Our Need is Dire

Dire wolves. Their size and shape were unmistakable. At least four wolves had entered the hideout. One of them had the entrance guard on the ground and was going at her throat, one shot down a side tunnel, while the last two threw themselves at Kenji and the bandit. The bandit holding Vris threw her forward to try and distract the oncoming tide of teeth. The wolves pushed past her flailing body, paying her no mind, as they descended onto the startled men. Screams and snarls rose in a wave, bouncing off the cave walls to create a cacophony. The scent of blood stained my nostrils.

This was it, this was the help from the gods. Even after hearing Tsu Den Ro’s voice, I didn’t think my prayer would work.

I rushed forward and grabbed Vris’s arm. “Run!”

We wasted no time and got out of there. The waterfall soaked us as we emerged from the cave too quickly and nearly plunged through it. We hurried out from behind the wall of water to see that the surrounding woods were aflame. Red, orange, and yellow danced up the trees, turning them into massive wicks. I could feel the heat from where I stood, the wind blowing ash into our faces.

Vris clung to me, the orange spectre of the flames reflecting in her eyes. “Dear gods.”

I looked at Mizuki. “Where—”

Before I’d even begun my question, our elk burst from behind burning trunks, eyes wild with fear. Mizuki put fingers to her lips and let out a shrill whistle. Spark jerked around and rushed toward Mizuki with Chamomile and Rowan hot on his heels. Their saddles were still on, thank goodness, so we were able to mount up with ease. The forest fire had to be more work from the gods, though this struck me as overkill.

“How do we get out of here?” I yelled over the crack of the burning woods.

“We let the elk lead the way away from the flames and then we regroup,” Mizuki shouted back. “Stay close.”

We fell into our usual formation: Mizuki in front, then me, then Vris. Spark charged into the woods. It was so hot, I could help but wince as we rode, squinting my eyes against the smoke. I considered pulling up my robe to protect my face, but I needed to focus all my concentration on not falling off Rowan. Rowan was galloping with everything he had, probably too fast at times. Turning was difficult and we nearly slammed into a rock or a tree a few times by taking a corner too tight.

I felt the moment we passed out from the worst of the forest fire. Blessed coolness hit my irritated skin and I blinked tears from my eyes as we entered a part of the woods that hadn't yet caught fire. The elk calmed slightly, but were still quite antsy. Mizuki used the position of the late afternoon sun to get us out of the forest. The Amaranthine glittered, a ribbon of blue. The elk went to take long drinks from the river and the three of us used the time to wash the soot from our face and hands.

I coughed as I glanced back at the column of smoke rising above the forest. It had all happened so quickly. There was a good chance all the bandits were dead, slaughtered in their own hideout. I wouldn’t mourn them, exactly. But they were human beings that met their end precisely because of my actions. The gods were the bullet, but I pulled the trigger.

“It was me,” I said. Both Mizuki and Vris had been quiet, and now gave me their full attention.

“What was?” Mizuki asked.

“I prayed to the gods. And they did this.” I gestured to the fire. “I heard a voice in my head, so I know it wasn’t just a coincidence.” I would have referred to it as deus ex machina if there was a chance they might understand the reference.

They were quiet for so long, I wasn’t sure they would respond.

“We are, of course, grateful,” Mizuki said slowly, glancing up at the sky. “But I would encourage you to be more . . . careful with your prayers.”

“It got us out of there,” I said, feeling defensive at her tone.

She dried her hands off on her outer robe. “Yes, but this fire isn’t going to put itself out. The Pale Woods, and by now I’m sure that’s where this is, are used for timber and various other resources for the locals. The fire could even spread to nearby villages. Swift Kenji and his Band aren’t the only ones who will pay a price today.”

“I could pray for the fire to stop?” I suggested.

“No,” Mizuki said quickly. “There’s another reason why you shouldn’t ask things of the gods without good cause. It builds a sort of debt with them that must be paid off. Something like this will already cause you to have significant debt.”

This revelation stunned me. “What? Debt? How?”

“Seeker Len was supposed to teach you about your relationship with the gods.” Mizuki frowned. “I take it that isn’t the case.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “There’s a lot that man hasn’t told me. It’s a miracle I’ve made it this far.”

Mizuki sighed. “Anyone can pray to the gods. The odds aren’t good at getting an answer, but there is always the possibility. Whatever you ask for is a sort of loan. You must pay it back in time, and there is often interest if the ‘loan’ isn’t paid back in full in a timely manner. Being a seer, I imagine you have a direct line to the gods, but you aren’t immune to the cost.”

“How will I know what it costs?” I asked.

“The gods will tell you, in their own way. Dreams are a common method.”

I remembered my previous dream of Tsu Den Ro and shuddered. I was not eager to see her again.

Vris reached out and grabbed my hands. “I am tremendously grateful to you, my lady. You saved us.” Her eyes shone with tears, and I doubted it was just from the smoke.

I squeezed her hands. “Ah, you’re welcome.” I didn’t feel worthy of the gratitude, but if I had to shoulder the responsibility of the fire, I supposed I could accept praise as well.

We sat by the river for a time, recovering from our ordeal. Then it was time to move on. Mizuki directed us north to cross a bridge. It was further out of our way, but none of us thought going back to the ferry was a good idea.