Chapter 11: Hired Help

"Repeat back to me what I just told you," Flame Princess ordered her brother, Flint.

The elemental sighed at his sister's persistence. "I will not blow up the Candy Kingdom in your absence."

"Or…" Flame Princess urged.

"Or any other kingdom, for that matter," Flint added.

"Good. Wildberry Kingdom isn't too far from here, so I'll only be gone for a few hours, give or take. If things go awry with, I might actually be gone all day. I'm putting a lot of faith in you, Flint. Don't let me down."

"I won't, sister. The Fire Kingdom will be the same as you left it when you come back. You have my word."

After Flame Princess was done conversing with her brother, she turned to face her suitor, Blayze, who was waiting by her carriage near the kingdom's main gate. She lifted herself up slightly to kiss him, then made sure Flint was no longer within hearing distance.

"Keep an eye on him," Flame Princess whispered in his ear. "I don't doubt my brother's promise but sometimes he can get a bit carried away with the troops."

"Isn't his job to toughen them up?" Blayze wondered.

"Yes, but not by sneaking a bottle of water into the kingdom and pouring some over a recruit's arm."

Blayze winced. "Ouch. Has it always been like that?"

"It was how my father did it, and Flint has always followed in his footsteps, even to this day. However, he doesn't seem to have noticed that things in Fire Kingdom work a bit differently now." She sighed. "I swear, sometimes working with my own family is just as exhausting as working on the kingdom itself. It really starts to weigh down on you."

"I know you mean well, Phoebe, but I don't think you should be pushing yourself too much."

Flame Princess smiled. "Well, today is the day that you are in charge."

Blayze was taken back. "Me? But…we've only been together for a few months. Are you sure you already trust me with handling things around here?"

"If you're gonna be ruling beside me one day, you may as well start getting used to it. Since I won't be long, I figured this would be the best opportunity to start learning the ropes. After all, part of the reason I chose you was because of your ability to keep a cool mind no matter the situation. Something that I can't say for almost everyone else who lives in Fire Kingdom. So yes, you have the throne for now."

"Flint won't take kindly to that."

"I already told him last night. He was…not too happy. A few punches on the walls here and there, some cursing, but he won't do anything drastic today; I made sure of that. He may have a temper, but even he knows when he's going too far. Except for the water stuff. In any case, take this chance to also try and get along with him. And who knows; maybe you can take the chance to call Finn over as well and chat things up with him while you're at it. He might be able to help with those pesky lava nymphs that have been causing trouble."

"I don't think Finn the Human would want to come to Fire Kingdom just to interact. Especially with me."

"Like I said before, give it time. Trust me, I think you'll find the two of you have a lot more in common than you might think."

Despite still being a bit unsure, Blayze figured she was right. He needed to prove that he could be a good enough leader for when the day came that he would rule for good, and having the Hero of Ooo on his good side would be great first step. Just the thought of it made him anxious, and also nervous. But he kept reminding himself he had been shadowing Flame Princess to see how she worked.

He kissed Flame Princess again and smiled as convincingly as he could. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of the citizens for you. Enjoy Princess Day."

Flame Princess smiled back before going into her carriage along with her pastry guardian, Cinnamon Bun. After Blayze closed the door for her, the driver urged the horses forward, and he watched as the kingdom's massive gates shut with her departure.

Having no more reason to stay outside, Blayze made his way back to the palace. He waved and said hello to several people walking past him. It put him at ease knowing that he was at least in good terms with the populace. It was not very surprising, seeing as how he had never wronged anyone in his life. But he knew that would be changing soon. Like it or not, being the new king of Fire Kingdom would no doubt give him enemies as well. In fact, he was sure Flint already hated even looking at him. Blayze noticed it every time the two made eye contact. And it was no different when he entered the palace and found him waiting next to the throne.

There were some people standing in line waiting for him to arrive. Flame Princess had told him about this as well. Trying to come up with the best solutions for the problems of the people was hard task, and it only got increasingly tiring as the day progressed. But he was not afraid. For Flame Princess, and the good of the kingdom, would push through it no matter what.

He was hesitant at first, but Blayze stepped up and sat himself upon the throne of Fire Kingdom. It was the first time he had ever done so, and he only thought it would come on the day he was crowned king, if the day even arrived; he always had his doubts whether or not he would even make it this far.

It felt…strange. It was only a chair, but he felt like he was sitting on the most important chair in the entire land. Which was weird considering that due to its rocky surface, it was not really that comfortable. Now he understood Flame Princess' discomfort every time she finished for a day.

"Don't get used to it," Flint said from his spot next to the throne. "Chances are still there that my sister will realize she doesn't need you as a suitor."

Blayze shifted on the throne. "Why do you hate me?"

Flint turned his head to face him. "I won't lie, as is custom in this land, I don't trust anyone who asks for Phoebe's hand. Especially after the practical insult to the very fire elemental race when she formed a relationship with that human. My father thought he was a tyrant, but after a while, I've come to realize just how much of a weakling he is."

"Finn is not weak," Blayze countered. "You don't earn the title of 'Hero of Ooo' for being weak."

"I'm not saying he is weak of strength, mind you. I'm saying he is weak of any kind of sense. You know why? Because when everyone in Ooo starts to shower you with respect when you're merely a child, you begin thinking that you can get away with anything. That's what has happened to the human. He may work for the betterment of all, but he doesn't think about what the consequences could be. And someone who makes decisions on the fly doesn't always make the best ones."

"And yet he still lives and Ooo is in a state of peace. I won't deny your points, but I don't really believe Finn is incompetent. In fact, if you wanna see for yourself, why don't you send a courier to invite him here? Maybe have a little chat."

Flint immediately appeared insulted. "Invite that human here?!"

"Yes," replied Blayze while holding his ground. "Unless you need to be reminded that you are to do as I say until Flame Princess returns. I understand you wanting to disobey me, but would you disobey your sister?"

Blayze knew talking to Flint in such a manner would only anger the elemental further, but he understood it had to be done. He had lived his entire life being nice, and if he actually planned on being a good king and appeasing Flame Princess, he needed to show strength to those around him, even if it meant making some enemies.

Despite expecting Flint to continue ranting, the elemental simply took a deep breath and responded as nicely as he could. "I will see that it gets done. But right now, focus on dealing with the citizens, my lord."

There was no denying he hated every word coming out of his mouth. Nevertheless, Flint remained calm and said no other word. Once the discussion was over, Blayze ordered for the first pedestrian to step forward, and his first day of ruling began.

"What time is it?" Blayze asked, yawning.

Flint looked at his watch and replied, "Almost three o' clock. Still some hours left before the day is done."

Blayze groaned silently and rested his head against his hand. It had been the longest day of his life. Most of the morning and afternoon sitting down and attending to all citizens that showered him with endless requests. Not to mention constant words from his advisors of the problems plaguing the kingdom outside. Choosing whether to execute or imprison someone who robbed a store, managing the stores of coal, and making sure there was enough food to feed the dragons in their stalls before they went on a hunger induced rampage. And to top it all off, his back ached beyond all reason from sitting down for such a large amount of time.

He was absolutely mesmerized as to how Flame Princess could go through this entire process every single day. It was no wonder why she had finally decided to look for a suitor. Doing all of this work alone would drive anyone to the brink, and it was shocking how she managed to do it for so long.

Luckily, there were no more citizens to attend for now. This was one of the very few short moments of peace Blayze had gotten throughout the day. Even more so with the fact that Finn could not be able to come.

When the courier that was assigned to invite him returned, he said a small little computer answered the door to his house and told him that the human and his dog companion had left days ago to run several errands. Flint seemed rather relieved, and while Blayze was a bit upset that his day of interacting with him was yet to come, he could understand it completely. It was to be expected that he was probably needed to handle something elsewhere.

"Flint?" Blayze asked to get his attention. "I know you don't like me, but try to be as honest as possible. How have I been doing so far?"

Flint thought for moment. "Well, a few hitches here and there. But otherwise, not bad for being the hired help."

Blayze was surprised. He thought for sure Flint would tell him he was doing horribly just to get rid of him. Then again, he should have known better from someone who unquestionably follows his sister's commands. And no matter what, he would never break her total honesty rule.

"Sir," said a guard that had walked up to the throne to speak with Flint. Blayze had not noticed him until he spoke.

"Yes, soldier?" Flint asked in return.

The guard seemed nervous, and the spear he held was slightly shaking. "There's…the Blackbell Knights request an audience."

Blayze had no idea what he was talking about, but Flint seemed suddenly angry.

"Them again?!" the elemental exclaimed.

"Who are the Blackbell Knights?" Blayze asked.

"A mercenary group composed of fire elementals that's hold up in an old fort, located just outside the Fire Kingdom's walls," Flint explained. "They'll take any contract, be it assigned from another fire elemental or not. They are ruthless, good fighters, and very organized. While they don't relatively cause trouble for us, that kind of force so close to our borders is enough to make everyone uneasy. The only reason we haven't been able to deal with them is because, since they are not actually in the Fire Kingdom, it's out of our jurisdiction."

"Why do you think they're here?"

"I don't know. But whatever they want, it can't be good." Flint turned to face the guard. "Go out there and tell them the princess is not here to attend to them right now."

"But sir…" the guard pointed in Blayze's direction, "they asked to gain an audience with him specifically."

Blayze was afraid that was the case. Nevertheless, he figured turning them away would only cause more problems than solutions.

"Send them in," Blayze ordered.

The guard bowed his head and went on to do as he was commanded. When he and another guard opened the front gate of the palace, however, both of them were suddenly pushed inward when the gate was opened from the outside.

'So much for being patient,' Blayze thought.

Metal clanging could be heard across the entire throne room as the warriors clad in black armor marched towards the throne. There had to have been around twenty at least, but Blayze figured there was more to this force that he was yet to see. Their shoulder guards were layered with sharp spikes, as well as the knuckles on their gauntlets; their helmets that covered their entire faces were carved with wings on the side; each one carried a spear in their right hand and shield in their left, while also having a sword sheathed on their hips; and the symbol embedded on each shield were a pair of black wings, but there was no actual bird attached to them. The same symbol was on the crimson red flags that some of them carried.

Who Blayze assumed was their leader was walking in front of the rest. He was wearing armor that matched the same design as the rest, but it was bulkier. A cape the same color as their flags hung from his back. While the others carried swords, he carried a spiked mace on his hip. The weapon appeared to be made from obsidian, and shined beautifully when the light hit it just right. And since he was the only one not wearing a helmet, his face was visible; a man whose entire upper body was built like a bull's, and whose face had been permanently extinguished on his right side, leaving nothing but what seemed like a cracking rock.

He raised his hand and all the soldiers behind him came to a sudden halt. When he smiled, Blayze felt a light chill go down his spine. Something very rare for a fire elemental. And it caused Flint to place a hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Good evening," said the man. His voice was rough and boomed through the hall. "My name is Igneous, First Sargent for the Blackbell Knights." He bowed respectfully, which Blayze found odd. "'Tis a pleasure."

Blayze studied him a bit further, and the rest of the knights, before clearing his throat. "How may I help you, sir?"

Igneous stood straight. "I understand you are the suitor for the princess of flames, correct? Whom I might call 'King' in the future. And I also assume you are in charge in her majesty's absence."

Blayze stood from the throne, preferring to be standing. "You are correct. Now, what is your business here?"

"We are simply here to make a proposal. One that I think can benefit us and this kingdom greatly. You see, the Fire Kingdom is known for having the strongest army in all of Ooo, but what will you do when all other kingdoms find out that this is not in fact the case?"

"WHAT?!" Flint yelled, enraged. "You question the strength of our men?!"

"I don't question that they are indeed good fighters, but they could be so much more. When it comes to the Blackbell Knights, however, every single one of us is worth five of your average flame guard. I am here to negotiate a pact between the Blackbell Knights and the rulers of Fire Kingdom. That simple?"

"Simple?" Blayze wondered. "Then what exactly do you ask in return, I wonder."

Igneous' smile widened even more. "The boy is smart! Our terms are simple. We provide you with the protection your own guards can't offer, and in return, we want to establish a foothold here inside the kingdom, and be anointed as real knights in your service."

"I've heard a lot about you guys, but what will make us believe your men are really as good as you say?" Flint wondered.

Rather than responding, Igneous turned to his men and snapped his fingers. One of them parted from the rest of the group and walked forward, handing him a small bottle filled with water. The same soldier that handed it to him removed one of his gauntlets, exposing his fiery hand. Igneous opened the bottle and then grabbed his hand. And before Blayze or Flint could say anything, he poured the entire bottle on top of his arm.

They expected to hear him scream in pain. Instead, there was not a single whimper or a flinch. The soldier kept his composure even as part of his arm was extinguished. After the bottle was empty, Igneous handed it back to the soldier, who then put his gauntlet back on and went back to his original position like nothing happened.

Blayze was impressed to say the least. Even a single drop of water was enough to make most elementals take a few steps back, but this one random soldier handled it unlike anything he had ever seen before.

"This is our power," Igneous said, facing Blayze once more. "The Blackbell Knights know no pain, no cowardice, and no disobedience." He slammed his fist against his chest proudly. "We fight to the very end with the desire for glory, ever present in our hearts! We move like star fire in the night as we march forward towards our ultimate victory! And everyone learns to step aside as we roar into the sky, For the Immortal Light!"

As Igneous said this, all other soldiers raised their spears in the ear and began to chant the same line. They only stopped when Igneous raised his hand once more, and the entire room fell silent.

"We offer you the greatest fighting force Ooo has to offer," he continued. "And if you accept, the Fire Kingdom will truly be a force to be reckoned with, no doubt about it."

Suddenly, all eyes in the room were on Blayze. The elemental thought for a moment, analyzing everything he had just heard. 'These guys are no joke. But then again, I don't think our kingdom has the necessary resources to meet the needs of their men aside from our own. Besides, I don't think I should be making a decision as big as this one just yet. It isn't right.'

Taking all of this into account, he stood straight and looked at Igneous straight in the eye. "I'm sorry. But while your offer is rather tempting, I think we will be fine on our own for now. Why don't you come back when Flame Princess is here? Maybe she can be of a more reasoning nature than I am. After all, I'm not king. Not yet."

It was obvious Igneous didn't like the answer. "That really is a shame. And here I was thinking you were smart. Pfft, 'the next king'. Ha!"

"You will learn to watch your tongue in this hall!" Flint shouted.

"I haven't had a good fight in a while," Igneous responded. "Why don't you show me what your salt is worth, candle match!"

Just as Flint was about to draw his sword, Blayze stopped him. "Flint, no! There's no need for this."

"Indeed, there is not," said an unfamiliar female voice far back in the room.

The Blackbell Knights moved to the sides in unison to let whoever had spoken pass.

The woman was another elemental, made certain by her forearms and the area around her bright red eyes. Her head was covered with a hood, a mask covered her mouth, and she wore a black tunic. The symbol for the Blackbell Knights was sewn into one of her shoulder pads around a crimson circle to make it indistinguishable from the black leather. The only thing close to a weapon that she possessed was what appeared to be a small metal tube sheathed in her hip. But it was not just any tube. This one shined like freshly polished silver, and had engravings of waving flames on its smooth surface. As beautiful as it was, Blayze failed to see what its purpose would even be, let alone how she would harm anyone with it.

"Supreme General!" Igneous said, sounding surprised. "I…I didn't expect you would be present for the negotiation."

She chuckled. "I thought I'd drop by to see how it was going. But it seems I still can't let you do anything without me being there to help, Igneous."

"And just who might you be?" Blayze asked, interrupting their conversation.

"Ah, yes, where are my manners?" she replied. "My name is Candice. Supreme General of the Blackbell Knights, as was previously stated."

Blayze nodded. "Well, Supreme General, would you kindly tell you man here to show some more respect?"

"Oh, don't worry about him. His temper is a beast that cannot be put down, I'm afraid. Only dazed." She clapped her hands together. "Now, am to understand you are Blayze? The one set to marry Flame Princess?"

"I am."

"Ooh, quite handsome as well I should say. In any rate, I just want you to know the Blackbell Knights only care about the well being of the fire people. And while I do understand your hesitation to accept our offer, we do not wish to push you into making your choice immediately. By all means, you may have the time necessary to do so."

"Thank you," Blayze replied.

"However, I do suggest you don't take too long."

"What do you mean?" Flint asked.

"The land is ever changing, my dear. One year can be peaceful, one year can be a time of hunger, and another can be full of sickness. The people are living a happy life, but it cannot last forever. Soon, the world will change once more. And it will be the biggest change anyone has ever seen. Our scholars have predicted it, and they are never wrong."

"What are you saying?" Blayze asked. "What is this change?"

"The ancient prophecy: Through the art of dreams, the Shadowed One will bring paradise to all. And you will know of his greatness by the mark of the Great Crow."

"What does that even mean?" Blayze urged.

"Oh, you needn't worry too much, my dear. All you need to know is that you will be happy we were around when the time arrives. And hear me, the time is fast approaching. But for now, we take our leave."

Candice whistled and all of her soldiers turned to leave at once. Igneous walked behind them, giving one last glare to Blayze before turning and leaving. And when Candice reached the edge of the door, she also stopped and turned her own gaze to the throne. And without another word, she was gone, and the palace's doors were closed.

Blayze sighed as he sat back down on the throne, glad that the entire ordeal had been resolved before things got hairy.

"Can you believe the nerve of those guys?" Flint said. "Coming in here and telling us how our soldiers are weak. Bah! We don't need them inside our walls."

"You know they'll be back," Blayze reminded him. "I only talked to them for a brief while, but I don't think they're the kind to take 'no' for an answer lightly. This isn't the last we've seen of them, I assure you."

"Let them come. I'll show them just how much they underestimate the might of our army. And I will drive my own sword through the leader's heart if I have to." There was moment of silence afterwards, but then Flint continued. "You know, as much as I hate to admit it, you handled the situation pretty well. Here was me on the brink of drawing my sword out of anger and you kept calm the entire time. I'd say that's one good sign of a good king."

Blayze smiled. "Thanks. But the day isn't done yet. What else do we have?"

As the sun finally began to set, Blayze breathed a sigh of relief as Flame Princess came back from her trip. Cinnamon Bun walked beside her, and both of them looked tired. But when she got close to the throne, a smile spread across her face.

"Blayze!" she beamed while walking up to hug him. "How did it go?"

"I think it went pretty well," Blayze replied.

"That's good to hear." She turned to her brother. "Any problems?"

Flint shifted uneasily. "Well, not many. Blayze actually handled everything pretty well. The only real issue was a short visit from the Blackbell Knights."

Flame princess groaned. "Those guys? What did they want?"

"I'll explain everything, but right now let's get you settled back in after the long trip."

"Very well. Blayze, would you like to join us?"

"I'd like to, but I have somewhere else I need to be," Blayze replied.

Flame Princess seemed a bit upset but nodded in understanding. "I guess we'll see each other tomorrow. But remember that you are always welcome here. And I'll also make sure you're compensated for your time here." She pulled Blayze into another hug. "And congratulations on your first day ruling. I look forward to hearing how it went. Take care"

"You too, Phoebe. And thanks for trusting me."

Once all of their goodbyes had been said, Blayze made his way out of the palace, also saying his farewells to the guards that stood by the main entrance. By Fire Kingdom standards, the night was cold, and Blayze shivered a bit as he walked the streets. All shops were closing and everyone was getting ready for another night of peaceful sleep. Glob knew Blayze wanted nothing more than to lie on his own bed as well.

He had to give Flame Princess a lot of credit. Doing all of the stuff that he did every single day required a lot of strength and perseverance. He wondered if it was like this with all princesses in Ooo. If so, he was impressed to say the least. They did a great job of keeping the land in working order, while also dealing with their endless bickering to one another.

After walking for the better part of a half-hour, he reached his house near the edge of the kingdom. It was nothing special, an average-at-best one story house made of rock, as were all others, with a chimney, a porch, a front door, and two windows.

Sitting down on the front porch in a rocking chair was Blayze's sleeping grandfather, Collen, and beside him on the floor was a little girl, appearing to be playing with a doll. Her yellow eyes beamed when she saw Blayze approaching, and she immediately stood up to greet him.

"You're back!" said the girl, now standing inches from him. Due to her stature, she was forced to look up in order to meet Blayze's own eyes.

"Hey Flema," he said, kneeling down to be on par with her. "How was your day, little sister?"

Flema was only six years old. Their father had died before she was even born. As for their mother, she fell gravely ill when Flema was only one year old, and died only months after. Now Blayze was the only family she had left aside from Collen, and she was the only family he had. But since their grandfather was growing too old for babysitting, Blayze often worried about her. Fortunately, she knew how to take care of herself while he was gone despite her age. Blayze only wished she was not so trusting of strangers.

As for Collen, the old elemental's flame was beginning to dim, making him look very skinny. He wore a hat that he used to cover his eyes. His snoring was loud and was in synch with the rocking of his chair. Blayze knew it was pointless trying to wake him up now, so he just left him be. After all, it was his favorite chair.

"I've been okay," she replied to Blayze's question. "Where you at the palace? How was it? Did you manage to see any of the dragons they have locked away I their pens?"

"Slow down, kiddo. I was only working today. Didn't see much outside the throne room."

"When will you take me with you?"

"Soon. You'll get to see the palace for yourself one day. I promise."

She seemed rather upset but never argued. "Grandpa said that if you were to become king, you'd forget about us."

"What?" he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Flema, of course that's not true. One day we'll leave this small house behind and live inside the palace, where all of the great fire kings that came before have ruled."

Her expression beamed a little. "I've always wanted to see it."

Before Blayze responded, he took notice of the doll she still had wrapped in Flema's arms. It was a brown sack doll with buttons for eyes but no mouth, as simplistic as it could get. But the weirdest thing, however, was that it was not burning despite having no flame shield on it.

"Flema, where did you get that doll?" he asked. He never recalled getting it for her.

"Oh, the nice wizard gave it to me."

"Nice wizard? What wizard?"

Rather than answering, Flema turned and went ahead to open the door to the house. Blayze followed closely behind, closing the door behind him once they were inside.

The house was not very big, but it had all of the essentials they needed to live. A dining table, a fireplace, a small kitchen, and two doors leading to the bedroom and bathroom.

On one of the dining table chairs sat an old purple robed man. What Blayze assumed was his staff was lying on the table, and the man himself was currently busy polishing it with damped cloth. When he turned to face Blayze and Flema, both of his pure white eyes stared at them as he smiled widely.

"Ah, the soon-to-be king," he said.

Flema began walking towards him, but Blayze held her back. "Who are you? What are you doing in our house?!"

"Ah, yes, well, first and foremost, my name is Weimar. And I…" he picked up the staff from the table and used it to lift himself off from the chair, "have a proposition for you, young lad."

Blayze looked down at Flema, and then back at Weimar. "Look, I don't know what it is that you're offering, but no thanks. I would just like you to kindly leave."

"Oh, I am not offering anything that can be bought, no sir. I am actually here to ask for your assistance in a matter that could mean the horrible end of…well, the world."

"The…world? What are you saying, old man?"

Weimar took several steps forward, and Blayze took several steps back with Flema.

"This land is kept in balance by a cycle," Weimar said. "The princesses keep the land in check, while Finn the Human makes sure those princesses and their people remain breathing. But the question is…who looks after the young human hero?"

"Just get to the point," Blayze demanded.

Weimar stood even closer.

"Dear lad, how would you like to be the one who saves Finn the Human?"

-Bio team2: I'm guessing it was scary?

-CoolDudeAgent: It's quite alright. If you can't read a story over personal matters, then that's fine. But I'm glad you're still reading.

-Fiery Crusader: I imagine The Thing also had somewhat of a part. But then again, I only saw it when already in my teen years.

Next Chapter: Witch of Tears