The Third Flame

Lian barely had time to finish chewing his bread when the tavern door slammed open with enough force to make half the room jump. A chair tipped. A dog barked. Mira’s spoon froze halfway to her mouth.

A girl marched in like she owned the place.

No—strutted in.

She had flame-red hair pulled into a wild side ponytail, goggles resting above her forehead, and a heavy leather jacket with one sleeve torn clean off. Her boots were muddy. Her expression screamed chaotic confidence. Everyone’s eyes went to her.

Hers landed directly on Lian and Mira.

“You two!” she shouted, pointing with both hands like a bounty hunter in a bad play. “You’re the ones who took the Morten escort job, right?”

Lian slowly raised a hand, unsure whether to confirm or deny.

She grinned. “Perfect! I’ve been looking for you!”

He glanced at Mira. Mira shrugged.

The girl marched over and sat down uninvited, dropping into the seat across from them. She slapped her palms on the table.

“I’m Kael,” she said. “Kael with a K. I’m your new teammate.”

There was a pause.

Lian blinked. “I… didn’t know we were hiring.”

“You weren’t. I volunteered.”

“You… volunteered to be part of our team?”

“Obviously. I’ve been watching you. You two have momentum. Buzz. Presence. Especially you—” she turned to Mira “—you’ve got mystery and power. I’ve got personality and firepower. Together? We’re going to be legends.”

Lian leaned toward Mira. “Should we be concerned?”

Mira gave him a small shake of the head. “She hasn’t exploded anything. Yet.”

Kael beamed. “Not today!”

Lian sighed. “And what exactly do you bring to the team, Kael?”

She pulled a long cylindrical contraption from her bag and slammed it on the table with pride. It looked like a cross between a crossbow, a trumpet, and something you’d see in a blacksmith’s nightmare.

“This is Boomer,” she said.

“That’s… not comforting.”

“It fires alchemic pellets. Ice, flame, lightning, confusion powder—you name it. I invent most of it myself.”

Lian instinctively leaned back. “Have you tested it?”

“Of course!”

“Successfully?”

Kael grinned. “Usually.”

Mira spoke for the first time. “What’s the confusion powder do?”

“Mostly makes people forget what they were doing. Also makes them laugh. Or cry. Sometimes both.”

“That’s… chaotic.”

“Exactly! That’s the point! Disruption and chaos! Total tactical advantage!”

Lian muttered, “Until it backfires.”

Kael pointed a finger at him. “Which is why you are the brains. Mira is the muscle. I’m the wildcard. It’s a perfect setup!”

Lian wanted to argue, but… weirdly, it made some sense.

A loud knock on the tavern’s quest board made everyone turn. A woman in courier colors had just posted a fresh scroll, then walked away.

Kael leapt up, practically vaulting over the table, and tore the scroll down before anyone else could read it.

“New quest!” she shouted. “Abandoned windmill out west. Locals say it’s haunted. Maybe ghosts. Maybe monsters. Maybe a cursed cheese wheel. We’ll find out!”

“We haven’t even—”

“Come on!” She was already halfway to the door. “Time to make history!”

Lian sighed, stood up, and looked at Mira. “So… do we follow the hurricane?”

Mira sipped the last of her tea. “She’s right about one thing.”

“What’s that?”

Mira stood. “She’s interesting.”

The windmill was spooky.

It stood crooked on a hill like it was drunk. The sails creaked slowly, though there was no wind. The stone base had long since cracked with moss and age. Several nearby sheep were bleating at an uncomfortable pitch, and Lian was fairly sure one of them had five eyes. No one was touching that topic.

Kael marched right up to the front door.

“Alright, team,” she said, pulling out a folded paper. “I made a plan.”

Lian blinked. “You made a plan?”

“Of course. I’m not just a wild burst of creative genius. I prepare.”

She handed each of them a colored ribbon.

“Color coordination,” she said. “Green for sneaky, red for boom, blue for backup.”

Lian held his ribbon. “You realize that if we all wear different colors, we’re… not exactly camouflaged.”

“Camouflage is a state of mind, Lian.”

Mira stared at her blue ribbon. “What does backup mean?”

“It means you float behind us and disintegrate whatever tries to eat our faces.”

Mira nodded. “Fair.”

They entered the windmill in a line. Lian first, since he could technically detect traps. Mira next, because she didn’t want Kael behind her. Kael last, dragging Boomer like it was her baby.

The inside of the windmill smelled like mold and regret. Dust floated in thick beams of light. Every step creaked. Somewhere above them, something definitely skittered.

Kael lit a small orb and tossed it forward. It bounced, then floated midair, casting flickering green light. “Spectral lantern,” she whispered. “Cool, right?”

Mira nodded.

Lian muttered, “This better not summon anything.”

“It’s fine. It only attracts the interesting ghosts.”

He facepalmed.

The stairs creaked dangerously as they climbed. At the top, they found a small loft filled with broken furniture, moldy sacks of flour, and—unexpectedly—a large mirror.

The surface shimmered slightly.

“Oh no,” Lian whispered. “That’s not good.”

Kael poked it.

“Wait, don’t—”

Her hand went straight through.

“…Awesome,” she whispered. “It’s a portal.”

Lian groaned. “Nope. Nope nope nope.”

Mira tilted her head. “Where does it go?”

“Don’t know,” Kael said. “That’s why we should try it!”

“No,” Lian snapped. “We are not jumping into a mystery mirror on our first quest as a team.”

Kael crossed her arms. “Where’s your sense of wonder?”

“Back home, where it’s safe.”

Mira looked at the mirror again. “Something’s coming.”

A shape began forming behind the glass. A vague humanoid outline. Lian reached for his sword. Mira’s orb began to hum.

Kael grinned, raised Boomer, and said, “Time to test the lightning pellet!”

“Wait—”

BOOM

The room filled with blue smoke. Everyone coughed. The mirror shattered with a ringing crack. The figure inside vanished.

When the smoke cleared, Kael was beaming. Mira was blinking rapidly. Lian was on the floor.

“…It worked,” Kael said proudly.

“You almost killed all of us,” Lian gasped.

“Yeah, but technically, I didn’t.”

Mira helped him up. “I like her,” she said.

“Of course you do,” he muttered.

Outside, the windmill’s creak had finally stopped.

The sheep looked less cursed. The hill felt… lighter. Peaceful.

Kael tucked Boomer away and stretched. “Mission accomplished. Who wants soup?”

Mira raised a hand.

Lian groaned. “Sure. Let’s eat before she gets us all cursed again.”

Kael winked. “Too late for that.”