Born Of Fire

Born Of Fire Chapter 41

Hey guys! I kept my word, and here is the new chapter! Born Of Fire is #1 in Action, #1 in Fantasy, and #55 on What's Hot! I really wanna see it get hgihger than that, so please, remember to vote? It would make me so happy to see it in the top ten, that if it reaches the top ten, I will write an extra long, super chapter for everyone!!!! So, remember to vote!

Cannit sat up, and Phoenix and Lindani both turned to deal with her. Spedro and Ember were oblivious to this fact, and walked away slowly, both passing through, then closing the flap of their tent.

“What did you do, and how did you do it?” queried Phoenix, stalking toward the woman sitting on the bed of leaves.

“Calm down young man, let an old woman rest,” she replied, using Phoenix’s proffered hand to raise herself to her feet.

He guided her to the fire, and helped her to sit on a log, then sat opposite her, studying her face. Wrinkled with age, the old woman did not look capable of the feat she had just accomplished, though her eyes told of a wisdom far greater than any of the four’s. She groaned, and grasped her chin with one hand, twisting sharply to the left. The vertebrae in her neck cracked in rapid succession, making Phoenix cringe in spite of himself, and he did his best to block out the noise when she twisted her head to the right. Finally finished, she pulled some water from Lindani’s water skin and drank from the orb as it swirled in her hand.

When she finished, she eyed Phoenix with a small smile. “You have many questions, yes? Ask them, and I will answer to the best of my knowledge.”

“How did you heal Ember’s scars?” was the first thing he blurted out.

“This takes some explaining,” she said, settling into a comfortable position. “Water is life, something you as a Yaagalo would not understand.”

Phoenix scoffed, and she continued with a small smile. “Water has healing properties that can be manipulated by a powerful water user. The impurities can be removed, and pure water can be applied to burns, cuts, and all types of wounds to speed up the healing process. If the elemental has enough experience, he or she can use this pure water to not just clean the wound, but to heal it as well.”

Phoenix could not understand what Cannit was getting at, but he glanced at Lindani who was nodding as though she knew what the old woman was talking about, so he left it for a more private conversation later. “You said Demetrius knows of me?”

Cannit sighed. “He does. He knows that you and three others have been fighting his forces, and winning. He cannot stand for this, and has dispatched a unit of twenty five men, all Zuhdalay, to find and capture you, while killing your companions.”

“He wishes to have me join him?” Phoenix asked.

The worn woman laughed. “By the gods no! You are a threat, and he cannot have you working with him for the possibility of you trying to overthrow him once he has control of this land. He wants to kill you.”

“Then why go through the trouble of capturing me, and risking men?”

“They are expendable. You, in your death, are not. You must die for Demetrius to rule, and he wants to confirm you are dead, when you lie unmoving on the floor of his throne room.”

Phoenix could not believe his ears. “Wait. Since when have I become so important, that a maniac wants me dead, of all the Zuhdalay that will stand up to fight him when the time comes?”

Phoenix could already tell he would not like the answer he was to receive, even before Cannit sighed before speaking. “The prophecy you received in your village, was from one of our dead soldiers correct?”

Phoenix cocked his head to the side in confusion. “It was.”

“When you burned down the tents of the soldiers, you missed one. He watched Soran burn, and reported back to Demetrius. Demetrius killed him to keep you secret from the men, to protect morale, and he prophesied as well upon his death.”

“What was said in this prophesy?” asked Lindani.

“That, I do not know,” Cannit answered. “But I do know that I will no longer serve Demetrius; Both the gods and fate smiled upon us all when we ran in to one another. I would be happy to lead you to Demetrius, so that you may kill him, and rid this land of the scourge of war that plagues it.”

“Why did you defect?” Phoenix asked, rising to spoon some more of the stew into his bowl.

Crestfallen, Cannit looked to the ground. “My son.”

“What became of him?”

“He was the one Demetrius killed to keep you secret.”

“I am sorry for your loss,” Phoenix said, before sitting with his bowl of stew, and eating slowly, still watching the old woman.

“It is no fault of yours Phoenix.”

“I agree,” said Phoenix, then set his bowl of food to the side, stood, lit his hands, and clapped them, sending a wave of HellFire at Cannit, who was caught unawares. A short scream rose from the old woman before the wave died out, and her body was visible again. A statue of ash, reminiscent of the first time Phoenix had used his fire in Yaag, sat on the log, and Phoenix turned away as the statue came apart, the ashes falling to coat the leaves around the stump.

“What has come over you!” Lindani yelled, whirling to face her mate.

Phoenix did not answer, but stood facing east, hands still alight.