Free Demon Within by Julie Nicholls

the vineyard three years earlier. No one person at Braxton could afford to buy the business, so it had been sold in portions, many people taking up the offer to buy a small piece. The winery still belonged to the original owner, who took a fee in payment for the use of the buildings and equipment, but the arrangement pleased everyone.
    Buying a small stake in the business, Darion and his father had seen a good return on their investment; they couldn’t afford to lose it. Standing behind the boy who’d alerted him, he rested his hands on his shoulders, as he looked towards the horizon. He could see the flames and smoke a few miles away. If they acted now, they could build a firebreak and stop it spreading. It was crucial the fire didn’t reach the vineyards; everyone’s livelihood depended on it.
    Unhitching the horses from the carts, they hurried them to the plows in the fallowed fields; they could start plowing immediately and make the fire-break, so it couldn't spread. Many ran home to gather more tools; spades, forks and beaters, to start manually digging and beating at the smaller fires. Speed was vital if they wanted to save their vineyard, and everyone rallied to aid and stamp out the fire. The first people to arrive, where those who'd taken their own horses, after collecting tools from home they galloped towards the direction of the smoke.
    Darion was one of the first to approach, but it wasn't the fields that burned. Dryden, a busy town with many residents was aflame. People ran screaming along the main road, and across the fields to escape. Darion approached them. Confused and unsure of the events, he stopped to ask a man fleeing.
    ‘What's happening? Why is everyone running instead of fighting the fire?
    ‘Run! You can't stop it.!’ He shouted over his shoulder to Darion.
    Darion watched the man, and many others run away screaming. He didn't know what to think; his friends from Braxton caught up to him and were as confused as he.
    ‘What the hell’s going on? No one’s staying to put out the fire, I don’t understand.’ Darion addressed Milo, who’d sidle up by his side.
    Milo and Darion’s fathers worked together in the vineyards and so they too became friends. Having died of a heart condition two years previous, Milo’s father left his son to take care of his mother, who took the death badly.
    ‘There’s something amiss, I’m going to get a closer look.’
    Milo spurred on his horse, and galloped towards the town. Darion wanted to follow, but his father shouted to him, making him stop.
    ‘Darion wait! Don’t go to Dryden, stay here.’ He expressed concern. Darion waited and turned to his father.
    ‘Why?’
    ‘I don’t think it’s safe, wait until we can find out more.’ Amos looked around. Only the town burned; the surrounding fields were not ablaze. It looked like an attack.
    ‘We have to go and help!’ Darion was eager to aid the townsfolk.
    ‘Darion, listen to me. We should return to Braxton. We are too few to help them.’
    He watched the people as they fled, and thought there must be many raiders.
    ‘Come on. These people need help, and somewhere to sleep tonight. We’ll call a meeting at Braxton.’
    Darion he knew his father was right. If they banded together, they could return and fight the raiders.
    Kicking at his horse, Darion sped off back home, his father followed.
    Glancing back over his shoulder Amos looked for Milo, but he was nowhere in sight. Always hot-headed and quick to join a fight, he hoped he’d find sense and return to Braxton.
    As Darion reached the boundaries to Braxton, he called to everyone working on the firebreak to prepare for refugees.
    The Mayor of Braxton, Mr. Ridley, couldn’t believe raiders were at Dryden and burning the town.
    Darion and Amos felt there was no other explanation. Waiting for the survivors to arrive, the Mayor wanted to question them and find out what he was up against. Amos, Darion and the Mayor left the office and headed into