SCARRED; The Dark Tower

Chapter Nine: The Figure in the Flames

Jerrick ran down the hill toward the explosion, Elimere close behind him. The fire in the arena ahead formed a pillar, towering toward the night sky. As they rushed toward it, others joined them, faces shocked and anxious.

"What is it?" Jerrick heard someone cry.

"They must have found us!" someone else cried from ahead of Jerrick.

"Impossible!" shouted another.

Although the pillar of fire had died down within several seconds of its appearance, leaving behind a trail of smoke in the air, Jerrick and Elimere did not stop running until they were no more than twenty yards from the arena. A group of valteri who were brave enough to come closer came up beside them and watched the arena entrance with urgency.

The night became deadly silent, sending a shiver down Jerrick's spine. The crowd of valteri slowly made its way forward and stood around Jerrick and Elimere, but no one went any closer.

They must have found us, someone had said. Who must have found them? Jerrick wondered. Then he was struck with a sudden thought that was too overwhelming and horrifying.

They. Them. The horrible hooded creatures that had attacked my hometown and killed my parents.

Powered by this connection in his mind, and filled with rage, Jerrick took a step forward. Before Elimere could stop him, he bolted forward toward the entrance of the arena.

"Jerrick!" came a cry, and rushed footsteps behind him told Jerrick that Elimere was following him. More cries and shouts followed Jerrick, but no one else followed him toward the glow of the fire.

The arena glowed from the light of the fire at its center; a pale orange glimmered throughout the area; shadows were cast across the grounds in all directions, blinking larger and smaller from the ever-changing light of the flames. The fire was much smaller now - about the size of the bonfires held during the winter festivals in Largone - and Jerrick could see no sign of the hooded creatures he expected to see.

"Jerrick! Let's get out of here!" Elimere shouted, urgently grabbing Jerrick's arm.

Jerrick shook her off and slowly approached the fire. The atmosphere around the flames was eerie and had a dark likeness to it that sent involuntary shivers through his body. In a sudden flash of light and billowing of flames, the fire burst up into the night sky once more, knocking Jerrick off his feet and blinding him. When he was able to see again, he looked up to see a figure standing before him-- in the flames. Jerrick stumbled back, struggling to his feet as the tall, thin, dark figure stepped forward out of the fire.

"Jerrick!" came a strangled cry. Jerrick looked over his shoulder to find that Elimere was surrounded by a ring of fire, flames leaping threateningly at her. He looked toward the dark figure again, his heart hammering against his chest, smoke engulfing his lungs. The fire still towered toward the sky and the shape of the figure was silhouetted against the light of the flames. The figure did not have the appearance in form of the creatures that had burned down Jerrick's hometown, but it had a much more frightening shape. It seemed unreal to Jerrick; it seemed a creature of a nightmare.The lines that drew the figure's silhouette were straight, giving it the likeness of a shadow. It was tall-- nearly twice Elimere's height. It was thin, and its head was tall and round-topped. It stood tall and straight. Whatever it was, it was not human.

From the corner of his eye, Jerrick saw a movement, and turned to see Lekira, Reirdan, and Aragus running across the arena, toward him.

"Jerrick!" Lekira called. But at that moment, the dark figure lifted a hand and snapped, and fire sprung up from the ground between them and Jerrick. The fire spread to create a ring of towering, leaping flames around Jerrick, Elimere, and the dark figure.