The Gates of Cardel

Fire Lit - Part 1

The warm glow of the flickering flames flutters underneath the vast starlit night sky. A small breeze carries the faint call of crickets nearby. It's very quiet for a party of eleven, most of us have a drink in our hands as we stare into the fire.
"Why is everyone so quiet?" I said, breaking the silence. A small pause of silence, as everyone thinks of a response.
"We just woke from being frozen within a stone tomb, we're all still just getting used to the fact we're back here. We knew friends and family that are most likely no longer alive. We're in a new world and we haven't the first clue about." Sin interjected without shifting his gaze from the firepit. "But back in the days when we were still young and fired up, we were the life of any party we went to, even if it wasn't a party."
"What do you mean 'young'? You still are, aren't you?"
"We were frozen in stone for Gods know how long." He stopped, pondering over actually how long he could have been in that stone cocoon.
"How long ago was that battle?" The question that gets everyone at the campfire looking up and leaning in to hear the answer.
"What battle are you talking about?"
"'The' battle, our battle, our last battle..." Sin trailed off.
"Oh, well... That battle wasn't well or at all documented, so the actual date isn't known exactly." I said with a heavy heart.
"Oh, well that's ok, I'm sure we'll figure that out at some point."
"There is something, however," I added. Everyone's eyes now peering at me with a glimmer of hope. "A legend, one made about the ten of you. There wasn't a specific time set in it, but you were said to have been from a 'mythic' or even ancient time long ago, 'forgotten in the memories of those passed and gone'. The earliest time in our history recorded was during the reign of King Baitalé."
"You mean little Prince Blade Baitalé?" Said this woman across from the fire, in armour of faded purple.
"Blade? Umm yes, most likely. How did you know the king?" I asked.
"I used to be a knight under the royal division of the king's palace, tasked with keeping intruders out of the castle, and the prince in. He was a little troublemaker really; climbing tapestries pretending they were trees, swinging off the chandeliers saying it was the new craze. Honestly, I had no clue where he got such ideas."
"You were a royal night?! So, you must be of noble blood."
"Yes, I suppose I am. Although back then we weren't considered as this term 'nobles' you use, but as protectors."
"Well I guess we would have different names for things now, that was about two-thousand years ago"
"Two-thousand years," Sin interjected. "two-thousand years, longer than I ever would have thought we would be under."
Everyone's expression varied from shock, to worry, to confusion.
"Oh, I guess things would be different for you guys now wouldn't it," I replied.
"It is." Sin said slowly, quickly adding "I guess now you can't see your little prince now can you Zodiac"
So, your Zodiac. I feel bad for not remembering everyone's name, it's not like they introduced themselves when they woke up.
Zodiac throws her mug through the fire and right at Sin in repose to his comment. The flames catch the ale as it now starts to engulf him followed by fire.
"Oh my goodness he's gonna burn, why did you do that!?" I screamed, confused and worried. The dog-like one begins to talk,
"He'll be alright" as he gestures his mug over to Sin before taking another sip.
"Now that's a waste of perfectly good Alcohol" Sin mused, as he pats his clothes to distinguish the fire.
"Well, that's what happens when you say things like that" Zodiac protested.
"How... How, what just happened?" I questioned in astonishment.
"Well Nia, I'm not like most people, I have a special trait that allows me to be immune to flames. I.."
"He's half-demon sweetie," the one in the large blue cloak said, with an almost tired sound to her voice.
"Dang it, you take all the fun out of it." Sin mockingly whined.
"But you look so human," I said "I thought demons were a bit more...."
"Yeah, that's what most people think when they first find out. My father is a demon but was human when he and my mother... Well umm, yeah so I got a mixture of their looks making me seem almost human."
"What's the almost for?"
"Sweetie," blue cloak interrupted "that's a story for another time." looking over the rim of her mug.
"Lillith," Sin said "could you get some more ale please?" he said slightly through his teeth. And you Lillith, I'll have to make a note of that. Rolling her eyes, she blankly agrees saying,
"Fine." She reaches over waving her fingers in the air, a bright circle appears next to her. She puts her hand in and pulls out another bottle from it. So that's how she got the Ale before. Genuinely curious I ask,
"What was that you just did?"
"I used a dimensional storage box luv," she replied. "Have you not seen one in use before?"
"No, I haven't, but I've read of something similar, a dimensional housing space."
"Well, Sin over there is the only one among us who can use that."
"You can?"
"Well my magical infinity is Spatial Magic, so I've learnt dimensional housing, the storage box and parallel word." Sin boastfully claimed.
"Parallel World?" I questioned, "What's that?"
"It's pretty much a replica of this world, but without any humans, demons or angels, non-human races or monsters interfering with the environment."
"What do you use it for?"
"I mainly use it to keep all of Amadaia's Familiars."
"My Familiars!!" Amadaia abruptly stressed, "they haven't seen me in two-thousand years, they couldn't be... gone, could they?"
"When we all went petrified so did everything psychically linked, meaning all your familiars petrified and unpetrified with you." Sin reassured.
"Reiner should have been a clear indication of that."
"I just thought it was because I was holding him, but I guess that makes sense."
"Yes. Anyway, I keep her familiars in there and it's a good holiday retreat destination." Sin said, redirecting the conversation back to me.
"Oh, ok." I said dazzling back into the conversation, "it sounds like a nice place."
"It is, although Martela claimed the mountains of Bireasta are a sight to behold, well I guess 'were' now." He said slowly, probably thinking about how things aren't how they used to be.
"Well if you ever saw them, you'd understand why she raved about them so much." The woman around the fire, with a sword that looked too large for her to weld. "Those two large, beautiful..."
"Jelira!" Lilith blurted, "shush" raising her finger to her nose and taping it.
"Sorry to pry but who is Martela?" I asked.
"She was someone we knew when we formed this party, however, she didn't want anything to do with it, and now she is no longer with us." Sin said.
"I'm sorry."
"It's fine, it was her choice," Jessca said. Changing back to the conversation before Sin snaps back saying,
"Out of all the stories you tell, why is that one about Bireasta the one I'm not allowed to hear about?" Sin asked.
"It's a trade secret."
"Sometimes I wonder if living in that tavern did any good for you"
"Tavern?" I interrupted.
"I grew up in a tavern," Jelira explained. "My mother was a retired adventurer, who opened a tavern on the outskirts of the capital. It was a hot spot for all adventurers, hunters, or anyone coming in or out of the city. Since I was too young at the time, I'd hear all the stories that were passed around."
"And now she tells us the 'tales of woe' that aren't even hers to us," the elf said.
"Well I'm sorry if you don't enjoy the many... experiences of peoples adventures"
"Your too loud," the cat featured demi-human roused, "if your gonna fight, do it someplace else."
She watches the scene from up upon the shoulders of the Beast Fallen, lying there playing with her daggers.
"I agree with Medola" Sin added, trying not to look at her.
Jelira grabs her sword and readies to strike, but a woman jumps in between, wrap her arms around her and prevents her from moving.
"Emilis, let go of me!"
"No"
"Adoasin!!" Jelira cried "get your slave off me so I can beat your ass"
"Ok, first and foremost she's not my slave. We rescued her from the slave market, there's a difference."
"You still bought her"
"That's beside the point, and if it means my life is safe I wouldn't do it even if I wanted to." Sin said with a smirk.
"I'm gonna send your ass right back down to the fiery pits of hell you crawled out of!"
"That's a bit much don't you think. Besides, you know you can't kill me."
"I know, but It still makes me feel better when you're on the other end of my blade."
"Thank you, nice to know you care." He says, smiling without a care in the world.
Emilis looking somewhat between annoyed and 'kill him', let's go. Jelira launching herself at him, sword in hand and resentment in her eyes.
Sin instantaneously catches the blade mid-swing with one hand, I feel the wind rush past me and nearly blow out the fire. Sin looks up and says with a calm and almost amused voice,
"You forget, why I am the one that leads this group."