At last, Jarek corrected him:
"No, there is one human who can use magic."
"Damn it," the man beside him muttered.
A short sound escaped Jarek that almost sounded amused. However, neither his mouth curved upward nor did his eyes share in it.
Then he said:
"Standing before us is none other than the legendary Flame Hunter."
Jarek visibly tensed. His hands tightened around the hilt of his sword.
"Stay out of this. I'll take it from here," Jarek instructed the others.
They nodded and stepped back. Without releasing his sword, Jarek raised two fingers to add a silent signal.
"Understood," the two men replied.
The young woman stood a few steps away from me. She swallowed hard and increased the distance between us by another arm's length.
I opened my mouth to tell her to leave, when Jarek suddenly shot forward, faster than the wind.
Instead of attacking me head on, he sprang to the side and swung.
Everything happened within a single breath. I did not even have time to blink, let alone realize that I was under attack.
The blade hurtled diagonally toward my neck. Instinctively, I held my own weapon in front of me. In truth, I merely jerked my sword in the direction from which Jarek had targeted me by chance. I would never have been able to react in time otherwise.
Jarek's blade struck mine. The impact numbed my wrists and drove me backward.
He immediately followed up with another strike. I staggered back and barely managed to block it. A series of attacks followed. Each of his blows grew weaker and less precise than the last. Even so, I could not break out of the defensive.
All my feelings and thoughts seemed erased. I reacted dully. There was no room for counterattacks.
Everything else around me faded away. Only Jarek, relentlessly striking at me with his sword, remained sharp and clear.
He drew in a deep breath before the blade came crashing down on me again. This time with a speed that surpassed everything before it. As if he had held back part of his strength and only released it now.
A loud clang rang out, my bones jolted, and I was disarmed. By now, the numbness had spread along my entire forearm, all the way to my fingertips.
Jarek's sword came down on me. Instinctively, I squeezed my eyes shut and raised my arms over my head.
I expected a searing pain. Instead, I was yanked violently to the side.
My eyes snapped open. I collided with something warm and nearly lost my footing. A strong grip on my upper arm kept me upright.
I turned my face to look over my shoulder. Beside me, the stranger snapped angrily:
"What are you doing?! Fighting him is hopeless! He's a Leonis!"
Damn it…! So it was true after all!
But I did not get the chance to reply.
Jarek appeared next to us as if out of nowhere and launched an attack, while the other men closed in around us.
I had no idea where my sword was and even if I had known, I would never have been able to reach it in time, let alone hold it.
Everything seemed to slow to a crawl. The steel drawing closer to my neck. The young woman letting out a sharp gasp as she swallowed a scream. The men advancing around us.
I tried to stagger backward despite how unbearably heavy my body felt, but I could not. I had become too slow. In the moonlight, the deadly weapon flashed, mocking me and my stupidity.
It had been clear from the very beginning that I would lose. Why in the hell had I done this? Why did I have to interfere? Why did I have to play the heroine? How foolish of me.
Once more, heat spread from deep within. It gathered in my chest and built into pressure there.
Then I thought of a face. Eyes wide with terror, dark curls in disarray.
I did not know how she had ended up in this situation. Even so, I was certain of one thing: Someone who wore such an expression was not someone I could abandon to their fate. Especially not when so many details of this story did not add up. I had to try, at the very least. How else was I supposed to live with myself?
There was still so much I wanted to do, so much I wanted to experience. So many people I wanted to see again.
The pressure in my chest rose. In the fraction of a blink, the intense heat surged and tore through my lungs.
And then … it became bright. So bright that my eyes were blinded and it felt as if needles had been driven into them.
Orange yellow flames burst forth, spiraling wildly like a firestorm. Embers drifted through the air. Screams rang out and the stench of burned flesh filled my nose.
For a brief moment, everything went black. Then the darkness slowly began to fade. Only gradually did I adjust to the night light again.
No, no, no!
That could not be true. Where were the others?
My heart began to pound loudly and my lips trembled. I was just about to look around when two cold hands seized my wrist and dragged me along.
I could do nothing but stumble along after her, utterly without will. My body felt heavier than stone, every breath seemed to scorch my windpipe, and even the smallest movement made the world slip briefly into darkness again.
To my surprise, it was the stranger who was dragging me along behind her. Lively as ever and still on her feet. Not even her clothes had been singed.
I cast a glance over my shoulder. A fire burned in the middle of the street, blocking the way. Like a wall of flames. It was high enough that one could not simply jump over it, yet low enough to make out three figures behind it. Two of them were fully upright, one was bent over.
Although I could not look for long and, judging by the smell, was certain that I must have injured one or two of them, a great weight lifted from me.
They were all alive. What a relief!
As we ran, I focused on keeping the fire alive. It was the only thing preventing the men from following us. Yet I wanted to avoid, at all costs, that the entire city might burn down because of it.
As I aligned my breathing with the flames as best I could, my fingers began to tingle fiercely despite the earlier numbness. Then the blaze behind us hissed loudly. The crackling that came from fire devouring wood did not follow. Perfect.
That should be enough, I thought, wiping the sweat from my brow.
We reached the end of the street. At times, my new acquaintance had to support me so that I would not collapse. I told her several times to leave me behind, but she ignored me with ease.
At some point, I grew too heavy and we stopped. I was far too out of breath to keep running. My knees were trembling so badly that I feared I would topple over if I took even a single step.
"Are you all right?" the stranger asked.
At first, I did not answer. I was still focused on the fire, and the numbness was gradually spreading through my legs.
Even so, I did not extinguish it. Otherwise, the members of the Crown Guard would have caught up with us within moments.
Carelessness was not an option. Magical fire could burn on any conceivable surface. Fuel was not required. Controlling it was extremely difficult, unless one had trained for years. For me, it was like walking a tightrope at great height without ever having trained my acrobatic skills.
"Yes," I finally replied, panting. Everything was spinning.
"Can you keep running?" the stranger asked in a gentle voice. Her hand rested against my back.
I wanted to respond, but no sound passed my dry lips, and my consciousness began to slip away. It drifted into the distance, just like falling asleep.
Suddenly, I heard her cry out in a high-pitched voice:
"Watch out!"
Then I pitched forward and the ground rushed up to meet me. Instead of striking cold cobblestones, I collided with something soft. A scent rose to my nose. Like a cold wind in winter, but with an earthy note.
Shortly after, I lost consciousness.
I jolted and snapped my eyes open. It was dark, and it took a moment to adjust.
Beneath me, I felt the cold and the rough surface of stone. Beside me stood a cylindrical object. I brushed my fingers over it. The scratchy surface felt like wood. It might have been a barrel.
Then my hand grazed something hard and cool. I picked it up. It lay light in my hand and was elongated. My sword? What was it doing on the ground next to me?
A shadow moved in front of me, sending my pulse skyrocketing. My back slammed into a wall.
"Ah, you're awake," someone said. There was relief in her voice.
I recognized it at once. Without a doubt, it belonged to the stranger from before.
Where was I? How had I gotten here? Hadn't I been somewhere else just moments ago?
From the window above us, a faint light suddenly spilled onto the street. We ducked at once, but everything remained quiet.
She was sitting opposite me on the ground. I slowly let out a breath and leaned back. That was all I managed. My body felt too heavy, my joints too stiff.
From the house walls in front of and behind me, I could tell we were probably in a side street or an alley.
Then, my head buzzing, I asked her:
"What happened?"
I vaguely remembered a nerve-wracking fight with someone named Jarek. Everything after that was blank.
"You collapsed. Before that, you helped me. Do you remember?" she answered.
I nodded with a furrowed brow, straining to grasp the memory.
Flames rose before my inner eye, and in an instant, it all came back.
"The fire?!" I cried out. I grabbed onto the barrel and pulled myself up, but my knees gave way and I landed hard on my backside.
Come on!
Normally, I felt my own fire like a second heartbeat. Without my constant supply, it should have turned into an ordinary fire. And that meant it would have to seek out fuel. In a city like this, where most houses were made of wood, it would not have had to search for long. The only question was whether it had been burning close enough to a house to spread.
"Shhh," the stranger hissed and pressed a hand over my mouth. "Not so loud!"
"I put it out before it could cause any damage," an unfamiliar voice replied.
The voice was deep, but calm. It had to be a man.
It was extinguished. Thank goodness!
My heartbeat slowed a little.
When the hand was removed from my mouth, I covered it with my own. Nausea washed over me as I realized what consequences my actions tonight would bring.
I had given everything up. My safety, my freedom, and ultimately even my life. Despite my young age and the political situation on the continent, I had lived in almost every country. In Grania, my homeland, however, I had intended to stay forever. After my return, I had built a life for myself here. Everything I loved was here. And now there was only one thing left for me to do. I had to leave it behind.
The stranger pulled me out of my spiral by pointing toward the corner of the house to my right. I leaned forward to see past the barrel. Someone was clearly standing there, but from this distance he was nothing more than a dark silhouette.
What had he meant by saying he had put out the fire? A single person could not possibly have dealt with a blaze of that magnitude.
The young woman explained:
"That over there is Kiyan. Don't be afraid. You can trust him."
I raised an eyebrow. Why did she emphasize that so strongly?
The shadow came closer. Now that he was standing right in front of us, I could see him more clearly in the glow of the candlelight. His elongated, pointed ears caught my attention at once.
In the end, I put two and two together. An Elementaris. They came from Grania's neighboring country and were believed to be extinct. They were also capable of elemental magic, hence their name. That was why he had said he put out the fire.
That explained her choice of words.
What was he doing in a country like Grania? In Arcania, I would not have thought twice about it … but here? His existence seemed unthinkable, and yet he was standing right in front of me. How had he managed to survive in Grania?
"We have to go soon," he said to the stranger.
"Are you feeling better? Can you manage to come with us?" she asked me.
I nodded, raised my hands slightly, and replied:
"Yes, but I'll manage on my own."
I had a plan I needed to follow. The sooner their paths separated from mine, the better. They certainly could not afford to be burdened with someone who had a target painted on their back.
From a distance, someone called out:
"They have to be here somewhere! Search for them!"
My heart skipped a beat. The stranger shifted where she sat as well and forced herself to keep her breathing shallow.
The man named Kiyan crept to the corner of the house and risked a glance in both directions.
He muttered:
"Damn it. There are more and more of them."
I pressed my lips together. What now? I could feel my legs again, but it was doubtful whether I could manage more than two steps.
Kiyan pushed himself away from the wall and came toward us. He stared thoughtfully at the ground.
Loose strands of his dark hair, which his short ponytail failed to hold back, partly obscured his narrow, serious-looking face.
Then he said:
"We will not make it out of the city unseen. There are too many of them. The entire city guard is already obeying him. With numbers like that, I cannot fight and protect you at the same time."
Him? Who was he talking about?
Before I could ask, the young woman spoke up at once:
"That won't be necessary. I can take care of myself."
Kiyan replied coolly:
"I know you are not helpless, but right now you do not have any— Never mind."
He broke off and ended the subject with a short, dismissive wave of his hand.
His companion pulled a face.
He looked at her with a furrowed brow. Her eyes narrowed in response.
I glanced back and forth between the two with fluttering lids. How long had they known each other?
"What are you planning to do?" she asked him.
As he thought, he looked as though he were staring straight through her.
At last, he studied her.
"I will stay and distract them and—" he began, only to be interrupted when his acquaintance audibly drew in a breath and pushed herself quickly upright.
"No, forget it!" she snapped in a sharp tone.
Kiyan folded his arms across his chest, his chin slightly lowered, and said nothing.
The stranger's shoulders tensed.
In little more than a whisper, she replied:
"After what happened today… it borders on a miracle that you made it here without being injured. I cannot expose you to that kind of risk a second time!"
"Marcy!" Kiyan hissed quietly.
The young woman whom Kiyan had called Marcy shook her head so violently that her curls flew about wildly.
"This time you are not getting rid of me," she insisted stubbornly, crossed her arms as well, and half turned her back on him.
A heated discussion broke out between the two of them. They were careful to keep their voices low, but their gestures were all the more vehement.
I gripped the barrel again and lowered myself into a crouch. My legs were trembling, but at least I did not fall over. After taking a breath once or twice, I braced myself on my knee and at the same time used my one handed sword for balance against my poor equilibrium. Unsteadily, I fought my way up.
For a while, the surroundings swayed, but I managed to stay on my feet.
No sooner was I standing than Marcy hurried over to me and touched my arm, which made my fingers tighten around the sword.
She addressed me gently:
"You look very exhausted. Wouldn't you rather sit for a bit longer?"
There was something sunny in her tone that stabbed at my soul.
I shook my head, freed my upper arm from her hands, and turned toward the other end of the alley. Fortunately, we were not in a dead end. Maybe I could evade the guards if I went that way.
Carefully, I felt my way along the wall, without which I would not have been able to stay on my feet.
Marcy walked effortlessly beside me and asked:
"Where are you going?"
Before every movement, I had to take a small breather. It was as if I were wearing boots made of lead.
Damn it. If I cannot move faster, it is only a matter of time before the city guards catch me.
"Marcy, stay there," I heard her friend Kiyan say behind us.
"Away," I replied curtly.
Marcy quickly stepped in front of me. My mouth corners turned downward. But her expression hardened as well.
"Because you helped me, they will be looking for you too. You will not make it two streets like this," she explained, pointing at my legs.
"Thank you, but I can manage," I murmured with a weak smile.
She sighed loudly and looked first at me, then at Kiyan, who had appeared beside her:
"You are both incredibly stubborn!"
Kiyan focused on something behind me. Marcy and I followed his gaze, but we could not make out anyone. Everything was quiet. Even the light that had been falling from the house into the alley had gone out by now, leaving only the moons to illuminate the night.
"They will be here any moment," Kiyan whispered.
He slipped out of the dark cloak he was wearing.
Marcy froze, while my heart nearly leapt out of my chest. I wanted to keep moving, but Marcy suddenly blocked my path with her arm.
"It is my fault that you can barely stand. In this state, I cannot let you go with a clear conscience," she said in a brittle voice.
Hearing her like that made me hold my breath. Somehow, it hurt to see her this way, even though we hardly knew each other. The reason for it, however, eluded me.
"It is not…," I replied tiredly.
Being a burden to the two of them was the last thing I wanted. They seemed to have worries of their own. Besides, it had been my decision to get involved in Marcy's troubles without her ever asking me for help. She owed me nothing, and I needed her pity just as little. No one had forced me to use more magic than my body could endure.
The fear that had almost paralyzed me from the inside since my encounter with Marcy was something I knew all too well. I had remained functional only because I tended to suppress bad feelings and traumatic experiences. Not least because of my past. I did that until they eventually caught up with me.
I did not know what the two of them had been through or why an entire city was hunting them. Whatever had led to this… I was certain that I wanted nothing to do with it. No matter how likable they were to me.
"It would be good if Marcy could go with you," Kiyan spoke up.
I looked at him. He avoided eye contact and stared at the cloak. His hands had clenched in the fabric.
Up to now, he had more or less ignored me, which was why I was taken aback that he was suddenly addressing me.
If she could go with me? Did he think she would be safer at my side because he believed he knew who I was? But he had to see that I was completely spent. In my condition, I was more of a burden than anything else. Apart from that, it was not any safer near me anyway. Not for anyone.
Without waiting for my reaction, he pressed the cloak into Marcy's hand and said:
"Please take it. It will protect you in an emergency."
At first, I thought: Protect? How was a piece of cloth supposed to protect her?
Then I remembered that in Arcania, the land of — who would have guessed it — arcanists, I had indeed seen garments like this.
Magical items. Extremely expensive and, in Grania, essentially extremely forbidden. Their protection, however, was not absolute. Depending on the circumstances, one could still suffer severe injuries, and against most types of magic, enchanted clothing was powerless.
I blinked in surprise. How had he come by a cloak like this?
"No!" Marcy protested, glaring at him, "You are not going anywhere, and you need this far more than I do."She tried to give the cloak back to him, but he merely looked at her with a serious expression.
"I want you to wear it. Just in case," he insisted in a strained tone.
Marcy pursed her lips into a pout, though without rolling her lower lip. It was more like a slight puckering of her mouth.
Kiyan drew his brows together, let out a snort, and added:
"Do me a favor. If not for yourself, then at least for me."
For three heartbeats, she held the cloak out toward him. Then she gave an irritated hum and pulled the garment over her shoulders.
She grumbled:
"Fine then! If it makes you happy…"
A fleeting warmth stirred in my chest as I watched the two of them. The way they interacted. The familiarity between them, as if they had known each other their entire lives. It reminded me of Val and Lucian. What were they doing right now? Soon, I would not be seeing them nearly as often anymore.
Kiyan addressed me calmly, but with resolve:
"We do not have much time, so I will keep this short."
Up until just now I had been able to think somewhat clearly, but the moment he spoke to me, my head turned foggy. Even standing still, everything swayed, and black and white specks kept dancing across my field of vision.
So what did he want from me of all people?
With lowered head and a hoarse voice, he asked:
"Would you please accompany her until she has made it out of the city?"
My brows shot up.
Accompany her? Me?
Marcy protested immediately:
"You are coming with us!"
Kiyan ignored her. When he registered the look on my face, he added in a firmer tone:
"Her life is in grave danger. They will not rest until they have her. We will never be able to repay you… But I am certain there was a reason you helped her. The only thing I can promise is that I will keep the guards away from you as best I can."
I pressed my lips together and remained silent. My brow furrowed, and heat spread through me.
"Kiyan, I do not want you to do this," Marcy objected, placing a hand on his arm.
For a heartbeat, his eyes shifted to her. Even so, he did not answer and turned his attention back to me.
"It is also what is best for you. If all goes well, you will make it out without having to use your magic again. After that, our paths will part anyway," he tried to convince me.
His offer sounded reasonable. Still, I would benefit from it the most. I was too exhausted to contribute anything. I had no idea whether I would manage to use my magic effectively if we ran into guards. Or worse: If the Leonis named Jarek found us. Even if I ignored my limits and threw everything I had into stopping him, it would amount to nothing.
So was it fair to accept this?
Kiyan pricked up his ears as muted voices echoed in the distance, along with the clicking of boots on cobblestones.
I flinched and clenched my hands into fists, trying to get the trembling under control.
Does it even matter? In a situation like this, something like that should not be decisive!
In the end, my fear gained the upper hand and I gave in:
"Fine. Let's stick together for now."
Now it was me who could not bring myself to meet his eyes.
"I will stay nearby the whole time. If anything happens, you can call out to me, Marcy. I will hear you," he assured his friend, then looked in my direction, "But I am counting on you to use your magic if it becomes necessary."
I was too tired to object. So I remained silent and thought to myself: Absolutely not. I am not suicidal.
Marcy glared at him darkly. She leaned forward and said:
"Then at least promise me you will not stay behind and will run if it gets too risky. And under no circumstances get into a fight. With anyone."
For the blink of an eye, his face tightened. Then he nodded silently.
The clicking footsteps grew louder, as did the voices of the guards. Every sound they made echoed through the deserted streets.
"Go," Kiyan urged us, pointing toward the other end of the alley, then turning to face the opposite direction.
Before he could put one foot in front of the other, Marcy hurriedly asked:
"Wait! In case we lose sight of each other, we should set a meeting point."
He slowly shook his head.
"Not necessary. I will find you either way," he replied and moved on.
Marcy muttered something unintelligible. Just before the cross street, he paused. He looked at Marcy over his shoulder:
"Be careful. We will see each other again soon."
Marcy's shoulders sank a little.
Softly, she sighed:
"You too."
He left the shelter of the alley and stepped out onto the open street. Only now, in the full glow of moonlight, could I see that he was wearing a uniform. It was unmistakably the same cut as the Crown Guard's, but the color was different.
At first, I thought he might belong to the Crown Guard as well, but I discarded the idea once I noticed the lighter shade.
One thing I knew for certain: The uniform had to belong to the palace. I just was not sure what position it signified. Who were the two of them?
When I blinked again, he was gone. Only a gentle breeze remained.
I rubbed my eyes.
Marcy said in a muted tone:
"We should hurry, so he is not exposed to a danger like this any longer than absolutely necessary."
She came to my side and tried to support me as we walked, but I stepped away.
Even so, she gave me a warm smile:
"If I help you, we will be faster."
Marcy held out her hand to me. I hesitated. Then I noticed that she was trembling.
Was she holding herself together because of me?
I took a deep breath and accepted it gratefully. Her hand was still ice-cold.
Even I could barely hide my fear, and I had been in mortal danger more times than I could count. She had probably lived a safer life and was still trying to be strong. Should I not be the one to offer her a few kind words? I was not particularly good at dealing with emotions. But there was one thing I could tell her.
"Do not worry," I tried to reassure her, "I know a safe route."
The trembling eased. Her hand squeezed mine.
When we reached Val's inn, no light was burning.
Along the way we had occasionally encountered guards. We had hidden in time and remained unnoticed. It never took long before something else drew their attention or they vanished without a trace. We likely had Kiyan to thank for how smoothly everything went.
"Why are we going to an inn? Wouldn't it be better to leave the city immediately?" Marcy asked skeptically as we approached the entrance door.
By now I could walk again without her help. My body felt noticeably lighter, and the burning in my lungs had almost completely faded.
"This is our way out," I replied and stepped up to the massive wooden door with its iron fittings and a few simple carvings.
I pulled the key from my trouser pocket and unlocked it. In the darkness, it took me several attempts to find the keyhole. But eventually there was a click and the door opened.
Good thing Val always lent me a key when I was in the city, so I could come and go as I pleased. Normally I was already in my room by the time she locked up. This was the first time I had actually used it.
I pushed the door open as gently as possible to avoid making any noise. Even so, it let out a loud creak.
Cursed wooden houses.
But it was only a door, and there was no one around for miles. No reason to worry.
Just as I was about to invite my companion inside, I noticed a moving shadow in the darkness.