Chapter 20: The Gate to Paradise
"Where…did you get…that damn mark?"
Finn found it difficult to tell if he was even remembering to breathe. His eyes were fixed on the flickering embers drifting upwards from Flame Princess' sword; some of which were extinguished when they came into contact with his chin, right above where the blade's fiery tip grew eerily closer to his neck with each passing second.
With every backwards step that the human took to gain some space, she followed with a forward step of her own, making it seem as if he had never even moved at all. But aside from the obvious threat of being pinned at a wall by a scorching sword, it was the princess' gaze that unnerved Finn the most. A gaze that he had never gotten from her in the years since they met, but one that he was still all too familiar with.
Even with the flame shield's protection, the heat of the fire that was so close to his throat managed to somehow pierce through the protection, and it made the experience all the more terrifying. In all his years, the young hero could never recall feeling so helpless.
'Flame Princess.' His owns thoughts sounded like distant echoes that he could barely hear. 'Wh-why is she so angry all of a sudden? Why is she threatening me with a sword?! She can't possibly be serious. She wouldn't…'
"Answer the question, Finn," she said, in a tone so calm despite the circumstances, Finn would have almost preferred it if she was yelling.
Realizing he had been holding in his breath for so long, he decided to take a deep breath and quickly gather his thoughts. He turned his eyes to the mark on his hand, which he held up close to his head along with the other in submission. 'Just explain everything you know to her. As far as I know, I've done absolutely nothing wrong. But…if I don't choose my words carefully…even if I feel totally certain that she won't stab me, things might still get messy. And if that happens, I could reach for my own sword, but I have to do whatever it takes to keep myself from harming her, and maybe she'll do the same with me.'
"I don't know," he finally said, with the answer being partially true. "I mean…I'm not sure."
"You got it from somewhere!" she said, the heat of the blade growing even hotter. "And from someone!"
"Princess," he said in the calmest tone he could muster, "you've known me for a long time. Whatever it is that this mark means to you, I swear, with everything I stand for as a hero, that I am not involved. In fact, the reason I came here today, is because I was told you knew about it. And it's clear you do. But what I want from you is answers on how to get rid of it. Please."
The sword was still pressed too close to his throat. But as Flame Princess' expression softened a bit, Finn noticed the heat was dying down as well.
"I want to think that's true, Finn," she said; her arm was slightly shaking now. "It's just that…that mark represents a very dark part of my people's history. And to see you walk around with it engraved on your hand like that…I'm just confused."
'She and confusion never mix well,' Finn recalled, her sudden lash out making just slightly more sense. "If you can just lower the sword-" he felt the flames getting hot again. "Okay, okay! The sword can stay if you want. But at least hear me out, and I'll tell you everything. Nothing held back. I promise."
After a brief moment of silence, she nodded her head, and the human let himself calm down a bit more.
"It all started after I went to sleep one night, just like any other…"
He had lost count of how much time had passed while retelling the events that he and his friends had endured. And staying true to his word, he left absolutely nothing out, which made it even more awkward and crazy-sounding when he told of the Phantom in his dream that resembled her in appearance. She did seem taken back by it at first, but she decided to say nothing until he was finished with all of it. And when he was, there was nothing but more silence, but she had finally lowered her sword and allowed him to breathe more easily.
Not wanting to risk angering her again, Finn opted to wait until Flame Princess spoke in her own time, once she was done taking in all of the information. When the time came, all trace of that anger was gone from her eyes, replaced with a mix of sadness and contemplation.
"Definitely one of the weirdest stories I've heard," she whispered while looking towards the rays of sunlight coming in through her chambers' balcony. She turned her gaze to the human. But even so…I believe you. It doesn't sound like something you'd be able to make up on your own."
Finn decided to ignore the comment. "Thanks. Now, since I told you everything, can you explain anything to me regarding it all? I'd like some more clarity. All I've been getting are vague riddles."
It was clear that she was still slightly hesitant, but she spoke nonetheless. "As I said before…that mark is connected to a dark period of the fire people's history. All records we have are unfinished, and almost none of them have been released to the general public as of yet, because we want to decipher as many of them as possible first, but the information we have at the moment is enough to give us some idea. I can't answer any question involving…this strange phantom of your dreams, the vision you got from the Witch, why it is that you keep being called the 'Shadowed One', or…practically almost everything you mentioned, but I can say this: that mark represents a powerful group that once aimed to keep the fire elementals…my people, as slaves."
The human remembered the day he saw their order all too well. Nothing but dry bones waiting for time to fully dissolve them, locked within a vault underneath the streets of Wizard City. A feeling had remained with him since the moment he saw them. They were clearly dead, yet something in the back of Finn's mind told him that they were somehow still a threat. And maybe they are.
His thoughts were interrupted as Phoebe continued. "We're still unsure about how many of the details in our records are historical or just some form of mythical belief, but there are several clues that may prove the events were real. According to what we have, my people didn't start their civilization in Ooo; we originated from another far away land called Asirda. The word is part of a very old language used by the fire elementals that's no longer in use today. It directly translates to 'Paradise'. In that land, our ancestors were enslaved by another cruel race, whose names we haven't been able to uncover. The only remnant we have of them is the very mark you currently have on your hand."
The mark glowed at the mention of it, as if it was fully aware that they were acknowledging its presence.
'Asirda,' he thought. 'I've heard the name before. In the vision that the Witch showed me after she took Huntress' eyes. A vision of…the future? At least that's what if seemed like.' He wanted to believe it was not him who was fighting against Flame Princess in those ashen lands, but there was no mistaking the same mark that both figures currently possessed. 'Could all the answers I want be there? Paradise…'
"You mentioned Asirda in your story, did you not?" Flame Princess asked, as if she knew what he was thinking.
"I did," the human responded. "But I have no idea how it connects to anything. I had never heard the name before. Did these old records say where it could be? And if it does exist somewhere, some of the race of slavers followed your people's ancestors here?"
"It's…complicated," she said while rubbing the back of her neck. "Like I said before, there are some things in those ancient records that could be seen as mere fiction. But now, with everything that you've said, I'm leaning closer to them being true."
"But if this mark supposedly originated from somewhere outside of Ooo, how did it end up as the banner for the Order of the Crow? Are they the slavers?"
"No. As I said before, it's complicated." Before she went on, she walked over to her bed and sat on the edge. Finn decided to remain standing. "A very long time ago, during the days of the third ruler of this kingdom, the fire elementals were pulled into a war against the Goblin Kingdom. The war itself wasn't anything too major; a few skirmishes here and there. Both kingdoms were still rather new, and neither military power was very big. I wouldn't even call it a war. More like a mindless brawl. But what happened behind the scenes of it would be what brought the Order of the Crow here to Ooo.
"A goblin spy, whose name has been lost through history, was sent to infiltrate the Fire Kingdom during the days of those battles. He was somehow able to breach the archives and stole some of our old records. However, before he could bring anything back to his superiors, he was found dead along the roads to the Goblin Kingdom by one of our own patrols, most likely jumped by some thugs, and was stripped clean. After a few weeks, the skirmishes ended, and there was peace again for a while. But then, just a few days later, people began to notice that a lot of fire elementals were going missing. After doing some investigating, some guards were able to apprehend one of the kidnappers. He had that very same mark that you have on your hand engraved in the center of his chest, and when he was interrogated, he said he was a member of the Order of the Crow.
"It turns out that whoever stole the documents that the goblin spy had took an interest in the history of a fire elementals enslavement, and they created their own little group based the methods that those who enslaved us on Asirda used. They kidnapped us and made us work tirelessly in their own hideouts, while also performing other kinds of sick rituals. When we finally found them, the whole group scattered and hid in different places across Ooo. The place you found in Wizard City was apparently one of them, and they must've ended their own lives before being found. Another one was the castle you and Jake went to, far in the North; Windar. A squadron was sent there, some of our own were saved, and the place was abandoned. At least until that weird witch that kidnapped you decided to live there with those…creatures."
"The Grand Master Wizard has a tunnel system underneath his city that leads right to that fortress," Finn said. "I've seen how many monsters she has. She can launch a full-scale attack if she really wanted. But she hasn't for some reason. And with him currently wanting me captured, I can't exactly warn him."
"There's not much I can do either," said Flame Princess. "Only wizards are allowed in Wizard City. But…the only wizard we have here in the Fire Kingdom is Don John, and he's still locked away inside his own lamp."
"We'll figure something out later. For now, what else do you know involving the Order?"
She thought for a minute. "Nothing that I haven't told you already. They were just a group of maniacs trying to imitate another terrible faction. The only thing I don't know is how they tie into everything else. They must've know some things we don't, because we were never able to recover every single record that they stole. Some of them are still missing, and they might be the ones that fill most of the gaps."
'Interesting stuff,' Finn thought. 'But it doesn't actually tell me much about how I can get to where I need to go. Hmm, maybe…'
"What about the map we found in Wizard City that leads to the Desert of Doom?" he asked. "Do any of your records say anything about that place; about what could be there?"
The princess opened her mouth to speak, but the words never came. For someone who hated secrets, she suddenly seemed to be keeping some of her own. Nevertheless, the silence didn't last very long.
"There could be a connection," she said, in a tone of voice so low Finn had to lean in closer to hear. But rather than continue, she stood from the bed and straitened her dress. "Follow me. There's something I think you have the right to know about."
The human questioned nothing, and followed her as both went outside the bedroom. For a second he thought that she was leading him back to throne room to meet with Jake and Blayze, but she instead began to lead him further into the palace.
He had never been here enough time to memorize the layout. If Flame Princess was not leading the way, he would have gotten lost almost immediately. Every hall looked almost the same, save for the fact that several paintings on the walls stood out to show some difference. As they walked, a sense of unease still crept over him. Even after coming to an agreement, the memory of when the princess held a sword his throat was still clear in his mind. He wondered if she was really willing to fully trust him again. Only time would tell, depending on what she was going to show him.
When they reached a small elevator, the two of them rode it down without uttering a single word to each other the whole way. There was a sudden shift in the environment as soon as the doors opened. The air was colder, and the walls were now a dark grey rather than their usual vibrant red.
A very long hallway stood before them, with a roof so high that it made it seem like they had somehow shrunk. To their left, there was a row of massive double doors sealed shut with what appeared like hardened wax. To their left, there were simply the torches that gave the dark corridor its light. Underneath of them, after passing some of the doors, Finn and Flame Princess came across two guards sitting in a table underneath the light, playing a game of cards with each other. When they saw the human and their ruler approach, they immediately dropped the cards and stood straight.
"Your Highness," one of them said nervously. "W-we weren't expecting you down here."
"At ease," she said calmly. "I'm here on personal business with Finn the Human."
The two guards looked at each other, then one of them said, "You plan to show him the…you-know-what?"
"No, not that," she replied.
They suddenly seemed confused. "The other you-know-what? Well, that thing's been completely harmless since forever. Go ahead."
After they were given leave to return to their duties, the two guards began to clean up all of the cards they had accidentally dropped on the ground. As they passed the rows of sealed doors, Flame Princess suddenly came to a stop before one of them.
Something about the door she was looking at was different from all the others. While the rest had a silvery color to them, this one was a shade darker. And while the others had only one line of wax keeping them locked from top to bottom, this one had two extra horizontal ones fused over it. If anyone wanted to get inside this door, a lot more effort would have to be used. Which made Finn weary, considering that the guards said that whatever was behind it was harmless.
Raising both of her hands, Flame Princess began to melt away the wax seals on the door. It was quick and effective, despite the fact that it seemed difficult to get through. Each line disappeared as it was burned away, like the fuse on a bomb. And when all were gone, the hall echoed with the loud creaks of the doors opening before them.
Inside of the room, it was dark, even with several torches lighting up as soon as they set foot past the opened door. It was only when Finn's eyes adjusted that he could better make out the direction in which she was going. But the glow coming from the princess herself provided some assistance as well.
When the light settled and the human could get a good look at his surroundings, he was left stunned when she and him reached the very end.
Against the wall, standing easily over fifteen feet tall, was an archway made entirely of what seemed like obsidian. There were symbols carved around its smooth surface that glowed a bright orange; the same orange that made up most of the Fire Kingdom. The same light steadily pulsated, as if it had a heartbeat of its own. At the very top, where it curved, a large crystal ball was placed in the center. While the glowing markings seemed be all connected to it, the ball itself was just clear and gave off no colors. On each side of the arc, carved onto its surface, were two perfectly rounded holes one underneath the other due to the small space of the thin column, making for a total of four. It most definitely seemed like a doorway, but it led to nothing. Beyond it, all that waited was the stone wall that made up the rest of the room.
"We call it the Cinder Gate," Flame Princess said, breaking the silence. "One of the oldest and most well-preserved artifacts we have here in the kingdom, and one that we've been unable to make work no matter how much we work on it. But, after studying it, and really analyzing our history, it could be possible that this is the gate to Asirda."
Finn was confused. "What do you mean?"
She continued without taking her eyes off the gate. "One of the few things that made us doubt that we originated outside of Ooo was that, according to our confirmed history, it wasn't until the reign of the fifth Flame King that we were able to develop ships capable of withstanding and floating on water. And so, the thought we came to Ooo from other lands, despite all of it being surrounded by an ocean, left a lot of historians with questions. But there is one theory that would make all of it make sense, and it's this." She gestured at the gate. "In theory, a portal that could lead directly to Asirda. The very same one used to get us here in the first place."
Finn studied the artifact before them a bit more. Portals were not something the human had never encountered, so it was definitely possible that this was one too. And the archway was wide enough for up to five people to fit through at once side by side, so saying that the first fire elementals on Ooo arrived through it was not so much of a stretch either.
'But what does it all have to with me?' he wondered.
"So far, we've had no luck getting it to activate," Flame Princess continued. "But if we were somehow able to…whatever we find on the other side could be the key to figuring out everything." She turned to face the human, a glint noticeable in her eyes. "All the answers your looking for might be there. And maybe…we can also uncover the secrets of my race. Our origin."
The young hero could tell this meant a lot to her, but she was not letting all of her emotions flow through just yet.
"What about those?" he asked, pointing at the empty sockets on the gate's surface.
"From what we can tell, whatever goes there could be what activates the gate. But we've found nothing related to what exactly that could be." She remained quiet for a few seconds, placing her hand over her chest. "My mother used to tell stories. Back then, they didn't mean much to me. Now, however, I'm left wondering how much she actually knew before she…before she passed away. She used to say that, hidden across all of Ooo, four gems of extreme beauty lay hidden in the darkest reaches of the earth. And those who are brave enough, and courageous enough to find them, will be granted entrance to the most gorgeous country one would ever see. After everything that's happened, I think she was talking about this the whole time. Four gems to be placed in four sockets, and the gate shall open."
After a long period of silence, as Flame Princess wiped away a lone lava tear dripping down her cheek, she went on.
"Finn, you said that you found a map inside the hideout beneath Wizard City." She stood closer to him. "I know it probably isn't my place to ask, but if that map is somehow the key to finding those gems and activating the Cinder Gate, we'd be solving two mysteries at once. Due to my duties as ruler, I can't accompany you on this journey. But please, if you really are willing to go through all of these trials, and find all of those gems, will you make sure I'm here to witness it open?"
The human turned his gaze to the glowing mark on his hand, and then closed it into a fist. A determined smile then appeared on his face.
"If getting those gems is the key to getting rid of this mark, and also help you and your people uncover your history, then I will gladly face any challenge that comes my way. You have my word."
She had been trying her hardest to contain any tears up until this point. But now, as she threw her arms around the human to pull him into a hug, her eyes let loose a few of them at once.
"Thank you," she said, muffled into his shoulder. After shaking off the original shock, he returned the hug as well.
Once they separated, the princess quickly wiped away the tears from her cheeks and straitened herself up. She then cleared her throat.
"Well, the day is almost ending. You should get as much time to prepare as possible."
"Yeah," Finn replied, once again thankful that the flame shield concealed his blush. "I'm sure Jake must be wondering where I am. If we're lucky, we might be able to set out tomorrow."
"And I'll wish you all the luck," she said while smiling. "Also...I'm sorry about raising a sword to you before. That was completely out of hand."
"It's fine. Don't worry about it."
When the two of them finally left the room, the doors closed behind them, and the wax seal that they previously had once again appeared in a fiery flash. With the echoing of their footsteps as they walked down the hall, Finn felt the need to ask one more thing.
"By the way, princess, you mentioned your mother earlier. If you don't mind me asking, what was her name?"
For a second, he thought he had overstepped his bounds. But Flame Princess just lightly smiled.
"Sitara. Her name was Sitara."
Note: Well, this took longer than expected. But I wanted to give you guys something before the year ended. And what better occasion to give you all a new chapter than on Christmas day? So consider this my personal gift.
Anyway, I hope to fully get back into the writing game soon enough. For now, just have a good holiday, and a happy new year. Be seeing you all.
-Atomsk the Pirate King: We shall see as it progresses.
-Ooobserver: Yeah, at least we got that.
-Awolfx9: Glad you're enjoying it. And yes, it would be a shame…but not today.
-TheSenjuMan: There might be some new and unexpected developments between them later on. Only time will tell.
-Fiery Crusader: So many questions, so little answers...
-Everything Adventure Time: Well here you go.
-james: K.
Next Chapter: Late Night Brawls