CHAPTER 1 - Fire, Guide Me

Fire, Guide Me
By Odlan Solaz

Ignited, you burn bright
Relentless
Uncompromising, you reach high
Reckless
Bravely, your fears you meet
Dutiful
Loyally, your promises you keep
Beautiful

         The library was dark and cold in the early morning, the only windows not obstructed by books were facing west and only the dark skies could be seen through them. The chill of the night could still be felt as Daren walked between the old wooden shelves. His loose woolen robes were tight on his body, even the largest in the order barely fit his frame. But at least his black cloak covered him well and gave him a sophisticated air. Daren stopped before a wide metal plate in the middle of the library, his lupine muzzle pointed towards its center, where a circled enshrined the order’s sigil. Amber eyes checked the glyphs along the edge for any deformation in the carvings. He sighed with relief when he found none, thankful he would spend hours carefully repairing it once again. He extended a clawed hand forwards, his palm facing up. He brought out his claws with a flick of his wrist and moments later an orange flame burst forth above his palm. The flame crackled with hunger. The wolf whispered words that flowed like an old song and two golden bands surrounded the fire. They locked the fire in place and kept the sparks from jumping out of their hold. Daren smiled, the fire’s warmth seeping into his body before he deposited the living flame on the plate with gentleness. The flame rose higher once it touched the metal until it became a bonfire that illuminated the library.

         Thin lines of flames danced across the floor for a brief moment before new living flames appeared on the sconces between each shelf. The room was cast in a warm orange light, centuries of wisdom now visible to any guests. Daren smiled, as more than a few tomes were very familiar to him and he relished the chance to expand that number once his duties were complete.

         A stack of books awaited him at his desk, remnants of the researches latest forays into the library. Daren was glad that this time none were damaged, he knew too well how careless his fellow mages could be.

         He was part way through updating the registry when a shiver ran through his back. The wolf grew still for a moment, his pen hanging over the paper still wet with ink. His free hand touched his cloak, the warmth from it warded him zealously from the most likely culprit. A quick check discarded any chance at a fever or other diseases. The wolf frowned at the implication, sure no on would be so reckless. And yet, he put away his pen and covered his inkwell. With measured steps, the wolf approached the bonfire once more. His mind was racing with the possibilities and ears were standing tall on his head. Another flame was conjured in his hands, its ruby color tinting the wolf’s black fur. The flame jumped into the bonfire but floated above the flames with grace instead of sinking. Like a boat at sea, it sailed over the flames until it stopped at the edge of the plate. With one last crackle, the flame was diminished, its color turning a sickly blue. The wolf’s fears confirmed, he rushed out of the room.

         The winds howled with fury as the storm picked up in strength. The curtain of white snow blocked all sight past a meter. The wolf’s black was the only thing keeping the freezing cold from claiming the mage, but even its runes couldn’t keep a layer of snow from forming on his shoulders. The medallion on the wolf’s chest pulled him toward his quarry, while on an outstreched hand he carried the magical light he picked up at the library’s gate.

         It was after an hour of searching that the medallion’s pull announced he was close to the victim. However, as much as he strained his sight looking for any sign of a body, he could only see endless white all around him. To ascertain whether every mount of snow held the lost traveler would take too long and time was scarce in the white mountains. With few options left, the lupine mage pulled down his hood and took out the silver medallion from under his robes. His breath formed clods of white before him while the cold bit at his ears. The wolf growled and gripped his medallion tightly. The words came to his lips easily, but the magic was another story. Like trying to scrap ice with his claws, he pulled the magic from inside him him bit by bit. Two concentric rings appeared around the medallion, forming an x in the spots where the two crossed. Balls of light gathered around the medallion until it formed a small and weak flame.

         The flame split into several small embers that flew across the frozen land. Wherever they landed, they melted some of the snow and disappeared, consumed by the storm. All except for a single purple ember on the edge of Daren’s vision. The flame fought the freezing winds as it melted the snow and it slowly revealed a dark brown cloth. Daren cursed as he ran towards the flame, clenching his medallion harder. Ever so slowly the flame melted the snow until the form of a young dog was revealed. The dog and his bags were covered in a layers of frost that even the flame’s warmth couldn’t melt. Daren grabbed the frozen man and placed his weight upon his shoulders. His feet sank deeper into the snow and a grunt left his mouth with the effort. He gave the god’s bag one last look before he turned away, starting the trek back to the library. The preservation of life was more important than goods.

         Daren watched the dog sleep on his bed. The orange fur look brittle and unkempt, his lanky limbs escaped the comfort of the blankets whenever the dog mumbled delirious incoherence. The wolf would cover them again when the dog calmed down, unsure on whether that was normal behavior or his body remembering being buried in the snow for so long. His knowledge on such matter was limited and with the tower’s sole healer away for the week, there were only books left as his adviser. Extremely obtuse ones at that.

         The wolf sighed, the beginnings of a headache pounding at the sides of his head. From braving the storm to warming up the dog, he had used a good portion of his magical reserves. The wolf’s clothes had thankfully dried up in the time it took him to bring the dog to his room, though some of it still stuck to his fur. The dog’s clothes were not as lucky, warming up the dog had melted the snow and left them thoroughly drenched. The wolf considered drying them himself, but caution won out and so he left them drying near the fire.

         Daren took a sip of his drink, the tea banishing some of the weariness of the day. The dog before him was a stranger and the mage knew of few who would venture this far south this time of the year. Coming along was the height of foolishness, the wolf thought. It was only sheer luck that he had activated the tower’s barrier as he fell. A few more meters away from it, and they would have found him in spring. The wolf shuddered at the thought and his tea cup closer to him, warding off any more thoughts of the same ilk. The wolf focused instead of where he had found the dog, a few meters away from the main road, but close enough to the tower. He figured the kid had gotten turned around in the storm or maybe he hadn’t even know of the road to the tower. His mind picked apart his memories of the place, looking for any clues as to the identity of the dog. There had been a big bag, true, but hardly one befitting a merchant.

         Daren took another sip of his drink, the herbal flavor helping him to hone his focus. A traveler then, the wolf mused, his brown eyes scanning the sleeping dog’s form. A traveler of necessity he surmised by how ill prepared the dog had been for the weather.

         “The storm must have caught you by surprise,” the wolf said to himself, his eyebrows reproaching the sleeping dog as they furrowed, “or did you not heed the advice of the locals. This season i s the worst for travel, you know?”

         Daren laughed, his voice deep and rough. His eyes were heavy with the events of the day. His ears flicked slowly as he mulled his thoughts.

         “Of course, you could resist the siren call of our precious library and had to get here at once. Well, congratulations,” the wolf said with a sarcastic tone, a wry smile coming to his lips. He took another sip of his tea and set it down beside him, before he continued. “Now, you better don’t die on me, kiddo. I’d hate to mourn one so young.”

         The dog’s only answer was to tremble under the sheets, his ears pressed close to his skull.

         “Don’t worry, you’re safe here,” Daren said with a tender tone, taking hold of a piece of cloth and a bucket of water. He wet the cloth in the water and set it on the dog’s brow. “You won’t be alone, not for a long while.”

         The cup released a steady stream of vapor as Daren set it before the dog. The young man’s fur was unkempt and his eyes still sported bags underneath, but he had a slight smile on his muzzle. A blanket rested on his shoulders, covering most of his clothes. The dog had slept for three days straight, but still the after effects of his brush with death were clear on his body. The nervous flickers of his ears, the slight trembling of his hands and the way his body always made himself as small as possible. Daren took his own cup in his hand, the warm from it soothing his nerves. The past few days had filled him with worries, the dog’s high fever had taken a lot of water and magic to keep in check.

         “Are you warm enough with that blanket? I could get you a couple more?” Daren asked after a couple minutes of silence, the dog’s gaze firmly locked in the contents of his cup.

         The dog’s ears stood tall, his whiskers twitching a few times before he replied.

         “This is okay. Thank you, mister.” His words were soft and slow, as if he had trouble remembering how to speak. “I feel...warm.”

         A smile crept its way to the wolf’s muzzle, his tail wagging shyly under his cloak.

         “I know it’s been a while since we met, but I think introductions are in order. Unless you prefer that I keep referring to you as ‘kiddo’,” the wolf said with an amused tone. “I’m Daren, Daren Wright. I’m the guardian and keeper of this library.”

         The dog lifted his gaze, their eyes meeting for the first time in the evening. Light green pupils met amber ones, doubt encountering kindness. The dog gulped, grasping his cup tighter before he spoke.

         “I’m Galleon, Galleon West,” the dog said with a slight tremble to his voice, his eyes looking lost in the guardian’s room.

         “Nice to meet you Galleon. And glad I found you in time.” the wolf said with a gentle tone, his ears relaxing atop his head. “Though there’s something I don’t understand, you seem like a decently bright lad. You don’t seem delirious so far. And yet, you braved the path in this weather. Why? What would drive you so far? What’s so important you’d risk death?”

         The wolf posed his questions as gently as he could, but his role as a guardian of others brought an edge to them all the same. The dog lowered his gaze, his ears pressed close against his skull. A few seconds of silence hung heavy upon the air, before Galleon replied with a firmer voice than before.

         “My family, they got sick. The alchemist at our village died recently, the new one is still months away. I had to find someone who could help. And you and the librarians were the closest to us. The path to the city is already closed by winter, and the other towns were much farther.”

         The wolf sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he processed the information. He had some budging respect for the young dog for his bravery, but another part of him wanted to deck him in the head for his recklessness. Instead, he chose the wiser choice.

         “Our own healer is away on business, something pressing from what she said before she left. It’ll be some time yet before she returns.” The wolf saw as the dog’s shoulders dropped with exhaustion, a slight whine escaping his lips. “I am not trained in the healing arts, but I am familiar with the books in this tower. Until she returns, we can browse some of them in search of the disease that plagues your family.”

         The hopeful look in the dog’s face and the thud of his tail on the chair betrayed the dog’s excitement at the proposal and the wolf was kind enough not to point it out.

         “Could we really do that? I’m, well, I’m not the best at researching. I have never done it before actually.” The dog leaned onto the table, black claws digging onto the wood of the table.

         “Yes, we can kid---I mean, Galleon. It’ll be hard, we’ll be looking through some really old books and the only person who could help us make sense of it all is far away.” The wolf said with a serious tone, unwilling to give the young dog any false hopes. And yet, as its guardian, Daren was conscious of the wealth of knowledge held in the library’s halls, so he was quick to add, “but we can help reduce the possibilities until she gets here. And then we’ll see about helping your family. Sorry it cannot be done sooner, but--”

         “That’s okay, sir. It’s more than I had before.”

         The wolf smiled at Galleon’s fire in his eyes. It was a good sign after all that had transpired and perhaps a portent of things to come.

         “Then we got a lot of work ahead of us. Better drink that tea, so we can begin.”