Element. Flame of Elisar

ke up all in cold

ed me in the mountains. And there were more and more of them. Then I saw a woman's face. She was either crying or singing a song, or chanting a spell. And then she shouted something through the roaring flame, and shoved a bag

ound turned into a fiery beast, or some man appeared, whose face I could not see, to shout something to me. But the effect was inevitably same – the woman disappeared all enveloped in fl

lying still trying to re

deep from inside. Every time I had that dream, I was out of humor for

icks or someone invisible wanted to play with my subconscious. Anyway, my nigh

he obsession. The Sun was already staring into my bedroom window

ady up, so it was time for me to get down to something,

ay, while the door to Nargara's study room

ng the table – pies, honey and cottage cheese. There on the stove I saw a small clay

?" my sister s

d right away and

ps, sugar and spoons, afte

mare a

t my sister was no spring chicken w

my hand through my face trying to drive awa

or you. Will make you sleep like a bab..." Elcha stopped half-word and then went on rattling yet in a

elivery today. Ricka, you take two boosters – one to Kold's

go to Truvle's. Why not

is elixirs," Nargara cut me short showi

on things like that. He never liked having to drop his work ev

d, even though the answe

he exhaled and rubbed the temples with her hands a

ok with Elcha. Frighte

the valley only. No single step beyond. Got

news I could only nod my

rbs only on the inner slopes

er. You remember the b

again, a

n't want any of our customers to learn that the Karun witch's daughters are firesse

nt it fried,"

rely stran

ant to make them sing, so they ordered a couple elixirs. Go get some on the east slope in the

n it," w

ks, after which we quickly finished our breakf

aking turned out just great. Kold, as usual, stuffed my bag with a whole bunch of rolls and cinnamon buns saying I had to eat more given my kind of work. I was too thi

eer, where they treated me to a bottle of delicious lemonade they were selling in

ng on the porch

t the bags

two gray rags. "And I a

d fresh buns," I bragg

stay till sunset," she hit me cheerfully with her

the market, we approached the eastern gate and moved along a dirty road heading out of

o now the habit backfired. It felt like we were crawling like a couple of old turtles and t

g, and loved asking hundreds of questions even more. Just asking, I mean, never waiting for all the answers to come. And that day my sister was asking me about my t

omplicated than I expected..." I said and frowned a littl

quite soon that we came out to the stony slope where we usually coll

be no exception," my sister tried to reassure me. And yes, I have to admit I was really disappointed with my military failures

on my palm. And now, look here," and her palm flashed with a

did you l

do play with fire. And also, look now," and she threw a fiery arrow into a nearby stone cracking it i

happy with this. Remember w

You know, sometimes I think she takes it too seriously. Had she let us practice it to the fullest, y

t for those around – deadly. I could burn them alive. Mammy got worried about that all after an incident long ago, when I almost burned one man. That old fool decided to give me a slap in the face for some sort of a prank, and I felt so insulted I suddenly burst into flames, scaring to death both myself and everyone around. We had to move on

se that gift. Anytime! And despite

g small Talker flowers stuffing them into the bags

ent down the slope to the mountain river, sat on the gra

e decided to put them into the fast stream running

t practice some archery? I think I could a

u really mean it, of course. But keep in mind that he is no

no worse, you know. I've already made up my mind!" she announced putting on some oh-I-

on't shoot off somebody's nose," I said i

r bank, splashing and squealing like two young kids. Then, all of a sudden, she slipped on a wet stone while I tried to grab her. Next instant, clinging to each other, we colla

ity, but then its strength and depth began to decreas

other and burst into a hearty laugh – we looked so stupid. Both dripping, h

e river had taken its riders to the other side of

reful, remember what Nargara said today," I

t. It's about five minutes for you, over there," she pointed putting

and, running lightning fast along the ri

e we'll see the use of it," I added, thro

re, breaking off her palm, hit the pile em

ducking a curtsy. "Welco

ce must have been really sad as I shook out of the bag what once was the buns, now all soaked with water. But the sight

g, never leaving out a minutest detail, making funny faces and gestures all the time. Then she started to talk about the st

hinking about my nightmare. I didn't like having that dream as it would inevitably le

look at my sister.

ething like 'I will seal it, too. Just

asked feeling that I had alr

ed. "There is someone casting spells in our valley, and we have no

miliar, feeling crawling in my chest. I shook my head trying to see what was wro

the world seemed not to exist. I looked at my sister who was sitting on a large boulder and trying to shake sand out of

th its moving mane stretching the tentacles forward, its nostrils swelling large enough to draw in not jus

y face must have had too eloquent a palette of color

ything and, jumping off the boulder, tried to rush to the river, yet was definitely too slow against the monster. It jumpe

ones, while I quickly pulled the blade o

cleft between the rocks hoping the bea

growl followed, which was getting closer. I gra

ut we have to make it, no choice, the only

t. She flew into the crevice like an arrow, and I turned around. The beast was running at breakneck pace yet came t

er seen anyone fighting you back?"

h bared, and I could h

re!" Elcha's voice

f the monster. That moment, on my right, with my side vision, I could notice some more movement. And

d y

able. And there I had a click in my mind, I won't catch up

ou here!" she was not just panicking

e top of my lungs still never taking

o feet running over the stones

did not dare come any closer, just standing

y knew was black as ink, while the other one had a slightly

hind, Nargara's special action el

lt some strange and frightening calmness inside. The main thing was to

ld have a happier smile before the execution. "Afraid of getting your miserable skins spoilt? Expected to get me on a silver platter, didn't you? You, two

hoarse growl and b

he one with the whitis

ntered the flesh. The beast bellowed with pain and collapsed onto the grass h

g the chains with all might, and pulled again, but all in vain. They chains stuck under the ugly carcass. Out of my eye's corner I saw the other beast ready to jump, and despair sei

th the smell of burning flesh. I yet took a few steps forward, stumbled upon something and tried to pull fo

d then a huge fireball jumped off her hand. The fist creature, which had my blades un

lc

was already halfway jumping. The ball got right into its d

left seeing that the black monster was once again

old anger, "they are up a

ing between stones. The cleft was soon left behin

d up just a little way off the Karun valley, and no

to graze here. A little left, there was the trade rou

o Elcha. She was standing there, staggering, all pale and her face fallen. I even tho

power. But I could never have expected the fee

e broken off, despite the thin odds. I don't think they'll squeeze through the

id, sealed, they said they would not go there..." she muttered indistin

look full o

only a year left, he said, all you have to do is just hold out for another year, hee-hee-hee ... and he also said, while one is al

I snapped. I was all in goos

completely nuts and

" I asked again and g

stracted, her gaze blur

I told you earlier today," she murm

ht now, as quickly as possible, too v

nse instantly, and I looked back still keeping Elc

ing, both growling and their e

again, which made me so mad I wished I had some

to be right, the situation was just perfect – no weapon

of despair rather than courage. "Are we going to be

er clot of fire into the creatures. They jumped aside still remembering the

rvous breakdown later. The ma

whenever I tell you, just don't waste your power, okay? And

with an es

hanging in my arms like a huge sack, completely exhausted. The only part

ced my sister, my eyes all so

nd began to approach us fe

hink I did have a chance to survive, alone, but I nev

the ground and pressed down. The smell streaming out of its mouth hit my nose. Disgusting! I looked up and saw

running through my body, and then I realiz

e of them bit her arm and started dragging her away. Elcha moaned with pain. The other at tha

ing me from inside. I was rushing through that inner heat looking desperately for a way out of that all, and then it came to me... It was the way out! The heat that I could feel with my entire soul was the way out. T

acles began to move feverishly; they were both raging around the same spot, gre

more like scarlet tongues, and then the fire spread all over my body, sweeping me from head to toe. My hair sprang up filled

y filled me. There was nothing burning from inside –

ating Elcha's movement, sent all this fire their w

ytime for a moment. The space around seemed to be ringing and buzzing

en there, giving way to some deaf emptiness and complete impotence. It felt l

to the ground, curle