Wardenheart

Fire

My eyes were focused on the way it moved, free and effortless, its own emotion and its own desire guiding it. It was fierce, but gentle, like the kiss of a passionate lover. It reminded me so much of myself, what I had become, who I wanted to be, and who I wanted to be with Margo. It was the warm, crackling fire in the midst of our camp on the hillside. Slung around me was a large, heavy cloak that could easily double as a blanket, and in my hands was a mug of steaming hot wine.

I looked around me at a group of about three. There were two well armored men, and one older woman with a crossbow slung over her back. Though they seemed to be rather cheerful and joyous, I had the sneaking suspicion that they wanted to talk to me about something, or expected something from me. I did not know much about, but the youngest, looking about seventeen, was called Hark (I suspected it was a nickname) and the oldest, the woman with the crossbow (I failed to catch her name), was well in to her sixties. All of them looked like they had seen some combat, and gave off the impression of a tight-knit, united group.

Though I was infinitely grateful for their assistance when it came to my rescue, I could not help but wonder why they had been there at the time of my arrival in these hills. Fate was a fickle mistress, and it simply would not do to scrutinize her gifts. I decided not to worry about it, and instead join in on the conversation.

"...And she said," one of the men said, wiping his mouth while trying desperately to hold back a torrent of laughter. "That was my purse!"

The group erupted in to a roar of applause and unbridled mirth. As before, I could not help but get caught up in the sheer gladness of it all, even though I was not really mentally present for the previous parts of this undoubtedly bawdy and exaggerated tale, I knew what a group of brothers-in-arms looked like when they were having fun. Attempting to add to the conversation, I piped up.

"So," I said, looking at each of them in turn. "You have all done a rather magnificent job of rescuing me, but I am afraid I do not know your names. It would not do to drink to strangers, now would it?"

"Not at all, scrag!" a heavyset, bearded man said, turning to me. "I'm called Jolly."

"I'm Hark!" the young man said proudly, standing up. "Because I guard the gates!"

"Sit down, Hark." The old woman said. Then she turned to me. "M' name's Thelma. Nice t' meetcha."

"My name is Theris." I said, conveniently leaving out my title. "Thank you, all of you, for saving my life."

"You probably wouldn't've died anyhow, scrag." Jolly said, shrugging his shoulders. "What with the V and all."

"The V?" I asked. "Do you mean that gold mark inlaid in to my palm?"

"That's the one, scrag." Jolly said. "All you wizards got 'em. Hell, even some nons."

"Nons?" I asked, a little confused by this man's continued use of an unfamiliar dialect to me.

"Non-wizards. You magic types don't make up everyone, y'know." He looked me up and down, inspecting me. "Thelma, I think he doesn't know what's up from down about all this."

The woman sitting to my left nodded and looked at me with wise gray eyes. The way she spoke, the way she talked, I sensed that she was most definitely a mother, and a good one, too.

"Look up at the moon." She said, pointing to the sky. I did as I was told and scanned the stars until I found it. It was blue. Light, solid, shining blue. Just like when the wizard had finished the spell.

"It's blue." She said morosely, her eyes full of sadness. "Didn't used t' be. Ever since that night a few years back, moon's been blue ever since."

"Years? Whatever do you mean?" I asked, a feeling of slow, but sure dread filling my stomach.

"Well, 'twas a few years ago somethin' happened, folks called it some kinda cosmic collapse, most think we ain't even in our own realm anymore. Nothin' works right. Steel goes soft, iron's too damn hard. People got these marks on their hands that look like a rune or somethin'. Vile, dark bumpers 'round too many corners. Lotsa good people 've died."

"How-" I began, trying to steady my breathing. "How many years ago did this... collapse occur?"

She counted on her fingers, on her face was a look of deep concentration, and that disturbed me. I had a bad feeling that darker magics than the ones readily visible were at play, ones that were making playthings out of people's minds.

"Five." She answered bluntly. "Five years ago the moon went blue. Five years ago the city and everything 'round it got separated from ev'rything else."

"No." I said, standing up, bile rising in my throat. This could not be happening, not now. Not when we were so close to peace. Not when Margo and I were going to get married. Not when we were about to leave swords and spell books behind for greener pastures, away from the troubles of city life.

I wanted to scream to the sky, to curse the gods and the fate they had bestowed upon me for their cruelties. I felt warm tears running down my cheeks. I do not know whether it was weakness, physical or mental that stopped me, but a thought manifested itself in my head, one that would make me move forward for the harrowing journey I was about to undertake.

Margo, she was a brave knight, expert with a sword and hardly a woman to be trifled with. I forced myself to expect the best, and forced myself not to doubt, even for one second, that she would be alive and well. I swore to myself that the moment I saw her, we would give up a standard wedding, that we would simply run in to the country, away from the darkness, away from blood and bone, and away from evil. That we would be alone in goodness, and live the rest of our lives simply, in the gently rolling fields, in a small cottage somewhere, perhaps.

And this wizard, the one who had cast us in to some sort of other world? The one who had made me miss five years with my beloved?

Fate, or rather I, would not be kind to him.

Author's Note: Hey, folks, glad to have you back for another chapter of Wardenheart. New friends, new faces, and a whole lot of adventure awaits! Remember, I upload every day :D Please vote and give me your feedback in the comments below. Thanks, and I'll see you next time.