"T-these explosions those screams it can’t be the village. It can’t be." Cassian’s voice shook worse with every word.
Neither Zayd nor Aurelia answered. Deep down, all three of them already knew exactly where those sounds were coming from.
"This man," Zayd said, eyes still fixed on the smoke climbing higher into the sky. "He knew something. He knew this was going to happen."
"Then let’s go cha-"
"Chase him? In this condition? Tell me exactly how you plan on doing that, Cassian."
"He killed every other candidate in that clearing, Zayd. We can’t just let him disappear."
"Then give me your grand plan. Go on. I’m listening, son of the village chief."
"Don’t push me right now."
Fire gathered around Cassian’s fist, flickering bright against the darkening afternoon air. Sand rose from the ground around Zayd’s feet in answer, hissing low. They stood a single heartbeat from clashing outright when
"STOPPP!"
The scream didn’t come from the stranger, or from any enemy at all. It came from Aurelia the quietest, most timid person either of them had ever known.
Both boys froze mid-motion. Tears streamed freely down her face.
"People are dying in that village right now. Some of them already have, and those heads under that tree prove it. I don’t want to watch either of you die too. I-I just want to go home."
Cassian and Zayd both went still. Neither of them needed to say out loud that fighting each other here would accomplish nothing at all.
Cassian looked back at the heads still lying beneath the yellow tree. His jaw tightened until it ached.
"Then let me do one thing first. Let me burn their remains. They deserve at least that much."
As his fire consumed the bodies, memories surfaced whether he wanted them or not. He’d known some of these people had traded greetings with them in the square more times than he could count, had been helped by more than one of them when he was small and hadn’t known any better. Now they were gone, and nothing left in the world was going to change that.
When the flames finally died down, only ash remained, scattering slowly on a wind that had picked up out of nowhere. Cassian stood in silence, fists clenched so hard his nails bit crescents into his palms.
"...They didn’t deserve this."
His voice had gone low and hard, older than eleven years had any right to sound.
"I swear I’ll hunt down every single person responsible."
"Let’s go," Zayd said quietly.
The three of them said one last, quick prayer before setting off toward the village at a dead run. Not a single beast crossed their path the whole way back. The forest itself seemed to be holding its breath alongside them.
When they finally reached the tree line at the edge of the village, the whole settlement was already engulfed in flame. Houses Cassian had known his entire life burned like dry kindling. The screaming hadn’t stopped. If anything, it had only grown louder.
Then, from behind them
"Cassian. There you are. I’ve been looking for you."
That voice.
Azhur.
Aurelia spun around, eyes wide. "Cassian do you know this person?"
"Yes." His stomach twisted with a relief he didn’t fully trust. "He’s my teacher."
Azhur smiled the same easy, familiar smile Cassian had seen a hundred times under the forest canopy. "A pleasure to finally meet you both. Cassian’s told me a great deal about the two of you.especially you , Aurelia."
"We don’t have time for this," Zayd cut in, already moving to step past him.
Then his eyes narrowed. He’d caught sight of something on Azhur’s clothing a small, dark symbol stitched near the collar.
"...That symbol."
Azhur’s smile didn’t so much as flicker. "Ah. So you noticed it after all."
Zayd’s face drained of every last bit of color. "WE NEED TO RUN HE’S ONE OF THEM!"
Cassian stepped between them, confused, unwilling to hear it. "I know we’re in a hurry, but calm down. This is my teacher. He’d never be a part of this."
Just as Cassian turned back toward Azhur, a low, twisted laugh slipped out of the lion-man’s throat a sound Cassian had never once heard from him in six months of mornings under those trees.
"You three really are interesting."
"W-what? No.no, no, no. That can’t be true. You couldn’t-"
"I gave you so many hints, Cassian. You never listened to a single one."
Azhur’s smile spread wider, colder, until it barely resembled the one Cassian knew at all. "Well. What did I really expect? You’re not your father, after all."
Before Aurelia or Zayd could even begin to run, something invisible struck them both at once. They collapsed, unconscious before either of them understood what had hit them, their bodies hitting the ground with soft, final thuds.
Cassian froze. He looked down at his two friends, motionless at his feet. His breath came harder and harder. He could feel his own heart slamming against his ribs.
Zayd. Aurelia. They’re completely helpless. And it’s because of me.
I should have listened to him. I should have listened to my father.
His father’s words echoed back at him, clear as if they’d been spoken that very moment. Stay away from Azhur. Trust me it’s for your own good.
Cassian’s fists shook. "I was so stupid..." His flames grew larger around him, answering the heat already rolling off the burning village behind him. "I thought I was strong enough." His voice wavered. "I thought I could protect everyone."
A tear slid down his cheek. He wiped it away hard, furious at himself for it.
"But I couldn’t even protect them."
Azhur watched him in silence, arms loose at his sides, unbothered.
"It was my mistake," Cassian said. "No my choice." Fire surged around his whole body now, bright and roaring, brighter than he’d ever managed to call before. "I won’t run from this." He stared straight into Azhur’s eyes. "I won’t let anyone else get hurt because of me. Not again."
His expression shifted. The fear hadn’t gone anywhere. Neither had the pain. But something else had joined them now, something hard and very clear.
Determination.
"If I have to fight you," he said, dropping into a stance, "then I’ll fight you."
He looked at Azhur one last time. "My father was right about you. I should have listened. I was such a fool."
Fire wrapped his entire body, fed by the burning village until it ran hotter than anything he’d called before. His injuries still ached everywhere. He ignored every one of them.
Azhur’s smile only widened. "Yes. Exactly like that. Show me what six months bought you."
Cassian took his stance. Azhur didn’t move at all, simply waited.
If I can do what I did to the boar, I might have a chance. Only problem is I still don’t know how I did it.
"You’re unfocused." Azhur’s voice cut through his thoughts for exactly one second.
BAM.
The first punch caught Cassian square in the face. Before he could even register it, a second blow drove into his stomach and sent him flying.
BAMM!!
He hit the ground hard, the air driven completely from his lungs.
"I heard you took down a Mystical Boar. Is this really all you have?"
"S-shut up! I’ll show you!"
Cassian stopped thinking entirely and threw everything he had swinging, kicking, driving forward with pure desperate force. He couldn’t land a single hit. No matter how fast or hard he moved, Azhur avoided every strike with an almost lazy precision that made it look effortless.
"With hits like that, you couldn’t possibly have beaten that beast alone."
Before Cassian even registered the next movement
BAM.
Another punch sent him crashing back down. He hit hard, tasted blood, and forced himself back up onto shaking legs anyway.
Even as his body threatened to give out completely, even against an opponent strong enough to level a thousand versions of himself, he refused to stay down.
His eyes began to glow the outer ring burning orange, the inner ring a deep, swallowing purple.
Azhur went still. "Those eyes..." A proud, almost wistful smile crossed his face. "Finally. You’ve finally shown them to me."
While Azhur stood distracted, Cassian remembered really remembered the move he’d used against the boar. This time he understood exactly what he was reaching for. He poured every last scrap of energy he had left into a single strike: all his fear, his fury, his grief, everything at once.
"FLAMING TORNADO KICK!"
BOOOOM!
The kick caught Azhur square on and sent him flying backward through the air.
"Uagh!"
Cassian landed hard, lungs burning. "Huff... huff..." He fought for breath between words. "You told me never let my guard down."
He rose slowly, legs shaking under him. "And here you are making the exact same mistake." His fists clenched tight. "Don’t take me for some weak little boy."
Azhur stood back up without any visible effort at all. Cassian’s eyes went wide. The lion-man brushed dirt off one shoulder as if the strike had been nothing more than an inconvenience.
"Not bad."
Cassian stared, disbelieving. He’s barely hurt?
Azhur’s gaze drifted past him, toward Zayd and Aurelia still lying unconscious in the dirt. "You should survive the day, at least."
"What are you talking about?"
But Azhur was already walking away, lifting both of Cassian’s friends over his shoulders with an easy, terrible strength.
"Wait!"
Cassian tried to follow. His legs gave out beneath him without warning. He hit the ground hard, unable to rise no matter how he strained against it.
Azhur glanced back once. "Rest, Cassian."
Then he vanished into the burning forest with both of them slung over his shoulders, and was gone.
Cassian could only watch. His vision blurred at the edges. Smoke and flame filled the whole sky above what was left of the village.
"...Azhur."
Then everything went black.