Warlords and Wildfire
Chapter One: Fire to Ice
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The darkness was so complete that only very few could navigate the gigantic
caverns. Deep below the ruins of Talpa's old castle, the largest of these
caves now served as the throne room and the center of power for the new
Dynasty. The ceiling could not be made out because of its great height.
Contrary to its immense height, the walls felt uncomfortably narrow by
comparison. No more than nine armored soldiers could have stood side by side.
The new emperor liked it that way despite its inefficiency. He was rarely if
ever in a mood to be complacent. He felt an inexhaustible thirst for power,
the need to make everyone bend to his will. However, today, one girl had not
succumbed to his wishes.
In the center of the grotto rested a massive marble block that glowed with a
soft green light. A dark creature sat, almost perched, on the stone. The
Emperor considered the body his generals had laid down before him. He
breathed sharply, hissing through his teeth. This was an unexpected turn of
events, and, he feared, a turn for the worse. An essential building block in
his plans had just been shattered.
Suddenly he looked up and informed no one in particular, "Wildfire is
irrelevant. I will not allow his death to interfere with my plans." The
statement was an act of denial and he knew it, but one thing was true, he
would never give up. He paused and the sound of gritting teeth reverberated
through the chamber. "Bring her," he growled to a nearby guard.
The guard left through a small door situated behind the throne. He could be
heard shouting orders beyond it until it thudded shut leaving the room in
silence once more. A figure shifted uncomfortably in the shadows. It scuffed
a rock then stiffened as if preparing for an impending blow. The Emperor
turned narrowed eyes to his minion. "Did you wish to say something, Warlord
of Slaughter?" The words came out as a threat. Remarkably, instead of
cowering, the warlord straightened and drawing in his courage, answered his
master as if the question had been nothing more than a inquiry about the
weather.
"It is probably nothing, sire, but I feel that you are denying the
seriousness of the situation."
A slightly monotone voice cut in, "Matar, all you know is the taste of blood.
Allow our master to handle this." A new figure stepped from the darkness into
the less oppressive shadows near the throne.
The Emperor turned to address the new arrival, "I know you like the dark,
Desharian, but never dare to try your tricks on me. Leave, you were not
invited to this conversation."
The figure bowed, irritated by the rebuke. Perhaps another time, Warlord of
Ruin…Matar's taunt echoed through his head, dripping with sarcasm.
A loud, deep scratching was heard as another, larger door opened. This
massive wooden structure was covered in thick red paint, the wood rotting in
the moisture of the underground. As the paint peeled off, it revealed the
decayed and hole ridden frame beneath it. Through the doorway, an armored man
escorted a shadowy figure dwarfed by his size. In the light of the hallway,
the smaller figure's silhouette was slim and feminine. As they entered the
glow from the throne her hair could be made out. It was a shimmering silver
that reached shortly past her waist. She wore a silver tunic with black
leggings and boot. Entering the chamber, she bowed low before her master's
throne.
The Emperor was outraged by such a show of allegiance. This female, Lady
Dementia or whatever you saw fit to call her, had quite possibly caused his
defeat. However, he bit back an angry reply; a ruler must not loose control
when dealing with treason. "You. You are a traitor," He stated instead
through clenched teeth. Getting no response, he prompted the prone shape
before him, "Wildfire was not to be harmed. Those were my orders. And, yet,
am I mistaken? This lifeless thing is him, isn't it?"
"Yes, sire." The girl flinched just slightly. It was not from fear. The
movement was a side effect of the nether spirit possessing her body.
Obviously, the girl was trying to regain control. The emperor brushed it
aside. She had tried many times before. Had she not failed each time?
However, Winter's struggle for liberation had ceased these past few months.
What could have occupied her for that time? What did she find more
interesting than freedom? She had no place to run but the dream realm, and
she was its only occupant. Again, the emperor brushed it aside and turned to
the more immediate matters at hand. The nether spirit had disobeyed him.
Punishment was in order.
"Why do I see his body there? My generals thought that you might know the
answer," he paused, deliberately not deigning to look at her, "Lady Dementia."
The girl made no move….to the human eye. But, then, she wasn't human, not
completely. "I know the answer, master." She straightened looking him in the
eye, or at least she tried, but, even with the glow, he kept the room much to
dark for that. "He is there because your generals brought him here. He is
dead….because I killed him."
The emperor jerked his head around to face her. What? He knew that the girl
had a lot of pride. Her evil side that served the dynasty would be the same
even if the nether spirit that possessed her was the one that spoke and
thought. This, however, was unheard of. Even with the girl's stubbornness,
the spirit was being too cocky, too challenging. He knew that Winter was this
close to regaining her self. He understood then why his orders had been
disobeyed. The spirit did not deserve the punishment. His pent up rage would
have to find some other release. Even so, he would make the spirit confess
its failure. As usual, he was in no mood to be complacent. "You killed him?
Really. You don't say." The sarcastic remark was all the spirit needed, the
girl exploded.
"Master, I lost control!" Lady Dementia hissed angrily. "She pushed me out!
I could not stop her, it was not my fault!"
"Perhaps, I ought to find someone better able to keep her in check?"
Dementia was taken aback. For a split second, there was fear in her eyes.
"No!" The emperor wanted to laugh. It amused him, the way that this spirit
was turning partly human. It always happened when they tried to take over a
person to serve him. They slowly adopted their human's personality until
they cracked in a marvelous explosion of power. Luckily, it did not harm the
human. This spirit would crack soon. The emperor sighed, it took so much
power to completely take someone over and maintain that state that losing
even one spirit was wasteful. Unfortunately once you possessed someone you
could not control her any other way. He would wait a little longer until
disposing of this one. Too bad he still needed the girl's power.
"You will learn to keep control. I hope, for your sake, Lady Dementia, that
you do not have another lapse. Leave! I need to plan and find a way to solve
you failure."
Ignoring that last jab, Dementia took her cue and left quickly but quietly.
That was a lesson every servant learned, one way….or another.
* * *
Winter felt like cursing in several languages all at once. Except…she didn't
speak several languages and she didn't have a mouth to do it with even if she
could. Damn! English, to herself, in her mind would have to do. Damn, damn,
damn! She had had herself back there, if only for a moment. She had been
free!
And she had screwed it up as usual. In control of her body, what had she
done? She had killed the only guy that could help her! Nice work, Winter; now
you are definitely not getting out.
Come on, Winter, don't give up, That's what you said last time and then you
ran into one of his nightmares.
And that was definitely pleasant, she reminded her self sarcastically. He
sure has a thing for blood and gore, doesn't he?
Had. Damn. He's dead and I killed him. Not some Dynasty scum, not a nether
spirit, me. It wasn't even an accident. It was a conscious decision. I picked
up that big ol' sword and Wham!, goodbye, Ryo.
At that moment, as she floated threw the dream realm, Winter hated herself.
If she had been human, in her body, she knew she would be sobbing.
* * *
Rowen reeled in shock. "Ryo's dead…" the words kept circling through his
brain. And if that wasn't enough, the words came complete with images. Why
did I have to see it? he thought.
"Rowen!"
His head snapped up and he did his best to focus on the face in front of him.
Mia. Oh, hell. How was he supposed to tell her? And Yulie…damn. He knew he
shouldn't have come in the door first.
"Rowen, what's the matter? I had to say your name three times before you'd
even notice me. I know that's not unusual when you've got a book but…
Something's really bothering you. Rowen you have to tell me. You haven't
even said a word! Rowen…" She stopped when she realized he had stopped
listening again. He wandered aimlessly past her and sank onto the couch. For
a little while he stared at the wall, then he let out a hoarse sigh and
rested his face in his hands.
The door opened again. Kento came in supporting an injured Sage. His subarmor
had shattered around his shoulder and blood seeped through half formed scabs
on a large gash. " Mia…" Kento started.
"I'll get the kit." Mia offered. She turned away from them. Pausing only once
to glance at Rowen, she dashed up the stairs.
Wait, Kento mentally protested as he watched Mia's departing figure. That
wasn't what I meant…
"How're we gonna tell her?" a soft, British voice spoke up behind Kento. Cye
came all the way into the house and helped Kento move Sage to the couch.
"I don't know," the injured boy answered, " but I'm hurt, count me out."
Rowen looked up from his position on the couch to see Sage next to him. He
stood in order to give Sage room to lie down. Spotting an empty chair in the
corner, he moved to it and resumed his former position.
"Cheapo." The big youth, Kento tried to joke. He failed miserably. " I feel
awful and I haven't eaten in two days," he groaned.
"Is that all you can think of, Food? Even now? Don't you care?" Rowen growled
from his new location in the corner. He didn't look up.
"Of course I care! Don't even dare to suggest that I don't. Understand?"
Kento jumped up angrily. He felt so jumpy. He wanted to fight someone. If
Rowen wanted to be beaten into a pulp, then Kento would be more than happy to
oblige.
"Stop it! Now! I may not be Ryo, but you are going to listen to me anyway.
The next one who fights gets to tell Yulie why his idol won't be playing with
him any more. I'll tell Mia. So shut up!" Cye was pissed. He could that his
outburst had surprised everyone. Like he cared.
Just then, Mia came down. " Out of the sub, Sage." Sage let out a breath
and the armor vanished. Mia started to clean off the wound. " So how'd you
get this? Although I'm glad this is the worst injury. No closer to getting
Kayura or the warlords out, huh?"
"Uh, Mia…"
"Oh, and where's Ryo? Yulie's wants to see White Blaze. Where are they?"
"Mia."
"Huh? He's sleeping now so try not to wake him up when you go upstairs."
"Mia." She finally looked at him. He didn't know what to say. "Ryo…" damn
it, there's just no way to say this. "Ryo's dead, Mia. One of the emperor's
ladies sliced him. With her sword." He stopped and seemed to suddenly find
the carpet very interesting.
She just stared at him. "Cye…" she started, but a new voice cut her off.
"Whaddya mean, Cye? Ryo's okay isn't he? Cye?" Everyone turned to see Yulie
standing at the bottom of the stairs in his pajamas, looking at them with
wide eyes.
Oh shiiit…Rowen thought. Not this, not now.