Jay - Ahern's Burden

Arriving in Mowin before sunrise gave Jay and Barclay a chance to move away without being seen. Jay glanced at the city’s entrance before they hurried off the road. In the faint morning light, he saw the X created by the two large trees looking run down. Even much of the surrounding fence line looked in disrepair.

Once hidden, Barclay confirmed that the old man coming out of the city didn’t see them. He thought the man harmless as he watched him walk away, but he didn’t know whom to trust. He had to mind everything and everyone. Relaxing, Barclay saw what Jay had noticed.

“This city has had to defend itself,” he said.

“From what?” Jay asked.

“I don’t know,” Barclay said. “They must have upset the wrong people.”

They moved away from the main road and walked their own path the entire day and the next. Their trip would take about a week if they traveled cross-country, but due to their untested physicality, Barclay added another day to the trip. They rested frequently, and Jay thought they might never get to Allon. Along the way, they trapped the few rabbits that walked in their path and extended their food supply. After four days, they caught a break and stowed away in a merchant’s wagon. For the rest of the day and much of the next morning they rested and made up lost time. When the merchant’s trip turned away from the Renair Forest, the two jumped off and continued through the backcountry.

With more than a day’s travel still ahead of them, they paced their stride and saw no other person the rest of the way.

“When will you know we are in the forest?” Jay asked.

“Getting to the forest won’t be difficult,” Barclay answered. “Finding the right logging team will be the challenge.”

Jay looked around. He didn’t see anything but enormous trees. His visibility ended at about fifty feet in each direction.

“We entered the forest two days ago,” Barclay said.

“We’re in the Renair Forest?”

Barclay nodded. “This is the last supply of cedar.”

They came to the peak of a small hill and saw an area where the loggers had cleared a large piece of land.

“The forest has grown back since the war ended,” Barclay explained. “My father told me how one army would surround another and trap them by setting the trees on fire. They would leave a small portion clear for the men to escape and force them to surrender. They burned down much of the forest during the war.”

Jay looked through the trees and thought they went on forever.

“That looks like a road over there,” Barclay said, pointing between the trees in the distance. “We’ll need to risk asking someone where the men are working.”

They walked near the road for the rest of the afternoon. Jay began to lose his strength and Barclay his hope, but before giving up for the day to find shelter, they heard the call of a mule.

“It’s a water cart,” Barclay said, concealed behind a large bush. “He’ll know where the men are. Stay here.”

Barclay went downhill and followed the road up to the cart. The two mules and their driver, sitting sideways on the bench, paid him no attention.

“Good day,” Barclay began.

The man hardly noticed his introduction.

“Where might I find the loggers?”

The man moved his head back and forth once and spit a steady stream onto the ground. “No work here. Move on.”

“A town then,” Barclay persisted. “Where might I lodge for the night?”

The man moved his eyes and looked Barclay up and down. “No towns. Ambers has room at times. Try there.”

“Which way?”

The man tilted his chin over his right shoulder.

Barclay nodded and walked along a thin road. Once out of sight from the man, Barclay turned off the path again.

“We’re not going to Ambers?” Jay asked, after meeting up with him.

“Ambers is one of several taverns,” Barclay said. “Three Roots has a good draft, but I’d prefer The Flying Ax.”

“Why?”

“It’s central to where the logging was years ago,” Barclay explained. “The men may have moved on though. We might have to search for some time.”

“Why did you ask the man about the taverns if you knew where they were?”

“To throw him off,” Barclay said. “He thinks we’re going to Ambers and we may have to go near there to find Allon, but I’m not going to stay there.”

They walked for the rest of the morning and came to the edge of an open field. Below them, the fog moved in between hundreds of wide stumps. The eerie reminder of what once was a strong section of forest rolled away with the landscape. Barclay walked back into the protection of the trees and pressed on.

“Does it always rain in the forest?” Jay asked.

“This time of year it will,” Barclay answered. “This is typical during the cooler months.”

Jay felt the moisture thicken the deeper they traveled into the forest. The temperature also dropped as the afternoon grew long.

“Feels like a storm will be on us soon,” Barclay said.

Jay started to complain to himself about the conditions when they heard men shouting.

“Are those loggers?” Jay whispered.

Barclay nodded. “Let’s have a look.”

Cautiously, they approached the voices and saw several men walking through the trees. They waited for the last man to pass and followed them to their camp. In the meadow they saw nearly a hundred tents lining a field, arranged in no apparent pattern. A larger tent stood in the center. Jay watched the men exit with small bundles.

“Rations,” Barclay said. “Not enough to live on.”

Before the darkness covered the small valley, the men were called together and listened to a foreman bark out the next day’s instructions.

“He’s the man I need to speak with.” Barclay turned to Jay and pointed down. “Stay right here. I won’t be long.”

Jay began to open his mouth.

“The less suspicion we arouse the better,” Barclay explained. “I don’t see young boys down there.”

Jay looked over the tents and agreed. “Hurry back.”

“I will,” Barclay said, and he slipped away.

Jay followed him until he walked behind a small crowd. Most of the men were in their tents, eating or sleeping. The few still awake looked strong. Jay thought how tough a logger would have to be to work and live in the forest.

The sun set fast over the valley and Barclay was still absent. Jay’s vision faded quickly and before long, only a few fires burned.

Jay thought about going to see for himself but wouldn’t know where to look. He thought what else he could do and remembered his vision. He could turn it on and off easily, and when his eyes glowed yellow he saw little movement around the tents. After scanning twice, he noticed two figures coming out of the crowd towards him. They were talking. Jay watched them closely and saw the one to his left raise his right arm to his shoulder and extend it straight out. A signal Barclay used to say everything was in order.

Jay turned off his vision and stayed hidden.

“Jay?” Barclay called. “Jay, you can come out.”

Jay did as he was told and walked up to Barclay and the other man.

“Jay, this is my cousin, Rizon.”

The two nodded in the darkness.

“Come, Jay,” Rizon said, “I have a spare mat you may use.”

The three walked toward the tents.

“I saw Barclay moving through the camp,” Rizon said. “I was sure my eyes were tired. It has been more than ten years.”

The man looked younger than Barclay, but Jay couldn’t be sure in the dark.

“The closer he came to me I knew it was him.”

When they reached the camp, they kept quiet until they entered Rizon’s tent.

“Jay, you can rest here,” he said, pointing to a small mat on the floor. “I was sharing my tent with another man until he was crushed by a tree last week.”

Jay’s eyes grew at the news.

“A stack of logs broke free,” he explained. “Poor man. Never had a chance. They haven’t found anyone to replace him.”

“Did you know the man well?” Barclay asked.

“For a few months,” Rizon said. “He was quiet, slow, but no one would have survived what he went through.”

Barclay nodded, knowing each of the loggers faced life threatening dangers every day. “How are your parents?” he asked, trying to change the subject.

“Living in Torum,” he answered. “I haven’t seen them in a few years but I’m sure they’re well.”

Jay sat on the mat and listened to their conversation.

“I don’t have food for you,” Rizon apologized.

Barclay raised his hand. “Have you eaten?”

“They feed us once a day,” he responded. “We can save the pay or use it to buy more food. Tomorrow I was to take the morning and go to The Three Roots. I can afford enough for three or four days.”

“What do you buy at The Three Roots?” Barclay asked.

“Some bread and salty meat,” he answered. “The deer is chewy, but the rabbit is good.”

“I’m glad you like rabbit,” Barclay said. “We need to cook this tonight.”

Barclay opened his cloak to reveal three rabbits tied to the ends of a rope. Two on his right were medium sized and the one on his left was huge.

“Where did you find those?” Rizon asked in a surprised tone, trying to check his excitement.

“On the road,” Jay answered. “Barclay’s still a good shot.”

“Do you have a place where we can clean and cook them?”

“I have a fire outside,” Rizon said. “I’ll bring up some water. Wait here until I return.”

Before the storm began, the three filled their stomachs on Barclay’s rabbits and Jay quickly found sleep on the spare mat. Barclay rolled out his mat between Rizon and Jay and removed his weapons.

“Do you still use those?” Rizon asked. “I thought the war was over.”

“I would like nothing more than for my battle to end,” Barclay said, sitting down and crossing his legs.

“Who are you battling?”

Barclay looked up at him and back down to his weapons. He picked up a small knife and separated it from the sheath. “Do you remember when we were young, and we pretended we were soldiers?”

Rizon nodded. “You always wanted to be king.”

“And you always had the biggest sword.”

“I remember my mother being angry for throwing rocks at you,” Rizon recalled. “She thought we were fighting.”

Barclay smiled at the memory.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Rizon said.

Barclay put the knife away. “Have you ever heard of or seen anyone perform magic?”

The question caught Rizon by surprise and he shifted uncomfortably on his mat. He knew the law forbid magic. “No. Why would you ask?”

“I have,” Barclay said, holding his gaze. “I am not a magician, Rizon. I do not have a bounty on my head, but I know others who do, and I’m trying to help them.”

“You’re assisting outlaws?” Rizon asked in a hushed tone.

“The Idols would execute me for what I have done,” Barclay calmly stated.

Rizon sat quiet at his cousin’s admission. He thought about what he could have done but instead found only one word coming out of his mouth. “Why?”

Barclay knew his cousin didn’t know the true history of the Idols. Even those who disagreed with how they ruled would not know the extent of their crimes. “You might not see it,” Barclay said, “but the war has not ended.”

“Who are you fighting?”

Barclay looked to the side. He trusted his cousin, but he didn’t want him to know too much. “Do you remember who the enemy was when we were children?”

“You’re fighting the devil himself,” Rizon said.

“I didn’t know you were religious?”

“I’m not, but I’ve seen enough evil to know it exists. You can’t win.”

“They are powerful,” Barclay admitted, “and I may not survive, but I won’t stop. I can’t.”

Rizon put his hands together and looked down.

“We’ll leave early,” Barclay said. “I don’t want to cause problems.”

“You’re no problem,” Rizon stressed. “My concern is for you.”

Barclay nodded. “I’m looking for someone. A man we were sent to find. He may be in this camp.”

“Do you have a name?”

“Allon.”

“Not here,” Rizon said, shaking his head, “but there are other camps.”

Barclay nodded. He didn’t think it would be that easy.

“Is he a magician?”

“I don’t know,” Barclay said honestly.

“I’ve heard odd stories coming from the northern camps,” Rizon said.

“What stories?”

“Some claim they’ve seen logs moving on their own. I heard one man say he saw an out of control forest fire stop instantly. I’m not sure if I believe them, but if you’re looking for a magician, you should start there.”

Barclay nodded. “Thank you.”

“And you don’t need to leave early,” Rizon said, fluffing a pile of rags before lying down. “The camp empties when we go to work. No one will see you after we’re gone.”

The difficulty with traveling through the Renair Forest wasn’t the inability to stay hidden, the density of the trees provided more than enough cover, but the terrain made the smallest hike strenuous.

After mid-day Barclay found one of the northern camps. The tents were set up in an identical chaotic fashion, but there were less than half of the previous camp. He didn’t expect to find anyone he knew a second time. He watched a few men walk around. They looked like they were preparing rations to hand out when the men finished their day.

“We need shelter,” Barclay said. “This weather is too unpredictable.”

Jay spotted an area where some fallen trees created a natural sloped roof. “The ground is dry,” he said after an initial inspection. They had enough room to crawl under and move back deep enough and go unnoticed.

Barclay found some larger branches and draped them over the edge to conceal the opening. Pleased at the arrangement, he turned his attention back to the camp and finding Allon.

“Remember how to get back here,” Barclay instructed Jay.

They moved towards the sounds of men working and watched from a distance.

Some men swung large axes while a few others worked in teams with a long saw. Jay watched the men fell three trees quickly and swiftly remove the large branches. When they finished pruning the main trunk, they repeated their efforts on another large cedar.

“Others will bring up teams of horses to pull the trees away,” Barclay said. “This area will take several weeks to clear. Someone must need these trees to have them cut from such a rugged part of the mountain.”

“Do you think one of these men is Allon?” Jay asked.

“I don’t know,” Barclay said. “We should head back to the camp. I’ll talk with the foreman tonight.”

They turned around and meandered through a dozen trees, following their own footprints.

“It’s not often I find two lost souls in these woods,” said a voice from above.

Barclay looked up and saw a man standing on a large branch, leaning against the trunk.

The man stepped forward and dropped straight down, depressing the soft mountain dirt significantly with his weight.

Jay and Barclay stepped back.

The man’s pants and shirt were frayed and thin, but he didn’t seem to mind the cold. He had a large, double-bladed ax strapped to his back and he rose above Barclay by at least a full head. He looked a few years younger than Barclay. He came within a few feet of them and stopped.

Barclay could think of no other course than honestly. “We are not lost.”

The man huffed and folded his arms.

“We are looking for someone.”

The man reached his right arm over his shoulder. The motion caused his arm to flex and his worn shirt exposed his massive biceps. He grabbed his ax and brought it in front of him, holding it firmly in his hands.

“We are looking for Allon,” Barclay said. “We are in need of his help.”

“Do you know where he is?” Jay asked, trying not to offend.

“It depends,” the man responded, pulling a stone from his pocket. “Why did you need his help?”

“Do you know where we can find him?”

The man didn’t answer but ran the stone firmly along the blade’s edge, adding to its sharpness.

“If you’re not willing to answer, we will move along,” Barclay said, stepping closer to Jay.

The man put away the stone. “Why do you seek his help?” the man repeated.

“Our business is our own,” Barclay answered.

“I’ll make sure you don’t make it back to your little fort if you don’t leave the forest,” the man said.

“Do not threaten us,” Barclay said, concerned more because of what he knew.

The man grabbed his ax firmly with his right hand and dropped it to his side. “Then answer my question,” he said, stepping closer.

“Keep your distance,” Barclay said, moving his hand to his sword.

“Go home,” the man said, pushing Barclay.

Jay moved between them and his eyes began to glow red.

The man held his ground and stared at Jay with his head turned. He took a step back and waited for something to happen.

Barclay stood next to Jay and put his hand on his shoulder, calming him. “Come, Jay. Leave the man with his trees.”

The evening brought another storm to dampen the earth. Barclay had second thoughts about using their shelter, but the weather prevented them from leaving.

“We’ll stay at the Flying Ax tomorrow,” Barclay said before Jay fell asleep. “Maybe someone there knows where we can find Allon.”

The rains moved on by morning and Jay and Barclay crawled into the light. Jay stretched when a voice startled him from behind.

“Did you sleep well?”

Barclay ignored his comment.

“What’s your name, son?”

Jay glanced to Barclay and back to the man. “Jay.”

“Who are your parents?”

“Calient and Milla Plough.”

“Thank you for your trust,” he said, stepping towards them. “I apologize for yesterday. I needed to be sure.”

“How do we know we can trust you?” Barclay asked.

Allon raised his left hand, showing them a copy of the ring Jay wore. “I believe you have one of your own.”

Jay walked up and held his beside Allon’s. “Yours is bigger.”

“Bigger hands,” Allon said.

Jay stepped back, and Barclay joined him.

“You want this?” Allon asked.

Jay looked at Barclay. Then back to Allon. “What?”

“To be involved,” he clarified. “I want to know of your commitment. I know you’ve chosen to find Ahern because you have the ring, but you need to understand that if you come with me, you’ll be marked. You won’t be able to go back to your old life.”

“We are already involved,” Barclay said, jumping in.

“I wasn’t speaking to you,” Allon said, leaning his head in Barclay’s direction. “This is his choice. I want to know if he realizes the magnitude of his decision.”

Jay thought back to Ahern’s ghostly image. He asked Jay the same question, and he granted him the same agency.

Allon was a good man but could carry jealousy. He knew Jay’s potential, and though he was powerful in his own right, he had a difficult time when dealing with those who had the potential to be more powerful.

“I’m ready,” Jay said, “What do we need to do?”

Allon nodded and walked away. “Come,” he called over his shoulder. “The others will want to meet you.”

They walked most of the day through virgin forest to the south, stopping only twice to rest. The following day they did the same until the early afternoon. Allon had them wait behind a small hill while he scaled a large pine to look ahead.

“How did he climb the tree so fast?” Jay asked Barclay.

Barclay thought his ascent was abnormally quick, but he didn’t have an answer. “I don’t know.”

Allon glided back down a moment later and joined them. “The bridge is heavily guarded. We’ll have to wait until nightfall.”

“How did you climb the tree so fast?” Jay asked, unable to hold it in.

Allon smiled and looked away. “I imagine you have some talents, don’t you, Jay?”

Jay nodded.

Allon looked around for a good place to stay hidden until dark. He spotted an area he liked and leaned towards Jay. “Have you ever met anyone who could fly?”

Jay’s eyes went large.

Barclay’s were more skeptical.

Allon smiled. “Well, now you have.” He walked away and pointed. “We’ll wait over there until sundown.”

Waiting was difficult for Barclay. The sky had cleared but the absence of clouds made the air cold. It wasn’t easy for Jay either, and they couldn’t start a fire.

“How are you not cold?” Jay asked, shaking. Allon didn’t have a jacket. “Is it another talent?”

“You’re quick,” Allon said, tilting his head to the side, popping his neck.

Barclay jumped up and down, trying to get his blood circulating. “Is it knowledge you can share, or do we have to freeze first?”

“I would share it with you if I could,” he said honestly, “but the soldiers are too close, and I wouldn’t know how to teach you.”

Barclay patted his arms again and turned away.

Jay blew heat into his hands.

“I was a young man when I began logging,” Allon said. “I was cold every day. I worked through the winters so I wouldn’t starve. I was on break one day when a man walked through our camp and asked if I was cold. I tried to act tough, but he could see me shivering. The man told me he could teach me how to stay warm all the time.”

“Ahern taught you,” Barclay said.

“Yes. It took some time, but I learned how to control heat and as you saw earlier, fly.”

The realization of Allon’s talents made them forget about the cold.

“Do you know about the Theons?” Allon asked.

“No,” Jay answered.

“Only from legend,” Barclay said. “I’ve never seen proof of their existence.”

“What about the Scrolls of Etheria?”

Jay shook his head.

“Those were lost during the clan uprisings more than a thousand years ago,” Barclay said.

“The Theons wrote the Scrolls of Etheria,” Allon taught. “I learned my talents by reading their words.”

Jay thought about his talents and what he had seen others do. Controlling heat and flying were talents he never thought of until today.

Allon let them marinate on the idea of reading lost books and rested. After a while, the sky darkened, and the time arrived to cross the bridge.

“There’s a small group moving to the bridge,” Allon said, after climbing down. “I’ll go in front of them. Jay, you walk right behind them and try to fit in with their group. They have one child with them. Barclay, you follow behind Jay.”

“You want us to split up?” Barclay asked.

“They’re looking for you two, together,” Allon said. “They’re not looking for individuals.”

Jay looked at Barclay, and he knew he didn’t like the idea but had no other choice. They moved to the tree line and waited for the group to arrive.

“Wait,” Jay said, before Allon left. “Why can’t I teleport us to the other side?”

“You can teleport?” Allon asked.

Jay nodded.

Barclay closed his eyes, angry at himself for not thinking about it sooner. Then he had another idea. “Can you fly us across?”

“I could if I were alone,” Allon admitted. “I have yet to master the skill well enough to carry another. My balance becomes uncontrollable.”

“I’ll need to see where I’m going,” Jay said.

They hurried to find a narrow span of river that was concealed from the guards.

“The other side is only about fifty feet away,” Allon said. “Do you see the two large trees? Teleport between them.”

Jay squinted but didn’t see anything. He turned on his vision and saw the trees but seeing only the edges and corners didn’t give him a feel for the depth or thickness.

“I can’t see.”

“I can see a faint outline,” Barclay said, pointing, “beyond the other bank.”

“I don’t see the trees,” Jay repeated.

“I’ll go across and start a fire,” Allon suggested. “I assume you can bring Barclay with you?”

Jay nodded and they watched Allon run to the river’s edge and glide a few feet above the icy water, disappearing in the darkness. A moment later, a small spark appeared, then another and another. The trees were well lit, and Jay grabbed Barclay’s hand. He concentrated on the spot in front of the small flames and joined Allon.

Relieved to be on solid ground, Jay let go of Barclay’s hand.

“You there! Stop!” a voice shouted from the bridge. The guards had seen the flames but were several hundred feet away.

“Put out the flames,” Barclay whispered.

As Jay and Barclay turned to stomp, the flames were pulled away in a stream of orange light. They held their ground and watched the flames go into Allon’s fingertips. The light faded but Allon’s arms glowed for a moment until everything went dark.

“Come, we need to hide,” Allon said calmly.

Amazed, Jay and Barclay stumbled forward. They hid well enough for the first few guards but were spotted trying to move. They made it into a clearing and were surrounded by torch barring guards.

Barclay drew his sword.

“Put that away,” Allon said. “When I tell you, run in the direction you’re facing. This won’t take long.”

Barclay had no time to question his instructions before Allon shot off the ground and disappeared into the sky.

A few of the guards ran in fear after seeing him take flight.

Jay altered his vision and saw Allon hover and focus on the guards to their right.

Barclay kept his eyes down where he could watch the advancing men.

In all, there were more than three dozen guards surrounding them. Barclay continually turned and saw that most had their eyes to the sky, not sure of what they just saw.

In a flash, Allon dropped out of the sky and threw a fireball in front of the guards. The entire clearing lit up in a burst of white-hot flames. The action sent half the men running in fear and the others not sure of what to do.

The remaining men forgot about Jay and Barclay and focused their attention on the starry sky.

Without warning, another burst exploded behind Barclay.

Jay watched Allon glide across the sky. Then he saw him stop before he flew off quickly over the trees.

“He’s leaving,” Jay said.

“What?”

“He flew away,” Jay repeated, “but he stopped over there.” Jay pointed in his direction. “He’s coming back.”

Relieved after a minor shock, Barclay continued to eye the remaining guards.

Jay again altered his vision when Allon landed in front of them.

“We need to go,” Allon said in a hurried voice.

“What’s wrong?” Barclay asked.

“I don’t know how,” Allon tried to explain, “but an army is approaching from the north. They’ve already crossed the bridge.”

“Jay, teleport us out of here,” Barclay said.

“To where?” he asked.

“Any…” Barclay was forced to cut his instructions short to deal with several guards trying to overrun them.

Allon took flight again and sent numerous fireballs at the men still standing on the outskirts. He swooped to the ground and picked up a fallen log the size of his leg and hurled it towards the advancing army. He sent a fireball immediately after, and when the two met the wood exploded into dozens of flaming chunks. The fires landed on several rows of men, scattering them, and disrupting their march.

“Have you sent the Obfuscator?” Seneca asked, walking and tying his cloak.

“Yes,” Zane said. “They are already there.”

Zane acted as Seneca’s right hand. A good man, he never bought into the Idols’ personal ambitions. Strong willed and powerful in his minimal magical talents. He thought often about a different profession, but Seneca would not allow him to leave.

“Good. And you say they were east of the Condle Bridge?”

“Yes, in the immediate clearing, directly north of the main road.”

“Excellent,” Seneca replied. “Where is Remis?”

“He has already left,” Zane responded. “He wanted to oversee the conflict.”

“Let’s join him, shall we?” Seneca said.

Zane grabbed Seneca’s hand and they disappeared.

Barclay dealt with the few men around him and forced the others back to the trees.

Allon kept the army out of sync until he abruptly fell out of the sky. A nearby tree broke his fall. He shook off the landing and tried to send fire but fell sick onto his knees.

Jay watched his fall. He tapped Barclay’s shoulder when he felt a pressure around his body, much like he felt before they were attacked in Boon. This was stronger but as Jay took a deep breath, the feeling faded.

“Are you alright?” Barclay asked when he noticed Jay staring at the ground.

“Yes, but Allon needs help.”

Barclay saw him hunched over and they hurried to his side.

“What happened?” Jay asked, kneeling beside him.

Barclay covered their rear.

“I don’t know,” Allon answered. “I can’t fly, and I can’t make fire and I’m freezing.” He folded his arms and rubbed his triceps.

The small army reached the clearing and began to encircle them.

“We have them surrounded,” Zane said. “There are three in all. One is a powerful magician.”

Seneca nodded, extending his hand.

“This way.”

“What do we do Barclay?” Jay asked.

“I don’t know,” he said, trying to see a way out. “Can you heal him?”

“He’s not sick,” Jay said. “Someone here is using magic. Remember the library?”

It would be impossible to know which of the several hundred people in and around the clearing was subduing Allon’s abilities.

“Put down your weapons,” ordered someone from the group.

Barclay scanned the men and knew they were not going to make it. “Do something, Jay!”

Jay grabbed Allon’s forearm and closed his eyes. I need you to be well, he thought. We need you to help us. I want you to use your talents. I need you to be strong. I need you to use your talents.

Barclay glanced down and saw the pleasant blue glow surround Jay’s hand and move up Allon’s arm.

“They’re moving in,” said Zane. He led Seneca to a small hill where they could see the three huddled together.

“Well done,” Seneca applauded, pleased at how swiftly they were able to subdue the fugitives.

Jay continued to plead in his mind when he felt Allon’s arm become warm and then too hot to hold. He let go and the two stood.

Allon looked at Jay and then to Barclay. “I don’t know what you did,” he said, rubbing his arms, “but it worked.”

Jay watched Allon open and close his fists while he took deep breaths. From the faint light of the nearby fires he saw the veins on his arms grow out of his skin.

Allon crossed his arms over his chest and shot into the sky. When he reached the top of the trees he extended his arms and released two continuous streams of fire. The power of the flames annihilated the soldiers and ignited the trees on the far side of the clearing. Dozens of men on each side were blown off their feet. Allon didn’t know an Idol was in attendance but saw the small cluster of men watching from the hill and assumed they were in charge. Hovering in place, he put the palms of his hands together and raised them over his head. With more power than the first strike he swung his hands down like he was splitting wood. A white-hot arching streak of fire split the sky and cut a pathway towards the hill.

Two men near Seneca stepped forward and created a barrier between them and the fire. The flames pushed them back, but their protection held. The men outside the barrier were not as fortunate.

Jay had seen people die before, but never at this level of destruction.

“This way,” Barclay said, seeing an opening. The two ran in and around scattering guards. Some of them were severely burned while others were unrecognizable figures on the ground.

Above them, the sky continued to rain fire. More of the trees were burning, with flames spreading beyond the clearing.

Barclay didn’t stop until they were concealed well enough in the thick forest. He made sure no one had followed them and found a raised area where they watched Allon deliver his talent one more time before he stopped.

“He doesn’t know where we are,” Jay said.

“He knows,” Barclay responded.

With the army scattered and their delivery secured, Allon began to circle the clearing, high above the trees. Jay and Barclay watched him make two full turns when he began to collect the flames. The fire leaped off the burning branches as he passed. His hands absorbed the fire until the area went dark. He even collected the flames off the torches as well as the charred soldiers. He flew to the north to mislead anyone watching and looped back to Jay and Barclay.

After landing, Allon paced back and forth, trying to calm down. “How did you break their spell?” he asked, still moving back and forth.

Jay didn’t have a solid answer. “I’m not sure.”

Allon stopped and looked at him.

“When I grabbed your arm, I thought about how I needed you to be strong,” Jay said honestly.

Allon stared for a moment and continued with slower strides. “Whatever you did,” he said in an amazed and relieved tone, “it made me strong. I have never produced so much fire.”

“How do you create the fire?” Jay asked.

“Let’s talk about it later,” Barclay said. “We need to leave the area. Jay, teleport us to that small hill over there, I want to leave as few footprints as possible.”

Without protest, Jay grabbed Barclay’s hand and they popped away. Allon glided behind them and the three hurried from the blackened clearing.

“Their tracks stop beyond the trees,” Zane said. “They are gone.”

“How did they get away?” Seneca demanded.

“We’ve never seen anyone produce fire,” Zane claimed. “We were unprepared for such an attack.”

“You had them, and you let them get away,” Seneca retorted in a furious yell. “You told me you had an Obfuscator.”

“We had two,” Remis explained, “and they countered the man’s flight and fire. We saw him fall from the sky. Somehow he overcame the Obfuscators.”

“You’re sure you had two?”

“Maybe they countered each other,” Zane suggested, trying to rationalize the situation.

Seneca thought it had to be the answer but knew in his heart the three individuals had outwitted two powerful spells and he began to panic. “Get me out of here,” he commanded.

Zane grabbed his arm and wisped him back to Grydin without another word.

“Leave me,” he ordered.

Zane made a slight bow and vanished.

Seneca walked through the main hall and headed straight for his office.

Demetri heard Seneca walk past his open door. It was difficult for anyone to ignore the random threats belching from his lips. From his doorway, Demetri watched Seneca enter his office and slam the door. He had overheard the conversation between him and Zane and knew where he had gone. Remis was there, and maybe another, but Seneca had purposefully withheld his invitation. Demetri returned to his desk and thought it over for a mere moment before teleporting to the scene.

Seneca slammed himself down on the couch, fuming about whom he should punish for letting them go. During his tantrum he failed to notice the hooded man in the chair behind his desk.