Passion Flame

  Chapter 3 - Firetrap

  Ejaz still couldn't believe he had found himself in the middle of this supernatural love triangle, but either way he had a job to finish. The sun was still setting and he had to start slaying the drakes before the family noticed, assuming the latter could be avoided. If everything went well, the family may never actually have to know what kind of threat had loomed over them. But Ejaz couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Jehoash. He wondered whether or not it would be better if Jessabelle knew to what lengths the king of the dragons was going in order to protect her and their child. It couldn't have been easy for Jehoash to come to a hunter for help, and the king was even willing to kill his own kind if he had to.

  But Ejaz could not be focused on that. He noticed that the house immediately across the street from Jessabelle's was up for sale, and more importantly, empty. He quietly picked the front lock and entered the home without being seen. It was a bit dusty, but it would do just fine for his purposes. He made his way to the second floor and settled himself in front of a front-facing window with a perfect view of Jessabelle's home. Then he just watched and waited until dark.

  Ejaz remained patient, listening closely to all the sounds in the area as the sun finally sank behind the horizon. Birds chirping, cars going by, people talking, the usual suburban stuff. When it hit around ten o' clock, though, he realized that almost everything was quiet; extremely, eerily quiet. He picked up the sword and quickly made his way downstairs.

  Outside, Ejaz could see small shadows darting in and out of the trees. Eventually they glided down to the front of Jessabelle's house. They appeared humanoid and dressed in hooded cloaks very similar to Jehoash's.

  Ejaz shouted over to them. "Hey!"

  The shadow's remained still. "A single guard? Foolish. It seems the king can't be bothered to appear himself."

  Without warning, a tongue of flame erupted straight towards Ejaz. He quickly raised the sword which blocked and absorbed the fire. Ejaz was shocked. He honestly hadn't expected the sword to do that. Raising it had been a more instinctive action, as if the sword itself had willed him to do it.

  The shadows stammered a little. One of them held out a hand and pointed. "Where!? Where did you get that weapon!?"

  Ejaz smirked. "From your king." He ran forward and slashed at one of the shades. The shadowy figure screamed and erupted into flame, disappearing into nothingness.

  The other two quickly morphed themselves into much more fierce forms. Drakes standing ten feet tall with dark green scales and teeth like knives. Fire came out every time they exhaled and their eyes were a piercing, glowing red.

  One of them spoke. "You killed our brother! Now you'll be cooked alive."

  Ejaz stood his ground, slashing at the necks of the drakes, who dodged and shot fire at him. Ejaz was able to block or avoid every fireball they sent his way. The drakes kept jumping back and away, clearly scared of the sword. Eventually, Ejaz caught one of them in the chest. The wound was light, but still the drake cried out in agony as the cut burned and spread all over its body, consuming it until it was nothing.

  The remaining drake charged at Ejaz in fury, moving so quickly that Ejaz couldn't react. He received a swift head-butt from the drake which knocked him to the ground. Before the drake could finish him off however, Ejaz rammed the sword straight up through the drake's head, killing it instantly.

  Ejaz lay on the ground, dazed, exhausted, but alive. He was just about to stand up when a familiar hand appeared in front of him, extended out to offer assistance.

  Jehoash stood over Ejaz. "Get up, hunter. Something isn't right." He pulled Ejaz to his feet.

  Ejaz dusted himself off. "What do you mean? I took them out just fine. Isn't that what you paid me for?"

  "Yes, yes, yes..." replied Jehoash. “But...those were just underling drakes. They weren't even five-hundred years old. Barely teenagers by dragon standards. They don't act on their own, and all of a sudden I sense a forth dragon in the area, and this one is...different...familiar...stronger..."

  It was at that moment that the front windows of Jessabelle's house exploded in flames, showering glass and debris everywhere. Screams could be heard as the fire quickly engulfed the home.

  Jehoash dashed to the front door with Ejaz in tow. "Son of a bitch!" cried Jehoash. "Those drakes were just a distraction to keep us away from the home! I'm such a fool!" Jehoash placed his now glowing hand on the still standing front door and blew the wooden barrier clean off its hinges.

  The king of the dragons and the hunter quickly made their way inside the home. Jehoash ignored the searing heat of the flames and the thick smoke, but Ejaz was forced to duck down and move more slowly. Eventually they came to a point where Ejaz could go no further and Jehoash was forced to stop.

  "Jessabelle!" shouted Jehoash. "Where are you!?"

  "H-help..." cried a weak voice concealed in the smoke and flames. Jehoash and Ejaz managed to move closer to the voice and discovered Mitchell clinging to the edge of a hallway wall, badly burned and gasping for air.

  Jehoash kneeled down next to Mitchell. "Mitchell! Are you alright!? What happened!? Where are Jessabelle and Jackson!?"

  Mitchell coughed, clearly struggling to stay conscious. "J-Jehoash? I-I don't know... Everything happened so fast I don't...I couldn't stop...it..." Mitchell passed out.

  Jehoash turned to Ejaz. "Get him out of here! I will find the others!"

  Ejaz nodded and threw Mitchell over his shoulder, carrying him through the smoke and out the front door to the safety of the street. By this point, the neighbors had called the fire department and sirens could be heard in the distance. Ejaz carefully laid Mitchell on the sidewalk and checked to make sure he was still breathing.

  After a few more minutes the fire trucks were starting to pull in and Jehoash emerged from the front of the home. His face was paved in bitter fury as he marched out to the sidewalk. He looked down at Mitchell.

  Mitchell coughed and sputtered as he regained consciousness. He managed to get out a few words as the paramedics rushed over to him. "Jehoash..." Mitchell struggled. "...Someone...something took them... I'm sorry...I...I couldn't do anything... Please...save my sister...save my nephew..." He was unable to speak anymore as the medics moved him to a stretcher and placed him into an ambulance.

  Jehoash grabbed Ejaz's arm and guided him away from the home. "We must go..." Jehoash spoke. "Quickly..."

  Ejaz smacked Jehoash's arm away. "That's it!? Something kidnaps your family and all you can do is say 'we must go?' No wonder she left you! Where were you when something snuck into the back of that house!? Why weren't you watching!?"

  Jehoash stopped. He glanced back to make sure the authorities were distracted with the fire, then he grabbed Ejaz by the throat and threw him down a side street into some trash cans.

  Ejaz crashed into the cans hard, sending his head spinning as he struggled to stand. Before he had a chance to move, a circle of flame surrounded him, trapping him where he lay.

  Jehoash approached, fury in his eyes. "Do you not believe that I care!? Do you not believe that I feel!?" screamed Jehoash. "I don't like to show emotion because I can't! The moment I show, the moment I break for a second..." he paused, calming his voice. "...I've already lost them...and I can't lose them, hunter..." Jehoash's face became stoic once again as the flames surrounding Ejaz subsided. "I had wrongly assumed the head dragon would not appear in the area. I did not believe he'd use his own subordinates as a distraction, and I failed to notice the approach of another dragon until it was too late..."

  Ejaz stood up, checking to make sure he was uninjured and picked up the sword he had dropped. "Well...fair enough, king. So tell me: now what?"

  "Now..." Jehoash spoke calmly. "We kill the dragon that has taken my family. Simple as that."

  Ejaz raised his eyebrows. "Oh, it's a 'we' now? Last I checked you wanted me to take care of that part."

  "The situation has changed." replied Jehoash. "I had hoped they woul
d not give me a reason to kill them myself..." His eyes flashed with energy for a moment. "But they have. Come, quickly. I can now sense where the last one has gone. He was masked from me until now. Use caution, he will sense me coming..."