Incendia

Chapter 12-The ambush

Hey guys! sorry this took so long! I was on vacation and the place we stayed at had no WiFi at all so I am writing this on the plane on my cell phone, as we speak or as you read and I write haha. So to thank you all for being so fantastically great I will be dedicating a chapter to whoever has the best comment! Also I will be updating every weekend at least and if I have time during the week as well but definitely every Sunday! Happy reading everyone!!

Incendia hesitantly takes Teo's hand and moves away from the gray boulder covered in an earthly moss. She looks up into his blue eyes gleaming in determination. Her mind is still reeling from the tragic story he just told her.....And yet, despite her thoughts still whirling about as she attempts to process everything; looking into his eyes so full of determination, power and promise; Incendia can't help but feel empowered herself. She finds herself giving Teo a small smile surprising herself at how close she is to agreeing with him. But it seems to easy to agree when surrounded by the deep green trees, encased in this field, away from the troubles of the world. As a soft breeze begins to pick up, drifting the smell of fresh flowers towards them, Incendia opens her mouth to reply, when a panicked shout coming from the direction of camp sends them craving back to hard reality.

Without another word Teo takes off through the woods, splattering mud all along his back calves and upon Incendia's front as she follows close on his heels. Teo swears profanities under his breath as their makeshift camp comes into view. A golden blaze engulfs part of the camp crackling merrily in contrast the chaps surrounding it. At first all Incendia can see is a hazy smoke creating a fog like wall, straining her eyes she can make out what is causing the ruckus. Men dressed completely in a blood red from head to toe have entered the camp with their swords drawn, holding them high above their heads. The only parts of their body not covered by the red cloth is their eyes which are narrowed in disgust at Teo's men and their mouths scowling as they look about them.

"Stay here. Don't move an inch I don't want to go looking for you." Teo barks at her over his shoulder as he runs into the smoky mist.

Incendia scoffs, she couldn't believe she almost agreed with that insufferable man, the whole story was probably an act, made up to get her on their side. She waits a few more beats till she is sure he isn't making his way back before turning on her heel in the other direction to find Vidar. If this past year has taught her one thing it's that she doesn't have a lot of friends to trust or to count on and she can't afford to lose the ones she has.

"Vidar....can you hear me?" Incendia calls with her mind still feeling foolish about talking to her panther through her mind.

"Yes." The reply is small, almost inaudible but it is enough to cause Incendia to sigh in relief as she she goes to reply.

Her relief, however is shortlisted, when a hand roughly jerks her backwards into the smoke infested part of camp. Her shout of surprise is cut off when a foul smelling, callousness hand clamps over her mouth and covering her nose All she can smell is sweat, rusted metal and decay, immediately her stomach turns, wanting to empty itself of the small meal of dried meat they'd eaten earlier. Involuntary Incendia begins gagging against the hands covering her face. As if sensing if her need and want to throw up upon her captors, the hand covering her mouth disappears to grab a fist full of her wild curls. The hands painfully pull on her curls till her head is facing up towards the sky while they kick her legs out from underneath her so she is in a kneeling position. The men laugh at the painful gasp she lets out as her knees make contact with the hard ground. Despite the pain, Incendia can't help but feel relieved to be rid of the putrid smell, as she inhales the smoky air as it burns her chest.

A man with sunken black eyes and a crooked nose appears above her, obscuring her view of the sky. "Looks like I got me a tasty present!" The man squeaks in a voice that reminds Incendia of the birds that let out a shrill squawk whenever Vidar chased them about the gardens.