The Embers Book I: The First Fires Of War

Chapter Eleven: Insolence

"I yield, I yield" said the boy in an English accent, hardly able to release the sound from his throat due to be being out of breathe.

Caius removed the axe from his throat, extinguishing his flames then holding a hand out to the boy. He grasped his hand and was hauled roughly to his feet as his legs wobble slightly from the quick ascension.

"Head on back to quarters we will continue this tomorrow" said Caius sounding frustrated at his recruit’s lack of potential. The boy merely bowed his head and left bowing to Noran as he noticed him there on his way out, jumping in shock when he noticed him there. 

Noran smiled at the boys fear as he scurried away and out of the theatre, he revelled in how easily he inspired fear in his troops, it was how any leader should rule.

"So what do I owe the pleasure Noran?" asked Caius as he sat down upon the stage banging his heels into the wood at the base of the structure.

"I can't seem to find Martha or Carl, do you know where they are?" asked Noran as he walked his hands clasped behind his back, as he looked around the dilapidated theatre with disinterest.

"I'm afraid not, however I have not seen Krell for some time either" said Caius unsure of whether it were just a mere coincidence, or something much more.

"Hm, that is strange, and does anyone else know about his mysterious disappearance?" asked Noran walking below one of the windows.

"Nobody has seen him sir, it would appear that he did not want to be seen leaving" said Caius a thought crossing his mind.

"You don't think they went after the boy, do you?" asked Caius jumping down from the stage, he walked to meet Noran in the middle of the room. He didn't reply straight away as he played with the theory in his head. He debated the chance that Krell and the other two were stupid enough to make a move without consulting him first.

"I think your right my old friend, such insolence how dare they" said Noran forming a snarl as he spat the words out, lengthening them to show the extent of his anger.

"I will go about the base to try and find out if they were seen, someone must have seen them" said Caius and without waiting for a response vanished amongst a whoosh of obsidian black flames.

 Noran paced about the theatre thinking about how he was going to punish Krell and the others. That was assuming they weren't killed in the attempt on the boy, now that would've been a shame. He couldn’t afford to lose Carl, as he was the most valuable asset they'd come across in all their time on this wretched world. He paced continuously for a good five minutes until there was a whoosh from behind him by the door and there stood Caius with a man on his knees. He was in his late twenties; dark skinned with short black hair, his lip was split down the middle causing blood to dribble down his chin.

"Tell him what you told me Anthony" said Caius his grip tightening on the man's shoulder, causing him to wince at the applied pressure on his shoulder muscle.

"Sir, I overheard Krell talking with Martha and Carl talking about going after the boy, they'd located him in Wales and on the move, they had come to the conclusion that he was heading back home" "They caught me listening in and said I wasn't to speak a word of it to anyone, and that it was for the good of the cause" said Anthony shaking all the while as he spoke.

"Why did you not come forward despite what he told you, you are aware that any information relating to Taylor Roth is to be brought to me first no exceptions" said Noran his anger bubbling up to the surface as he looked into Anthony's eye's.

"I was worried that If I didn't follow Krell's instruction's he would kill sir, but I see now how naive that was of me, I beg for your forgiveness, I meant no harm" said Anthony as he continued to tremble more violently than before, as he lowered his head in shame.

Noran walked up to the man and stood directly behind him causing Caius to step aside; he gripped both his shoulders tightly and leaned down to Anthony's ear.

"There is no forgiveness for you here" said Noran whispering into his ear blowing hot air over his flesh which made him flinch, he tried to get out of his grip but he couldn't it was as if a vice held him there. Without warning Noran took his hands from his shoulder's, grabbed the front and back of Anthony's head, he twisted his neck to the right then to be followed by the snap of his neck, the body fell to the floor with a thud a thick silence filling the room.

Anthony's eyes were now vacant and wide open, of all life fading back to a soft brown.

"If they have headed to Bath we must leave now and hopefully stop them before Carl is killed, come Caius were going to pay the king a visit" said Noran walking out of the theatre. Caius following but not before looking to the corpse on the floor and felt angered that one of his recruits had erred so harshly.

The two were gone in twin whirlwinds of obsidian fire and in no time the sight of luscious green trees, field's and bushes filled the landscape as it all came into view from behind the descending flames. They had arrived here as appearing in the city would be difficult and they couldn't guarantee they wouldn't be spotted even if they'd chosen a secluded spot. Not far from them was a dense area of woodland on either side of a single track road adjacent to the field that they had appeared upon. As they were looking toward the road they heard a brief scream, that of a woman that which died out the moment it pierced the quiet of the countryside. Without a word to each other they ran across the field, not wishing to attract the attention of any nearby farmers by using their regular form of transportation. Their feet crushed the grass beneath them as the muscles within their legs pumped furiously to get to their destination.

Within a minute they were at the beginning of the road seeing how it snaked its way between the various trees and shrubbery, either side of it marring the beauty of the green. Caius sniffed the air catching the faintest hint of burnt flesh coming from up ahead, carrying on down the road they came across a grey van parked on the road. At this point the smell had gotten far more potent and began to sting their eye's, a rustling of leaves caught their attention to the right of their position. Shifting their gaze's they saw six people walking out from amongst the trees. Noran and Caius smiled when they recognized the group, it was Mylar, the boy and his friend along with a few other characters whom they did not recognized.

Taylor looked up as they emerged and stopped dead along with the others as all at once every single one of them ignited the fire upon their arms readied all kinds of weaponry. 

"Hello your Majesty, it's been too long" said Noran his smile spreading from ear to ear letting his own fire consume his arms. 

AN: Hey everyone I know this one is shorter than my previous chapters but I wanted to give the Cyturion's a little bit of limelight for a change! I hope you all enjoyed this and I am so glad to be posting a new chapter after all the editing work I've been doing this week!

Please vote/comment and share with your friends :).

All The Best FN