’t stop impressing me.”

  The pressure was intense, so much so, Virgil could barely summon the strength to breathe. And yet, he couldn’t help but grin as he watched Roxanne walk away.

  By the day’s end, Virgil was a wreck. He stumbled to the kitchen table, and collapsed in a chair. He had used the last bit of his strength bathing himself and finding his way to the kitchen. “Is there any way you can just blend dinner into a smoothie?” he whined.

  Aurelia walked over with two plates in her hand. “Oh, hush up. I had enough energy to come back in and help with dinner. The least you can do is chew your own food.”

  She sat a plate down in front of Virgil. He perked up at the sight of the seared pot roast and steamed veggies. “Well,” he began as he picked up his fork, “that just means Roxanne’s pushing me harder than she’s pushing you.”

  Aurelia sat down next to Virgil. “I doubt that. I know this is just the first day, but learning allostry is pretty tricky. You have no idea how much of a headache you get trying to create a rip in space.”

  “Are you serious? She has you trying to create voids already?”

  Aurelia laughed. “Trying is the perfect word. What? Aren’t you doing the same?”

  Virgil rolled his eyes. “I wish. I spent the day trying not to get crushed to death. I swear it feels like my body’s been through a hydraulic press.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. After dinner, come by my room and I’ll patch you up.” She winked. “You know I’ll take good care of you.”

  Virgil smiled. “Thank you. If tomorrow’s anything like today, I’m gonna need it.”

  “I don’t know about your room, but I have a TV in mine. I’m sure we can find something to watch together while I heal you.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure that would be some decent training too.”

  “Huh?” Aurelia said, her brow raised.

  “Remember back in Akata Castle? Cordellia was able to keep up the Saint’s Breath while reading, having a conversation, hell, even from another room entirely.”

  “Oh.” Aurelia frowned. “Y-yeah. This will be great training.”

  This quickly became a routine for the pair. Each day, Roxanne would put them through the wringer, and every night, Aurelia restored them, prepping them for the torment the next day would bring. Before Virgil knew it, an entire month had gone by.

  Chapter 43

  Virgil zipped around the training space. The gravity was intense as usual, keeping his body about ten or so feet off the ground. A white void appeared just yards in front of him. He channeled his mana into his flight, trying desperately to come to a stop. As Roxanne stepped through the void, Virgil fell to the ground, crashing hard at her feet.

  “I see you’re getting the hang of maneuvering in such intense gravity,” Roxanne said. “You continue to impress.”

  “Thank you,” Virgil groaned as he stood up. “Oh. Hey, Logan. I didn’t see you there.”

  Logan waved.

  “All right,” Roxanne said. “I think it’s time we take your training to the next level.”

  “Wait,” Virgil said. “You’re going to have us train together? How would that work?”

  Logan cracked his knuckles. “What? Are you afraid of going toe to toe with me?”

  Virgil rolled his eyes. “Absolutely not.”

  “You won’t be fighting one another,” Roxanne said.

  “That’s a disappointment,” Logan replied.

  “Then what will we be doing?” Virgil asked, trying his best to igno
re Logan’s comment.

  “As I said before,” Roxanne replied, “we’re taking your training to the next level. You will begin sparring today, but not with each other. I want you both to come at me with all you got.” Neither of the two men replied. “Is that going to be a problem?”

  “No,” Virgil said hastily. “I just, I’ve been looking forward to learning allostry. When you said we’d be moving on to the next level, I kind of assumed that’s what you meant. It’s been a month, and we haven’t even started yet. Aurelia’s been learning—”

  “I’ve put each of you on different paths catered to your individual needs. I appreciate your enthusiasm to learn the craft, but we’ll get there when we get there. Right now, we are focusing on bolstering your mana reserves and teaching you to use your mana more efficiently.”

  “R-right.” Virgil nodded. “I’ll just be patient then.”

  Roxanne disappeared, reappearing several yards away. She removed the gravitation hold held on the field, allowing everyone to move unrestricted.

  Logan stepped forward, placing his hand in front of Virgil. “I’ll go first,” he said. “Just sit back and take notes.”

  Virgil was taken aback. “But Roxanne wanted us to—”

  “You’re not needed here.”

  Virgil looked at Logan as he approached Roxanne. In his gut he wanted to speak out, but ultimately shrugged and took a seat on the ground. “Whatever. Knock yourself out.”

  “This isn’t what I instructed,” Roxanne said as Logan took his battle stance. “Do you honestly think you can take me on alone?”

  Logan nodded. “I don’t need his help.”

  Roxanne crossed her arms. “All right, then. I guess I’ll just scale things back a bit. We’ll consider this portion of your training complete when you can knock me off of my feet. Feel free to come at me whenever you’re ready.”

  Logan charged towards Roxanne. To Virgil’s surprise, he was much faster than he ever had been before. Logan pulled his fist back and struck Roxanne’s jaw, only to hiss in pain. Roxanne didn’t so much as flinch as his fist collided with her face. He didn’t even shift her glasses.

  Roxanne placed her hand over Logan’s. She struck his gut, and he grunted as his eyes widened. The force from the blow lifted him high into the air. Had she not been holding onto him, Logan surely would have been sent flying. Roxanne released Logan, allowing him to fall to the ground. He clutched at his stomach as if his entrails were in danger of leaking out.

  Virgil stood. “Well, that was quick.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to wait for him?” Roxanne said.

  Virgil took a battle stance and ignited his fists. “He seems like he’s going to be a minute.”

  “Very well, then,” Roxanne said with a sigh. “Whenever you’re ready.”

  Virgil closed his fists, calling forth a multitude of fiery pillars scattered across the battlefield. They stood about seven feet tall, and while they were in no particular pattern, they surrounded Roxanne. With a snap of his fingers, the pillars began to mobilize in a frenzy. Virgil joined the crowd of flames moving seamlessly between them. Roxanne studied her surroundings, looking for Virgil among the roaring fires.

  Virgil darted from out of the fire, swinging his foot towards Roxanne. She raised her guard, taking the brunt of the strike with her elbow. Virgil hissed and Roxanne slid backward, her feet leaving trails in the dirt below. Virgil fell to the ground, and all the fire he had conjured vanished. He clutched at his leg. It felt as if he had just kicked a steel pole. Roxanne, on the other hand, was unscathed, apart from the look of utter disappointment plastered on her face.

  Damn it, Virgil thought. She has the allostry talent. No wonder she didn’t flinch when Logan punched her. She can make her bones as hard as metal.

  “Do you still insist on doing this separately?” Roxanne asked.

  Logan stumbled back to his feet. “I told you once already, I don’t need his help!”

  He charged at Roxanne once again, while Virgil struggled to get back up. His leg was throbbing, but at least it wasn’t broken. He fought against the pain as he put pressure on his leg. A massive force knocked him over again, pinning him to the ground.

  “Would you please get off me?” Virgil said, barely able to speak under Logan’s weight. Logan didn’t respond as he pushed off of the ground. “Thank you.” Virgil pulled himself up. “Now, if you’re done dicking around, perhaps we can . . .” Logan took off towards Roxanne, paying no attention to Virgil. “I guess not.”

  Virgil took flight, dashing forward to join the battle. He circled around Roxanne, examining the fight between her and Logan. Finally, he saw a chance to hit in Roxanne’s blind spot as Logan approached from the opposite direction. Virgil concealed his aura, attempting to hide his presence as much as possible before going in for the attack. He dove in and swung for Roxanne, waiting until the last possible second to ignite his fist in blue fire.

  As calculated as the attack was, it was utterly useless. Before his fist could connect, Roxanne disappeared, leaving Virgil’s blow to land on Logan instead. His fist slammed into Logan’s chest, and a burst of blue fire erupted around Logan.

  “I’m sorry,” Virgil said as Logan flailed, desperate to dispel the fire with his Dragon’s Treasure.

  “This is getting tiresome,” Roxanne said as she reappeared. Before either of the men could respond, Roxanne took Virgil by the collar and threw him into Logan. She waved her hand and summoned a massive metal cage around the two of them. “Listen up. Your behavior today is completely unacceptable.”

  “Wait,” Virgil began, “I can—”

  “You’ve had your chance!” Roxanne shouted, her eyes turning a bright white. “Now I don’t know what’s gotten into the two of you, but it stops now. I don’t care if you have to talk, hug it out, or just beat the hell out of each other. If you don’t have this shit resolved by the time I get back, then I’m expelling both of you.”

  Virgil opened his mouth to speak, but the look on Roxanne’s face crippled the words in his throat. She left the two men alone in the cage.

  “Okay,” Virgil said as he took a seat. “Do you want to talk about what’s bothering you?” Logan remained silent. He sat down, folded his legs, and closed his eyes. “Hey,” Virgil said, waving his hand. “I’m talking to you.”

  “I know,” Logan replied. “I’m not talking to you. See the difference?”

  Virgil took a deep breath, his eye twitching. “In case you missed it, we’re both gonna be expelled unless we—”

  “I’m aware of the situation. Everything will be fine if you just stay out of my way. You can manage that, right?”

  Virgil exhaled, and lay back in the grass. “Whatever. Come and talk to me when you’re done being an asshole.” With nothing else to do, he began studying the clouds.

  An hour or so went by as Virgil droned on in his mindless task.

  This is bullshit, he thought. I’m going to be expelled over some bullshit. He glanced over at Logan. He hadn’t budged since sitting down. What the fuck am I supposed to do? I can’t make him not be a dick.

  Virgil exhaled deeply as he sat up. “Look,” he began, not entirely sure of what exactly he wanted to say, “we, we need to talk about this?”

  “There is nothing to talk about,” Logan said sharply.

  “Well, Roxanne and I disagree.”

  Logan opened his eyes. “Your opinion doesn’t mean shit to me, and Roxanne is just as caught up in your hype as everyone else. Since nobody wants to be the one to tell you this, allow me to inform you that you are nothing special, and you never will be. Now, if you excuse me, I’m trying to enjoy a moment of peace.”

  Virgil paused, unsure of how to process Logan’s words. There was no hesitation in the way he spoke. It was clear he meant every word of what he said. “Dude, what is your problem?”

  “You. You’re my problem, Virgil.”

  “This is because of Aurelia, isn’t it?”

  “What else w
ould it be about?” Logan said with a roll of his eyes. “You’ve been nothing but a pain in the ass since the day I met you. I’ve tried to be nice and give you a chance for Aurelia’s sake, but once again, I have to be the bad guy because she doesn’t know what’s good for her.”

  “Logan, you have to—”

  “Don’t sit there and try to tell me what I have to do! Especially not after what you’ve done. You’re lucky I haven’t plucked every bone from your sorry-ass hide, but things are different now. If we weren’t Crusaders in the Alliance, I would have beaten you to a bloody pulp by now.”

  “What are you talking about?” Virgil asked, perplexed. “Just what have I done?”

  Logan’s face turned red. “Don’t play stupid with me. You know damn well what you did.”

  “I really don’t, but it’s obviously upset you, so why don’t you tell me and—”

  “YOU FUCKED MY SISTER!”

  Chapter 44

  Logan’s words left Virgil’s jaw low and his eyes wide open. “I what?” he replied.

  “You heard me,” Logan grunted. “And the look on your face says it all. Did you really think I wouldn’t notice? Your visits to her room at night. The hand-holding. Her damn near feeding you all the time. You must think I’m an idiot.”

  “Logan, I promise you I—”

  “To hell with it,” Logan said as he stood up. “The Alliance can throw me out. It’ll be worth it to beat you senseless just one good time.”

  Virgil stood up as well. He didn’t want to fight, but if he had to, he’d rather not take a punch sitting down. Especially from Logan. “Listen, you’ve got it all wrong. I’m not sleeping with Aurelia. We’re just friends. I swear. We are just friends.” Logan summoned his gloves as he cracked his knuckles, completely ignoring Virgil’s attempts to reason with him. “You have to listen to me. Nothing is going on between us.”

  Logan began walking towards Virgil. “How long has it been?” he asked, his glare intense. “How long have you been giving it to my sister?”