From Little Flame to Raging Fire

I don't own anything but my OC's.

Read the author's note afterwards, please.

Chapter 3

Amanda's new home was wonderful, at least in her eyes.

It wasn't too roomy, nor too small. It was the perfect size for a young woman like herself. It had a cute little kitchen, a comfy living room with even comfier furniture and an upstairs with everything she needed: a bathroom, two bedrooms and a few closets. Arachnid had done a fine job getting this place for her. She had thanked him so many times, especially since he'd brought her stuff in for her as well.

A year ago, if someone were to tell her she'd be friends with a skeleton, she would've laughed and said they were ridiculous. But now, she fully embraced the fact that she was friends with someone of the undead.

"He was born like that." She reminded herself. That was what Arachnid had told her. No one in Halloween Town had died and come back. They had all been born like that.

Amanda picked up her scarf from the rack, wrapping it around her neck, just as a knock sounded from the other side of the door. She opened it and smiled at Arachnid.

"Hello, Amanda." Arachnid greeted.

"Hello, Arachnid. I was just heading out to buy some groceries." She replied, seeing the look on his face when he looked to her scarf.

"Oh," Arachnid said. "Well, why don't I join you?"

"I think it's best if you did. After all, I'm sure I'd get lost out there." Amanda said with a grin.

Arachnid chuckled as Amanda stepped out, shut and locked the door, then turned and walked beside him down the street.

Halfway through their trip, however, they went their separate ways, as Arachnid needed to buy a few things for next Halloween. Amanda told him she'd meet him back at the Witch's Shop and had walked away, not noticing the dreamy smile Arachnid had on his face.

Amanda had been so focused on her shopping list, however, that she hadn't noticed the loose paving stone on the ground and had tripped. She had landed, straight down on the ground; hitting her chin slightly on the fall. She winced and muttered as she opened her eyes.

Only to find a pair of brown, heavy-looking boots in front of her.

She raised her head and let her eyes wander upwards until they found the person's face.

Standing over her, a look of complete confusion on his face, was a handsome man with black hair and some kind of pirate-styled hat. She stood quickly. "I'm sorry, sir." Amanda apologized.

The man simply stared. His hands, which had been behind his back, were now at his sides. Amanda had to stare at his attire. A large red coat with big cuffs and a set of puffy clothes under that- a grey shirt and black trousers. Amanda's eyes went back to his face. Black stubble had invaded the skin on his jaw line (he obviously hadn't shaved in a while- if he even shaved) and- Amanda had to stop herself from gasping. His eyes were either brown or red (perhaps a brownish red? Reddish brown? Whatever), but they were beautiful. She'd never seen anything like them. And the man himself wasn't bad-looking either. "Oh, I've never met you." Amanda thought aloud and mentally kicked herself when the man tilted his head in utter confusion. Amanda quickly held out her hand. "I'm Amanda."

The man's stare was no longer dripping with confusion. Now, he was just staring mutually at her face; not even glancing at the offered hand. Amanda slowly retracted her hand.

"Montarg." The man said.

"Hm?"

"My name. Montarg."

"Oh!" Amanda smiled immediately. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Montarg."

Montarg simply stared back. Then, he uttered, "You're that human Arachnid brought here."

"Yes. That's right." Amanda grinned, but his expression didn't change. Either he was having a bad day, or he was usually like this. "So, what're you then?" She put a finger to her chin in thought. "…Pirate?"

"Sorcerer." He replied.

"Oh, a sorcerer!" She said excitedly and this seemed to confuse Montarg. He raised an eyebrow at her. "What kind?"

Without replying, Montarg held up his right hand and clicked his fingers, then opened his hand so that the palm face upwards. Slowly, a flame grew in his palm; flickering and dancing on his hand. Amanda gasped happily. "Wow," She murmured as she leaned closer to get a better look at the flame.

"Hey!"

Amanda looked over her shoulder and Montarg growled angrily.

Xavier pushed passed Amanda and scowled at Montarg, who snapped his hand shut. "Montarg, what the hell are you doing here?"

"Buying fruit." Montarg replied simply. "Rodney wanted some."

Xavier sneered. "What, you're buying fruit for that-"

He didn't get to finish, as Montarg grabbed him roughly by the collar and hoisted him off of his feet. "What? Buying fruit for that what?"

"S-Sorcerer…" Xavier replied.

"Yes. That's what I thought you were going to say." Montarg replied sharply then let him go. Xavier coughed and put a hand to his neck. "Now, stand aside, canine."

"Make me." Xavier challenged.

Montarg stepped forward. "Choose your words wisely, canine."

Xavier gave a tiny gulp and Amanda could've sworn she saw sweat on his brow. Montarg held out a hand and shoved him aside, then calmly stepped passed.

"Well…" Amanda muttered, then put a hand to her mouth and waved. "It was nice meeting you, Montarg!"

Montarg only grunted in return.

As Montarg walked away, Amanda saw that his hair was tied back into a slim ponytail that only reached passed his shoulder blades. Amanda tilted her head. She'd never seen a man with long hair before, but on him it looked attractive. She turned back to Xavier, frowning. "Why did you do that? I was just making friends!"

"With Montarg? Ha! No one makes friends with Montarg!" Xavier exclaimed. "Especially not girls."

"What 'especially not girls'?"

Both turned to Arachnid, who was approaching them; two brown paper bags under both of his arms. He blinked.

"She was talking to Montarg!" Xavier replied.

Arachnid's eye sockets widened. "Montarg? He was here? Where did he go?"

Amanda pointed. "That way. He said he was buying fruit for 'Rodney'…"

Arachnid sighed. "I swear, every time I want to talk to him, he walks off."

"What's so bad about me talking to him?" Amanda asked.

"Well, Amanda, sorcerers aren't exactly liked around these parts." Arachnid replied.

"Especially Montarg." Xavier added.

"I mean, I like sorcerers. They're fine creatures and Montarg is the best sorcerer around." Arachnid said.

Amanda smiled. "He showed me some of his magic."

"Yes, you see? He's brilliant."

"But he's also hated the most."

"Why? What's wrong with sorcerers?" Amanda asked.

"Well, nothing. But people believe they do the Devil's work." Arachnid explained.

Amanda was taken aback. The Devil's work? Seriously? "And…what did you mean by girls not being friends with him?"

"Ah, well," Arachnid said nervously. "Montarg…doesn't like women…"

"Oh," Amanda blushed. "He's…He's homosexual?"

Xavier had to put a hand over his mouth to hide his laughs and Arachnid dropped his bags, waving his hands. "What? No! No, he's not homosexual! He's…" He hesitated, tapping his fingertips together. "He's…He's sexist."

"Oh…" Amanda muttered downheartedly.

"He…believes men are…better then women…" Arachnid explained. "'Men are for war, women are for the kitchen and children are for the pound'. That's what he always says. But don't worry, Amanda, he won't outright insult you…Well, unless you annoy him…" Arachnid muttered.

"Ya see? I'm just protecting you." Xavier said.

Amanda sighed through her nose. Great, she just wanted to make friends with an attractive man and then she finds out he's sexist. Amanda stooped down to pick up her shopping list then turned and looked over her shoulder at them. "I'll meet you at the Witch's Shop later, Arachnid."

"Oh, yes!" Arachnid suddenly exclaimed, having completely forgotten.

Amanda smiled at them, then turned and walked away.

"That's funny, Xavier." Arachnid said.

"Hm?"

"It's just that you seemed to dislike her, and now you're protecting her." Arachnid looked to his friend, smiling.

Xavier scoffed and turned all shades of red. "Whatever…"

Arachnid laughed.

…

Montarg trudged through the dirt and foliage, toward his cavern. He held a small sack tightly in one hand. The sack contained the fruit he had set out to get Rodney. Montarg lifted the sack and held it open in both hands, peeking in. He checked he had gotten every fruit Rodney had requested. Grapes, check. Apples, check. Bananas, check. Oranges, yep, they were there. Everything seemed alright, so Montarg tied the bag's opening back up with string. When he walked forward again, he stopped. He caught the glimpse of something white behind the bushes, something that wasn't supposed to be there. Montarg hesitated, then narrowed his eyes and tilted his head; pushing the bushes aside.

There, back against a tree, was a man with red hair. His head was lowered forward and his eyes were shut. His arms lay at his sides, palms facing upwards, and his legs were stretched out. His long-sleeved white shirt, which had once been crisp and smart, was now torn in several places. The right sleeve was ripped open, displaying the long gash on the man's arm, blood still dripping from it. His slacks were dusty and torn.

Montarg stared at him. It was obvious he had been attacked. But by who? Oh. Sorcerer, Montarg thought, Definitely sorcerer…

The man must've been attacked by sorcerer hunters. Those bloody gits had killed several of Montarg's men and any other sorcerers in the area. Montarg had, of course, fought them back and had managed to kill a couple of their men as well, but there were still more out there. Montarg tilted his head, briefly wondering what kind of sorcerer this man was, then approached him slowly. The man wasn't dead (he could see his chest rising and fallen), but he was weak. As Montarg approached, the man lifted his head slowly and opened his eyes to slits. He saw Montarg standing over him and got scared. Montarg reached into his coat pocket, still locking eyes with the man. "I'm not going to hurt you," He brought out a roll of gauze and unwrapped it, still keeping his eyes on the young man before him. "I'm going to help you."

…

"Hey, uh, thanks for doing this…"

Montarg grunted in return as he wrapped the gauze around the man's wounded arm. He sat beside the sorcerer, holding his arm in one hand and wrapping with the other.

"I'm Marcus, by the way." Marcus said after a moment. "What's your name?"

"Montarg."

"M…Montarg…?"

"Hm."

"Oh…Ok." What a strange name. It was definitely a new one to him. But, hell, Marcus was not one to judge; especially since this guy had saved his life.

"You're a sorcerer, aren't you?" Montarg asked.

Marcus hesitated and leaned away.

"I am too." Montarg said then clicked his fingers, holding out a flame.

"Oh, you're a fire sorcerer." Marcus murmured. "I'm water."

"Ah. I don't know many water sorcerers."

Marcus chuckled. "How many sorcerers do you know?"

"Hundreds."

Marcus paused. Sorcerers weren't well known around these parts, mainly because they'd be maimed before they step foot anywhere. So how the hell did Montarg know so many? Like he knew what Marcus was thinking, Montarg said, "I am the leader of a cavern full of sorcerers. We all live together in that cavern. You could join us, if you'd like."

Marcus gulped. He knew nothing about this man, or any of the other sorcerers in that cavern, and yet Montarg was offering him a place in their home. "I…I dunno."

"Well, at least stay until your leg is better." Montarg gestured toward it. "It's broken, I can tell. I've seen broken legs. I've had broken legs." He wrapped one of Marcus's arms around his shoulders and helped him stand, then let the water sorcerer lean against him as they took off walking.

"Are you homophobic?" Montarg suddenly asked and Marcus was taken aback.

"No."

"Oh, good. Then I don't have to kill you."

Marcus gulped.

"Are you homosexual?"

"No."

"Bisexual?"

"No."

"Are you attracted to males in any sort of way?"

"No…!" Who the hell was this guy?

"Then you'd best tell Rodney that."

…

The cavern Montarg had spoken of was just to be expected from sorcerers. There was a large opening in a rock wall they had come across and Montarg led him through. Inside, the cavern was larger then he expected and circular. At the far end were a bunch of holes up and down the wall, like a beehive, and each had a small platform of rock in front the entrance. There were hundreds of them. And everywhere were sorcerers. All of them had black, puffy trousers on and each and every one of them was wearing a different colour coat and shirt. Montarg had a grey shirt with a red coat, another sorcerer had a brown coat with a red shirt, another had a white coat with a light blue shirt. There were all different kinds of combinations.

"Hey, hey, Montarg!" The sorcerer with the caramel-coloured hair and orange coat exclaimed as he walked over. "You picked up another one! Sweet!"

At this, most of the sorcerers turned and looked at them. Marcus suddenly felt uncomfortable.

"Take him for me," Montarg said.

"Oh, right." The man said and took the arm Montarg had had wrapped around him, then wrapped it around his own shoulders.

Montarg sighed in relief and rubbed his shoulder. "Cramp." He muttered. Montarg looked around, bringing the small sack of fruit out of his coat. "Where's Rodney?"

"Right here, Montargo, darling!" Marcus heard someone call and a young man (older then Marcus, but younger then Montarg) skipped over to Montarg. He didn't have his hat on like most of the other sorcerers had, but he had his coat on. Marcus's eyebrows rose. Rodney's (Marcus assumed he was 'Rodney') coat was pink- bloody pink!- and his shirt was yellow. "What is it, Montargo?"

There it was again. Montargo. Not just Montarg. Was that some kind of nickname? An inside joke between Montarg and Rodney, perhaps?

Montarg held out the sack and Rodney gasped happily. He took it from him and peeked inside. "Oh, good." He reached inside and brought out an orange. "You did remember the oranges this time!" Rodney put the orange back and hugged the sack. "Oh, thank you, Montargo!" He seemed to finally realize Marcus and smiled. "Oh, Montargo! Why didn't you tell me we were going to have another sorcerer?"

"Wasn't planned." Montarg replied.

"And he's cute." Rodney added, a hand to his chin. "Is he homosexual?"

"No."

Rodney paused, then slowly turned to look at Montarg again. "Bisexual…?"

"No."

"Is he attracted to males in any sort of way?"

"No."

Rodney looked absolutely downhearted and pouted. "Oh…Why can't you go and bring back homosexual sorcerers for once, Montargo…?"

"My apologies." Montarg replied, almost sarcastically. "But you'll be glad to know he's not homophobic."

Rodney brightened up. "Oh, good!"

That was when Marcus finally realized it. Either the women were somewhere else or…every single sorcerer in here was male. Marcus searched the crowed. No. All male. Marcus leaned closer to the man holding him up. "Why is he calling him Montargo…?"

"Dunno. He's always called him that. I called 'im Montargo once an' 'e turned to me and asked if I had called him that. When I said that I had, he said, 'Well, don't. Rodney's the only one who is allowed to call me that'. Then 'e just walked away. So, uh, don't call 'im Montargo. Stick with Montarg." The man smiled. "I'm Richard, by the way."

"Marcus."

"Well, nice to meet ya, Marcus. I'd shake ya hand but, given the circumstances…"

"S'alright."

"Men," Montarg turned to the crowd staring at them. "This is Marcus. He is a fellow sorcerer and will be staying here until his leg is fixed. Unless, of course…" He looked over his shoulder at Marcus. "He chooses to stay with us."

"Yeah, c'mon, Marcus!" Richard exclaimed. "You can stay 'ere! I'll even give ya a tour of the place, if ya want!"

"Well, Marcus…?"

Marcus glanced at everyone. "Well…Sure…"

Richard grinned. Montarg nodded. "Excellent. What're your two favourite colours?"

"Uh…Orange and green."

"In that order?"

"No…I like green more then orange…"

"Any particular shade of green?"

"…Dark green…"

"Right." Montarg turned to a younger and shorter sorcerer. "Lucas, see if we have a dark green coat and an orange shirt. Get him a pair of boots and a pair of trousers."

Lucas saluted. "O-Oh! Y-Yes, sir, Montarg!" He jogged off.

"Well, it's nice to have someone new around the place!" Rodney exclaimed and held out a hand. "I'm Rodney."

"He's our cook." Richard explained into Marcus's ear. "You wanna request a particular food? You tell 'im. An', yeah, 'e is gay."

Marcus shook Rodney's hand. Rodney turned to Montarg. "Well, I'll be in the kitchen if you need me, Montargo."

Montarg grunted as Rodney wandered off. He led Marcus and Richard further into the cavern. "Choose a room, Marcus." Montarg said, gesturing to the many holes Marcus had observed before.

"These are our bedrooms." Richard explained. "You can choose whichever one ya want, so long as it don't have a curtain in the entrance. That means it's been taken."

Marcus looked around. A lot of the rooms had been taken. Since his leg was broken, Marcus thought it'd be wise if he picked one nearer to the ground. There was one, lone room; right at the bottom that anyone could easily step into. There was a row above that one. "That one." Marcus pointed to one. It was close to the ground and next to the room that was directly over the lowest room.

"You're next to Rodney." Richard murmured to him. "Rodney's room is above Montarg's."

Montarg looked to Richard. "Get him set up, Richard."

"Yes, sir, Montarg, sir." Richard said as Montarg walked away.

…

Rodney stirred some of the vegetables in the broth. He smelled at the air and sighed happily. He ran a hand through his hair. Rodney's hair was toffee-coloured and cut short. It was flat, but some small strands were spiked; creating a somewhat fringe for him. His eyes were brown and focused on the pot of broth before him.

"I met that human woman today."

Rodney raised his eyebrows. "Did you now?"

"Yes." Montarg said from where he stood against the wall, arms crossed.

"And what was she like?"

"Typical."

Rodney let one eyebrow fall. "Typical?"

"Yes. Naïve, no idea what she's doing, doesn't know anything. She's weak. I dislike her."

Rodney laughed. "Montargo, you can't decide on whether you like someone or not based on their strength."

"Well, I do."

Rodney laughed again, then held out a spoon. "Taste that for me, would you?"

Montarg leaned forward and sucked some of the broth off of the spoon. "'s good."

Rodney smiled at him. "Honestly, Montargo, I think you need to make friends with her."

Montarg scoffed. "Not likely."

"Come on. I'm sure you would be good friends."

"Doubtful."

Rodney shook his head and giggled. Same old Montargo…

…

Author's note:

Me: *Sighs* FINALLY! I've been wanting to introduce Rodney to you guys for ages! I love Rodney. Rodney's cool. (Camp guys FTW.) Yes, Rodney is stereotypically gay, though he's not the type to wear a dress and put on make-up. He's just…excited and flamboyant. There's a specific reason I made Rodney camp (and no, it's not because he's gay), but I'll let you guess. I'll give ya a hint (not a very big one): It's got something to do with Montarg. I'll tell you why in the Author's note in the next chapter.

Mav: Admittedly, Rodney was the character J was most worried about when she warned ya about the gay/bisexual characters that appear in this story. The other character she's worried about… *Scratches back of head* Well, he'll appear later…So, if ya can just reassure her that Rodney's ok in your books, that'd be cool.

Me: Speaking of Montarg…*Scratches back of head* You remember that pairing I was talking about? In Maverick Tends to Arrive on Halloween, where I said I like a pairing that involves Montarg and someone mentioned in one of the chapters? Yeah…Rodney's the other half of that pairing…It's not a friendshippy pairing either (although I do love their friendship). It's a romance thing (Yes, two men, I know. I like some slash pairings, ya know. And that's not me saying that Montarg is gay, cause he's not). MontargxRodney (you can name that. I can't come up with anything) is a pairing I can see happening. I like Amantarg, but, seriously, Montarg is sexist. You think he's gonna date a woman? So, naturally, you're gonna see some MontargxRodney in the chapters. If you don't like it, just ignore it, I guess. Man, when I wrote that bit in the last chapter, where Richard says that Rodney's practically got Montarg on a leash, I got this image in my head of Montarg crouching on the floor, wearing a collar and an actual leash, glaring up at Rodney; who's holding the other end of the leash and grinning at him. Rodney'd do it. You just know it. XD

Mav: *Points* Oh, my God! Montarg doesn't have his beard!

Me: Not yet, he doesn't. So, Marcus has met Montarg!

Mav: Montarg's met Mum!

Me: And Xavier starting to get a little protective of Amanda! So, what will Marcus's new life be like?

Mav: Why does Rodney call Montarg 'Montargo'?

Me: And what will happen to Amanda now?

Mav + Me: Find out next time!

Mav: And, guys, remember to Story Alert so you can keep up with the story. *Thumbs up*