The Cinders of Dezu

15th: Daybreak (2)

"Aah, well send him my regards. I know you'll keep an eye on him."

"Absolutely! Enjoy the day."

"Sure will, you too," the king said as the purple stone flashed again.

There was a slight crack in the wall just ahead of them.

"I know I need to have them fix that," he said, "but it's a good marker so I know this is crossover sanctuary Wren. And there's Thomas."

He gestured to an old man in brown overalls sweeping leaves out of the entrance of the room and back into the forest outside. Thomas turned around and waved at them before stepping out of the room. Raina waved back as he disappeared in another purple hued flash.

"And this is Sanctuary Mortania, with... who is that?"

Orion started heading for the door. Raina followed him. He looked around the corner to see the face of the guard.

"Jero! I thought that was you!"

Orion hugged the grey mustachioed middle aged man who was taken off guard.

"Oh, my king! I'm sorry," he said over his shoulder in his embrace, "I didn't hear you come in!"

Orion released him only to hold his shoulders.

"You're back and you're distracted. It's alright. I know you're thinking of that boy of yours and that new crop he's growing."

Jero shook his head in resign.

"It's just not going to bring in the money he thinks it will! I already told him about satinberry! It's so hard to maintain enough yield for each year!"

"He's a good boy. He just took care of you when you were down and out with that knee. He takes good care of his wife and kids. Trust him a little. It'll turn out alright."

Jero sighed.

"You're right..."

"I know I'm right," he said clapping him on his shoulders.

The king started to head down the path as Raina followed.

He called back to Jero as he walked away, "You just take it easy! I don't need you out again for weeks!"

Raina looked back at the man who was waving.

"You got it, your highness," he said.

"And don't call me that," came Orion's steadily distancing reply.

They walked for about ten to fifteen minutes together, talking all the way until they reached a series of downed trees to the left of the pathway. Orion got quiet and began stepping over them, indicating for Raina to follow. They went a ways into the trees before he stopped.

Orion held out his hand and knelt down on one knee. He looked at Raina, nodding his head for her to look at it. As she did, a swirl of flames began rising from his palm. Her eyes widened in its glow as it got bigger and bigger and swirled higher. A thin spinning pillar of it reached high into the trees and above the tree tops.

The looming darkness of the morning was chased away by a dazzling display as the pillar became a ceiling of flames that covered the sky beyond the trees that she could see. Droplets of fire began to fall. Raina started to panic when Orion stayed her with his hand.

"It's okay, just watch..."

Raina saw the droplets were in shapes. They fell to her feet but, before they hit the ground, disappeared into nothing.

"Reach out your hand," he said.

Raina put her hand out. Three glowing flames fell to her palm and vanished before impact. She could see they were in the quickly dissipating shape of stars. She was awestruck. Her mesmerization was only interrupted when the forest began to rumble. The flame ceased in Orion's hand and the cool light of the morning returned. She looked up to see the trees beginning to shake. Something was making its way to them, something large. She could feel it's foot falls thumping towards them.