Page 13 of A Requiem of Fire and Ice

I throw her a dagger-like glare to hush her before peeking over the bins.

“Yes, sir!” They move away from the alley.

“We need to find Dad,” I say when a sudden wave of heat pulses behind us. I shove Typha aside, and she scrambles to safety while I rise. A fire elemny woman glances at my sister before I step in her direction and pull out my dagger. Realising I pose more of a threat than a cowering woman hiding behind the rubbish bins, she turns her attention to me.

She raises her arms, palms flat ahead of her, and a burst of flames erupts from the lighter in her hand. My teeth grind as I sidestep the fire and throw the dagger at her hand. Crimson sprays onto the snow, staining it red.

The woman sucks in a breath to cry out when I wrap my arms around her shoulder and head. With my right hand securing her head, my left hand grips her jaw, and I twist. A sickening crunch of bones breaks away from her spine, overwhelming my senses until she flops into the snow.

I exhale my breath, crouch down to her lifeless body, and remove her clothes.

“What are you doing?” Typha hisses.

“You,” I say as I take the thermal jacket from the enemy, “are going to dress the part, and if anyone approaches us, it will look as if you’re escorting the enemy to the fire to burn me alive with the others.”

“What! Why can’t you act the part, considering you’re so good at it?”

I toss the woman’s pants and jacket at Typha. “Because if something happens and we get separated, no one will think twice about you. As for me, I’m a fighter. This is what Commander Fross trained me to do all my life. Got that?”

Typha’s eyes shimmer with unshed tears. Without speaking, she nods stiffly.

“Good. Now, put your clothes on. Also, don’t panic when you see the enemy. Stay as calm as you can, or they’ll see right through you. Alright?”

She nods, the only response she can offer me. Knowing I won’t get anything out of her, I drag the body behind the bins, toss rubbish over the corpse to conceal it, and then walk ahead through the back streets while she follows behind.

Chapter 7

The Drum [The Siege]

Reen Kyong: Friday, July 8th

Early next morning, I make my way to the main entrance of Flesh to speak to the elemny on duty. I’m curious to know if they have noticed anyone sneaking around towards the broken iron bars by the river. Kol wouldn’t be the only elemny within this smugglers’ group. He protected them in his home for a while, but I need to remove at least two or three more.

Part of me realises I wouldn’t be so interested in the smugglers if the king sent me orders outside Flesh. But since there are no available orders or missions, I need to keep myself entertained, and there’s nothing quite like a side quest to quench my bitter hatred for this place.

It’s livelier today, and a group of elemny cluster together as they head towards the Awakening Stadium. Three awakening days are happening today, and another late tomorrow evening.

It’s one of the things fire elemny love more than burning the kingdom and watching King Ragan torture unfortunate souls. It’s a magnificent sight for fire elemny to experience.

Suppose it’s also the only exciting thing to do in Flesh. The forest lands don’t surround us, nor are we next to a beach. We don’t live in the sky, and the only kingdom elemny admired is a hundred feet down—a land of burnt ground and falling snow where the wind now howls.

Many say the howling comes from ice elemny souls that haven’t ascended. They float there, drifting over Crystal. At night, when darkness blankets their sky, one can hear their cries, filled with rage and deceit. Elemny refer to it as a “Requiem of Fire and Ice.”

So, no. Flesh is the dullest place to visit unless you want to admire the castle from a distance or spot a prince or knights of Eraminia and snap a few flashy photos against a backdrop so thick that it’s heavy with smog.

It also seems to be the season of love. Summer highlights that characteristic in fire elemny, as they cling to their loved ones, tethered ones, and lovers’ arms while strolling through the charred streets of Flesh. I shift my focus away from a woman lifting her coffee and to her tethered lover. He turns his head, embarrassed.

A sneer curls across my lips as I enter the main hall of Flesh. Eight guards stand on either side of the four entry points. Anyone who enters or leaves Flesh must pass through them. Each door has a different elemental elemny: earth, fire, wind and water. Elemny who enter must confront their weakness.

I enter through the water doors, and the two water elemny on either side incline their heads and grant me easy access. I proceed through the Ebon Hall entrance. It’s as bleak as Flesh: granite walls and black limestone floors. Tall, thick, composite onyx pillars dominate the centre of the hall, showcasing the faces of previous kings.

About forty guards patrol the halls, ensuring no one slips through, while 200 guards patrol the walls in case an air elemny flies into Flesh. But before anyone can try to enter, the unsuspecting fool would perish into ash.

I block one entryway, uncaring of the morning fleet of elemny desperate to enter the Kingdom of Flesh to prey upon my younger brothers. The earth elemny observes me and the line waiting for admission, then flicks his finger upward, creating a stone wall between them and us. He does this more for my benefit than for his own. I’m sure the guards at the entrance are aware of my short temper and want to avoid any deaths while we talk.

“Prince Reen, what brings you to the Ebon Entrance?” he asks in a raspy voice.

“Toma,” I say. “You wouldn’t know anyone named Kol, would you?”