Fan Fiction ❯ The Keeper of the Orbs ❯ The Flame Consumes All ( Chapter 18 )

Chapter Eighteen

The Flame Consumes All

 

The smell of smoke was potent in the tiny town of Lohavis. Sala sniffed her soiled tunic. It had been nearly two weeks since she'd changed clothes and the weather was getting colder. Yent pinched his nose to keep the nasty scent of her tunic from assaulting his nostrils.

 

"Oh that's it!" she shouted and tore of the dirty tunic.

 

It hit the hard ground and lay in a soiled heap. A few people turned to stare at the stranger who stood naked in their street. Sala bared her teeth at them and made a rude gesture. Kale shook his head slowly. She really had no shame. Frax turned read while he looked at her.

 

"You need clothes." Kale said.

 

"Then buy me some!" she shot back.

 

"Frax." Kale said. "Get the lady some clothing."

 

Frax gulped. "M-m-me!" he said shrilly.

 

Kale slapped his forehead. "Yent," he said, walking over to Frax and tearing another purse of money from his belt. "Get her something to wear."

 

Yent caught the leather bag of money and nodded. Sala kissed Kale on the cheek and grabbed Yent by the collar of his tunic. Frax held up his hand as she disappeared into the crowd. It was his money. Why hadn't he gotten a kiss?! Kale smiled at the human and slipped into the crowd. Frax growled deep in his throat and clenched his fist. Beside him a woman let out a frightened gasp. Frax blinked his eyes and smiled kindly at her.

 

He followed Kale into the crowd. The Draegan stood on the threshold of the town's tavern. A weathered sign hung above the door with a picture of a worn green giant and blue letter that read "The Dancing Giant." Frax shook his head. Every town they came to, they had to go to the tavern first. He was beginning to see a pattern with the two wolf people he was traveling with.

 

"Drunks." he grumbled and followed Kale inside.

 

"What was that?" he asked.

 

"Nothing." Frax said. "Let me buy you a drink."

 

Kale nodded, clapping him on the back.

 

***

 

Sala passed the staring vendor her money and smiled at him. Yent tried not to laugh at the bright red color that still covered the man's features after nearly half an hour of staring at Sala. She'd painstakingly chosen just the right shade, size, material, and texture. It had been quite a comical thing to watch. Now, as he looked at her, Yent could just stare at the Draegan woman.

 

"Beautiful." he said softly.

 

Sala laughed. "Skirts aren't my thing." she said, twirling around.

 

Yent wouldn't have called it a "skirt." It was long, yes, but both sides had been cut up to the thigh and were the same deep blue color of her hair. The tunic had a low neck and cut to a V between her beasts. The sleeves were made of a sort of see-through material that had been cut on the sides and the ends were joined together at the cuff.

 

"Your weapons are in plain view." Yent told her.

 

"I know." Sala said.

 

Yent nodded. "Let's get going.” he said, turning on his heels.

 

"Why so soon?" Sala asked.

 

Yent looked at her over his shoulder. "Looking at you makes me yearn for that lovely little harlot in Sazica." he said. "I'm hoping that a little bit of liquor will take the edge off of my desire."

 

Sala laughed and followed the little creature to the tavern. When she stepped over the threshold, a shiver ran up her spine and a burning sensation tore through her. Sala gasped and looked around the room. Her temple began to burn. Why in the seven hells was it burning?!

 

"Hello." a hissing voice said behind her.

 

The wolf woman whirled on the person behind her. Sala's jaw dropped as she stared at Firixa. The woman's blue eyes of fire bore into her soul. For the first time in her life, Sala was actually afraid. She back away from Firixa and bumped into Yent. The Giggat let out a yell and turned. He leapt back, crying out in fear. A twisted smile of sick satisfaction slid over Firixa's features.

 

"Scared?" she asked.

 

Sala shook her head vigorously. "Not of you." she lied, hoping that her voice was steady.

 

"Good." Firixa said, conjuring up a fireball. "It wouldn't be much fun if you were."

 

She hurtled the flaming ball at Sala. The Draegan woman leapt away and looked back just in time

to see it consume a table. Her eyes widened. Where were Kale and Frax?! She heard Kale curse and saw him push through the crowd.

 

"Damn it!" he shouted. "That bitch made me spill my drink!"

 

Sala rolled her eyes. Leave it to him to be worried about his drink at a time like this. She whirled around and faced the fire spirit once more. Firixa held another fireball on the tip of her finger, smiling at Sala. She knew that Draegans feared fire. Sala tore her daggers from the sheathes and leapt at her. Firixa flung the fireball at her. Sala turned in midair and landed on her feet.

 

She ran at the fire woman, daggers flashing in the light of the candles. The fire spirit conjured her flame up once more. She held it at the ready. Sala faked to the right and Firixa tossed the fireball into another table. Firixa's eyes widened as Sala's daggers sliced open her stomach. Flames poured out of her gut where her vital organs should have been.

 

"You're mine!" Sala shouted, throwing her daggers to the floor.

 

She pulled out her pipe and quickly played the tune she'd used to capture the wind spirit. Firixa cried out in anger as she was sucked into the orb that Kale held up in the air. When she was trapped inside once more, Kale pulled out a circle of twisting silver. He fitted the tiny orb into the opening where two pieces of the twining silver formed an opening.

 

When he was close to Sala, he tossed it to her. She slid it on her finger and admired the the fire spirit slamming itself against the glassy walls. Sala smiled. She had tamed the wild fire.

 

"C'mon." Kale said. "I need another drink."

 

Sala laughed and followed him to the bar. Not many of the human's had taken notice to the commotion. Their ignorance was so sickening. Sala shook her head as she gulped down a tankard of wine. Yent guzzled down three glasses of brandy and two tankards of beer.

 

"Is it working?" Sala asked.

 

Yent nodded vigorously. "Yes, hiccup!, Madame." he said.

 

Sala laughed again at her strange friend. Two more to go and it would all be over. Or so she hoped. Sala held up her tankard and the barkeep refilled her. All around her humans shouted and cursed one another. They were ignorant to the very danger around them. Had they ever known real fear? Sala shook her head. They probably wouldn't have known fear if it came up and bit them in the ass.

 

Let them be ignorant, Sala thought. My job will be much easier if no humans hassle me about saving them from a danger that they couldn't even name if they knew its name.

 

She took a long pull from her tankard and lay her head on the bar. This couldn't end soon enough.