Chapter 34 Crimson

We walked silently at this point, every step carrying us closer to the ambush that Zachary had set. I'd hoped that he would reconsider and change directions after a bit of conversation, but my hope seemed wasted on this young man. My few early attempts to steer the discussion toward understanding his reasons were met with a solid wall.

Our pace quickened as we left the powered Circuits of the central city, allowing us full access to our Cards, and we reached the deathtrap in under an hour. I wasn't opposed to being led from the city or into the waiting maw of the combustible warehouse.

At this point, I was confident that the figure before me was the cause of Aurora's would-be disappearance. Not to mention the other atrocities that were sure to follow him in the future.

Still…I would like to attempt to persuade him. He's young, and his life doesn't have to go the way it did before.

"How far are we?" I asked David through our mental connection. There were at least a dozen abandoned factories in view.

David glided calmly by my side. "It's just there. We'll reach it in a few more seconds… Are you sure you want to go in?"

"Yes." Zachary took a turn, leading us to the closest of the structures and lighting another smoke. "This will likely go south quickly, and I don't intend to conceal it from the Grandhardts for it to nip me in the rear later. He's already taken steps to make this look like an accident, so I might as well use it to my advantage."

I sighed audibly, causing Zachary to cast a glance over his shoulder. He didn't look angry, hateful, or even amused. Merely…inquisitive. Even so, his curious expression starkly contrasted with the warning bells that Threat Acuity was firing off within me as he opened the large rolling door to one of the abandoned facilities.

I glanced around the spacious wooden warehouse, taking note of the giant basins spread throughout. Likely they were once used to mix the liquids held in the upturned barrels. Chains hung from the rafters, rattling as freezing currents and wisps of snow drifted through the decaying wood. Metal stairs in multiple sections of the old factory led up to the walkways above the basins.

"Cozy place." I chuckled and observed the area, then frowned as I looked at the youngster now standing several yards away.

Now that's a look I haven't seen before.

"If you have something to say, Rowan, I'm all ears." He removed his coat and hat, hanging them lazily from a nearby hook. His expression was strange. Gone was the curiosity and false smile from before. Now there was just…nothing. It was rather unsettling.

I raised a brow, and he continued. "I could sense the changes to your demeanor during our stroll. It seems you know precisely what this is…so why did you continue to follow me all this way? Surely, you can't be so confident?"

Perhaps a Card that picks up on other's emotions? He should also have a copy of Threat Acuity from the Academy… My intent has likely been leaking off and on with my indecisiveness. Well, he's admitted it now. Maybe he'll be open to talking.

"Have you suddenly found yourself concerned for my safety?" I chuckled, though his expression didn't change from my little joke. Shaking my head at the lack of response, I unbuttoned and rolled up my sleeves, not taking my eyes off him. "Would you at least care to tell me why?"

"Keep away from the southern corner if you can," David's voice sounded in my mind. "There are barrels he didn't dump stored there in a locked room."

"Got it. Thank you for being so thorough." I expressed my gratitude, realizing just how great a boon it was that the childish specter decided to travel with me. "Would you like to be recalled?"

"Hahah!" David's laughter echoed in my mind. "There's no way I'm missing my first fight!"

Leveling David was the correct move. Had his duration not been extended to four hours, he would have been recalled before discovering this nasty surprise. Am I confident? Of course I am. There was time to prepare.

Every Card in my Deck that I intended to wield permanently had been Leveled to 3, with a few reaching 4. Between those and the temporary additions, I was assured of my victory, though I didn't expect it to come without effort. With his family's wealth, it was likely that my opponent's Cards were mostly Level 4, with at least one or two Level 5s. I would need to be prudent.

Zachary stared at me with those dull eyes, and after blowing another lungful of smoke, he answered. That was something I hadn't been expecting.

"I don't understand you," he answered lethargically. "You can take that personally if you wish, but it isn't just you. I don't understand anyone. But you…there was a time I thought you were like me. Not anymore. You somehow attained something that I've been seeking for a long time. Perhaps I'll be done searching after today…"

Without warning, Zachary flicked his still-burning cig toward the ground. The calm rattling of chains and whistle of the biting wind was replaced by a deafening roar as flames erupted from the soil between us. I'd lost sight of my adversary in less than a second, and the tongues of flame licked hungrily at my boots.

"Spritz!" As the blaze fanned out, I shouted out one of the Spells I'd borrowed from Crook, making sure it was enhanced by Incantation. A downpour of water fell from the air just above me, drenching my hair and clothing while washing away the flames beneath my feet.

Click.

With one hand, I drew the blade of my cane while Dashing into the air. With my other, I motioned toward one of the large basins as I landed gently on one of the metal walks. From this vantage point, I could get a better look at my surroundings.

The conflagration spread rapidly and had already covered a third of the warehouse. Whatever fluid they'd been crafting in this place, not only was it highly flammable, but it didn't show any signs of petering out, even along the dirt floor.

Water dripped slowly from my clothing, landing on the metal platform and sizzling as it evaporated. The heat was rising quickly. The second Card I'd appropriated from the shop, Heat Resistance, was already proving its worth.

I glanced around the warehouse floor, searching for my foe. It didn't take long to spot him. Zachary was standing in the same position as when he'd started the blaze, and he was…smiling? The flames danced wildly around him, obscuring most of his person, yet that smile was something I couldn't miss.

It wasn't the same false smile that he'd kept up on our journey here. Instead, even with his clothing catching fire, he looked…peaceful.

Eyes closed, he stretched out both arms, ignoring the hazardous environment. The flames that threatened to consume him suddenly stilled before being drawn from the earth. They snaked up his leg and wound around his outstretched arms, only stopping when his body was mostly covered.

"Bullocks…" I muttered.

His eyes snapped open, and he looked directly at me. The flames on his body began to writhe, and the fire on his arms turned brighter before firing in my direction.

I leaped to the right, narrowly avoiding one of the projectiles as the other collided with one of the platform's supports. It wasn't enough to destroy it, but the metal was warped, and the walkway began to sag slightly in that direction.

How did he spot me so quickly? And the control he has at his age… Fire Attunement?

Attunements were elemental-based Holy Cards, ones that weren't easy to come by, that allowed their Wielder to form a connection with the element. In this case, Zachary could detect me anywhere within the confines of the burning building.

What a well-laid trap.

I dodged another serpent-like blast and ran toward the center of the warehouse, where the flames were only just beginning to spread. Zachary shadowed my movements from the ground, following below and continuously firing bolts toward the platform. I smiled.

"What an energetic young man!" I laughed and internally added, "Having fun yet, David? Larry, how are things going on your end?"

"Ungh!"

"Look at him go!" I could somewhat make out David's form floating in the rafters, watching the goings-on with intent curiosity. "Oh, and Larry said he's working on it."

You got that from ungh?

I leaped over the banister when Dash came off Cooldown, throwing myself toward an adjacent walkway just as two more flaming bolts exploded where I'd just been. With Dash still active, I snatched one of the chains and held on tight as it swung me around one of the large basins, where I landed directly behind Zachary.

"Affliction!"

My blade lashed out several times, striking the exposed skin of the boy's arms and legs. A dark mist loomed over the sword's edge, and with each impact, the haze would seep into the superficial wounds. I managed to inflict all ten stacks of Affliction before he could react, reducing the effectiveness of his Agility by twenty-seven percent.

Damn it, Rowan. You know what you have to do. Why are you hesitating?

Zachary spun swiftly, one arm raised in preparation to cast another of the flaming bolts. Before he could, I struck his chest with my darkness-covered palm, knocking the lad off his feet as his skin turned pale.

"Hex!"

Between that and Affliction, his Agility would be reduced by over fifty percent, and his other Foundations should be reduced by twenty-five percent. I rushed forward before he could gain his bearings, Pulling the nearby shaft of my cane toward me and slamming it into the boy's gut, sending him sprawling to the floor once more.

The intensity of his flames increased, and I had to step back from the sudden rush of heat. He didn't move, only held his stomach and coughed, looking at me.

"Phew! You sure know how to give an old man a hard time!" I chuckled and took a deep breath, casting Spritz above me to cool my body and weaken the flames in the immediate area. My suit was fine, if not ashy, but my hands were red, and I was beginning to feel parched.

"What's with all of this hogwash?" I called while keeping my distance and gesturing around. "How about you tell me what it is you want, and we put an end to this?"

"An end?" Zachary coughed and spluttered momentarily before spitting out a wad of blood. Though his eyes retained that same dead look, he looked toward the nearby flame and smiled. "I suppose that would be one way to solve my dilemma."

"Boss! You need to move!"

"What?"

"That basin is filled with—"

Before David could finish, a massive ring of fire burst from around Zachary. I dove beneath the flames and watched as they slammed into the side of the container next to us. The side cracked, and light brown liquid came flooding out.

Flaming liquid came rushing at me, and I Dashed into the air, barely avoiding the wave and grabbing onto the rail. I watched as the tide of fire swelled slowly outward…and directly toward the southern corner.

"Larry! Get ready!" I cried internally, hauling myself onto the platform and looking around for both the Golem and Zachary. Beads of sweat rolled down my forehead, filling my eyes and blurring my vision.

The facility's wooden platforms, desks, and other garbage had caught fire, and the rafters were filled with smoke. I was already holding my breath. The walkways were no longer navigable.

I need to finish this quickly and get us out of here. Where the hell did that boy go?

"Cough… Cough…"

I cast Cleanse, evaporating the smoke in my lungs and clearing the area around me long enough to take a deep breath. Lungs full of fresh air, I rushed forward, casting Spritz and Dash each time either came off of Cooldown.

The light and dark of the shadows caused my movement speed to constantly wax and wane from Integrate, and I had to pause briefly to control my connection with the Enhancement. Flames crackled around me as I concentrated, only just managing to suppress its effects when I heard a cracking noise behind me.

I turned just in time to see a pillar of flame rushing toward me. There was no time to dodge, so I braced for impact, shielding myself with both arms and casting Spritz to help nullify the damage. Luckily, it was weak.

The impact pushed me back a few steps, but the attack didn't harm me. I looked up to see Zachary standing on another platform just a few yards away, both hands pointed toward me. The dark mist surrounding him was fading from existence, and his skin was returning to its usual palate. My Spells had timed out.

Another pillar of flame raced toward me, this one much wider. I dodged to the side and pulled a throwing knife from my coat, flinging it toward the caster. He was gone.

"On your right!"

David's warning came just in time. I Dashed back and launched another knife without looking. Two flaming spears whizzed by, one catching the edge of my jacket, which instantly began to mend itself.

"Urgh!" I glanced over to find Zachary clutching the upper part of his stomach with one hand. The knife had found its target.

"Boy, listen to me!" I tried once more. It looked like the knife had found his liver, and the wound was bleeding heavily. "Stop this madness!"

Just try to see reason.

Zachary raised his free arm toward me, the flame beginning to snake toward his hand. I sighed. "All right, Larry. It's time."

The young man finally noticed that something was wrong. He stopped casting and looked over the platform's edge to find the area around us devoid of flame. Larry stood tall below us, a massive boulder in one hand and a cascade of mud flying from the other.

Surprise flickered across Zachary's face…and then his body became wreathed in fire. Before I could stop my Summon, Larry chunked the boulder toward the bottom of the platform, knocking the walkway back like a teeter-totter and sending the young man away and toward the southern side of the building.

My jaw dropped as the platform's remains clattered to the ground. I turned to look at the Golem disapprovingly.

"Ungh?"

"It's all right, Larry." I sighed and shook my head. "You did the right thing. He made his choice. David, let's at least try to find him."

I leaped off the platform, using Featherfall to gently float to the damp soil. The fire still raged around us, but Larry had been hard at work putting out the fire in the center of the building, away from Zachary's view.

By the time his Flame Attunement warned him, it was too late. One of the problems with building so heavily around an element…once it's gone, you forfeit your advantage. To be fair, he'd planned ahead, but he couldn't account for David and Larry.

"Rowan, he's at the southern corner!"

"Thanks, David."

We swiftly followed David's directions and used Larry's Skills to clear a safe path. The southern section of the warehouse hadn't caught fire yet, but the flames were approaching rapidly.

When I saw Zachary again, he was leaning against the storage room wall where David said he'd found the remaining barrels of incendiary liquid. Both of his legs were contorted in ways they weren't meant to be. One of his arms was missing, and he struggled with the other to tap tobacco from his tin into an unrolled paper on his lap.

Larry stood behind me, keeping the fire at bay as I approached, frowning at the broken young man before me. Holding my blade in one hand, I pointed it toward his throat.

"Are you done fighting?" I asked.

Zachary didn't answer. Instead, he tossed his Deck Box toward my feet with his good arm before rolling his smoke. I blinked in surprise.

"I don't need that anymore," he mumbled, lifting the rolled paper and placing it between his blood-stained lips.

I nodded and picked up the metal box, clipping it to my belt. "Would you like me to light that for you?"

"Cough… It'll… Cough…" He moved the cig to the side and spat a mouthful of blood. "It'll light itself."

"David. Could your new Skill ease his passing?" I asked as I bent down and pulled my knife from Zachary's stomach.

"I can try."

David flickered into existence, yet Zachary didn't flinch. He simply stared beyond me at the approaching flame. The specter placed his tiny hands on Zachary's temples, and I watched as the young man's blue eyes became hazy.

"That's the best I can do." David spoke this time, not using our mental link. I nodded and gestured to the Golem that it was time to go. The liquid had slowed, but it still crawled forward faster than Larry could handle.

Looking at the sleeping Zachary, I gave him a light pat on the shoulder and left the fellow to his dreams. There was nothing more to say. I just hoped he'd find peace in his final moments.

Larry paved our way forward, and I left all thoughts of regret behind me. Zachary walked down the path he'd chosen. Now, it was time for me to walk mine.

***

Zachary took note of the ghostly figure but didn't turn away from the flame. He recognized it. It was the same boy he thought he saw following him in the storefront window. Rowan had always been multiple steps ahead of him.

A cool sensation spread through his body as the specter touched him, and the pain vanished. Something tried to pull him away from his body, but he fought it, watching as the three figures turned to leave.

The heat intensified as Zachary gazed at Rowan Wilder, who seemed to vanish and reappear every time the flame's shadows covered him. Forcing himself away from the pull, Zachary studied the young man when he was visible, his eyes tracing over the unsoiled brown suit and flawlessly styled hair that never fell out of place.

There wasn't a scratch on him. Zachary hadn't stood a chance.

Leaning his head against the wall to the supply room, Zachary chuckled and shifted his gaze back toward the swiftly spreading flame, admiring how it moved as it closed in. In moments, his legs were burning, and he could feel his skin bubbling beneath the heat, yet he couldn't feel it. The pull was getting stronger.

By now, the paper between his lips had ignited, and he inhaled deeply, a smile forming as he did so. Zachary spat the tobacco from his dried lips and looked toward the ceiling, blowing a perfect smoke ring, which instantly merged with the black smoke of the raging fire.

There was another pull, and this time, he was too tired to resist. He followed the smoke ring into the dense fog, where he heard laughter in the distance. Looking down, he was stunned. He was completely uninjured and standing in a beautiful field of crimson flowers.

The laughter came again, and he looked up to see a young girl running toward him. She couldn't have been more than ten, with curly black hair and blue eyes. Her crimson dress was blown by the wind as she rushed forward and took Zachary's hand.

"Big brother!" She smiled and pressed her cheek against his hand, tears running down her face. "I've been waiting for you for so long. I'm so sorry that I couldn't help you, brother."

Zachary felt something wet against his cheek and raised his hand to wipe it away. But there was another…and then another. The tears wouldn't stop. And then, he knelt down and embraced the girl, a genuine smile forming as he did.

"Camilla…"

In the warehouse, his eyes became glassy as the flames overtook him, yet his smile never faded. The liquid continued to push past until the flames crept beneath the door and reached the remaining barrels…

***

Larry burst through one of the burning walls, and I recalled him as I Dashed away, putting as much distance between myself and that room as possible. The explosion that followed shook the earth, toppling two of the nearby buildings and shattering the windows in those several hundreds of yards away.

My ears rang, and I could feel the wave of heat as it washed over me. Looking back at the carnage caused, I revised my plans to stay and explain the situation to the Grandhardts. Nope. It was time to go.

"Condition met. Effect 7."

My Dash was involuntarily cancelled, and I stumbled forward as I looked around frantically. A booming voice sounded in my mind, much like David's link when he spoke with me, but louder.

What the hell was that? Wait…is that the same as—

Before I could finish that thought, the space before me rippled, and a radiant, silver light materialized. I watched in awe and confusion as the light began to shift, and a silver Card emerged, and at the same time…I had an epiphany… No, it wasn't so bold. It was as if I suddenly remembered something that I'd long forgotten.

[Effect 7: The Wielder has killed an Anchor. For each Anchor slain by an action of the Wielder, the Wielder will receive one Promotion Relic to support them in their endeavors. Each additional Anchor slain increases the quality of the Relic.]