Dying Fire

Chapter Eleven

“People will forget what you said,

People will forget what you did

But people will never forget

How you made them feel.”

~Maya Angelou~

The next day, both Ondine and Calex are hurting, injured, sitting on the steps of the shop. Araine doesn’t bring it up as she treats their ailments, but Madline again acts as though yesterday’s negativities had never happened.

The fights the night before had been rough, both the boys against experienced fighters. Ondine lost terribly, his fight mostly that of entertainment for the onlookers than an actual battle. A black eye, busted lip, and bruises throughout his body show his opponent had held back. Calex, however, won by the fraction of an inch, his opponent missing their mark and only cracking a few ribs before Calex managed to squirm around and get a choke hold on them. Cracked ribs, a concussion, bruises and strained muscles are the extent of his injuries.

Araine frets nonetheless, mostly over the risks Calex will be prone to in the weeks it will take his ribs to heal. He sits on the step, Araine at his shoulder, sipping on a small cup of liquor to ease the pain, her hands on his back to ensure he’s taking deep breaths. He refuses her attempts to help him further, only taking more medicine for Ione. She’s asleep when he goes home to give it to her, so he sits it at her side before leaving again. Today, there are more fights, as there will be more tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that, every day until they can save Annora.

The ringmaster that everyone – even those paying to watch the fights, customers – call ‘Master’ watches with growing rage and foreboding as Calex continues to win even as he’s beaten bloody. More boys show up to Araine for treatment, money in hand from their latest victory, saying that they’re with their cause for Annora. Ondine claims they’re from Vita’s following, something he calls a militia against those of darkness and in the name of the Eternal Flame.

Araine only shakes her head in disappointment and disagreement as the boys she tends to day after day talk about Vita’s vision for a better country through the destruction of the Flameless. It seems to take only a week for the number of fighters to grow from only Calex and Ondine to two more, and then four more, until they have nearly ten fighting for Annora’s freedom. They don’t win all the time, nor do they all fight every day, but they’re grateful that the money they do win is going to help free a young girl from a horrible future. Madline, acting in her strange ways, doesn’t question Araine’s comings and goings, nor why her stick is missing more than usual.

Midway through the second week, Master allots Araine and Annora a visit. Calex accompanies her, knowing that Annora is being held in the ringmaster’s home and not trusting him to keep his hands to himself. They walk to the house in silence, but before they mount the few steps to the door, Calex wraps an arm around her waist again, making sure she stays close and doesn’t wander out of sight.

“It’ll be fine…” Araine whispers. “He swore not to try anything…”

Calex doesn’t bother to lower his voice, stating confidently. “It will be fine. Because I’m here and he better not try anything.”

The girl at his side sighs, learning to go along with his act after nearly every day having a bodyguard at the fights. Despite his not wanting her to go, she always does, in case someone needs help or something goes wrong. When Calex fights, he has someone watching her at all times, sometimes more than one person, but never Ondine.

He raps on the door and then slides the piece of wood away. Biting back his pride, he says through hole, “It’s Calex, sir. May I be of service? I want to be of service.” He rolls his eyes and shakes his head at Araine, awarding a sad smile from her. If she could help more, she would, but all she can do is what she’s been doing, treating those that are fighting for Annora’s freedom.