I'm not Cornelia Funke, so no, I don't own Inkheart.
Okay, firstly, I would like to welcome anyone who stumbled across this story. Whether you are a new or returning fan of my work, I would like to say one thing: Thanks for deciding that this story sounded interesting enough to come and read it. The Ultimate Predator is a story collaboration that I'm doing with Chocolate Ham Patties (trust me, she's an amazing writer). So, without further ado, I bring you...
Chapter 1--That Dangerous Mistress
The fire twisted and turned in the sky like a graceful ballerina. It soared through the air with such beauty; it captivated the very audience that feared it. In their hearts, they knew that fire was something to be feared, not loved. But the man who was standing the middle of the ring of fire had obviously never learned that, because within that circle of fire, he wore a look of confidence and ease; almost as if he knew that the fire would never dare strike him.
The man guzzled down a clear liquid like a car guzzles petrol, and then he breathed in deep. Everyone in the crowd held their breath; what was coming next? A lit torch was brought up to sit in front of his face, and in the next instant a fireball was hurtling through the sky straight toward the apprehensive crowd. Everyone in the crowd took a step back except one. A small child of ten, who went by the name of Agni, stood his ground. He would not be fearful of fire. He would not back down against the giant mass of fire that could burn him alive if it so chose.
The fire traveled closer and closer, but still Agni did not back down. He was going to show his mommy that he was a big boy and that he deserved to play with fire without her having to worry. Just that day, Agni had gotten into trouble for playing with his father's cigarette lighter. To Agni's childish imagination, it had looked like his mother was spitting fireballs when she had yelled at him, but when Agni had started to cry, she had apologized profusely, saying she was sorry for scaring him.
Agni's father had walked in the room then, and not knowing what had just transpired right before his entrance, he had announced they were going to a fire show. Agni had instantly cheered up. He had never been to a fire show before. He could only imagine what it would look like. Maybe he would get to see a fireball fly through the air like his older brother's model airplanes.
"Agni!" His mother cried, seeing that the fireball was quickly approaching him. She roughly pulled him back, fearing that he would be burned if he stayed in his spot. She had known this fire show was a bad idea from the start, but she had been unable to persuade her husband so.
Agni looked up at his mother with a confused look on his face. He was unable to fathom why his mother would act the way she did. Had he accidentally shown fear on his face? Is that why she had pulled him out of the way with such vigor? That must be it. Why else would his mother need to worry? Without giving it a second thought, Agni turned his attention back to the fireball, only to find that it was no longer there. It had dissipated in his moment of distraction.
A frown formed on Agni's face. Now how was he supposed to prove to his mother that he deserved to play with fire? Suddenly, a very dim light bulb flashed on in his head. Agni darted out of the crowd straight towards the fire-eater. The fire-eater, not expecting to see a child running at him, dropped the torch in his hand. It fell to the ground, landing on the bottle of gasoline and knocking it over.
The crowds' breath caught again as fire shot up like a geyser out of the bottle. A shriek of fear from Agni's mother split the silence as both Agni and the fire-eater were circled in fire. The fire-eater picked up Agni, and held him close to his chest. Sweat from the fire's heat was beginning to show on his brow, but fear never once showed on his face. It was clear, that instead of loving it like a child, he respected it.
"My baby," Agni's mother whispered, the apprehension clear in her voice.
"Somebody call the fire department!" her husband yelled over the fearful murmurings of the crowd. Someone broke away from the crowd, in search of a phone. Not long after, fire truck sirens could be heard in the distance.
Agni's mother began to pray, her eyes shut tight, worried that her son would die if the fire trucks did not arrive soon. She opened them again as the sirens stopped, and in their place, came the sound of rushing water. The fire was quickly put out, and she watched as the fire-eater carried her son to her.
"Thank you," She said, pulling Agni out of the man's arms. Now that Agni was in her arms, relief flooded through her. Her son was safe; she had no more need to worry, nothing could possibly harm him so long as he was in her arms. So long as she was alive, she would make sure nothing could ever harm him. He is her son, and she is his protector.
Now that the man was closer, she could clearly make out his face. His face was covered in soot, but three long pale scars on his cheek were still visible. His sandy hair hung around his face, and every so often, he would push his hair out of his face, only to have it slide back there again. His eyes moved back and forth warily, scanning the crowd, giving him their full attention, looking for any sign of a threat. And eventually he must have found just what he was looking for, because his eyebrows shot up, and in the next instant, he bolted away.
Agni's mother turned around to see what could possibly have frightened him. She felt her jaw go slack as she realized the man had run because of a photographer. He wasn't afraid of fire, but a man with a camera sure did the trick.
"Eleni, "Agni's mother turned at the sound of her husband's voice, "We owe that man a great deal."
"It will never be repaid though, Demetrius." Eleni let a small smile slip across her face. "A man like that is hard to find."
Now Demetrius smiled, "If Agni here forgets, we can always remind him how a fire-eater with three scars saved his life. Maybe he'll run into him, and he can repay the man himself."
....If you liked my story, I would LOVE to hear why...I'd also like to know if you didn't like it, and why that is...It helps me with my writing...I promise.