05-Sorcery

It started to rain heavily although we didn’t get the full force of it because of all the branches that were in the way. The walk was still hard and the ground got muddy as the leaves weren’t able to bear the water’s weight. To top it off Akantha was complaining loudly about everything she could, the weight of her pack was too heavy, she was cold, mainly it was everything everybody else was feeling but she made it sound like she wanted to be treated like a princess. My pack started to dig into my shoulders, we kept getting stuck in sink holes, and Akantha kept moaning it took all of my self control not to hit her. Fortunately before I snapped Aldis did it for me. I heard a snap of something connecting. I spun around quickly fearing attack my hand went to my sword and I gripped the hilt, cursing I realised that I couldn’t see anything further than two tree’s away. I peered into the gloom until I spotted something, Akantha was lying on the muddy ground and Aldis standing above her with her fists clenched and every muscle tensed for fight. I knew that once she entered a rage nobody could calm her down apart from me. So I carefully walked up to her and put my hand reassuringly on her shoulder,
“It’s okay,” I whispered, then turned to Akantha who was just starting to get up,
“You’re coming up front with me,” I told her gruffly, “And I don’t want another word out of you unless you see a regiment or you get shot but if I do hear one little peep you’re on clean up for the entire camp….including toilets now go stand there with Guido,” She glared at me and I met it with a gaze of steel. Aldis smiled gratefully but she still looked angry,

“You going to be okay?” I asked and she nodded.
“Alright, let’s move out!” I called and we all carried on our way.

“We’re here Des!” Guido called out to me. I looked around I couldn’t see anything apart from forest, I stared at him questioningly then I realised I could see him, it must have stopped raining which meant that the stars would be out if there wasn’t any clouds. Behind me I heard the relieved murmurs of every one and the annoying voice of one,
“I better get canned food” I spun round with a look the shot daggers at Akantha, who had spoken to Nemesio,
“You had your warning Akantha,” I told her,
“For what?” she asked, “Because she punched me in the face?” she jabbed her index finger in the general direction of Aldis who tried her best to look innocent but was given away by the big grin on her face,
“I don’t care that she punched you in the face Akantha just that you spoke when I clearly told you not to,” Akantha balled her fists at me and glared,
“That’s unfair and I refuse to take an unjust punishment!” everyone seemed to get smaller at that instant and I said in a voice that I hardly knew I had, calm deep and commanding,

“Akantha, you are punished no matter how you feel about it and you broke your warning of not speaking so you are on camp clean up,” she opened her mouth to argue,

“You have no say in this matter unless you want to leave and go off on your own. Take the punishment or leave.” I pointed to the direction we were all heading knowing somehow that she would go a different way if she did leave.

“What say you?” I said in the same tone, Akantha just pouted and didn’t look like she would answer I repeated myself only louder,

“I’ll take the punishment,” she said like she was agreeing to her death. Everybody returned to normal size and I suddenly felt tired like I had just run 800 metres without stopping. 

“Good, Guido show them the way in take the second house it’s the biggest and least damaged looking,” Guido nodded and complied, everyone that walked past looked shocked and scared of me, and as they were walking away I heard some comments they made between each other I could hear the words but I was to tired to know who said them,

“Did you see him get taller? It must have been some kind of sorcery, but why is he starting now?”

“I think it could be his…” I couldn’t hear anymore as they walked out of earshot. I lent against a tree and looked at my muddy shoes,

“Des?” someone asked cautiously, my head snapped up and I saw Accalia standing there with a worried look on her face. I smiled at her weakly then looked back down at my shoes. The once white ‘all stars’ as Aldis had called them whatever, that meant were plastered with mud,

“Des?” Accalia asked again, “You okay?” I nodded avoiding her eyes ashamed for some reason.

“Des, we have to go into this new camp okay.” She told me softly as she walked over to me. She gently lifted my arm and put it around her shoulders, so I was leaning against her instead of the tree,

“Stop, Accalia. I can do it myself,” I murmured to her, she looked at me then let me go but held her arms out as if to catch me just in case I fell. Which I did, she caught me luckily. I put my arm around her shoulder again and left it there,

“What did you do to yourself back there Desmond?” She asked almost to herself for all the response she got from me.

***

As soon as we left the trees protection I realised something wasn’t right there was something that wasn’t unnerving about the place. In the distance there were six or seven houses shimmering in the moonlight. The houses themselves all looked almost identical in colour a creamy white for the walls and what used to be a light green but had faded over time, in size and shape though all of them differed. I thought they all looked peaceful but then I spotted the last house. It was a two story with a metal roller door sitting at the bottom of it and wooden steps going to the side where the front door was that was normal, the weird part was the blue flames that were flickering all over it the wood wasn’t burning either they were just sitting next to each other.

“Whoa…” I breathed softly,

“What?” Accalia asked me trying to see what I was staring at,

“Look,” I said raising my arm to point at the blue flames that sent a flickering light stronger than the moon everywhere and creating creepy moving shadows.

“I don’t see anything Des,” She said concern in her tone, I looked at her shocked and wondered if she was lying then dismissed the notion, Accalia never lied to me.

“I see flames on the house,” I told her “I want to go and check it out,”

“No!” she exclaimed in alarm, “You don’t know what it is,”

“That’s why I want to have a look at it Accalia,”

“I don’t want you to,” I looked at her with a stubborn look in my eyes and a small scowl on my face, I knew I looked like a toddler who had just been told ‘no’ but I didn’t care, because something told me that I had to see that house,

“Desmond,” She said in a warning tone, I ignored her and took my arm from around her shoulders. To my surprise and most likely hers too I stood without swaying and walked slowly towards the house,

“Desmond, please don’t,” Accalia said chasing after me and grabbing my arm. I spun around at the touch and a strange feeling rose inside me almost like pity for the poor defenceless thing trying to stop me. Accalia must have seen a wild look in my eyes or something, because a flash a fear shot across her features and in that instant of her fear my feeling of pity washed away.

“I’m sorry Accalia but I need see this,” I almost pleaded she gave me that worried look again I thought she was going to say no and try to drag me back to the house but instead she surprised me by wrapping her arms around my waist and drawing me into an embrace, we stood for a while her head resting on me and my chin resting on to top of her head. I pulled away from the hug after a short time and walked across the ground my feet making no noise as I walked, I didn’t look back but I called out a promise to her that I would be back. I’ve never broken a promise. I walked to the house and strangely felt no heat from the flames. I arrived at the staircase and took a few breaths’ to fight the instinct to turn and run from the unnatural flames that weren’t emitting any heat. I took a tentative step onto the first stair and gasped as my foot connected with the flames.