Silvestre Pendragon

Hells fires

Creaking, the wooden bridge tensed under each step, it's fragile construction threatening to give way. Milo didn't bear look down. A fatal fall loomed beneath them, plotting a way to seize them and pull them down into the searing depths of hell. Suddenly, the forest seemed ominously dark, the jewel-like leaves had vanished, leaving only liquid darkness and a whimpering wind. Strange murmurings echoed from the void below and Silvestre was certain she was being watched, paranoia squeezed at her mind and the ghostly wind sung in a desperate note. Something brushed against Silvestre's arm and clenching the talisman in one fist she lit a glowing fire in her other palm, cautious to keep a steady balance. 

"Did I ever mention that I'm scared of heights?" Milo said, in a croaky voice. 

"There appears to be plenty of things you have forgotten to mention, Elgido. " 

"Look, Sil... Can we talk about this when you haven't got a scorching fire ball in your hand?" Silvestre's confusion had converted into a simmering anger, she spun.

The bridge shook sending Milo grasping for the roped side, he had turned pale and gulped as he stared over the edge. Silvestre calmed her fire, letting it die and reached for Milo, helping him up, she apologised, 

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't've-"

"No." assured Milo, " I'm the one who should be sorry. I should've told you. I should've told you everything." Silvestre waited in silence, letting Milo walk a little in front, "I told you why I ran away from Ieldor, Ma thought I could be different, important, some of the elders in the village even believed I could stop Noirsk. It was the elders of the dragon kin that called me 'Elgido' though it's only used by few." Silvestre lit a warm flame once again to guide them across the bridge, it seemed to hang forever in the fog with no destination. Milo paused, turning towards Silvestre and raking his fingers through his golden hair,  gazing at her with a wistful look in his autumn eyes "I'm not the 'chosen one'. I can't defeat Noirsk. Before I came to Camelot I encountered her..." His gaze lowered to his hands where he twisted his ring, a common habit Silvestre had begun to recognise.  "She killed half the elders because they refused to tell her who 'Elgido' was. Of course, with her powers it was all futile and she found me anyway. I didn't stop her. Ma told me to run and I did. "

"None of that makes you a bad person, Milo. It makes you human." Silvestre sympathised, "And as for being the 'Chosen one', the gatekeeper certainly believed you were, and if even Noirsk knows your name, surely that would suggest-"

"Sil, I didn't even know my family were still alive until Crystal appeared in Camelot. I'm a coward" 

"If you were a coward you wouldn't be here. You wouldn't be fighting for your sister." 

Milo, I'm not in love with a coward. I'm in love with you because you're brave, funny, generous and kind. 

That was what Silvestre wanted to say, instead she left it at that, giving his hand a slight squeeze, filling him instantly with warmth and courage. Milo wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her close in the surrounding darkness. Not for the first time, their gazes lingered on each others lips. Silvestre's heart hiccupped. 

Awkwardly, they pulled away. 

"We better get there soon." announced Silvestre, quickly turning and striding across the bridge, attempting to hide her blushed cheeks.

***

The Bridge of Abritium had seemed to be an endless ribbon into the mysterious fog, only as Silvestre and Milo approached the end, stepping back onto the solid earth, did they realise that the fog was not fog; it was smoke...

A wave of heat struck them both, paralysing them. A pungent, acrid smell winded Silvestre causing bile to rise in her throught, the metallic taste infiltrating her mouth. 

"What is that smell?" Asked Milo in fearful disgust. 

Silvestre bearly managed to choke the words, they suffocated her and shook her so hard her heart was thundering against the cage of her ribs like a wild animal. 

"Burning flesh." 

Hearing cries of agony and desperate sobbing, Silvestre sprinted into the dense smoke. Squinting, her eyesight minimal, she hurried towards the figure crawled on the ground, the woman was sobbing and rocking aimlessly on her knees, pointing at the fire engulfed house with a scorched arm. 

"My child, my boy, my boy, my baby. Please, please help me" The woman's face was stained in tears, her glowing eyes staring in despair at the burning cottage. Flames toyed with the building, roaring, cackling and hissing in reply to the mothers sobs. 

"Milo, can you use magic, anything ? " 

"Sil, it's too dangerous" 

Silvestre ignored him and in all her fury bolted into the burning house,

"Sil, No!"

Flames licked against the walls and her path was blocked with fire engulfed obstacles. The fire battled with Silvestre's skin yet she did not burn, the fire, in defeat, relinquished. Silvestre didn't have time to celebrate this tiny victory against Noirsk, instead she darted through the suffocating cloak of smoke and there on the floor, not yet touched by the intensity of the fire was a little boy, his pale skin glowing in the light of the fire. Scooping him up into her arms, Silvestre turned towards the door, except her exit was now blocked. Disorientated, she spun, searching hopelessly for a way out. 

Then, in an swift swoop of his hand, Milo entered through the black smoke, the timber frames previously blocking the exit has been lauched aside. His face completely covered in soot, he held out his hand to Silvestre, and together, coughing, spluttering and grasping at the threads of each others magic they finally escaped the burning fire, breathing in the cool air. Again, Milo held up his hands and the dense smoke disappeared, fading away to reveal the sobbing woman. Gently, Silvestre placed down the little boy and pressing her head to his chest she listened for a heartbeat. 

Ba bump. It was faint and bearly audible, but it was there. Milo brushed his hands over several of the boys burns and Silvestre scrambled through her satchel for a postion, fiddling with the cork, she carefully poured two drops onto the boys lips. "Instant recovery for exposure to fire and smoke" read the lable of the bottle, Silvestre hoped with all her heart that the King's physician had accurate descriptions. The woman croached over the fragile body, holding the boys hand "Gaius" she begged, "Gaius, please, please be ok" As if hearing his mothers words, the young boy gasped sharply and inhaled a lungfull of fresh air. "Thank you, thank you so much" exclaimed the woman in delight, hugging her child. 

"Here's some gold to buy your stay, and a talisman, take this and cross the Bridge of Abitrium, on the other side there are two horses. Take them and ride to Camelot, you'll find somewhere safe to lodge there."  Pressing the pouch and heavy talisman into the woman's palm, Silvestre sighed in relief, leaning against Milo, watching the woman and her son hurry towards the forest of Jaden. Turning her gaze to Milo,

"You came. " Silvestre smiled, a single tear running down her cheek. 

"If you care, I care." he said stroking her dark mane. "But you can't always save everyone Sil."

"I can try." Silvestre replied, determination and fury coating her voice as she rose to her feet. "I'm going to make Noirsk pay for all the lives she's taken. I wont let her take one breath without remembering all those breaths she has taken away. " Silvestre's wolf was back in all it's glory, teeth bared and strength restored, "I'm going to burn her from the inside out and then I'll deliver her to hell." 

"Good luck with that, Little Pendragon. And so nice to finally see you again Elgido." The voice was as smooth as night, it had a sincere depth to it that was curiously terrifying, but as Silvestre turned to face the cloaked shadow of a figure she felt nothing but spitting hatred. The figure sweeped away her hood. 

"Noirsk."