Solar Flame

Chapter Two

A series of muffled bangs and shouts could be heard from the threadbare window seat in which Emelie sat curled up reading on a history of lupin and vampyre wars. Jumping to her feet, she quickly buckled up her worn leather shoes, and shoved the thick book deep into the recesses of her canvas satchel. After throwing her jacket hood over her blonde hair so it didn't give her away in the last recesses of the sunset, she climbed through the library window and dropped to the ground.   

Emelie had known at some point or another, they would come for her, but she had not expected it to be so soon.  Since she was twelve and had started erupting into flames, or causing things to combust spontaneously, most of the colony people alone.  They were terrified of her and her otherness.  Of course, her being unable to control these peculiarities did not help the situation.  But they didn't know that.  They just thought she was a monster.  

They must have gathered enough courage to come after her because of today's incidences.  Markov, a popular boy in her year and son to the leader of the colony, had struck his previous girlfriend, Leikola, across the face for not giving into him in front of his friends.  Leikola had been one of the only people in the colony to speak to her, to treat her as if she was normal.  Seeing her hurt brought the flames to dance across Emelie's skin, and before a second thought, half of Markov's face was seared. Although he would be healing in a few hours as powerful Faye lived in the colony, and many knew Markov deserved it, they were coming for her because they didn't want to live in fear anymore.  

Quickly darting into the underbrush of the surrounding forest, she weaved between the foliage, speeding towards her house to check if she could grab some supplies before attempting another escape.  Emelie was not surprised to see two lines of dark purple, cloaked, and hooded men marching up to the orphanage door.  She had sensed a change lately in the atmosphere about her, as if there were secret eyes and ears monitoring the colony.  Although she knew they could appear again, especially after the days events, terror still ran through her. She knew they were there for her, it had happened before when she was three and why she lived in an orphanage.  

Emelie still had dreams about them- the parents with with warm arms and bright smiles, and the boy. Especially the boy.  

The leader of the cloaked figures stepped forward, stretching out his hand to the double doors of the orphanage.  Curling his two middle fingers inward, the doors flew off their hinges and into the overgrown garden full of weeds.  The other ranks proceeded through the doorway in formation.  

The girl held her breath as moments later the lights of the orphanage flickered out, and the night was filled with the sounds of screaming children, and furniture crashing through the windows.  Goosebumps raised on the girl's arms, causing her to shake and steam o rise, curling across her skin.  As the blood curdling cries grew louder, and the shots of guns that silenced them rang out, the tension grew too great to control. Sparks began to burst into the air.  The fire lapping across her skin grew in intensity. Even hiding within the confines of the forest, it took merely seconds for the leader to begin striding towards her. 

Fear and adrenaline coursed with renewed viciousness through her veins. The man outstretched a long arm again, and she found herself in the air, and being pulled towards him.  Emelie could just see the outline of his snarl when a boy-her boy, the boy from her dreams, yet older- jumped out of the shadows wielding a sword that promptly bit into the shoulder of the cloaked man.

In the next instant she was falling to the ground, catching the boy's eyes which softened around the edges for just a moment before unconsciousness overtook her.

-X-X-X-X-

He saw the crackle of sparks outline the figure of the girl.  Cursing under his breath, he turned to look at Captain Zwandor.  He too had seen the flicker of flame slowly growing steadily brighter.  The Captain did not notify his troop of Dark Knights of the discovery- the destruction of innocent lives was of no concern to him.  The boy and the Captain had both found what they were looking for- Emelie.  

It took all the self-control he could muster for Matthieyl to not protect her from Zwandor's clutches.  He was biting so hard into his lip that he could taste the iron of his blood, and his palms were becoming sweaty around the hilt of the blade.  Moving into a preparatory stane, he watched the Captain stretch out a robed arm and Emelie being pulled through the air towards him.  

Counting down the seconds silently in his head, he waited for Emelie to be closer so Zwandor would be sufficiently distracted. The feeling was almost unbearable, the yearn to protect her was so strong.  When she was a few meters from the Captain, he leaped out from the cover of darkness, raising his sword.  Throwing it with all his might, he ripped into the Captain's shoulder so that Emelie would come free.  Her sudden breath in as she fell made him turn and lose concentration.  He lifted his eyes to hers, and took a step forwards as she fell. 

Then his world spun and briefly turned into black and white. He spun around as he felt the next crack of knuckles across his collar bone.  Pushing his feelings aside as he heard Emelie's body slump to the ground, he raised his sword again and broke the barrel of the gun aimed at his chest.  With his opponent off balance Matthieyl thrust the sword into Zwandor's side, between the ribs.  Zwandor fell to the ground gasping for breath, weakened from the blows.  But yet, ot weak enough to not use magic.  Zwandor outstretched his hand again.  

Matthieyl could have raised his sword again; it would have been quick and efficient especially as his troops would return soon from their search.  But his emotions grasped control again  One fist was thrown into Zwandor's face, the crunch of bones underneath the surface satisfying the tense heat of anger.  The final punch pummeled into his neck, killing him on impact.

Noting he had only seconds to spare, Matthieyl picked up the unconscious girl in his arms, and disapparated under a cover of darkness.