Trials Chapter 22: Flames

                The flames burned brightly on Kiri’s body. She could feel the power, the burning, the rage, all focused at one person. Her sister Doratea, in that moment she was less herself and more a force of nature. She could barely form the words that screamed in her mind. “DON”T YOU EVER TOUCH HIM!” Her voice was deeper and louder than normal as if another more powerful entity was speaking through her.  She purposely walked towards Dora every step she took scorching the earth beneath her. Kiri could feel what was coming next. She tried to fight it but part of her also wanted it. She wanted to punish Dora for hurting Ramsey, for hiding the truth about her mother, for treating her like a kid. For an instant inpercievable to anyone but her a struggle went on in her mind. She raised her hands the fire within forming on her palms. She moved her hands forward in a jerky uncontrolled blast. The flames erupted from her hands in a molten stream covering Doratea in a cloak of intense flame.

                Lillian waited by a pool of water. It had formed from morning dew dripping into a hole that had formed in the branch of the tree. The water which should have been stagnant was crystal clear and pure. She dropped in a handful of dirt and bark from the tree and in seconds it dissolved in the water as it remained crystal clear. This was a light tree one of the many miracles that the forest produced.  As she continued to wait at on the tree branch high above the earth she looked at the statue that stood proudly in an ornate shrine carved into the tree itself. It was the image of Eric their former king standing with a scroll in hand; the Treaty of Peace. It was this spot that marked the fourth shrine marked in this first round it was one of the more difficult ones to find. She heard grunts and footsteps. Someone was finally approaching. She turned and smiled.

                “You are not at all who I was expecting to meet.” She said.

                Doratea braced herself against the flames. They were hot and she could feel her flesh burning from their intensity. She had to end this before she was burnt to ash. She jumped sideways escaping the burning stream. It continued burning a hole clear through a row of trees behind her. She looked at her sister, if she even was her sister at that moment. She was completely cloaked in the flames yellow lines created an intricate grid on her body even her hair was aflame. It was clear to Dora that Kiri was losing her control.

                “Kiri please calm down!” She pleaded.

                “No!” Kiri shouted. “You can’t confine me any longer!” Flames erupted from her mouth with every word she spoke. “I want the truth NOW!” She shot another blast at the guardian.  Doratea was forced into defense. Kiri had too much force, she had to be stopped. There was only one way.

  She reached for a power deep within herself, a power she had sworn an oath never to use. Lines webbed across her body in intricate curves and circles as her eyes glowed a radiant blue. She embraced the feeling as the force within cloaked her body. Her muscles tensed and she could feel her mind be overwhelmed by her birthright, the power of the goddess. Just when it felt like too much she stopped. As she returned to her senses another stream of fire was directed at her. This time she didn’t guard instead the flames arched around her and dissipated. She gripped her hand into a fist as a current of electricity enveloped it.  On her back glowed the mark of her house. It was the opposite of Kiri’s a full moon eclipsing the sun’s rays and shrouding the world in darkness. A tear streamed down her face as she looked at her sister in the midst of her mad tantrum. It reminded her of when she was a child the night after the attack. How frantic she had been when their mother hadn’t returned. How she had pleaded for answers. She knew part of this was her fault.

“Kiri. I’m sorry.” She said as she charged towards her sister.

Celina went to sit down next to Lillian. The woman had been sitting quietly waiting for the queen to speak. “I take it no one has discovered this shrine yet?” She picked up the statue in her hand admiring the visage of her grandfather. Maybe if she was more like him things wouldn’t be so difficult. She constantly tried to appear like she had control but things were crumbling around her. She hoped these games would remind the other races of the amazon’s power but she knew in her heart they were on the brink of another war. Suddenly a large shockwave reverberated through the forest causing the very base of the tree to shake and leaves to fall.

“It seems you’re a rather poor teacher.” Lillian commented.

“Hardly.” Celeste defended. “Kiri is a descendant of Celeste her powers are naturally tipped toward chaos. I warned her to control her emotions.”

“She has always been rather excitable.”

“It’s not just that.” Celeste continued. “That soldier of hers is an anomaly. The power she drawing upon could be endless.”

“I’m sure Dora can handle it.” Lillian reassured. She knew Celina was avoiding something. “Care to tell me why you’re really here.”

Lillian always went straight to the point. Celina always hated that about her. It made her an excellent teacher but a poor conversationalist. She gripped the statue in her hand remembering everything that man had taught her. Sometimes she missed him. “Who is killing my amazons?”

Dixie could feel her heart pumping in her chest. It wasn’t just the energy from Dora that made her blood rush. As she watched the two sisters in battle her skin began to tingle. It was such a glorious challenge. She could already feel the monster rising; the one that turned her into a savage beast. She had to grip her two captives a little tighter to try and control herself. She couldn’t engage until Dora gave an order.

Cassandra was content to hang in Dixie’s grasp having no desire to join in the battle between Dora and Kiri. She had known of the power those who were heir to the goddesses possessed. All amazons did, but this was the first time she had ever seen it. In this moment neither of them was mortal. They had become something more than amazons, they were now titan. This day would be a memory she would never forget. One day she would tell this story to her grandchildren.

                Dora gripped her sister’s wrists in her hands. She looked down at the girl who was thrashing angrily at her confinement.

                “LET ME GO!” she yelled as fire erupted from her mouth right into Dora’s face. Still Dora held on now impervious the intense heat. It was clear now that Kiri had only tapped into a tiny part of her power. She looked at the bracers on her wrist and ankles and knew what they were for. They were limiting Kiri’s power. She was thankful to Celina for her foresight. She squeezed harder the pain bringing Kiri to her knees.

                “Yield!” Dora commanded but still her sister fought defiant.

                “NO!” Kiri screamed. “You are trying to take him away! Like you take everything away! Like you took mom away!” She continued to thrash and more power burst forth as her marks grew even brighter. Her bracers were glowing red hot.

                Doratea was hurt by her sister’s words. Was this what she really believed? She wondered how she could be so misguided. The flames were becoming more intense and she had to increase her power in kind. She saw the bracers glowing red hot then they melted of completely. Doratea released her grip and jumped back. “DIXIE BACK AWAY!” she shouted. Suddenly flames erupted from Kiri’s body shooting out in all directions. Dora couldn’t believe she had such power. She looked over to her soldier he was on the ground cold and pale. The earth around him looked like it had been over. Was he really the source of all this?

                “Isn’t it obvious?” Lillian answered.

                “Impossible.” Celina objected. “Lucinda isn’t her father. She’s smarter, and kinder, and-“

                “A friend.” Lillian finished. “Just because she smiles at you doesn’t mean she not a threat. King Reginald was a very charismatic man. How else do you think he could unite the scattered kingdoms of man against us?”

                “He was also a power mad despot.’

                “Who we beheaded.” Lillian replied.

                “She’s weak.” Celina informed. “She’s doesn’t want revenge. She wants to establish trade routes. “

                “Then why give Dora that badge?” Lillian dipped her hand into the pool and took a sip of the purified water. “You knew Dora would suspect the soldier. Even if it’s not Lucinda someone in the Qwalis Empire has a grudge against the amazons.”

                Suddenly more grunting could be heard as someone else was struggling to climb the giant tree. Both women turned to see a giant green ogre lumbering toward them. On his back was a young amazon who looked to still be in her teens. The ogre walked up to them and went to one knee. The young amazon jumped off and approached Celina. “Could I please have that statue?” She asked her voice was soft and silky.

                “Have you forgotten your etiquette in the presence of your queen?” Celina teased.

                The young amazon blushed and bowed curtly.  Celina smiled and handed the statue to the girl. She struggled to lift it over her shoulder. The ogre immediately intervened easily picking it and the girl up in its hands. As they walked off Celina couldn’t help but smile at their silhouette. Somehow it seemed fitting that they would claim the statue of Eric.

                The flames erupted intensely if this continued much longer the entire forest would be set ablaze. Dixie had to drop her captives letting them evade the wild flames as they shot forth. She could no longer worry about them she had to help Dora before they were all burned away. She took a deep breath and rushed into the center of the flames.

                Kiri had lost control. She knew this in her heart yet she did not fight it. As the power rushed it seemed like it was taking its natural course. She couldn’t stop it if she wanted to. She only hoped they would survive until it was over.

                Doratea could only brace herself to keep the flames at bay. She hadn’t drawn enough power and she was too distracted to do it now. It was now up to Dixie to act. She only hoped it wouldn’t unleash something even more dangerous inside her lover.

                Cassandra held Dawn to her as she jumped and ducked barely avoiding the flames that erupted. Dixie had disappeared into the fire and she field the amazon was dead.

                “Mistress you must put me down!” Dawn spoke.

                “Are you kidding?’ Cass yelled. “You’ll die.”

                Dawn couldn’t blame her for the concern. She couldn’t see what was happening she doubted any of them did. Dawn however had eyes that could see into the second realm. In it she saw the link that connected all things. She saw the link between the amazon and the soldier on the ground seemingly isolated from the flames. A channel of energy was being funneled from him directly into the blaze at an alarming place. It was clear for this to end they had to be separated. “Mistress, please trust me.” She looked into Cassandra more resolute than she actually was. She relented placing Dawn on the ground. The elf took a seat with her legs crossed her staff starting to levitate in the air in front of her. A series of incantation were spoken in a voice that was almost not her own. She levitated in the air as a circle of light surrounded her.

                Dixie was smiling as she charged into the flames. Was this the joy of battle she had confined within her? Why would she keep herself away from this? She could see Kiri her body glowing brighter at the center of the flame. She gripped the amazon’s arms in her hands and in one motion pushed her into the ground. She continued the pressure pressing her further into the earth. The strength she had forced onto Kiri didn’t seem to affect her in the slightest. The flames erupted as strong as ever. Dixie started laughing. Kiri was definitely making this worth it. She raised a fist punching her into the earth a crater forming from the weight of her assault.

                Dora watched as Dixie continued to subdue her sister’s rampage. She could see the smile on her face and knew she was slowly becoming the warrior of her past. If this continued further either Kiri or Dixie would die. She knew she could stop Dixie but then what? Kiri would continue to burn seemingly forever. She looked at the flames they had formed a cone their intensity now being directed completely toward her love. She couldn’t risk this. She couldn’t lose them both. Taking a moment she drew in more power and jumped toward Dixie. She tackled her to the ground her love was still smiling. “Dixie please come back!”

                The giant amazon could hear her partner’s voice but it did little to calm her rush. She strained and flexed trying to return to the fold but Dora had used their pact to force her into submission. She couldn’t move unless Dora allowed it. “If I don’t stop her we all die!” Dixie argued.

                “No! Dixie. I won’t lose you.” Doratea wept knowing this decision would sacrifice her sister. Seeing her love cry seemed to snap Dixie back and she suddenly stopped struggling. She had only scraped the shallow end of the monster inside her. She returned. Dora looked into her eyes and once again saw the gentle eyes of her soul mate. Suddenly the light had faded and the flames had stopped. Dora rolled over to see Kiri had collapsed motionless onto the ground a large scorch mark surrounded her. Doratea walked over to her sister. She could see her chest rise and fall. She was still alive.

                “What happened?” Dora asked.

                “She happened!” Cassandra yelled gleefully raising Dawn’s hand. The elf had to lean against her partner her energy totally spent.

                “The soldier was feeding her too much energy.” She managed. “I-I cast a spell to separate them. To send him away.”

                “Where?” Dora asked.

                “I don’t know.” Was Dawns answer.

Alaster was surrounded. On all sides was a squad of Lynx the feline race that also called the Emerald forest their home. In his hand he held his hammer. Strapped to his back was the statue of Volsta. Lemere was to his back ready as he was for the coming battle. They wouldn’t run. Running was for cowards. They would fight and it would be a fight they would sing about in the halls back home. He was already imagining the story in his head.

                “Al this is totally unnecessary.” She glared at her partner. She knew he had orchestrated this little encounter. She had to give him credit. He was somehow capable of finding a battle no matter what the situation.

                “Spoken like a true woman.” Alaster returned. Without another word he yelled and charged headfirst into the crowd before them.