Flanella

Act VI: Knight of Swords

"Often taken to represent a confident and articulate young man, who may act impetuously. This Knight, though visionary, is unrealistic. He fights bravely, but foolishly. In some illustrations, he is shown to have forgotten his armor or his helmet. A 'rush to war' is a possibility with this warrior."

–Tarot, Minor Arcana

Torcho groaned, grabbing Flame Princess' chin and turning her head forward. Her insistence to turn back in search of a glimpse of her brother's hawk was starting to annoy him.

"I'm sure the bird is fine, cousin." He muttered, "It must have returned to its master's side after the scuffle with that crow."

"Maybe but… Kokko it's not like that..." The younger elemental sighed, glancing down at the barren landscape.

She now had an idea of why most of the fire elementals inhabited only the heart of the Fire Kingdom and its surroundings. The place that her ancestors had chosen to establish the royal palace and the ever-growing metropolis that bordered it was overflowing with life in comparison to the wasteland below. The lands the young king was used to, were bursting with the energy of hundreds of active volcanoes, and the gushing rivers of lava that ran by the many edifications. Like a circulatory system that carried heat, light and power from the veins of the earth, through the mighty palace, towns, cities and back to their origin point.

The further Flame Princess ventured into the wastes of the west, the more far away from home she felt. It was as if they weren't in the same planet anymore. The landscape was dry and forbidding, even if judged from a fire elemental's point of view. The blazing red of the prairies she knew conveyed the impression of having been sucked to a dullish shade by the Vampire Queen herself. Not a single mountain or volcano was on sight, except for a few sand and rock formations, hiding a great variety of caverns in their entrails.

The terrain, vast and desolated was sown with craters of all sizes, as if a rain of meteorites had impacted it centuries ago. Some of them emitted thick curtains of gases, yet it was unknown if these were poisonous or just outbursts of steam.

Strong gusts came and went, carrying clouds of dust and sand with them. The flaming king rubbed her upper arms, shivering a bit. The more they advanced, the colder the environment got. It was hard to believe that these lands were also part of her kingdom. Was there even magma, boiling underneath the shattered earth?

In the sky, the sun was surrendering its reign to the moon. They only had a few hours left before the dark. Flame Princess pressed her lips together, stressed. She supposed it would be a long journey, but she never imagined that Torcho would lead her to the far west border with the Ice Kingdom. That explained the cold.

"Are we there yet?" she asked.

"Almost." Torcho said, "Let's descend here and continue on foot. The place you're seeking lies just around that giant salt stone."

Upon landing, Flame Princess noticed with curiosity the softness of the ground beneath her feet. She knelt, running her fingers along the sand. It was cold and damp, like malleable clay. She then examined the rest of the field, flinching at the jet-like eruptions of steam that the craters around her produced.

"It's a geyser field." The fiery lady announced as she eyed her cousin, "Of course, this is where the magma from our kingdom and the freezing subterranean waters of the Ice Kingdom converge. When they meet, magma heats up the water until it explodes into the surface!"

Torcho nodded, confirming her theory.

Excited, Flame Princess ran to a nearby fissure, followed by her fire wolf. Steam was rising from the heated water below. Furnius must have taken advantage of the sprayed subterranean water to form his ice weapons at night, when the temperature of the Ice Kingdom prevailed in the land. The only question she had left was, how? A fire elemental can't manipulate water, not even when it rose in the form of hot steam.

Jake 2 groaned, rubbing his head against her thigh. The young ruler understood the hound's worry. Fire wolves tend to inhabit the border where ice and fire collided, it was only natural that their instincts forced them to stay away from the geysers. A sudden eruption could easily tear the sturdiest fire elemental in existence into pieces.

With this in mind, Flame Princess decided that it was time to move on. She turned to Torcho and he guided her to the entrance that would probably lead them into a system of underground tunnels and caverns; the perfect hiding spot for a vicious viper as Furnius.

Before walking inside though, Jake 2 leapt above Torcho's head, rushing into the twilit skies as if by command. The prince watched the beast fly away, back to the young Flame King's secret settlement. He then faced the woman before him with an expectant glare.

"You knew…" Torcho whispered.

Flame Princess offered him a saddened glance. "I've been betrayed by the people I love my whole life long, do you think I wouldn't recognize another traitor when I have him in front of me?"

She adopted an offensive stance, lighting the flames that engulfed her body.

"I just want to make something clear, Torcho… You have disappointed me. I had faith in you. I wanted to believe that you were different and not just your brother's shadow." Her trembling eyes were locked on his, conveying the pain that she would never dare to communicate. "Why, Torcho?"

The prince lowered his head, unable to bear his cousin's disheartened gaze. Turning his eyes to the ground could only make him feel worse. The careful knots that Flame Princess had tied on his shoes, a sign of her concern and her wish to protect him from a fall in both the literal and the metaphorical sense, were starting to grow loose.

"B-because…" his voice quivered, "I fear my brother more than I esteem you!"

Torcho faced her once again, igniting his fists to their fullest. The two royals let their fire auras meet, swirling and clacking in the air. A clash between them was certain to happen. Clouds of dust buffeted their hardened faces, yet none showed signs of cringing. On the spur of the moment, the fissure that Flame Princess had examined earlier gave in to the pressure and vented an outburst of boiling water, forcing the two elementals to react and charge against the other.

Torcho connected the first hit, bruising the king's fair skin with a brutal punch. It was the start of another senseless battle between the members of the same family.

"Please forgive me, FP." the flaming man sighed, delivering another ruthless blow on his cousin, while she struggled to recover from the first strike.

Flame Princess let the wind carry his words away. They held no meaning to her. How could he ask for forgiveness when his fists were responsible for the blood that was now soaking the dirt beneath them? Her blood…

x~x~x~x~x

The young man grew anxious. No matter where he asked, no one seemed to know anything about the existing conflict between the two royal families. Since Finn arrived to the gates of the Fire Kingdom's city, he began to look up for information regarding to Flame Princess' whereabouts. Sadly, no fire elemental appeared to even understand what was the human talking about. It was as if the war that took Cinnamon Bun's life away was only a myth.

Tired of interrogating the common folk, Finn traveled deeper into the blazing nation. He asked around the outskirts of the Palace, hoping the Flame Guards and soldiers that patrolled the area would be better informed of the disturbances, stirring in the west plains of their kingdom.

No one offered him the information he required, although they reacted differently than the civilians. Instead of shrugging in confusion, the hard-rock soldiers glared at the hero, as if they were watching over a well-kept secret. Finn tried to insist, stressing the importance of his presence there, but to no avail. He should've known something like this would happen —after all, in the fiery lands, he was considered a buffoon. Not a champion.

Resigned, Finn strolled back to the city and let his rear end fall onto the lip of a lonely sidewalk. It was no use; no one would listen to him. The fame he had earned through the years as the great hero of the land meant nothing to the fire beings. In their eyes, he was just the jerk who had hurt their beloved ruler's feelings.

The setting sun beamed in his eyes, blinding him for a few seconds. The human shaded his blue orbs, action that granted him the ability to decry a strange sight, coming in his direction at full speed. It was a fire wolf that struggled to keep its body airborne as a dark crow-like entity harassed its flight with constant attacks.

Jake 2 had been forced to alter the course of its escape towards FP's brother at his military settlement because of a sudden ambush, performed by no other than the obstinate Crabbit himself. Finn however, was oblivious of the circumstances that compelled the wolf to flee from the west. Whatever the case was, he knew that the fiery beast needed to be rescued, and buffoon or not, it was his duty to answer any call of distress, no matter what.

Dashing through the crowded streets, the human made his way to one of the many stores and climbed its volcanic surface until he reached the top. Thankfully, the closer he got to the city, the more altitude the fire wolf dropped, making it easier for Finn to catch up with it.

He continued to run, jump, and climb from one rooftop to the other, each one higher than the last one. An extended awning acted as a trampoline to boost the hero into the air, just in time to grasp the crabbit's hind legs. The sudden excess of weight dragged the witch's familiar down, causing him to crash into a building with the human still hanging from his feet.

A mass of startled fire citizens began to gather beneath the now wrecked establishment, turning their eyes to the top were two dizzy figures strived to get back on their feet.

"Hey you…Weird bird guy!" Finn demanded between gasps, "Who do you think you are?! I… I'll teach ya a lesson…!"

The fatigued crabbit had trouble to maintain his balance as well. Fortunately for the wobbly young man, the crow-rabbit hybrid happened to ignore the duke challenge, and dismissed the threat with a hand swipe.

"You know what?" the black creature huffed, "Whatever! I've already gotten my good load of bruises for the day! I'm peacing out!"

The humanoid being fled back into the dusking heavens, shortly after that exclamation. Never in his life had the hero encountered such a mysterious and bizarre creature—and that was saying a lot, considering all the freaky foes that he had battled in the past. Puzzled and visibly exhausted, the human let himself collapse, closing his eyes in search of a tranquil rest.

Still on the building's rooftop, Finn along with the fire wolf, lay on their backs for several minutes as they caught their breath. Having recovered some of his stamina, the human crawled to the hound's side. Sensing his approach, the wolf turned to snarl at him, baring its sharp teeth in an obvious unfriendly manner.

"Whoa, boy! Calm down!" Finn lifted his hands as he slowly retreated, "I'm not going to hurt you, buddy… All I want is to check your injuries."

Jake 2 continued to growl.

"Wait a minute…" the young man squinted, observing the large beast better, "Are you CB's wolf? Yeah, it's you! I-I'm a friend of Flame Princess', don't you recognize me?"

Having been raised by dogs, Finn knew that every canine understood things better not by listening, but by using their nose instead. He cautiously knelt down, leaning closer and closer to the angry animal. Soon curiosity took over Jake 2's mind, leading it to sniff the air. Discovering a familiar scent, the wolf pushed his body forward, pressing its enormous head against the hero's chest.

Finn couldn't help to let out a giggle as the giant nose sniffed his abdomen, inhaling his shirt and even skin in the process. Jake 2 easily identified Flanella's aroma, mixed with Finn's. A wolf never forgets a scent, and it was clear that the man sitting before it was somehow related to its masters.

The young man waited nervously for the hound's verdict, receiving a heavy lick across the face as a positive reply. At least the flame shield helped to draw back the sticky feeling of doggy saliva all over him. Now that Jake 2 was willing to let him invade his space, Finn rummaged through the contents of his backpack and pulled out a small crystal bottle.

"Well, this is my last bit of Cyclops' tears, but I guess you need them more than I do."

After dripping the few final drops of the magical liquid on the wolf's wounded legs, Finn took a moment to gaze at the horizon, wondering where could Flame Princess be. Sensing his distress, Jake 2 recovered from its lying position and barked at the human.

"What is it? Do you know anything about FP? W-where can I find her?" his voice was almost desperate. "Can you take me to her?"

The fire wolf replied with a nod, bending its knees to let the hero climb on its back. Understanding the message, Finn eagerly hopped onto the hound's neck, ready to take flight, back to his princess' side.

Jake 2 however, had an idea of its own. Being Flame Princess' last command to go back to her sibling and bring the troops, the fiery canine drove its rider to the hidden settlement on the west plains. Of course, the young man was surprised when the three-hour ride ended abruptly in the middle of nowhere. A few crimson tents and campfires were the only signs of life that welcomed him to that unfamiliar territory.

Again, Finn had to question another mystery left behind by the young ruler. If she was heading to war, why did it seem that she hadn't brought enough soldiers with her? That camp wasn't exactly the place where an entire company could settle down. It was more like the shelter of a smaller unit, but then again, it wasn't as if Finn knew anything about the military.

"Um, I don't get it." he gulped, "Do you want me to go in there?"

The wolf nodded.

The large tent before them stood out from the rest, not only because of its size, but also because of the fancy flame-like designs, sewed onto the bright red fabric with golden thread. As intimidating as the place was, Finn could only imagine that the fire elemental inside it was just as threatening, which caused the young man to grow instantly nervous.

"Is Flame Princess in there?"

Jake 2 shook its head and sent a begging stare at him, accompanied by a sad moan.

Finn let his shoulders melt in disappointment. "I get it… Something bad happened to her, isn't that right? And now you want me to help you seek reinforcements…" a discouraged sigh left his lips, "I'll try my best, but I warn you… I'm not exactly considered a hero around this neighborhoods."

For Flame Princess and for her only, the anxious young man walked inside the general's private quarters. Just when he thought that the appearance of the royal tent couldn't be fancier, the luxury of its inside left him speechless. It had everything the military leader could need; from a vast collection of weaponry to a manifold of armors and expertly crafted shields.

The ground was carpeted and there was plenty of furniture to make of any stay a comfortable one, including a wide meeting table where the general and two of his subordinates happened to be sitting. Charts, maps, and documents of all sorts were scattered on its surface, indicating the human that he had probably interrupted a very important discussion.

The heated arguing that the fire elementals had been holding until Finn showed up was silenced straightaway. Every glaring eye was now focused on him, making the young man as uncomfortable as he could be. To worsen his situation, the hero couldn't avoid noticing a familiar, yet quite vexed face among the three flaring men: Flame Princess' brother.

Finn's blood raced and seized his features, depicting an embarrassed blush on his face. Flashbacks of the dance that Jake forced him to do, wearing nothing but his underwear and the tablecloth within them, while singing the "Buff baby song", hit his brain. Back then it wasn't so bad, at least Flame Princess ended up giving him her full support and her opinion was the only one that mattered. Now however, the opinion of the angry fire elemental before him had a higher value, and it could only make everything he had planned so much more complicated...

"You…" the prince hissed, standing up. "It's you!"

The young man couldn't think of anything else to do and bared a wide nervous grin. "Yeah… It's me… Hi…"

"General," one of his soldiers spoke, "Should we take care of this intruder?"

"Not yet! First I must show this clown the consequences of bursting in an officer's quarters without permission."

It came to Finn's mind that ever since the last time they met, Flame Princess' brother had developed a certain hatred towards him, and though he couldn't blame him for trying to keep his little sister away from a potential psycho, there was no way he'd stay with his arms crossed.

Summoning some of the courage that characterized him, the bear-capped hero replied. "Excuse me sir, but I have come here to warn you! Flame Princess is—!"

"How dare you speak of her? You of all people! You who not only tore her heart in pieces, but also failed to aid her in her time of need!"

"Oh… FP told you all of that…" Finn sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

The general turned his face away, frowning. "And let's not forget about the nightmares that I have yet to overcome!"

"N-nightmares?"

"Yes! About you, big baby, marrying my sister and having her children!" the elemental shouted, shuddering at such thought.

Was that supposed to offend him? Because it certainly did, nobody should make fun of his relationship with Flame Princess, much less call it disgusting. Now it was the human's turn to shout.

"Aw, come on! You can't be serious! Listen, about the weird junk that I did back then…"

"No! Don't say it! Better yet, don't speak a word and get out of my sight!"

"Aren't you acting a little rude here?" Finn yelled, stepping forward in defiance.

The other two soldiers gasped in fear, turning their eyes to their general.

Finn was about to learn that no one was allowed to defy the Flame General, the nasty way. Said leader pushed his chair back and walked over to him. The hero's boldness evaporated at the heat of the towering elemental's flames. Flame Princess' brother was bigger than he remembered, about the size of his father, the evil Flame King. Even when one of his arms appeared to be injured, the rest of his body was robust. His chest was firm and wide, with muscular arms and legs.

The young blond man gulped, feeling minuscule in comparison. He wondered if Marceline had considered any of this, because nothing was coming out as planned.

Flame Princess' brother rolled his blazing eyes down at his opponent. "What if I'm acting rude, huh? What are you gonna do about it?"

"W-well… I could, I could…" Finn stepped on his toes in an attempt to look taller. "I could challenge you to a sword duel!"

"Really? Because I don't see your sword anywhere."

"That's because my sword is right her—…"

He used his mechanical arm to reach the blade on his backpack; however, there wasn't anything where he expected it to be. Finn let out a nervous laugh, sweat rolling down his forehead.

"Heh… I think I left my sword at home…"

The fiery prince smirked. "Humph! Some swordsman you are!"

Finn clenched his fists, exasperated. How come he was still stuck in there with that giant bully, when Flame Princess' life was in danger? Gritting his teeth, the young man stepped away from the elemental, throwing his arms in the air.

"How's that important?! Don't you see? I didn't come all the way here to deal with a big butt like you! I came because Flame Princess might be endangering her life in this moment, and I can't stand to think what would happen if anyone dared to lay a single finger on her!"

The general widened his stare. "My sister is in danger, you said?"

The tension between them was suddenly dispelled. Finn noticed it, the prince of flames was deeply concerned and it could only mean one thing: It was true, Flame Princess needed them, as soon as possible.

"Listen Buff Baby, if there's anything you know about my sister you must tell it to me now, is that clear?"

Although the nickname was indeed a pain in the butt, the young man decided to let it slide for the moment and focus on rescuing Flame Princess instead. He replied with a determined nod, and so, the imposing fire elemental allowed him to sit with him and his soldiers in order to discuss their next move.

Before they began to trace a plan, one of the subordinates passed a piece of paper to the general. The aforementioned examined it deep in thought and then groaned impatiently.

"What's this supposed to be? There is nothing but senseless doodles in here!"

The soldier anxiously cleared his throat and proceeded to answer. "Um, the king left a chart with detailed instructions of the measures that should be taken in case that something like this happened… Those senseless doodles —as you called them— are that strategy, sir."

Flame Princess' brother pinched the bridge of his nose, exhausted. "I hate it when she does this… My sister is not exactly an experimented tactician. She has spirit and dedication, but her writing is formless, uncontrolled and overall, jumbled. The symbols she uses can't be found in any codex. Now I'll have to spend the rest of the night trying to decipher her plan!"

Finn stretched over a little, catching a glimpse of the troubling strategy. He giggled in amusement.

The Flame General glared at him. "What's so funny, huh?"

"Nothing! It's just… that chart's got FP's personality scribbled all over it. I can understand it. She's using the adventurer's code, a made up form of writing that we used to trace dungeon maps together whenever we went out for a crawl!"

A sweet smile brightened his tired face.

"Actually, she was quite good at it…"

Author's Notes:

You know what? Forget about the arcs. I feel like I have been rushing some things so I'm gonna make this story as long as it needs to be, and try to pace everything nicely. Thanks a lot for the feed back! Criticism is always appreciated!