The Inferno's Brethren (Second book of Seven Series) (Completed)

Chapter 21- Eira

I opened my eyes at the sound of laughter and chattering people. I blinked and rubbed my eyes before looking around to see people strolling on the "barren" cobblestone walkway, all of them going the same direction.

Men, women, and children were all walking in one direction, laughing and having a good time with no care in the world. They didn't seem to notice me, but they made way for my still body as if they sensed me.

"Come on!" an excited kid voice cheered, coming into my view. A little boy with fiery red hair was grinning at someone that I couldn't see, waving his hand before running away. "The castle is this way!"

I followed the strand of people and took in my surroundings. My breath caught in my throat as I noticed how beautiful this world was.

Red, orange, yellow, and gold were the main colors of this world with everyone dressed in brightly colored clothing. The grass was this beautiful red and gold color, and I had a feeling that this was what it looked like before being turned into soot.

Poles stood at different parts of the road with brightly colored flags, each one of them containing a symbol of a lion standing on three legs with a crown above its head.

There was this festive feeling in the air as if everyone was excited about something that was going to happen at the castle. Music filled the air as well as this excited chattering that as we drew nearer and nearer to the bridge that connected this part to the kingdom.

Children ran past me, some of them holding hands as they followed the bustling crowd of people gathered on the cobblestone road. No one touched me for some reason, and for some reason, I felt like I was a ghost to them an observer of this festivities but not a part of it.

When we got to the bridge, everyone seemed to part for this figure standing in the middle of the area. The figure, a little girl with dark black hair and brown eyes stared at me, and I had a feeling that she was the one that I needed to see.

Power filled the air around her, and I couldn't help but sense this ancient power coming off of her and had a feeling that she was more than this little girl in front of me.

I kneeled in front of her and placed my arm across my chest, submitting. I stayed silent and didn't look at her, waiting for her to do something.

"Rise," the little girl said, her voice strong and powerful. She sounded wiser and far older than what she portrayed herself to me, reminding me a little bit of Katie and how she looked. "You don't have to bow down to me, to us, Daughter of Almahket."

I stood and nodded my head. "Am I right in my theory?" I asked, causing her to nod her head. Relief filled my body, and I had a feeling that it showed on my face. "So, everyone is alive and safe?"

"Yes, Daughter of Almahket, but you won't be able to find them without a little... sacrifice."

My mouth went dry as she said that. I had no idea what the sacrifice would be, and I was scared of someone ending up dead. However, I knew that whatever sacrifice they had to take would help us in our quest for Daniel's dagger and then the rest of the Holders.

The female nodded her head, probably sensing my raging thoughts. "Trust your gut and trust others," she said. "I am sure that you know that it is needed for finding the Fire Holder's dagger, correct?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Are you willing to let go of what you love for the greater good?" she asked. "Everything that you hold dear to you?"

I wanted to say no. I really wanted to say no, but I knew that I needed to put my faith in the Gods and the Goddesses that watched out for us. Like them, we needed the Goddesses and the Gods to survive whatever was thrown at us. If that meant that I needed to let go of what I cared for, then I would do it in a heartbeat, praying that the Goddesses and Gods would be in my favor. "Yes," I replied without any hesitation.

The female nodded her head. She held out her hand, causing me to put mine in hers, palm up. She dropped something into my hand and closed my hand until I made a fist. Her skin contrasted from mine, but what caught my attention was the tattoo on her wrist and circled on her skin until a spiral was on the back of her hand. "Hold on tight to this and give it to the Fire when you are with him," she said, causing me to look at her in the eye. She smiled, sadly, knowing what had caught my attention. "And, don't look for the symbol. You will find it again when it is time, ok?"

I nodded my head. "I won't," I promised.

"Good, follow the path until you reach the castle. Stay on it, and don't get off for anything. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I replied, causing her to nod her head.

She gave my hand a squeeze and pulled away. "Good, we'll meet again, Daughter of Almahket." She backed up a step. "Now, wake up. Your mission is not done yet."

And with that, everything grew blurry until it went black.

🔥🔥🔥

I opened my eyes as soon as the world stopped spinning. I was kneeling in the middle of the runes and was on the same barren path that I had been before the spell. My whole body was tense, and my heart was heavy.

"Well?" David asked. "What happened?"

"It's a mirage," I confirmed. I stood and kicked at the runes, causing them to disappear. "It's their defense mechanism."

"So, does that mean there is still a chance?" Laura asked. "We didn't lose?"

"Not yet," I said, "but, that doesn't mean we're not going to have to work for it." I grunted when Daniel pulled me into a hug and patted his back, shocked and surprised. A part of me was happy that he was hugging me, but I wasn't used to it at all.

"Don't ever do that again," he said. "You scared me."

"I didn't know you could get scared," I teased, causing him to pull away from me and give me a look. I smiled innocently, causing him to shake his head. "Here, this is for you." I handed him the necklace. "You're the Fire."

He furrowed his brows. "Thanks..?" he asked, taking it from me. "What am I supposed to do with it?"

"Put it on," I replied. "Come on, let's walk and talk. I'll explain what I can." I started to walk, causing them to walk after me.

"And go where?" Daniel asked. He placed the necklace on and caught up with me. "Did you see where the castle was?"

"Yes," I said. "This is the way that we need to go. I was told to stay on the path."

"But, does that mean I am able to get my dagger?" Daniel asked. "Did you find out if that could happen or not?" Hope filled his voice, and I had a feeling he was finally accepting his role as being the Fire Holder. He knew that he had a duty for these people, even if he had never met them.

I nodded my head. "It can," I promised. I looked at the other three that were following us, all of them having to watch this the longest.

Out of all of us, Ralph, Laura, and David were the ones that had been through it all. They were the ones that had remembered everything and watched as Bane took over. They were the ones that watched me forget who and what I was, someone that was born into a position of leadership. They were the ones that had been through the all hope was lost phase, not knowing if I would ever gain my knowledge or powers back.

"We haven't lost, not yet."