Mage Assassin 3 Chapter 3

Back when I first learned that the Ardere was a real place, Master Abbot had told me I was correct in describing it as its own little kingdom. I knew the Master hadn’t lied to me, but now, on my third visit to the firelands, I was starting to think he hadn’t told me the whole truth.

Now that I’d been there a few times, it was starting to seem almost like the Ardere was its own little world, too. Or maybe its magic made the normal laws of nature work differently than they did in Ocadia.

At any given time, there might be six suns in the sky in the Ardere. On the day of Cinis’ crowning ceremony, there were three. One of them seemed to be the same fiery ball that we’d see in the sky back in Hud, and it was just barely above the west horizon. Another was far to the east, and it was pure red with tiny little black shapes swirling across its fiery surface like a distant shoal of fish. The third sun was floating almost directly overhead. It was the biggest, and had a warm yellow color like a candle flame.

When I was younger and still thought the Ardere was a mythical place, the word “firelands” had made me picture a place that was barren, rocky, and maybe even hellish. But in reality the Ardere was full of life.

Everything was bathed in a red-orange light, but it wasn’t the threatening red glow of hellfire. It was like a fever dream, but in a good way. Things seemed surreal, but I thought there was something in the air that made me feel more alive at the same time.

Ephy, Nara, and I took a different path on our journey to the palace than I had when I came alone. Cinis had called it the “scenic route.” The path was made of flat, dark stone that was riddled with tiny holes and felt weirdly spongy under my feet as I walked. It even swallowed the usual tramping sound of Nara’s dangerously high platform shoes. On our left were the Ember Fields, near where I’d first met Cinis. The golden glow of the embers added to the light from the suns.

On our right was the Forest of Flame.

Cinis had told us not to stray into the forest, and we didn’t, but sometimes it got tempting. It looked like a wild, enchanted place. I felt almost the same intrigue and dark pull I’d felt toward Hud back before I ventured far into that forest.

Nara started counting the different types of trees we saw and got to seventeen after only a few minutes. She had mixed something into her purple lipstick to make it faintly holographic, so the warm light shimmered off it while she talked. Her dark brown hair was wild as ever, but it looked glossier, too, like she had actually bothered to run a brush through it.

There were trees that were cream-colored and waxy looking, with leaves like big wicks that were all burning. Some of these waxy trees looked like they were actually melting under the flames’ heat. There were also trees like weeping willows, but with soft yellow-gold fire tendrils instead of hanging vines. Some trees were full of big pale flowers that opened and closed every few seconds like eyelids, and when they opened I saw that they each held a flickering purple flame.

There were animals in the Forest of Flame, too. Ephy pointed out a herd of tiny silver deer grazing on a patch of dead firegrass, but when they spotted us they went stock-still. They stood like shiny little statues with tufts of charred, smoking black grass sticking out of their mouths and waited for us to pass.

Then we rounded the forest’s edge, and the land opened up in front of us.

The first thing that grabbed my eye was the huge, fiery lake. It was tucked just beyond the bounds of the Ember Fields, so I hadn’t seen it during my first visit here, but it was even more eye-catching than I could have expected after Cinis described it to me.

Ephy’s gasp sounded both awestruck and afraid, but Nara perked up when she saw it.

“Is that lava?” the witch asked interestedly.

“Something like that.” I shrugged and grinned a little at her excitement while I put my arm around Ephy to comfort her.

The lake was beautiful in a fiery way, and it gleamed with its own dappled light like liquid embers. It had the smoldering glow of lava, but I remembered from my last visit that it seemed more fluid, like water.

Ahead of us, a dark stone cliff towered on a beach of glittering black sand across the lake. At that height, I felt sure it should be visible from outside the Ardere, but I had never so much as glimpsed it from Ocadia. There was a big, natural-looking cave opening in the cliff’s face, and orange light glowed from inside and spilled out onto the sand.

Other than the cave’s opening, the cliff’s steep face was fairly smooth and empty until about fifty feet above the ground, where the lower structure of the palace became visible. They were connected in an odd way. It almost looked like the palace had been pushed halfway into a giant slab of dark, melted wax, and then that wax had cooled and hardened around it to become the cliff.

The palace had arched glass windows below its tall turrets and spires that spiked high into the sky. A crystal ball lit with flickering flame topped each spire. The tallest of the turrets was about twenty feet higher than the flat plateau atop the cliff, and I could even spy a door that opened up right onto it.

Some tall, thin trees that grew from the clifftop were clustered around the castle’s upper turrets, and they stretched up to a similar height. On some of these trees there were little structures that I thought might be birdhouses, but “bird castles” might be a better description. It was like someone had shrunk down some turrets from the palace and nailed them to the trees.

On the right of the elaborate structure, the beach below the palace narrowed and then disappeared completely so the glowing lake was lapping up against the cliff. Just past this, the cliff split into a narrow canyon that the lava flowed into like a river. A bridge connected two wings of the castle that were set into each side of the canyon.

“How do we get across?” Ephy asked. Her voice quivered a little.

“Turtles,” I said calmly.

“Turtles?” Nara asked in a squawk, and she sped up her pace to beat us to the lake.

“Are the turtles okay with this?” Ephy asked anxiously.

“Yes, according to Cinis, they’re always happy to help out,” I assured her. “I’ve never ridden one myself, but I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

When Ephy and I reached the lake, Nara was gleefully patting the enormous, wrinkled, lemon-yellow head of a caravan-sized turtle. When she tickled it under its chin, it closed its eyes and rumbled.

The dock was made of the same spongy rock as the path we’d followed here, and several more turtles bobbed near it in the lava water with their eyes half closed. Like Nara’s turtle, they all had bright yellow skin and had cradle-like saddles strapped over their shells.

The turtles were probably about a hundred times the size of the little pond turtles Ephy was familiar with, but their presence still seemed to reassure her a little. But she still looked nervous. That was understandable, especially when I looked at the fiery lake in contrast to the cool blue waters she had lived in for most of her life. Those waters were a part of her, and this strange fiery lava lake probably seemed both alien and terrifying to her.

“D-Dex Morgan…” The siren quivered. “Can I ride with you?”

“Of course, Ephy,” I said. “It’ll be okay, I promise.”

I took her green hand gently and led her out onto the spongy dock, and I couldn’t help smirking a tiny bit as I realized every inch of the beautiful siren, from her plump lips to her cleavage and right down to her light-green feet, was trembling like a leaf.

Nara was already clambering onto a turtle. She sat side-saddle in her short red corset dress, and her face was flushed and excited in the lava water’s glow. The orange glow shone dimly off the black pearls she had strung onto the thin shreds in her usual ripped black tights before tying the frayed ends into delicate knots to hold them in place.

Then the grisled old ferry master stomped over to me and Ephy. Nara had completely disregarded his attempts to help her board her turtle, and he seemed a little cross about it, but the old man still gave me a courteous nod and doffed his absurdly tall top hat for Ephy.

When his hat lifted, I caught a brief glimpse of a long white tuft of hair that stretched almost as high as the hat itself. Then, in the blink of an eye, it burst into a tower of crackling flames.

“Shit!” the man barked, and he dropped his hat back onto his head. It extinguished the flames with a whumph when it fell into place. Then the ferry master pulled two straps from under the hat’s brim and buckled them together under his chin to hold it there.

“Sorry about that,” he grunted at us. “That’s what I get for not buckling my hat… Hot-headed, you know.”

Now Ephy was quivering with silent giggles instead of fear.

A loud splash to my right made me jump, and I turned and saw Nara almost doubled up with laughter as she floated past on her turtle. She had clearly overheard the ferry master.

“Hot-headed,” she mouthed silently at us with tears of suppressed laughter leaking from her eyes.

The ferry master didn’t seem to notice any of this. He beckoned another turtle onto the dock, and it lumbered up the ramp and then lowered itself to wait patiently while I lifted Ephy up into the saddle. The bottom half of her dress billowed out around her legs. Then I clambered up myself to sit behind her. There was enough room in the saddle for us both to sit comfortably, and she leaned back against me and let out a breath.

The ferry master whistled through his teeth and rapped his old gnarled knuckles on the back of the turtle’s shell.

With a cavernous groan like the sound of boulders shifting, the turtle turned itself around and headed toward the dock’s ramp. Just before stepping onto it, the gargantuan turtle lowered itself to the ground with a thud that rattled my teeth. I had no idea what was about to happen, but I gathered the reins instinctively and held Ephy snuggled against me while bracing my hands on the rough circular handle that the saddle had in place of a pommel.

I did this just in time to keep us from being unseated when the turtle pulled its tree-trunk-sized front legs into its cavernous shell. Then it kicked itself onto the ramp with a stomp of its back feet.

We slid into motion as it tucked in its back legs with surprising speed and then slid down the ramp. Ephy and I held on for dear life, but after the initial surge of momentum, we skimmed smoothly into the lava water with a soft skshhh.

Lazy, red-orange ripples spread around us, and there was only a slight swaying motion when the turtle extended all four legs and propelled us through the lava-water toward the palace.

Ephy squeezed my hand tightly, but she also stared around in wonder as the turtle swam us across the lake. When she craned her neck and tried to see everything, the lava-water’s warm light played off the handful of small freshwater pearls the siren had beaded and strung through a few small braids scattered throughout her periwinkle hair. The rest of her hair tumbled around her frame in long and loose waves like always, but she wore a dress in place of her usual lily pad skirt.

It was a baby blue color that brought out the blue in her eyes, and it flowed down her front like a waterfall. The soft silk was so thin it was almost translucent, but that really just added to the effect. Instead of sleeves or straps, it had strings of more tiny, beaded freshwater pearls that draped over her bare green shoulders and criss-crossed down her spine to connect with the low, v-shaped back of the dress.

More top hat-wearing ferry masters were strolling around across the glittering black sand of the beach below the palace. All of them had their towering hats buckled snugly under their chins, and one stepped forward to help Nara off her turtle, but she vaulted off before he got close enough.

The scantily clad witch flew through the air at eye level so close to the man that his eyes almost crossed when she hurtled past. Her velvet platform shoes thumped onto the sand, and then she straightened up and tugged down the bottom of her skimpy dress so it covered her again.

“Pardon me,” she said primly to the shocked ferry master.

His eyes followed her when she walked away, like he was trying to make sure she wasn’t some kind of apparition.

Once Ephy and I safely dismounted our turtle, we joined the trickle of fire beings who headed into the fire-lit cave and then up the dark stone steps of a huge, high-ceilinged passage that had been carved cleanly through the stone. It was lit with torches set in gilded sconces, and ornate patterns were carved into the walls.

The cave then opened up onto a wide, flat stone terrace that jutted out a little as part of the cliffside’s natural shape. It was like a narrow courtyard for the palace, and it looked out over the beach and fiery lake. This was where the fire beings clustered together, and many of them were talking excitedly about the ceremony that was about to take place.

Nara and Ephy were looking all around them with curiosity, but I could tell Ephy was looking for something in particular: the fire fairies.

Then she saw something past my shoulder, and her pouty pink lips puckered in a perfect “o.” Her doe eyes somehow got even bigger as she stared.

I turned to see what she was gaping at and felt my own jaw drop when I saw Cinis walking out of the grand archway of the palace toward us, and the fire beings parted for her.

The soon-to-be-queen’s pale skin shone under the fiery light. Her body was sheathed in a long, skin-tight black gown that accentuated every arc and curve of her form. Glittering black gems were sewn into the fabric, and toward the bottom it flared gently out and almost brushed the ground.

The dress was even longer in the back. It would have trailed on the ground behind her, but a group of fire fairies fluttered along behind her to hold it aloft.

Ephy gave a quiet squeal at the sight of them.

The fairies all had golden-hued skin that shimmered slightly as they bobbled along behind Cinis. They were all dressed vaguely alike, if you could call it dressing. Each wore a thin stretch of watered silk that was about the size of a scarf in comparison to their small frames. All of them wore their garment a little differently from the others in the way it wrapped and twisted intricately around their tiny bodies into something like a dress, with panels of bare skin showing through in places.

Cinis’ dress was another story.

On its own, the dress’s length would have made it almost suspiciously modest for Cinis, but there was a deep slash in the silky fabric that went all the way up to the top of one thigh, so almost all of one sleek leg showed. The bottom half of her leg was wrapped in the straps of her gold gladiator sandals, and a thin gold rope was belted around her tiny waist. Her tight necklace, earrings, and the cuff bracelet on her upper arm were gold, too, and they were all encrusted with black star sapphires.

Cinis’ shiny black hair tumbled down her back in loose waves, and the hooked ends of her soft, batlike wings towered over her shoulders. I could see them pulsate faintly with a red iridescence when she got closer to us, and her full lips curved up in a smile.

Ephy was practically bouncing with excitement on my left side. On my right, Nara was unnaturally still and silent while she looked at Cinis with an awestruck expression.

The Ember Priestess embraced each of us affectionately and the fire fairies hovered around behind her with their wings like hummingbirds.

“You clean up well, Dex Morgan,” she purred quietly to me after she looked me up and down.

“As do you,” I murmured, and my gaze lingered on the stark contrast between her black dress and her pillowy cleavage.

She pulled out of my lingering hug just a little quicker than usual with a glance around at the other fire beings, but she shot me a look that was loaded with sultry promise. Then she tore her eyes away with a reluctant twist of her mouth and took a breath.

“You’re just in time, I have to begin the ceremony,” she told us. “Follow me, I’ll show you where to stand.”

The fire beings looked at us a little curiously as we followed their queen-to-be and her retinue of fairies through the archway into a huge, open chamber. The walls were made of dark, glossy stone like obsidian, but in places it looked like a giant had taken a sledgehammer to them, and big shards of the thin surface layer had fallen away. In these spots the walls had giant, glittering geodes showing through. Their swirling patterns of marbled color were mainly gold, but they also had veins of creamy white, coppery red, and dusty rose gold running through them.

Cinis led us through the growing crowd of fire beings to stand near the head of the room where a simple stone platform stood like an altar. The crowd parted respectfully for her again as she left us to stand behind the stone platform.

An ornate, long-handled battle axe was laid on the stone surface next to a simple, fired clay pot and an ancient-looking but beautifully painted amphora with a slim curved handle like a jug.

The Ember Priestess’ face looked fearless, but I knew her well enough to notice the slight flicker of unrest that crossed her face as she scanned the room. But then it was gone, and she started to speak.

“As you all know, my uncle Ignis used this weapon in his ceremony,” Cinis began. “He claimed that lighting the blade with his powers proved him worthy to rule the Ardere.”

She paused and looked around at her fellow fire beings before she went on.

“Lighting the axe proved his strength. But it takes more than strength to make a good ruler. Look at how Ignis ended. Look at where he would have led our people if you had all been rash enough to follow him.”

The crowd nodded and murmured in agreement, and then she continued.

“But you weren’t,” she said in a strong, clear voice. “Fire beings may be bold and risky by nature, but we aren’t stupid. Ignis wanted to go take what wasn’t his instead of tending his own garden. And what for? Glory?”

A man with blue fire rippling along his jawline like a beard snorted from a few feet away, and I turned to see him shaking his head in disgust. Then he scruffed his fire-beard patiently, and he kept his undivided attention on Cinis as she continued.

“We are glorious enough in ourselves,” my fiery lover announced. “We have no need of raiding and pillaging to prove our strength. Fire is sacred, and the way Ignis used his was shameful. Anyone can light a fire and burn down a town, a forest, a kingdom. That’s nothing special.”

Her voice held a note of scorn that made the fire-bearded gentleman nod his head vigorously, but then it quieted into firm resolution.

“That’s why I’m proposing a new tradition for this ceremony,” she said.

Cinis picked up the tall axe and held it vertically in front of her with her hands wrapped around the wooden haft. Then she closed her eyes.

The fire beings all caught their breath as flames crackled into life on the axe’s curved double blade and even down the wooden haft. But the wood didn’t truly burn, and the flames passed harmlessly over her hand. I knew from the tales of previous ceremonies that they’d been expecting this, but it still seemed to be an exciting sight for them.

Then Cinis opened her eyes. They flared wide and red, and the galaxies within them sparkled.

Without warning, the flame of the blade roared and crackled upward… And then in just a few seconds, the entire axe seemed almost to evaporate.

All that was left of the axe’s blade dissipated into the empty air, and what was left of the wooden haft rained down around her in ashes.

Ephy clutched my arm in a vise-like grip as she let out an awe-struck sigh, and Nara let her iridescent lips fall slack at the sight.

The fire beings erupted into whispers all at once, but they quieted as Cinis stepped closer to the platform. Then she picked up the amphora and tipped it over the empty clay pot like she was pouring water from a pitcher.

Instead of water, black, soft-looking soil poured out into the pot.

“This is our home,” Cinis said as she set the amphora aside. She gestured toward the earth-filled pot.

Then, from her pocket, she pulled a red-orange flower bulb that pulsated with a slight crimson glow every few seconds.

The fire beings erupted into whispers again, but they quieted as she started to speak again.

“This is the heart of it,” she said.

The flower bulb even looked like a heart as it continued to pulse steadily with movement and light.

Cinis placed it gently on top of the soil in the pot, and then she used the amphora to pour some more on top of it.

“And this is our power,” she continued. She swept some of the fallen ash from the platform into her outstretched palm and then sprinkled it evenly across the soil. When she was done, she stood with her head bowed and silent.

After just a few seconds, a small green tendril poked its way up through the soil and ash. It stretched up even further while small leaves and shoots sprouted from it. After about ten seconds, it stopped, and it was about six inches high.

Then the bud that crowned the top of the stem slowly fanned out and bloomed into a vibrant red flower. Without a word from the Ember Priestess, a small flame flickered into life in the flower’s center. And the petals didn’t burn. Instead, they stayed soft and supple looking while they swayed slightly. The flames were all different colors that shifted around with each shiver and bend.

For several long seconds, the mass of fire beings was utterly silent.

Then they all sank to their knees in one collective movement with a rustle that echoed through the chamber, and Ephy, Nara, and I followed suit.

Cinis stayed still as stone, and so did everyone else around us.

Then, after the length of a heartbeat, the tips of Cinis’ crown burst into bright flame.