Electric Bonds

Chapter 6 - Secrets in the Night

Raynon finished his own mug of ginger beer and decided to practice a few spells.

There was a place in Volcansburg that was secluded, quiet and had a marvellous view of the stars at night. Not many people knew of it and Raynon was one of those few.

He walked out of the mansion and to the left the foot of the volcano. Surrounding Volcansburg was a forest of Scarlhet trees - tall, spindly trees with thick bark and huge, purple leaves that grew from every part of it. This was one of the only trees that could survive the harsh heat of the fire realm and as a result, strips of the bark could be skillfully woven in to mail shirts that were forged locally.

When he reached a small clearing with a hot spring, he came to halt and gazed at the little lake created by the spring.

The blood mage had intended to strengthen a number of his spells, but the sight of glinting stars against the inky night sky rendered him helpless. He just stood and observed all he could as time slipped by.

He didn't know how long he'd been standing there when he heard footsteps behind him. He used a spell to make himself invisible and waited in the clearing, interested in whoever knew the location of this sanctuary.

Just then, he saw a thin figure with dark brown hair that fell loose over her shoulders. She sighed as she sat at the water's edge and leaned back to look up at the stars. Raynon wouldn't have recognised her if it were not for the dark sprite that followed her into the clearing.

"Salan, you could've let me sleep a little" Loranya said. "I'm very tired"

"I thought you'd enjoy a little stargazing" He huffed. "Typical, ungrateful mortal"

"I'm not ungrateful, Salan" She replied. "It's just that my eyes feel so heavy, I'm scared they'll drop right out of my head"

"Oh, please, no" Salan said with a look of disdain upon his unearthly features. "My magic can do many things, but if that happened, I'm not sure I'd be able to fix it"

"Of course you would" Loranya grinned. "You'd pick them up and put them back"

The sprite shuddered. "I don't think they'd function in the same way - and niether would I!"

Loranya laughed and sighed once more. "I suppose it's nice to spend a little time with you..."

"I've pleaded with you to stop that soppy rubbish from coming out of your mouth" Salan said sternly. "It's disgusting"

"I've got no one else to say it to, have I?" She mumbled, feeling quite hurt. "Besides, it's the truth"

Loranya lay down on her stomach and looked at her reflection in the water. Salan crawled on to her back and up to her shoulders until his head rose above hers in the crystal clear water.

"What are you looking at?" He whispered, his chin digging in to the top of Loranya's head as he spoke.

"Failure. Misery. Weakness. Cowardice. Discontent... And all with a dark sprite on top of its' head" Loranya replied, striking the water in frustration and sighing angrily.

Salan shrank back a little, thinking of ways to calm her. She was rarely angry, but the sprite, although he had never seen her real temper, could sense that she had quite a violent one that knew no bounds.

Raynon could feel exactly the same thing. Rage boiled inside her, but she would never act upon it. She would hide it. She hadn't the courage to be angry.

Using his powers, Salan materialised a juicy red apple and held it in front of his mistress' face. She took it from him and started to munch on it, feeling quite a bit less annoyed with the comfort of food.