Malion: Up In Flames

Cold

I screamed and pressed my palms against my ears hard.

"Leave me alone! I'm coming tomorrow, just go back there and leave me be!" I cried. When I opened my eyes, I saw the dark purple of her cloak. She knelt down and took my face between her clutches and grinned at me. It was only then when I saw her face close up. She had burn scars, similar to Alex, but these were much older on the right side of her face. They were dappled over her eye and down the right side of her neck and under her cloak. Another similar scar poked out on her other shoulder. Deep crimson lipstick decorated her now scowling mouth. Her piercing orange eyes glared into mine through strands of curly brown hair as she forced me to my feet, still holding onto my face. Her halo of darkness seemed to get even darker with each passing moment.

"You are coming with me now." She growled in a familiar grating tone. Suddenly a fist flew by my face and into hers. Anthony, still draped in shadow, brought me to my feet and stood between me and Orin, whose spell undid itself. Once it did, Anthony seemed to me moving so quickly that he was blurry simply standing there.

"Get away from her." He spoke clearly and precicely in a tone that disturbed me to my core.

Suddenly she conjured a dark circle to disappear into. It closed before anyone could or decided to react. The room was still for too long a moment before Anthony turned around to face me. His expression was soft as he knelt down and heald out a gentle hand. His double pointed ears twitched slightly when I took it and smiled. Before we could turn to the rest of the group, we heard the deep rumble of igniting fire and suddenly Kaylum wraithed out of the room. Anthony and I looked at each other, then back at the group, who gave us a unanimous nod. Elliott looked easily the most worried for me out of Alex and Mistyal.

Anthony and I rushed downstairs and into the rain. Once the icy winds hit me, I stiffened up and fought through the memories that began to boil up as I made my way through the trees. Kaylum must have been having a harder time.

"Can you make it to the pools?!" Anthony yelled through the beating of rain against leaves and skin. I gave him a nod and we pushed forward.

"How did you do that?" I asked him.

"Do what?"

"How do you move so quickly?" I asked him, raising my voice as he headed farther off.

"There's a reason I'm interested in the mysteries of the world. I am one." He muttered matter-of-factly and pulled his hood over his head.

"Wait, hold on." I said and caught up to him, grabbing him by the shoulder to slow him down, "You don't know?"

"No, Decoda. I don't. I figured I might have some magic inside me, hence the strangeness of my eyes, but I have yet to feel any kind of surge like anyone else has described it to be like." He explained. I huffed as he turned away from me.

"Then what was the feeling you felt when protecting me?" I asked him. He stopped dead in his tracks but didn't turn to me. He turned his head slightly, only revealing the scar on his jaw that climbed into his cheek.

"Let's go get Kaylum." He muttered and headed off into the heavier rain. An icy breeze cut through me and I stiffened up more. Before I could make it to the beach, the rain turned to sleet. I let out surprized huffs when the icy sludge started to pelt me. I ran into the open rain and caught up to Anthony, who had also started running. We made it to a small overhang near the rockpools and dove under to meet Kaylum, who had been staring off into the ice rain and didn't acknowledge our presence. His gaze was sad and whistful... haunted even. Anthony placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and he flinched. Their eyes met and his eyes started to steam. His usually bright orange fire was a deep red. As he lunged forward into a hug, the fire burned out and his skin returned to his ashen bones.

"Let's head inside, my love. I think a good break from that is needed. We've been planning this for months. We'll be fine. You'll be fine." He spoke softly as he pressed his forehead against Kaylum's. Kaylum nodded slightly and buried his head into Anthony's neck. It took a bit until the ice storm let up. Kaylum took both our hands and wraithed through the rain, the hiss of water on fire was all I could hear, but when we materialised back into our Gaian forms in Selvan's small home, Kaylum didn't seem hurt at all.

Selvan was observing Herross, who sat at the tiny dinner table. He seemed to have shrunken into himself and Selvan turned, looking into a scroll he had been holding. Suddenly he yelled and the scroll went flying straight towards Anthony, who dodged it with lightning ease. Before I could blink, he was holding the scroll towards Selvan, who huffed. Both brothers were shirtless, and both of their torsos were bound in gause.

"What happened to you two?" I asked as Selvan looked back at Herross, who had been resting his head on his folded arms, eyes closed. He glanced back at us and placed his index finger to his lips. Kaylum nodded. Anthony extended two fingers, to which Selvan shrugged.

"You three should be able to hear me?" Selvan's voice sounded in my head. It was different from his Gaian voice. It seemed clearer and straight forward, completely missing his arrogance. Anthony stared at him as if this was the first time he'd discovered his speed.

I thought as if I was speaking to him.

"I think these two need a favour from you, Selv." I... projected?

"Ah yes. You've come for your child, have you not? Oh how lovely. An engaged couple on their way to parenthood. This is exciting!" His voice sounded more than jovial. He grinned and suddenly his eyes rolled back into his head and his face fell. He scowled and forrowed his brow then muttered in strange barks and huffs as he turned around to Herross, who's eyes were open and who stared directly at Selvan with non glowing eyes. Herross muttered back in the strange language. They exchanged a few more words and then Selvan turned back to us with his normal cocoa brown eyes.

"Decoda? Would you mind heading upstairs with Herross? He'd like to talk to you privately." He explained. I glanced at Herross, who still had his head layed down on this arms. I heard his voice in my head suddenly. It was much more raspy and tired than I had last heard it to be.

"Brace yourself." Was the simple command before he snapped his fingers and we both appeared in a dimly lit basement that seemed to be a tunnel system lit by glowing fungi that clung to the perfectly rectangular halls.

"Where..." I mumbled. Hero placed his index finger over his dry lips.

"Let's communicate like this. We're right below Selvan. I wouldn't want him to know were we are. He intended for these tunnels to be secret. You won't remember them once we get out, but you'll remember the conversation. Regardless, I need to talk about the portal to the Realm of the banished. I found a work around that'll lead you there faster than you are expected to be there. My Gaian form is deteriorating under the stress it's putting on my magic. Orin is emensely powerful. You need to be careful. Take Kaylum with you." He insisted, his voice becomming more hoarse as he continued to cognitively explain. Once Kaylum's name was mentioned, that familiar short, sharp pain stabbed into my chest.

"I'm not risking his life. Something will happen to him. I'm taking Alex instead." I explained. Herross nodded weakly and closed his half open eyes he reached a hand towards me and snapped his fingers. We appeared back inside Selvan's home. It was a good thing that we teleported out of the forest before the rain got too bad.

Herross heald the palm of his hand over a suddenly bloodied patch in his bound waist. Selvan was hovering his hands out above Kaylum's bare abdomen and chanting something while he lay on a large bed. There was a magical sigil that glowed on his stomach. It was then when I saw another symbol. It had become so familiar to me. I glanced at the hatchet and saw it again. The mark had been expertly made and the scar that did etch its way through his shoulder missed it perfectly.

When the spell had ended, Kaylum didn't get up. He seemed incredibly peaceful. Selvan closed his eyes for a long moment and when he opened them, he smiled at Anthony who was sitting next to Selvan and fidgeting.

"Well? What's her name?" He asked.

"Lilith."