Chapter 7
The Drum [The Siege]
Early next morning, I make my way to the main entrance of Flesh to speak to the elemny on duty.
I’m curious to know if they have noticed anyone sneaking around towards the broken iron bars by the river.
Kol wouldn’t be the only elemny within this smugglers’ group.
He protected them in his home for a while, but I need to remove at least two or three more.
Part of me realises I wouldn’t be so interested in the smugglers if the king sent me orders outside Flesh. But since there are no available orders or missions, I need to keep myself entertained, and there’s nothing quite like a side quest to quench my bitter hatred for this place.
It’s livelier today, and a group of elemny cluster together as they head towards the Awakening Stadium. Three awakening days are happening today, and another late tomorrow evening.
It’s one of the things fire elemny love more than burning the kingdom and watching King Ragan torture unfortunate souls. It’s a magnificent sight for fire elemny to experience.
Suppose it’s also the only exciting thing to do in Flesh. The forest lands don’t surround us, nor are we next to a beach. We don’t live in the sky, and the only kingdom elemny admired is a hundred feet down—a land of burnt ground and falling snow where the wind now howls.
Many say the howling comes from ice elemny souls that haven’t ascended. They float there, drifting over Crystal. At night, when darkness blankets their sky, one can hear their cries, filled with rage and deceit. Elemny refer to it as a “Requiem of Fire and Ice.”
So, no. Flesh is the dullest place to visit unless you want to admire the castle from a distance or spot a prince or knights of Eraminia and snap a few flashy photos against a backdrop so thick that it’s heavy with smog.
It also seems to be the season of love. Summer highlights that characteristic in fire elemny, as they cling to their loved ones, tethered ones, and lovers’ arms while strolling through the charred streets of Flesh.
I shift my focus away from a woman lifting her coffee and to her tethered lover. He turns his head, embarrassed.
A sneer curls across my lips as I enter the main hall of Flesh.
Eight guards stand on either side of the four entry points.
Anyone who enters or leaves Flesh must pass through them.
Each door has a different elemental elemny: earth, fire, wind and water.
Elemny who enter must confront their weakness.
I enter through the water doors, and the two water elemny on either side incline their heads and grant me easy access.
I proceed through the Ebon Hall entrance.
It’s as bleak as Flesh: granite walls and black limestone floors.
Tall, thick, composite onyx pillars dominate the centre of the hall, showcasing the faces of previous kings.
About forty guards patrol the halls, ensuring no one slips through, while 200 guards patrol the walls in case an air elemny flies into Flesh. But before anyone can try to enter, the unsuspecting fool would perish into ash.
I block one entryway, uncaring of the morning fleet of elemny desperate to enter the Kingdom of Flesh to prey upon my younger brothers.
The earth elemny observes me and the line waiting for admission, then flicks his finger upward, creating a stone wall between them and us.
He does this more for my benefit than for his own.
I’m sure the guards at the entrance are aware of my short temper and want to avoid any deaths while we talk.
“Prince Reen, what brings you to the Ebon Entrance?” he asks in a raspy voice.
“Toma,” I say. “You wouldn’t know anyone named Kol, would you?”
He makes a face as he briefly considers whether he knows anyone named Kol. I let him ponder. I don’t mind wasting time, given that there’s nothing else to do within Flesh.
“Sorry, Prince Reen. That name doesn’t ring a bell,” he says.
“Have you noticed any suspicious activity near the left side of the wall, close to the lake?” I tilt my head and narrow my eyes.
“Kaneko typically conducts business near the water, making sure it remains replenished and flows well when Galdur takes over her duties.”
“Thank you for your time, Toma. I will go find her now,” I say.
“Oh…” Toma grimaces. “She’s sick today. Galdur swapped his shift because Kaneko couldn’t cover her day shift.”
I sigh. Elemny who break the law tend to believe they are acting normally, but their actions tie them to others. Kaneko’s actions may seem normal on their own, but Kaneko’s actions connect to Kol’s arrest. This makes her a suspect. I’d have been more entertained if she were at her outpost.
He breaks the wall and resumes checking passports and tickets.
As I leave, I pull out my phone. “Sir, is there a problem?” Alad says after the first ring—never tardy.
“Can you send me Kaneko Ume’s address, the number of elemny living there, and a list of family members and friends with photos as soon as possible?”
“But—”
I hang up, place the phone back in my pocket, and take out a cigarette.
I snap my fingers, and a flame ignites on the tip, lighting up the end of the stick until it glows a deep orange.
A stream of smoke swirls in the air, and when I drink it in, ash fills my throat.
The sting of smoke spread down my lungs.
It doesn’t take long for the message to arrive. Alad works swiftly. It’s one of the many reasons I’ve kept him as my advisor. The others aren’t as quick on their feet, and I don’t have all day, especially on the king’s orders. I need someone who can keep up with me, and Alad is my guy.
As I make my way to her home, I scroll through the list of descriptions and images alongside them, offering a name, a face, and a description. Kaneko doesn’t have many friends in Flesh. That’s normal, though, so there’s no need to worry. Elemny that aren’t fire just do their jobs and nothing more.
It’s smart. Do your job successfully and stay out of a hot-headed fire element’s way. Kaneko has learned the effortless way, and by doing so, has prevented us from engaging in her illegal activities.
The only reason this is happening is that King Ragan is too power-hungry, causing disruption. If she were smarter, she would carry on with her day. Sweating and fleeing do nothing except make my job easier.
Elemny, they’re so…disappointing.
Kaneko lives alone in Flesh. She has no other family. Her only connections are with the guards at the Ebon Hall entrance. No friends and rarely interacts with the residents of her apartment block.
She arrives at work on time and leaves on time. However, Kaneko doesn’t go straight home. Instead, she heads to a bar on the south side of Flesh, where she has a glass of vodka before leaving.
I’ll head to the bar first. I find it strange that in the description of day-to-day activities, she visits a bar far from her apartment, has one drink, and then leaves. Perhaps—more than likely—someone associated with the smugglers works there as well.
A bright light flashes to my right as I head towards the Dragonfire Bar.
They aren’t locals. The morning shipment of elemny arriving in the Kingdom of Flesh came in through Ebon Hall Entrance some time ago.
Yet, they don’t get too close. The obsessed fans are bright, I will give them that.
Unlike Walkyer, the devoted type that talks to every girl he finds attractive, searching for his soulmate, even if they aren’t tethered, or Emmerton, probably at some brothel, deep inside any elemny that gives him attention.
All I want is to do my job. If I don’t, who knows what might happen to my siblings? Not only that, but I am hyper-aware of the missions the king gave me before I awakened—the little games of life and death.
The Dragonfire Bar is a run-down bar owned by the same family for generations.
In its prime, dragon heads on either side of the twin iron doors breathed fire, engulfing Flesh in billows of smoke, leaving the crowd awestruck.
However, after the previous owners passed away, their children did not care for the place.
The fire dwindled, and occasionally, the dragon’s head would blow a puff of smoke.
Aside from that, they’re nothing more than ornaments.
I stand outside the door and grimace at the closed sign. It’s not a coincidence. Plausible that they went out of business, but on the same day Kaneko didn’t come to work and a day after Kol’s death? I seriously doubt it.
A sound comes from inside the bar as I turn away.
Someone inside creeps across the creaking, worn floorboards, making a slight movement.
If it hadn’t been for the sudden drop in sound—thanks to the music being turned down at the café across the street—and the fact that I was standing outside the bar door, I wouldn’t have noticed.
I wonder…
I raise my hand to the door and snap my fingers. Fire engulfs the air and swarms the door. It seeps through the gaps, and the door flies off its hinges. Blackened, charred flames erupt, blasting inward, eating across every surface as I step through, uncaring of the commotion.
Orange, blackish flames drip from the ceiling, sizzling like acid. The fire ripped through everything they sought, consuming every dry surface it touched, but whoever is inside is still alive since I don’t smell any burning flesh.
So, where are they hiding?
Did they leave through the back door?
Is there a hidden underground tunnel?
Maybe I shouldn’t have gone overboard. Perhaps I should’ve—I don’t know—used the fucking door handle.
“All right,” I say, my voice echoing through the bar. “Step out before I blow you out.”
From my right, behind the charred iron table, a hand touches the counter, and the elemny rises. Another figure appears behind the bar, and another moves through the kitchen doors. Then, a woman crouches behind the man, her bright blue eyes filled with sheer terror.
I smile and gesture towards the nearby bar. “Kaneko,” I say. “Please, take a seat. I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”