Fire Prince

  Chapter Nine – Uneasy greetings

  “It’s probably something I made a long time ago; if I concentrate when I build things they last for a long time,” guessed Fake.

  “We need to be careful, if a portal can be forced open to your canvas now it might also be possible for a natural one to open as well,” said Andin. “Can you make me a telescope?” he added.

  Fake raised his hands and a small pile of black sand swirled into a long brass tube, “Here you go,” said Fake offering his creation.

  Andin looked through the device, “The curve of the lens is important, can you make it look like this shape?” Andin drew two arcs in the sand. Fake conjured up an improved replacement. “Better,” said Andin. They worked in this fashion for a few more minutes until the telescope worked properly. “You’re quite useful,” complimented the prince.

  Andin looked at the dots on the horizon, “Well I see some men sitting,” Andin scanned near them, “A few tents, wait a second… is that?” Andin rubbed his eyes and passed the telescope to Fake, “Tell me what you see.”

  “I don’t remember making anyone like this; those two bigger guys that are moving around, they look sort of... fishlike,” said Fake.

  “Fake I think a portal opened up here from Pelagos,” said Andin.

  “From where?” asked Fake.

  “The Plane of Water, Pelagos is its formal name,” answered Andin. “Fake I need you to stay here while I check this out,” said Andin feeling strangely protective of his new friend.

  “Why?” The illusionist asked slightly puzzled.

  Andin tried to explain, “Why would the gods of Pelagos be in your plane with no portal in sight? Something doesn’t add up here, and you don’t know how to fight.” Andin knew Fake was valuable; revealing the powerful and naive illusionist to a rival plane could be a mistake. “If anyone but me comes to get you, use your magic to hide,” instructed Andin.

  “Okay,” conceded Fake.

  “Just watch through the telescope, it will be fine – I might be gone for a while, but I’ll try to stay in view,” said Andin as he silently ran off.

  Fake watched as the fire prince moved like a ghost in the open terrain. Andin hoped the dog-leg he ran before turning towards the encampment would help hide Fake’s location. Nearing the camp he slowed to a walk and announced his presence with an airborne burst of fire.

  The Brothers Qin and Lin instinctively gripped their weapons at the sound of the blast. “Who is that?” asked Lin turning towards their visitor. The Brothers walked towards the young man who approached their camp. “Stop,” shouted Qin. “Place your hands on your head if you value your life stranger,” added Lin. Andin complied.

  “Greetings lords of Pelagos, we have never met but it is likely you have heard of me, I am Andin son of Bellos, god of Beldur,” said Andin as nonthreatening as he could.

  “The fire prince? That is a bold claim young one,” answered Qin. “How could you prove such a claim?” asked Lin.

  “Perhaps the story of how I came to this place would suffice – if you would be so kind as to explain your arrival here as well,” offered Andin. It pained him to reveal the portal magic to the Brothers but it was the only information that could sell his story.

  Lin whispered to his brother, “He’s as silver-tongued as Bellos that’s for sure.” Qin agreed and approached Andin, “We were trapped here when the portal connecting Pelagos and this plane collapsed prematurely.”

  Andin explained how the experimental portal magic went wrong. His descriptions of Bellos and Crepus seemed sufficient enough for the Brothers to lower their guard. Andin purposefully omitted Fake’s part in the story. “So it seems our party of trapped rats grows by one,” said Lin. “Unfortunately fire prince you’ll find our accommodations here poor,” said Qin.

  “When you arrived what happened?” asked Lin.

  “I was thrown through the air, the world went dark, then light, and it was over,” answered Andin.

  “We saw a streak through the sky,” said Qin. “We experienced the dark and light as well, it was a tremendous display,” said Lin.

  The marines and magi eyed Andin with suspicion – his clothing was plainly Beldurian. Bellos and the Brothers never quite saw eye to eye, and relations between the two planes had always been curt. “So do you have any idea about this place?” asked Andin filling the silence.

  “No – it’s remarkable in the sense that it is wholly unremarkable,” answered Lin. “Stale air, little wind, and the odd withered tree – which is made of the same black sand that is seemingly everywhere,” he added with indignation. “The portal magic, can it be done again?” asked Qin.

  Andin sighed, “I can’t know for sure, I’ve only tried it once.” Andin added, “It seemed the more elemental disciplines involved, the better the portal is, so encountering you here is fortunate.” Andin felt as if he were betraying his father telling the Brothers about the portal magic – but his mission was too important to abandon, he had to get to Pelagos. Somehow, through the Brothers, he could get there.

  Qin was eager to get started; three dozen of his men were trapped here with them with dwindling supplies. He pushed the issue and Andin gave in, and they began attempting to recreate the efforts of Bellos and Crepus. After hours of frustration the three took a break.

  Andin walked off to the edge of the camp to get away from the tense uncertainty that infected the men. He could only think about Fake – Andin needed Fake with him, though he couldn’t explain why. Andin had to send Fake a message in secret. He looked back at the camp; the Brothers were in their tent.

  With a small effort Andin conjured a small stone in his palm. He carved a short message into it and catapulted it towards where he thought Fake was waiting. The stone silently flew to Fake and landed only a few feet away with a satisfying thud. “I hope he trusts me,” whispered Andin aloud.

  Moments earlier Fake had been sleeping. Watching his friend and the two bigger guys stand in a circle making swirls of fire and water became boring. He awoke to see Andin sitting on the edge of the camp, facing Fake. The stone landed near him, he read the message.

  Come to the camp soon. Make it a dramatic entrance. Act like we have never met, it will be easier to protect you this way.

  Fake didn’t understand the need for secrecy, but he instinctively trusted Andin. Fake mirrored Andin’s actions and walked the perimeter of the camp to conceal his original location. He hid his movements with an illusion. Then he got an idea.

  Andin was called back to the camp by the Brothers, who were ready to resume their attempts. Qin was pushing the issue hard, Andin tried to calm the overzealous Qin, “When Crepus and my father made a portal with that snake acting as some sort of tuner, they got a foggy disc that had darker and lighter spots.” Qin looked at Lin, Andin continued, “He said that was undoubtedly the best one they had made yet.”

  “We need to slow down, figure out how this works, and if we can, make something to act as a tuner,” said Andin. Qin and Lin normally would never tolerate being told what to do by an overgrown boy, but the lives of their men were at stake – and this was the son of Bellos.

  With the Brothers in a more temperate mood they began to outline everything they knew and needed to know to create a portal. Firstly, Andin explained the strange way in which the energy moves. “It felt almost like a duel, I was trying to destroy the energy they were creating, which was in turn trying to destroy the energy I was adding,” said Andin. The lecture was interrupted.

  The ground shook. The thud was impossible to ignore. “What was that?” asked Lin. Another rumble struck. One of the men screamed, “Look out!” Everyone in the camp turned to what the alarmed magi had seen. The Brothers grabbed their weapons, Andin drew his sickles.

  The massive reptile shook the earth with each step as it approached the camp. The monstrosity kept bending its head down, snapping at a white clothed man. At first Andin thought Fake was screaming, but as the monster came closer and closer it was clear t
hat Fake was laughing hysterically, dodging the huge snapping jaws of the reptile. Andin fought to hide his grin.

  My new friend is a madman, thought Andin happily as he sprinted towards the beast. The Brothers were further behind; they were only concerned with protecting the men. “Spread out, save your energy, don’t fight,” ordered Qin to the marines and magi. The men scattered, the creature was almost upon them.

  With his signature burst of flame Andin was airborne. He flew into the head of the beast and was swallowed by a rolling hill of black sand. The monster became formless and crumbled into a large hill. Fake emerged first. He seemed quite pleased with himself.

  “Don’t move; who are you?” asked Qin as the tip of his ornate trident pushed Fake into the hillside.

  Fake’s happiness vanished; Qin frightened him. “I’m Fake the painter sir,” he said shakily.

  “What was that monster?” said Qin continuing the impromptu interrogation.

  “It was just something I made, I make things, that’s what I do,” pleaded Fake.

  Andin had emerged from the sand now to join the Brothers.

  “What happened?” he asked confused.

  “What do you mean you made it? Was that a golem?” pressed Qin.

  “A what? No, look,” Fake pointed his hand at the ground and created a rabbit out of a small swirl of sand, “I just paint things, they aren’t real.”

  Qin exploded, “Deceiver! Servant of lies!” His trident pressed harder into Fake’s chest, breaking skin. Fake screamed; the rabbit and the few surrounding trees disintegrated. Andin had to intervene. He gripped Qin’s trident relieving the pressure, “Lord Qin, calm yourself; even the most cunning fabrications of Deceit couldn’t be this… strange.” Qin withdrew his weapon. “He may be of use to us, unspoiled,” said Lin.

  Andin helped Fake up. “What is this place painter?” asked Lin.

  “It’s my canvas, who are you guys?” asked Fake.

  “Did he come with you?” asked Qin to Andin.

  “No, I came alone,” answered Andin truthfully.

  “Great, another mouth to feed,” said Qin exasperated.

  “I wouldn’t be so sure,” said Andin, pointing to Fake’s torn shirt. The three cuts in his chest had already stopped bleeding.

  “An immortal? How can that be?” wondered Lin. The god of water continued thinking aloud, “A god with no mortal fauna? I thought such a thing was impossible.”

  “Are there other living beings here?” asked Lin.

  “No sir, no real ones anyway,” answered Fake, eager to comply to avoid another trident at his chest.

  “You’re here alone then,” said Qin.

  “Yes, until now, I didn’t think real things existed anymore,” said Fake.

  Fake explained to the Brothers of his memories of the old world, the world before the Sundering. The Brothers decided to allow the illusionist into the encampment under the supervision of Andin. “Know that you are not in chains because we have allowed it,” warned Lin.

  The Brothers returned to their men to restore order in the camp and explain what had happened. Andin and Fake walked the outskirts of the encampment.

  “You did well, very dramatic,” complimented Andin.

  “Why did that one attack me?” asked Fake.

  “The Brothers, especially Qin, are very distrusting of outsiders; they had a portal opening to Deceit many centuries ago, and the men and women of Pelagos suffered greatly because of it.”

  “Deceit?”

  “It’s one of the hostile planes. We know very little about the Deceivers, a doorway hasn’t opened to Deceit in many years that we know of. Their magic is based on lies and trickery, similar to your illusions.”

  “Is that why you asked me to pretend we had never met?”

  “It would throw more distrust and suspicion on me, a burden we cannot afford if we wish to leave this place freely. Be careful with the men, the Brother’s distrust of outsiders mirrors their own.”

  “Okay,” nodded Fake in agreement.

  “Don’t talk to the Brothers if I’m not with you,” added Andin. Fake again nodded; and the pair walked quietly around the campsite. Both Andin and Fake finally succumbed to the exhaustion of the day and retired to the tent the Brothers had given them.

  Every morning Lin would awake them, bringing Andin a single crumbly biscuit and a full bota of water. Andin and the Brothers would study and practice the uncooperative portal magic. They made no progress. The rations were nearly gone. Conjured water could only fight hunger so much.

  Fake took to entertaining the men, and quickly won them over with his vibrancy and innocence. He would put on shows and try to recreate the creatures and landscapes the marines and magi described to him.

  One of the older marines coached Fake through some simple swordplay, “Grip it firmly illusionist,” he instructed handing his rapier to Fake.

  “Real things feel weird,” noted Fake.

  The marine smiled, “Hold it a little higher, not so close to your body, it’s a weapon not a shield.” Fake swung the rapier in big clumsy chops. “This type of blade is for thrusting, you can cut with it only if you know the water discipline,” said the marine.

  “It’s filled with water?” asked Fake.

  “Yes,” answered the marine, “We use water magic to make our attacks stronger, I would show you but we’re on orders not to exert ourselves because of the food shortage.”

  The lesson was interrupted by a loud burst coming from the portal site. The eyes of the camp jumped to the source.