Temple of Fyre (Island of Fyre)

by Janet Lane-Walters

  Ria drew in a deep breath. “The only men I saw there were old. What if Malera used the solstice fire to do what I refused?”

  He shrugged. “Until I reach the hamlet, I won’t know.”

  Why was this so important to him? She had no desire to find her kin. They had cursed and cast her out without seeking the real reason for the death of her betrothed.

  * * *

  As the sun moved toward setting, the rocky plain stretched endlessly ahead. Ari wondered how many days would pass before they reached land that hadn’t been seared by fire. If they were forced to spend too many nights on the waste, how would they fend off the lopestas? He’d brought enough wood to cook their evening meals and for torches to be used by the person standing watch. Fire was the only thing the night creatures feared. The hard-shelled denizens could shred and devour the flesh of a man or beast in minutes. He knew the route he’d chosen was longer, but he’d felt a need to keep his destination a secret.

  Just as the sun set, he spotted a massive flat rock that bore traces of past fires. The area was large enough for the entire party. Once they reached the rock, he removed the panniers, grained, and watered the burros. With the fyrestone, he kindled a small fire using wood from the dense long burning ferrus tree. He made two torches and sat beside Ria. “We’ll take turns standing watch. You can take the first stint.”

  “Why must we keep watch?”

  “The lopestas fear fire. Believe me when I say they’re dangerous creatures. Years ago when Jorg, Bil, and I, traveled as a team, we lost a burro to the evil things.”

  She shivered. “I know about the night creatures. Though my people rarely travel on the waste, when they skirt the edges, they surround the camp with fire to keep the coursers and children from straying into the rocks.”

  “We haven’t enough wood for that.”

  She unwrapped the remainder of the morning meal and took several tubers from the store. “Is that why you made the torches?”

  “Yes.”

  “If you would let me use your fyrestone, I could cleanse the area. I’m sure ‘tis what the priestesses do anytime they come onto the waste.”

  Ari closed his eyes. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d removed the copper chain. He thought about the number of times Ria had touched the crystal. During her illness, she seemed to have gathered strength when her flesh brushed the fyrestone. Could he let her use the stone? The crystal was his and he could call fire. Except, his flames weren’t strong enough to destroy a lopesta.

  He studied her. What if she tried to steal his fyrestone? She’d warned him about her need to possess one. Where would she go? Rosti was closed to her and there were no other temples. Her clan had sold her. What she knew about living off the land was due to his teaching. He had to trust her for now. Still, when he removed the chain, he felt a great reluctance to share with her. Before he changed his mind, he dropped the scarlet in her hand. “Be careful.”

  “I will.” She shuddered. “I have no desire to become a meal for one of those vile creatures.”

  His eyes widened when he saw the length of the flame she drew from the stone. She stepped to the rocky ground and plied the fire around the edges of the broad rock. Noxious smoke spiraled into the air. The burros brayed. She raised the fyrestone and used the flame to consume the smoke. As she continued to secure the area around the camp, the moon rose.

  Ari gasped. “Ria, behind you.”

  She whirled and aimed the flame at the creature rising from the rocks. The lopesta glowed yellow, orange, and burst into a scarlet blaze.

  Finally, Ria returned to the camp. She handed Ari the crystal and slumped on the ground. He knelt beside her. “Did you breathe the smoke?”

  She shook her head. “I’m weak because I haven’t used a stone for days.”

  Ari opened one of the packs and handed her dried fruit and nuts. As she ate, he saw the way she eyed the fyrestone. “I vow you will have all the stones you want.” But she couldn’t have his.

  She moved to her blanket roll and leaned against the mound. When she finished the fruit and nuts, she drank water from her flask. She curled into a ball. Before long, she slept.

  Ari lit one of the torches and listened for the tapping of claws on the rocks. Though he struggled to remain awake, he drifted to sleep and remained lost in dreams until dawn.

  * * *

  Two days later when they made camp, they found the remains of a recent fire. Ari frowned. Who had camped here and left wood that had been partially burned? Had the other party been slavers on their way to Gydon? What would he find when he reached the hamlet? He used the scavenged logs for the night fire.

  Ria stirred a pot of stew. “The party that stopped here was large. Why didn’t we encounter them in the grove?”

  Ari sat across the fire from her. “The grove covers a wide area between the wastes. If they used the North Gate, and rode coursers, they may have left after the solstice. Coursers can cover more distance in a day than we can.”

  Ria nodded. “That’s true. Who do you think they are?”

  He shrugged. “What troubles me is the number of lopestas they killed. There are hundreds of shells.”

  Ria left the fire and knelt beside one of the shells. “A priestess travels with them. One who uses the yellow. Do you think Malera sent them after us? They must have left Rosti right after Solstice Day.”

  He shrugged. “Who can know their purpose? But I fear they’re on their way to Gydon.”

  Ria sank to her knees. “’Twas as I feared. She did what I refused. Those poor people. Is there any reason for us to go there now?”

  “I don’t know. I just believe I’ll find answers there.”

  She wrapped her arms around her knees. “I hope you’re right.”

  The quaver in her voice brought Ari an urge to wrap his arms around her. He couldn’t. One touch would lead to a union he feared would add another level to his bond with her. He wasn’t ready to pledge his heart. First, he needed to know who his parents had been and why he’d been left alone in the grove.

  He rose and walked to the burros. Was Ria any more ready to make a heart pledge than he was?

  * * *

  On the fourth night when they made camp, Ria accepted the fyrestone from Ari and performed the cleansing ritual. There were no signs of the group they followed. If the other party rode coursers, they could cover ground faster than those afoot leading a pair of plodding beasts.

  She cradled the copper cage and felt the warmth of the stone. She needed her own crystal. Each time she used Ari’s scarlet, she imprinted herself on the stone. Why wouldn’t he give her the fyrestone? Men couldn’t attune themselves to the major crystals. That pronouncement had been repeated again and again by Malera and the other priestesses. They had lied about other things, though, why not this? Ria had seen Ari use the stone, though not with the skill of one trained in the temple. His flames were so small, he might have been using a white.

  Ria walked the borders of the camp destroying lopestas and dispelling the smoke. As she returned to the fire, she cradled the scarlet in the valley between her breasts. Pleasure rose and made her smile. Ari reached for the stone. She clung to the chain. “Let me keep the crystal.”

  He shook his head. “The stone is mine. For all my life, I’ve worn the fyrestone. I promised you will have crystals and you will.” He grasped the copper cage and pulled the necklace from her hands.

  Despair and need raged in Ria’s thoughts and flowed through her body. If she’d held the stone, she would have sent a blaze to sear him. “Please give me the fyrestone. Without it, I am in danger. What if Malera strikes again?”

  He tucked the crystal beneath his tunic. “The stone is mine. Trust me. All will be well.”

  Trust him? How? Though they were bonded body to body, that bond could easily be broken. Anger toward him churned in her gut. She turned her back to him. Tears raised by fear and frustration threatened. She rubbed her arms. “If you won’t give me the crystal, fill me. P
ly my body with your magic. Raise sensations to make me forget my need.” Without making a sound, she wept.

  Ari turned her to face him. “We can’t join bodies. Our passion would draw the lopestas.”

  “I’ve destroyed them all.”

  “Others lurk around the edges of the cleansed area. Come and eat, then sleep.” He ran a finger over her cheek.

  She couldn’t move. He didn’t understand the emptiness she felt. Though his light caresses brushed against the web of loneliness, the pain of loss was a constant ache. She needed a fyrestone. “Leave me here. If you won’t give me the stone, Malera will find and kill me.”

  He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the blanket. He lay beside her and stroked her hair and her back. With a shudder, the silent tears changed to sobs. She felt the heat from his crystal and she slept.

  At dawn, she woke and stretched. Ari rose from the fire and brought her a bowl of cooked grain studded with dates and nuts. As she ate, she kept her eyes downcast. She felt shame for the tears she had shed. Even when she’d been ill from the fyrethorn poisoning, she hadn’t allowed her weakness to show. Last night, she had.

  Once they were ready to leave, she took Bera’s lead and trudged across the rocky ground. The sun shone bright in a cloud-dotted sky. Thoughts engrossed her. Why was she drawn to Ari? Had the physical bonding given her a wish to change her goals? She had to remember her reasons for wanting a fyrestone. Confronting Malera and seeking vengeance for the victims of the chief priestess was necessary. Still, the physical union with Ari had opened paths she feared to take.

  When they’d made love in the grove, he’d bombarded her with sensations she hadn’t known existed. Her body had tingled, and then burned. She desired him, yet she wanted his stone. If he would give her the scarlet, she would find a safe place and learn how to control and direct the flames. Another thought made her gasp. If Ari had worn the crystal for most of his life and had used it, even in an inept way, how could he bear for her to touch the fyrestone? If she took it from him, could he survive the loss?

  * * *

  By early afternoon, they left the waste. Though the rocky landscape prevailed, there were gnarled trees and patches of green grass. Ari found the road that led in the direction he believed they needed to take to find Gydon. When he noticed places where the hooves of coursers had bitten into the earth, he led Ber off the track.

  “Why have you left the road?” Ria asked.

  He pointed to the droppings and the signs a party had camped just off the trail. “They aren’t that far ahead of us. I have no desire to stumble into their camp.”

  “Do you think Malera is with them?”

  He shrugged. “How would I know? Does she ever leave the temple?”

  Ria’s brow furrowed. “In all the time I was at the temple, she never ventured beyond the market square for ceremonies and to attend the slave market. Do you realize where the priestesses are going?”

  “To Gydon.” And that troubled him. There was no chance of reaching the hamlet first. Would the priestesses leave anyone alive?

  Ria shuddered. “Those poor people. When I saw them in the flames, they looked defeated. Most were women and children. I fear Malera intends to sell them to the slavers.”

  “I think you’re right.”

  “Is there some way we can help them?”

  He shook his head. “How can we stand against guards and priestesses with fyrestones?”

  “If you would give me the scarlet, I could.”

  “You know I can’t do that. For you to use the stone against Malera’s people would let her know where we are.”

  She nodded. “I wish you weren’t right.”

  As the sun slid toward the horizon, they reached a clearing near a meandering stream. Ari halted. “We’ll camp here. In the morning, we’ll leave Ber and Bera staked. Then we’ll spy on the other group.”

  Ria helped unload the burros. She gathered rocks to make a fire circle. As Ari started the wood burning, he watched her. A sullen look appeared on her face. What was she planning?

  She met his gaze. “There’s no reason for us to sneak around. I could learn where the priestesses are and what they plan to do. All you need to do is let me use the crystal.”

  He shook his head. “We can’t chance being discovered. If you can see them through the stone, they can see us. Do you want Malera to learn where we are?”

  “I can read them in secret. With a fyrestone, I could even spy on Malera.”

  The glitter of avarice he saw in her eyes shocked him. He pressed his hand over the stone. “The scarlet is mine. I’ve worn it most of my life. I won’t give it to you.” He strode to the brook to fill the water flasks.

  When he returned, Ria was gone. Had she entered the woods to glean, or was she sulking? When he’d refused her request, as well as greed, he’d seen anger and hurt in her eyes. Would she betray their presence to the priestesses? He couldn’t be sure of anything Ria might do, but he knew she feared a return to the temple. Still, she couldn’t have what was his. He filled a pan with water and added dried meat and vegetables. When she was hungry, she would return.

  * * *

  As soon as Ari walked to the brook, Ria slipped into the woods. Why did he deny her the use of a fyrestone he couldn’t use for other than minor things? Didn’t he realize the importance of knowing what the enemy planned? She wanted to show him what a crystal, especially a scarlet could do. Only the fabled blue was more powerful. If such a stone existed 'twas more than a scribe’s dream.

  Her gait became a lope and she ran until a stitch stabbed her side and she gasped for breath. She slumped against a tree. How could she convince him to give her the fyrestone? Every day, her desire for one strengthened.

  Her hands shook with the need to cradle a crystal. Her anger toward Ari grew. For a short time after they’d coupled on Solstice Day, she had felt complete. But a union of the flesh held no compensation for the lack of a stone.

  She grabbed leaves and shredded them. Ari had saved her from Malera, from death, from becoming a sacrifice at the solstice celebration in the market square. Though she’d saved his life when Malera had sent fire against him, had the debt been satisfied?

  He’d promised her as many stones as she could want. Then, instead of heading into the hills to search for fyrestones, he’d chosen his own desires. He wanted to speak to the people of Gydon. Didn’t he realize this trip was futile? They could never reach the hamlet before the priestesses. What if she and Ari were discovered? Only a fyrestone could protect them, and he had no idea of how to use his crystal.

  With a sigh, she rose and continued her flight away from the camp and away from Ari. A short time later, she sensed stones. Her interest peaked. Could she take one from a priestess? Even a white would help fill her inner void.

  The snorts and neighs of coursers halted her. She dropped to her knees and crawled to a tangle of jagger bushes. She studied the camp. Six guards lounged around a fire circle. Two priestesses sat outside a tent. The murmur of their voices and an occasional word reached her.

  The fyrestones called. She gripped one of the bushes and held back a cry when a thorn pierced her palm. So close, and so impossible. The pull of the stones nearly made her forget the need for caution. To try and steal a crystal would mean capture and an unprotected meeting with Malera. She started to back away. Her foot hit a dry branch and a loud crack sounded.

  One of the priestesses leaped to her feet. “Someone spies. You, and you.” She pointed to two of the guards. “Search and bring the spy to me. We dare not let a warning reach the hamlet. The spy is in those bushes.”

  The men rose. Ria continued her stealthy retreat. She cleared the tangle and sprang to her feet. She dashed past trees until she found one she could climb. As she burrowed into the thick foliage, she clutched the trunk and fought to quiet her gasping breaths. The crash of brush and the angry voices of the men brought a rush of panic. What if they found her? What if they discovered Ari? Were the men alone
, or had a priestess joined them? Why had she allowed anger to control her actions?

  “Foolish woman. Who knows what she saw?” The deep voice was gruff.

  “The wind in the trees.” The second voice was lighter. “A small animal stirring the bushes, or a scavenger lured by the small of food. Should have used her stone and saved us a hike.”

  Ria froze. The guards stood beneath the tree where she hid. If they looked up, would they see her?”

  “We’ve gone far enough. Seen nothing.” The first guard snorted. “Bet she’s saving her stone for Gydon. Heard they only last so long.”

  “Then back to camp. We’ve done what we can.”

  The sound of their voices faded. When the noises of their retreat grew distant, Ria relaxed. She waited until moonrise before leaving her perch. She wandered until she sensed Ari’s fyrestone. She followed the pull to the camp. Though she fought the need for what belonged to him, the temptation grew stronger. She had to have the scarlet crystal so she could protect them.

  With the same caution she’d used to spy on the priestesses, she crept to the camp. Ari lay on his blanket roll. The aroma of stew made her stomach rumble. Though she was hungry, her craving for the fyrestone was stronger. She dropped to her knees and crawled toward him. A yard, a foot, then inches, and what she needed would be hers. She paused at his side and slid her fingers beneath the copper chain.

  Ari’s hand clamped on her wrist. She fell across his chest. He rolled and pinned her beneath his body. “Why do you try to steal what I’ve willingly shared when there’s a need?” His voice vibrated with anger. “I can’t permit you to use the fyrestone in a foolish manner.”

  “I need ... need ....” The nearness of the stone and her desire to hold the crystal made her struggle against his hold.