The Land of Flames

Slowly everyone sat on the assigned seats that were given to them when they had received the invitation. A quick glance around the room told me that there were around 200 people attending the auction.

Sitting down it seemed that Zeed would be close around as he sat in the row right in front of me. That made me feel uncomfortable, I was already on edge with him being a criminal but after what happened with Revek and that it was because of a very basic healing artifact made me even more apprehensive with dealing with him.

The first item was a glowing gemstone, swirling with otherworldly energy. It seemed to draw in the gazes of everyone in the room, but it barely registered with me.

Although I did give it a quick glance to see if it would be special but other than being able to store Magical energy inside it, the stone wasn't all that special.

Then again I doubted I could make a bid for it, I didn't bring enough money. The announcer droned on, listing the details of the gem— yet I kept my attention on Cedric who was sitting in the front row on the right.

As the auction continued, items passed by in a blur. Ornate weapons, ancient relics, and rare potions, each one fetching a price I could barely fathom. The bidders, some of whom looked like they had no shortage of wealth or power, raised their paddles with little hesitation. Still, my focus remained sharp, fixed on Cedric.

He sat comfortably, seemingly uninterested in most of the auction's offerings as well. Every so often, his gaze would flick to the stage, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest of his chair. He was waiting for something.

To be honest as mage I could guess what he might want. Like Dainslif would be the only thing worth to buy since the sheer magnitude of research that could be done on it would probably allow me to reach some sort of enlightenment on my magic.

Zeed, however, was more animated. He shifted forward in his seat when certain items were displayed, a gleam in his eye as he whispered to the person beside him. Every now and then, he would turn, as if sensing my gaze, but I’d look away just in time.

The auction carried on, the room growing more electric with each new item that was brought to the stage. My thoughts, however, were divided between thirty different thoughts. Cedrics presence made me more alert than I’d like to admit, and as an Arcanist the sword Dainslif made me wanna study it.

As another relic was auctioned off, a hush suddenly fell over the room. The lights dimmed slightly, and the announcer paused for dramatic effect. My heart rate picked up, my pulse quickening as I saw the next item wheeled out onto the stage—a large, ornate box covered with symbols, that seemed to be for protection.

I knew it. Dainslif.

The announcer’s voice rang out, cutting through the silence like a blade.

“Ladies and gentlemen, what we have here is no ordinary artifact. This is Dainslif, an ancient weapon rumored to have been forged in the dying embers of a collapsing star.”

My fingers itched to hold it, to examine it, to understand it.

The announcer’s voice pulled me back into the present.

“We believe Dainslif’s abilities relate to space and time manipulation, though the specifics remain unclear.”

Space and time? I nearly jolted upright in my seat. The raw implications of that were staggering. If the weapon could indeed alter or even affect those forces, the research potential would be astronomical.

As I leaned forward, my gaze locked on the intricate symbols engraved on the box containing Dainslif, my mind raced with possibilities. These were for protection probably to only allow access to a select few. Although a bit complex I could hack something like this in 10 minutes to allow me access as well.

I barely noticed my surroundings anymore. My attention was swallowed by the artifact before me, my thoughts so engrossed in the possibilities that I missed the subtle signs around me—the air around me shimmering faintly, the wards were breaking down one by one.

Could I steal it? The thought slid into my mind, unbidden. The sword’s potential—it would be wasted in the hands of anyone else. Cedric, Zeed, even those wealthy bidders—they wouldn’t know what to do with it. But I did. The urge to take it, to study it, surged, and for a moment, I could almost imagine reaching out, using my magic to snatch it away in a blink, bending space itself to claim it before anyone even knew what happened.

But then…no. The rational part of my mind held me back. There were rules, order, and breaking them here would be reckless. I couldn’t just—

A sudden stillness in the air snapped me out of my thoughts. It wasn't just stillness but it was Hot, unnaturally so.

It had seemed that the natural heat of Musspell was leaking into the building but weren't the wards supposed to protect against something like this, that was when I noticed that some of the wards had been turned off.

Panic rippled through the auction hall, though subtle at first, as those sensitive to magic realized something was wrong. The ambient heat was increasing, far more than it should have inside a protected space like this. My eyes flicked to Cedric, he was my target after all.

Cedric's fingers had stopped their rhythmic tapping. His eyes were no longer half-lidded in boredom; they were sharp, alert. He didn't seem all that bothered by what was happening.

"Ah, fuck." I spoke out loud. I should have expected something like this. Like this was predictable, someone like Cedric would only come here to steal something important.

I just had to figure out what.

That was when gun fire started. I immediately used a spell and teleported the small group around me to one of the corners that had a exit.

Although it took me a few seconds as the wards that were still up did stop my efforts and the headache after the spell was no joke.

The sudden barrage of gunfire echoed through the auction hall, People screamed and ducked behind their seats, while the wealthy bidders scrambled to flee.

I barely had time to catch my breath after the teleportation spell. The wards had made it difficult to complete, and the sharp pain that stabbed behind my eyes was a reminder of how much energy I'd just burned through. My group, dazed but safe for the moment, looked at me with a mixture of fear and confusion.

"Stay here," I ordered, my voice more forceful than I intended. They nodded, too shocked to argue. I scanned the room, my eyes darting between Zeed and Cedric.

Zeed was on his feat now, his feathery face filled with an expression of excitement and pure joy. Had this fucker betrayed me?

Cedric on the other hand, remained calm amidst the turmoil, but his posture had shifted. He stood from his seat, slowly and deliberately, as if he had all the time in the world. He glanced in my direction, his gaze cold and unreadable. Then, without hesitation, he began moving toward the stage too, his intent unmistakable.

I cursed under my breath. I had to act, and fast.

But immediately after a group of people of all varying heights in military attire ran in the hall guns blazing..

My mind raced. Dainslif was still secured in its box on the stage, but Cedric was heading straight for it, completely unfazed by the chaos.

To be honest I had begun to think that Cedric was under some kind of mind control no person who had lived a normal life a year prior could be as calm and commanding as the man was.

I ducked low, using a nearby column as cover while I assessed my options. Zeed, still near the front, was laughing now—a sound that grated on my nerves. His enjoyment of the situation confirmed my suspicions: he had to be in on this. Whether he had planned to double-cross me from the start or simply saw an opportunity in the madness, it didn’t matter. He was a problem now.

Silently I put a sort of weak compulsion spell that the armed guards wouldn't notice the civilians near me although it wouldn't work if the civilians actively brought attention to themselves.

I took another sigh as the pain in my head intensified. It was like a knife was constantly stabbing me. I was burning magical energy far too inefficiently.

I took a deep breath, pushing the pain aside, and made my move. Cedric was too close to Dainslif now—there wasn’t any more time for caution. My legs propelled me forward before I could fully plan, my only goal to intercept him before he could reach the weapon.

But just as I broke into a sprint, Cedric turned. His eyes locked onto mine, and in that moment, something changed. A weight, far more than just his gaze, crashed down on me.

It was like the world had tilted, the air itself thickening and warping. My legs faltered, and I stumbled, barely managing to catch myself. Sweat beaded on my forehead, my heart pounding against my chest as if trying to escape.

Fear—pure, overwhelming fear—washed over me, drowning out every other thought. Cedric’s gaze seemed to pierce right through me, reaching into my very core. It wasn’t just that he saw me. It felt as though something far darker, far more ancient, was staring back. The abyss itself, cold and infinite, was gazing at me through his eyes.

I froze. My body refused to move. My lungs felt as if they were being crushed under an immense pressure, and each breath was shallow, ragged. My vision blurred, and for a brief, terrible moment, I wasn’t sure if I was about to pass out or if something far worse was about to happen.

Cedric’s expression hadn’t changed, but there was something in his eyes now—an intensity, a force that stripped away any pretense of humanity. Whatever power he had gained in the last year, it wasn’t just strength. It was something unnatural, something wrong.

I tried to break free from the grip of his gaze, but my body was unresponsive. My limbs trembled, and my knees buckled as if I were a puppet whose strings had been cut. I collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath, my heart racing out of control.

It felt Insignificant, like a small ant Infront of an unending abyss. A void that erased everything in its path.

A sharp kick to my stomach ripped me out of the frozen state I was in, pain exploding across my torso as I doubled over, gasping. Before I could even gather my breath, a pair of strong hands grabbed me by the collar, yanking me upright. My vision swam as I tried to focus, but the next thing I knew, I was being dragged across the auction hall floor, my feet barely touching the ground.

My body was still recovering from the shock of Cedric’s gaze, and the pain in my head made it difficult to think straight. I struggled weakly against the guard’s grip, but it was useless. He was dragging me toward Cedric.

Cedric didn’t even look at me at first. His attention was still fixed on Dainslif, the artifact glowing faintly in its protected box on the stage. The guard shoved me roughly to my knees in front of him, and I winced as my body hit the hard floor.

Then Cedric spoke, his voice cold and detached, as if I were nothing more than an afterthought.

“Well, well, Saturn Crowley,” he said without turning to face me. “A bounty hunter, here for me? Well to be honest I expected more."

I blinked, trying to clear the fog in my mind. He knew who I was—no surprise there, it was his voice he spoke nothing like the recording I had heard of Cedric.

"You see a mutual friend told me all about you." He continued.

"Mutual friend?" I asked even though I had already figured out an answer.

Cedric finally turned his head, glancing at me with that same unnerving calm. His eyes were cold, empty of the warmth they once might have held.

“Yes,” he continued, almost casually, “Zeed, of course. It seems he wasn’t entirely truthful with you, was he?” His gaze flickered to where Zeed had been moments ago, but the bird-faced bastard had vanished, probably slinking away in the chaos. “I learned quite a bit about you. A hunter of men. Skilled in tracking your targets, no matter where they hide.”

He stepped closer, his presence bearing down on me again, though not as overwhelming as before. “But, it seems you were reckless in your borderline childish attempt really."

Cedric's hand reached out toward Dainslif, and I could only watch as he forced the box open. The symbols meant for protection flared brightly, burning the flesh of his fingers, but Cedric didn’t flinch. His hand, now glowing with raw heat and power, closed around the hilt of the sword, and I saw smoke rising from his charred skin. He should have been screaming in agony, but he remained eerily calm, as if the pain didn’t register.

As the weapon wasn't in the box anymore, I finally felt the sheer power of the sword. The amount of magical energy it was radiating was equal to a high class weapon.

Now that was scary, like In my life I had seen only one such weapon and that was in the academy.

Cedric raised the sword high, his voice car to calm for a man whose hand was burning. "While I have loved this talk, I am afraid that I am far too busy."

He gripped the sword with both hands, the heat intensifying, and I could see his skin blistering under the force of whatever magic he was channeling. Yet he remained unfazed, as though the pain was beneath him.

My heart pounded in my chest as Cedric swung Dainslif, the very seemed to warp under its power, and I braced myself for what was about to happen. His movements were fluid, graceful even, but the weight of what he wielded was undeniable.

Before the blade could meet its mark, though, something changed. An overwhelming presence descended upon the room, a force that was almost suffocating in its intensity. It wasn’t like the fear I had felt from Cedric’s gaze earlier—this was different. If Cedric was an unending abyss then this presence was filled with life, energy and fire.

Cedric faltered, his swing interrupted as he leapt back instinctively. His calm façade wavered for the first time. The guard holding me wasn’t so lucky. The force of Cedric’s initial swing collided with him, sending the man flying across the room, crashing into a wall with a sickening thud. His lifeless body slumped to the ground, but I barely had time to process it.

I staggered to my feet, my mind racing as I tried to make sense of what was happening. That presence—it felt familiar like I had felt it before.

Cedric straightened, his grip on Dainslif tightening. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the room, searching for the source of the presence that had just challenged him.

"I know you're here, Gringol. Come out and I shall finish what we started all those years ago." Screamed Cedric for the first time it was filled with emotion.

"Sorry, my God has no time for thugs such as you." A very familiar voice spoke as a man of about 4 meters tall entered the room. He wore a weird Priest-like outfit that was yellow.

It was someone I recognised easily, it was Orvox. He held no weapons yet the very air around him burnt like it was on fire. With him was another person I recognised Ember.

She was also in her armour, the armour showed art of a horned individual. That felt familiar but at the moment it wasn't all that special to me.

Cedric’s eyes narrowed, a flash of disappointment evident before his lips curled into a sneer. "So it’s not Gringol, but one of his lackeys. How utterly predictable." He looked Orvox up and down, his grip tightening on Dainslif. "No matter. I’ll send your corpse as a message to your God, just the same."

Orvox chuckled, his deep voice reverberating through the hall. "Bold words for someone who can barely hold his own weapon without burning alive. I’ll give you credit you seem to have the attention of my god however you aren't worth his time."

Cedric’s sneer twisted into something darker, his anger flaring like the heat still radiating from Dainslif. "I don’t need your approval, priest. I’ll end you here and now."

Before the tension could snap, a familiar hand grabbed my arm, pulling me upright. I turned to see Ember, her gaze sharp but filled with concern as she looked me over.

“You alright?” she asked, her voice low but steady, the undercurrent of urgency unmistakable.

I nodded, though my head still pounded and my limbs felt like lead. "Although if you can get some headache medication that would be great."

Ember glanced toward the towering figure of Orvox, then back to me. Her lips quirked in a brief smile. "Okay."

I cast a glance toward Orvox, who stood confidently between us and Cedric, his mere presence radiating enough heat to make the air shimmer. "Tell your friend to cool off a bit though, it’s hot enough here already."

She smirked. "I'll pass the message."

I shifted my attention back to Cedric, who was eyeing Orvox with murderous intent. The tension between them was palpable, but it was clear Cedric wasn’t going to make the first move—he was waiting for an opening, biding his time.

“By the way,” I said, turning back to Ember with a teasing grin, “you can let Orvox know I’m flattered, but I don’t swing that way. He can stalk someone else.”

Ember snorted, clearly suppressing a laugh. "I’ll be sure to tell him. But don’t worry, Crowley."

She really seemed to pause at my last name. So she heard my real name then, I did wonder how long they had been here. Guess that answers my question.

Cedric stood still for a moment, his expression darkening as the distant wail of sirens cut through the chaos of the auction hall. His eyes narrowed, and his lips twisted into an irritated snarl.

“Tch… Seems the forces are arriving sooner than expected.” His voice was low, almost disappointed, but he didn’t waste time. With a casual flick of his wrist, he raised Dainslif, the air around him warping under the sword’s influence.

I felt it—a surge of raw, dangerous energy building at the tip of the blade. My heart skipped a beat as I realized what was about to happen.

He’s going to attack.

Without thinking, I grabbed Ember and Orvox by the arms, channeling the last bit of magical energy I had left. The wards still resisted my efforts, but I fought through the pain. There was no time to hesitate.

The instant I activated the teleportation spell, I felt the crushing weight of the energy Cedric had released. We vanished from the spot just in time.

When we reappeared, it was on the other side of the hall, near an emergency exit. My head pounded, the teleportation spell having taken its toll, but I forced myself to stay conscious. Gasping for air, I glanced back to where we had stood moments ago.

A gash, impossibly deep, cleaved the ground in two where we had just been. The sheer power of the attack made my stomach lurch. If I hadn’t acted… we’d all be dead.

Cedric’s attack had carved a path of destruction straight through the auction hall, but now, he and his guards were nowhere to be seen. The stage was empty, and the eerie silence that followed was unnerving.

“Dammit…” I muttered under my breath, trying to regain my composure.

Orvox’s voice rumbled beside me, calm but tinged with amusement. “Nice save, Crowley.”

Ember, though clearly shaken, was quick to refocus. “They’re gone,” she said, her eyes scanning the room. “He’s not sticking around to face the authorities.”

I cursed again. Cedric had made his move and vanished before I could act. The sword—Dainslif—was gone too. He’d gotten what he wanted, and we were left standing in the aftermath.

“We need to follow him,” I said, pushing myself upright. But even as I spoke, I could feel my energy draining. My vision blurred for a moment, the strain of using so much magic catching up to me.

Orvox put a steadying hand on my shoulder. “Not like this. You’re spent.”

“Saturn’s right,” Ember added, her tone more urgent. “We need to regroup. If Cedric has Dainslif, things are about to get

a lot worse.”

I nodded reluctantly, frustration building in my chest. Cedric had slipped through my fingers, and worse—he had one of the most powerful artifacts I’d ever seen.

“i will get him.” I muttered