Page 48 of Crown of Flame

I try to project my voice into their minds. But either they’re indifferent to my words, or they somehow don’t hear me.

“I’m asking you a question!”

Their smug smiles as they look at me send me into a rage.

Tendrils extend out from my body towards the attackers. I throw all of my energy and strength into this attack, wanting to tear each of these creatures apart for threatening the sanctity and peace of my makeshift home with Serena. Wanting to sear the flesh from their bodies.

Luckily enough, I have enough fire to melt through their bodies completely.

Whatever they’re doing here, and however they’ve manipulated Serena, I’ll make them pay for all of it.

Jets of fire project from me in waves, enveloping the entire area save for the hovel.

The melting snow heats up, becoming a vapor, and the grass catches fire, creating a layer of smoke.

When the smoke clears, they are completely unharmed.

I lift my arm again, sending fire at one of the men, whose smile is especially malicious.

But my flames bounce off of his armor as if they’re a passing breeze, stretching toward the blue metal and then flinging off in opposing directions.

“You’re not a threat to us anymore,” one of the men says. “Leave this place. We have no more business with you.”

This disgusts me.

“Get the girl,” he adds. “Aldris wants to question her personally.”

The white-hot heat within my soul burns furiously, unable to conceal my fury for the creatures who have ruined everything.

I throw more flames at them, trying everything I can to stop them. But as Serena emerges from the hovel, a light blue magical energy surrounding her, she struggles against her captor, and I realize that I misread the situation.

“Cinis,” she cries out, squirming in the large dark elf’s arms. “Be careful, Cinis! They have my amulet! It’s–”

A bright green energy snakes from one of their fingers, swirling itself around her mouth. Her screams are effectively muffled.

“What are we going to do with him?” one asks. “Isn’t he going to pose a problem?”

“Don’t worry about that. We’ve nullified the threat.”

That’s when one of the men in the back readies a magical surge.

I want to lift him into the air, as I see him aiming for the hovel.

But my magic doesn’t connect. Whatever that armor is, it nullifies everything I can do to them.

A burst of magical energy emits from the dark elf, as the others watch with glee.

With a thunderous impact, the walls of the hovel are sent crashing down, all of our belongings surely crushed inside upon collision.

I watch in horror. I could always build it back, but it will never be the same.

I can’t very easily touch Serena, or I’m going to burn her. And the magical energy surrounding her makes her immune to my magic too.

“Nothing is working,” I say to myself, feeling an overwhelming urge to destroy everything in my path. They have taken everything away from me. “Why is nothing working?”

“Oh, good idea,” one of the dark elves says, admiring the collapsed hovel. “Really puts a nice bow on it.”

The laughter grows louder. My fury burns deeper.