His Aunt Nera had once reassured them that the eldest princess, who was only a little more than a year younger than Henry, had married safely when she reached the estimated marriage age for someone of her status. Unlike in the Federation of Merchant Cities, where the children of wealthy merchants tended to marry in their 20's, usually after at least settling on an occupation, the wealthy of Ashtar married in their mid to late teens.

At the very least, engagements were settled at this time. Marriages in the nobility took into consideration the potential benefits of a union. It could've been to create political alliances, gain economic benefits, or just to expand a family's social network and resources. Children themselves were a resource to a clan.

For someone like Princess Varellian, marrying her would theoretically align a family with the imperial household.

Henry held back his guttural reaction of disapproval. Not because Talam married his sister, but that doing so would mean that the Heigoren clan supported the Ashtari Emperor, which itself did not match with how Talam spoke in regard to the Emperor's orders.

"That's...unexpected," Ash said beside him. "Wouldn't that make you the Emperor's son-in-law? Why would he send you out here?"

It isn't like the Old Bastard cares about any of his children other than his favorite. Henry quietly ate his food, but listened.

Talam lowered his head and let out a small, bitter laugh. "He has many children, but he only has the Crown Prince in his eyes. The rest of his children, the three princesses, are just pawns to marry off to gain backing for the Crown Prince."

"It was an imperial order then?" Henry asked. "Do they do those in Ashtar? Such as if a senior member of the family arranges a marriage?"

Talam nodded. "Varellian said that her father probably wouldn't have even remembered he had three other children if the Court of Imperial Wives did not submit a marriage proposition to deal with her life matters. Several prospective grooms were suggested, but according to my uncle, I was at the top of the list. Our family has always remained staunchly neutral, at least on the surface. Our focus was more on civil policies, then we were out of the court for several years after my grandfather lost power and a new prime minister was put in place.

"After Uncle's divorce, he began rising quickly up the ranks. According to Varellian, the Court of Imperial Wives successfully argued to marry her to me as a way of showing the rest of the court that the Heigoren Clan was in solidarity with the throne."

Ash raised a brow. "Are you?"

Talam shook his head helplessly. "If we were, would I be here? It's just that my uncle was gaining a lot of influence in the court with those who held some opposition to the throne, and the Emperor was convinced that marrying Varellian to me would curb his rise. However, when my uncle became prime minister, he probably realized it wasn't working and allowed me to take my grandfather's place in pseudo-exile."

Henry moved some food around on his plate as his mind wrapped around Talam's words. "If something happens to you, it is likely that the Heigoren clan will lack descendants."

Hearing that, the two escorts on either side of Talam sat up straight with Diyar reaching for his scabbard.

"You can relax," Ash said as he held a tea cup in one hand and took a drink while revealing several glowing slips between the fingers of her other hand. "If we wanted you dead, we wouldn't be talking right now."

"A mage!" Diyar gripped his sword and prepared to pull it out. Before he could, he was frozen in place. He couldn't turn his head, let alone raise his arm. He sucked in a sharp breath and turned his head to his right.

Bo on Talam's right side was also frozen in place and was half standing. A small, glowing white slip of paper was flat against his chest.

Talam sat up straight and paled. "What are you doing?"

"No weapons at the table. Momma says it's rude," Ash replied. He put down his tea cup and reached for the kettle to pour some more. "But she also said never hesitate to defend myself."

"Your men reached for their weapons first, Young Lord," Henry told him with a knowing look. "You can't blame us for being cautious."

Talam's brow knit as he looked from side to side. "Please unfreeze them. Recall your magic and I can guarantee that they won't draw their weapons again." "Ymmm!" Both escorts' tried to talk him out of it, but Ash seemed to have made it so they couldn't talk either.

"I'll deactivate my slips, but if they make any more sudden movements, don't blame me for reactivating them," Ash said.

Talam nodded at once. "I understand." He looked at the two men. "Bo, Diyar...stand down. The two gentlemen are powerful and we are indebted to them. They only mentioned a concern, not threatened me."

The two men seemed to want to respond, but finally lowered their eyes, conceding. Ash looked at Henry, and Henry gave him a nod to agree. Ash lifted a hand and snapped his fingers.

The glow on the two slips faded and they fell from where they were stuck on the two men. Ash held out his hand and the slips returned to him.

The escorts let out a rushed breath each as they slumped back down in their seats. They looked at the brother warily, with their hands still over their swords, but hesitation was clear in their eyes.

"Excuse my escorts," Talam told them, bowing his head and staying in place. "My uncle ordered them to ensure my safety. They are the best guards my family has."

Ash's indifferent voice replied. "Then you need better guards."

The corner of Henry's lip curled up. "Don't be so quick to judge. It must be their first time out of the country. The culture and customs outside of Ashtar are different from what they are used to."

"I suppose."

Talam remained bowing his head. "Both my escorts and I are still learning. Forgive our wariness. The journey here has been trying for all of us."

"I can see that," Henry replied. "You may raise your head, Young Lord. It isn't anything worth bowing so low for. Take it as a learning experience for all of you."

Talam sat up and nodded "Yes, Young Master."

"So, tell me." Henry took the kettle and poured some more tea into Talam's half empty cup before filling his own. It was a gesture of peace, and Talam's shoulders visibly relaxed. "How long have you been married?"

"The engagement was arranged four years ago."

"If I recall, the eldest princess would be in her early twenties about now," Henry said. "Four years ago...isn't that a bit late for nobility? I heard they married quite young, unlike us commoners."

Talam let out another bitter laugh. His eyes crinkled up, but there was no joy. "As my wife said, her father seemed to have forgotten about his other children." He furrowed his brows and shook his head. "Although it was strange that no one in court commented about her remaining single until such an age. Perhaps it was because the three sisters had been out of the public eye for years, and the court forgot about them, as well."

Henry and Ash both frowned. Imperial women had their own section of the imperial grounds, but they were not hidden away. At least, they weren't before. Imperial wives had duties and often partook in various religious ceremonies and made appearances at festivals with their children.

When Henry was a young prince, he had attended court banquets and state dinners as the eldest son. Varellian had attended a few, too, when she was deemed old enough. Arunsha had died practicing for a riding event where members of Ashtar's nobility and their families would attend. Although it was rare under the current Emperor, his children were allowed to leave the imperial grounds with heavy guard.

Did that change?

"Have they not been allowed to leave the Court of Imperial Wives?" Henry asked.

Talam shook his head. "After the death of my aunt, the Summer Consort, as she was called, and her son, the fourth prince, the Emperor restricted the movements of the rest of his wives and children under the guise of their safety. They do not leave the inner palace except for religious prayers at the eternal flame, but that only lasted for a few years. Now, they never make appearances. Several imperial wives have moved into the Mourning Tower with the Spring Consort, Lady Saphira, though they themselves had not lost any children."

The Mourning Tower was an eight story round tower. It was quite large at the base, which each floor being smaller than the one below it, making it appear like an eight-tiered round cake. As its name suggested, it was the tower where wives who have lost children retreated to mourn for their children.

It would allow for peace and solitude, and a wife was always free to leave the Mourning Tower when they felt better, at least in theory. Since the rulers of Ashtar started accepting multiple wives, the Mourning Tower became a sort of safe haven to avoid having more children or being drawn into a power struggle.

Arunsha's mother never had a chance to go there, as she followed her son.

Laheran's mother was the first to enter, followed by Henry's mother. Due to the significance and security of the Mourning Tower, the Emperor and other males, with the exception of children of consorts, were not allowed to enter. The Mourning Tower had been built by the Traceras Clan and used magic to make it so.

"It sounds like he really did forget about them," Ash said with a slight sneer. "That's quite a father."

"Well, he sent his son-in-law out of the country like this," Henry replied, casually motioning to Talam. "It isn't as if he's a good father-in-law either."

Talam chuckled disparagingly. "He didn't even attend our wedding. Our ceremony was small, not at all fitting for a princess." His eyes grew a bit red. "Varellian deserved more."

Henry looked at him curiously. "You don't seem at all displeased with his marriage."

Talam perked up. He smiled, and this time it reached his eyes. "To say I am satisfied with my marriage is an understatement. When my uncle told me he'd accepted on my behalf, I was uncertain, but when I met her, I was struck." A slight redness appeared in his cheeks. "Varellian is the most beautiful woman I've ever met. When she smiles, her entire face lights up. She's very kind, but clever and has done her best to try to steer suspicion away from our family. I believe in a way; she is trying to protect us as marrying me was a way to protect her."

"Were there other candidates that would've been dangerous?" Henry asked. The fact that Talam was so open and chatty about his wife, and beaming while doing so, told him that his sister had married well. It provided some relief.

Talam took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Uncle said that the list submitted by the wives didn't have such. They were all young men from noble, but modest families that appeared to be avoiding engaging with the Crown Prince and the Emperor. However, once the court was reminded of her existence and marriage, there were suggestions to marry her off to foreign places or particularly wealthy or influential people for the benefit of the empire. This included some old men who were rulers of neighboring principalities, widowers, and useless sons."

"How did you win her hand?" Henry was genuinely curious.

"Not much, I'm embarrassed to say. The Court of Imperial Wives announced our engagement without final approval from the Emperor. A day later, Uncle brought me to meet her and we signed an engagement agreement and were blessed by priests. Uncle later told us that he would do his best to protect the two younger princesses, as well, when their time came. Unfortunately, Varellian's marriage also reminded the court that there were two other princesses. One may be able to avoid becoming a marriage pawn by becoming a nun, but two? The court won't accept it."

"It sounds as if your uncle is sincere about the happiness of the princesses," Henry said.

"My uncle feels strongly about forced marriages to someone you don't want to marry," Talam replied. "You can't blame him. Also, I think he feels some responsibility for the sake of my aunt. She would not want the princesses to suffer."

No wonder Nera had been so confident that the eldest princess was safe and hadn't been sold off in a bid for more power. Despite her personal feelings about the Prime Minister, it seems she trusted him enough to know he would not harm Varellian. Now, they just had to worry about the two youngest princesses.

Henry lowered his eyes. The sooner he could take the throne, the better. Then Phyrallian and Annalian would not suffer.

"Then, in that case, I hope you can finalize a business agreement to bring us to Ashtar," Henry said with a slight chuckle. "So, you can reunite with your wife."

Talam nodded. "She has her hands full right now, but I know she can manage the household well. I only regret that we have not yet had a child."

Ash immediately sat up and scrunched his face. "We do not need to know that much."

Though he didn't say anything, Henry agreed. Talam may have thought they were just merchants he needed to win over in order to successfully bring some trade to Ashtar, but Ash and Henry knew he was their brother-in-law, and did not need, nor want, to hear about him wanting to make babies with their sister.

In addition, although Henry knew his sister was twenty-three, just a year younger than him, in his mind, Varellian was still a skinny eleven-year-old who liked stationery and ordering around their younger brothers.

Talam chuckled and nodded. "I apologize. I am still not used to what is acceptable conversation."

It is acceptable, just not with us, Henry thought. "What are your plans after this? How are you going to get to Shae?"

"According to the map, we will follow the border road that will then go along the Suna border, which will lead us to Shae Merchant City, just north of Suna's northernmost border," Talam replied. He looked at the two escorts. "Is that right?"

Bo, who had relaxed and continued to eat, nodded. "Yes. We have donkeys and plan to join a caravan."

"It is the safest option, both in numbers and in knowledge of the route," Diyar said in a cold voice.

"What about you two?" Talam asked.

"We're leaving tomorrow morning," Henry said. "We need to arrive in Shae before the Invitational. We need to watch our younger sister." "Our mother is participating in the games to represent Carthage Harbor, and her event starts before any of the others, so she'll need time to prepare before the Invitational even begins," Ash replied.

"My brother and his partner are also presenting at the Exhibition," Henry told them.

Ash nodded. "Also representing Carthage Harbor," he said. "I don't know if you're aware, but the Exhibition is a highlight of the Invitational and highlights the latest advancements each Merchant City has to offer. Many people from all over come to take a look and see what can be used. Many merchants come to the Exhibition specifically, not just from the Federation, so I highly recommend it."

Talam nodded, appearing to mentally take note. "I don't know much about it, but yes, I will make a point to see the Exhibition."

"We also recommend that you hurry to Shae," Henry told them, looking at Talam and the two escorts. "Lodging in Shae will be impossible once the Invitational begins."

He saw the three men freeze in place. A bit of panic crossed Talam's eyes. He looked up and across the table at Henry. "How soon are lodgings filled?"

"To be honest, most have already been booked in advance," Ash told him. "There may be lodgings outside the city, but then traveling in and out will be difficult with all the traffic from the visitors. It's best to stay inside the city, if possible."

"How large is the city?"

"Very large," Henry said. "But there will also be many, many guests from all over. There are also competitors, merchants doing everyday trade, and political figures and wealthy individuals and their families and staff."

Talam's shoulders seemed to sink as he stared at the table with half-eaten food, as if unsure what to do. "If there is no room in the city, we can look outside of it yes?"

"Yes, but the nearest town is nearly a good day's travel by carriage. There are villages, of course, but they're not equipped to handle guests," Henry replied.

"Where are you staying?" Diyar asked, looking at them with narrowed eyes.

"Our family has a private apartment above our tea house location there," Ash replied. "Snake, Scarab, and Sons has locations in every merchant city." Therefore, they had a place to stay in every merchant city. It might not be luxurious, and sometimes they choose to stay elsewhere, but it was a guaranteed apartment.

"Do you have spare room?" Bo asked in a low, serious voice.

"I'm afraid not. Ash's partner's family is staying with us, as the location is close to where the Exhibition will be held," Henry replied. "However, there may be another option, but the quarters are extremely tight, and you risk getting sea sick."

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

"What is the other option?" Talam asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Renting a cabin on a ship docked at Shae for the duration of the Invitational."

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

"Tell me the truth," Ash said as their horses trotted out of the east gate of the city, which would take them along the border route to Shae. "Are we avoiding them?"

"Yes."

"Huh...I didn't expect you to admit it so easily."

Henry let out a tired sigh and looked at Ash. "The more we're around him, the more chances he has to figure out who we are, and right now, revealing it may be more trouble than its worth. Talam and the rest of the Heigoren Clan are carefully watched in the capital. If he knows and lets something slip, we may be revealed before we're ready."

"But what are the chances he'll figure it out?"

"You were so young when we left, you might have forgotten how Varellian looked, but of our siblings, she resembled me the most. Same color and texture of hair, eye color and shape..."

"Bossy temperament."

"We are the eldest children. That comes naturally when dealing with the rest of you." Henry rolled his eyes.

"Brother, red hair isn't extremely rare in Dareisol or the Federation," Ash said, motioning towards his hair that was tied up. "And you're wearing glasses that change your eye color to regular light blue."

"Yes, but how many red-haired men have Lunapsar younger brothers who also speak court formal Ashtari?" Henry looked his way with a raised eyebrow.

Ash grimaced. "Okay, that's a good point," he said. "But considering that he thinks we're dead, do you think it would cross his mind?"

"I hope not, but we may remind him of us and that could lead him to a train of thought we want to avoid," Henry told him. "And also consider that perhaps he wishes we were alive and may have conspiratorial thoughts. What ifs can be so strong, that one can want to disregard reality."

Ash let out a heavy breath. He couldn't say he disagreed, and Hana often told him that truth was stranger than fiction, as in fiction, things had to make sense.

"Brother, you suggested that he meet with Momma at the Invitational," Ash said. "What if he recognizes her?" "Auntie can wear her veil to cover part or all of her face. Also, when they last met, Talam must've been seven. She was also only with the Heigoren clan for a few months, so their time together was limited. It's been many years, he may have forgotten how she looked." "Lunapsar age slowly after twenty-five. Aunt Soraya says that Momma hasn't aged a day since."

"I'm sure she was exaggerating."

"The Dowager Empress said that, too." He looked over at his brother, who pursed his lips.

Lunapsar did not age like normal humans. They aged slowly, similar to elves, except elves took decades to physically mature. Lunapsar aged like normal humans until they turned twenty-five. They would age slowly, appearing in their early to mid-twenties well until they were elderly. In their twilight years, they began to age, but it was still slow.

Lunapsar who died naturally did so at nearly two hundred years old.

This made the early deaths of the Mahsa family even more tragic. His great, great-aunt, the last Lunapsar Queen, died at twenty-three. She was a child ruler as far as the Council of Elders was concerned.

The Council told his grandmother to remain in West Wind Valley, but in her youth, she followed his grandfather back to Ashtar.

Nera hadn't planned to do the same. It was only because the Prime Minister's brother had died and he had to return to support the family did Nera leave. At the very least, Nera was alive and was getting more done than his grandmother did. As long as nothing went wrong, Nera would rule for a long time.

Those who carried Lunapsar blood also lived nearly two centuries, and what was more, the longer their partner was with them, Lunapsar or not, the longer they would live, too. Ash attributed it to some magical blessing. He wasn't sure on the specifics.

"Then, maybe he'd expect her to have aged and won't recognize her."

Ash shook his head. "You can always arrange it so Momma doesn't have to meet him. Momma will be busy with the competition, and by the time her event is over, he may be caught up in something else," Ash told him. "That is if he gets there in time."

"He knows how important it is," Henry said with a small scoff. "He's not a fool. His main objective is to get to Shae and I'm sure they'll join a suitable caravan there."

Caravans had different speeds depending on how large they were and how many places they stopped. A relatively small caravan that only had a final destination before coming back to their starting point was much faster than a large caravan that stayed in passing villages and towns along the route for several days at a time.

"Brother, didn't you see what they looked like when they were at the gateway?" Though they had made it, they didn't look like they had the easiest time. "It was their first time out of Ashtar, too. They're not used to the ins and outs of journeying outside."

Henry turned his head and gave his brother a deadpan look. "You sound as if you want them to join us?"

"No, I don't want to have to watch what I'm saying the entire time," Ash replied with a wave of his hand. "I only feel a bit of pity for them."

"They aren't the only ones. At least they're all young and reasonably fit."

"That's true...."

Henry reached over and ruffled his brother's hair. "Focus more on our own journey. Try not to get roped into another challenge, quest, or random conflict."

Ash sat up straight and snorted as he turned his head away sharply. "You mean no side quests. Listen, I don't go looking for those things. Those things come looking for me. It's like I'm cursed because I'm so blessed."

"Do you hear yourself talk?"

"I do. My voice is pleasant."

Henry sneered and kicked his horse to speed up to get away from him. Not to be left behind, Ash sped up as well.

By the time they stopped for lunch at a rest area just outside a small town, they'd covered more distance than they expected. Though they slowed their pace, they managed to make it to a larger town along the route.

This one had a Snake, Scarab, and Sons, though it was smaller compared to the ones in the big cities. While they offered less choices in terms of food, they had a full selection of teas and the Dareisol-exclusive blends.

The tea house manager took care of their horses and prepared the small suite on the top floor. It was far inferior to the private family apartments in the cities, but it was large enough for the small family to come, if ever they needed to stop there. The floor plan was similar to other similarly sized locations.

Two small bedrooms, a shared open area where the low-center table could be adjusted in height to be used as a regular dining table. There was no kitchen, as they could use the one in the tea house, but there was a small room for bathing and a connected toilet. Both had running water.

The convenience of good plumbing was something they invested in on all their tea house properties.

The two brothers got a chance to wash up, eat a simple, but filling meal, and then sat by the large window with some tea to watch as the busy main street of the town quieted down for the night.

It was a thankfully uneventful night and both brothers were able to get some sleep. Their routine was similar most of the trip. Occasionally, they would stop off the side of the road or into a forest to rest and eat, but when they could, they tried to stay at an inn, or stayed at one of the teahouses.

"Sometimes, I forget how many we have," Ash sighed. They'd stayed in more teahouses than not since they left the gateway.

"We have one of the most recognizable merchant brands in the world," Henry told him. "Why wouldn't we have teahouses along major trade routes?"

Ash let out a wistful sigh. "If only each one had an inn."

"We'll get there eventually."

"It really saves us the trouble of trying to find an inn, especially now." Ash motioned out the window of the ground floor of the tea house, beside their table. "Nearly everyone on this route is heading to Shae. I bet there isn't a vacant room at night between here and Shae."

Although, he did feel some pity for those who didn't realize the Invitational was happening and drawing in such crowds, and didn't realize that all the inns along the way were filled to capacity.

This didn't count most of those coming from Merchant Cities. If at all possible, they'd take their ships. Ash fully expected to take a look at Shae's harbor and see rows upon rows of ships anchored. One of their ships would be there, as it transported Hana, her brother, and their exhibition materials.

Unlike the people competing in the games, those presenting at the Exhibition needed to provide their own lodgings, but usually it was sponsored by their city. Since additional people had to accompany Hana to transport parts, the Carthage Harbor sponsored lodgings were given to them.

Ash leaned against his chair and closed his eyes, mentally going over how to put together their exhibition center piece, what he had to check arrived, and whether or not he should reveal the bed sheet-sized space bag for easy clean up after the exhibition. Hana knew about it, but if others saw them, they'd be bombarded with questions and he didn't want to deal with that.

"Are you going to bet on Momma?" Ash asked. "Her odds are good, so it doesn't seem like we'll make a lot, even if she wins."

"Ash." The scraping of chair legs against a wooden floor was heard, but Ash remained relaxed.

"Effie will probably ask us to place a bet for her as a matter of principle-"

"Ash, get up."

"What?" He opened his eyes with a frown and saw Henry on his feet, standing at the window. Ash pushed himself out of the chair and followed his brother to the window. Before he stopped, he saw the glowing light of a fire in the distance and squinted. He leaned forward. "What is that?"

The familiar orange and yellow glow of firelight was coming from the far edges of the town and they could see the dark clouds floating into the air against the light.

"I think a building caught on fire," Henry said with a frown. He turned around and patted Ash's shoulder. "Put your outerwear on and let's take a look. See if we can help."

Ash nodded and quickly went to change out of the casual loungewear he wore at home and into the clothes he arrived in. He was still tugging his long tunic over his stomach when he and Henry rushed out of the suite.

In their part of town, there weren't many people on the street, but as they approached the fire, which seemed to have grown from how big it appeared when they first saw it, more people could be seen.

A few people had obviously stepped out of their homes to try to get a better look, while others were quickening their speed to get to the fire.

They were two blocks away when the commotion from the fire reached them. At first, everything was muffled or chaotic, and mostly in the local language, so Ash couldn't make out what they were trying to say. However, as they got closer, the direction the crowd was rushing changed.

People began running away from the fire.

"It may be spreading faster than it can be contained," Henry said. The two began to jog towards the fire.

"The houses in town aren't spaced far apart, and most of their upper floors are wood," Ash said. "The buildings are just kindling waiting to be lit!"

They rounded the corner and immediately felt a wave of heat from the inferno. In front of them, several structures had already been consumed by fire judging by the area the fire took up. People were yelling to evacuate the area as glowing embers fluttered through the air and landed precariously on the roofs of other buildings.

Many buildings had tiled roofs, but there were some exposed wooden beams.

A woman screamed, covering her head as she ran away, just as one of the rooftops of a building caved in.

"Why isn't it working?" someone shouted. "Call more mages!"

Ash turned his head down the street and saw two people trying to put out the fire with water magic. One had a decently b-ranked water whip while the other a c-ranked fan. Weapons like those didn't consistently send out streams of water. They had to constantly be moved in order for water to be released, and from the looks of the mages, they'd been at it for a while.

Their faces were flushed from the proximity to the fire, their clothes were wrinkled, and the water they were producing was getting weaker with each wave of their hands.

On the ground in front of them, there were large puddles of water, suggesting that when they first started, they'd had a lot more power and thus a lot more water.

Ash looked back at the structures on fire across the street. He reached into his pocket for his slips, but Henry held out his arm. He turned to his brother and saw the cold look on Henry's face.

"What's wrong?"

"It's not a normal fire," Henry said in a low voice. "There's a fire being inside."

Ash jerked his head back and did a double take at the fires. "Like a fire spirit? Is there another summoner?" It would make sense then, as a fire spirit could just burn off the water before it touched it.

Henry shook his head and for a moment, appeared at a loss. "It's a fire giant."

"What?" Ash almost choked. He looked at Henry as if his brother had lost his mind. "A fire giant? This isn't their natural habitat! The region is too temperate. What would a fire giant be doing here? Also, aren't those things massive? A single-story building would only reach its knee! We would've seen it already."

Ash craned his neck to try to get a better look. Elemental giants normally didn't leave their environments, and they were difficult to subdue, it couldn't have been a fire giant who was captured and escaped.

"Simir says it's a baby."

"A baby fire giant?" Ash repeated in a dull voice. The more he learned, the more unrealistic it sounded. "Is he sure?"

"Surround the block! Create an ice wall to contain it, quickly!" Another series of voices was heard speaking Iverian Common and Ash instinctively turned his head towards it. From the edge of town, a large group of men were rushing in and giving orders. "You! Forget about the water! Stand aside!"

"Make way! Make way!"

"I am the mayor of this town! Who are you-"

"A fire creature broke out of its cage and made its way here-"

An old man still dressed in a housecoat came out along with a large group of younger, burly men, and demanded answers.

The group that had arrived didn't pay them much attention, instead splitting up into teams to push others out of the area while others were shouting about getting an array ready. Ash narrowed his eyes and watched as five people with canes drew lines on the ground with the tips. The tips seemed to have chalk attached to them.

One line seemed to go all the way down the street, drawing a border around the structures on fire. The five were mages, and at decent strengths. Since they weren't wearing purple robes, it was safe to assume they weren't part of the Magic Tower.

"Should I help?" Ash whispered to his brother. The two were far enough away that they didn't have to be pushed out of the area, but close enough to hear and watch. Around them, an audience grew.

Henry shook his head once, but never took his eyes off the flames. "No. If this is their fault, they should be responsible. It looks like everyone has evacuated the area and no one is hurt, so let them clean it up. If things get out of hand, step in."

Ash nodded and withdrew his slips.

He craned his neck to try to see what they were writing in magic script, but the angle and awkward lighting made it difficult to see the chalk characters. It took some time for the mages to complete the array.

"Stand back! If the ice wall shatters, you'll be in direct line!" The men who were pushing people out of the way walked along the edges of the crowd, warning them with stern faces.

Before anyone could ask what ice wall, the mages flooded the array with magic to activate it. The familiar sound of ice crackling filled the air, nearly drowned out by the snapping of the buildings on fire, as a thick sheet of ice rose between the chalk lines.

It was as thick as Ash's hand, and as it went higher and higher, it really did begin to resemble a wall. Ash paid close attention to the mages, noting how rapidly their energy was depleting and frowned. Why were all of them doing this at once? If this didn't work, they wouldn't have enough energy for a backup plan.

The heat coming from the fire was chilled by the ice. It reached about as high as a single-story building, but from the water that pooled at the bottom, it was melting rapidly.

"Bring the lava stones!" Someone shouted from the edge of town, two men rushed out carrying a large pan of glowing hot stones between them. They tossed the stones on the ground, right in front of the ice wall.

Ash crinkled his eyes. "They're going to try to lure it out with those lava stones and then surround it with ice?" "If it's cold enough, a fire giant will lose energy and become dormant. When they're dormant, they're easier to handle," Henry said with his arms crossed.

"Look! The flames are going down!" Someone shouted and Ash raised his eyes. The fire that had been shot out from the top of a caved in roof had shrunk. The flames got lower, until only the light of the fire could be seen but not the flames itself.

A bang and a crash were heard, and from the other side of the ice wall, they could see something glowing and coming out from a building.

"What is that?" someone called out.

"A monster from Mons Arge," one of the men holding the crowds back replied. "Its element is fire. It escaped from its container and came for the structures in the town."

The ice wall was not transparent, so the features of the fire creature could not be seen in detail. They could only see a large blob of flickering orange and yellow. Behind them, Ash heard people whispering to each other, asking what that moving blob was behind the ice wall.

Everyone seemed to hold their breaths. The street became quiet, with just the sound of fire consuming the last few wooden beams of a structure.

Suddenly, one of the mages shouted. "Enclose it!" The mages who had moved across the street rushed forward, using their magic to push the ice walls forward and around the small fire giant.

"Reinforce the ice!" The mage who gave the other shouted again, once the ice wall had circled the creature. Three mages with sweat on their brows began using magic to first collect water and then freeze it in place against the existing ice wall.

Hissing from steam came from within as ice melted and boiled, whistling through narrow cracks.

Ash's breath hitched when he heard the cry. His eyes crinkled up as he saw the strong flame on the other side of the ice wall begin to dim. The crying came from behind the ice.

Beside him, Henry tensed. Ash looked at one of the men. "Where are you going to take it? Or rather, what are you going to do with it? That's a baby fire giant."

Several pairs of eyes looked at him, some with surprise, and some laced with suspicion. "How do you know what it is?" One of the men frowned and approached him.

"Mons Arge is known for its fire giants. It's a geothermal hotspot with volcanoes all along the coast. It's known for fire elemental creatures," Henry said, meeting the man's gaze with cold eyes. "Judging by the size, that's a baby fire giant."

"Why is a baby fire giant here?" Ash asked. "Elementals rarely stray from their environments." He couldn't help but feel that something was wrong with the entire scenario.

"The bigger question is why are you transporting a baby fire giant? There is no reason why it would be this far from Mons Agre," Henry said. "Otherwise, at that age where it can't control its fire, it would've left a trail of destruction."

The man turned his head away from the brothers. "That's none of your business."

"Captain! The monster has become dormant!" one of the mages yelled.

The man who had turned his back on Ash and Henry stepped forward. "Bring the metal container and refreeze the ice layer around it! Don't let this happen again!"

A large wagon with what appeared to be a solid iron box was rolled backwards, towards the ice barricade. It was connected to six massive horses and two dozen men were working to get the creature secured. They were working fast and wearing thick leather gloves and aprons. Even if the fire giant was dormant, its flesh would still be hot to the touch and cause severe burns instantly.

Metal chains were tossed out from the iron box to be used to lock down the fire giant.

Even though it had caused so much destruction, Ash still couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards it. It clearly didn't come here alone, and was only doing that it's instinct ordered, which was to consume flammable things like wood.

The town was surrounded by flat farm lands, but the structures had plenty of wood. Enough to lure the creature there.

"Are you sure this won't kill it?" Further away, a man's Ashtari accented voice spoke up, sounding displeased. "This fire giant can't lose its fire before we get to the temple." Ash and Henry glanced over, but didn't make any sudden moves.

"My lord, don't worry. The creature has only gone dormant due to the cold. Once it warms up, its fire will return. The more you feed it, the stronger its flames will get." The 'Captain' of the team replied to the middle-aged man with respect.

"Good," the nobleman, whose accent marked him as Ashtari, was wearing local clothing. Had it not been for his accent, they wouldn't have known. "You'll be paid the last half as soon as the flame is reignited."

"I get it." Ash heard Henry's low voice under his breath. He took a step back, grabbing Ash's arm and tugging him back into the crowd.

"Brother?" Ash kept his voice low as well. Henry released his arm once they slipped out from the crowd. Henry kept walking away without looking back. The cold expression never left his face. "Brother, what's going on?"

They were halfway to the teahouse when Henry finally slowed down and looked over his shoulder. Ash matched his pace and they came to a stop.

"The holy fire at the High Temple in Ridua is going out and nothing they've tried has been able to bring it back." Henry leaned forward and spoke in a low voice. "Aunt Soraya said that it's gotten so bad, they've reached out to the Holy Order."

Ash straightened his back. "Are you saying they're taking the fire giant baby back to Ashtari to try to use it to reignite the flame?"

"I'm saying they kidnapped it to do so," Henry said. "Simir says that its crying out for its parents. There is no way that many people, even with a handful of mages, can slay a bonding pair of fire giants."

Ash rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Fire giants live in volcanic caves. Humans wouldn't be able to get close. It's worse than when we dealt with fire dragons." He looked at his brother, confused. "How did they get the baby?"

Henry's jaw clenched as he looked back towards where they'd come from. "Simir says that fire giants will leave their children to explore the lava pits, but it is possible that the baby wandered further down, where it was cooler, and was overwhelmed and captured. There's a chance its parents didn't realize it was taken until those kidnappers were long gone."

Ash felt a chill come down his spine. "If I recall, elementals are very sensitive to the signature scents of their children because having children is so rare for them." He watched Henry curl in his lips. "Will the fire giant parents come after the baby?"

"Now that the baby had a chance to eat and reignite, I don't doubt it," Henry said. "If they had kept it dormant the entire time, they might've gotten away with it, but those flames...those fumes...." Henry looked back over the building tops of the town. "In a few days, those fire giants will come to this town looking for their baby. They will tear the town apart."

Ash remained tense, running through the scenarios in his mind. "If those kidnappers keep the baby dormant, then the scent will die out. At least until they reach Ashtar and they try to use it to reignite the flame and release its scent."

"The holy fire is divine fire. No non-divine fire source will bring it back," Henry said, annoyed. "Those idiots don't even realize there's a difference!"

"But won't the giant parents come after the baby there?" Ash asked. "No matter how tight a border is for humans, it can't hold back an elemental. Ashtar's military is all over the place; who's going to try to stop them when they arrive? And even if they could, they wouldn't know how!"

Henry ran a hand down his face. He grit his teeth and let out a low hiss. "All right...." He lowered his hand and shook his head. "So much for a direct journey to Shae. It looks like we have to get involved."

"Oh...." Ash's brows shot up. "So...you're saying...side quest?"

Henry let out a grumble. "No, this is serious. We're going to...liberate that baby fire giant."

Ash's eyes were almost sparkling as he nodded his head and whispered with glee. "Side quest."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.