The Soul Hearth

Arsec opened his eyes to find himself on a vast steppe. The cold winds of the sunset blew on his hair and the sound of the creek before him soothed his soul. The sudden drain of energy and strength he had felt was gone, no longer sucking him dry, but he still felt too weak to stand. He remained seated by the creek, watching it pass. 

"I'm... I'm back?" he said, looking around to see if he would spot his beloved giant sheep once more, especially Malimali. He expected the small butthead the lamb gave him any time now...

However, he immediately realized that it would happen. Images of Malimali's new form flooded back as well as the memories of him and his companions at the caverns below Makeb.

"I want to wake up," he said, "This is not real."

"Oh, but it is real," a voice said.

Arsec looked up and saw the winds come together to create a powerful whirlwind. Its pull was so great some grass leaves and pebbles detached from the ground and were sucked in. Somehow, the friction between leaf and rock sparked an ember, and from it, a red fire set ablaze above Arsec's head.

The boy dragged himself away in surprise, "Woah! What? Wait... It's you! It's you! It... Do you want to kill me or what? Don't do that?"

Arsec heard a chuckle coming from the fire.

"Am I really that terrifying?" the flames said, diminishing their intensity until the hot flame turned into a small ember, "How many times have you been in contact with my flames... and how many times have you been hurt by them?"

"Still, we can work with the theatrics a bit so that they're not as scary, I'm still human after all."

"Do not be afraid, my child, although I do apologize if I brought you here at this time, but I needed to force myself into your soul like this to talk to you—to save you."

Arsec's eyes locked on the flame, "Save me?"

"You have spent so much of the Red flames I instilled on you... to fight Voidmaw, to bless Malimali, to recover from the stab the gemstone spellsword gave you..."

"Wait, you told me to get stabbed," Arsec complained.

"Because you would've spent a great deal of power in trying to defeat a seasoned warrior such as Samina. You don't know my sisters' spellswords are truly formidable opponents, singled out from the elitist genie warrior orders to be the best of the best. As you are now, you would have definitely shown your worth and defeated her, but you would've died in the process."

Arsec blinked, looking back at the creek, "I spent my power? Is this why each time I use it I feel weaker?"

"A fire will eventually die out when it consumes its fuel," the Red Blaze said, "It was bound to happen, only I did not expect your journey to Au-terali to be so full of danger and strong opponents. This dark entity, Cycloth, has invested far more of his power in the Khanate than I would've expected, and your encounter with Samina was something unexpected. I could heal your wounds, but I was not expecting you to give it all to that Wilderkin mother."

"You mean I've been reckless," Arsec said, hugging his knees.

The flame hovered on his knees so that the boy would look at it, "I think the word for you is... giving. You have demonstrated that you are willing to spend your life for people you just met, no matter their past or how they treat you. It didn't matter that you were a slave to the goblins, you are currently fighting for them in their time of need, and no matter how much the Wilderkin despise you due to my presence in you, you keep helping them."

"So it's because of you," Arsec said, "Is what Samina and Ronai say true about the Verdant Fang, did the Twin Sisters and the Living Waters flood the earth to stop the Wilderkin?"

"Not only them but the Purple Gemstone and others, including me. That part of our history is... tragic—many lives were lost in those times, and many today suffer the consequences... but that didn't stop you."

Arsec looked at the flame as he felt it touching his knees tenderly.

"You have increasingly surprised me and justified my decision, but now you must tread with care."

Arsec considered the Red Blaze's words and nodded gently, "So... where am I? You said this is my 'soulscape'?"

"Indeed, this is the best representation of your soul if it had a world of its own."

"It's calm."

"Maybe so, but it represents everything you know and experienced so far, my power lets you see your inner self."

"Then, I guess it's kind of plain."

"Quite so, yes."

"Ouch."

"But there's beauty in raw potential."

"It's empty."

"Not at all, despite your monotone life and routines as a slave, you found comfort in the creek, and the people around you, and you found restraint and happiness in these little moments despite your harsh duties." 

Arsec grimaced, "I don't see any people, not even the sheep are here."

The flame remained silent for a while, as if inspecting Arsec, "Here... stand."

The boy felt a surge of new energy, and the cold weakness disappeared. He stood, dusted his clothes and cape, and followed the flame as it floated to the other side of the creek. 

That's when he saw it, a stairway of stone led up the hill in front, where a circular hearth rested by the creek. The vision manifested so seamlessly that Arsec was confused as to why he had not noticed it before.

"How?" he uttered.

"All things reveal themselves in good time," the flame giggled as it floated uphill.

Arsec smiled as he followed, "You like surprising people, don't you."

"The best way to get genuine expressions, especially from people that don't overtly express them, like you."

"Yeah well, when you're a slave to people that dislike your lack of fangs or hit you to the ground because you spoke up, or make you arrive late to tend to the flock, or make you help them in mischief and getting yourself in trouble because you were just following orders—"

"...You don't want to express yourself too much..." the Red Blaze interrupted.

Arsec seemingly snapped back from his rant, as if he had lost control for a moment, "Sorry, I guess... I guess that frustrates me."

"And now a strange fire being is telling you to get stabbed and fight monsters..."

 "Hey, who's not gonna like that!" Arsec raised his hands as they reached the Hearth.

"Except you feel ordered into it."

"Yeah, well, it's your power... so I guess I can't go around wasting it, that's the whole point of this talk, right?"

"Wrong," the flame said, "you see the fire in that hearth?"

"Yes."

"That fire is yours, this power you speak of is yours, not mine. What I want to stop you from doing is depleting what is yours."

Arsec stared at the fire, then at his hands, "This power is mine?"

"Yes."

"Mine mine?"

"Yours yours."

"How?"

"I told you, I gave you my blessing. It is not permission to use my power—it is a gift. Just like a flame can split in two, three, or four... you would need to fuel them separately. When has the fire in a chimney ever needed fire from a volcano? Is it not one's commitment to rekindle flames or let them die out?"

Arsec looked at the Hearth once again while the Red Blaze spoke.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" he asked, "Are you not inside of me?"

"Indeed I am, my boy, for when are two flames separated when put together? Will they not join and form a bigger flame?"

"But then... you should speak to me more often, that way we could've prevented this whole issue."

"My child, I am not possessing your body or mind, my will shall never dominate yours. I am only able to talk to you in times of great need, or..."

"Or...?"

"Or if you come here every day and find silence and peace."

"You mean I haven't had a peaceful time since we met?"

"Only times of need, yes, at this point, you seem to manifest them out of sheer will."

Arsec disregarded that last comment with a smirk and did a quick recapitulation of all the events and his eyes opened wide at the realization as he looked at the flame amazed.

The Red Blaze giggled.

"So what do I need to do to replenish my power?" Arsec said.

"Ready to receive orders I see..."

"Come on!"

"Heh, step into the Hearth."

"Excuse me?"

"Step into it... come on."

Arsec hesitated, "But it looks very ho—" 

The flame flew right past him, through his face, stayed there for a few moments, and flew out. Arsec hit his face repeatedly to put off the fire out of pure reflex, ending up with a sore face when it was all over.

The Red Blaze was now laughing.

"Really now?" Arsec hissed.

"That's my line," the ember said, "I don't know if it's lack of faith in me or yourself, but it should be common sense for you now that my flames, or any flames for that matter, can't harm you. I mean, we just went through this at the creek, my boy."

"All right, all right... sorry!" 

Arsec sighed and refocused on the hearth, as he jumped on its stone platform. The flame didn't seem to draw its heat from any source but the plain stone surface. There was no coal, no wood, nothing to keep it alive.

As soon as he stepped into the fire, the heat engulfed him, and the linings in the stone began to gradually gleam red, starting from the fire point and down to the grass. A red flame appeared as a floating crest on Arsec's forehead.

"How does it feel?" the Red Blaze asked.

"Revigorating," Arsec said, "I feel my focus clearing, and the pain is going down too... I feel strong again."

"You are not there yet, allow yourself to absorb the flames in the hearth every day, and you will never fall short of power."

"But if I absorb the fire in the hearth once, how will I replenish?"  

"Excellent question."

"By eating?"

"Praying."

"Praying? But didn't you say you could not speak to me unless I was in total peace?"

"Think of me in the mornings, at dawn, while you feel the sun hit you with its first warmth, and at sunset when the last of the red light is fading away. Then, at night, you will see the hearth replenished."

"Why? I mean... how?"

"Because every time you think of me and speak of me, it shall be a gateway for my essence to resonate in your soul, and thus this hearth."

"So simple..."

"And that's why it's so easy to forget."

Arsec remained silent for a while as he enjoyed the heat that kept him from the steppe's cold, but then his eyes opened once more, worried.

"So what will happen with the badger, I mean, the Wilderkin mother?"

"Yes, you need to take responsibility for what's next. You can't go around blessing animals left and right."

"But she's a Wilderkin, will she change like Malimali?"

"Her kind were animals before they were changed into Wilderkin by the Verdant Fang, so their soul and body's reaction to the Blessing is different than goblins, ogres, or humans."

"I see."

Arsec looked down before another topic popped into his mind.

"So, Au-terali, beautiful place, heh?"

The Red Blaze giggled, "Wait until you see it, a true wonder."

"Oh, believe me, those dreams you gave me are quite the vision."

The flames in the Hearth died down, and Arsec stood completely replenished, but the flame hurriedly floated in front of him.

"What dreams?" The Red Blaze asked, impatiently.

"You know, the dreams about the library, Samina...?"

"Library?"

Arsec looked at him, confused, "That wasn't you?"

"As I said, I can't dabble with your mind, even less give you dreams, unless you are in great times of need or great peace..."

"But when I dreamt about the library I was at peace."

"And you said you saw the genie?"

"She confirmed it when we met. Does the Purple Gemstone give dreams?"

"My siblings and I do not meddle with each others' followers. It's an imprint of sorts, a mark."

Arsec froze, "The Verdant Fang?"

"He can't, we cannot overpower each other's influence over a mortal."

"But Narwa?"

"It's different, she wanted to be free..."

"Then who?"

The Red Blaze remained silent for a moment.

"Tell me more about this Samina," he asked, "why did she attack you at the Archive?"

"She said it was a test, a trial of sorts to see if I was worthy for her."

"A trial?"

"Yeah, she seemed so conflicted about it, it was bizarre."

There was a brief silence on behalf of the Red Blaze.

"My sister does not demand trial. I am aware of the fact that Amethyst Spellswords pledge allegiance to their lieges because the Great Gem already determined them to be worthy candidates, and not because there are potential candidates."

Arsec remembered then how Samina had softened her grip on the spear when he spoke her down, only to reassert it and go for the kill.

"She wasn't herself—well I hardly know her, but she acted weird."

The boy's eyes lit up, concerned. His mind now reminded him of what had happened before he revived the Wildekin mother, how she was deeply affected by seeing the black goo unlike anybody else.

The Red Blaze seemed to read into his facial expressions, as he got closer and said, "You need to wake up, my boy, now."