Fire of Magic (Soul of Magic Book 4)

FOURTEEN

Some minutes before the encounter, Isidora was travelling with Richard, Lucian and Ariel through a deserted path on their way to the incending creek; the four of them off their horses and on foot majorly to give the animals rest but also because they needed the exercise. As usual, Ariel was in front of the group, consulting with her crystal and leading the way.

"So, seer, tell me, how much further to this creek of yours?" Isidora asked as she dusted falling snowflakes out of her hair for the umpteenth time that morning, a growl of annoyance emitting from her at the infuriatingly repeating process.

"It's not too far now," she replied. "The crystal told me that it lies just beyond the hill in front of us." The only thing the dark witch did in response was huff in annoyance; partly at Ariel, partly at her crystal, but mostly at the Barren lands itself.

It was no secret to anyone in the group that Isidora had never wanted to come on the quest with them in the first place; the entire region irritated her to no end and she didn't like it. Many at times, they had often wondered why she even decided to keep pressing on. 

And then they remembered; the dark witch was only doing it out of obligation to Kyra. Of course, none of them could fathom exactly what fuelled that obligation. Whether it was guilt for her part in leaving the Soul of magic alone and her seeming failure at getting her back when she got lost; or perhaps she really did love the realm at large and wanted to keep it safe more than she was letting.

But even if a theory did eventually hold as to what drove Isidora, she would never confirm it to them; that much was no mystery in the entire matter.

Just then, they suddenly began to hear sounds coming from afar in the previously quiet area. "Wait, that's the sound of the clash of weapons," realised Richard, a surprised expression on his face as he looked to the others.

"You’re right," Lucian agreed as he heard it too. "I think it might be safe to assume that our friend the Knight has something to do with that."

"But who would he be fighting at the creek?" asked Ariel, her perplexity a mirror of the ones in the others' minds.

The group hesitated in their walk and truth be told, it was warranted. Thing is, the area they were was the most deserted in the entirety of the Barren lands; even majority of the animals that graced the region skirted it. So, the sudden realisation that the deserted area might be not so deserted was enough for them to have a rethink of what they think they know.

However, Isidora wasn't planning on thinking about it for too long. "Alright, enough with all these," she said to them, handing over the reins of her horse to Lucian. "I'm going ahead to see what's happening, and deal with it if need be."

"Isidora, wait!" Richard shouted; but his words were lost to the winds as the dark witch had already disappeared in a wave of purple smoke.

"That darn witch." Lucian shook his head, displeased. "She's going get herself killed one of these days."

"Well, let’s make sure that day isn’t today," Richard said to him as he mounted his horse in a bid to go after the dark witch. Lucian and Ariel followed suit and they all raced to where they knew she had gone; the incending creek.

What the group didn’t know was that what was waiting for them at the creek was something they couldn’t have prepared themselves for; and it was going to change their lives for a long time to come.

                                                                                                ***

Kyra couldn't bring herself to say anything to the dark witch in front of her for a long time; the surprise coursing through her veins robbing her of every word she could think of. The latter herself wasn't making the encounter any easier for her either, what with her just standing there and looking at Kyra as if she didn’t have a care in the realm. But she knew without a doubt that Isidora cared about the situation; even beneath her whole stoic exterior. Contrary to what the dark witch would have everyone believe, she was actually a feeling person, perhaps not as pronounced as other people, but feeling just the same.

As Kyra thought that she had finally found something to say, Richard, Lucian and a black-haired girl that she wasn’t sure she knew suddenly rode into the area; their surprise becoming as vivid as hers when they saw her there.

"By the spirits!" Lucian gasped, very shocked. "Kyra."

Once again, Kyra found herself short of words for the second time that morning; unable to think of anything to say as her heart just beat haphazardly in her chest in a mixture of surprise, excitement, and a host of other feelings that she couldn't even put names to at that moment.

But all of a sudden, Freya shot an arrow into the midst of the group; particularly targeting the space between Kyra and Isidora. "Good,” she said when she saw that she’d gotten their attention, nocking another arrow and pointing it straight at them. “Now that we've all gotten the whole meeting each other part of this encounter out of the way, can you tell me what in the Creator’s name all you outsiders are doing in the Barren lands?"

"And who are you exactly that we should answer that?" Isidora returned, a glare that could frighten even the bravest of men on her face as she gathered a dark energy in her hands to warn off the pale blonde archer.

"Careful what you do, witch," Morgan said to her as he stood next to Freya, his battle axes already trained for a throw, "I hear that dark witches die just the same as humans."

"Everybody stop!" Kyra suddenly shouted at them, stopping Richard and Lucian from reaching for their swords too with a look. "Look, I know that we’re all wary of one another but we're on the same side here."

"And we're just supposed to listen to you because you, Soul of magic or the Knight or whoever you are, are the epitome of goodness and honesty, right?" Freya returned at her, not bothering to hide the hate and disdain in that statement.

"Careful what you say, little girl," Richard said to her with a warning look. "You wouldn't want to give me a reason to knock that pretty head off your neck, now would you?"

The jabs would've escalated into a full-scale battle there and then but Kyra stepped in again for the second time; this time having to unsheathe her sword in order to keep them at bay. "Whoever wants to get to the other will have to go through me," she said to them, and meant it too.

"And why should I care for anything you say, deceiver?" Freya said to her again.

"Because I am trying to save your life here, Freya!" she returned, the intensity of the situation causing her voice to rise. "I’m trying to save all of our lives."

"Actually, that's what we're trying to do too," Richard said from where he stood, coming closer towards Kyra. "That's why we're in the Barren lands."

The look Kyra saw on Richard's face told her that something was very wrong; or it was imminently about to be. "What is it?" she asked.

"Trouble is on the horizon, my lady," Ariel replied to her. "The Conqueror's flames is about to be reawakened."