Silent Flames {#Wattys2015 #JustWriteIt #FreshStart}

-Chapter Nine-

"Are you still going to go to The League?" River asked the king. 

"Yes, I am still going to The League." The king informed, trying out the power he had just gained. He shot flames into the air and waved his other hand through it, observing how his hand did not burn or even hurt. 

River watched him anxiously. He strongly disagreed with the king on this subject, but when he had tried to argue, the king had threatened to take away his powers too, and River would prefer to keep his powers. 

"I am not going to spy, though." The king continued, letting his hand drop lazily to the arm of his throne and gazing at River harshly. "If they have a meeting today, I need only follow Flame and find their headquarters. Then I will burn it down and kill everyone in it."

River widened his eyes, appalled by this idea, but the king didn't seem to notice. He grinned and slicked his hair back, his brilliant plan blinding him from seeing any sense.

"This world will finally be ridden of the corrupt people who want to take it over." He announced. 

I'm sorry you don't realize that you're the corrupt one. River thought nervously.

~

"Welcome to The League." Flame said with a smile. He had led Maple here limping the entire time. Of course, he hadn't told her just how much pain he was in. If he told her, what would she do? Worry about him? Not let him come?

Her loyalty to him almost annoyed him, for he didn't want anyone to be loyal to him. Then they would expect him to stand by them, and that certainly wasn't going to happen.

Maple smiled as she looked around at the people gathered. The building was so small and having so many people jammed into it made it seem even smaller. It was a rather small wooden shack, with part of the ceiling missing and a huge round red rug in the middle. "This is where we sit." Flame explained, pointing to the rug. 

Maple smiled a little. This was her kind of place. Sitting on the floor, talking before the meeting started, and no strict rules! Wonderful!

"Everybody listen up!" A voice called. The talked ceased immediately as every person in the room looked up at a rickety little staircase in the corner. "Please take a seat." The voice ordered.

For some reason, Maple found the voice rather familiar, almost in a soothing sort of way. She felt like she should be able to tell who it was, but she couldn't.

As Maple and Flame took their seats, a hooded figure wearing all black jumped down from the set of stair, landing neatly on its feet. 

The figure stepped into the middle of the rug, picking her way past people, and then took of its hood.

It was a women, and the first thing she did was glance at Flame. She widened her eyes as she saw his appearance. "What happened to you?" She asked. 

Flame smiled wryly. "Oh, just a little mix up with your husband." He said.

Maple gasped. 

Husband!?

The women looked over at her and broke into a wide grin. "Maple! So glad to see you here my dear!"

"Mom?" Maple squeaked. Ice smiled. "Yes, my dear, it's mom."

"How did you get here?"

Ice frowned. "Well, my daughter, I betrayed your father. As soon as I got word with what he was doing in the kingdom, I came back here and gathered people to help me with The League. Of course, I couldn't tell him what I was doing, because wouldn't he hate me forever? I just played it off like I got stuck between dimensions, it seemed the most logical thing to do."