REJECTED SAVIOUR

SEVEN

FIRE-CITY

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Carim was awakened by the loud knocks at the door and he yawned in exhaustion as he got up from the bed, wondering when he had fallen asleep. He had only shut his eyes to think and had not known when the forceful hands of sleep had dragged him. He yawned again, feeling pathetic as he made his way to the main door, hoping that it was his friends and no one else at the door. He had been waiting for those two to return as he felt he would run mad from curiosity anytime soon.

He sighed in relief when he found Baim and Zuda by the door and before he could shame hands with any of them, they pushed through him and made way for his room. His jaw fell open at that but he quietly locked the door and walked to his room only to see the duo sprawled on his bed in profound tiredness.

He knew he shouldn't but he could not help feeling some surge of satisfaction from their misfortune as he stared at them. He was quick to dissolve the smile immediately their eyes met with his and he walked to the only chair in the room and sat comfortably on it.

"How was the contest?" He asked calmly so he didn't sound desperate. "You two look like mashed potatoes." He grinned.

"And you look like a starved ghost," Baim bit back, his eyes wide with fury and Carim was taken aback.

"Hey! Calm down, old man. I'm not the cause of your misfortune." He told the angry man on his bed and watched as his eyes narrowed.

What would have gone wrong in the contest that made Baim so angry? True, Baim was hot-tempered and all, but Zuda didn't look too good too.

"That King Bawka is a mad man." Baim spat out finally while Zuda let out a frustrated sigh. "Who does he think his daughter is?"

"Hey! Don't insult the princess," Carim yelled, in spite of himself and the duo turned to stare at him in surprise. They exchanged look before looking at him again and Carim felt embarrassed by his outburst. Though he was staring at the wall, he could still feel the piercing gaze of his friends boring a hole on his head.

"What is the meaning of that?" Baim asked at last and Carim sighed.

"As a good citizen, it isn't right for you to speak badly of the king and his household." Carim tried to defend himself but Baim was not buying it.

"Good citizen my foot! What king would make his people go through all that we did today? You didn't participate in the contest so what do you know?" The man pushed a stubborn strand of his auburn hair off his forehead as he maintained eye contact with Carim was already getting angry.

"You weren't forced." He bit back.

"Oh! You think everyone is a coward like you?" Baim replied and all Carim saw was red. He opened his mouth to speak but Zuda who had been watching the duo quietly intervened to Carim's annoyance.

"You guys! do you want to start a fight over this contest?" He asked the two men who were glaring at each other. "Come on, Let it rest. I'm honestly tired and won't have the strength to separate you both if you decide to get into a fight. Remember the last time this happened? I don't want a blood bath."

The last time the two friends had fought physically had been a year ago when Baim out of anger had insulted Carim's late father. The two had gotten into a fight - one that had taken Zuda a while to separate as Po had gone out on a date with his sweetheart. The scar by the side of Baim's head had been inflicted by Carim and Carim had almost lost his leg because of that. It had been bloody and honestly, Carim would never let that happen again, so he relaxed and watched Baim through narrowed eyes as the man clenched his teeth in anger.

"It's because of that so-called princess I have this profound swelling on my leg. Her father made us do inhumane things, things he couldn't do himself. What kind of king is that? I thought a king ought to have his people in his best interest. This one wants to have us killed."

"Calm down, Baim. We are the ones who want a 'princess' for a wife." Zuda rolled his eyes and Carim was already getting really impatient. What exactly had happened?

"What did he ask you to do?" He questioned.

"He asked us to swim in icy water. You know how hard it is for us fireite to swim in cold water. It causes destabilizing pain to us." Baim replied. "He also asked us to lit up candles with our hands. As many as we could. I kept on igniting till I felt I had no more fire left in me."

"So what happened after," Carim asked eagerly and Baim rolled his eyes.

"Morudin won the contest of course. What else were you expecting? I don't know how he managed to put up with all those stupid tests but he came out strong and bubbling."

It felt like the world had stopped spinning immediately Carim heard those words as all he could do was stare at the faces of his friends one after the other. Baim was still hurling more insults on the princess but Carim decided to ignore him for there was something more important than that to react to; his world was almost crashing at his feet.

"Which Morudin are we talking about?" He asked at last only for Baim to roll his brown eyes like he was asking ridiculous questions.

"Which Morudin do you know?" He snapped, turning away with a hiss.

The short i***t was being very annoying and Carim was trying so hard not to lose his cool and Zuda, sensing all the tension in the air, decided to reply.

"Morudin, Son of Pi Dogla."

He could tell what was wrong with Baim - he had stressed himself a lot as he had seriously wanted to win the contest - even though the man was being extra, however, he could not understand what was wrong with Carim.

"And from what I heard, they will be getting married in the next two days. He's currently in the palace and perhaps, having some romantic time with the princess in her room. Don't you think so, Carim?" Baim asked with a sly smile playing at the corner of his lips. He had long been watching Carim and he suspected there was something the man was not telling them - something that had to do with the princess. He was keen on that and had to figure it out as soon as possible.

Carim on the other hand could not believe his ears and all he could do was sit frozen like a statue. He tried to comprehend slowly all he had just heard but none of it made sense. Lizvy had asked him not to compete because she felt her father was planning something and he had agreed, hoe then could she would be getting married to another man aside him?

The slight touch on his shoulder made him flinch violently and Zuda held up his hand in surrender as he eyed Carim intently.

"Are you okay?" He opened his mouth to say but Carim was already heading for the door and running out of the house like someone who was being chased. The two friends exchanged confused glances before shuffling to their feet and running after him. They called out his name but he refused to reply, instead, he increased his pace that his friends found hard to keep up. His body was flaming and he could barely breathe, yet he kept running with all his might, one place in his mind. He did not want to accept that the only opportunity he had to finally publicize his relationship with the princess had slipped away through his fingers before his eyes. He had prayed to the Fire god always, asking for a chance - just one chance - to have the princess to himself and now that he had that chance, he had let it go, vanish into thin air.

Tears welled up in his golden-brown eyes and they fell to his cheek pathetically. He reached out and wiped them furiously from his face but more fell from his eyes.

He needed an explanation and only one person could offer that explanation to him. He had to see her. He needed to hear her a assure him that the news was false. He needed that or this feeling of grief would have him drowned.

Zuda and Baim, on the other hand, tried to keep pace with him but he was too fast, too swift; his movement was meteoric and he kept diving into various bends. However, they kept running after him till they finally lost track of him. They stopped abruptly, gasping for air and panting heavily. 

"What had come over him?" Zuda yelled breathlessly and Baim shook his head.

"I don't know. He has been acting strange ever since the announcement of the contest." Baim replied.

"Where is he heading to now?" Zuda tried to calm his raging breathing as he looked around him for traces of his friend.

"Are you asking me? How do you expect me to know?" Baim rolled his eyes and huffed.

"What do you suggest we do?"

"We go home of course. What else can we do? We don't know where he went to." Baim replied and began retracing his steps back while Zuda stood for a moment, his face contorted in confusion and frustration, before letting out a sigh and running after Baim who had walked a large distance from him.