Drinkers of the Blood Flame

By: Marjorie Marie v. N.

Many thanks to my beta team: Veronica, Sue, Bradley, and my sister Jessica for their brutal honesty and for always supporting me when my muses took flight and I felt lost.

Prologue:

"He beckoned and called," she murmured, her eyes alight with dark fire. The glow of the flames made her eyes blaze bright as the stars over head as she continued in her haunting voice.

" 'Come to me, and drink of me,' he said." Her gleaming eyes looked on me and my soul burned. "And I did," she finished.

A chill wind blew through the woods all around and the leaves rustled, whispering a dreadful secret.

As she turned her stare from me to the camp fire, the spell broke.

I drew my sword and took a step back.

She turned he gaze back to me, those brilliant spheres entrancing me. The blaze rose higher, licking the dark sky above. A single spark of it leapt upon her palm, its hypnotic rhythm drawing my eyes to it. Somehow the fire dancing upon her fingers seemed to darken.

"What good will cold steel do against the wicked peril of flame?"

Her sincerity clutched mercilessly at my heart, but my courage did not falter.

'Little indeed,' I thought, cursing myself for the loss of my shield. Still, I stood firm, raising the flat of my blade to touch my brow before drawing a defensive stance.

"What good will come from your sacrifice?" She smiled, a viscous grin.

"I will not give in." I could give no other answer.

She laughed a sound like the crackle of green woodlands consumed in flames.

"Then I get to play a little tonight after all."

I swung my sword, its abrupt halt jarring me as it collided with a blade of dark flame springing forth from her skilled hand.

'Who are you?' I thought to myself. I'd never met a Wizard such as this before.

Swinging again, I sliced at her... and again. Spin, parry, attack. She anticipated my moves far too easily; either that or she was very fast.

Our duel continued over the suspension of several long minutes.

Sweat trickled down my face and I cursed the mail that weighed me down.

'What good will come from your sacrifice?' her words played over in my head.

Jump, attack, parry, side step, attack.

'By Mithesius, she is fast.'

She knew my mind; anticipated my moves; understood my directives. As I attacked, she flew at me in a newfound fury.

A flick of her finger. A flame shot past my shoulder.

I moved just in time to save my ear. My hair wasn't so lucky, a lock of auburn landed on my boot.

'Much too close.' My mind reeled, considering her abilities. I could already feel myself tiring. Having little hope of driving her toward the river, I spun again, this time turning so I was on the other side of her. Now she could press me from the east.

The river flowed more than a hundred feet away.

'Will I live long enough to get her to the water's edge?'

I forged on, even harder than before, but for all my efforts gained only a few feet toward my goal.

"You are skilled," she taunted in a soft but searing voice, "and strong. Lord Zatavok will be pleased to see your presence on Arithria winked out."

"I walk in the Light; Mithesius guides my blade," I replied, my wear too evident in my voice, "the Dark Flame can not defeat me, even in death."

That crackling laughter came from her again, "What would you know of the Light, Knight of Mithesius?"

I parried, followed through with a skilled thrust, but she dodged. I almost had her rocked back on her heels as I answered.

"A Soldier of Light serves first his People, second his King, and always the Lord of Valor, Mithesius. He exists only to serve. This is the path of the Holy; this path does not lead astray those who follow it," I retorted unleashing a series of strong blows. Again, she pushed me back, heedless that we neared the river.

"Pah!" she smiled sending another fire ball at me.

I side stepped quickly and spun around bringing my blade level with her neck, but she blocked my attack easily. The invisible shield held my sword suspended, and I whirled, attacking again.

"What you know of the Light is all talk and lessons, not experience. You don't know how it can burn, just as the Dark Flame does." She spat the words at me malevolently.

"If it is by your hand that I am meant to die then so be it; my faith will not be shaken by you." I spoke through gritted teeth.

We battled on for what felt like hours and at long last the river appeared behind me. In her rage, she attacked, not thinking of the dark liquid stirring behind us.

Swinging my sword, causing her to duck, I kicked her feet from under her as she did so. I sent her falling back with enough force that she toppled over into the river. The fire within her churned the water, and slowly extinguished as her head thudded against a rock, leaving her unconscious.

I tore off my mail shirt and dropped my sword before wading into the water to retrieve her. I nearly drowned in the mass of her cloak swirling amid the cold waters.

My fingers went to my boot on instinct and came back with the knife I kept there. Soon the cloak that threatened to do us both in floated about us in shreds as I pulled her back onto the river's shore. Scooping up my mail shirt as I emerged the waters, I carried the woman on my back toward my camp.