Chương 9: 2.4 A Grim Reminder

*Zap!*

"Eeek!"

A spark of electricity flew from the man's dagger straight towards my bow, my hand spasming in pain as the bow fell from my grasp. I bit back a grunt as the pain from the electricity lingered on my left fingertips, the pain in my hand akin to a small shock from an electric socket of old.

"Don't you dare..." Mother ground out, the fire in her sword intensifying to the point of fully illuminating the small patch of rocky ground they were fighting on. The heat was becoming unbearable, her flames radiating with the power of the sun. "I'm your target, Teilen."

Teilen? It didn't sound like a name... A title then?

"Hahaha! D'you think we'd care?!" the man laughed maniacally, sparks shooting around him as he spread his arms out as if to embrace the heat from Mother's sword. "I'm sure he's either a Zahler or a Nenner. Either way, he'll be drafted in service to the Empire!"

*WHOOSH!*

I could only watch as the flames burst forth; a streak of fire slashing out from Mother as she seemed to cut the air with her sword. The flame soared through the air, making its way towards the laughing man.

*SLASH!*

In an instant, however, the streak of flame dissipated, revealing white sparks of electricity as the man slashed through it like it was nothing.

"Was that all you've got, Flamme?!" the man taunted, his grin shadowed by the light of his own lightning. "You've gotten soft, haven't you? I told them you're too-"

*WHOOOOSH!!*

Another attack from Mother as she swung her sword downwards; a wall of flame as tall as her shooting forth from her sword.

*KRAKATHOOM!!*

A streak of lightning erupted from the figure's location, overpowering the red-hot flames. The residual energy lingered in the air, the scent ozone burning all around him as I sat useless on the ground.

"Won't even let me finish myself?" the man taunted. His hair was no longer obscured by a layer of cloth now, his golden mane fluttering to the searing wind as his clothing looked singed from both attacks. "Where did all the good times go?"

"You were no friend of mine, Blitz," Mother voiced out her disdain, her flowing red hair billowing against her flames. "How did you find me?"

"I'm a Teilen. Of course, I'll find you lot~"

Teilen again... It sounded so German... Then again, that was the main language here. Still, what did it mean even?

"Of course, it's not just me~" the man added with a destructive lilt. "I'm sure things are going smoothly elsewere~"

I froze. A stone dropped into my stomach as the implication of his words sank in... Was Father okay?!

*WHOOSH!*

Before I could imagine the worst, another wall of flame erupted from Mother's sword, obscuring us from the man's vision.

"We have to go!" Mother barked out as she pulled me upright, her momentum dragging me through leaps and bounds that I've never even imagined was possible in this world. "If he comes for us-"

*KRAKATHOOM!!*

The telltale sound of lightning boomed from behind us before I even saw a flash of white zoom past my left-hand side. Mother immediately put her guard up, her sword in front of her as the lightning materialized into the man's lanky yet imposing figure.

"Going somewhere?~" His dagger glowed with power, his expression playful yet unsettling.

Gritting my teeth, I moved to brandish an arrow from my quiver, but I was quickly stopped when I found myself soaring past the figure, my body suddenly up in the air as I saw my Mother rush the Teilen beneath me.

*CLANG! CLANG! CRACK!*

"Go!!" my mother shouted as fire and lightning raged on beneath me. "I'll catch up-"

*KRAKATHOOM!!*

"Don't forget about me, Flamme~" I heard the man taunt as another flash of electricity lit up the battlefield. "We still have a score to settle~"

I braced myself as I unceremoniously rolled onto the ground, the momentum of Mother's throw placing me a few meters away from their battle. I debated staying, but I quickly shook the notion with the fact that Mother clearly knew what she was doing. Without even looking back, I immediately sprinted away from them, my mind running on overdrive as I desperately tried to find my way back home.

The man said that he wasn't alone. And if he wasn't alone... Where was the other one?

I fought off the gnawing dread in my chest as I powered through the fatigue; my training from just a few hours ago not doing me any favors as my legs burned just to keep me from falling. The smell of burning hit my nose as a draft of wind hit me...

No...

My heart pounded as I followed the foreboding smell, my breath running ragged as I pushed myself to the limit.

"No... No way...."

I froze in my tracks as an orange hue lit up the horizon. Tears threatened to burst through as I stared helplessly at the horrific sight before me.

The house... it was on fire.

Without any hesitation, I made a beeline for Father's workshop where the fire was most intense, covering my mouth with a torn piece of my partly-burnt shirt. It didn't matter if I was running around naked anymore. What mattered was that I should be able to at least find Father through all of this.

"Father?!" I shouted at the top of my lungs as I entered the workshop. "Are you here?!"

The crackling of burning wood greeted me as I cautiously walked through the burning workshop. My eyes watered at the intense heat, but I powered through with pessimistic hope.

The fires of the forge were hotter than this. Surely, Father wouldn't burn to death now.

"Father?!"

I shouted once more as I carefully made my way through the molten puddles of metal strewn throughout the workshop. Absently, I grabbed hold of one of my unfinished katanas that seemed to survive the fire relatively intact. It wouldn't do for me to be unarmed in such a dangerous situation now.

*Crash!*

⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛