Born of Fire: The Dawn of Legend (53 page)

“They look good together,” came a voice from above him.

Glancing back, he saw VayRonx watching the same scene.

“That they do,” BaRone said, turning back.

“So, what will you do now?”

BaRone remained silent for a moment before lifting his chin slightly and letting out a sigh. “Stay out of their way.”

VayRonx gave a slow nod of understanding. “Then we two will both stand back for the time being and see what course nature will take.” He continued to watch them dance slowly together, neither one of them pulling away from the other, or even opening their eyes, instead losing themselves in their embrace and the beautiful sound of music that filled the cool autumn night. “Nice to see that girl of yours happy again.” BaRone just smiled.

The Vanguard played one final crowd-energizing song before bringing the show to a close, where they all bowed together before retreating backstage. Immediately Rex turned to the others and said, “We need to go meet them!”

“I’m sure we’ll see them later tonight or at the very least tomorrow,” said DiNiya.

“I don’t want to wait until then! They were incredible! I need to at least tell them that.”

“If we go now, we should at least be able to catch them before they retire for the night,” EeNox offered, looking at his sister hopefully.

“Well, if you think it’s all right, then I suppose it can’t hurt,” she said. “I mean, it would be fun to meet someone famous.”

“All right,” said Rex. “Let’s hurry.”

They moved through the thinning crowd, then proceeded up the steps on the left side of the stage. Rounding the corner, they moved through a passage into the mountain until they entered a room lit by torchlight and found themselves face to face with the very same musicians who had elevated them to heights of exhilaration through their music only moments before.

The shock of suddenly standing before The Vanguard was so startling that for a moment Rex and company just stood in awkward silence, and then the singer who had captured his eye with her commanding presence on stage stepped forward. “Why, hello there,” she said, smiling.

“Hello,” he replied. “I’m sorry if we are intruding, but I just had to, I mean, we just had to come and tell you how amazing you were tonight.”

“Thank you very much,” she said. “That is very kind of you, of all of you.”

“My name is—”

“Rex,” she finished for him, much to his surprise.

“Wait, you know who I am?”

“Of course,” she replied, sounding almost surprised. “You didn’t think you were just KaNar’s little secret, did you?”

“Well, actually, since you mentioned it, yes.”

“I can assure you that the name Rex is known throughout the Northern Continent. In fact, it is the reason we accepted Alpha VayRonx’s invitation to perform in KaNar during this year’s Harvest Festival.”

“And here we were thinking it was because of KaNar’s clean mountain air,” LyCora said sarcastically.

The Vanguard’s beautiful songstress just smiled. “I apologize. I did not mean to offend. Of course we were honored to receive an invitation from your tribe; it’s just that when we first heard that there was actually someone with a red flame, a SaVarian no less, we knew we could not pass up the opportunity to meet him.”

“What I want to know, though, is how exactly you came to know of me?” Rex pressed.

“Like I explained, word has spread of you all over this region of EeNara. Perhaps even beyond by now.”

“Yes, but how?” DiNiya asked.

“We heard it from a CyTorian messenger out east,” said the BorKovora, “who heard it from a High Wing.”

“So word of him has spread to Grand Heights, then,” DiNiya said. “But that’s far northwest of here.”

“And you said you heard all the way in the east?” EeNox asked.

“That we did,” the BorKovora said. “In truth, we were surprised we didn’t learn of him sooner, given how much we travel.”

“That’s both sides of the continent,” said ShinGaru. “Well, Rex, it seems you’re almost as famous as The Vanguard here.”

“Are you sure you don’t mean infamous?” Rex replied.

“We realize that you have probably come to expect all manner of negative connotation to the red flame,” the fair-haired woman said. “By the way, my name is FiNaya. This is DoroBak,” she added, pointing to the BorKovora. “And the rest of this little motley crew are KyoNar, BrinGard, KinTark, and SevoMar.” They all bowed in return, smiling proudly.

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you,” DiNiya said. “We thank you for giving KaNar some desperately needed fun.”

“Yes, we were sorry to hear of the attack on your people,” KyoNar said as he finished polishing the bowstring of his instrument. “I personally didn’t think there would be anyone in this day and age who would still try to engage in tribal warfare with the unified tribes.”

“He’s right,” agreed BrinGard. “Not even the wild tribes would be so bold.”

“Foolish is the word I would use,” said DoroBak. “Still, there have been rumors of something looming on the horizon.”

“Looming?” repeated EeNox. “What do you mean?”

“Just rumors, really, but there have been enough of them to get people talking.”

“I still don’t follow.”

“Certainly you must have heard,” he said, giving the young man a pressing look. “Tales of something at work far out west near the coast in the ruins of DaiGar.”

“I believe I know what it is you speak of,” offered up ShinGaru. “And yes, such talk has been spreading, but all attempts to seek out the truth to these rumors have resulted in nothing at all.”

“Time out,” Rex said, holding up a hand. “Someone care to explain what any of this means?”

“DaiGar is the largest ruin in the Northern Continent,” ShinGaru explained. “It was abandoned thousands of years ago and stands as a monument to the past. In truth, hardly anyone goes there anymore. Even archeologists like myself have learned all there is to about it and rarely travel there for anything other than personal curiosity.” He turned back to the six musicians. “And you say there have been rumors of activity there now?”

FiNaya nodded. “I wish we could tell you more, but I’m afraid that’s all we know.”

“What exactly does this have to do with what happened in KaNar?” LyCora asked.

The members of The Vanguard looked at one another before DoroBak finally answered. “We were performing in Bloodstone, which I’m sure you know is only fifty kilometers east of DaiGar, when there was a report of a deranged DyVorian wandering outside the gates.”

“Apparently he was suffering some sort of psychosis,” said KinTark. “Or at least that’s what we overheard members of the city guard saying one night at Bloodstone’s tavern. In any case, they said he was acting violent, as if almost possessed by something else.” Rex and the others immediately experienced the same cold chill run down their spines as they recalled the day in the forest when they were attacked by a CeraVora that was behaving much the same way. “Some time later we heard more stories of similar cases taking place at various points between there and here. We were very surprised and heartbroken to learn that an entire clan had been killed.”

Noticing their sudden silence, FiNaya said, “I am sorry if we have spoiled your mood. We should have thought better than to speak of such ill tidings.”

“No, it’s fine,” DiNiya said, quickly throwing back on a smile. “We really appreciate you telling us all of this. I think the more we know about what’s happening the better we can prepare for what may come.”

“I agree. Still, our sole purpose tonight is to bring joy to KaNar.”

“Oh, trust me, you did a fine job of doing that,” EeNox said happily. “In fact, I was hoping you could sign this for me.” He held up what at first looked to be a rolled-up scroll, but he opened it to reveal a poster with an artist’s representation of the band.

“Is that us?” asked DoroBak.

“Wow, this one actually looks like us,” mused BrinGard.

“They always make my neck too long,” DoroBak criticized, giving the poster a scrutinizing look.

“It would be a pleasure and an honor,” FiNaya said, taking the picture from EeNox and bringing it over to a table in the back where she took a quill, dipped it in ink, and signed her name just above her image. Then, passing it on to the other members, they all did the same before handing it back to EeNox, who beamed with delight.

The rest of the evening was spent at the tavern with The Vanguard, who were more than pleased to share stories from the road with the six eager listeners who asked them all manner of questions ranging from what was the most bizarre thing they experienced while touring the continent, to which region had the best food. The Vanguard did their best to answer all such questions while trying to keep pace with their curiosity. At one point, FiNaya noticed EeNox fawning over her from the corner of her eye, and turning in his direction, gave him a wink. EeNox was taken by such surprise that he fell backwards out of his seat, prompting her and the girls to laugh.

As the night stretched on, DiNiya found herself marveling at the tall, beautiful woman that sat across from her. In truth, FiNaya seemed to be everything she wished she could be. She, too, noticed how the boys could do nothing to keep their eyes off her. Not that she blamed them, of course. Still, she could not help but wonder what it would be like to have men and even women look at her the way they did the songstress. So deep was she in thought that she had not noticed FiNaya stand up and move around the table and stop behind her.

“DiNiya,” she said, taking her by surprise. “I was going to grab a bit of air upstairs on one of the balconies. Care to give me some company?” DiNiya stared at her for a moment, as if unsure if she was indeed referring to her. “I would take it as a personal kindness,” she added with a smile.

“Yes, of course,” DiNiya said, standing up.

“We’ll be back,” FiNaya said to the others, who nodded briefly before returning to regaling each other with stories. All except LyCora, who watched the two disappear into the crowd.

After taking longer to get upstairs due to the unusual amount of people lingering both near and on the stairs, they finally reached the tavern’s uppermost balcony, which to their delight was abandoned. FiNaya immediately leaned forward against the edge and allowed the autumn wind to blow through her long fur. “I love that feeling,” she said, closing her eyes. “It reminds me so much of home.”

“You grew up in the north?” DiNiya asked.

The older woman nodded. “A small village called DiaTar, at the base of the ClyVen. DoroBak is from there as well. We have been best friends ever since we were old enough to talk.”

“I see,” said DiNiya, stepping up to the balcony and looking out at all the people in the streets below. “So you two started The Vanguard together?”

“Yes,” FiNaya said with a broad smile. “We were younger than you when we started playing music together. Eleven years old, or around there anyway. He was always fiddling with his father’s RowVow, and I was always being forced by my mother to take singing lessons.”

“Wow, so you were destined to live a life of music.”

“I suppose so, but we would have never guessed back then because he couldn’t play anything that could pass as music, and I hated my lessons,” FiNaya laughed.

DiNiya looked somewhat dumbfounded before eventually succumbing to the laughter that was now overtaking them both. “So…what changed? I mean, you two are just incredible now. You captivate everyone in the audience when you’re on stage. How did you gain such…power?”

“By abandoning such thinking, Red Flame,” she replied in a calm voice, gently brushing a strand of auburn fur out of DiNiya’s face.

“How did you know?” DiNiya asked in a frail voice.

“Though your eyes do not burn with the light of a flame, it is far from hidden.” She stepped closer and placed her hands around the younger girl. “Even now I can feel it, locked away deep inside of you, but there still.”

“Well…that makes one of us,” DiNiya said, looking away. “I can’t feel anything. Not for some time now.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

“It is,” she said, turning back to look up at her with a look of defeated resolution.

“Well, then, we have a very different way of seeing the world, for I could feel that beautiful crimson flame of yours desperately wanting to burn free tonight when you were at the show, when you were…with him.”

“Him?” FiNaya gave her a look that DiNiya knew meant not to play dumb. “All right. You’re right. I did want to feel something back there. I always do when he’s near.”

“Quite understandable,” FiNaya said with an approving smile. “He is rather gorgeous, is he not?”

“No, wait—that’s not what I meant.”

“Broad shoulders, strong jaw, thick arms, the beginnings of a barrel chest, and those beautiful eyes. I could just lose myself staring into them.”

DiNiya could not help but look somewhat surprised. “They don’t scare you?”

“Perish the thought! In fact, if I was a younger woman, you might have some competition.”

“Competition? Wait…you don’t think…”

“Think what? That you have eyes for Rex? It’s fairly obvious.”

DiNiya felt heat rushing to her face as she began to stammer. “No! You must understand Rex is very important to me, but not like that! I mean, that is to say, it’s not that I don’t think he is deserving of being viewed as such, but—”

“Ahh, so you have noticed him like that?”

“Yes, of course, I mean no! I mean…” DiNiya stopped and took a deep breath before continuing. “Rex is my best friend, and that is more than I have had in some time. Right now that is more than I could ever ask for, and I will not pressure him into anything more.”

FiNaya regarded her for a moment before nodding in concession. “I understand. No sense in rushing things. After all, it’s my experience that these sorts of things tend to work themselves out.”

“You still didn’t answer my question,” DiNiya said, meeting FiNaya’s eyes with hers.

“Where I found the power you see me wield on stage? From within, of course. But only when I threw aside such notions as a person’s power coming from an external source.” She placed a hand over DiNiya’s heart. “All the power you will ever need resides in you. It always has, and it always will. Remember that, DiNiya.”