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Chapter 23: Branded by Fire

The flames that were roaring around him were unlike anything Keahi had ever experienced before. They were hot, painfully so. Nootau Chatan was trying to push them back by using Keahi’s own inner flames, but something was wrong. He had never felt anything so…dark and heavy before.

The fires were like they had a will of their own. As if someone was allowing them to cause havoc.

“Help! Help me, please!”

Lifting his arm in an attempt to shield himself from the smoke and flames, Keahi pushed himself toward the sound of the frightened voice, the young child crying hysterically. Which was good, it meant that Keahi could follow his or her voice, leading him straight to them.

Wincing when a roof beam suddenly collapsed to the side of him, Keahi peered through the flames, the smoke making his eyes water. Then, he saw the child, huddled in the corner of the hut, the only part that wasn’t on fire, curled into a foetal position as the flames edged closer and closer. He could see that the child was that of a young girl and her skin was already starting to become red.

There wasn’t any time left.

“Help me!” The child sobbed, her hands covering her head.

“I’m here!” Keahi called back, causing the child to snap her head up and look directly at him when heartbreaking fear on her face, her blue eyes wide and bloodshot as tears dampened her cheeks.

Keahi had to get to her now.

“Take my hand!” Keahi said as he finally drew close enough to touch her, the littler girl immediately scrambling into his arms. Keahi held her against his chest as she clung to him, using his robes to shield her the best he could from the flames. “You’ll be ok, I promise.”

He had to save this child. Every life was important. No matter who you were or what you did, your life was important to someone.

“Keahi!”

That was Masou’s voice. He must be trying to get to him as well.

“Masou!” Keahi called back, but found himself coughing. He suddenly felt weak, the fires burning around him so strong, so intense…so dangerous. What was happening?

You must get away! The alarm in Nootau Chatan’s voice was truly intense. These flames are not of the holy realm!

What did that mean?

“Greater Incantation of Flame - Divine Fire!”

There was that voice again, the one from before when he battled Flamenca. It sounded so familiar, but he didn’t recognize it. But it was...comforting. It made him feel as if everything was going to be alright.

“Hold on, Beautiful.”

Masou…?

Keahi felt a pair of arms encircle him and the child he was protecting. Then, everything went dark when he pressed himself into a familiar and comforting chest. Everything was going to be alright now. They were safe.

----------

The village was destroyed. There was nothing left but piles of smouldering ashes where the grass huts once stood. Help had arrived shortly after Keahi and Masou had entered the village, but it was too late. Lives where taken, eleven people killed by the wild flames to be exact.

Mostly the elderly, although three children had been killed also. Many more injured and burnt, mothers suffering the most in effort to find and protect the children. The men of the village had been away harvesting the oysters, only to return hours later, finding their village in ruin.

Keahi had found himself in a make-shift triage situated in an open field near the village, a healer attending to him. He had a moistened clothe pressed against his forehead and a healing salve on his hand. He was confused at first, but soon remembered what happened and was up on his feet; giving his bed to an injured villager for the elderly man needed it more than he.

He then went back into the village, his heart tightening in pain when all he could see were ruins. Brendis and his fellow guards were trying to maintain order while searching the ruins and debris for any possible survivors, but all they could find were the burnt bodies of the victims. Still, Brendis dug them out, carrying them to an area that was taped of, carefully placing the bodies on the ground before Bharath and a few other Fire Priests. Who, then, set about wrapping the bodies in blankets and sheets, whispering silent prayers for their lost souls, giving them a piece of respect and dignity they deserved.

Masou were there, too. He was helping the villagers, giving them guidance and comfort, telling them it was alright to grieve.

As Keahi stood in the middle of the once vibrant village, he was overcome with sadness and lost. How could such a thing happen? These villagers, they had done nothing wrong. They were good people, doing the best they could, living simple lives.

Keahi wasn’t aware that he was crying until he felt Masou wrap his arms around him and he let out a sob into his chest. Words of regret and remorse slipped from his lips as he clutched onto Masou’s clothing, finding only a small bit of comfort in his arms.

“It wasn’t fair,” he cried. “They didn’t deserve to die.”

“They are no longer in pain,” Masou had whispered to him as he held him tight. “They are in the presence of the Fire God. He will take good care of them.”

Keahi found a piece of comfort with that, taking a moment longer to relish in the warmth of Masou’s arms before he pushed away in order to fulfil his duty as a Fire Priest. He will help Bharath in the preparation of the Cleansing Ritual. It was the least that he could do now.

He wasn’t able to help for very long, though. The council immediately called a meeting within the Palace, one that Keahi was commanded to attend. Keahi didn’t want to go, he didn’t want to leave his people when they needed him the most, didn’t want to leave until he knew the child that he saved was alright.

But he went, after Masou, Bharath and Brendis reassured him that they’ll take care of the villagers for him. As the Peace-Keeper, it was his duty to ensure the Fire Council doesn’t do anything stupid.

The presence of a member from the Council would only make things worse, most likely, so Keahi had to make sure that only those from the Fire Temple were to get involved. Not that anyone from the Fire Palace would get their hands dirty with such trivial things.

Early on in the meeting, after retelling that Keahi had witnessed and done, Flamenca demanded that he present his injury to the council; show them what had happened to it. Keahi was startled by her order, wondering why she would be interested in his hand. It didn’t hurt at the time and he paid little attention to it. But as he unwound the bindings, he felt a sense of trepidation.

There, on the back of his hand was a marking. He wouldn’t say burn, exactly, as the skin was not peeling or blistering, but there was a mark, dark red in colour and seemed to take on the form of a curling flame. It started on the back of his hand and ended on his wrist. It was quite unusual and exotic, if Keahi was to be truthful. He almost couldn’t believe that it was on his hand.

Punishment, Flamenca insisted. He had been marked by the Fire God as a warning not to question her ever again. Their Fire God was angry at him, so angry that he killed these villagers to appease his anger. And to get back at him.

But…that couldn’t be true. Their Fire God wasn’t like that. He wouldn’t kill innocent lives to make a point, surely. He wasn’t petty. No, he wouldn’t. He couldn’t do such a thing. Not his Fire God.

Some members of the Fire Council agreed with Flamence, while others argued that he had not been burnt in the medical sense. He had been marked, but not injured. It was a sign of bravery, a sign that he risked his life to save another. A true sign of a Fire Priest.

Turmoil within the Council Chamber followed when one member, Keahi didn’t know who, suggested that, perhaps, the Fire God was angry at Flamenca as she seemed to be sporting a rather suspicious injury as well. Flamenca, of course, denied such a thing and made a big show about promising retribution against the one who dared to say such a thing.

Keahi didn’t pay much attention after that and a short while afterwards, he excused himself, saying that he wasn’t feeling well. And he wasn’t. His heart was bleeding for those who had been killed from the flames and those who had been left behind to pick up the pieces.

Returning to the Fire Temple, Keahi could feel the heaviness in the air. A time of mourning had fallen over the island. The village had been cleared around about lunchtime and the rest of the afternoon was spent honouring those who had died.

However, there was also sense of fear in the air. The people of this island couldn’t help but wonder; was their Fire God angry at them?

Keahi couldn’t help but wonder that himself. Was it his fault that this happened? Was it because he was being selfish? Or was it really because of Flamenca?

He didn’t know what to think.

Keahi was slightly startled when he felt a pair of arms encircled his waist from behind, he being pulled back into a taut chest. He soon calmed down, though, when he realised that Masou was the one holding him and he found comfort in that.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” Masou asked him as he pressed a soft kiss to his temple. “You’ve had a rough couple of days, huh?”

That was putting it lightly.

“I’m ok,” Keahi replied as he rested his hands on top of Masou’s that were pressed against his stomach. Physically he was ok, but emotionally, he was saddened by what had happened.

“What could the council possibly want with you?” Masou asked with a sense of annoyance in his voice, directly entirely at the council for calling him away a few hours after such a tragedy and expect him to give a comprehensible report. “You’re still healing.”

Keahi held a sense of anger toward them for that reason as well. They could have at least waited until tomorrow to hold a meeting.

“They wished to discuss what happened,” Keahi answered. “I could only tell them so much. They also wanted to see this.” He indicated to his hand that was roughly bandaged.

“You’re injury?” Masou questioned, and although Keahi couldn’t exactly see, he was certain that he was frowning. “Why?”

Keahi lifted his hands from Masou’s and slowly undid the bindings. “The fire appeared to have burnt me,” he explained as he showed Masou the marking. “It’s usually indicated that the Fire God isn’t pleased.”

Masou tensed subtly, his grip around Keahi tightening a fraction. “Do they believe that the Fire God is responsible for what happened here today?” There was a mild tinge of disbelief and anger in his voice.

Keahi sighed and nodded his head wearily, lowering his hands to grip Masou’s tightly again. “Some do.”

“What else happened?” Masou prodded gently, knowing that was more that was bothering him.

“Flamenca insists that it is a sign that the Fire God is angry with me personally,” Keahi said as he pressed himself back again Masou, allowing the man to wrap him up in his arms. “And Elder Adar believes that it is a form of punishment for my defiance.”

“Oh please,” Masou out right snorted. “If the Fire God was angry with you, do you think you would have gotten out alive?” he reasoned. “And a form of punishment? Pah, I doubt that’s the case or you would have gotten a lot more than a cool looking tattoo on the back of your hand.”

That made a lot of sense, actually.

“...Yes, I guess that is true.”

“Miss Spawn of Hell is simply jealous of you, tis all,” Masou muttered as he rested his chin on top of Keahi’s head.

Keahi felt a smile tug at his lips. “Miss Spawn of Hell?” And he felt Masou grin as well.

“Suits her, right?”

Even though he probably shouldn’t, Keahi had to have a chuckle. Masou always had the right thing to say to cheer him up. “What am I going to do with you?”

Masou said nothing in reply to that as he lifted his chin from his head so that he could kiss him on the temple again, Keahi closing his eyes briefly at the touch.

“So, does it hurt?” Masou suddenly asked him, his hand touching the one that was marked.

“No,” Keahi said as he lifted his hand to get another look at it, tilting his head to the side slightly in thought. “And I don’t remember feeling any pain either.”

“So, there you are, it’s not punishment,” Masou stated in triumphant. “What would those council members know, anyway? They were in the Fire Palace, as far away from the actual scene as possible. They weren’t there, so what right do they have to say anything?”

Again, that made sense as well.

“…I wonder if that child is alright,” Keahi couldn’t help but wonder.

“The one you saved?” Masou piped up. “I think I heard one of the healers tell Bharath that the kid doesn’t have a scratch on her.”

Keahi perked up at that, turning around in Masou’s arms to look into his eyes. “Really?”

Masou gave him a lopsided grin. “Would I lie to you?”

“No, you wouldn’t,” Keahi replied immediately, relief washing over him as he laid his cheek on Masou’s chest, taking a moment to listen to his heartbeat.

“Bharath’s about to perform a cleansing ritual,” Masou said after a moment. “We should give him our support.”

Keahi nodded.

The sun was about to set. The dusk was the best time to perform the ritual, to ensure that the lost souls could find their way to the eternal flames. It was rarely performed these days, as there hadn’t been such a traumatic event for years now.

But if there was anyone on this island loving and sincere enough to send these souls to the light, it was Bharath.

“Let’s go.”

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