The Fire Within

Chapter 3 Surviving

It took me years to learn everything I need to know about these creature that are perusing me, now I am equipped with my knowledge on their weaknesses I can get to work. No one takes my choices away from me, no one. With that thought I get up from the ground I slept on last night ready for a new day of running. After walking for a while I start to feel that connection flare up again, only this time its not just one connection its ten of them, and they are surrounding me! Bloody brilliant. The best thing I learnt whilst being in the city was how to defend myself, so with a smile I stop walking and just wait it didn't take them long to come within eye sight, after looking at them I identified who they worshipped rather easily as this colour appears around them. Its quite pretty if I'm being honest with myself, there seems to be a couple of each faction, whoever worships the moon has a sliver glow, the darkness has a grey, the light a golden and the most hated among them zues has a striking white light around them. There does seem to be more of his followers than the others, huh maybe he's frustrated that I am winning our little wager. I am not going to be the first one to speak so I just stand there casually analysing every movement every twitch of these boys. After a few moment the leader of this little gang coughs to get my attention. Me being me don't give it to him, the only sound I can hear is the sounds of the birds it's quite relaxing. But then he ruins it saying "we are not leaving until we all get the chance to win your heart, and if that means working with each other and hunting you down again and again we will all do this." With a sly smirk on my face I look at each and everyone of these boys in the eyes so they can see the flames begging to be let lose, and one by one they meet my eye with only a few winces. Impressive but not good enough. Taking a deep breath and preparing myself I say one final word before I try something I haven't tried before, letting my mind focus on the place I want to go to. Before I let my fire out all I say is, "let the games begin boys" and then I'm surrounded by the flames closing my eyes I can feel the warmth one moment and then the next it's gone. Hoping that it has worked I open my eyes just to find what I've been looking for.

My home base, this is now my home base. A small clearing just big enough for a tent and a fire, I can just about hear a steam close by and the best thing of all is that its surrounded by large tall trees. Envisioning what I what and where in a puff of smoke it appears. Now that took me by surprise but it's a welcome one, my supplies are all ready for me in the order I want them as well. With that done I set out to bobby trap my woods, once the security system has been set up I relax for a bit and think about my next move. Before I even think about getting my revenge I need to gather my intel about one last creature that I just know will peruse me. The centaurs, the problem isn't finding them it's getting away from them, they can track but most importantly I don't know their weakness and can't exactly lie to them. Well I think the escape plan will just have to be to smoke away. Laughing at this thought I get up and make my way into the lions or well horses den. Smoking to my destination, I look around for a moment at the clearings and the forests edge before I just sit down and wait. This damn connection will flare up I just know it, I began staring at the beautiful landscape in front of me then all of a sudden I feel a sting in my forearm. Looking down I see a stick of some sort has pierced me. Then all of a sudden I feel light headed and woozy, the last thing I see is a centaur standing in front of me smirking. Before I could say anything I was out, when I awoke I was in what looks like a log cabin. How strange, then I remember what happened. I could feel the anger rising, the fire responded to my anger and burnt at a level that I hadn't reached before setting the whole property ablaze. Luckily for me fire doesn't harm me, walking out of the burning building I see a sea of spears pointing at me, some had bow and arrows whereas others had swords. Shouting my anger to all of them to hear, I said "I came to you to learn off of you and this is how I am treated, you dare knock me out and lock me up. I have showed no aggression to you! But now you will see aggression!". With that said arrows where flying towards me but I was quicker I envisioned a protective barrier around myself and when the arrows touched it all that was left where ashes. Looking through my barrier I spot the smirking horse from earlier and my anger spikes, before I could act upon it though everyone stopped what they where doing and stared at the ground. A centaur then started to approach me, alongside him was a man. Checking his color I was surprised to find out that he had no loyalties to the gods. Before they got to close the man signaled the centaur to stop and explained that my protection barrier was up. If he got any closer he would be turned to ash, now that really surprised me, taking a long hard look at him I found that I didn't recognize him. So how did he know me so well? With a kind smile on his face he spoke to me "my name is Jake, I will explain all to you once we deal with this situation first." Pointing to his left he continued by saying "this is the leader or chieftain of the centaurs." Looking towards this so-called chieftain I wait for him to speak trying to bring the fire under control which was hard as I was still very very angry. The chieftain spoke "welcome I am sorry about my men, they should not have harmed you and I will deal with them you have my word". The next thing he does was to turn around and address his men "how dare you harm her, do you know who that women is?! She is the spiritual embodiment of fire, she is the one who can use her gift for light or darkness. She came to us seeking our help" oh no. "our help to understand our ways and for us to help her understand her role she has to play" my role! Oh you have been so far misinformed horsy, before I could very rudely stop him he continues. "I told you all of her coming here and how we would shape her, gain her trust and then she might even find a special someone here!" Ending his speech the others all look very apologetic. Keeping a stoic expression on my face I remain calm, after all an omission of the truth isn't exactly lying. "Chieftain she doesn't plan to stay here" looking to my right I see this Jack fellow, I swear this guy is really weird it's like he is reading my mind. Well damn now it would be lying if I denied him, "impossible it was foretold, Rachel you are here to stay aren't you?" "no" was my simple answer before I put out the flames behind me and smoked myself and this chieftain out of there.