Page 21 of Crown of Flame
I nod.
“Yes, they’re windows. And you’ve even made a door, which is great.”
I push forward through the snow, approaching the makeshift hut and standing underneath the doorway. I place my hands on my hips, observing the dark stony interior. “I don’t know if it’ll be warm enough for the both of us, though.”
“How can I improve it then?”
“Thicker walls, maybe. The wind can knock it over if it’s not strong enough. And maybe a strong stone ceiling?”
Cinis follows my advice. Yet again, stone emerges from deep beneath the snow and he starts creating another layer around the hut. I keep my distance, watching with awe as Cinis heaves such heavy materials around with his mind.
After a while, he ducks into the hut and starts focusing on the ceiling. I grimace, already imagining how awful it would be if this small building caved in on us while we rested. Without a doubt, I would die easily. I can’t survive a boulder to the head.
Cinis strikes the stone walls with his fiery arm, which makes me flinch. That’s when I realize that he’s only checking the foundation for strength.
“I believe it’s strong now,” he says from inside the dwelling.
My hands are still shivering as I make my way forward once more. “Are you sure we’ll be safe in here?”
“Why wouldn’t we be?” he replies simply. “I don’t understand why you humans need little creations like this to feel safe, anyway.”
“It keeps us warm, for one. And if anything decides to attack us, we have a barrier between us and them.”
“A creature who wants to attack us will not live to see tomorrow,” Cinis says.
That terrifies and excites me all at once.
There’s so much I still have to learn about him.
“Come here. Tell me what you think,” he says, beckoning me farther inside of the dwelling.
With cautious small steps, I make my way deeper inside to stand beside Cinis. I take in the surroundings as best as I can, hindered by the darkness. Still, I can see that it’s quite spacious in here for the two of us.
Despite the snow that still crunches beneath my feet, I’m starting to feel a bit warmer just by approaching Cinis. He’s like my own personal oven, only without the need for a flame.
“Do you like it?” he asks.
“I do. Are you sure there’s enough space in here for the two of us?”
He studies me unflinchingly.
“You seem to have a lot of demands.”
That makes my skin flush yet again. I don’t mean to boss him around. I’m only trying to ensure our survival.
But I’m sure he would’ve already gotten rid of me if I were truly annoying him.
“Fine,” he eventually says. “But first, you must get warmer. It’s fascinating you need heat. Where I live, heat is everywhere.”
Within seconds, he extends a small flame and presents it to me. I reach out for it, careful not to get too close. Immediately, the warmth envelops me. For a brief moment, it makes me feel that everything is okay.
The thoughts that torment my mind still – of my friends dying around me one-by-one, and watching them melt away horrifically… of losing Aldor, and the life leaving his face… and of the tortured monsters who were once humans but became something corrupted - have almost faded into the back of my mind.
But as soon as I’m able to, I still need to return. The work is unfinished. There are other towers, with people who need my help.
It doesn’t matter if I die trying.
“Are you feeling better?” Cinis asks.