Inferno

by N. A. Carson

  The dragon appeared unconcerned as he stretched his wings to their full length and started to flap. We rose into the air and headed off toward the distant clouds of smoke and the rising flames.

  The rain pelted my skin. I tucked my face against the dragon’s shoulder. This was beginning to feel more and more like it wasn’t a good idea. Yuki flew over a forest and we entered the outside farmland. The heat was leaving the dragon’s scales as Yuki changed to ice. I tightened my hold on him as I started to shiver from the cold. I was losing feeling in my fingers. Water and fire were mortal enemies for a reason, and I was soaked clear through.

  “Yuki! We need to land!” I yelled. “I can’t hold on. My hands are numb.”

  The dragon snorted, and I looked up to see Brite not too far off in the distance.

  A wave of flames erupted into the sky like lava. Yuki jerked back and let out a screech. He dove straight down and stumbled as he landed when the blast of the explosion hit us. I fell off his back and rolled through a wheat field. Sitting up, I saw mortals running toward a section of the field that was on fire. Not even the rain had stopped the flames from catching on the stalks.

  I stood and shook my head. I was covered in a mixture of mud and ash. I wiped my hands on my shirt as I hurried over to Yuki.

  “Are you alright?”

  The dragon remained flat against the earth and watched the city.

  “Just stay here. I’ll find Zoran, and we can go home.”

  Yuki lunged forward when I tried to leave and grabbed the back of my shirt with his teeth. He tugged on it and looked back the way we had come.

  “I have to find Zoran. Then we can go home, okay?” I patted the dragon’s snout. “Stay here. I’ll be fine. I’m indestructible, remember?”

  The dragon shook his head and rose up onto his legs. His eyes pled with me not to go.

  “Look.” I cupped Yuki’s cheek. “I’m going to be fine. I know you’re scared. I would be, too, if a firebird turned up as beat up as Uther did. Go back to the palace, and I’ll come and get you after I find Zoran. Alright?”

  The dragon hung his head and started to whine.

  “Come on, you can’t be letting mortals see you like this. What happened to the tough dragon from before?” I flicked his chin. “I’ll come get you, I promise.”

  Yuki glanced at the nearby humans running through the field. Nodding, he nuzzled my cheek and turned back. I watched him take flight and fly off toward Zoran’s old palace.

  With a deep breath, I faced the city and ran along the edge of the field toward Brite.

  Chapter 52: The End of Brite

  I arrived at the main road to find a flood of people racing out of the city. Many had burn wounds and other injuries. The ground shook again as another explosion sounded from within the walls. Screams filled the air, and people dropped to the ground to wait for it to pass. A home just inside started to crumble, causing more panic.

  The city was going to collapse if this continued.

  I maneuvered my way toward the gate. A man slammed into me and I stumbled off the side of the road into a ditch. I felt the mud seep into my clothes.

  “Damn idiots,” I said under my breath. What was Zoran thinking? The god had lost it.

  A high-pitched rush of air sounded and the city wall was hit. Stones were blasted away as the fireball flew off into fleeing people. I covered my head as debris splashed into the murky pond where I sat.

  The area fell still. People were screaming, but I couldn’t hear anything. I could feel Zoran’s warmth, though. I could feel the god’s heat coming from the fires burning nearby. Wiping my face, I lifted myself to my feet and climbed back onto the road. I needed to find Zoran.

  The crowd had thinned since large rocks now blocked the way. The other exits down the wall still had people spilling out of them.

  Voices came from behind me.

  “The baby bird.”

  I clasped the back of my neck and looked over my shoulder. My tattoos were showing.

  The people backed away.

  “It’s him.”

  “It’s a creature of fire.”

  “Zoran’s bird.”

  Swallowing hard, I climbed up the rocks and skidded down the other side. I hit the ground and lost my balance. I sat back on my heels and just stared. It was all on fire. Zoran was destroying the entire city.

  A fireball flew overhead and slammed into the wall. Sparks fell onto my head. I hissed at the pain they caused. Aedus.

  Had it been Aedus that had hurt Uther? Climbing to my feet, I ran down the street toward the palace. A building to my side was hit. I saw it start to crumble and immediately the energy was released from my core. The rubble was blasted away. I picked myself up off the ground and continued on.

  The further I went into the city, the more buildings had been destroyed. I found myself standing at the base of the tower used in the festival. The houses around it were burning and the docks had been completely destroyed. The ground started to shake. Multiple balls of fire flew out over the city. One was heading straight toward the tower.

  I blocked my face when it hit and heard the rocks start to crumble. “Holy shit.”

  The shadow of the tower followed me as I ran down the street. I darted into a side alley and was knocked down as the ground shook from the tower collapsing.

  “They’re insane. Everyone has gone insane.” Climbing to my feet, I didn’t even bother to turn and look. I needed to find Zoran and get out of there.

  I slowed to a jog when I arrived at the palace gates. Aedus’ home had a hole straight through the middle of it, along with an entire wing missing. A large portion of the palace was on fire.

  “I will find a way to kill you,” said a voice on the other side of the half-demolished wall.

  “Zoran,” I breathed. I clambered up the fallen stones and saw the brothers. The flames around them had left the ground scarred black, and the stone glowed a bright red.

  “Zora—” I was struck from behind and thrown through the air. I skidded across the ground covered with a thick layer of ash.

  The brothers were gone. I turned around and stared up at Amber.

  She landed and glared at me. “So the little bird came out to play.” She smiled. “Are you going to blow up now? You can’t really do anything else.”

  “I came for Zoran,” I stated. “I didn’t want to fight. I want to leave.”

  “Well, the gods are busy at the moment.” She picked at the dirt under her nails and flicked her eyes above our head.

  I spun around and saw Zoran send Ashleen flying through the air. She slammed into the corner of the palace. Aedus threw a ball of fire at his brother. It hit Zoran in the middle of the chest and hurled him out into the city.

  “Zoran!” I clambered to my feet.

  Amber grabbed me and wrapped an arm around my throat. She boiled with fire. It hurt just like Aedus’ fire.

  “Let them figure it out,” she whispered in my ear. “Then when Aedus puts his little brother back in his place and banishes him to the farthest corner of the world, he can put you in an ice block for the rest of eternity. You’d like that, right, Fin?”

  “You’re hurting me,” I gasped. “Stop it, Amber.” My eyes started to water from the pain.

  “Maybe Aedus will let you unthaw in a couple centuries. You can be our errand boy instead of Zoran’s.” She placed her hand on my back and hit me with another wave. “Better yet, I heard a secret that you have the same aura as Zoran.”

  I fell to my knees. Closing my eyes, I felt the pressure in my chest build. I fought to hold it in, giving it time to grow.

  “Look at you,” she laughed softly. “You really are a pathetic little sparrow. You can’t even defend yourself.”

  Peering back at her, I gave her a smirk. “I know how to explode pretty good.” I released the energy.

  The bitch screamed and blocked her face as the explosion blasted her away from me. The fire returned to my center, and I glanced over my shoulder. A
mber appeared dazed and was lodged in the side of the palace. Smiling to myself, I ran off to find Zoran. For once, my destructive nature had come in very handy.

  “Zoran!” I spun in a circle. “Zoran!”

  A building shifted nearby. I jogged over and dipped under a beam. The god was hunched over in the corner. Flames were still rising from his body. They looked weaker, though.

  “Zoran!” I knelt down at his side and moved a piece of wood off his leg.

  “What are you doing here?” he groaned. “I left you for a reason.”

  “I heard the blast.” I grabbed his arm and help him up. “I had Yuki bring me. Why are you doing this? People are dying.”

  “He did it.” Zoran wiped his face. “He killed my dragons. My home is gone. Uther is all that’s left.” His hand pressed against the charm under his shirt.

  “Why?” I said, confused. “Why would he do that? The dragons weren’t hurting anything.”

  A small rock rolled down the pile and came to a stop at our feet. Aedus lifted a charred piece of fabric hanging onto a ceiling beam.

  “Why not?” Aedus replied with a smirk.

  Chapter 53: Jealousy

  Ashleen and Amber landed and joined their master. Amber rested an arm on the god’s shoulders.

  “The dragons—you—?” I breathed.

  “Had them killed,” Aedus replied with a laugh. “I gave the mortals the weapons they needed to rid themselves of the infestation living under the mountains. Did you really think I invited Zoran here because I missed my little brother?”

  “The dragons did nothing to you!” I stated. “They did nothing wrong! You murdered them for no reason.”

  “Keeper of the Dragons,” Aedus sang, glancing at his brother. “Now he’s the keeper of corpses.”

  Zoran gritted his teeth.

  “The great fire god of the mortal realm has fallen,” stated Aedus. “We’ll see who the people worship now. The god of the heavens”—he lifted his hand to the sky—“or the one that burned their city and marred their children.” His hand fell and pointed toward Zoran. “I think they’ll choose me.”

  My mouth fell open. “That’s your reason? You did all this because they preferred Zoran—”

  “I don’t care for mortals,” stated Zoran, forcing me behind him. “I’ve never cared.”

  “You did once,” retorted Aedus, his eyes glowing red. “You won their hearts and made them blind to the fact that you are third. You even turned my own firebird against me.”

  Removing her arm from the god’s shoulder, Amber looked away.

  “You sit below me. You will always sit below me,” said Aedus.

  Zoran grabbed my wrist. “I will destroy you.”

  “The heavens will never fall to a god trapped in the mortal realm,” said Amber.

  Aedus lifted his hand to silence her.

  She pursed her lips and peered down her nose at us.

  “I’m going to leave you with nothing, Zoran.” Aedus stepped down the pile of rocks. “So that you’ll finally know where you belong. The people will hate you. The other gods will curse you for what you have done to the Gods’ Tower. Such a holy relic and you sent it crashing to the earth.”

  “Pointless, all of it,” stated Zoran. “I was happy to bring it down.”

  “May the ice god be as generous.” His eyes fell on me. “Two choices, Fin. Come willingly, or come by force. The second will end with you frozen until I want another taste of that blue flame.”

  I tensed at his words and pressed up against Zoran’s back.

  “You can’t have him,” said Zoran.

  Aedus laughed to himself. “How delusional are you under to think I’d let you keep him? A god of your status doesn’t deserve a firebird. You can settle for the ash of mortals.” He moved closer.

  “Zoran?” I whispered, grabbing his arm.

  He peeked back at me. “Hold on tight.”

  “What?”

  He snatched me up. My eyes went wide and I wrapped my arms around his waist. I felt my body turned to fire and the rush of wind whirling past me. My grip was starting to weaken. I tried to speak, but the air had been sucked from my lungs.

  Right before my grip broke, I heard a soft roar of fire and my feet hit the ground. I fell into Zoran’s arms, gasping for air.

  We were outside the gate. The citizens of Brite spotted us and started to scream. Zoran took me by the wrist and dragged me off toward the tree line.

  I was struggling to get my legs to work. “Why didn’t you take us to the old palace?”

  “It has a distance limit, Fin. I’ve told you this. Now hurry, before Aedus arrives.” He led me into the forest and swung me around to face him. He took out his necklace.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Putting you inside.”

  “What!” I yanked my arm free. “I’m not going in there.”

  “My brother will be here soon and in here”—Zoran dangled it in front of my eyes—“he can never get to you. This charm will only open for me. You’ll be safe.”

  I shifted my weight from side to side. “For how long?”

  “Until I decide to let you out.” He took off the top. “It doesn’t hurt, Fin. I’ve been told it’s just like floating on a cloud.”

  I swallowed hard as the smoke filtered out. It wrapped around my body and sent a fuzzy feeling across my skin. I peered up at Zoran.

  “Don’t be scared. Just let it happen.”

  Nodding, I closed my eyes and let myself be taken away on the waves of a soft and smooth stream of smoke.

  Chapter 54: Three Months

  It was cold. My fingers hurt from the constant throbbing. It felt like the haze had taken away all the warmth from my body. I forced my eyes open. They were heavy and it required all of my strength not to just let them close. The area was filled with swirling black smoke. Rays of light reflected against the dense waves.

  A shimmer of green came from nearby. I tried to move closer, but everything felt like it was weighted down. The smoke shifted enough that I could see the large dragon laying peacefully. I struggled to get to him, but only managed to get a few feet before stopping. Uther’s body was still covered with wounds, but there wasn’t any blood. The smoke moved and in and out of the cuts as the dragon slept.

  I tried to call the beast, but I couldn’t make a noise. The smoke moved over me, blocking Uther from view. Relaxing, I let it carry me and felt my eyes close again. It was soothing, like floating on a cloud.

  A SWIRLING WIND PULLED at my body. I tried to breathe, but there wasn’t any air to fill my lungs. My knees hit the ground and I took in a gasping breath. Falling to my side, I stared at the stone floor of the garden palace.

  “Zoran?” I coughed.

  “How is he?”

  I glanced up at Zoran. “Who?” I rubbed my face.

  “Uther.”

  I sat up and sighed. “Sleeping. Still just sleeping.”

  “The wounds?”

  “Healing, but slowly.”

  The god looked off toward the balcony. “Come, we have work to do.” Tucking the necklace away, he turned sharply and disappeared behind the piles in his room.

  I looked around to see that a lot of them had been knocked over and some of the items were broken. The room had always been cluttered but organized. I climbed to my feet and stumbled after him.

  “How long was I in there?” I asked when I caught up with him.

  “Three months,” he replied. He sat down on a stool by his desk and started examining the bottles lining the edge.

  “What?” I breathed, rubbing my neck. “Three months? Are you serious? It didn’t seem that long.”

  “Hopefully, Uther feels the same.”

  I moved closer and leaned down to get a look of his face. “How long will he be in there?”

  Zoran’s hand touched the charm beneath his shirt. “He should be dead, Fin. It depends on him whether he wants to survive or not. The wounds will heal with time, but his soul could al
ready be lost.”

  “I’m sorry. Uther was special—curse the gods! Yuki!” I grabbed Zoran’s arm. “Did you get him? Tell me you didn’t leave him there for your brother to find.”

  Zoran brushed me off him and picked up his pen. “He’s in the basement.”

  “Thank the heavens,” I breathed, running my hands down my face.

  “He was needed,” said Zoran plainly. His tone was very firm. There was no real emotion in anything he had said.

  “Can I go see him?”

  Zoran shook his head. “The frost will get to you first.”

  “Then let him out,” I snapped.

  “No.” He continued scribbling down notes.

  “Why the hell not?!” I glared at the god. “Aedus isn’t going to find him here. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

  Zoran put down his pen. His hands were shaking as he clenched them. “Fin, step outside and see exactly what my brother didn’t find and then ask me again to let the dragon out.”

  I backed away. “He didn’t—? The sirens...” I raced down the haggard walkway to the nearest exit. My chest seized at the sight. I walked to the end of the balcony and saw the full extent of what Aedus had done. The garden was dead. Only a couple plants were still clinging to life along the lava flow. The door to the tunnel had a giant hole in the center.

  Hearing footsteps, I turned to see Zoran. He walked to my side and put his hand on my shoulder.

  “The sirens? And Rhoda?”

  “They fled. I found enough bodies to tell me they did their best, but Aedus’ men overpowered them. They weren’t created to fight the battles of gods.”

  My eyes fell on the corpses of dragons scattered on the ground.

  “How could they do this? They killed them for no reason.”

  “They had reasons, Fin.” He squeezed my shoulder. “Mortals will always fear dragons and they have every right to do so. I don’t think it took much convincing for Aedus to gather his army.”

  Zoran grabbed my hand and placed a scroll sealed with wax in it. “Take this to Hobbs.”

  “What are you going to do?”