Fire and Ice

The Chamberlain glanced over his shoulder at the imposing image of the village dwindling in the distance behind him as he followed Father Dominica Brown deeper into the forest. He paused briefly as he wondered why he was following this man through the forest, afterall he didn’t know the Priest, his words had little impact on thsoe around him and in his heart he felt a level of deceit from the Holy Man, so why was he following unquestionally. He looked up toward the canopy and frowned in the early morning sunlight as the glare from the sun stroked his face. The warmth from the sun caressed his flesh as his ears strained to catch the sound of the forest. Through the whisper of the wind admist the trees and the chatter of small birds and animals, the Chamberlain was sure he could hear the faint sound of fighting from above his head, caught in the wind and shared around the ground.

“Chamberlain!” called the gruff voice of the Priest from ahead of him. The old man was brought out of his revere and back to the forest floor. It had been many years since he had left the safety of the village and he picked his way over the uneven ground. His feet slipped on the muddy dank floor, while he struggled to catch the large bulk of the man ahead of him, currently forging a pathway through the undergrowth. He quickened his pace as he swept aside branches and pushed deeper into the darkness, “we must hurry!”

“Wait!” shouted the meek, cracked voice of the old man as he struggled to keep up, peering at the lumbering brown habit disappearing through the trees.

“You must hurry, time is our enemy” insisted Brown as he forced his body past bush and shrub.

“So you say” shouted the Chamberlain as another branch slapped him roughly across the face, “but I have yet to see any evidence over what you claim”

Father Brown stopped suddenly and held up his hand, indicating for the Chamberlain to copy his motion. His eyes darted around the forest as his head swung from side to side in a sudden quick motion as though searching for...

“What is it?” whispered the Chamberlain as he slowed to a stop close to the Priest.

“The evidence you seek is close” Brown offered eventually, “we must hurry, if we are to save your people”

“My people will only follow the Lady Theye...”

“Then you must convince them!” snapped Brown.

“That is why I am here, for proof” he glanced around the forest, “there is nothing out here that can convince me you are full of lies”

“Chamberlain” said Brown patiently, “you must believe me when I tell you your world will end today and your only hope of salvation lies with me” he glanced around the trees, “all the proof you need is this way” he said pointing through the darkness, “we must go”. The Priest plunged into the bushes and disappeared from view, leaving the elderly Chamberlain peering through the forest.

“There is nothing that way, but the old world!” he called into the darkness, “it is forbidden” he wavered unsure about his actions as no answer returned from the trees. “We are not permitted to go on!” he called agitated, shuffling in the patch of dirt and glancing around the small copse.

“You will follow!” snapped Brown from the thicken suddenly causing the old man to jump with a start. The Chamberlain clutched at his chest theatrically and reluctantly followed the sound of the Priest’s voice. He clambered unceremoniously over logs and under branches as he followed the quickly retreating figure ahead of him. He paused every few feet as the shadow of Father Brown kept disappearing in the darkness as his body merged as one with the forest. Sounds surrounded him and threatened to encircle and swamp his senses and the chatter from birds and insects mixed with larger animals and the gentle whisper from the wind in a large recipe which grew as the heat from the sun baked the ground and cooked the symphony of noise to a crescendo.

“Father” he called meekly through the trees as the planet seemed to swarm with life around him. His eyes touched every branch, every blade of grass and the jungle crept across the forest floor, swarming, reaching for the old man with sharp accusing vines. “Help me”, he pleaded as his words were lost in the breeze. He jumped to his right as a large orange flower brushed against his cheek and sprayed him with a fine yellow pollen mixture, causing him to double over coughing. “Please...don’t hurt me” his words sounded pathetic as he backed away from the colourful plant. He gazed into its beauty and swayed in time as the flower swayed before his eyes, rocking to an unheard beat. Small berries exploded on the ground around his feet, breaking his stare with the flower and he glanced down at the red tinge with bathed his feet and watched as tiny black bodies swarmed over his toes. He grimaced and screamed into the sky as tiny mouths bit into his flesh. “Make it swift” he mouthed in quiet revere to his unseen God as he tried to pull away from the jungle swarming around him. He tried to move, but found thick vines pressing down against his body, stopping any form of retreat from the life springing around him. He closed his eyes as he felt something thick wrap slowly around his wrist and squeeze. His senses were bombarded with an explosion of sound as the pressure on his body increased. He could feel his wrist being pulled roughly and tiny mouths biting at his feet. He wondered briefly whether the pollen spray held hallucinogenic properties as his wrist exploded in pain...

Father Aston James stood and approached the remnants of the small fire which had held its flame all night and kicked soil over the red plume, dousing the flame and smothering the fire and replacing the dancing flame with thick clouds of black smoke. “We need to leave” he said simply not looking at his companions. He moved toward his static pony and inspected the controls of the neck of the equipment, his hands playing over the controls. The atmosphere was awkward after Cadet Darby’s transformation and his promise to kill her should she turn again. He had not looked at her since he had told the children, and he knew in his heart that his promise had been the right thing, but why did it feel so wrong? He watched the lights on the panel of the pony dance across the collar of the animal and he stabbed a variety of buttons and checked the power gauge. He closed his eyes and breathed a silent prayer as he continued to check the readings aware that his every movement was being watched. No words had been muttered between the two adults since his promise and he had struggled to bring himself to look at her as he worked. He moved silently from one pony to the other and mirrored his actions on the second machine as silence exploded around him. He nodded satisfied that everything was alright and turned to his companions, looking at the children as he spoke. “We must travel to the place of fire and ice” he explained, “and hopefully we shall find the answers we need”

“What are they?” demanded Thoryn

“You are too young to understand...” began Aston gently

“Do not treat me like a child!” snapped Thoryn, “I am not a child!”

“Yes, you are...”

“I have seen my family taken, my friends lost! I have seen my friend killed before my eyes at your hand and my world is changing around me. So do not call me a child!” roared Thoryn

“Forgive me” Aston lowered his head as he spoke and placed his hands together, his fingers curling together and disappearing within his heavy brown habit, “I have forgotten what you have endured” he apologised, “but it is still in my nature to try and protect you and your friends” he nodded toward Seeka and Jai-Sen as he spoke, “it is my duty”

“Just be honest with us, we deserve that at least

“Very well” sighed Aston eventually

“You can’t” interrupted Darby as she listened to the exchange.

“I must” said Aston, looking at her for the first time since his promise to the children.

“You have no say in this creature!” snapped Thoryn in her direction.

“Enough!” yelled Aston, “I will not have you talk to her like that” he moved across the Cadet Darby and placed his arm around her shoulder, “she is as much a victim as anyone else”

“She is a monster” sneered Thoryn

“He’s right” whispered Darby softly, “I am”

“No” disagreed Aston, “you can fight it, you have shown you can”

“And yet you still offer to kill me if I turn”, their eyes met for the first time and held each other in their gaze and flicked toward the group of children before returned to each other.

He held out a hand for her and smiled warmly at her, “I have faith you can fight whatever is inside your soul, you will not harm me...or them” he added as he stood with his hand wavering before her. “Take my hand and follow me, and together there is nothing we cannot achieve”

“How can you be sure?” she asked, “I can here voices telling me things, begging me to feed. How can you be sure I will not attack you”

“I cannot be sure, but I can be sure that you will fight it” he turned suddenly to the children, “you need not come with us” he stated simply, “and I cannot promise you will be safe, but I can promise you that if you stay here, you shall definitely die” he looked at each of the children in turn, his eyes searching their faces as he spoke. “We intend to travel to the place where the fire and ice meet. We do not know what we shall find, or what to expect, but I hope we will find the answers we need to save ourselves” He felt the soft skin of a female hand press into his own and he closed his fingers gently around the palm and squeezed. “It will be your choice and yours alone” he said as he led Cadet Darby across the clearing, through the broken pieces of the hulking craft and small cinders of dying fires and helped her upon the metal Pony. He crossed the copse in silence and clambered upon the second Pony and stabbed a finger at the large red button on the crest of the machine. A slight hum broke the atmosphere and echoed throughout the clearing, “coming?” his question hung in the air as he examined the controls on the neck of the vehicle.

“This is madness!” snapped Thoryn, “they will die!” he looked at his two companions and waved his hands in the air, “is she does not kill us, then the place of fire and ice will”

“And what if we stay?” asked Seeka.

“We live” Thoryn said simply, his face broke into a smile as the words fell from his mouth.

“What if they say is true Thoryn, what chance do we have?“. Thoryn looked at Seeka and struggled to find the words to respond to her question. “We are alone” she continued, “we are only children”

“We are survivors”

“No, Thoryn. We were lucky” she said and grasped Jai-Sen’s hand tightly. “We need to do what we are told” she smiled at the young boy, “what do you think Jai-Sen?” she added softly bending her knees at talking directly to the youngest of the group.

“I am scared” Jai-Sen admitted through tear laden eyes, “I want to go home”

“We all do” she said gently

“This is a waste of time!” snapped Thoryn, “he is only a child”

“We all are!” shouted Seeka back at him, “you seem to forget that!” she turned back to Jai-Sen and smiled, “do we go with the adults or stay by ourselves?” she asked the boy. “Your choice”

Jai-Sen looked at the two adults, then back at Thoryn. His hands twitched and he looked at them as they rubbed together vigorously and thought...what to do...

The Chamberlain felt pressure press down hard against his shoulders and he closed his eyes preparing himself for death. The vines and creepers were encompassing his body and squeezing his limbs as his slender frame constricted against the opposing force. He felt his feet lift from the floor and imagined jaws wrapping around his neck as sharp tiny thorns pressed against his skin.

“I told you to keep up!” snapped a gruff voice. He opened his eyes and stared at the bulk of Father Brown as he held the body of the Chamberlain in his firm hands and tore at the binding of the jungle. “Our goal is beyond the tree line” his eyes darted around him as he spoke, “we must hurry, we have little time”

“Thank you” stammered the Chamberlain as he tumbled from the embrace of the forest and crash on the rough floor.

“If we are to save your people, we need to move”

“Where are we going?” asked the Chamberlain as he followed Father Brown, “I need to know”

“There!” exclaimed Father Brown as he pointed through the boundary of trees.

“The forbidden city” breathed the Chamberlain, “we cannot enter” as he stared through the trees at the outline of the old colony, “Lady Theye forbids...”

“I do not care about your Lady Theye!” roared Brown, “you will see the evidence you need to lead your people to safety”

“There is nothing in the city I need to see” scoffed the Chamberlain as he picked his way through the bushes.

“There is a man...”

“The Seeker! That old fool is still alive” laughed the Chamberlain, “he is nothing but a charlatan”

“That charlatan holds the key to the truth, now come!” he thrust his way through the final patch of trees and stared ahead of him at the rising building which towered above them both. “Inside is your destiny” whispered Father Brown, “and your proof” The Chamberlain walked slowly behind the priest as they approached the building and wondered what he would see inside the remnants of the structure.