5 Years Ago on the Surface / Fire Tournament Arena
Thorn's fingers clamped firmly through Eliza's, his eyes fixated on the small bottle in front of them. Thorn's other arm was wrapped around his almost-four-year-old son, clasping him in such an embrace that allowed him to believe his child was safe. His wife was safe. They were all safe.
Eliza swallowed beside him. "I don't know."
Thorn's hand tightened. "What do you mean you don't know?"
She looked up at him, turned around so they faced each other. "I mean, I'm not sure about doing this to our son. He's only three! You looked at what the effects were for children; we will be depriving our son of his entire childhood. Twenty years forced into a few! That's like killing him over ten years before the time he should die! I can't do that to my child!"
He let go of Ravence, gripping his wife's other hand and drawing them together. "Eliza, we have no choice. He'll just grow up quicker than most kids. This is the only way we can escape Fire. If we don't do this, Fire will take captive of our son." Fire will take captive of us.
She pulled her hand from his grasp, bringing them up to her head. "No... If we hide him on the Surface or... or with a friend... We could hide him in Lord Nargh's kingdom... Then, if we turned ourselves in... Just agreed to whatever they wanted... Let them kill us or whatever... They wouldn't find Ravence! He would be safe!"
Thorn's brows closed into each other. "Nargh's land? You know how dangerous that place is. I mean, I fought a dragon there and everything. There's no way we're letting Ravence stay there!" His eyes softened. "Please Eliza, you have to understand, there's no future for us or our son up there. Hunted and killed always... And you know how vicious the Lords are. Now that Svorn's taken the throne and Fawtor controls him like a personal puppet, there's no way he'd let any of our children live. He's been wanting the throne forever – he would kill anything that could possibly interfere with the throne's succession.
"Please... Eliza, let's take the potion. The entry point to Ice is right there, let's just descend and start anew. It's the only way we can all survive."
She swallowed. And paused. Then spoke. "I'm pregnant, Thorn. I'm almost-" She froze.
He frowned, hands coming forward to rest gently of the sides of her midsection. "What's the matter? Is it the baby?"
She shook her head, waving him away. "I'm fine, I'm fine..." Her eyes flickered up his form, meeting his gaze. "What about the baby though? What are we supposed to do about the potion for them?"
Thorn sighed. "If it's a Fire child born in Ice... It's a baby... When does the Fire or Ice repulsion start again?"
"I think it's a few minutes after they're born. At least, I think that's what mum said when I asked her..."
"Then I'll be in the room with you and make sure the baby gets the potion the instant it arrives."
"How?"
He breathed deeply, rubbing a hand through his hair – grown out a bit in form of a disguise. "I'll find a way."
Eliza swallowed, staring at the potion again. "Did Svorn say there were any effects if the child ingested it right after birth?"
Another breath. "I didn't ask him."
She whipped her head to him. "What!? Why?"
A growl. "I was a little busy stealing the potion and escaping as quick as I could. I didn't have time to ask many questions."
YOU ARE READING
Frozen Flame
Fantasy[Finished and being edited] Once captured by a distraught king, a fierce warrior is forced to choose between saving his family or his country. But choices are never that simple. ...
