The Far Wilds

Part 8

The tunnel took shape quickly. The actual digging didn't take long, but getting the ice was another matter altogether.

"We need the Silk Touch enchantment," said Flame the night after they finished the tunnel. They were sitting in their spot, the night stars twinkling quietly above them, waves tracing soft tendrils of silt just beyond their feet. Candy looked up from playing with a piece of kelp. "I don't think Lucas has an enchantment setup- I was at his house yesterday and didn't see one."

"I have one- we'll have to go to my house tomorrow," Flame decided. "At least now we can cross the ocean on foot. I like boats as much as anyone, but the wind gets on my nerves." She shuddered a little, then went inside for bed.

Flame ended up taking the journey alone- Candy wanted to stay back and help Lucas with his morale-raising efforts. When she arrived, she was surprised to find that they had a new resident. Not only that, but they were invisible.

"Sorry about this," he said, his gloved hands indicating himself. "I got cursed a few years ago."

"It's fine as long as you keep wearing clothes," said Flame matter-of-factly. "My name's Flame. What's yours?"

"Caden, and this is..." He gestured towards Smevy, who was giving him a death glare.

"Someone who needs to learn some manners, otherwise known as Smevy," said Flame, meeting the errant party's eyes, who glanced away unrepentantly. She kept her eyes on him thoughtfully for a moment, then looked back to the new arrival and asked him what his plans were.

"I'd like to stay, if you'd let me," he replied. "I've been wanting to settle down for a while, and this place seems...nice. Very nice."

Flame smiled and led him to find a place for his room, but Smevy hung back. Something wasn't right about Caden. He knew it in his bones. This wasn't going to end well.

It had been almost a week, and so far Swevy's premonition had come to nothing. Caden was polite, friendly, and inquisitive, asking plenty of questions about the mysterious settlement Flame kept leaving for and returning from. He didn't even seem hurt when she didn't tell him anything, though she did hint she was working on a project that required a lot of ice.

And what a lot of ice it was! Flame took so many trips from the ice cap to Zulia that the path became ingrained in her brain. She saw polar bears and huge ice spires that soared above her head, whistling in the breeze.

The ice part of the tunnel was about halfway finished when things took a turn for the worst. Flame was home on break, relaxing in the sun, when she heard a shout from inside. She opened the door to see something out of a nightmare.

The floor was ablaze, the chests shattered, their contents spilling across the floor to be burned. Pillars of gravel, ripped from the walls, slouched in mounds. And slumped in the middle of the room, his face twisted in rage, feathers scorched black, was Leonard.

Flame could only stare as Smevy and Caden raced up the stairs, swords clashing in vicious combat. Caden twisted the weapon out of Smevy's grasp, easily overpowering his opponent. He looked up, saw Flame, and shouted, "This is what happens when you trust people, you coward! Watch and learn!"

"I am," murmured Flame. "And you know what!?" She raised her voice over the crackling blaze. "I only learned that we are stronger than we seem!" She locked eyes with Smevy. "We will come back stronger than ever- we aren't going to be driven off by this terrorist." She gazed unrelentingly at Caden. "We're going to rebuild, and good luck stopping us!"

Caden huffed derisively, strode quickly through the fire, and pushed past Flame. He paused outside, dropped all his clothes, said, "Good luck stopping what you can't see!" And vanished into the day.

This would not be the last they'd see of him.