The Boys of Fire and Ash (5 page)

“Digger's an idiot.”

I turned my head and let my eyes drift over to him again. He was dressed different, I hadn't noticed the new colorful hide draped over his shoulders. One of Blaze's.

The excited cheers of a dozen games taking place outside drifted into the A-Frame.

“So why aren't you out celebrating?” I asked. “Sounds like they're playing Screamers out there.”

Cubby said nothing, rocking his legs.

“You love Screamers.”

He still didn't respond. I turned over and smacked him on the forehead. “Why aren't you playing?”

Cubby's lower lip was trembling as he tried to dislodge his caught voice.

“Fiver?” I asked. I could only imagine the hideous things he'd said to Cubby after last night.

Cubby shook his head.

“Wasted?”

Cubby nodded.

I kicked the kid off of me and rolled out of bed, ready to go give Fiver's Little Brother what was coming to him.
Wasted was becoming more vicious every day, and in that moment I had every intention of beating the Fiver out of him.

“No! No!” said Cubby, desperately grabbing my arm and pulling me back onto the cot.

“No what?”

Cubby's big eyes darted out towards the Brothers cooking the Larmy, right at Crow.

I felt sick. I was pathetic, useless, and by now the whole A-Frame must have known it…and so did Cubby.

He let go of my arm and stared at his fidgeting fingers.

My throat had suddenly gone dry. “What'd Wasted tell you?”

Cubby focused on his dirty fingers, deciding how to answer. I watched them too, having lost the courage to look him in the eyes.

“He said…you were a coward—”

A cold wave of shame ran up my left side.

“He said…you would've let Crow die—”

A wave up my right.

“He said you were no Brother. And Av”—Cubby's face was streaming with tears—“Av didn't say anything. Av was right there and he—” He looked at me, desperate to understand. “He didn't stop him. He didn't say anything.”

His big green eyes pleaded with me, begging me to tell him something, anything—that it wasn't true maybe—but I had no words for him. What could Av say? He'd seen me with his own two eyes, standing there, watching Blaze attack Crow. A Brother wouldn't just stand there. A Brother wouldn't watch his Brother get attacked. A real Brother took care of his Brothers. So what did that make me? Wasted was right.

I lay back down, facing the wooden wall of the A-Frame. “Just go play Screamers, Cub.”

He didn't. He stayed on my cot, sniffling. Miserable in our shame, the two of us sat together, unable to face the Brothers, all because I was a coward.

I could hear him laughing—Crow—while he instructed his Little Brother, who was having trouble stripping herbs. I squeezed my eyes tight and there he was, gasping for air while Blaze held him tight around the neck. Blaze. My nostrils flared at the thought of him. The delicious smells that filled the A-Frame and the squeals and laughter outside were all for him. His scar marked him as a Brother, but it was him who tried to kill Crow. Didn't anyone care about that?

End to the Beginning
. Those were his words while he slept. How many other lives had he tried to put an end to?

A loud bang suddenly tore through the quiet. I shot up and waited, silently listening. Cubby was frozen beside me, the Brothers roasting the Larmy still as stone. The cheering outside had stopped, everything was at a halt. The sound had been deafening, like the Fire Mountains when they got angry.

But this sound was different—quick and sharp.

Silence.

I got to my feet and headed to the door of the A-Frame.

Outside, everything was still. I looked to the Fire Mountains. The peaks smoldered, spewing smoke and ash just as they always did. No fire, no lava—just the soft rumble they always made.

The familiar call of the deformed creatures from yesterday rang out. They still hadn't left. I could see them at the top of the East Wall, still pacing, watching, waiting. But the noise hadn't come from them.

All the Brothers were frozen in groups—wrestling matches had stopped mid-tackle, races mid-sprint—everyone was staring in the same direction. My eyes followed theirs to Blaze; he was standing beside Digger and holding what looked like a piece of junk from the Landfill.

“Sorry!” Blaze laughed. “It's all right, boys! Go about your business.”

There was a quiet murmuring as the Brothers tried to continue with the “celebration.”

“Urgle?” Cubby was behind me. “What was that?”

I saw Av in the crowd just in front of Blaze. His Little Brother, Goobs, was bouncing around beside him.

“Av!” I called, running out to meet him. “What happened?”

“Ah, uh—I don't really…” He was struggling to keep from looking at me, refusing to meet my eyes, rubbing his chin on his shoulder like he had an itch he was too lazy to use his hand on. I felt my cheeks getting hot. He was embarrassed by me. “Hi, Cub,” he said, smiling. Cubby appeared beside me, panting and wheezing from his struggle to keep up.

“Hey, Cubby!” said Goobs, throwing his arms around him in a hug. Goobs had always been overly affectionate, but he was a fast runner and a good friend to my Little Brother. “Did you see what Blaze did?”

“What did he do?” I asked.

“He had this thing!” said Goobs, explaining with dramatic gestures. “And he showed it to Digger. And Digger, Digger was all, ‘How does it work?' And, and Blaze, he goes, ‘Oh here, I'll show you.' So then, he took it, the thing, that thing he has in his hand, and pointed it towards the East Wall, at those ugly creature things. Then there was this loud
BAM! KABLOW!
And everyone turned around and was all, ‘Whooooaaa! What was that?' And Blaze called it a pissle.”

“Pistol,” corrected Av.

“Pistol,” Cubby giggled, trying out the word.

I looked to the East Wall and was surprised to realize there were only two creatures pacing now, not three. “Pistol,” I repeated.

“Come on, Cubby, they're starting up another round of Screamers!” Goobs wrapped his arm around Cubby's shoulders, ready to run off. Cubby looked to me, then Av, and I could see he didn't want to leave me alone.

I shrugged. “You love Screamers.”

That was enough for Goobs, who dragged Cubby away by the arm, leaving me alone with Av.

Av looked at me a second, then cleared his throat awkwardly.

“What?” I said.

“Huh? Nothing.” He shook his head and then walked away from me.

“Hey! Av!” I followed him. “You're not talking to me now?”

“Urgle!” I heard someone bark. All of a sudden a fist slammed into my left cheek and I went down, pain ringing through my head. Fiver was standing over me. “That's for being a waste of space.”

With my nose in the dirt, I could still see Av. He was watching me with that same face Cubby had, his eyes pleading with me to do something.

Fiver kicked me in the side. “Quit looking at Av. He's not helping this time.”

Another kick pelted my side, the wind completely knocked out of me. “That's for Crow.”

Beyond Av, I saw Cubby and Goobs, stopped mid-game, watching the beating with terror on their faces.

“Fiver!” Digger's voice yelled from somewhere.

Another kick. I curled up, trying to block the blows.

Cubby let out a scream.

“This is for your scroungee, you coward,” he said, pummeling me with his heavy fists. I didn't fight back. I'd earned this.

The pounding stopped as Fiver was thrown to the ground beside me.

“Knock it off, big guy,” said a deep, raspy voice.

I looked up to see the broad form of Blaze, his jaw locked, brow furrowed. “Come on, get up.”

I refused his outstretched hand, opting instead to push myself up and stand on my own. Cubby rushed to my side, doing his best to help me to my feet. I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and stretched my aching shoulders.

“All right there, kid?” Blaze asked.

I ignored him, shrugged Cubby off me, and looked around at the crowd of onlookers.

“Beat it!” shouted Blaze. The little ones jumped and ran, some started to cry, as the older Brothers calmly scattered to find a game or wrestling match to take part in.

I spun to face him. He had a demented grin on his face, deep red scabs crisscrossing his fleshy lips, his thin nose. This guy and his nightmare was the reason Fiver hit me in the first place, and his sudden attempt at being helpful felt like nothing but a slap in the face. “You know what?” I told him. “I don't need your help, all right?”

He shrugged. “All right.”

“Sorry, Blaze,” said Digger, pushing Fiver down as he
tried to get up. “These two are always causing problems. You sure know how to ruin a good day, Urgle.”

“Go jump in a Hotpot, you Mother seeker!” I yelled.

“Whoa! Whoa!” laughed Blaze. “Let's just keep the tempers in check here. Urgle, I apologize for interfering with your business,” he said, bowing with a smirk. Then he turned to leave.

“You make a formal apology like that to Crow?” I said.

Blaze stopped and turned back to me, unfazed. He brushed his hair out of his eyes. “I did, actually. Look, Urgle…” He looked to Fiver, still on the ground.

“Fiver,” offered Digger.

“Fiver,” said Blaze, nodding. “And, uh…” He pointed to Av, who was looking the most uncomfortable I'd ever seen him. “Av, right? Look, I know I gave you guys a scare last night. I didn't know what I was doing, and I'm sorry for that.”

Fiver and Av nodded, while I glared at him, the metallic taste of my own blood irritating my tongue.

“What's that?” Cubby was pointing at the man's belt, the green stone trinket dangling from it.

Blaze laughed. “That? Nothing. Just my old flint box.”

He scratched his neck and turned back to the races beginning behind him, but Cubby had his arm still outstretched, his eyes fixated on the box the same way they fixed on my daggers.

“I like it,” he said. “Can I touch it?”

Blaze whipped round, his confident smirk gone, replaced by something else. Surprise, maybe. As quickly as I noticed it, the look was gone and the smirk was back.

“Why not,” he said, untying it and gently placing it in Cubby's hand.

Cubby turned it over in his palm, his fingers tracing every edge as though he'd never felt anything so smooth. You'd think he'd been given a flint box that had belonged to Rawley himself, the way he gawked.

“How does it open?” he breathed.

The surprise was back on Blaze's face, and this time it stayed there, mixing with a furrowed brow that said Blaze had lost his patience.

“It's broken,” he said quickly. “Here, I'll take it back.”

He snatched the box from Cubby and began to fasten it onto his belt again, a tremor suddenly overtaking his fingers. He fumbled clumsily, dropping the green box into the ash. He bent down to retrieve it with a frantic flourish and composed himself long enough to secure it at his waist.

A cry rang out and I looked to the waiting creatures.

Old flint box, my foot.

“What do you plan to do about your friends?” I spat, pointing to the East Wall.

“Just stop it, Urgle,” Digger warned.

“Ah, the Tunrar,” said Blaze as the creatures released another hideous cry. He fiddled with the pistol thing at his hip and gave his neck a scratch. “Didn't realize how low I was on ammo. Must've wasted all my shots when they were chasing me. Managed to nail one at least.”

I had no idea what he was talking about. “Ammo?”

“Anyway, don't worry,” he said, ignoring my question. “Tunrar Goblins get bored easily. They'll leave today, maybe tomorrow.”

“With you?” I hissed.

“Cryin' out loud, Urgle!”

Blaze smiled. “Nah, not with me.” He moved his shirt to reveal his gnarled shoulder, forcing a gasp from Cubby. My
nose wrinkled at the sight. “I like to travel without getting chewed on, know what I mean?”

The angry wound bruised blue and black with crusted blood forced me to look away.

Blaze nodded and left us, Digger following him like a scroungee idiot.

By evening the Larmy was ready. No one had eaten a thing, knowing full well they'd be stuffed on roast Larmy and fenig root after the feast. I had been looking forward to Digger's Leaving Day Ceremony for weeks, not just because I'd finally be rid of the bossy lank, but because Larmy meat was my favorite. I should have been happy to eat it earlier than expected even if I was stuck with Digger a while longer, but my body was still aching where Fiver had kicked me and my stomach was barely keeping down my own spit, so I figured dead animal was out.

Word of my worthlessness had got round to all the Brothers, and they made no secret of talking about me behind my back. Av still wasn't saying much. I spent most of the day on my cot, sleeping. I hadn't even seen Cubby, who was playing somewhere with Goobs.

Digger jumped up onto the Platform as Brothers grabbed their bowls, ready to devour the sizzling Larmy.

“I'm talking!” he called out. “Everyone! Over here! I hope you're all hungry! Mud, Gazer, and Carver have prepared a feast!”

I pulled my blankets over my head. Digger had gone into his “leader” act and I wanted to block out the sound of his arrogant voice.

“As you all know, this Larmy pig was being saved for my Leaving Day Ceremony.”

Here it comes
.

“But I feel that today is too special to go unrecognized. A Brother has returned. This is truly an important day, and so, Blaze, I offer my Leaving Day feast up, in celebration of your return.”

I groaned at the sound of cheers and applause.

“Also!” continued Digger.

Oh, Mothers, there's more
.