Young Flame

I try to say I’m not hiding anything or any other lie, but the words freeze in my throat. I’ve not needed to lie in such a long time that I’d forgotten the changes made by the Fog prevent me from saying anything but the truth. Of course misleading by limiting the information I give has worked, but how can I do that in this situation?

I can’t show them Grímr. Not while he’s in such a vulnerable state.

“I’d rather not.” With a hand over my bag, I step away from Muuro and make sure there is nothing to block an escape attempt should it be required.

“Come now, we can hardly work together if you’re not willing to trust us.” He steps toward me, rising to his hind-legs and looks down on me.

The other two mermineae stand off to the side, thankfully not getting in my way, but also not opposing his actions. My flames churn beneath the surface, ready to retaliate should he attack. I’d rather have their help to free my team, but I don’t need them. It isn’t like they are the only option I have; Grímr and I could figure a way eventually, but that will take time.

I’ve been out on the surface for barely any time at all and I can already tell it is just as hard to survive out here as down in the caves. The mermineae camouflage for a reason. It might take me far too long to figure a way to safely traverse these plains before I can reach Remus, Jav, and Bunny.

Just as I’m about to refute him once more, I watch his eyes slide to my right. There, standing on my shoulder, is Grímr.

“What are you doing?” I blurt. Why would he come out now? Doesn’t he realise how dangerous this is for him? What if they decide to use him as a hostage? There’s no way he can defend himself as he is.

I try to grab him and push him back in my bag, but he just scurries over my fingers and gives me a glare.

Ah. It’s too late to hide him anyway. The mermineae have already seen him, there’s no point hiding now.

“This is Grímr. He’s a friend.” Grímr waves as I introduce him. I open my bag to show that it was only him hiding within. “Happy?” I glare at Muuro.

“Uh…” he stares dumbfounded at the portian. “Not what I expected, but we can work with that.”

Each of the mermineae seem rather disturbed at the sight of him, having taken a step away from us since he’d shown himself. How rude of them.

“Your tiny friend,” Caavaa starts. “He was with you the entire time?”

I nod before bringing the topic back to what is most important. “So, how are we going to free my team?”

Muuro inspects me and Grímr with his grey, unfocused eyes. “You can both fight, yes?”

Before I can answer, Caavaa does for me. “This one made explosions that spooked the traitors. Fire does her bidding, and she transforms into a bird; like a tiny vermilion,” he says. “The insect, I do not know.”

I look at Grímr, silently asking whether I should tell them. He bobs his body in affirmation.

“Are there any creatures in this area that are strong, but not impossible to subdue? Grímr can make use of them if we give him the opportunity.”

“Sure, there’s plenty,” Aana says. “But make use of them, how?”

I hesitate and look down at Grímr for a second time. I know he doesn’t like people knowing what he can do. He gives me a serious look and nods again.

Well, if he’s fine with it. “He can take over their bodies by digging into the back of their heads.”

Each of them takes another step away and their faces twist in disgust. Aana even reaches for the back of her neck in a display that clearly shows what she’s thinking. The excessive reaction is shocking. I know he was worried about people’s reactions in the past, but I thought it was mostly his own self-consciousness. It’s not that horrible. There are plenty of dangerous things in the world. The Titan watching over the plains at this very moment is at the top of the list.

Grímr slumps on my shoulder before the light taps of his feet climb up my neck. He settles in my hair and none of the mermineae take their eyes off him. It takes a second for them to realise their mistake, but they don’t close in again. Even Muuro, who was in my face only moments ago, now keeps a wide space between us.

“We need time to prepare, an alicanto is perfect,” Caavaa says. “Strong. Big. Not impossible to beat. Will make the plan easier.”

“We’ll have to wait for the night. Do keep your distance until then.” Muuro says and moves back into his corner of the small burrow, blending back into the wall.

“Wait, what’s the plan for freeing my team?”

“Your friend gets his body tonight, then we tell you.” Caavaa walks to the exit of the burrow. “Traitors will become suspicious if I’m gone much longer,” he says and rushes out.

“Where’s he going?” I turn to Aana, the only one still visible.

“He’s spying on the traitors. The clergy doesn’t have the numbers to oppose them directly, so we have to wait for our opportunity. We are here to forward information home.”

“Sure, tell the outsider everything.” Muuro’s shrill voice grouches from the wall.

“She’s gonna tell who?” Aana snaps back. “Two minutes ago, you were spouting about being open with each other. This is different, how?”

Muuro doesn’t respond, so she turns back to me with a huff. “Well, Solvei, I’m glad to finally meet someone from a race that isn’t hostile. I’ve heard stories of people like that in the far west, but it’s great to know that the beyond has some too. I guess a peaceful land is bound to have peaceful people.”

Peaceful people? That’s quite the bit of misinformation. Although, compared to this side of the Alps, ours might actually be more placid. I won’t know until I see more of the plains for myself.

“Do you mind telling me about the beyond?” Aana asks as she sits before me, keeping a decent distance between us… or between herself and Grímr. “I’ve grown up hearing tales about it, but nobody had been there before this year. Is it true the moon doesn’t bleed at night?”

“The moon bleeds?” I ask, but Muuro interrupts us once more.

“You are asking about the beyond. Why? Now, more than ever, it is blasphemous. Some might assume you are a traitor yourself if you are too curious.”

She doesn’t move, but her eyes turn to the hiding merminea. “You are curious too, no? There are many stories, but which are true?”

“Curiosity is fine as long as you do not act upon it. The world is harsh, but the great Kalma is harsher. If she were to learn of your disloyal thoughts, death would be a blessing.”

“I know!” Aana snaps. “I know how terrifying she is. I’m trying to stop the traitors right now, no?”

“You still do not know the true lengths her spite can reach,” the bodiless voice says. “Our eyes are not the only thing she can change.”

Aana grits her teeth and stares off into space. She’s obviously done with talking.

This Kalma sounds horrible. I hope I never meet her.

❖❖❖

When Caavaa finally returns, the light of day has disappeared. He takes one step into the tight burrow, says “Come,” and leaves.

I’m surprised by the simplicity of his command, but the two mermineae don’t hesitate to follow. Slowly, I creep out after them. I’m worried the eagle will dive after me in the dim moonlight.

“Don’t delay, Aana. Cover our guest,” Muuro says.

“Me? Why? You should carry her.”

“You’re the jill. She will be more comfortable with you, I’m sure.”

Aana casts a wary glance at Grímr where he sits comfortably on my head.

“Worry not.” Caavaa holds out a fur blanket that blends with his own hide. “I pilfered a cover from the traitors.”

He hands it to me and I immediately cringe from the texture; it’s sticky and hard, not at all like any cloth I’ve felt before. As I look closely, the fur is all held together by some type of hardened sap. Against my better judgement, I give the blanket a sniff and almost retch. It smells worse than it feels.

“What is this?” I ask warily, holding it at arm’s reach.

“Merminea fur. You can hide with that,” Caavaa says.

Ugh. I guess the mermineae aren’t very good craftsmen. With a feeling of disgust, I look down at the sheet of fur. Once Grímr has climbed off my head and wedged in the crook of my neck, I toss the heavy blanket over my head like a cloak.

I shiver as the slimy coat sticks to my hair and shoulders. This better not be the only way to survive the plains. Even as I stand here, the fur changes colour to reflect the snow my feet sink into. It’s a good thing that I avoided getting the boots or lower half of my outfit damaged while I was in the caverns. As long as I don’t fall over for long, I should be fine.

It’s strange that the mermineae’s fur retains its camouflaging characteristic. Maybe when we free the others, Jav will repurpose their fur into an actual bit of clothing for me.

Without waiting so long as to confirm that I’m properly hidden, Caavaa drops to all fours and skulks away. Both other mermineae follow suit and I’m left to catch up, hoping that their gift is enough to hide me from anything above.

I glance into the sky, looking for any birds flying overhead, but the moon captures my gaze. The faint line I noticed in the sky earlier now glows as bright as the moon itself. It reaches from the horizon in a perfectly straight line until it reaches the moon. A tear in the sky. There is no other answer; something has cut the sky between land and moon.

Did it happen while I was in the Alps? Was it the Titan? I don’t know if anything else would be strong enough to do such a thing. The path of the crocodilian Titan leads that way, so it must be.

What does this mean? Is the world going to fall apart?

The mermineae around me don’t seem to consider it worth any attention, so has it been like this for a while now? At least it doesn’t seem immediately dangerous.

I shake my head. There’s no point worrying about it. I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it, anyway. I just need to focus on the task ahead of me. It’s time to get Grímr another body. Hopefully, this one will be strong enough to last.

❖❖❖

We travel in silence for nearly an hour until we reach the largest disruption in the constant slope I’ve yet seen. Where the snow thins, I can see smooth grey stone curving over the landscape for quite a distance. A shallow dome that expands for a league.

Beyond the field of stone, I see the familiar sight of a glacier. Further down the Alps, it expands to the sides and takes up much of the land as it had on the other side. So, we are on the Lower Elevation. Then, after I free my team, as long as we head below the Stepps, we won’t be in danger of dangerous beasts like that eagle.

I’m not going back. My friends are back on the other side of the Alps, but I cannot put myself back into those entrapping caves. If the team wants to head back after we rejoin, then they’ll do so without me.

A glint catches my eye from ahead of me. At first it looks gold, but somehow the colour is green the second time I spot it.

“We are lucky,” Caavaa says. “An alicanto. At the first mountain we check.”

I glance over the area before us once more. Mountain? What mountain? At most, this mound of stone can be considered a large hill.

“Solvei.” He calls to get my attention. “We will assist, but don’t expect us to decay our eyes for you. We can hold the alicanto only if you bring it to the ground. Whether your tiny friend succeeds is up to you.”

What does that mean? They won’t decay their eyes? Do they mean they won’t scare that bird with that eye power he used when he saved me?

“Okay. Should I know anything for the fight?”

Caavaa hums. “The alicanto’s first reaction when caught digging is to fly off. You will need to fly.” His eyes drop to the spear in my hands. “It is covered in metal, so that will have limited usefulness.”

I nod and toss off the sticky cloak with a glance upward. Relieved that there are no birds diving for me, I grow my wings.

I don’t have any time to experiment with any forms that might let me use the spear while I’m flying, so I settle with the familiar falcon form I’ve used so much now. But, I don’t want to take this fight without the benefit my weapon can bring, so I’m going to have to rely on something I learnt to do only earlier today.

I light up the surroundings like a burning pyre amid darkness. As the flames of my arms morph into wings, I engulf my inner flame around the weapon and slowly let go.

Rather than falling to the ground below, the spear floats within my fire. A mental tug rolls the pole in a slow strike, speeding up into a spin as I become more comfortable with this new feeling.

It was painful earlier, combining the fire of my body with my inner flame. But doing so finally let me realise what I was doing wrong for so long.

Physicality isn’t directly related to how far I push my control. Sure, having better control over my flame helps, but I could have an impossibly excellent control and I never would have been able to force my flames solid.

The flame of my body is just somehow… different. It would be impossible to reach the same corporeal state with my inner flame. It also explains why my body is so slow for a fire.

To give physicality to my inner flame, I have to cheat. Instead of just burning through air to empower myself and my flames, I need to use the weight of the air itself.

Of course, the air doesn’t weigh that much, so mass I can supply from other sources helps as well. I can burn through the earth to give my flames weight. To give them grip where they never used to.

The downside of this is that I need to rely on my own supply of flames rather than the flames that might be created by burning through things. After months of munching through those glow-bugs, though, this is not much of an issue.

I take to the air, my spear following in a cradle of flames.

I am ready.