Call of Ring(Compleled)

12 Fire Test

Another flash of fire shot toward Blake, but his reflexes helped him elude the strike. A bail of hay behind him caught fire. Because he was facing his attacker this time, he noticed that the fire had come from the staff in the assailant’s hand. Blake had also read about this element of magic in one of the books from the cave.

         “I have seen the mysterious power of a wood element, and now the fire is upon me. I wonder what is next…”

         His thoughts were interrupted suddenly by an extreme heat that scalded his right shoulder. His thoughts had distracted him from the third strike. He was injured but recovered quickly. Blake tried to size up his surroundings in order to defend himself from the power of the fire. He decided he had to use hand to hand combat ultimately hoping that yet again his reflexes would prevail.

         Blake lunged at the man. His attacker was taken by surprise. Blake now had the man pinned up against a post. Unfortunately, his enemy was still clutching the staff. Blake could tell that he was fumbling for control of it, trying to wield its powers. Sensing that he was stronger than the other man, Blake thrust his forearm up into his enemy’s throat. The move made his attacker gasp for breath.

         Seemingly out of nowhere, instant pain flooded Blake’s groin area. He realized a second too late that he had left himself exposed in the most vulnerable of places. The blow forced Blake to his knees. Despite the intense pain, he was still able to think clearly enough to make his next move.

         Blake swung an open hand, chopping the knee of his assailant. He could hear the bone splinter which elicited a loud scream. The instrument of fire dropped to the ground. Blake picked up the staff with his right hand, and as he rose to his feet, he swung it into his enemy’s chest. The blunt wooden object pierced the man’s heart impaling the main straight through. The man slowly dropped to his feet, blood pouring out of his half-opened mouth. The look of menace on his attacker’s face was replaced by a look of shock. It was the look of a dying man whose powers could no longer keep him alive. The inevitability of death had set in. Resigned to his fate, the man fell forward on his face and lay motionless on the ground.

         Curiosity peaked in Blake. He shook the stick, pointing it at the ground. But no fire was produced.  

“I wonder how I can learn the secrets behind these elements. I long to have these powers for myself.” Blake mumbled to himself in frustration.

Defeated only by his thoughts, but not by the battle with this random assailant, Blake continued on toward the home of Gaius and Dorkus.

Not a second later, Blake was startled by a familiar voice behind him.

“I hope it’s okay if I join you at dawn tomorrow.”

Blake turned around and confirmed it was indeed Apollos.

“Of course you can join us,” Blake replied.

“I am intrigued by your plan, and I look forward to witnessing the results it may produce.” 

“See you tomorrow Apollos.”

After this brief exchange, Blake once again made his way on the path toward his host family’s home. As he walked, he wondered if Apollos had witnessed his latest fight.

After arriving, Blake went straight away to the back yard. He nudged the piece of wood gently with his foot. As he made his way down the stairs, he noticed that the room was already lit. Gaius and Dorkus were already reading, consumed by their books of choice. Each of them took only a moment to look up before returning to their reading. Gaius nodded, while Dorkus revealed a slight smile.   

          The three became lost in silent reading for hours. And just like the two days prior, they exited the book cave in darkness. Blake expected that they would retire to their separate rooms for the night’s sleep just as they had before.

         “We should talk,” said Gaius, breaking the routine.

         “Of course we can,” Blake replied, suddenly feeling a bit nervous.

         Dorkus moved over to the stove and stoked the fire, moving a pot of water toward the heat. She fixed three cups of tea, while Gaius and Blake sat down.

         “We have become aware that you have now encountered both the elements of wood and fire. We understand that you defeated both of your attackers. Congratulations!” remarked Gaius.  

         “I am relieved to have survived both enemies, but I want to learn more about these powers. I want to sense them, and in so doing, be able to use them for myself,” Blake replied in a frustrated tone.

         “You must be patient,” responded Dorkus while handing him his tea.

         Gaius continued seemingly unaffected by Blake’s statement of inquiry.

         “We are interested in your plan for tomorrow morning. No one has ever attempted capture of the wild beasts from Stella Woods.”

         “I am surprised by this,” responded Blake, wondering why no one had attempted something similar before.

         Dorkus spoke up. “Soon you will be working with someone who can guide you in the ways of our magic. He will help you advance in levels as a mage.”

         Looking down at his two rings, Blake got lost in his thoughts for a moment. Sadie had given him the first ring. It was simple, and it held some sort of mysterious aura of familiarity over him. He still couldn’t place where this feeling was coming from. The second ring was more elaborate. It was known as “The Ring of Cora” as he had read. He remained confused that he was able to purchase it from the market for a single coin.

         “Do either of these rings hold any significance for discovering more to this world of mystery? Will I ever see Sadie again?” Blake allowed his mind to be filled with these questions. But he indulged them only or a moment. He snapped out of the mental muse quickly, remembering he needed to focus instead on the events of tomorrow.

         “You are welcome to join me tomorrow,” Blake stated as an invitation.

         “Thank you, but we will simply await your return,” Gaius replied.

         And with that, Blake excused himself, thanking them for the tea. It was time to rest. Tomorrow would prove to be an eventful day. Blake wondered if it was a day that would bring success or failure. He longed to help protect the children of this community.