121: Alira

Larry approached the door, opening it just a little.

“Sorry, we’re closed this evening for a private event; you’ll need to come back tomorrow,” Larry said.

“Yes, I’m sorry to intrude. It’s one of your guests that I’d like to speak with. You wouldn’t happen to be hosting Trevor, the orphan from this very city, in there right now, would you?” I could hear Liam ask from the other side of the door.

His tone didn’t sound hostile; however, being called out directly like that left no room for doubt.

“No, sorry, never met him,” Larry said firmly.

Liam chuckled a little. “I’m sorry, I suppose I should say—he’s not in trouble. I am alone; I simply need to pass on a message.”

Larry was about to close the door when a hand held it open just a small amount, clearly stopping him in his tracks.

“I see. Well, if he is in there, just know that the King has requested an audience with him. We wish to work with him, not against him.” Liam then let go of the door, which shut with a bang.

I looked around at a group of shocked faces. “Wha—” I said, but was silenced by Liane.

“Say nothing,” she whispered.

“I think it’s time to call an end to tonight’s get-together,” Hari said, as Peter and the Matron nodded.

Elder Peter and the Matron came over and shook my hand. “It was an absolute pleasure to catch up.”

Martin just gave me a giant hug before giving me a heavy pat on the shoulder, whispering, “Don’t let them push you around, you hear? You are more powerful than I think you know.”

They all left, with Gemma giving me a wave and a sympathetic look as they all left the inn, leaving the rest of us there.

Hari looked around. “Is there a back door?”

Larry nodded, pointing towards the kitchen. “What’s this about?”

Hari just shook his head. “Liane, could you slip out back and scout the area, see what we’re dealing with? And Larry, I do not know, but we’ve already had one Lord attempt to take Trev through shady means—better to be safe than sorry.”

Liane was gone in an instant. Jen had gone upstairs, I’m guessing to look out the windows.

I saw Micca smirk. “Mr. Big Deal over here can’t even have a night of celebration without an invitation from the King, no less.”

Both George and Darren laughed a little.

“Bet you’d never have expected that to happen while we were at the orphanage,” George said.

Darren snorted. “No, he’d absolutely have expected it. He was going to be the world’s best swordsman, remember.”

I just shook my head. Crisplet was at my side, already looking very red and volatile while appearing to be looking off in the distance.

It didn’t take long for Liane to come back, appearing next to Hari.

“Nobody out there. I found the captain and followed him—he just went back to the manor. It appeared no one else was with him either,” she said.

Hari nodded. “It appears they may really just want to talk.”

I was just about to ask what to do when bells started to ring through the town—emergency bells.

I had only heard these during testings every couple of years, and never during the night.

“What now!” Hari practically yelled.

Jen came running down the stairs, yelling, “Fire heading this way! Take cover!”

Outside the inn there was shouting, and through the slats in the closed windows I saw the outline glow brightly, like it was almost daylight.

Then, there was a familiar pressure.

“Lily?” I said, almost bewildered by it.

The glow outside subsided, but the bells were still ringing, and there was a lot of shouting.

A moment later, there was a soft knock at the door.

“Jen?” Hari asked, while Larry looked at us for instructions. “What was it?”

Jen shook her head. “Giant fire in the sky—dragon size, maybe larger.”

While they were discussing it, I heard a shriek from behind me before I felt a familiar nudge. Looking back, I saw Lily pushing me to the door.

With a sigh, I walked towards it. Larry, Geo and Janette were completely frozen, eyes wide.

Opening it, I was surprised at what I saw. I didn’t know what I was expecting, but a young-looking lady shorter than myself, wearing a dress that appeared to be made of flames, with vivid red hair, and eyes that looked to have fire surrounding her pupils, stood before me.

The more I looked at her, however, the more she didn’t look like a lady, or even human. Her skin had translucent feathers—but these, like her dress, appeared to be both fire and feather. Her face had an almost ethereal beak to it.

“Hello, young one! I am Alira. May I come in? There is someone I want to meet!” she said in an excitable tone.

“Uh, sure.” I held the door open for her to pass. Behind her, all around the inn, I now saw guards and adventurers rushing forward—already at least a dozen, but more were arriving by the second.

Stolen story; please report.

Deciding we’d deal with that soon, I shut the door and turned around to see Alira practically skip towards Crisplet.

Another nudge from Lily broke me out of my stupor, and I made my way towards them, managing to catch the one-sided conversation.

“Hello, little fire elemental! You really are unique—Lily was telling the truth!” she squeaked in delight.

I saw Crisplet look towards myself and Lily—probably just Lily—before turning back towards Alira and shooting off some embers.

Alira sat cross-legged on the floor in the middle of the room in front of Crisplet, where they both seemingly started having a conversation that none of us could hear, well, besides perhaps Lily.

Everyone’s eyes were transfixed on her, but occasionally they looked to me, as if I could do something.

“Um, excuse me, Alira, I don’t mean to be rude, but—who are you?” I asked.

She looked up at me as if surprised to see me there, before her eyes widened. “Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t even introduce myself properly! I am Alira, Queen of the fire elementals and Phoenix of the north—and you must be Lily’s human, Trevor.”