Chapter four
Jade gasped. "The mountains of Azinstar?!? They are most feared for their creatures and fearsome beasts! We cannot go there! It will mean a certain death!!" Her face was twisted in dread, her eyes dulled to a dark green. Xavion thought that was interesting, that her eyes changed shades with her mood.
He grinned at her response, revealing his wickedly sharp teeth.
It may have been to try and comfort her, but it caused her to squeal and frantically search for Faelinn's hand. HIs smile could not have been bigger when she snatched his hand with both of hers and held it in front of her face.
Xavion's smile widened, her fear not hindering it. Finally it fell into a frown, when he remembered he wanted Jade to trust him and this wasn't helping anything.
He replied "It will be so, but do you still think I am unworthy to protect you?"
Jade's eyes widened, and she stuttered. "Ohh n n no, you are well worthy, but it is foolhardy to even attempt to steal into those mountains!!! I have heard tale of monsters more fierce than you, with ten heads and razor teeth. Forked tongues and poisoned breath! How are we to beat that? They say even the bravest souls are afraid of that evil! No one has ever returned from that God forsaken place!!"
Faelinn grinned, "Then where do the stories come from?"
Soon enough they were off. They walked at a good pace, Jade often staggering. She wondered why Xavion couldn't just fly them there.
As if Xavion heard her thoughts, he said. " I am heartily sorry I cannot carry you and fly there. It is just too much weight to bear alone."
She nodded and cursed under her breath. 'Well' she thought, 'at least I have time to think'. Then her mind drifted off to a different world, day dreaming.
Faelinn watched her face relax, and thought about his own problems.
How was he going to get the Black Flame? Even if they did find the location in a couple days, he would still have to bring it back to the evil being. What if the Mountains of Azinstar were only a stop on the way to the flame?
He tried to remember the tale about the Black Flame, just faintly remembering the beginning. It went something like this:
Long ago there was a beautiful maiden.
She went by the name Ezmeralda.
Her eyes like emeralds, her hair golden with sky blue streaks.
Everyone in her village loved her and treated her as a queen.
She was also a sorcerer.
Her sorcery could clean a house with a snap, heal a mortally wounded person with a nod, and make the land fertile and rich with a clap.
Her people made her queen over the land and she ruled successfully for many years.
Until the day when an evil spirit visited her.
He foretold the coming of a plague.
A plague of death.
He promised it would not come if she gave up her sorcery.
In fear of giving up what she cherished most, she rudely declined and told the spirit that she could handle the plague on her own.
With that, the spirit left.
Death filled the air.
People became sick every minute of everyday.
Ezmeralda flew from house to house trying to heal those who had not already passed on.
