After I left the main hall, I hurried over to the healers hut to see Adrian. I can’t believe that the High Priest could speak so coldly about his own son! I thought furiously. When I got there, I knew finding him would be difficult, because the place was packed with people! There were so many injured people that they had to set up tents around the healers hut. 

I asked around and found where Adrian was. As I headed to his tent, I heard cries of pain coming from the tents around me. I saw a man being taken out of one tent, dead. This was what war brought. Pain and suffering. It sickened me that the king of Jyrainia could think of war at a time like this. The entire world was affected by the withering of the planet.  I finally found his tent. It had red banners fluttering outside it to recognize he was the Priest’s son. At least he did that much for him, I thought bitterly. I ducked under the tent flap and stepped inside. Tears welled up in my eyes as I gazed at Adrian.

        His left arm was wrapped in a tight bandage, but I could see the dried blood stain on it. His chest was covered in long cuts and dark bruises. On his cheek was a deep cut that was stitched together. His head was also wrapped thickly in bandages, and I could see some of his hair was clumped by dry blood. His breathing was labored and irregular. I knelt down by his bedside and took his hand. I brought it to my face, and kissed each finger gently, then placing it to my cheek. Tears streamed silently down my cheeks. Oh Adrian! My poor brave Arian! My only friend in this cruel heartless world! Please live! Live for me!

        I felt him stir and his breath coming in hard. I raised my head and looked at his face. His eyelids slowly opened. He stared at me for a moment, taking me in. finally, his lips parted.

“Ember?” he rasped. I smiled at him weakly, squeezing his hands for reassurance. A warm smile formed on his face, then he drifted back into a peaceful sleep. I stayed there for a moment, staring at his face and holding his hands. I sighed shakily and slowly got up, kissing his hand again before resting it slowly by his side. I walked out of the tent, the tears still rolling down my face.

Emotionally exhausted, I headed for my shack near the woods. When I arrived I walked listlessly up the stairs and flopped into my bed, closing my eyes and drifting into restless sleep.

The weeks that followed the raid were difficult. The council members questioned the High Priest after my visit, and he ended up shutting himself up in the temple, only allowing his wife to see him. I visited Adrian everyday, and it seemed as if he got stronger each time I visited him. I trained even more vigorously, using my anger to add power to my strikes and speed to my steps. I worked on my newly discovered power over fire. It was a rare thing to have the ability to use magic in this day and age.

I went out into the forest one day, planning to camp out for the night. I set up camp in a clearing that I knew well. In the center was a burnt log that helped calm my nerves for some reason. I always felt at peace whenever I meditated by it. I felt its spirit connect with mine during those times. That night, when I had the fire going, I tried something new. So far, I had only managed to absorb the fire. Maybe I could somehow take the fire that I had absorbed, and release it, or create it. I moved into the middle of the roaring fire and sat cross-legged. I smiled in pleasure at the feeling of the flames. I had taken off my robes before I went into the fire, knowing that they would burn if I wore them. I picked up one of the burning logs and grasped some of the flames. I opened my palm, and there it sat. I played with it thoughtfully in my fingers, weaving it through them. I closed my fist again, and extinguished it. I spread my fingers and closed my eyes. I concentrated hard on the fire I had just absorbed, and tried to push it back up through my skin. Slowly, I felt the beginnings of a flame flicker on my hand. I opened my eyes and panted in exhilaration, but the fire quickly died away. Disappointed, but not discouraged, I tried again. I felt the flame appear on my hand again, but my concentration slipped once more, and it flickered out. After trying a few more times, I gave up and stepped out of the fire, the chilly night air cold against my exposed flesh. I pulled my robes back on, and lay down to sleep. It was a beginning, but soon I would master the skill and become undefeatable on the battlefield. Smiling at this thought, I slipped into a well-needed sleep.

I awoke to a quiet and dull morning, although the piney scent of the forest filled my head pleasantly. I cleaned up camp and headed back to my cabin. I had a small breakfast of lumpy porridge and water from my well. I was still weak from my exerts from the night before, so I took a walk through the forest. Walked down a slightly worn path, which I knew led to a crystal clear pool of water. This was a very rare thing to find in these difficult days, so I kept the secret to myself, although I did take buckets full of water to town as part of my endurance training. I would then pass out some of the water to the children of the village. I had a soft spot for young children, probably because I felt we had something in common. Our childhoods had been snatched away by the cruelty of the times.

Once I reached the pond, I took off my robes and placed them in a neat pile beside a weeping willow that stood near the clear pond. I waded in, enjoying the shock of the icy cold water as it touched my exposed skin. I took a breath and dunked my head under the water, wanting to cry out at the shock I had received. I resurfaced quickly, spraying water all around me. I washed all the ash off my skin, and then dried my self by sunning on a large rock. I put my robes back on and headed back to the cabin, where I took a nap soon after I had returned. When I awoke, the sun was slowly sinking beneath the mountains far off in the distance. I sighed. I couldn’t remember the last time I had seen a real sunset. Nobody could, even the sunsets lost their beauty and turned dim and dull. 

I decided I would visit Adrian, who would enjoy a visit from me, and a break from the healer’s bitter medicines. I packed all the food I could spare. I headed to town. By time I had reached, stars were appearing in the darkened sky. I reached Adrian’s tent easily, now that the number of tents around the healers hut had diminished. I was about to push open the flap and give him a cheerful hello, when I heard voices coming from inside. Feeling that what they were saying was important, I leaned in closer to hear.

“Is this really necessary father?” I heard Adrian say exasperated.

“Yes. I’ve been given no other choice.” The High Priests raspy voice replied. Adrian sighed.

“I was afraid of that. When will they be here?” Adrian said, defeated.

“In about two weeks. I’m glad you’re accepting this like a man.” The priest said, with a note of pride. Adrian snorted.

“I’m only doing this because it’s the right thing to do. It had nothing to do with you.” There was silence from the high priest. Adrian sighed again.

“The only thing I’ll regret about this is leaving ember behind.” My pulse quickened. Adrian was leaving? And he would miss me?

“You are better off without that street wench.” The high priest said haughtily. I heard some clattering in the tent.

“Don’t you ever call her that again!” I risked a peek inside and saw Adrian standing, holding his father by the front of his robes. His teeth were clenched and his eyes were wild with anger. The priest whimpered pitifully. I smiled at this. He deserved this. Adrian dropped him and then collapsed back onto his straw mat. The high priest lay there crumpled on the floor.

“Get out.” Adrian said, his teeth still clenched. His father scrambled to get up, and scrambled towards the flap. I quickly ducked to the side, hiding in the shadows. I stayed there for a while, thinking about what I had just overheard, when I heard Adrian start saying something from inside the tent.

“Oh Ember, my love, how I will miss you when I go…” I froze. Adrian… loves me? My heart beat wildly, and, my head pounded. Adrian…loves…me. Why was I reacting this way? I, I’m not capable of love! I’m a stone cold warrior! I don’t feel pitiful emotions like this! Yet, I feel like this… I stood up and grabbed the basket of food. I took a deep breath, then pushed aside the flap of the tent.

Adrian was lying on the mat, looking as tired as ever. He had improved since the night of the raid, most of his bruises were gone, and his cuts were almost healed, except for the one on his cheek, which was very slowly turning into a deep scar. When he heard me enter, his eyes snapped open. A smile quickly spread on his face. I gulped. How was I to talk to him knowing what I knew? My troubled thoughts must have shown on my face, because his smile quickly turned into a frown of worry.

“Ember? You ok?” he asked concerned, slowly lifting himself into a sitting position. I quickly nodded.

“Y-yes. I’m fine. How are you?” I asked nervously. He shrugged.

“I’m a bit better. Still pretty stiff at the shoulders though.” He said, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. I put down the basket of things I had brought him and moved towards him.

“Here, let me…” I gingerly put my fingers on his bare shoulders, and gently massaged them. I took in his masculine aroma as my hands worked on his tense muscle. My heart fluttered like a canary in a cage. He sighed in pleasure.

“Mmm, that feels wonderful…” I blushed and quickly stopped. His hand shot up to mine and held it there.

“No, don’t stop, Ember.” He said, looking into my eyes passionately. My insides fluttered and my heart was beating wildly once more. Drunk on my emotions, I leaned forward, half closing my eyes. Knowing what in meant, he slowly brought his lips to mine. It was the most wonderful sensation I had ever experienced. My entire body heated up, and tingles flowed freely. We moved our lips more passionately together, sending waves of warmth through my body.

Our faces slowly parted. My lips still felt warm where his had been. He turned his head back in front of him, and I could see his ears turning red. I blushed fiercely as well, but continued massaging his shoulders. I could feel him nodding off at my soft caresses, so I slowly let his head drop down to my lap, and stroked his hair, humming a soft tune my mother had sung when I was a child. He opened his eyes faintly and looked at me once again, his gaze full of unquenchable love. I leaned forward to kiss his forehead. His eyes closed once more, and he soon fell into a peaceful sleep. I slipped his head back onto the pillow and crept out, my heart feeling full of a wonderful, unexplainable sensation I had never felt before. I walked back to my cabin in half a daze. I slipped into bed, Adrian's kiss still warm on my lips.