SHG12: Flames Beneath Me

Chapter 3: The Flames beneath me.



         Lofting along the ocean, Bishop's vessel drifted through the ocean blue steadily unitizing and dull. The three rested aboard the ship stirring in silence and boredom in the lower deck. Allanah sat quietly upon the bed reading a small booklet, while Bishop sat against the wall with his arms crossed and his head down as if he was sleeping. Priest sat at the table peeling an orange and slicing the pieces to eat.  The clock upon the wall clicked loudly, echoing throughout the room. From outside, a cry catches their ear.
"Hello!!"
         All three awaken from the deep depression of silence and emptiness, curious about the yelling outside.
"Stay here."
         Bishop said to Allanah. Both Priest and he stepped on to the upper deck to find several ships standing in their way. Looking around, they realize the area that they've entered. The ships marking a great lion with a shield caught Priest's eyes, instantly giving him the answer to their curiosity.
"We are already in Heaven Kingdom territory?"
         Bishop glances over his shoulder.
"Looks like it."
         A nearby vessel sails over to their ship, carrying several armored soldiers with pole arm staffs and shields. One soldier shouted out to them, using a strong aggressive tone to project his authority.
"Identify yourselves!!"
         Bishop and Priest walk to the nearby reel next to the ship, so they may speak clearer to soldier.
"I am Abel Norcross, Head minister of the Church of Waves and Political adviser of the Tsunami Kingdom."
         Bishop introduces himself as well.
"And I am General Bishop, Head commander of the Typhoon Army."
         Questionable the soldier asks the two vigorously.
"... Why is the Head minister of the Tsunami kingdom and Head General of the Typhoon kingdom in Heaven Kingdom territory?"
         Bishop replies.
"…My comrades and I are making a trip to the Pyro kingdom on important business."
"…For what reason?"
         The soldier rudely asked again. Priest politely implies.
"We're investigating. We believe that the Shadow nation has created some sort of weapon that maybe used in battle.  As you may know, they have already did damage to the Typhoon nation with a vicious creature."
         Bishop steps up.
"This time, we want to be prepared for whatever they may have in wait."
         The soldier calls over a private and whispers to him.
"Tell General Aoin we may have information about a weapon being used for the Shadow nation."
         The private dashes off, while the soldier implies to them.
"We need you to follow us.”
         Both drop their heads in annoyance of the interruption of their trip.
"Damn it..."          


         As the vessels departed from the bay, Aoin stood on deck lost in his own world that dwelled with conflict within him. Rubbing his chin with his index, the baffling thoughts of the general questioning his inability to control the hate for his so-called brother whom he dreaded to see again. The thoughts of the upcoming battle fluttered his mind and oblique his entire surrounding as he confined in himself.
“How… How can I control that hatred? How can I… Control that raging heartache that takes over my well being every time I set eyes upon him.”
         He begins to twirl the sun crest he wore around his neck, as his thoughts continued to flow through his mind.
“There must be a way.”
         The image of the beautiful woman lying in his arms appeared in a quick flash that took Aoin off guard.
“Ugh.”
         His crest began to glare with a raging aura that reflected his inner emotions. Breaking the erupting anger, a cry called out to him from aboard the ship.
“General!!”
         He glances to his left to see a group of soldiers escorting Bishop and the others to him. The soldiers salute to Aoin.
“…Sir!!”
“…At ease”
         He commanded the troops.
“Sir, we found these three voyaging through our territory. Our men found it to be suspicious that they were entering our borders right as we made ready for our ships to depart.”
         Standing behind Priest and Bishop, Aoin suddenly caught a glimpse of Allanah standing in the background. A curious smirk appears upon the general’s face as he called out to her.
“… Princess Allanah?”
         Allanah glances up at the general staring down at her.
“Ugh”
         Instantly the image of the general standing before the Shadow king with his massive blade held out against him appears in a flash.
“I remember you.”
         Aoin bows.
“…My lady.”
         Curiously he asks her.
“What are you doing here? It’s dangerous for you to be out. The Shadow kingdom is looking for you.”
         Allanah replies.
“I am on a quest to find the Shoguns.”
         A frown comes upon his face.
“…Shoguns?”
         Aoin suddenly realizes the two standing before her.
“Then that means.”
         He glances to his left at Priest.
“You must be the Shogun of Waves”
         Then he glances over at Bishop.
“…And you must be the Shogun of Current.”
         Both nod in response.
“I have heard a great deal about the two of you, especially your recent battle with the Shadow kingdom.”
         Priest smile to Aoin’s praise.
“We’re glad our reputation precedes us.”
         Aoin asks.
“Tell me, what are you doing here in the northern territories?”
         Bishop answers.
“We’re traveling to the Pyro kingdom to do some investigating. The carrier that contained that Hell Beast inside was made from a special metal; a rare kind of metal that can only be crafted by welders from the Pyro nation.”
         Standing aside, Priest realizes something very stunning. Revising back when Trace and he clashed blades, he saw Aoin holding a woman in his arms, crying over her death.
“It’s him. The one I saw in the Shadow General’s past images.”
         Ion began to glare with a spark as Aoin and Bishop carried on with their conversation. Allanah notices and asks.
“What is it Ion?”
         He replies.
“I’m not sure, but… He may be one of them.”
         Confused, Allanah repeated.
“May be? Why can’t you tell? You usually can pick them out with ease.”
“Something is obscuring his natural power.”
         Upon Aoin’s back, his large single edge blade begins to sing with a strange resonances from Ion’s presences. Aoin glances back, and asks.
“What is it Amaterasu?”
         A sudden howl of a wolf yelled out to him. Instantly Aoin notices Allanah’s necklace vibrantly sparkling behind Bishop and Priest.
“…Her necklace.”
         Drawing his attention back towards the others, Priest simple asks him in a well toned manner.
“General, we ask of you to let us by so we can continue on with our journey.”
         Aoin takes a moment.
“… Permission granted.”
         Bishop and Priest nod in gratitude of Aoin’s authority.
“Thank you.”
“We shall be on our way.”
         As they walked away, Aoin yells out to them from a distance.
“If you find anything, let me know!!”
         Bishop simply waves over his shoulder at the general and replies.
“Count on it!!”

         
   

         





         

         The cold damp towel sweeping across his head awakened Trace from his deep slumber. Gradually he opened his eyes to see a dark haired woman sitting next to him wiping the towel across his head. Looking around, Trace saw no one else but her and him in the room.
“…Raven, what are you doing in my chambers?”
         She giggles a bit.
“I am taking care of you. You have been asleep for more than a week.”
         Astounded about how long he slept, he questions her upon the recent events that have happened in his absences.
“A week… Has anything occurred since I have been sleeping?”
         A sadden expression swept the smile Raven held off her face. She took the towel at hand and placed it back in the bowl next to his bed. Trace rises from his slumped position; curious of the sudden depression that has possessed her.
“What happened?”
         Raven hesitates.
“… The king has advised another scheme to conquer the Typhoon kingdom without the act of war.”
         Puzzled, Trace asks.
“…How?”
“He is sending my mother and me there to seduce the King.”
         Trace implies.
“I see, but”
         Raven finishes.
“…He is planning on my mother to prey on his heart and conspire an opening for our armies to attack.”
Trace falls back into his bed with his hand over his head.
“What if your mother fail, and your plot is discovered? They would kill you both without hesitation.”          
         Silence takes upon Raven’s tongue.
“Are you willing to let your mother sacrifice herself for the king’s greed?”
“She accepted the task and brought me in. She’s in love with the king, but she’s to foolish to see that he is just using her.”
         Trace nods his head in doubt.
“What kind of heartless foul creature do we serve?”
         Lying in the shadows of the chamber’s corner rested a Creeper listening to their conversation. Flowing out of the room, the Creeper swiftly travels through the castle upon the surface of the floor to the throne room, where the Shadow king and one of his diplomats awaited.  The Creeper rises over the shoulder of the king, and begins to whisper into his ear about the things he knows.
“So Trace questions my rule.”
         The king said.
“…Vane, keep a close eye upon Trace.”
         The large broad shaggy haired man bows and replies to the king.
“…As you wish sir.”
         The king’s darkest thoughts of Trace flourished to the surface after hearing the deceiving message from Vane’s creeper.
“… I’m highly disappointed Trace.”

         After a long agonizing voyage to the Pyro nation, Priest and the others finally arrive and set foot on land. Wasting no time, the three set off to find the nearest city to start their investigation to find the factory and the creator of the black metal they found from battle. Walking along, Allanah quickly became exhausted and tired from the swiveling heat from the heavy humidity. Slumped over, every ounce of her energy was being drained with each passing moment.  She glances to her right to see Priest steaming as it seems from the heat. Shocked, she shouted…
“Are you actually cooking in the heat?”
         Priest looks down and replies.
“No. Why?”
         Obnoxiously Allanah yells out the obvious.
“…Because you’re steaming!!”
         Priest chuckles a bit.
“Oh no, I just had my sweat turn into ice so I can keep cool. I guess the heat of the humidity here is trying to melt it. Really it is sad because the smog from the factories create a dense cover here to make it so humid.”
         Allanah placed a baffled glare upon her face as anger approached the surface.
“You…. What?”
         She turns to Bishop in resentment, but saw that the wind around was accumulating and swirling around him. Bishop glances down with a stern look on his face as Allanah grimly glared at him with envy.
“What?”
         Allanah lashes out; yelling out into the open to exert her frustration.
“I’M SURROUNDED BY SELFISH BASTARDS!!”




         Hours after traveling, Bishop and the others arrive on the outskirts of a nearby city to finally rest for a moment and escape the thrashing humidity. Priest walking ahead the others suddenly glances back at Bishop carrying Allanah upon his back.
“You alright back there?”
         He asked. Bishop catches on to his sarcasm in his voice and asks.
“Why do I have to carry her all the way?”
         Priest completely turns around and stares Bishop dead into his eyes.
“Hey!! I had to carry her all the way from the eastern coast of the Typhoon kingdom to the capital city. “
         Bishop becomes silent for a moment.
“You have won this round good sir.”
         Priest then implies vulgarly.
“Plus, why are you complaining? You can fly!!”
         The thought crosses Bishop’s mind.
“You’re right. Why the hell am I walking?”
         Bishop leaps into the air, and soars off toward the city ahead only a few miles away. Priest is stunned that he abandoned him in the heat with no concern.
“You have got to be kidding?”
         Suddenly a truck pulls up beside him. Hanging out the window as the bus halts right next to Priest was a slightly elder rugged woman wearing a bold hat and smoking a cigarette.
“You need a ride handsome?”
         Priest lifts his brow in astonishment of the situation.
“Wow…”
         He nods with a big smile on his face.
“Sure do.”
         The driver replies.
“Well jump aboard and hang on!!”
         Priest enters on the bus with several workers, tired from their long day of work.
“Bishop is going to be quite upset when I get there.”


         Hammering away at the piercing red piece of steel, a lone worker stood drenched in sweat and smut continued on working through the day after hours. The echoes of the clashing spread throughout the empty shop and carried on through the factory. The worker places the steel back into the fire, but accidentally knocks it and the tongs inside the fiery caldron.
“Shit.”
         The work lifts his mask; revealing his face to the open, but the shadows of the mask obscured majority of his face. Looking around, the worker checked to see if anyone else might be there. He sees no one around. Snatching off his glove, he quickly reaches into the caldron and searches for the lost piece and the tongs that fell in. Moments pass, and finally he has gains grasp upon them. He pulls the two out, his arm unharmed by the molten liquid within the caldron. He shoves the two into the pool next to him to quickly cool the two pieces off. Merely he shakes the burning liquid off his hand, and then washes the smut off at the sink across the room. Shaking his hands dry, a burst of fire ignites from his hands. Hovering over his wrists, the flame quickly dried his hands. Closing his palm, the flame instantly is extinguished. The worker turns back and grabs the pieces out of the pool, and places the piece of metal back into the caldron for only a moment. From outside, children’s laughter caught his ear. Pausing for a moment, the worker sets his tools down and takes off his mask. He walks over to a nearby window to stare out into the streets. Leaning against the window with his head resting on his arm against the wall, he glared out at the children running throughout the street giggling and laughing. The sight brought back a settle but yet uncomfortable memory of the workers youth.
                                                 II.

         Tumbling to his feet, a large red ball rolled over to a young child standing on the side of the road. A couple of other children his age at the time run over to retrieve the ball, as he picked it up off the ground. Timid, he held the ball nervously trembling from encountering other kids.
“Hey thanks.”
         The little red haired boy said with a smile. By his side a young brunette stood shyly hiding behind the red haired boy.
“You’re welcome.”
         The cries of the other children called the red haired boy back as he grabbed the ball gently from him.
“Well thanks again.”
         Before he could run off, the boy turns back and asks.
“Do you want to play with us?”
         Anxious, the shy little girl smiled brightly, anticipating his answer. Unsure, the timidly dark toned boy muttered a bit before answering.
“Um… Sure I guess.”
         Smiles and giggles came upon both the red haired boy and the young girls faces.
“Cool!!”
         Before he could set one foot on the street, a cry from inside the shop froze him in his footsteps.
“…KANE!!”
         The innocently little boy began to tremble in fear as he heard the footsteps of a large man stomping out the door. Frightened to turn around, the young boy named Kane gradually looks over his shoulder to see who ever that called out to him. Not even half way around, a large hand slaps Kane to the ground. Glaring back up at the large bulky man wearing a leather work apron and flask in his hand, he growled sinisterly at him. The drunken man asks Kane…
“What the hell are you doing out here? You are supposed to be inside working.”
“But I just wanted to play a little.”
         The drunken man takes a drink out of the silver flask in his hand.
“Your kiddy days are over with. They died when your mom stopped babying you and left!!”
         The welder snaps out of the terrifying memory, and walks away from the window with a grim look on his face.  He places his mask back over his face and continues to bash the steel piece of metal, except with more anger growing with each and every strike.
“I’m glad he’s gone.”
         Suddenly the shop begins to rumble, and the tools and parts start to tremble from the strong quake. Kane held down his tools in front of him, until the rumbling ceased. He glances out the window over his shoulder at the mountain out in the distances; standing on the outskirts of the city.
“…Damn. This has been going on for a couple of days now.”
         Kane lower his head mask and returns to his work.




         Standing high over the city, a gigantic silver tower stood soaring high into the air with a spike glaring red upon the tip near the mountain. Inside the massive tower, many worked around the hour observing the activities of the mountain nearby. At the far console, an operator discovers something irregular about the flow of the mountain. She rises from her seat, staring grim and content at the screen.
“…Uh sir!!”
         The chief operator glances down at the operator from his monitor upstairs.
“What is it?”
“Come take a look at this.”
         From his console, the chief observes the action of the mountain from his screen; the large red energy rapidly building up from underneath the crust of the earth. He quickly leaps from his seat and shouts out to the others.
“Contact the Council of the Phoenix!! This is an emergency!!”






         The message instantly reaches the Council of Phoenix; causing the seven to gather quickly and discuss the situation at hand. Fluttering and shouting, the council blurted and yelled their theories and plots to rescue the western city from the destructive path of the mountain’s fury.
“We should use the Shield barricade!!”
“The barricade hasn’t be activated in six decades!! It might not even function properly.”
“Well we must evacuate the city!!”
“We don’t have enough time to get everyone out of the city!!”
         At the far end of the table, the elder councilman became flustered from the bickering and shouting of the others. Furious he shouts to cease the constant jabbering of the others.
“…Silence!!”
         The entire room becomes quiet, and all attention is drawn to the broad man with glasses rising from his seat at the end of the table.
“We are the Council of the Phoenix, leaders of this kingdom. All of us need to think clearly and conclude to a reasonable solution to how we are going to save these people out in the western region.”
         The others become quiet; taking in the strong words of the elder councilman.
“Right now, the people have no knowledge of the volcano awakening. From the results we received from the watchtower, we have nineteen hours to evacuate the civilians and another way to avoid the destruction of Calderon city.  Immediately we are going to dispatch the Inferno crew to evacuate the people and we’ll go from there.
         All nod, responding properly to the elder councilman’s proposal.
“That is an acceptable plan.”