See the Light
Flame Princess scrunched up in bed, her slumbering mind being invaded by a foreign noise that rattled around her head, threatening to interrupt her sleep. She had thought she'd grown used to it by now, the constant mumbling coming out of Finn's mouth as he rested nearby, guarding her balcony as a new security obligation.
He and Cinnamon Bun took turns each night, determined not to let the pest known as Hermes return. On the shifts where the fiery young man was present, FP had to endure his strange behavior. It had become more and more common with each passing day, concerning the king that her knight may be suffering from some bizarre sickness and couldn't get a peaceful rest.
She never became angry at him; after all it wasn't his conscious self, and he was protecting her. In fact, on the nights where the fiery woman truly could not sleep, for one reason or another, she would waltz out of bed, go over to the wall Finn was slumped up against, and sit down beside him. The stories that he spoke of were often quite interesting; tales of what she guessed were the fire elemental's past.
However, most of them were centered around some sort of tragedy, evidenced by the pained expression on Finn's face. His most common words were "mistake", "useless", and "I'm sorry". Flame Princess noticed he unconsciously gripped his heart pendant whenever those dreams came up.
That pendant. She was mesmerized by it every time her eyes were laid upon it. She'd even developed a mental hobby to pass the time during slow days at the palace: making up stories on what the picture inside could be and its meaning to her protector. One time, she'd even dared to touch it, gently feeling the smooth sliver material on her skin.
Though she refused to admit it, even to herself, focusing on her knight took her mind off much more dreary topics, such as the now ongoing search for the killer of Finn the Human. She'd given the essence orb to her brother, who led platoons of soldiers all over the kingdom, including its outskirts, speaking with and testing every male fire elemental they came across. Nothing had shown up in the past week, but she declined every plea by her sibling to call it off and concentrate on protecting the land's king.
Eyeing the outside, FP noticed it was almost dawn. There was little point in trying to sleep again, so she simply remained, listening carefully to the words the person beside her whispered uncontrollably.
This was soon interrupted by a knock at her door. Letting out a breath and quickly conjured up her royal clothing, anticipating work ahead, the king got to her feet and made her way to her room's entrance, grasping the knob and turning to open. She expected either Cinnamon Bun or one of her captains reporting on the search for the killer. She did not expect both.
Concern spreading across her face, FP stepped out and shut the door behind her, not wanting to bother a slumbering Finn any further than his dreams already were.
"What is it?" she asked.
CB and the captain exchanged looks briefly, then both bit their lips.
"I believe you'll want to see this, your highness."
The fire elemental man motioned for both his ruler and her knight to follow as he led them down the corridor and towards the command post temporarily set up in a meeting hall on the lower level of the palace. It was here that FP had ordered her troops to correlate searches and gather info, intent on tracking down a member of their kind who didn't stay in the same place for too long, assuming he was on the run.
Walking through the double doors to the hall, the three passed by numerous analysis stations where teams of strategists and high ranking military officials put together the most efficient patterns of recon their scouts could perform. Many of these glanced uncertainly at Flame Princess as the captain led her and her protector towards the back corner of the hall. She didn't seem to notice, but Cinnamon Bun frowned as he saw disheartened faces and expressions of doubt.
The candy person was quite objective to FP's decision to mobilize the army to track down one man, and even more resistant to the idea of having said forces drift so far from the center of power in the kingdom. On the outskirts of the volcanic lands, the men could do little in the event of a siege on the palace. But the king was not to be dissuaded, refusing to stop her operation. The knight grew more worried every day.
The captain halted his advance, turning to his ruler.
"Wait here. I'll be right back."
With that, he walked into a curtained off area in the very corner of the massive chamber. Flame Princess slowly sat down on a nearby chair, with CB following and settling in next to her. Seeing as they had a minute, the sugary knight decided to try again.
"FP, it's been a week, and nothing has come up."
The fiery woman stared straight ahead, as if waving off his comment.
"They we'll keep going."
CB sighed, placing a hand gently on the king's shoulder.
"Flame Princess, Ooo has already mourned the man Finn was, a hero who recognized his flaws and fought to correct them."
He hardened his pleading look.
"Don't you think that's how he would want to be remembered, rather than with a manhunt full of vengeance?"
FP faced her protector with a scowl.
"This is not for vengeance! It's for justice!"
He flames grew noticeably, causing all nearby troops to become nervous and take a step back. Cinnamon Bun however, remained calm, sighing sadly.
"On the evenings where I guard your balcony, I can hear you talking to yourself in the mirror while you're preparing for bed."
FP's fire lowered to its normal state, as CB held his hard expression.
"You tell yourself you'll tear his killer in half, after making him suffer to the full extent of your power."
Flame Princess struggled to hold her gaze with the knight's, but his proved too dominant and she turned away, having lost control of the conversation. Regardless, she remained defensive.
"Every person has their own version of justice, that isn't something you can deny."
She stole a hostile glance at CB.
"I don't have to conform to anyone else's perspective."
Neither spoke further, not until the captain finally reemerged from the shrouded area and beckoned for them to follow him inside. They did so swiftly, wanting to shake off the conversation earlier. As they pushed the curtain aside to enter the closed off corner, they were surprised to find a makeshift infirmary.
FB and Cinnamon Bun walked around to where the captain directed them, this being the other side of a gurney holding what seemed to be an unconscious fire soldier. He was among about a dozen others, all in the same state but from what the king and her knight could see, completely uninjured.
"What is this?" the ruler asked with evident confusion.
The captain stepped aside, making way for a much more decorated militant to take his place. This man had a serious look that exceeded his subordinate, as well as markings that indicated his rank as a colonel.
"Your highness, over the past week we've sent scouts along the farthest borders of the kingdom, as you had requested, in search of a possible hideout where the target may have bunkered in."
He looked down at the bedridden soldier.
"This is what happened to each and every one of them."
Flame Princess slightly shook her head.
"I don't understand."
The colonel took his hand and placed it on the scout's shoulder, shaking him slightly. As a result, the soldier began reacting, slowly sitting up and showing full awareness of his surroundings, yet keeping his eyes closed. He turned his head to face his superior officer.
"Yes, sir?"
The colonel looked over at FP, who was anxiously awaiting an explanation.
"Corporal Rigs, please show our king what happened to you and these other fine men."
The scout nodded, then turned again to face the two guests. He opened his eyes, causing Flame Princess to gasp and CB to stiffen.
Under normal conditions, fire elementals usually had either black or amber eyes, sometimes a lighter brown when weakened or fatigued. The scout's were grey, empty and void of all sense of sight and study. It was chilling, even to a being made of combustion. FP quickly looked to the colonel, both for an explanation and so that she could stop staring into the cold pupils of his subordinate.
"What in Grod's name happened to him?"
The commanding officer lowered his head, the hard look staying firmly upon his face.
"He's been blinded."
He turned to look over the other disabled soldiers in the room.
"Every one of them was found wandering the outskirts, hopelessly running into rocks, stumbling, or simply too lost to even try moving."
The colonel stood up, then made his way over to his guests' side of the bed. He looked to the king.
"Ask him if you wish. It's a difficult story to believe, but I trust my men."
With that, the officer walked off, likely to check logistics with the other teams. Flame Princess watched him leave, then turned back to the bedridden man, who bowed his head upon sensing that his superior had left.
"I'm so sorry, your highness, I have failed the assignment given to me. The murderer still remains hidden."
FP shook her head, forgetting that he couldn't see.
"No, don't say that. You've served the kingdom loyally and with honor."
The scout shook his head.
"But I haven't! I…"
He sighed, then was silent for a moment. FP reached out and placed a hand over his knee.
"Please, tell us what happened."
She kept her voice gentle, not knowing what the solider had been through and giving him the proper respect. Her anxiety to hunt down the killer was strong, but could still be held back by her composure. For now.
The scout nodded, slightly, then repositioned himself on his bed, back against the pillow, head hung, hands in lap.
"Two days ago, my squad was out on recon…"
My captain shook his head slowly, doubting the idea I had presented about climbing up the mountain wall for a long-distance view. I kept pressuring him, explaining that the vantage point was invaluable to our search; that we could all go home after finishing reconnaissance in this valley. After letting out a breath, taking a moment longer, and with a look of extensive hesitation, he finally nodded.
The trek up the side was easy enough. Although I wasn't one of the rare individuals who could shift into full-on flames at a moment's notice, I could still channel energy to quickly burst in a single direction, thus the reason I always handled the high altitude scouting. Upon reaching the top, I first confirmed I had made it by firing off a single flare.
That was unfortunately, a mistake.
For a while, I was succeeding, scouring the land for any unusual rock formations and signs of fire elementals among the dark volcanic earth. Then, I finally took a good look at the area behind me, the area concealed by the extensive mountain wall. An incredibly large dome of nothing but black rested in the pit, as if someone had half-buried a cannonball the size of a small city into the ground.
I stared in amazement for a time that I can't recall, but it was eventually interrupted when an odd sensation spread throughout my body. It wasn't nerves, or pressure, or anything alarming. It was actually, soothing and very sensual. I broke away from the view of the strange dome, scanning the area around me, since I was also under the impression I wasn't alone.
I was right. As crazy as it sounded, an absolutely beautiful and slender woman walked out from behind a nearby rock wall, walking in a motion that mesmerized me. Her hips swung in such a rhythm, I felt hypnotized, and her fiery hair swung gently with each step. A warm smile was upon her face, genuine and… inviting. Those eyes, they just bore into me, I found myself unable to move. The air had changed since she'd appeared, hotter and somewhat rhythmic just as she was.
Her clothes were especially exotic, with transparent cloth that connected to her wrists with golden bracelets that led to the back of her dress. The outfit itself was very revealing, covering only her legs and bust. Her skin had this healthy glow that made her seem angelic, as if her looks weren't already at that point.
As she came closer to me, she suddenly sent out a wave of what I assumed was heat sense, except that when the pulse of flames met me, they left something behind. My chest stared to warm up, my matrix felt calmed and unguarded. I couldn't focus on anything except her. The woman finally came up next to me, lifting a delicate hand and running it up my arm, across my chest, and finally holding up my chin.
Her smile grew, as she placed herself almost right up against me.
"Mm, how fortunate of me to find such a handsome man up here."
I struggled to speak, still unable to move.
"Wh-what are you doing up here?"
She giggled, then stepped back, sliding her hand down to mine and tugging me along as she walked towards the cliff overlooking the bizarre dome. She stopped us as we were just on the edge of the path, then slinked around to my back, where she wrapped her arms around me. I could swear she was pouring her heat into me.
"I'm just doing what was asked of me. Speaking of that, could you do something for me?"
Her last sentence was spoken in a playful and pleading voice, one that drove my mind crazy. I tried fighting it, but the urge to nod was too strong.
"Y-yes, of course."
She giggled again.
"Aww, that's so generous of you."
She set her chin on my shoulder, humming gently into my ear.
"Could you please stare at the dome for a minute? I'll keep you company a little longer if you do.
I didn't even question it at this point.
"Whatever you wish, I'll do it."
Her arms tightened, hugging me from behind.
"Good, now don't blink."
I obeyed, practically mindlessly. The energy within me acted as puppet strings, holding me in place and locking my eyes on the black dome. Then, a portion of the object's surface began to crumble, revealing a bright light from within. Before I could ask what was happening, the light exploded into a flash so bright that I shouted in pain. There was nothing but white for a long time, then eventually, there was only darkness.
I was still standing there, feeling the ominous heat from the woman, who hummed approvingly and tugged at my hand again, taking me away from the cliff. We walked for a while, me still absorbed by her essence, even if I couldn't see her. In fact, I trusted her unconditionally as she led me around the top of the mountain. Finally, she stopped me, although I was lost by now without my vision.
"Thank you so much for listening," she said, keeping up with her playful tone.
"Now, could you please send that king of yours a message?"
I just said yes. She whispered the request into my ear, then at last separated from me, backing away before I heard the crackling of flames indicate she'd dissipated and left. Silence followed, with no activity besides some nearby lava bubbling about.
I stood there for what seemed like hours, waiting for her to return, but nothing happened. I was too afraid to move, thinking I may be standing in front of a gorge, or river of molten rock. Salvation eventually came however, in the form of my squad, who had all fanned out to search for me after hearing no response earlier. They led me back to our camp, then eventually the captain had me moved back to the inner kingdom.
Corporal Rigs was silent, having finished his recount of the event. However, as astonishing as it was, FP brought up an important point.
"So what was the message?"
The scout was still for a moment, then swung his legs over to the side of the bed, sliding off, and standing. Flame Princess and CB backed away to give him room, confused by his actions. The real shock came when every other bedridden soldier also stood up, dumbfounding the medics who were attending to them. The dozen or so affected men intensified their heat, growing brighten and increasing their internal energy.
No one else knew what was going on, and were too freaked to even try stopping it. The soldiers continued to raise their heat, remaining statue-like as they did. In one split second, all their concentrated heat was dispersed, blown out into the room. Even the curtains burned away. The rest of the command post panicked, unsure of what was transpiring. After the initial chaotic chatter settled, everyone examined the source of the blast.
The infirmary was fully exposed, displaying the dozen men as they stood. Then, in one fell swoop, they all fell over, completely unconscious. The medics, shaking off what they'd witnessed, rushed over to examine them. FP and CB ran to the nearest downed soldier.
"Is he dead?" she asked in fear of the response.
The medic took another moment, then shook his head.
"No, he's comatose. He exerted all the energy in his matrix, it will take time for his heat to build up again. Until then, none of these men are waking up."
As militants from the main room ran over to help move the unreactive soldiers, Flame Princess suddenly rushed out, followed by a concerned Cinnamon Bun.
"FP, wait."
The fiery woman stopped, then turned around to stare angrily at her knight.
"There, is that what you wanted? Showing me that my actions are endangering lives?"
CB recoiled, not expecting the reaction. Before he could respond, the captain who had escorted them to the hall came out, meeting the two. He still had his hard expression, but it also contained worry now.
"Your highness, with all due respect, I can't have my men thrown into such danger. This… woman, is likely in service to Zeus."
He stood tall.
"I'm informing the general of this development, and convincing him to retract all recon teams. I'm sorry."
The captain ran off to do as he'd said, leaving FP to watch him leave. Cinnamon Bun eyed his distraught king, seeing the look of uncertainty on her face. She was conflicted, seeing firsthand the injury being done to her people. He was sure she wouldn't let go of finding the illusive murderer, but thought that her current state of mind would allow him to make a compromise.
"Flame Princess."
The fiery woman placed her solace eyes on her knight, who uneasily let out a breath.
"Zeus' power has grown massively since we first fought him. His followers are outnumbering us, and you know as well as I do that the woman was yet another Olympian."
He carefully stared into his ruler's gaze.
"Please, we can't strain our resources and personnel by dividing them into both a search and defense of the kingdom, that's just what Zeus wants."
The candy person placed a hand on her back.
"Let us deal with him first, then concentrate on the hunt. Besides, men like that killer, they always grow a conscience sooner or later."
CB lowered his eyes to the floor.
"I'm willing to bet all we'll find is his body."
Flame Princess considered his words for a long time, seeming to struggle with what he was asking. He felt her shaking slightly. Eventually though, the royal softly hung her head, giving a short nod.
"Alright," she practically whispered.
CB pulled her in, giving his dear friend a hug, which she returned. He let her shed off the conflicting thoughts and fears in her mind, hoping to let her rest from the fatigue of leading, at least for a moment. When FP stepped back, her face seemed somewhat more content than earlier, which the knight found comforting. She turned towards the corridor leading back to her chambers.
"Come on, let's go get Fen, then start the day."
Cinnamon Bun nodded then followed beside his king. As they traversed the crimson calls, he felt a certain degree of hypocrisy, as the knight couldn't help thinking about the details they knew so far about Finn's supposed killer.
A male fire elemental, who ventured out of the Fire Kingdom, and has a burned out heart.
FP had told him briefly about how Finn acted in his sleep, and how he was extremely protective of his heart-shaped locket. It made the knight wonder.
Repetitive bad dreams are often a sign of guilt. I wonder…
He honestly felt terrible about what he was suggesting to himself, but at the same time unable to deny the possibility. He would be watching Finn, studying the mysterious man more carefully.
Well, I've been with the site for a year, and I'm still loving it.
Writingsterner: Heh, heh, we'll see.
CuteFoxSage-NightShadeOwl: Same here, but they sure make for good plot elements.
dfinkel70: I'd imagine.
nrbuer: I'm working on it, and I'm sure you'll like the result.
TheOneAndOnly1993: I'll admit, it's a hard situation to write about.
Forgotsurname: I didn't, but it was a funny gag.
Mayojar77: Nope, none at all.
Fiery Crusader: Hm, I think I missed something.
Awolfx9: Can't say I've thought of crossovers, plus the pieces don't quite match up. Oh well.
Ventus Uzumaki: That sure tells you a lot about someone.
MrOhyeah388: Thanks! and you're welcome.
TheMentalAdventurer: Good feedback, thank you.
Rick Bang: Thanks, I appreciate the support.
MUTO TOHO: Yeah, this isn't looking too good for him.
Guest: My thanks for the kind words.
Broken In7: True that.
Luciana Light: I'll do my best.
hope you enjoyed and thanks for any comments/rievews!