Born of Fire: The Dawn of Legend (43 page)

LyCora dropped her arms and gave him a furious look before making a motion that suggested she wanted to walk away, but refrained.

“Go ahead,” Rex said. “Run away like you always do when someone doesn’t just stand there and take your bullying. It won’t be a shock to any of us.”

“You’re the bully, you barbaric brute,” she exclaimed. “Yes, I do want to leave, but that’s because you scare me! That’s what you want to hear, isn’t it?” Rex gave her a curious look, clearly taken off guard by her comment. “Ever since you’ve started growing in strength, you’ve become more forceful and aggressive.”

“If you call defending myself forceful and aggressive, then I suppose you’re right,” he said simply.

“Say what you will about how I talk to you, but I’ve never tried to harm you without provocation! Not once! You, on the other hand, have tried to blow me into pieces and continue to threaten me! So I ask you, who’s the real bully here?”

Rex felt unnerved. All his life he had been on the receiving end of tormenting behavior, an easy target due to his appearance. Now he had the kind of power he had always dreamt of. The kind that could silence would-be adversaries before they even opened their mouths. He had been enjoying the feeling of superior physical prowess since his strength had begun to grow, but he now felt it had been turning him into the very thing he had wanted to use it against. With his head slightly lowered, he turned away from LyCora. “Let’s get started,” he said in the same low gravelly voice he always spoke with when he was feeling unhappy.

EeNox nodded silently as he took his place next to him. “All right,” he said, trying to sound encouraging. “Just like before. Start with a low burn.”

Everyone watched the two of them ignite their flames as they practiced raising and lowering their intensity. Everyone had been feeling more than a little nervous when LyCora had started in on Rex, half expecting him to lose control and burn half the surrounding area to smoldering cinders. Much to their great relief, though, he simply walked away from a fight, something they had already discovered was highly uncharacteristic of him.

DiNiya was unsure if this was a good thing, or a sign that something else was wrong, something that signified that Rex was more than just an angry person but a wounded one as well. Still, an animal is often most dangerous when hurt. She regarded him solemnly as he went through the motions with her brother effortlessly, speaking only when spoken to directly and otherwise avoiding all eye contact with anyone.

Four more days went by, and Rex was now pushing his flame faster and harder. So immense was the outpouring of raw energy from it that it became difficult for any of them to stand in close proximity to him while he had it ignited—something that would prompt EeNox to call for a break frequently, claiming that he did not want Rex to overdo it. But DiNiya suspected Rex knew the truth and was simply choosing to say nothing out of respect.

During these periods, AnaSaya would sit with Rex and work on his ability to commune. “Breathe deeply,” she said as they sat across from one another with their legs crossed and their eyes closed. “Allow all your burdens and stress to fall away, leaving only you and the fire burning within.”

DiNiya took note that he always seemed to have difficulty with this portion of the training. Whereas the aggressive combat nature of his flame seemed to come naturally to him, the more peaceful and tranquil side seemed to elude him. In fact, on more than one occasion, his face would contort into one that almost looked like he was in pain, or desperately trying to grasp hold of something that was always just out of his reach. She could sympathize with him in that regard.

“Continue to breathe,” AnaSaya went on. “Feel your mind willing your flame to move with you, like a dance.”

Rex began to squirm as thick beads of sweat ran down his face. He could sense his flame perfectly fine, but despite her instruction, he could not make it bend to his will. “I can’t,” he growled. “It won’t…do what I try to make it.”

“Don’t try to dominate it. Rather allow it to flow from you, like an extension of your will.”

Rex knew what she was asking but also knew that his flame was not only his to wield, for lurking in the shadows was something else. Something that would lend him the power of the red flame within him but was still always keeping control out of his hands.

As everyone continued to watch in silence, they saw small red sparks begin shooting off Rex, and he was noticeably struggling. Sensing a surge of power quickly growing in him, AnaSaya opened her eyes and leapt to her feet, backing away quickly, just as a Rex inadvertently unleashed a red pulse that scorched everything around him in a meter-wide radius.

“Are you all right?” ShinGaru asked AnaSaya as he came running up alongside her.

“Yes,” she replied, nodding, before turning back to Rex, who sat hunched over with his hands flat against the blackened soil, holding himself up as he breathed heavily. “Rex…are you—?”

“All right?” he cut her off. “You tell me.” He slowly rose to his feet, his fur down in front of his eyes. “You people are the experts, right?”

“Rex, please,” DiNiya insisted, moving towards him.

“Please what?” he snapped, causing her to stop abruptly. “What am I doing wrong here? Every time I feel like I’m getting close to getting a handle on this, it gets away from me and literally blows up in my face!”

“Rex, it takes time,” DiNiya insisted.

“She’s right,” EeNox agreed. “You haven’t been at this for very long, and you’ve already come a long way in the short time we’ve been at it.”

“But it’s still not good enough! I still can’t control it when I need to the most, which means I’m still dangerous.”

“Rex, I know this is difficult for you,” DiNiya said as she moved towards him. “I wish there was a way I could make this easier on you.”

“Stay away from me,” he bellowed, much to her surprise and everybody else’s.

“Just…stay back. I can’t risk it, do you understand? When I get like this…upset, I mean…I feel it slipping away.”

“Feel what slipping away?”

“Control!”

“That’s because it’s not control,” LyCora suddenly spoke up, prompting all of them to look at her. “Only the illusion of it.”

“And, I suppose, just like with everything else, you know more about it than anyone, right?” Rex replied condescendingly.

“As a matter of fact, I do.” Rex snorted flame from his nostrils, unimpressed by what he considered yet another one of her many declarations of superiority. Reading the look on his face loud and clear, she tried a different approach. “Tell me, Rex, you’ve learned the basics of the five flame types by now, am I right?”

“I suppose.”

“Tell me what they are.”

“What does this have to do with anything?”

“Tell me!”

Rex sighed. “Green is strength, gold is elemental, lavender is healing, and blue is…” he stopped as it suddenly hit him.

“Yes?” she urged with a raised eyebrow.

“The power to control the flame of another living thing,” he finished begrudgingly.

“Precisely. Control. It’s the basis for everything and anything the blue flame does.”

“All right, I get it, you’ve made your point. But I still fail to see how that helps you help me.”

“When I take hold of another flame with mine, it is imperative that I do not relinquish my hold on it even for a moment or they could break free and strike back at me.”

“I see where you’re going with this, but it’s still different for you. The end result is different.”

“Perhaps, but it’s still a negative consequence just the same. For me it’s a matter of not giving my quarry a chance to get the upper hand, while for you it’s all about holding on to your power so it doesn’t get away from you.” Rex thought for a moment before finally nodding in concession. “Now despite what you might think, you’ve actually done well under EeNox here.” The other boy perked up, smiling proudly. “But that’s probably only because the nature of the red flame is more similar to the green than it is any other.”

The look of pride faded from EeNox’s face, prompting AnaSaya to pat him on the back sympathetically. “It’s all right, I still think you’ve down a wonderful job.”

“Thanks,” EeNox replied with a forced smile.

LyCora cleared her throat loudly, causing everyone to return their attention to her. “As I was saying, the green flame works much in the same way as the red; more is better, push, push, push. However, unlike the green, the red is tied in directly with emotion and sheer force of will.”

“Yes, but that’s true of all flames,” countered Rex. “They’re not just igniting randomly, or else every time someone pops out from around a corner and surprises you, you’d be going up like a torch. You’re making a conscious decision to ignite and use them.”

“Very true, indeed,” ShinGaru interjected while casting an apologetic look towards LyCora, who was about to reply. “I think, however, what LyCora here means is that while we can all choose to draw out our flames, their level of power is determined by how hard we train them.”

“Again, just like mine.”

ShinGaru stroked his chin with his fingers as he contemplated what might serve as a better way to approach the explanation. “I think I’m beginning to see what the problem is here.”

“Oh, really?” LyCora replied. “Mind clueing me in, because I don’t think I can make it any clearer for him.”

“The issue is not one of clarity but relation.”

“Okay, now you’ve lost me.”

“Welcome to my world,” Rex replied with a wry smile.

“What I mean is that Rex can easily understand if we simply put it in terms he can relate to.”

“I’m listening,” Rex said, crossing his arms.

“You see, unlike you, Rex, we have to train our flames the way we would train a muscle. If you want it to grow stronger, you need to make it grow larger, and the only way to do that is through rigorous physical exercise. You, on the other hand, are not held back by such burdens. Your flame feeds off your desire for more power, meaning you have an extraordinary ability to push yourself to new plateaus of power in the face of adversity.”

“Then why am I having so much trouble? I should be all-powerful based on that logic.”

“Because like with most things in nature, Rex,” came a deep voice from behind, “your greatest strength is also your greatest weakness.” Everyone turned and saw KyGahl standing like a great stone relief in the swaying grass, his eyes burning a golden radiance. Stepping towards them, he continued, “Unlike the rest of us who must train to push our flames, you must learn to rein yours in.” He stopped just short of Rex, who craned his neck back to peer up at the immense man’s face. “A better analogy would be that of a wildfire. Easy to start but incredibly difficult to put out.”

Rex looked down for a moment in quiet contemplation before returning to meet KyGahl’s gaze. “So if it’s that dangerous, then what makes it better than any of the others?”

“My dear boy,” KyGahl said, placing a hand on Rex’s shoulder, “whoever said it was better? It is merely different, just like all the other flame types. Each one of them has strengths and weaknesses inherent to them. It’s how they are used that determines the true measure of their worth. For instance, take a shot at me.”

“Huh?”

“Go ahead. Fire a blast directly at me.” He dropped his hands to his sides and stared directly into Rex’s eyes.

“Are you crazy? I’m not going to shoot you!”

“Why not?” KyGahl asked as if he did not understand why anyone would find the idea bizarre or even crazy.

“Because I could hurt you! Hell, I may even kill you!”

“Why don’t you let me worry about that,” he said with a smile.

Rex frantically looked at the others for any kind of support. To his surprise, he saw DiNiya and EeNox with ear-to-ear grins, nodding vigorously.

“You wouldn’t be scared by any chance now, would you?” KyGahl asked.

Rex whipped back around and locked eyes with him before relaxing slightly. “I know what you’re trying to do and it won’t work.”

“And what exactly am I trying to do?”

“Get me all riled up so I lose my temper and go off like a hothead.”

“Quite the contrary. I want you to stop allowing yourself to be ruled by your apprehension and live freely. Until you do so, you will never be able to control the immense power within you. Now fire!”

“Fine,” Rex said as he ignited his flame. “But I’m not taking the blame if we have to carry what’s left of you back in a bag.”

“So noted. Ready?”

“Are you?”

“Do it!” EeNox cheered from behind.

“Go ahead, Rex,” DiNiya encouraged. “Trust me, it’ll be fine.”

Rex took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and then with a low grunt, fired a large ball of flame directly at KyGahl. Before any of them could have a chance to react, there was a brilliant flash of golden light as the fireball vanished two meters in front of its target.

“What happened?” Rex asked with a look of astonishment.

“Wow,” AnaSaya exclaimed. “Did you see that?”

“No. No, I did not. Someone want to fill me in on what just happened?”

“He neutralized it,” LyCora said, sounding unimpressed.

“Precisely,” KyGahl replied.

“What does that mean?” Rex asked.

“It means I was able to raise the level of positively charged particles in my flame to match that of the ones in yours, thus canceling both out.”

“Oh. So…is that why it all happened so fast?”

“Yes, indeed. However, if it is a more impressive display of physics you wish to see, then I will be more than happy to accommodate you. Catch your breath and prepare to fire again.”

Rex did not hesitate this time. Doing as he was instructed, he took several deep inhalations of air, exhaling each loudly, before adopting a wider stance and powering his flame back up again.

“When you feel ready, fire away.”

With a quick nod, Rex unleashed an even larger fireball, which traveled at a rate nearly twice as fast as the first. There was a split second where he feared that his drive to prove himself had made him overdo it. Then his fear turned to awe as KyGahl was engulfed in a massive torrent of golden flame, causing the red ball of fire to explode on contact.