Chapter 13

Maple vs. Oak.

Accompanied by Willow and the avians, Oak walked slowly on the grass that covered the vacant lot. Periodically, the clouds projected weak magical flashes.

They accompanied his steps, as did the great icy star, Marûn, which appeared in the sky during the  nights of blue moon and Poussé Season. The ambient magic of this night had great repercussion on the tropical climate of Skyhigh. The moist and warm air masses accumulated during sunny days and white moon nights entered     directly in conflict with the polar air brought by the blue moon. Waves of heat and cold passed through Oak and he could sense the slightest change in temperature happening in his veins.

Oh how I missed it... The blue moon... That familiar feeling of hot and cold... That feeling of being able to conquer the world...

The frosted grass crunched under Oak's heavy boots and caught Maple's eyes; he recognized Oak with great difficulty. His usual leafy jumbled green hair was now sticking up like a porcupine's crest.

A current of magical energy flowed through it as every vein in his body swelled, the magical sap reacting to the blue moon’s effects. Indeed, magic spells took on a different aspect in the blue moon season. The polar composition of this moon had an effect of either reversing or accentuating the spells. It turned hot spells into cold spells, plant growth spells into plant lushness spells, healing spells into resurrection spells and non-lethal combat spells into spells that could decimate cities.

The Wizards’ madness increased with their power, and it was therefore important for them to show a certain restraint. Otherwise, they would lose their identity and become slaves to magic.

The young sorcerer and his band saw Maple  sitting next to his guards.

The guards were watching Jonas who was tied to the back of a nearby tree.  

The captain met Oak's gaze.

Surprised, the young wizard asked him.

"Hello, Maple. Long time no see! What are you doing here?"

Maple stood up, stepping between the newcomers and  his soldiers, blocking Oak’s view of Jonas.

"I have come to look for you, Prince Atord is waiting for you. You  owe him an apology. Supporting carnivorism is a grave sin, but the prince will be merciful if you cooperate. Xidor is not who you think he is... join us before it’s too late."

Frustrated, Oak put his hands on his hips. "Why should I apologize to him? I didn't do anything wrong. I'm not even a carnivore. Didn't the prince understand my letter? King Xidor is not even aware that what he’s doing is wrong. Let's reason with him before we put a target on his head."

Maple held back the urge to lunge at Oak and tackle him to the ground. "Xidor knows exactly what he's doing, he killed his personal wizard to keep face. Ignis Succensio was an honest man, a real one, who did everything he could to heal his king and what did he get for his loyal service?"

Curious at the mention of Ignis, Oak tilted his head forward. "You know Ignis?"

Maple calmed down a bit. Memories of the war against the Applers surfaced; he and Ignis had met in Jericho. The clergy and King Araison had chosen Jericho as the place to repel the Applers’ invasion. The city of Jericho was a sacred place for the treemen,  the place where the ancient king Herbacum had been born.

"Yes, he was my friend just as he was Xidor's... But this is what he went through despite being the King’s friend."

Alder had been one of the worst students of the Farizian Republic’s Magic Academy although he once had excellent grades. His ambition for knowledge and power drove him to learn forbidden spells outsides school hours.  Spells such as the dangerous soul-eating spell that earned him his expulsion. He took advantage of his political connections and the mages’ inability to use magic during Germé Season to steal their souls; Evil Mages could make their sap grow old by stealing souls.

Oak looked up and watched the Tree Star twinkle in the lightning sky. It was an important constellation in the Arbolarbre faith; it shone brightly on blue moon nights. "Xidor may have committed grave sins but only God can judge him. The path to forgiveness is still possible."

He looked again at Maple. "I’ve never talked to him. Maybe if I do, he'll listen and drop his war plans."

Maple gave Oak a look of disgust and spat. "Your naivety will be our undoing! You're paving the way to hell in pursuit of a lost paradise. Your family and your brother Regis may have already succumbed to Xidor's madness, executed on charges of treachery; their names disgraced and dragged through the mud. After all, your father was one of the first rebellion’s leaders alongside the elder of the Jefar family."

Oak hesitated to answer, lifting his head and looking over Maple's shoulder. Gathering all his strength, he shouted at the top of his voice. "Jonas, you once served King Cèdre. He can't be that crazy?"

An equivalent cry emerged from behind Maple. "Xidor Cèdre isn’t that evil. He let me off many times even when I didn't send him goods. He could have cut my head off, but he didn't. You should never call him Prince Vomit though; a soldier's head has already rolled for that."

Willow, who had been watching the scene in silence, decided to intervene. "Jonas, don't say that. Beware of Xidor, Maple is right."

Oak turned to Willow and glared at him. "My friend, stay out of this."

Maple unsheathed his sword. “So you deserved to be in the psychiatric hospital. Your quest for false justice ends here. The Prince will bring you to your senses. Guards, take Oak and Jonas."

Pumped up with adrenaline, a guard leapt towards the tree at and freed Jonas from his bonds. He forced him forward, threatening him with the point of his sword.

Lightning bolts fell all around the guard.

Willow scrambled onto the back of his avian mount.

He pursued the guard who was forcing Jonas to run. "This is my friend. I won't let you!"

Pounding the ground, Oak shouted. "No! Jonas!"

The other guards surrounded Oak and grabbed his arms.

Oak began to hum a spell but was interrupted by a blow to the stomach.

Oak kicked the mustachioed guard hard. "You asked for it.

The mustachioed guard brought his hand close to Oak's head.

Suddenly he cried out in pain, his fingers catching fire.

"Help!" the guard shouted, the icy black flames burning him, so much so that his veins turned white.

"Murmures, brûlures, destruction, flamma aeternam..."" Oak proclaimed in a trance. The spell’s power increased fivefold under the blue moon; the flames turning black and freezing cold.

The guard's entire body was immolated with black flames. Patches of frost appeared on his bark, which slowly burned from frostbite.

Maple ran over, took off his vest and tried to put out the flames.

Panicking at the sight of the flames that would not go out, He shouted. "Guards, stop Oak from joining Jonas and Willow. This madman will have no choice but to meet the Prince."

He grabbed his great claymore sword and lunged at Oak.

Oak dodged.

The sword split the air.

"Why Jonas? Why!"

Oak gave his opponent a murderous look and gesticulated frantically. "Die!"

Oak sang at a frantic pace, imagining the whole land burning and dragging Maple into the flames.

"Murmurs, burns, destruction, combustion, flamma aeternam Murmurs, burns, destruction, combustion, flamma aeternam."

The grass flared up and the fire took shape, metamorphosing into a myriad of living, conscious salamanders. The elementals.

Listen to us and let yourself go. Let your hate and rage consume you, it will guide you to glory and power. We only want your good. whispered the salamanders in a language that only wizards could understand, the Susurat.

I-escut, Ti-gon, Há-escut, Ra-escut! Gliria ond Piria! heard Maple in a foreign language.

The elementals devoured everything in their path. Their fiery tongues turned the material into ice which they swallowed whole. The fire spread over a radius of one kilometer and consumed the wasteland’s grass.

As he entered the flames, Maple ran toward Oak and leapt, aiming his sword at his enemy's head. At the last moment he turned his blade and struck Oak with the flat of it. It knocked him unconscious and prevented him from going mad.

Maple tried to tie Oak up when the salamanders appeared and stepped between them. "Tss, Tss, don't take another step or you'll burn forever. You look so tasty... I'm so hungry. Treemen, delicioustree men..."

Gildor, who had witnessed the scene, fled at the sight of  the salamanders. He left to warn his son of the icy fire, leaving Oak alone with Maple.

The captain pivoted on one leg,  preparing to lunge at the lizards. He threatened them. " Critters, back off, this is my prisoner."

The critters tightened their circle around Oak. "Oak is ours. We’ll devour him in due time... not enough hate and anger."

Maple swung his sword at the salamanders.

The blade whitened on contact with the critters’ skin, making Maple's fingers burn.

"Insolent... Run away..." they exclaimed.

"Whoever you are, I’ll come back and bring Oak back."

With peace of mind, Maple left to help the avians struggling at the mental hospital; he could trust his guards to deliver Jonas to the prince.

He had to inform the doctors that the old town was in flames. As he walked, he had a thought. Like it or not, Jonas will become a real man and join the prince... just like the Indomitable did... ah, Indomitable what are you doing right now?

***

As the fire spread through the city, the avians arrived at the citadel bridge, but were surprised by arrows fired by the guards. Gildor explained that he had come to see his son. The guard raised the portcullis and let him in.

The peacock king, fell from his throne at the sight of his father.

Tears of joy rolled down his cheeks. "Daddy?   You're back!"

"Yes, in my arms.."

They hugged. Their arms and wings sticked together in a gentle embrace. "My son, I bring excellent news, the rebellion has fallen."

The peacock king cooed. "Coo-Coo, Rocoocoo."

The Peacock King’s stomach growled. "Really, I can go out to the market? I'm starving."

The miracle worker took his son's hand and helped him stand up.. "Not yet. First, we have an urgent problem. Come and see, the city is burning."

The two peacocks strode through the main hall. They stopped in the kitchen to get buckets before leaving the citadel.

Once outside, they flew over the palace and the city.

They witnessed the cataclysm from a bird's eye view. The icy flames had devoured the entire rebel camp and were now spreading to the Old Town’s houses. Huge columns of cold smoke rose into the sky.

Gildor said with apprehension. “Huff, Huff. My son we must quickly put this out. "The water tanks?"

Gildor flew westward, his wings flapping in strong gusts. "Yes, I will make it shower on the old town. I filled the river with glacier water for a reason."

His son followed him. Catching his breath, he asked, "Urff, And what do we do with the arsonist?"

Gildor replied." Let the owl judges decide. Oak talks about forgiveness, but he didn't hesitate to burn down the whole neighborhood. Now these flames will kill thousands innocent people... What a stupid hypocrite!"

"And killer." added his son, greeting citizens who were coming out of their homes spared by the flames. The fire had not yet spread beyond the old city.

Gildor then plunged towards the dilapidated houses of the Greenhouse district looming on the horizon..

The citizens ran to them at the sight of Gildor and his son landing near the houses. "The king! The king has returned!"

"Buckets of water, quick!" said Gildor, as he saw the fire spreading far and wide.

In a short time, an echo spread throughout the city and a procession of citizens came to help the two Avians extinguish the flames.

***

They arrived at an alpine forest filled with loquat, medlar, yew, Cedar and pine trees. In the middle flowed a tumultuous river.

Imposing stone walls surrounded the river and guided the flow to a large circular reservoir, the water tank.

Skyhigh’s water reservoir was built by the miracle worker following the great drought of 1290 that brought chaos and famine to the city. Some avian families, including the patriarchal families of the cormorants and the finches, had even fled from the matriarchal city; they never came back. Some said that they fled to the Qitarian Desert's oases in the north or even to the continent of Dim-Badar in the south.

Stopping in front of the tank, the miracle worker raised his bucket in the air. "Take your buckets, only a deluge will extinguish these hellish flames."

The Avians descended and filled their buckets. As they took flight again, their arms flexed under the weight.

Their wings beat energetically but the rate of flight moderated under the weight.

Gildor and the Peacock King puffed their chests out and headed straight for the flames, leading the procession to the old town.c

Some of the avians stopped halfway through the course to take a break, taking turns exchanging empty buckets for full ones.

Gildor and the Peacock King saw the hospital in the distance while the citizens extinguished the other buildings.

 A powerful blaze was attacking the hospital.

The Peacock King and his men dove into the huge black flames. Maple, intoxicated by the smoke, emerged from the blaze accompanied by two avians doctors.

He was suffocating. As the doctors carried him, his pupils dilated. The doctors took his pulse.

"He's barely breathing, his heart is pumping and pumping, we might lose him. He ingested too much smoke, we need water."

Maple spat out a great mass of cold soot, sliding from the doctors’ arms.

 He fell to the ground. He convulsed.

"Water......help!"

Gildor ran over with a bucket of water and poured it into the Arbolarbre's mouth. His mouth remained warm despite the presence of cold soot. The captain of Atord’s armies swallowed the liquid in one gulp and spat it out immediately.

The process continued a few times, Maple vomiting a mound of soot.

The Arbolarbre stopped convulsing. He got up with the doctor’s help. His face showed a smile, happy to be alive.

Maple looked at Gildor with his apple green eyes, "Thank you, Peacock, you’re a real man. You saved my life. And thanks to you, the Old Town is no longer on fire."

With a face full of sorrow, Gildor said sadly, "Yes, I have extinguished hell. Alas, a good part of the old city has perished. But you’re responsible for that. Why did you fight with Oak? You drove him to unleash this hell on us."

Tilting his head to avoid sparks. Maple said to him. "The conflict between me and Oak is only between us. This young Arbolarbre remains blind to the cruelty of King Xidor Cèdre. He has not tasted the violence of Xidor or of his sorcerer Alder Alnus. He believes that he will save his family by forgiving them and re-educating them. But that is impossible."

Gildor said to Maple, "Yes, Oak is lying to himself. I've talked to him but he won't listen. He’ll pay for his naivety when his parents die at the King’s hands."

Gildor tapped his son on the shoulder. He motioned for him to go help the doctors put out the last flames. The Peacock King flew out to find volunteers to help them.

Maple bent over once more to avoid inhaling any ash. "The war is coming; you’ll need me and my troops. I'm staying here. I met Karel."

"Did you kill him?"

"No. He ran away, I could not follow him. However, I have learned his plan".

"Explain."

Maple pointed to the south of the old city and explained how Karel thought to invade them through the stairs.

Suddenly, a pigeon man rushed towards the two men, handing them a letter. Gildor and Maple read it carefully.

 

Xidorville, 20 Arbatar 1290 Peacock King

Arbolarbres killers

Skyhigh Citadel

Skyhigh (Qitaria) 1078 0S92

Compensation Request

Peacock King,

We demand that you immediately go to Xidorville and apologize to our people for your bloody behavior. Otherwise the people will demand your head.

You have executed two of our countrymen without apparent judgment, Karel Candelberry and Joshua Applewood. A refusal to comply would create an irreconcilable dispute between our two peoples. In the hope that it will not come to that, I’m sending you a map showing the route to our capital.

Please accept, King Peacock, the expression of my distinguished sentiments. In the hope of seeing you soon kneel before our humble majesty Xidor Cèdre.

Kiria Holzfire

Minister of Foreign Affairs

 

The Peacock king bit his tongue; blood flowed from his mouth

"WHAT IS THIS?"

"Karel was alive, it must be a trick." argued Maple in a sharp tone.

"But from whom? What does this Kiria Holzfire want from us? And why is he threatening me?

"No idea. But it’s risky if you go. A real man must survive."

"But war will break out if I don’t go"

Frowning, Maple asked him. "What will you do?"