A Fable of Flame

by Jeremy Fabiano

  A Fable of Flame

  Tempest Chronicles - Book 2

  Jeremy Fabiano

  A Fable of Flame

  Tempest Chronicles - Book 2

  JEREMY FABIANO

  Copyright © 2019 by Jeremy Fabiano

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to reality is coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  www.jeremyfabianoauthor.com

  Cover and map design by http://www.derangeddoctordesign.com

  Editing by Kelly Hartigan http://editing.xterraweb.com/

  Illustrations by Brandi Fabiano

  Also by Jeremy Fabiano

  The Tempest Chronicles

  A Fable of Magic - Prequel Novella

  Legend of the Sword Bearer - Feb 1, 2019

  A Fable of Flame

  Legend of the Dwarven King - Coming Soon!

  The Bishop Archives

  Bishop’s Gambit

  Bishop’s Ultimatum - Mar 15, 2019

  Bishop’s Redemption - Coming Soon!

  Co-Authored Works

  Roger - Tales of Courage from the Apocalypse - with T M Edwards - Jan 1, 2019

  Adam - Tales of Courage from the Apocalypse - with T M Edwards - Coming Soon!

  For my loving wife, and my amazing son.

  It is my hope that these words, excavated from the depths of my imagination, written upon these pages and ink, pixels and electrons, outlast my mortal body and are remembered for all time.

  On writer's block-

  Write a word.

  Then write another. Don't think. Just write.

  What you write will likely suck.

  WRITE ANOTHER WORD. Then... another.

  And keep going…

  Mine is "I'll start procrastinating tomorrow”

  Jeremy Fabiano & Ian Lahey

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  A note from the author…

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  1

  With almost no light, I managed to find the big ladder that the guards use to get up the guard wall that surrounds the village. No one was patrolling this side yet, so I quietly climbed up onto the top of the wall.

  “Who the—Ashley?” someone called. I jumped. Oh no! I turned slowly and found Luther Downs, the head of the village guard staring down at me with a scowl.

  “What?” I asked, hands on my hips. I didn’t like Luther. He was mean and tried to hurt my friend Morogan a few times this week.

  “What do you mean, what? What are you doing out of bed? Even more importantly, what are you doing on my wall?”

  “I need to help Morogan and Aba. Bad guys are going to attack them.”

  “What bad guys?” he asked.

  “They’re thieves. I think Aba made them angry yesterday, and they want to kill him.”

  Luther shook his head. “How do you know all this?” he asked.

  “Um…I kind of overheard Aba and Morogan talking about it when they went to bed.”

  “Went to bed?” he asked. Were you sneaking around on top of the inn again?”

  “I wasn’t sneaking!” I snapped. “I have to help them.”

  Luther frowned again. “Enough. If they’re really in trouble, I’ll send the guards out and stop them,” he said. “Now go back to bed before your dad comes looking for you.” I didn’t move. “Now.”

  “No,” I said, glaring at him. “I’m going to help them. If you get in my way, I’ll hurt you too.”

  Luther laughed. “Whatever. Just don’t fall off of the wall, okay?” He walked back to his chair several feet away.

  Now that he’s out of my way, I can help my friends. I could make out Aba and Morogan walking away from the village. Two people were waiting for them on the dirt road. They can probably beat them. Maybe I came up here for nothing… Then I saw the other guy, running behind them. Oh no, they don’t see him. I have to do something.

  I’d learned a new skill the last time I leveled. Something called Flame Infusion. When I thought about it, it reminded me of strength. I focused all my willpower on that name. Flames began to dance all over my arms, warming me against the cold morning air. I smiled. A voice whispered to me. Whispered the name of the spell. It wanted me to use it. Begged me to use it. I squeezed my amulet in my left hand, and I listened.

  Fire exploded out from me in a huge ball, covering me head to toe, but it didn’t burn. The shockwave sent energy out from me and blew the dust off the top of the wall.

  “Holy shit!” gasped Luther as his chair flipped over, and he went tumbling, almost falling off the wall. “What the hell are you?” he asked, and I ignored him.

  I brought my hands together and focused my energy into a small ball just like when I fought the queen of spiders yesterday. Firelance. I remembered its name. I focused on the name of the spell, and the fire poured out of my hands and into a bright ball like a tiny sun.

  I watched the man run toward my friends and counted how many steps he took. I knew my fire was super-fast, and somehow, I knew where to shoot it if I wanted to stop him. The power told me when to let it go. “Now,” it whispered.

  I threw the small sun far ahead of the running man, and it soared through the air like a shooting star. The whole sky was bright with my fire, and it made me happy. It made the power happy.

  The Firelance and the running man met before they reached my friends. I heard a huge boom, and a wave of wind blew dirt and rocks over everyone. The man fell over and slid to a stop in front of them. Aba, Morogan, and the two bad guys turned and looked at me. Then the bad guys left. Good thing they got scared. I don’t think I could do that again for a little while.

  “You are more powerful than you realize,” whispered the voice. “You could do… great things…” I ignored it.

  Ever since my magic manifested, I'd heard a voice whispering to me. Sometimes, it helped with my magic. Sometimes, it warned me of bad things. And sometimes, it just wanted me to use my power for no good reason at all. Whenever I asked who it was, it always dodged the question. I didn't even know what name to call it.

  I turned to Luther, who was hiding behind his chair with his mouth open. I let the fire go, and we were left in the dark with just his torch for light. “Are you catching flies, Luther?” I asked with a giggle. “You’re drooling.” I climbed down the ladder and headed for home.

  As I got close to my house, I felt like I was being watched. Looking around, I didn’t see anything, but it was still early in the morning, and the sun wouldn’t be up for a little while. A few minutes later, I decided it was my imagination.

  “Are you sure?” whispered the voice.

  I got too excited about using my magic. I should get to bed before Dad catches me.

  “That is probably smart…”

  You know, I don't need you to comment on every thought I have.

  “True. But it is more fun if I do.”

  The door to my house creaked a little bit as I slowly opened it and closed it. I locked it and ran up the stairs. Dad was still sound asleep, snoring. On tippy toes, I snuck into my room and hopped into bed. The sheets were cold, but I used my magic to warm them. I could get used to this!r />
  The next morning, I went to the inn for breakfast. I sat down at the table and Ms. Wellington, the innkeeper, brought me eggs, beef, and a roll. She always made the eggs just the way I loved them. Scrambled with extra salt. She left and came back with a cup of orange juice for me and a steaming cup of coffee for her that smelled like dirt.

  She smiled at me. “So, Miss Ashley, what are your plans for today?” she asked, sipping her black liquid.

  “I dunno,” I said. “I’ll probably go into the forest and practice my magic a little bit.”

  “You’ve probably got a lot stronger, haven’t you?” she asked. “You’re always practicing.”

  I smiled, and a giggle slipped out. “Yup,” I said, stuffing more eggs into my mouth. Sooo good!

  “You’re hungry today. Were you up late last night perhaps?” she asked. “Maybe sneaking around on my roof again?”

  I felt a bit guilty. “Maybe a little…”

  “Luther told me what happened,” she said. I looked down at my plate and poked at the eggs with my fork. “That was really brave of you; however, you need to be more careful. Let the adults handle those kinds of problems from now on, okay?”

  “Okay…” I said.

  “It’s for your own good,” she said, smiling. “You’re really strong, but you’re still a child. You should enjoy it while you can. You’ll be all grown up in no time, and then you’ll miss it.”

  “Do you miss being a kid?” I asked.

  “More than you’ll ever know, Ashley.” She stood and patted my hand. “Finish up, then go have some fun. For my sake.” She went back to the kitchen to clean the dishes from last night. She left me to finish the yummy breakfast. I stuffed the eggs and beef into the roll and skipped out the door, munching away as I left.

  I took a big drink from the jug of water I had brought with me. Practicing magic took a lot out of me, and I figured out that if I drank a lot of water it made it easier. Ms. Wellington said it was called mana, and I did have a blue bar that got smaller when I used my magic a lot. When I drank water, it refilled faster.

  After I put the jug down, I got back to practicing. I had to get stronger just in case the spiders ever came back. No one else in the village could fight them. I’m the only one who has fire magic in the whole village. And they don’t know how many there are.

  “But you do. You must get stronger if you are to protect them…” whispered the voice. “You are not alone, be wary.”

  That weird feeling came back again. All the birds and animals stopped making noises. Goose bumps covered my whole body, and a chill ran up my back. I looked around, trying to figure out what was watching me. “I know you’re there,” I said. “Come out, scaredy cat.” Nothing moved. I closed my eyes and listened. There! I fired a blast of fire at a bush, and it turned to ash. Two spiders the size of dogs skittered off into the forest in opposite directions.

  With each hand, I made tiny suns in my hands and threw one at each spider. Their blackened bodies shriveled and died with little screeches and pops. I looked around for more spiders, but I couldn’t find any. There’s always more whenever you find one. I’ll have to start keeping my eyes open for them.

  It was already lunchtime, and my tummy was starting to growl. Practicing was hard work. No wonder most of the grown-ups were only level one. I guess I’ll head back to the village and get something yummy to eat. I worried about the spiders the whole way back to the village.

  When I got back to the village, the air felt weird. People weren’t outside like they usually were. Animals were still locked up in their barns and kennels. As I passed the notice board, I saw new quests listed. No grown-ups were around, so I took a peek.

  Clear the Stables: Something is moving inside the Northern Stable. Rewards: 5 silver

  Grain Silo: Something broke open the grain silo doors the last two night... Rewards: 5 silver

  Dirty Cellar: A bunch of spider webs covered my basement!. Rewards: 5 silver

  I grabbed all three quests. I’ll need to find a grown-up, or they won’t let me hand these in when I finish them.. Someone people will listen to.

  “What you up to?” asked Luther as he came up to the board.

  “Grabbing a few quests.”

  “Aren’t you a little young for taking quests? I know you have strong magic, but you’re still just a kid.”

  “I’m thirteen!” I squealed. “And besides. I’m probably the most powerful in the whole village.”

  Luther smiled. “Yeah, maybe. But you’re still just a kid,” he said, chuckling. “Tell you what.” He thought about something for a moment. “Why don’t I go with you. I’m not on guard duty until tonight anyhow. Besides, some of the village folk wanted me to look into the weird things going on.”

  “I can do it myself,” I said, pouting.

  Luther laughed again. “Those were level three quests. I don’t want you to get hurt,” he said.

  “I’m already level five,” I said.

  Luther flinched in surprise. “Really? Wow, that’s impressive. I only just turned level four recently. Maybe you really are the most powerful in the village. I’m still going with you though.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “You can keep the silver reward,” he said. “And it’ll be a good experience for you to work with others.”

  I sighed. “Fine, you can come. I still don’t like you though, you were mean to Morogan.”

  Luther frowned. “I know, I’m sorry. I-I had a bad experience with Orcs when I was a kid.”

  I frowned. “Like what?” I asked, not believing him.

  Luther didn’t respond right away. Wow, he actually looks sad? Did something bad really happen? “When I was little—maybe your age—they killed my mom. I’ve hated Orcs ever since.”

  I gasped. “I’m so sorry,” I said, looking at the ground. “I didn’t know. My mom died too when I was a baby. I never knew her.”

  He smiled. “It’s okay. After a while, the pain goes away. But when I saw Morogan, it reminded me of it and made me angry, and I took it out on him.”

  Maybe Luther isn’t as bad as I thought.

  “It would still be easy to roast him,” whispered the voice.

  Shut up.

  “So,” said Luther as we headed for the northern stable. “How did you get to level five at your age? I've never heard of anyone so young getting that far.”

  “I practice every day,” I said. “It's fun. And besides, what else is there to do in Pinewood…”

  Luther thought about that for a moment. “I suppose you have a good point.” We walked in silence for a little while. “What about Morogan? Do you like him?” he asked.

  I felt my ears and face warm. “Maybe a little,” I said. “He's nice, and he's smart, and he listens to me.”

  Luther chuckled. “Isn't he a little old for you though?”

  “He just turned seventeen,” I said. “I'll be fourteen in six months. That hardly seems inappropriate.”

  Luther put his hands up. “Whoa, was just curious. No reason to get defensive…”

  “Okay, then Mr. Asks A Ton Of Questions. Is there a girl you like?”

  Luther shook his head and frowned. “No… There used to be though. But she was in love with someone else, and they moved south to Aspen. I hear they got married and even had a baby.”

  “I see,” I said. “Don't worry, you'll find a girl that's good for you someday.”

  “You think so?” he asked.

  I punched him in the arm. “I know so. Now enough of this mushy stuff, we have work to do.”

  He smiled.

  The horse stables were a complete mess. Hay was scattered everywhere, and the fencing to keep the horses separate was completely destroyed. Even the walls had embedded hoof-prints, and pieces of wood were missing in some areas.

  “It looks like the horse went nuts and started kicking everything,” I said. I stepped in something sticky. “Ew…”

  “You step in horse dung?” asked Luther, chucklin
g.

  “Worse. Spiderwebs. They’re so sticky and gross.” I rubbed my foot on the hay-covered dirt and stepped on something crunchy. “Over here,” I called.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  I held up a spiny black stick.

  “Spider leg?”

  I nodded.

  “That’s huge…”

  “You’ve never seen one of them, have you?” I asked. Luther shook his head.

  “Never one that big,” he said.”

  “These are the babies. They’re the size of a big dog,” I said. Memories of my beautiful puppy started flooding back to me. A tear or two might have rolled down my cheek.

  “Ashley? Are you all right?” asked Luther.

  “Yeah… They ate my puppy.”

  “I see. So that’s what happened to you yesterday. You went looking for your dog, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah, but I was too late. I ended up fighting with their queen,” I said. “Aba, Morogan, and I barely got away.”

  “Wow, she must be pretty strong if all three of you ran,” said Luther. “After what I saw this morning, I’m flat-out shocked.”

  I smiled a little. “Yeah, she’s huge. Maybe the size of a wagon.” He looked stunned. “With the horse.”

  “Holy shit,” he gasped. “How do you fight something like that?”

  “Just keep hitting her with everything you have and hope it stuns her enough that she runs away. We bloodied her up pretty good, but she’s still out there somewhere. And she’s really, really mad…at me. I killed thousands of her children.”