Hidden Fire Chapter 13

Small rays of sunlight peeked through the window. The faint chirping of a bird was present. Arden lay under a thick blanket. He got up, although he wanted to lay there all day. Hunger gripped at his stomach, and it rumbled loudly. Arden got up, and changed his clothes. He belted his sword onto his waist. A servant walked in and led him to the same hall he was in the night before. There sat King Bëren and Istfael. Arden sat down on one of the wooden chairs. The golden symbols on the walls gleamed in the sunlight. Before them sat a large plate of food. Ham, dumplings, bread, and wine covered the table. The smell made Arden’s stomach growl. He felt embarrassed to show his hunger in front of the king, but the king simply said, “Sit down, and eat.”.1

They feasted for what seemed hours. Arden enjoyed every moment of it. He felt as if he hadn’t eaten in months. When they finally finished, the king stood and said, “Arden, I think you should take a tour of my city. I am confident that you will enjoy what you see. Feredir has kindly agreed to take you, so don’t worry, you are well protected.”. I am not a child, I can protect myself, thought Arden. “Istfael and I have matters to discuss, so he won’t be joining you on the trip. If you leave now, you may be able to see most of the city before merchants set up shop, and the streets become crowded.”. 2

Arden left the room, angry that Istfael got to speak with the king. He went through the hall, and into the small courtyard in which they arrived. There stood two, beautiful white horses. One already had a rider, Feredir, on it’s back. “Good morning,”, said Feredir. He wore the same armour as the night before. Arden climbed the saddle onto his horse. It was a perfect fit for him. They started a slow walk down the cobblestone road. The horses hooves clicked loudly on the hard path. They passed various shops with signs that hung down, showing the guild name and type of shop. As they passed a blacksmith shop, Arden thought about Baldemar. I bet that smithy is not even close to being as good as Baldemar, thought Arden.3

Most of the trip was silent, they walked through various streets, and passed different houses, but when they turned the corner, Arden gasped. All along the street, were houses covered in vines, and some had burn marks where there had been a fire. Others had eerie, green glows emanating from the windows. The street name read Alchemist’s Road. 4

“I knew this would interest you,”, said Feredir, smiling. They continued down the road, and Arden saw a gallows in a small yard. “That is for hanging alchemists who trick the king. They get their very own gallows,”, Feredir said. How lucky, thought Arden. 5

“How come there are plants every where, and smoke, and burn marks?”, asked Arden.6

“Alchemists have various jobs. Sometimes, they are required to turn copper, and lead to silver or gold. Other times, they are to make love potions, or strength potions. They do many things, sometimes beneficial, while others...Well, you see the gallows.”, replied Feredir. Arden shuddered at the thought of being hung by the neck. They passes a very large house, that had less vines, no glow, and surprisingly, no burn marks. “That is the leader of the Alchemist’s Guild, Engres Rivalen. He is an expert alchemist, and also, my good friend. Let’s take a look to see if he is home. They trotted up to the large house. It had a small yard, with wild looking plants in it. The house was square in shape, and had two pillars at the front. They got off of the horses and walked to the door. Feredir knocked loudly, and after about ten seconds, a bald, elderly man opened the door. He shrieked then quickly closed the door. Arden stood there, confused, but Feredir was smiling. The door opened slowly again, and the old man peaked out. “Oh my goodness,”, he said, “Feredir, you scared me. How many times have I told you not to show up in armour?”, asked the old man.7

“Too many times, yet I continue.”, replied Feredir.
“In your futile attempts to scare me to my death, perhaps.”, replied the old man. Feredir walked up to him, put an arm on his shoulder and said,8

“Engres, it is good to see you again. This is Arden, he came from Paelgin. May we come in?”.9

“Well of course you can! Any friend of Feredir is a friend of mine. Let me introduce myself, Arden. I am Engres Rivalen, leader of the Alchemist’s Guild. Come in, come in.”, said Engres. The inside of the home was amazing. There were shelves full of bottles with queer looking liquids in them. A small flask was boiling over a fire, while another had a blue fog seeping out of it. Engres led them to a large sitting room, large, cushioned benches lay throughout the room. A strong aroma filled the room, and Arden felt a bit dizzy when he inhaled it. The room was plain, except for the various flasks lying around, and odd looking plants.10

Engres sat down on a bench, Feredir and Arden sat across from him. The old man pulled a wooden pipe from his robe pocket, and lit it. He took a large puff, then exhaled. “An old man like you shouldn’t be around this smoke, it dirty’s your lungs, and makes it hard to breathe.”, said Feredir, jokingly.11

“Ah, but you see, I have an elixir that cleans the lungs, and makes them as good as new.”, replied Engres.12

“You have an elixir for everything, don’t you?”, asked Feredir, sarcastically. Engres just smiled. They sat for about a half hour, Feredir and Engres talked most of the time, Arden didn’t feel much like talking, so he stayed out of most of the conversation. Only answering ‘Yes’, and ‘No’. Feredir and Engres mostly talked about things happening in the city. Arden felt bored, but when they finally finished, Engres said,13

“Arden, I have something for you.” Engres walked over to a shelf and picked up a glowing green flask. “This”, he said, “is what I like to call, Giant’s Brew. It is mixed out of rare plants, found at the foot of volcanoes. When you drink this, it will give you immense strength for a certain amount of time. Now, remember, this is no toy, and it is hard enough to find the ingredients to make more, so only use it when it is extremely necessary.”14

“Thank you,”, said Arden, unsure of accepting such a rarity.15

“And it gives him strength only right? No unexpected changes in physical appearance, like horns, or claws.?”, asked Feredir. Now Arden wasn’t so sure of the alchemist’s skill.16

“Let’s hope not,”, said Engres. I hope that was a joke, thought Arden. 17

“Well, I have much work to do, so off with you, show Arden the rest of the city.”, said Engres. They all stood up, and walked towards the door, as Feredir opened it, he said,18

“Thank you for having us Engres, I hope to visit you again sometime.”19

Engres waved goodbye, then shut the door. They got onto their horses, and started down the road.20


“He must think a great deal about you, if he gave you Giant’s Brew. That is quite a valuable drink you’re holding.”, said Feredir.21

“Really? He doesn’t know me that well. How can he think a great deal about me?”, asked Arden.22

“Well,”, said Feredir, “he is good at seeing what people are like. It is hard to explain, he can know what you are like with a glance.”, he replied.23

Arden just nodded. They turned left and came to a street with an array of shops lining the road. The smell of fresh baked bread made Arden’s stomach growl. 24

“How about we take a look at the shops? Just to see what they are selling.”, said Feredir. “Oh, by the way, the currency is the same as yours, but most people in the capital call the coins delniths. Usually they would be called the king’s name, but King Bëren knew there would probably never be a king as good as King Delnith, so he left it.”25

I won’t have to worry about currency, I have nothing, thought Arden as he felt his pockets. They got off of their horses, and tied them to a post. They left the horses, and Arden asked,26

“What if someone takes them?”27

“No one would dare take the king’s horses,”, said Feredir, laughing. They walked down the road. They stopped at a store called Quimby’s Librams. They walked inside. The shop was full of shelves stuffed with books. Arden walked over to a shelf. Various titles were stacked onto it, including Merchant’s Guide to Trading, Guide to Maintaining Your Sword, Elves of Greenwood, and Magic: Using Will to Control the Elements. Arden took interest in the last book, but his heart sank when he remembered that he had no money. Feredir saw him looking at the book and said,28

“You don’t need that, you are already skilled enough.” But Arden knew that he wasn’t great at magic. The only time he could use it was when he was enraged. Maybe Istfael could teach me, he seems to be quite capable in using magic, thought Arden. He decided he would ask Istfael tonight, when they returned to the palace.29

They left the store, and walked out onto the street. A man whose clothes were torn ran up to them and cried, “Please, please spare me a few Delniths. Oi need to feed my fam’ly.” Arden was quite surprised at this, but Feredir said to the man,30

“How dare you beg from the King’s royal Paladin. Go find a job at the baker’s place, or the smithy.” Arden felt bad for the man, but he had no money, and knew Feredir wouldn’t spare him anything.31

“What is your name?”, asked Feredir.32

“M’ name be Samuel.”, he replied. The man was quite dirty, and smelled foul. He had scraggly, brown hair, and blue eyes. Arden felt like it would be right to help this man, he just need to think of a way how. Quickly thinking, he said,33

“How about you follow us to the palace, you can spend a night there, and eat with us. You may even bring food home for your family.” Feredir gave him a sharp glare, but didn’t protest. “You may ride my horse to the palace, I will walk.”34

“Oh bless you!”, said Samuel. “I will never be able to repay you, only eternal gratitude. M’ wife will worry that I’m gone, but she wont scold me when I bring ‘er food.” The rest of they way, Arden walked, while Samuel and Feredir rode on horse back. Arden’s feet hurt, but he thought of how it would have been for Samuel, with no shoes.35

They finally reached the palace, and got off the horses. The afternoon sun was shining brightly. Servants quickly came to the horses, and gave Samuel dirty looks as they saw him. Feredir came beside Arden and whispered,36

“Do you think the king will be happy with a peasant coming into his court?”37

Arden simply replied, “And what do you think I am?” Feredir looked down at the ground as they continued walking. Arden and Samuel came from similar lifestyles. Arden only looked nobler because of the clothes he wore. He remembered the compassion his mother had on those less fortunate. She would be proud of me, he thought.38

They reached the doors, and the guards let them enter. King Bëren sat on his throne. “Well, hello Feredir, and Arden. Oh, who is this?”, asked King Bëren. Samuel walked up to the throne and bowed. Then he said,39

“I am Samuel, my king. This kind boy invited me to your hall.” Bëren eyed Arden, but not sternly.40

“So, the boy makes decisions for me now, eh?”, said the king. Arden’s cheeks flushed red. He shouldn’t have invited Samuel without permission. “Making decisions like a real king?”, Bëren said, laughing. “No matter, as long as you live in this empire, you are welcome in my halls, Samuel. Let my servants get you some new clothes.”41

Samuel raised his hand and said, “My king, it has already been enough just being here. There is no need to treat me better than what you have.”42

“Nonsense! You shall have new robes, and bathe in the servant chambers. I will not let you refuse my offer, now go, and when you’re done, a servant will lead you to the dining hall.”, said the king. Arden was surprised that the king hadn’t lost his temper, though he had never shown any signs of rage. “Come, let us go to the dining hall.” They walked through the empty halls. The halls always seem empty, so does the dining hall, thought Arden.43

The king walked ahead of Arden and Istfael. “What did you guys talk about today?”, asked Arden.44

“You will see soon enough.”, said Istfael, smiling. They continued walking. Arden spoke again,45

“Does the king have any family? These halls seem quite empty, except for servants.”46

“They were killed in an attempted raid by pirates. The pirates didn’t raid the city, but a few people who were walking outside the gates were killed, including the his wife and son. He hunted them down and slaughtered all of them, even the families of the pirates. He has a fierce hatred for pirates, which is why after we dine, we will be watching the pirates be executed.”, Istfael replied. Arden’s jaw dropped in awe. He didn’t want to watch men get killed, although they may deserve it.47

“I don’t want to watch.”, said Arden.48

“Well, you have to, you are invited by the king, and to decline would put him, and his dead family at shame.” Arden gulped. He would have to go, but he could always close his eyes. They reached the hall, and a delicious aroma filled the place. They sat down at the granite table.49

“So, Arden, did you enjoy the city?”, asked Bëren.50

“Yes, very much. I met Engres Rivalen.”, replied Arden.51

“Really? He is quite odd, eh? But, a good man nonetheless. He once cured me from a case of boils. The potion was horribly bitter, but it worked instantly. So, Arden, are you excited about the execution of the pirates?”, asked the king.52

“Yes,”, said Arden quietly. I am not excited about it, yet these pirates do deserve this punishment, thought Arden. He recalled the Elves’ screams. He saw the small children get jabbed in the stomach and chest with swords. These pirates deserved much worse! “How will they be executed?”, asked Arden
“Some will be hung, others beheaded, and others burned. A few will be tortured. This will all be public,”, replied the king. Arden sank down. He knew the pirates would not be killed swiftly. He was confused, he felt bad for the pirates, yet he also wanted them dead. He would not dare speak against the king though.53


About a half hour later, Samuel returned. He was wearing white robes, and his skin was clean. He smelled good, and his hair was no longer scraggly, but smooth. “Well, I am cleaned up now, thank you King Bëren for your kindness.”54

“Good, then we shall eat.”, replied Bëren. He clapped his hands, and five servants holding large, silver platter strolled in. The smell was intoxicating, every sense in Arden’s body was dulled, except for scent. The servants laid the platters on the table, and took off the lids. A large, cooked turkey lay in the center. Cooked until a rich, brown color. The others contained freshly, baked bread, cooked garden vegetables, a medium sized, chocolate cake, and four cups of Dwarven brewed mead. “Dig in!”, yelled the king.55

Everyone started to eat. Amazingly, Samuel who hadn’t had the luxury of food, was quite polite when he ate. He occasionally wiped his face, a trait that was absent from Arden at times. Arden liked this man very much. They ate for about an hour. Each new food got better and better. A servant had brought a keg in, and Arden had already drank four cups of mead. A pleasant humming filled his head. He knew he shouldn’t drink anymore, for he would have trouble waking the next morning, so he stopped, and instead asked for water. As the king had allowed, Samuel stored food in a large satchel provided by the king.56

After they finished, they all went back to their rooms, and Samuel went to a guest room. Arden hadn’t talked to Istfael for a while, so he went to his room. A crow was on the ledge of Istfael’s open window, Arden felt there was something familiar about the crow. He shook off the feeling. Istfael was sitting at a desk, writing something. “Hello, Arden. I knew you would come.”, he said.57

What are you writing?”, asked Arden. Istfael handed Arden the paper, and Arden read it aloud.58

“His twisted fingers stroke an evil face,
he’s looking at the world through tainted eyes.
He fools the others with his charming grace,
the ones who find him meet their worst demise.59

Dark secrets being whispered in your ear,
a hardened heart that not a man could mend.
Forbidding him to shed a single tear,
yet one brave boy will bring him to his end.60

The power in the boy, it burns like fire,
and in the boy lays Terzin’s deep desire.”61


“What is this?”, asked Arden.62

“A prophecy.”, replied Istfael, simply.63

“About who?”, asked Arden64

“You.”65

“What? This doesn’t make sense, who is ‘he’?”66

“That’s the problem, I don’t know, I didn’t originally write it, Taelyn did. I was just copying it down.” Arden sat down. So many people said he was powerful, but he didn’t feel it. But wait, what about the blue light? Killing the Drayen and pirates. Maybe he was powerful, maybe it was his job to rid the land of evil, but it wasn’t fair. Why should he have the burden upon his shoulders? A piercing yell from outside broke his thoughts.67

“We’re under attack! The Nargs are here!”, yelled a voice from outside. Istfael gave Arden a stern look.68

“Ready you sword, Arden. Tonight, we fight.”
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