Finding Fire -Book 1 of the Finding the Element Series

Chapter Eight

When I first woke up, I didn't know where I was. It was all a blur, but the hand in mine was familiar and reassured me that I hadn’t been eaten by an ogre during the night.

At first the hand tightened when I began to twist and turn under the warm quilts but then at last his fingers relaxed. He slid quietly to his knees and leaned over me. "You're alright?" he whispered.

"Mmhmm," I nodded and pulled my lips into a taut smile. "Are we doing more training today?"

He shook his head and left it at that.

"So I'm just supposed to know what to do...with one day of training?"

He laughed harshly and slipped his hands behind my head so his fingers got tangled in my hair. "You will be shown the kingdom, where to get things his majesty asks for. You will learn along the way Fiona."

For some reason I had a hard time believing that I would learn much. I rested there with his hands woven into my hair and my eyes locked on his until a few boys slipped out of bed. That was the first time I noticed that they were mostly undressed except for boxers.

"Show some dignity!" Tobiah snapped at Leo, Xavier and Rile, who looked so confused. For some reason, they stared at me like I was something special; something not to be messed with.

Tobiah looked back at me and shook his head.

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked. My eyes continued to look at the boys who were now pulling on their rag patched trousers and slipping leather or rope belts around their waists.

"Nah," Tobiah smiled and looked back at them. "They're just amazed."

"At what...me?"

He laughed shortly and nodded. "They are not used to slaves from Fire, they don't get how they affect people."

"I affect people?" I said with sarcasm. The thought of me affecting people was hilarious.

"Of course," he nodded. "The way you glow."

"I glow?" I laughed again.

He smirked and without another thought he grabbed a piece of something off the table next to the bed and showed it to me. It was a little dirty but I could see the reflection in the small shard of glass.

My hair looked more orange and more vibrant. My skin had an unnatural orange glow to it. I looked like I used too much spray on tan and failed miserably with applying it correctly.

"You glow," he nodded again.

Sighing, I kicked off the covers and stood up. After the boys dressed we formed into a pack, me in the center and the rest of the boys around me and we walked quickly to the cafeteria. The food was similar to the past mornings, dragon eggs and some kind of mystery meat that was sliced thin to look like bacon- it was a fail.

After I stuffed myself, Tobiah took me back to the room to get dressed. I made him leave the room since I was feeling better and was capable of changing my clothes without falling.

I slid the blue wench clothing over my head and tied the strings the best I could. I looked like I’d just stepped out of a medieval tale.

I slipped on shoes and met Tobiah at the door which he already was holding open. We snuck past a group of gurgling ogres and past a pack of bloody goblins. They smelled rancid, like they’d just taken a bath in toxin. It was probably the blood all over them and the animal bones they were gnawing on.

I cringed as they attacked a rat and began to tear it apart with their needle teeth. They sneered when they saw me watching.

I held on tightly to Tobiah's arm as we walked along. Protection seemed to be more necessary down there than up in the main parts of the palace.