Knight and King
As per his duty, Cinnamon Bun was unopposed to escorting his friend and leader to the western outpost, Jake 2 covering ground quickly despite being forced to make the trek by foot. They didn't wish to risk being spotted high up in the air, choosing instead to skirt the kingdom's rocky terrain and the various destroyed towns the Olympians left in their wake.
Phoebe was still at a loss for what they could be looking for, constantly moving their massive hammer construct to different locations. Tellus, and even Bonnibel, had no guess as to their intentions, through the candy princess was far more focused on her research to fully commit her mind to the quandary. That sat just fine with Phoebe for the moment; the last thing she wanted was someone throwing away their identity for her sake, and she hoped Finn may have begun to think the same.
The seismic device was nowhere within visual range as Jake 2 bounded from one patch of hardened earth to the next, convincing FP that the enemy was determined to keep a tight defense of the object, explaining the lack of widespread attacks. Considering the siege experienced by Weis' position earlier, Tellus hypothesized that while the Olympians didn't consider their forces a critical threat, there had to be a specific target present at the outpost for them to send not only the Phoenixian Legion, but Hermes as well.
This occupied her mind all the way up until they were within sight of the converted town, with the pair of flame guards at its opening gate stepping aside and bowing as JT bounded through. As the entrance was closed behind them, Cinnamon Bun had his noble hound stop near the market, allowing Flame Princess to hop off and ask her knight to remain vigilant alongside the soldiers. As the candy person saluted and bounded away, another pair of flame guards came up and bowed before their king, asking her to follow to the meeting room.
Phoebe didn't hesitate as she pushed open the door on her own, not giving the posted soldiers time to do so for her. Weis and his fellow officers were at attention immediately, bowing at her entry.
"Your highness, glad to see you made it safely," her loyal commander stated. FP nodded to him, but kept a terse mannerism.
"Glad to see your forces holding as well. Where is Finn?" Knowing how important the question was, Weis wasted no time in stepping around the map table and gesturing for his ruler to follow. The pair stepped alone back outside, motioning for the rest to keep to their posts. The commander briskly led the way to the medical facility, in reality just the house belonging to the town's doctor, who graciously volunteered his supplies when the area was evacuated. The fire army's own medic was just exiting the building as the two approached, quickly saluting as they stopped before him.
"Your highness. Commander." Weis nodded, allowing the man to drop his hand.
"How is he doing, corporal?" The medic gave an optimistic smile, folding his arms.
"He's fine. I fixed his shoulder, so now he just needs some time to regain his energy. Really starting to feel bad for the guy, with that slow recovery of his." As the medic shook his head, FP merely nodded. The man stepped aside, inviting his leaders to enter. Weis, making a correct assumption, simply dismissed himself to return to his duties, with Phoebe appearing grateful at his insight. With nothing else, she stepped inside the house, gently closing the door behind her.
The initial entry was void of anything but medical supplies lining the floors, lit by the faint glow of candles from the next area; one of the bedrooms. Careful to avoid tripping on anything, Phoebe made her way to the opening, though her movements slowed with each step. Around this last corner was Finn. The first time she'd seen him since he was shackled to the truth sensing pillar, then cut down by Zeus in a single act. She had no idea what so say, how to even look at him. Taking a deep breath, she finally turned the corner, facing whoever was inside.
To her relief, Finn wasn't currently awake. Propped up in bed, with a generous amount of wrappings around his shoulder, was the flame human himself, quietly sleeping to regain his strength. His peaceful face seemed to dissipate Phoebe's nerves as she took one slow step at a time towards him, watching the fiery golden hair on his head calmly sway in tune to his low activity. She brushed past his red cloak, hanging on a coatrack, noting the cuts it had sustained in the fight against Hermes.
Just as she brought her eyes back to Finn, she was forced to stop, her legs suddenly caught in the grasp of two small arms. Looking down to her side in surprise, Phoebe's gaze met the deep eyes of a little girl, the little girl, who seemed to be using all her strength to keep the king from approaching Finn's unconscious form. Her expression, though present with a tinge of uncertainty common among young ones, also held an astonishingly firm defiance; as if asking how she dare try to get close to him.
After a moment, Phoebe at last moved to twist her body, simultaneously kneeling down to face the girl at even level. As she did so, she set her lips into a gentle smile. Her eyes were already softened by Finn. The little one's face released some of its tension, but she remained cautious.
"Hello there," Phoebe began softly. Her new acquaintance blinked, then finally took a step back, as if giving her a look-over.
"Are you here to hurt Finn?" It was FP's turn to blink, her face moving away in surprise.
"Hurt? No, of course not!" She could tell by the girl's demeanor and words that she was close to the flame human, and that he in turn cared for her. How the two even knew each other, let alone had a bond of some sort, she couldn't even guess. Finn had been left for dead floating downstream, yet now he shows up, wielding new power, apparently in the company of a strange little girl. There was much left to fill in the gaps, but for now, she wanted to reassure the child of her pacifism. To that end, she smiled. "I'm a very close friend of his."
Phoebe reached down and pulled Finn's locket from underneath her collar, holding it out to Aleen and clicking it open, spreading the two halves in her palms. The young one's curiosity quickly drew her face over to the item and its contents, her eyes growing wide in wonder as she studied the picture of Phoebe and Finn together, grinning with happiness. The fiery ruler allowed Aleen to reach up and take hold of the object, pulling it's chain off her neck. She watched the girl gaze upon the silver bauble's contents for a minute, before finally, Aleen looked up straight into her eyes, a look of awe and blossoming hope on her face.
"Does that mean… you're mommy?"
Flame Princess's eyes widened to their fullest extent, shocked by the question. Aleen didn't budge, waiting for an answer as if her life depended on it.
"Wh- I, I'm sorry? Mommy?" Though more bewildered than anything, Phoebe still had a blush creeping beneath her cheeks. The girl before her seemed more than able to reply back, even as the king became flustered.
"Finn was sent by daddy from above to be daddy on earth, because he wasn't… strong enough." She lifted the locket towards Phoebe, displaying the image of the fire elemental and human nudged together. "So are you mommy?"
Phoebe was completely paralyzed. The implications of what Aleen was saying still lacked complete detail, but what she had managed to gather left her in as difficult a position as ordering her armies and palace staff. The look on the girl's face looked as fragile as spun glass, terrifying the fiery ruler on what would happen if she told her "no". She begged the great Glob above for a way out of her predicament, which, to some degree, was delivered, with both girls hearing the waking groans of Finn across the room.
Dropping the conversation entirely, the two rushed to the hero's bedside, placing their hands comfortingly on his alloy-bound left arm. Finn's mouth parted to reveal him grinding his teeth, clearly feeling the aches still in his system. As his eyes at last flickered open, Phoebe was stunned to see his blue irises reflecting the firelight. She had thought their true color only manifested with extreme emotion, but as he lay there, calm and groggy, they remained. Finn scanned the ceiling and walls momentarily, then his pupils glided over to witness the king and Aleen attentively standing beside him. Naturally, his eyes widened, his face brightening from shock.
"Phoe… be…"
The word was heavily drawn out and undiscernible in tone, but judging from the rest of his (limited) body language, he felt some form of warmth from her being there. Aleen beat her to a reply however, gently squeezing the young man's arm, craning her head closer.
"Finn, are you ok?" The flame human shifted his attention to the young one, breaking his stupor to look over to her and smile gently. He freed his arm from the two girls' hands, then placed his own hand atop Aleen's head, reassuring her.
"I'm doing fine, Aleen. Just a little sore." He paused, glancing at FP for a fraction of a second. "Ok, a lot of aching." He chuckled, determined to play it off as no big deal. This seemed to work, as the will-o-wisp smiled back, reaching over and hugging the hero's side. He placed his arm around her and returned the best he could. When she finally receded, Aleen looked back and forth between Finn and Flame Princess, then blinked at her guardian.
"Is she your wife?"
Phoebe's flames abruptly blew off a few embers, herself jerking, while Finn's face grew as pale as fiery skin could appear. He quickly opened his mouth to answer, though had trouble doing so.
"Uh-no! No, she's…" He scrunched his eyebrows. "She's… a very dear friend," he settled on. As FP seemed to breathe easier, Aleen was accepting of the answer, but her curiosity seemed to only be growing by the minute.
"Tell me! Tell me how you met! What did you talk about? What did you do? How long ago was it?" Her questions were spit-fired fast enough that Finn wished he could still sweat-drop, holding up his hand to halt her.
"Whoa, whoa! Easy. I'll tell you." Aleen's fiery hair grew excited as she suddenly hopped onto the bed, sitting beside Finn's arm. Phoebe, somewhat amused by her enthusiasm, took her example and sat next to her, with the little girl's back nearly resting against the fiery ruler's arm. Finn reached up and rubbed the back of his head, grinning. "Ok, so where do I start…"
Uninterrupted, the hero began his tale, starting right off from when Jake had burst into the treehouse with a look of fear etched into his face, closely followed by the place being strangled by a mass of fire. While Aleen sat silently, as if listening to a fairytale, Phoebe found herself drawn into the retelling, as Finn frequently looked to her to fill in anything he felt missing, as well as giving the occasional joke, which both of them laughed at. As time went on, this grew into small banters, the flame human and king grinning cheekily and excitedly recalling amusing or incredible moments. Aleen never cut in for a question, though took the time to giggle or gasp when appropriate.
Finn paged through his and FP's initial meeting, first few dates, the result of their first kiss, and so many other developments in their relationship. When he arrived at the downfall of their bond, the coerced battle between Flame Princess and Ice King, he faltered, clearly caught in a pit of his own regret. To his surprise, the fiery girl placed a comforting hand over his, offering a smile. Continuing on, Finn spoke of the disaster that was him 'assisting' in the retaking of the throne from Phoebe's father and his accomplice, quickly followed by the burning of the Candy Kingdom, all a result of his childish actions.
The flame human took some time to be silent, both Aleen and Phoebe waiting for him to resume. He breathed in, beginning his tale of reconstructing the city he'd failed to protect. He spoke of how each day on the job, he had all the time in the world to dwell on his mistakes. He'd scold himself with every bang of a hammer, internally growl with every minute sawing or dragging, chastise his immaturity with every hoist or hold. He'd think about Billy, his hero, and how little he resembled the resolute and dedicated legend.
None too soon, he began planning his apology, true apology, to Phoebe. He ran over the event in his head numerous times, standing before her, repentant, stating he'd never expose her to his antics again. In the end, he decided against it altogether. He'd just leave her alone, not wishing to bother her with yet another appearance. He'd begun spiraling into a grave state of mind. There was no point to any of it. He was a hero with a duty to others, not to himself. He would honor Billy's memory correctly from that moment onward.
At long last, he arrived at the moment of his transformation. He kept in mind Aleen's young age, choosing his descriptions carefully. Phoebe however, who knew the true extent of his pain, subconsciously squeezed the hero's hand. Aleen appeared frightened momentarily by his story, pressing further into Phoebe, who by this point placed her free arm around the girl. On and on Finn went, recounting the fighting he'd gone through as a fire elemental, each clash with the Olympians. He never managed to make it to the part where his identity was revealed, as Aleen had finally grown tired enough to fall asleep, quickly resting in Phoebe's lap as she stroked the little one's hair.
The room was quiet except for the crackling of torch fire on the walls. Finn and Flame Princess finally took their eyes off the sleeping will-o-wisp and met each other's gaze, only to awkwardly look away. Aleen's presence had made this reunion much different than they would've imagined. Though, neither was sure if that was such a bad thing. They had laughed and smiled as they talked about the past, ignoring the troubles around them, only focusing on themselves and the child between them. Now however, it was time to confront one another in earnest, after everything that had happened. Phoebe chose to start by easing into conversation first.
"So, how did you meet Aleen? And why does she… think you're her dad?"
Finn chuckled again, though picked his explanation carefully. He didn't wish to disclose too much about the will-o-wisp village, knowing they preferred to stay hidden.
"When I was pulled downstream, she and a man named Aecus fished me out. They brought me to their village, where everyone helped me get back on my feet, and even trained me to better use my flame powers."
FP's brow furrowed.
"Aecus. The name sounds familiar…" While she was in thought, Finn nodded to Aleen's sleeping figure.
"She lost her father to an illness, same as her mom. But before he passed away, her dad apparently said he'd do his best to send someone to be her dad in his place, so she wouldn't have to be alone. Somehow, I ended up being the one. I understood her in a way. I'd lost both my parents too, twice. Guess that's why I felt like I should let her stick with me." He shrugged, grinning. "Who knows? Maybe when I was at Death's door, her dad's spirit kicked me back up to earth."
Phoebe managed to giggle at that.
"I wouldn't put it past you. You're very hard to keep down." She eventually settled, tilting her head. "So then, how did you find your way back?"
Finn smiled fondly, remembering the family that had taken him in in his time of need.
"I made several friends in that village. And they were generous, giving me gifts to help me on my journey." He raised his weapon-bound arm, Phoebe noticing the strange metal for the first time.
"Wh-what happened to your lava-vine?" she asked in shock. Finn briefly commanded the alloy-infused weapon, having it form an elegant blade, then retract once more.
"It was fused with an elementally resistant metal; the perfect thing to combat the Olympians." He glanced over to the coatrack. "The cloak is fireproof, and looks awesome on me." Again, FP couldn't help but giggle. The flame human them adopted a more serious expression.
"Aecus led me to another entrance to the dwelling of the fire sages." At this, Phoebe predictably flinched.
"The sages!? For what? Only those of the royal-" she stopped, seeing Finn rub the back of his neck.
"Aecus wasn't really sure where you got that idea from. But yeah, I met with them." Regardless of her disbelief, FP allowed him to simply continue. "We talked, and in the end, they sent me on their trials." Once again, Phoebe practically gasped.
"But… that would mean, since you're here, alive…" Finn grinned and raised his other arm, noticing that the pain from his healed shoulder had finally left. The seven branded rings were barely visible upon his skin, but it was enough for Flame Princess's eyes to grow as wide as could be. "You're an Emissary."
The flame human nodded, letting his arm sink back down to his side. "Guess so." To his surprise, FP, suddenly reached over and grabbed him by the shoulders, a stern expression on her face.
"Finn, I don't think you understand what this means for you, or my people." The hero frowned, admitting this could be the case, with how vague the sages tended to be. "An Emissary of the sages only appears once in several decades at most, and always in a time of great shifting of power. The last one emerged when my father turned against my uncle."
She took her arms away, shaking her head as she stared at the floor beside Finn's bed. Aleen shifted in her lap.
"I, I don't know what to say. There's so much going on now. Zeus and the Olympians, you returning to us as an Emissary-"
Aleen's flames suddenly plumed, regaining their blue hue and burning hotter than normal. Still, she remained asleep.
"…and a blue fire elemental who thinks you're her new dad."
FP's startled eyes moved back over to Finn, who shook his head solemnly. Phoebe got the message, nodding. The ruler of the Fire Kingdom sighed, placing both her hands gently on Aleen.
"Finn, there's too much in motion for us to say all that needs to be said. We need to focus on the Olympians, after that, we can deal with everything between us. Do you think you can do that?" She glanced back to her companion, who seemed to be considering everything she said. In no time at all however, the flame human smiled, that same warm smile that matched his deep blue eyes so well; the same combination that made Phoebe's heart swell oh so slightly. Finn lifted a fist and placed it firmly against his chest.
"Of course, milady. I'm still your knight after all." His face softened to display humbleness. "Right?"
Flame Princes stared at him for a moment, then gradually returned his smile.
"Yes, you are. And that means your promises still stand." She reached over and placed her hand over the one on Finn's chest. "Don't die."
The hero nodded firmly. Then, as both he and FP let their hands fall, the flame human lifted up his other appendage.
"There's one more thing though, before you head back out." He reached forward with his right hand as Phoebe watched, her face flushing fiercely as he finally placed it against her chest, just below her collar.
"F-Finn?!" she stuttered with embarrassment. Before she could interject any further, she noticed the third ring on her knight's arm ignite with light. A second later, the fiery ruler felt the flame human's warm energy spill into her through his contact, spreading out rapidly, as if seeking something out. True to this sensation, she felt numerous tingles shoot within her, some unknown ailment being burned away by Finn's cleansing energies. As time went on, she felt her flames regaining some long-lost force, surging through her body with vigor and depth. Eventually, Finn let go and allowed his hand to return to him, the circle on his limb dimming again.
"I removed the last of the poison in your body. You should be back to your true strength now."
Stunned, FP balled her hands into fists, effortlessly infusing them with mighty flames that bowed to her will. Realizing he was correct, she dissipated them, then looked to her companion.
"I- Thank you." She seemed to begin leaning forward, but noticed Aleen's weight stopping her. She blinked at the will-o-wisp, then smirked, returning to Finn.
"Although, I don't think I'll be leaving at the moment." She and her knight chuckled briefly at the realization. With the young will-o-wisp on her lap, and Finn falling back asleep to rest a bit more, Phoebe was left to herself, watching the two soundlessly. Something about it felt so right; the three of them together, in a small, dimly-lit room, surrounded by peace and quiet. FP didn't mind doing absolutely nothing as she sat there, which surprised her, considering her rather impatient inflection in light of the war.
Eventually, after an amount of time Phoebe couldn't quite identify, Finn opened his eyes again, a revitalized look swirling in the deep blues of his irises. As he moved to get off the bed, Flame Princess was finally forced to pick Aleen up from her lap and removed herself from the bed. The flame human upon it threw off his blankets, pushed his legs up over the side, and then at last stood on his own two feet. As he strode over to the coatrack, he unwound the bandaging around his shoulder, experimentally rotating the socket. Sure enough, he was ready to move forward.
Flinging the cape around him, Finn gave himself one last check over, then turned to face his king. Phoebe stood across from him, smiling as she held Aleen, the girl's head resting on her shoulder. The flame human smiled back, stepping forward and opening his arms wide enough to encompass both girls before him. Phoebe was surprised at first, but didn't hesitate to place her free arm around Finn's back, feeling the durable yet pleasant texture of his cloak. They stood there for a minute, silently promising to have each other's back in the coming conflict. There were still many issues they needed to talk about, but until then, they had this moment here, with Aleen scrunched between them.
The little will-o-wisp hummed soothingly in her dreams, feeling the combined warmth of the two adults even as she slept. It had been forever since she'd had the feeling before, and certainly wasn't one she thought she'd experience again. She smiled brightly, a smile unseen to either Finn or Phoebe, though both could definitely feel her flames exerting happiness.
All eyes watched the magical recording, watched as Hermes was caught by the arm and Finn's power exploded to life, slugging his enemy in the face and sending him flying. The audience watched as their ally desperately weakened his own body, trying to find a way to break through the bizarre aura his target had exerted. Then, they watched as Hermes was reduced to ashes in the wind, laughing heartily despite his defeat, never letting go of that confidence in his fellow Olympians. At last, the recording fizzled out, no longer able to display anything without Hermes' intact eyes.
Zeus stared at the now empty mirror-like flame, until it too was dissolved, no longer needed. His folded arms remained loose, his posture unbroken. His eyes however, narrowed slightly, coasting over to scan each one of his subordinates, until finally stopping on Athena, whose sharp expression told him what he needed to know even before she turned her head to address their leader directly.
"This is bad," she simply stated.
Zeus didn't make any motion of acknowledgement, instead moving his gaze to scan the horizon of mountains in the distance. His fellow fire elementals waited silently for his orders, some still shaken by the loss of their infiltrator. Finally, he let out a grumbling breath, looking back to Athena.
"What do you recommend?" The Olympians' tactician pursed her lips, folding her arms the same as her leader.
"Immediate engagement. With what he's acquired, there's no telling how much of an interference we'll have in the plan." Athena glanced over at the seismic hammer, currently inactive a few yards away, towering over the rubble of another targeted location. "We still have a few more locations to check. Assuming we won't hit the correct trigger until the very last, as unlikely as it is, we need to buy more time, as much as possible." She shook her head. "But we can't waste more resources, or risk another loss like Hermes."
Some of the Olympians hung their heads. Zeus tapped his fingers along his arm, contemplating the situation. Suddenly, his eyes widened, inspired.
"Perhaps we do have one expendable resource…" Athena took a moment to consider his words, her own eyes growing at the implication her leader was making. She brought up a hand to her chin, thinking hard.
"It would be a risk, but, if you truly consider his disposition, then yes, I would agree it's a solution." Zeus nodded firmly to his wise subordinate, then raised up his hand, palm up, generating a small flame to create a connection.
"Artemis." A few seconds later, the huntress's face appeared in the flame.
"Yes, sir." The Olympian leader furrowed his brow, then spoke his command.
"Release him, completely, then get yourself out of there and regroup at the hammer." Artemis seemed stunned by the order, but nonetheless nodded briskly, bowing through the flame.
"Of course. I will see you all soon." Zeus nodded before cutting off the flame. He saw the look of hesitation upon many of his fellow elementals' faces as he lowered his hand, but was quick to address the unease.
"Worry not, everyone. It's just the distraction we need. At the very least, they'll be weakened and disorganized in the aftermath, then we can easily swoop across and end the flame army's resistance."
Back at the Olympians' underground hideout, Artemis stood across from her target, bow held firmly in her hand, an enchanted flame arrow grasped between two fingers. She glared at the menacing grin being shot her way, teeth exposed and fierce glowing eyes getting on her nerves. She just wanted this over with. The fire elemental raised her weapon, casting the correct spell on her projectile. With true aim, she let the arrow fly, quickly impacting dead-center of Ares' chest cavity. It mattered little to the confined being, as it wasn't his real body. Artemis shot him one last glare before turning to flee.
"Enjoy your rampage," she spoke spitefully.
Ares merely grinned wider, relishing as he watched the sliver casing that limited his power begin to crack and chip away. His true fiery body leaked a violent light from each crevice, as the casing gradually broke away. The stone pillars shackling his arms began to glow with an orange hue, his clawed hands freeing themselves from within. More and more of the silver prison fell apart, pieces raining down at Ares' feet. All the while, the efreet cackled sinisterly, his flaming head raging with excitement as his true power was at last unsealed.
With one last burst of light and flames, the shell of confinement was destroyed entirely, flinging shrapnel and rock in all directions. When the dust finally settled, Ares took one vicious step forward. His legs lacked any true feet, instead ending in sharp points akin to stalactites. His body, composed entirely of pure, circulating yellow fire, occasionally rippled with orange flames, defining what seemed to be a very lean and muscular surface. His claws, the only truly solid part of him, shrieked against one another as they were rubbed, ringing in tandem with Ares' horrid laughter, his detached head hovering above a nonexistent neck. Jagged spikes, acting solid despite their fiery composition, struck out from his shoulders, continuing on down his back.
Every inch of the being screamed violence, every wisp of flames craved destruction, but worst of all, the emanating heat of his body, which blasted away to shroud every inch of air it could reach, was instilled with the pure desire to rage.
"Now comes the haze of war…" the Olympian let out.
Still can't break that darn one month barrier. I would still love to finish this before summer, it's gone on long enough. Perhaps now with the more action-oriented chapters I'll be able to speed it up, but we'll see. In any case, I'll see you all in the next one.
Gamelover41592: It probably went a little different than anyone expected, but that's what I go for.
Bio team2: Wow, quite the bloodlust there! But I'll happily oblige.
UpstartPsycho: Haha, well anime is most of the action I've ever watched, so I guess I can't avoid adding it to the fights in some way or another. I won't quite give you a kiss just yet, that'll be saved for an opportune moment in the near future.
The Book of Eli: He certainly is the strongest now for the side of good. And yeah, there was a fair bit of exposition here.
Deku: Yep, probably my main inspiration for any battle, whether I notice it or not.
PrometheusDark: Well then I kinda feel like I'm stalling out by this point. I wanted to establish that personal issues should be placed behind the welfare of the many at this particular moment. Still, there will be lots of fighting.
Major144: The culmination of their plot will be apparent sooner than you think. Expect some crazy stuff, that's all I'll say. Though I do appreciate the mythology.
Neo Deadmau5: That'll just up next, no worries.
shadow-dog18: Thanks for the feedback, I'll make sure future battles are just as gripping.
Fiery Crusader: Indeed, they should regret it, very much. Unfortunately for them, not ever Athena can think of every possibility. In another case, you could say this wasn't the full talk that Finn and Phoebe deserve to have, but I have some interesting plans for that. You'll see soon enough, and by that I mean in the very next chapter.
Hope you enjoyed and thanks for any comments/reviews!
next: Chapter 35: Haze of War