A Fable of Flame

by Jeremy Fabiano

  The queen barely dodged the wave of flame, but she did lose an arm in the process. I heard her screech over the explosion. She landed nimbly on top of a building as spiders surged forward surrounding me. The queen cackled.

  5

  “Poor child. After an attack like that, you will not have much mana left.” She gloated from atop a building. I raised my hands toward her, and the building she stood upon disappeared with a ground-shaking boom. The queen of spiders landed on the next building. The group of spiders that had surrounded me surged forward. But, as they got close, the aura flames around me lashed out. Ash rained over my body. Ash. I like it.

  “It is a fitting name,” whispered the voice. I smiled.

  I stared up at the queen in defiance. She stared right back. She knew she couldn't get any closer, and I still wasn't fast enough to kill her.

  “Ashley!” bellowed Luther. He ran up to me but kept a safe distance. “We have to get out of here, we can't win.”

  My anger grew again. “Don't be such a coward,” I seethed. “We need to stop her here. She's already taken out the Village of Origins. It's only a matter of time before her brood spreads to Bridgeport.”

  “I understand,” he said, impatiently. “But we can't fight her on our own. At least at Bridgeport, we'd have an army to back us up.”

  I thought about that a few moments. In the distance, I heard several people scream for the last time. I nodded. “I'll buy you a few minutes, get to the gates.”

  Luther frowned, then nodded, and ran back to the others.

  The queen cackled. “Whatever schemes your kind concocts, I will be ready. I will devour your body, and your power, and claim it as my own.”

  My power? Can she even do that?

  “I do not believe she would bluff. Perhaps those crystals we found in that cellar have something to do with it.”

  “Time for death...” The queen chuckled.

  I raised my hand toward her, and another building vanished in a flash of white light. I focused more energy into it and blew a massive hole in the wall behind it. The remaining survivors ran past, and Luther grabbed me by the arm on the way by.

  The queen howled from somewhere behind us, and another massive wave of spiders started to chase us. I took out as many as I could, firing Firelance behind us as often as possible. Even pulling heat from the buildings, I was getting tired.

  We ran as fast as we could, jumping over corpses, both human and spider. We were almost a quarter mile out of the village when Stewart gave a small yelp.

  "In front of us!" bellowed Reinhardt. We slowed to a stop as a massive army of spiders closed on us from all sides. In the distance, we could hear the queen cackling with glee.

  “I'm almost out of mana,” I said, eyelids drooping heavily. “I don't have much more left in me.”

  Reinhardt nodded and handed me a vial of slightly glowing pale blue liquid. "Drink this. Only have one, so don't spill it."

  Uncorking the vial, I downed it in one gulp. It tasted like blueberries and grapes. I felt a cool wave of energy flow over my entire body. I looked at my mana bar, and it was full.

  An idea came to my mind, and the voice in my head whispered instructions to me. I grinned. “Everyone, get as close to me as you can, but don't crowd me. I'll only get one shot at this.”

  Dubious looks were cast my way, but everyone listened. For the first time ever... I gathered the heat from everything around me. Every spider, every tree, every bug, the air, everything. Then I thrust my hands forward and pulled even more, just as I released every ounce of heat I could muster into a cone in front of me.

  A massive roar of flame obliterated absolutely everything in front of us. Even the dirt turned to liquid and melted into a stream, flowing away from me. In every other direction was ice as far as the eyes could see. Spiders stood frozen in place. The queen screeched from the village and began pounding her way toward us.

  “Holy sweet mother of the Creator,” breathed Reinhardt.

  “Shit,” said Stewart. “I'd hate to see you upset when you're on your per—"

  “Finish that sentence and you'll join them,” I said, pointing at the frozen spiders. Stewart put his hands up in mock surrender and said nothing. Smart.

  I went to take a step forward, and my legs gave out. Luther managed to catch me before I hit the ground.

  “Whoa there,” he said as he picked me up and carried me in his arms. “I think you overdid it a bit.”

  I smiled weakly. “Maybe a little. We need to go, she's coming.” He nodded and began to run with the forces of hell literally on his heels.

  6

  Our party ran as fast as possible under the circumstances. Luther’s breath was coming in short wheezes as he carried me. I was in and out of consciousness, and several times, I woke up in someone else’s arms. They must be having others carry me so they can keep running longer.

  “Yes,” said the voice. “You did well back there, by the way. However, you did tax your body more than is advisable.”

  I noticed.

  “And you have yet to provide me with a suitable name,” he whispered.

  I want it to be perfect, I thought as I passed out again.

  When I next awoke, we were camped below a small rock cliff next to the river. It was cold, and it had begun to rain. No fire. They must be worried about being seen.

  Luther noticed I’d come to and put his finger over his lips. I nodded. He handed me a loaf of bread and a water skin and then walked quietly away.

  Ms. Wellington shuffled over to me and put her hand on my forehead and then my stomach. Green energy glowed for a moment, but she covered it with her cloak. She smiled and nodded, patting me on the wrist, and then followed after Luther. Checking to make sure I’m okay?

  “Most likely. That was healing magic, but you are unhurt. A precaution, likely,” he whispered.

  Did we get away? Why is everyone sneaking around?

  “We are still being pursued; however, there is a new threat,” he whispered. “As we traveled, we found the road blocked by a large tree and several bodies. Luther noticed several bandits laying in wait to ambush anyone evacuating from the village.”

  So, the bandits knew we’d be attacked.

  “Or at least suspected. Evidence does point toward them being in league with the spider queen,” he whispered. “I do not believe in coincidence. Only facts.”

  I grimaced. He was right. This was way too convenient to be happenstance. I stood slowly, and my knees wobbled a little, but I managed to stand up straight. I followed Luther and found the rest of the party spying on a group of bandits through the trees.

  “How many,” I mouthed. Luther hand-signaled seven. I looked around and saw five of the bandits and then the last two on the other side of the tree blocking the road. I closed my eyes and focused my power into seven pinpricks of heat. Luther stiffened and stood between the bandits and I.

  The heat faded away, and my head spun as I collapsed to my knees. My mana bar was still empty. I couldn’t call my fire. I felt completely helpless for the first time since I got my magic five years ago. Tears formed at the corners of my eyes and began to fall. I shook as I quietly cried to myself.

  Ms. Wellington rushed over to me and helped me to my feet. She guided me back to the spot I’d woken up at and sat with me, holding me.

  “I miss Papa,” I said between body-wracking sobs.

  “I know, dear, I know,” she whispered. She held me until I passed out in her arms.

  I woke a few hours later. Checking my mana, I noticed it’d refilled a little. Luther led us around the bandit trap and into the forest. “I used to hunt here when I was younger. We should be okay as long as we keep moving and follow the stream—”

  A black ball with legs flew out of the bushes beside us and grabbed Luther by the face. A larger one followed behind it, batted his sword from his hand, grabbed him in a web, and ran ahead into the forest.

  “Luther!” I screamed. Without thinking, I picked up his s
word and chased after him. I ignored the screams of protest from the rest of the party members behind me, as I rushed forward into the dark forest.

  Spiders jumped out of the dark left and right. I wasn’t great with a sword, but I knew which way the pointy end went. My dad had taught me a little bit when I was younger. I fought off the few that faced me and ran ahead, looking for Luther.

  I rounded a tree and ran face-first into a wicked-looking spider with chitin armor covering most of its body. It screeched at me and took a step back. From behind it, one of its arms held Luther upside down, spider still attached to his face.

  “Let. Him. Go.” I seethed. The spider lashed out with one of its many arms, and I batted it aside with Luther's sword. A second arm followed the first and clipped my shoulder. I felt a sharp bite of pain at the edge of my senses, but I ignored it.

  7

  Then I felt it. Magic in the air. I looked down and noticed the ground churning and loosening. Then the creature sunk a few feet into the ground, and it instantly turned to rock. It howled as it tried to free itself.

  Sword held high, I ran at the huge armored spider. I swung the sword downward and cut into its chitin but only a little bit. I swung two more times before it noticed me and swung its free arm toward me. Another sword caught its arm before it hit me and blocked it.

  Stewart smiled. “Need a hand?” he asked. I didn’t answer him as I was distracted by the stone that held the spider’s legs which was now sinking.

  I let the pent-up rage come rushing to the surface. Luther’s sword became engulfed in brilliant flames which lit up the entire forest around us. I swung and slashed across the spider’s torso, opening its insides to the cold forest air.

  It howled in pain and moved to bite my head. I shoved Luther’s sword down its throat, and the flames exploded outward, turning its whole head to ash. I heard a muffled thud as Luther was dropped to the ground by the lifeless spider.

  Stewart removed the spider from Luther’s face. “By the Caretaker…” he said. “She’s really something.

  Luther grinned. “Hell yeah, she is,” he said. We watched as the massive spider’s corpse sunk into the ground and more rock formed to seal it below the ground. Ms. Wellington ran up with Reinhardt and began to heal Luther.

  I decided to look around while everyone was occupied. A little way out, I found a cave with a few spiders guarding several large, wiggling cocoons.

  “Those are likely people,” said the voice in my mind. “Wouldn’t be a bad idea to free them.”

  Yeah, you’re right. I should get help though. I ran back to get the others.

  As I arrived, Luther was stretching as if he’d just slept for a week. “Hey, Ashley, where’d you run off to?” he asked.

  “I was looking around,” I said. “I found a small cave. There’s a bunch of spiders there guarding cocoons of some sort. I’m pretty sure they have people in them.”

  “How far?” asked Reinhardt.

  “Maybe five minutes,” I said. They all looked at each other and nodded.

  “Lead the way,” said Stewart.

  We snuck up to the cave as a group. “My magic isn’t working right now. I’ll stay with Ms. Wellington,” I whispered to Luther. He nodded. He gave some hand signals to Stewart and Reinhardt. They nodded once and drew their weapons. The two men split up and went separate directions.

  At first, I wasn’t sure what they were doing. Then Luther ran for the cave full speed, sword raised high. The spiders sensed him coming and immediately swarmed from the cave to stop him. He swung down in an arc, and a few spiders parted like a curtain.

  Stewart came from the left to back him up, while Reinhardt launched several rocks, squishing spiders all around. In a few minutes, they’d taken care of all the sentries.

  “Too easy,” said Luther.

  Reinhardt nodded. “Agreed. Perhaps the one we fought farther up the path was their enforcer?”

  Stewart shook his head. “Nay, I don’t think so. I think we were meant to find these survivors. They’ll slow us down, give the spiders a chance to catch up to us.”

  Ms. Wellington nodded. “That would make sense, for an infantryman. But for a spider? That’s some pretty intricate planning.”

  “Not really,” I said. “It’s exactly how the queen thinks. Always a plan in a plan...”

  She frowned. “You sure give her a lot of credit.”

  “I’ve fought her,” I said. “She always has another plan schemed in that head of hers. Although, lately, I’ve been thinking maybe someone’s helping her.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “The crystals?” asked Luther.

  I nodded. “We found crystals pulsing with dark energy of some kind in the basement of the infested cottage. The spiders don’t have any kind of magic, but they had those.”

  “Who would help them?” asked Reinhardt.

  Luther thought for a moment as Ms. Wellington healed the survivors we’d rescued. “What about Abalonious and Morogan?” he asked. “Didn’t you say they were after some people who were messing with dark magic?”

  “True,” I said. “It could be related, but without talking to them, I wouldn’t know for sure.”

  Ms. Wellington looked up. “We fought the undead two hundred years ago,” she said. We all looked at her. “Yes, yes. I’m quite old. My healing magic keeps me alive for much longer than most.”

  “So, you fought the undead?” I asked.

  She nodded grimly. “Yes. I was there with Agamor and your grandmother and the Caretaker. It was a bloody battle and many were lost. These crystals you describe, they could be related to that battle.”

  “The Battle of Unsung Heroes?” asked Luther.

  “The very same,” said Ms. Wellington. “The necromancers killed an entire city and transformed them into monsters. Anyone who was strong enough to resist the spell died a painful death. We barely survived…”

  8

  A thought hit me. “What if there were still necromancers and they still wanted to fight? Could they help the spiders get stronger?” I asked.

  “Well, if what we’ve seen so far is any indication,” she said, “my guess would be yes. I have never seen those armored spiders before in my many years.”

  Luther scratched his stubble. “If that’s the case, we’re in deep shit,” he said.

  Ms. Wellington scowled at him. “Luther. Language.” She motioned to me.

  “She’s heard worse,” he said. She smacked him on the back of the head. “Fine, fine. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” I said. “It doesn’t bother me.”

  “Nonsense, dear. It’s no way for a young man to speak of in front of an impressionable young woman,” she said. “I'll have no nephew of mine acting indecently.” Stewart and Reinhardt snickered. “That goes for you two as well. If you act like children, I’ll bend you over my leg and treat you like children. Understood?”

  “Yes, ma’am!” snapped Stewart and Reinhardt.

  Ms. Wellington smiled. “Good. Now that that’s cleared up, let’s get these poor souls moving before the spiders catch up to us. It’ll be a full day to Bridgeport.”

  We traveled for a couple of hours before we stopped to rest. We passed out what little provisions we had and got the rescued villagers fed. Ms. Wellington handed me some off-blue-colored water and had me drink it.

  “What’s this?” I asked.

  Ms. Wellington smiled. “Just a little home-brew mana potion. I noticed some herbs on the way and picked them. It’s not as good as a regular mana potion, but this should help you a little.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “Could you teach me how to make it?”

  Her face lit up like an angel, and she looked forty years younger. “I would love to,” she said. She walked me over to the side of the path we’d been following through the woods. “You see this blue-petaled flower?” I nodded. “You take a handful of these petals and crush them into a paste. Then mix in some water and something sweet. Berries w
ork best. Anything to get rid of the bitter taste of the flower. Then just mix it until the paste dissolves.”

  I smiled. “This will be super useful,” I said. “Thank you.”

  “You’re very welcome, dear,” she said. “I have a lot more to teach you if you’re interested?” Her hopeful look melted my heart. I couldn’t have said no even if I wanted to.

  “I would very much like that,” I said. “I’ve never had anyone who could teach me much of any of this.”

  She nodded knowingly. “Having a teacher is very important. It would be my honor to be your teacher for as long as I can be.”

  “Does this herb stuff have a name?” I asked.

  “It’s an art passed down from generation to generation. We’ve lost so much of it over time,” she said, nodding. “We call it Alchemy. It can be quite powerful if used right. Or quite dangerous and deadly if used wrong.” She paused for a moment. “There are a few things regarding magic theory I could possibly teach you as well.”

  “I did have a question you might be able to answer,” I said. “When we ran and were surrounded, somehow, I used ice magic. But I’ve only ever had fire? How did I do that?”

  Ms. Wellington chuckled. “That’s quite simple, my dear. You never used ice magic. There’s actually no such thing.” I must have had a confused look. “You see, ice magic, as you call it, is just a subversion of fire magic. If you remove enough heat from an object, it gets cold. The energy being present or not is what differentiates between something being cold or hot.”

  “So, you’re saying I’m just moving the heat energy from one place to another?” I asked.

  “Exactly,” she said, nodding. “And there’s a law in nature that says you cannot destroy or create energy. Only move it from one state to another.”

  “So,” I said, “if I wanted to create a massive amount of ice, I would just move all the heat energy away from that spot.”