Ignite: The Awakening Read online

  ‘Many apologies your Majesty, but I need to return to safeguarding the water’s edge’ Althaea gestured back toward the water hole they’d just emerged from. ‘Please feel free to make yourselves comfortable and dry off around the fire. I hope you find it a satisfactory place to rest and recuperate. Make yourselves at home, I should be back by morning’. She bowed and gracefully dove back into the murky water, quickly fading out of sight.

  ‘Wow!’ Rowan stated, eyes wide. Lexi burst out laughing and gave him a playful slap on the chest. She made her way over to the fire and held out her hands, taking in the heat of the flames. It was a huge fire pit, brimming with warmth and comfort, especially after their long stint in the freezing water. Rowan gathered up a thick, woolly blanket from one of the ledges, removed the damp robe from around Lexi’s shoulders, and replaced it with the warm dry cover. She pulled it in tight around her and nestled into its dense fabric with her cheek. He dropped his robe to the ground and pulled himself up onto a large, generously blanketed recess in the wall, close to the fire. He positioned himself into a corner with his back to the wall, legs outstretched towards the flames. He reached his arm out and beckoned Lexi over, then tapped the blankets beside him. She climbed up onto the ledge, pulling the blanket in tight around her as he helped her settle, nestling herself comfortably into a ball, her head resting in his lap. They both laid and took in the magnificence of the dancing flames, both too exhausted to talk, Rowan simply stroking her hair gently as she drifted off to sleep.

  ***

  They both woke with a jolt to the sound of a commotion coming from the water. There was a great deal of splashing and a burbled shriek for help. Rowan immediately dove off the ledge to assist, while Lexi approached more guardedly, as she watched Althaea trying to pull someone, thrashing and panicking, from the river, their long auburn hair saturated and obscuring their face.

  ‘Amber?!’ Lexi questioned, as Rowan helped pull the figure from the water and up onto the ledge, still flailing like a fish, freshly scooped from the river. The figure suddenly stopped, motionless, and from behind the wall of hair came a trembling voice,

  ‘Lexi? Is that you?’. Lexi, feeling a burst of joy, ran to her cousins’ side, knelt beside her, and wrapped her arms around her.

  ‘Yes Amber, it’s me’ she replied joyfully, ‘What are you doing here? I thought you couldn’t leave the house?’. Amber drew a deep, trembling breath. She leant close to Lexi and whispered

  ‘I had to leave, to come and warn you’. Lexi placed her hand on Ambers shoulder,

  ‘Warn me about what?’. Amber reached up and pulled her hair back from her face. She seemed to be scanning the room, found what she was looking for, pointed, and glared.

  ‘Him!’ she stated with hostility in her voice, ‘I’ve come to warn you about him!’, her finger pointing directly at Rowan.

  Rowan took a step back, holding his hands up in front of him, shaking his head. ‘I don’t know what you think you know Amber,’ His voice unsteady, ‘but I can tell you, you’re wrong!’ Amber pulled herself up from the ground, Althaea draping a robe around her shoulders as she stepped forward to look Rowan directly in the eyes.

  ‘I know who you really are!’ she hissed. He bowed his head and sighed,

  ‘That’s not who I am anymore Amber’ he begged. She started poking him in the chest, walking towards him, pushing him backwards.

  ‘You’re one of his spies! The son of his right-hand man none the less!’. Lexi quickly stepped in between the two of them, before Amber could push him too close to the fire, her head swimming with confusion about what Amber was saying. She turned to Rowan, looking up into his eyes pleadingly,

  ‘Rowan, is what she’s saying true?’ Rowan held eye contact with Lexi, an expression of sorrow on his face.

  ‘Part of what Amber has heard is true. My Father is your uncle’s closest friend, if he can be considered capable of having friends.’ He reached out to take her hand, but she pulled away. ‘I was put into training from a young age, to serve Garrick and do his bidding. I was first sent out on duty when I was six years old, trained to infiltrate the enemy as an orphan, as many of us often are. Everyone is put to work with them, no matter how old you are. Those who don’t comply don’t last long.’ He took a deep sigh, bowing his head. ‘I was exceptionally good during training, top of my class, a promising spy apparently. So, I was sent to the Gateway, a prized location. It’s there I first met Celeste and Amber.’ He glanced to Amber with a faint smile, but received nothing but a stony expression in return. ‘I never knew my Mother. My Father would never speak of her. My younger Brother, he died when we were very young, he didn’t pass training camp. That’s where their programme faltered for me. Celeste is the kindest woman I have ever met, and she has always treated me with so much affection and care. I felt she were the Mother I had never had, and Amber, you have always been like a sister to me, the family I never had. My devotion to Garrick, and my Father began to waver as I grew closer to the two of you.’ His legs buckled a little and his eyes filled with tears. He rested himself on a ledge close behind him and gazed off into the fire. ‘It was when I met your Father Lexi, that I knew with certainty, my devotion had been misplaced. Unlike Garrick or my Father, Bastian was attentive and kind. We were taught to hate him, he was our enemy, but I grew to love your Father dearly. He knew my history from early on, but never once used it against me. Despite knowing who I was, he taught and nurtured me. I stopped any communication with my people entirely, a long time ago. My Father has since tried to have me assassinated, on a number of occasions.’ He wiped away a stray tear and looked back up into Lexi’s eyes, ‘The day Bastian brought you home, I was perched in a large oak on the border, basking in the sunlight. I saw the car arrive and you stepped out. I felt something there and then, you captured my heart the moment I laid eyes on you Lexi. I didn’t realise why until the cave.’ Both Lexi and Amber relaxed a little, their expressions softening.

  ‘What does the cave have to do with how we feel for each other?’ Lexi queried, a little confused. Amber cleared her throat and butted in,

  ‘We feel for each other? Are you telling me you guys have only been out here two days and you’re already all over each other?!’ She shook her head in disbelieve, chuckling to herself as she took a seat in one of the alcoves and crossed her arms, waiting for the rest of the story. Rowan Continued, a little flushed in the cheeks,

  ‘When I left you on the steps,’ he stated, reaching up and pulling the quiver from around his chest, ‘inside the cave, there were carvings portraying the two of us together. I was upset to see that the first few had my figure set with a dark stone. I thought the dark stone meant that I was always going to be considered the bad guy, no matter how much I tried to prove otherwise. But the last carving showed you bursting with light Lexi, and that light also shone in a spiral within the dark stone set within my figure.’ Lexi gasped and took his hand.

  ‘Rowan, you drowned in the river last night. When Althaea pulled you out, you weren’t breathing. I tried to bring you back, and when I did there was a glowing spiral on your chest!’ She pressed her hand to the centre of his chest. ‘What does it all mean?’ she questioned. Rowan shook his head and presented the quiver towards her,

  ‘I don’t know. But I do know that I’m meant to protect you. Whoever gave you your sword, when I touched the swirling stone in that last carving, a cavity opened up in the wall, and these were inside.’ Lexi looked down at the glistening quiver, its black arrows resting within it. It appeared to be made of a silvery leather, which beautifully shimmered, reflecting the flames of the fire in an enchanting way. She looked to Amber, a warm expression on her face,

  ‘I believe him’ she stated. Amber nodded her head in agreement. Lexi looked back to Rowan.

  ‘I hope you don’t mind me asking. You mentioned your Brother the other night, what happened to him?’ Rowan’s expression saddened,

  ‘He failed one of the training assignments. We were in the treetops, he sl
ipped and exposed his location, he was only five years old. My Father was in charge of the exercise. He used my Brother, Ash, his own son, as an example of what happens when you fail a task. He stripped him of his wings and threw him to his death from the canopy. I tried to use my magic to stop him falling, but I wasn’t strong enough.’ Tears rolled down his cheeks as he remembered his Brother. Lexi wrapped her arms around him, comforting him in his grief.

  Cloaked Passage

  The three of them sat together in one of the alcoves, each quietly contemplating the events of the past few days, a solemn atmosphere surrounding the trio. Althaea boiled up some warm drinks over the fire, accompanied by a good helping of toast for breakfast. Having all eaten their fill, the mood lifted a little and they began preparing to leave. Amber approached Rowan, her head dipped, her eyes peering up at him nervously.

  ‘Rowan, I’m sorry I didn’t trust you.’ she stated, her fingers dancing around anxiously with each other. Rowan placed a finger under her chin and lifted her head.

  ‘Amber it’s okay, You’re like a sister to me. If I’d heard the same about you, I think I would have reacted the same way. You felt betrayed, I get it. Just know, I love you and your Mum as I would my own family’, He paused, a pondering expression on his face, ‘wait, scrap that, I love you more than I ever could my own family.’ He smiled and pulled her in for a big hug. ‘How did you find out who my dad was anyway?’ He questioned.

  ‘I overheard two imps talking about how Garrick’s best spy had gone missing, son of his chief commander, and then they said your name.’ she answered, a sorrowful expression on her face, ‘I am sorry’. She mumbled. Rowan shook his head,

  ‘Don’t worry about it, water under the bridge!’, as he reached over and ruffled her auburn hair, which suddenly made him ponder. ‘Come to think of it, Althaea, do we have to leave via the water, or is there another way out? I don’t think Amber here, could handle another dip in your splendid river!’ he sniggered, ruffling her hair again. Althaea nodded in response,

  ‘There is, but it is a much tougher route.’ She gestured towards a large tapestry that hung on the wall. As she took the edge of the fabric and lifted it back, behind it lay a beautifully crafted, ornate oak door. It had heavy metal hinges and a huge sliding metal bar, reaching from one side of the door to the other, held secure with a large lock on either side. Rowan walked over to the door and ran his hand along the carvings within the oak.

  ‘These are the same type of carvings as the ones in the cave?’ he questioned.

  ‘They are, it’s creating a protective seal’ she replied as she reached below the firepit and drew out a set of large keys. ‘Are you sure you want to use this exit?’ she enquired, as she approached the door. ‘It has not been opened during my lifetime, nor my Mother’s. It is said to be quite a journey to reach the other side, and I do not know where it leads. There are said to be creatures down there that I would not wish to encounter. My Mother used to tell me terrifying bedtimes stories about them!’ she stated, raising her eyebrows. Rowan ran his hand over the door once more, something was telling him they needed to go this way. He looked to Lexi and Amber, then to Althaea.

  ‘Do you have any weapons?’ he asked. Nodding, she pulled open a drawer beneath a nearby alcove. Within the drawer sat a sizeable assortment of weapons. Rowan approached and reached for a large sword with a scabbard that would position over the shoulder nicely. He drew the sword and studied it, it looked a fine blade. He placed it back into its sheath, removed his bow and quiver, and lifted the sword up over his head and onto his shoulder, the sword sitting perfectly across his back. He then lifted his bow and quiver back into place, so they were positioned on the opposite shoulder to the sword. Lexi swooned a little, he looked like a young warrior, no longer a boy. He looked back towards the door,

  ‘Are you both happy to use the door?’ He questioned, ‘I think this is the way we need to go’. Lexi nodded her reply, all be it a little apprehensively. Amber approached the open drawer of weapons,

  ‘If we’re going in there, I need something, so I can help fight, if needed’ She reached in and pulled out a set of blades, each with three prongs, similar to a trident, the centre blade longer than the two outer prongs. She took the blades and slid them into her belt. She was about to walk away when something caught her attention, she reached into the drawer again and pulled out an amulet that had been hiding beneath the blades. It was a small, circular piece made from silver with a blue crystal in the centre, although the crystal seemed to somehow be filled with liquid.

  ‘What is this?’ she asked Althaea. Althaea’s expression was a little puzzled at first, she took the amulet and examined it. Her expression suddenly changed. She reached forward and placed the amulet around Amber’s neck.

  ‘This Amber, is a shield Amulet. Lexi has her powers, Rowan has his strength. If all else fails, you have this shield. It will shelter all three of you, and let you pass unseen by any danger, should it be required.’ She pressed the amulet against Ambers chest then rested her hand on her cheek.

  ‘Use it wisely, it can only be used once.’

  Althaea took the keys, sorted through them, and picked out a large, ornate key with an unusually shaped end. She looked anxious as she approached the door and opened the lock on either side. She turned to the trio, who now stood together in anticipation of the door opening.

  ‘Last chance to change your mind?’ she questioned ‘I won’t be able to hear you once the door is bolted shut behind you.’ Rowan turned toward the girls, who both gave a nod to proceed.

  ‘We’re ready’ he stated, puffing out his chest a little. Althaea slid open the large bolt holding the door shut. The door swung open on its creaking hinges, sucking in a gust of air, as if it had been sealed with a vacuum for some time. They approached the doorway, and peered into the passageway beyond. It wasn’t the dark, mud walled tunnel they’d expected. It was a wide, paved corridor, almost cylindrical in shape, with brickwork wrapping around the walls and ceiling. There were brightly lit lanterns set into the walls approximately every twelve feet. Rowan looked to Althaea and raised an eyebrow,

  ‘I thought you said it was scary?’ She shook her head in reply,

  ‘It’s not the corridor itself that is scary, it is the monsters within it’, as she stared into the tunnel, fear evident in her expression. Rowan took Lexi’s hand, with her other hand, Lexi took hold of Ambers. Together the three of them stepped into the tunnel, the door swiftly slamming, and bolting shut behind them.

  ***

  The tunnel seemed to be never ending. They’d been walking for approximately four hours according to Lexi’s watch, and the corridor just went on and on, snaking its way through the earth. Lexi slumped to the ground, her feet throbbing from pounding the hard floor, despite the hiking boots. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how Rowan and Amber’s bare feet must be feeling. Judging from their similar reactions soon after, she figured they were feeling pretty much the same way. She pulled her arms out of her backpack, placed it between her knees and unzipped it, pulling out a bottle of water. She took a few big gulps and offered it to Rowan, he in turn drank and offered it to Amber. Amber was in the process of handing the bottle back to Lexi when a terrifying growl echoed through the tunnel, making the floor tremor with its force. Amber’s eyes went wide with terror, dropping the bottle to the ground. Lexi looked to Rowan, he was staring down at her side. She glanced down to see that her sword had begun glowing, and it was getting brighter. She snatched up the bottle, threw it into the bag and quickly pulled it back onto her shoulders. Rowan was on his feet and at her side in an instant, he helped her to her feet, still staring at the sword.

  ‘Do you think it’s warning us?’ he questioned, his expression anxious.

  ‘I think so’ she replied, pointing down the corridor in alarm. They all turned to watch the lights one by one, blinking out, throwing the tunnel beyond into complete darkness. With only a few lights remaining between them and the dark void beyond, the
growl came again, but this time a lot louder, and a lot closer. They drew their weapons, positioning themselves side by side, with Lexi in the centre, her sword providing them with the only light as they became plunged into complete darkness. Rowan glance behind them, to see the lights disappearing into the distance.

  Their faces were lit with an eery glow cast by the sword, as they stared out into the dark before them. There was a sound, faint at first. It sounded almost like a shuffling, stopping and starting, as if something were scurrying toward them erratically.

  ‘I can see something’ Lexi whispered, as two large, pale blue orbs loomed out of the darkness in the distance, with four smaller ones floating below them. There was a faint sound of something clicking and tapping. Lexi glanced at Rowan, and noticed that even in the dim light, his colour had clearly drained from his face, an expression of sheer terror evident.

  ‘Do you know what it is?’ she murmured. He nodded his head, his body tense with fear.

  ‘S…s…spider’ he muttered through a clenched jaw. Amber gripped Lexi’s arm, causing her to flinch.

  ‘It’s okay guys, we’ve got this’ she insisted, ‘have your weapons ready’. In no time at all, the creature was upon them. As it drew into range of the dim sword light, its fangs glistened, and they were enormous. It made its first strike, splitting the group into two. Lexi and Amber were pushed against the wall by a gigantic, hairy leg, whilst Rowan was knocked to the floor against the opposite wall. The creature loomed over the two girls, its two front legs penning them in, fangs dripping with what Lexi hoped wasn’t poison. Lexi swung her sword a few times at the beast, with little effect. The creature reared itself up ready to strike at Amber, but suddenly it began to screech. Rowan had managed to pull himself up from the floor, albeit a little dazed, and was swinging his sword at the abdomen of the beast. Despite his efforts however, it seemed to be having little effect, other than making it angrier. It swung itself around and raised itself up again, ready to strike at him.