Chapter 24

I didn’t get the chance to dream this time. One moment I was closing my eyes, next moment Rhys was shaking me awake, causing me to nearly fall out of my cot.

“What the hell’s going on?!” I yelled.

“We’re being raided again!” Rhys yelled, “It’s almost crack of dawn, we gotta get the hell out of here!”

I was still half-asleep until Rhys said ‘almost crack of dawn.’ Now I was fully awake.

“Get your sword, we gotta get going!” Rhys said. When we had gone to sleep the previous night, I had placed my sheath on the side by the cot. I grabbed it, but before I could clip it to my belt, something happened.

The tent lit up like a campfire. The entire tent was suddenly set ablaze by white flames. Rhys grabbed my hand just before I could get my sword.

“Wait, no - RHYS!” I yelled as she tossed me out of the tent like a rag doll. I struggled back to my feet and made a mad dash for the tent, but I could feel Felice holding my feet to the ground.

“No!” I screamed, “Rhys! My sword! RHYS!”

“She cut through the tent on the other side!” Felice said, “She’s okay, you have to run before the flames spread!”

I didn’t want to, but I didn’t have much choice in the matter. I started running, but all the other tents were on fire as well. People were scrambling, and I couldn’t even figure out where the medical tent was, let alone locate Katie or Elisen, or even Daniel or Tarron. All I could do was try and escape and bunker down until we could do something about the situation.

In the meantime, the smoke was getting too thick, forcing me to the ground as I started crawling for somewhere to get some fresh air. People were running around me, some were screaming. I wanted to help, but with no magic or sword, there was nothing I could do.

A crawled my way to a clearing a distance from the smoke and fire and returned to my feet. There was no one else around as far as I could see, but there was also no sign of my friends.

“What do I do?” I asked.

“All we can do is wait.” said Felice.

“I don’t like that.” I said, “It feels like someone’s… watching…”

I froze. There was no way I shouldn’t have seen it coming. Yet, I didn’t.

Before I could react, a ring of bright white fire speared through the ground and circled me, leaving me trapped in a large ring of fire.

“Riley!”

I heard someone call my name, and turned to see Rhys, Katie, and Elisen on the other side of the fire-wall. There was no way for us to reach each other, at least as far as I could see.

“Riley, look out!” Katie or Rhys called. I turned, just in time to see Saulon Zappiel push through the white fire as if it didn’t burn at all. Immediately, I knew something was wrong.

Something was different about Zapp. He was no longer emoting at all, and his eyes were dull and lifeless. He looked like a walking corpse.

“Zappiel…?” I said. He didn’t respond. Instead, he started slowly walking towards me. I backed away at the same pace, until Felice stopped me from walking straight into the fire.

“Riley!” Rhys or Katie yelled. The fire spread around the two of us, forming a ring, and trapping me with Zapp, without my sword. Felice had control of my body, but there wasn’t going to be much either of us could do without a weapon, or access to magic, not to mention there was nowhere to go.

My mind went blank. Even Felice had nothing to say. I started coughing in the smoke.

Suddenly, I was dragged back. Next thing I knew, I was on the ground outside the ring of fire, in Rhys and Tarron’s arms.

“Huh?” I grunted, then I gasped when I realized Katie was in the ring of fire, holding close her smoking arm.

“Katie pulled you out!” Rhys yelled, “She got your jacket through, we got you out, but she fell in… Katie!”

“KATIE, NO!” I screamed as the circle of white fire closed around our friend, “WHAT THE HELL?!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine!” Katie yelled, not looking at me, keeping her eyes on Zapp as she waved her arm, still smoking, and pulled out her dagger, brandishing it at the man, stumbling a bit since no one was supporting her anymore, “I’m always fine. Give me your best shot, Zapp, you won’t -“

Katie was interrupted when the fire closed in on her entirely, and she started shrieking at the top of her lungs, louder than I had ever heard her scream. My eyes widened. Everything felt like it was going in slow motion, like I was watching it all play out from above, looking down at myself as Rhys started firing swirling light blue magic orbs into the fire - ice that was steaming and putting the fire out. When the flames dissipated, a horrifying sight awaited me.

Katie had been burned, badly. Almost every inch of her body, her legs, arm, stump, face, were discolored, like spoiled meat that had been cooked anyway. Her clothing had been burned, with only a few darkened scraps remaining, hanging off of her.

“God no…” I whispered as Rhys and I rushed forward, Rhys going for Zapp while I went for Katie. Smoke was coming off her body, and she wasn’t moving at all. My mind was racing, yet at the same time, completely blank on what to do. Of course, that was when Felice stepped in with a spell, using my vocal chords.

A cloud of purple smoke appeared beneath Katie’s burnt body and lifted her from the ground. I was expecting - maybe hoping - Katie would scream in pain, or cry, but she didn’t. She didn’t even make a move.

I turned back to see what was going on. I was shocked as I saw Zapp back away from Rhys, who was throwing fireballs like she was firing them from a machine gun. Zappiel had no time to shield himself, or stop her in any way, forced to retreat in a puff of smoke. I only watched for a couple of seconds, before I looked back down at Katie. The smell was horrible and made me want to throw up, but I swallowed it down and kept a lid on myself.

“We have to move!” Elisen yelled, “We have to get away from the fire before it spreads!”

I nodded, or at least I think I did - it was like I was watching myself move from the outside. I felt numb.

Everything felt numb.

How we managed to get our bearings and beat back the raid, I’m not too sure. One moment I was running into the fray as Rhys handed me my sword, next thing I knew I was sitting in the medical tent, trying to get my bearings. Everything was just so overwhelming.

Katie had been placed on a bed next to the chair I was in. Rhys was on the other side, staring down at her. Elisen had done everything she could, at least that was what she told us, and now all we could do was wait for her to wake up.

“… Hello?”

I spun to the charred woman and rushed to her side along with Rhys.

“Katie?!” I said, “You’re alive! Thank god!”

“I knew you’d be tough enough to survive a firebombing like that,” said Rhys, “How are you feeling?”

“I’m… I’ve felt better, not gonna lie.” Katie said, then choked out something that should have been laughter, but devolved into choked coughing far too quickly.

“Don’t, Katie,” said Elisen as she rushed to Katie’s side from the other side of the tent, “Too much movement could make things so much worse. Try and sit back, don’t talk too much, okay?”

“Whatever you say, Doc.” Katie croaked out, “Imma take a nap then. Wake me up when I’m able to feel something again, okay?”

Katie leaned back against the pillow and closed her eyes.

“You’re going to fix her, right?” I asked the elf.

“Well, we first have to take care of internal damage,” said the elf, “That will definitely take some time. Afterwards, once she’s stable, we can focus on fixing her skin. She’ll have scarring - a lot of scarring - but she’ll be okay.”

“Knowing Katie, she’ll think it’s all badass,” I said, “Are you sure she’s safe for us to leave behind?”

“She’s in safe hands,” said Elisen, “Trust me.”

“… Okay.” I said.

“So we go on without her?” Rhys asked, “How are we going to play this, Riley?”

“We have to put Zapp down,” I said, “He’s already burned Katie, we can’t let him hurt anyone else. We have to get to that temple and beat him down. Then we come back for Katie, cleanse at the fountain, and that’ll be it, we’re out of here.”

I tried to keep my voice measured as I spoke, trying not to cry. Katie had to pull through, she just had to. The idea that she could die was unbelievable.

“We’ll have to start moving as soon as possible,” said Rhys, “Waiting around, even for a rest, isn’t an option anymore, since we have no idea when the emperor will send another attack our way.”

“We’ll get moving now then,” I said, “Unless you think you need to stay back to protect Katie?”

“There’s no need for that,” said Daniel as he joined us by Katie’s side, “I give you my word that the empire will never get their hands on her.”

“Are you sure you’re not going to need my help?” Rhys asked.

“Like I said, I give my word.” said Daniel.

“We should get moving then,” I said, “As soon as possible. As long as I’m here, I’m putting everyone in danger.”

“Get your things, I’ll escort you.” said Daniel.

“No,” I said, “Just Rhys and I have to go. You’ll have to stay here to help keep Katie safe, since she can’t protect herself right now.”

“Are you sure?” Daniel asked, “I’m not doubting Rhys able to keep you safe, but Zapp’s rather powerful. Are you sure the two of you can take him on?”

“I’m sure of it,” I said, “Rhys, let’s get going.”

“I already got all my stuff, I’m ready,” said Rhys, “Which way to the temple?”

“It’s over those hills,” Tarron said, pointing in the distance, “Once you get over those, you should see the tip of the temple from there.”

“We’ll get going right away.” I said, “Shall we?”

“We shall.” said Rhys. The two of us started walking in that direction, when people behind us started cheering. I turned back and saw some men, including the one who had given me wine before, cheering as we walked away from the group.

“Take him down!” the man yelled.

I nodded and gave him a thumbs-up before I started moving again towards the hills. I took a deep sigh when we were both out of earshot.

“Not feeling like a hero?” Rhys asked.

“You can read me like an open book,” I said, “I mean, everyone is counting on me right now, the pressure’s on, and I have to live up to everyone’s expectations. We’re in the home stretch and I’m absolutely terrified that I’m going to die.”

“You’re not going to die.” said Rhys, “I’ll make damned sure of that.”

“As will I.” said Felice.

“Thanks, you two,” I said, “Honestly, I’m just venting. The sooner we take Zapp down, the sooner we can get out of here.”

Felice and Rhys smiled at me. Their presence was enough for my confidence to grow back, but there was still a bad feeling in the pit of my gut that I tried, and failed, to squash down.

Fortunately, the walk to the temple was much shorter than I thought it would be. Several hills later, I could see the temple in the distance.

“Do you think Zappiel’s waiting for us in there?” Rhys asked.

“There’s nowhere else he would be,” I said, “If he were waiting in the wings to ambush us, he’d probably do it by now.”

“Good point,” said Rhys, “The pattern does match up at this point.”

I hoped Rhys didn’t notice the shake in my voice, or my legs, as the temple came closer and closer.